A Great First Week

Hi everyone. This is Dan. I have had a great first week in the Spanish Language Institute in Costa Rica. The staff here are very good at assessing student problem areas and grouping the students accordingly. They strike a wise balance between stretching the students and knowing when to back off a little and let them "breathe" and process. I am thankful for this opportunity to improve my Spanish. I am going to learn a lot.

I am also thankful for the immersion experience with my host family. We are enjoying one another. They have permitted me to cook breakfast two mornings, and this morning they provided a Costa Rican breakfast of scrambled eggs with onions, combined with a delicious version of black refried beans. Emilio, the father of the host family, also asked me to try an avocado sandwich with butter. I don't like avocado, but I felt I should try it anyway. I actually liked it a little bit. It won't make my list of favorite foods but it was palatable. He was very pleased.

Today (Friday) I am going with Emilio to do some kind of work project that he has. He is a freelance truck driver (small panel truck). He does all kinds of jobs, from hauling trash to delivering furniture. I'm not sure what we'll be doing this morning, but I want to experience more time with him because he talks very fast and so being with him is developing my capacity to understand native speakers.

Tomorrow Emilio is going to take me and two friends of mine from the Institute to a park that has a small butterfly center, hummingbird station, and two or three beautiful waterfalls. Nancy and I have been in the past, with our great friends Virgil and Jo. I look forward to introducing this area to my new friends David and Jama Mosher. They are school teachers in the Knoxville area and they are participating in the Institute in order to improve their ability to communicate with their friends in the Hispanic congregation that they are a part of. I'll update the blog again Saturday night or Sunday and let you know how my work project goes today with Emilio, and also how our day trip goes on Saturday. Please keep praying. Pray especially for my blood pressure. It's been a little high. It's better today, so please pray for that trend to continue. Much Love, Dan