back in the USA...

Greetings everyone from the comfort of my own bed! I am back in North America 6 days earlier than expected. While on my service project in Guatemala, I fell off the monkey bars (yes you read it correctly, the monkey bars) and rolled my ankle really bad. My ankle swelled up so fast it looked like I had an apple attached to it. In one of the pictures you can see my ankle. I went to a hospital in Guatemala City to get x-rays, they said I needed surgery but I would not be able to leave the hospital for a few days after and our program is heading to Miami today, so I would have missed that. I did this on Saturday and flew home on Sunday.

Needless to say, I am feeling a mixture of emotions as I am back home. I am so sad to have left my friends at LASP so early, I am in pain because of my ankle, I miss Latin America a lot but yet I am very happy to be living in North America where the air is so much fresher and life is a bit safer. So I am going through this time processing what I have learned and how to function with a casted leg.

I have never had a cast or crutches in my life so I am kinda wabbley and need help doing everything.

But before all this happened I had a wonderful time in Guatemala. It was hard leaving my family in Costa Rica, but I have emails and home addresses to write all of them. When we arrived in Guatemala we stayed at a Christian Theological seminary. We had charlas (seminars) with the party leader for Rigoberta Menchu's party. She is currently in third place for president of Guatemala. She is indigenous and 85% of the country is like her, but during my service project I talked to many non-indigenous and they said they would not vote for her because she does not represent the whole country.

My service project was at a NGO called Patronato Pro Nutricional Infantil. They weigh and measure kids under 6 years old, monitoring their growth and weight. They also provide lessons to mothers about nutrition and health. During our time there we made galletas (cookies) that are vitamin and fat packed. They actually taste pretty good and we made over a thousand of these galletas. In one of the photos you can see me pounding out the rounds.

These past four months have been truly amazing and I will always think of it as my best semester. I encourage everyone to study abroad if you still have time to do it. I enjoyed being in Latin America and not being labeled a tourist. I felt that being a student in someone else's country humbled me because I was there to understand and learn what realities Latin American's are faced with.

One of the other pictures is of me and my sisters in Costa Rica on my last night at the house. I love those girls so much.

This will be my last letter to you all. Thanks for reading and sending notes back to me. Feel free to ask me questions about what I experienced. I have over 600 photos and I would love to show all of them to you. Thanks again for allowing me to share these four months with you! Have a great week!!!

--- Clara

Last day in Costa Rica....

Hola familia y amigos!
This is my last update to you from Costa Rica. This whole semester has gone by pretty fast actually. I am in disbelief that we are leaving for Guatemala tomorrow.

Anyway since the last letter a few things have happened. Easter Sunday was very relaxing. We had Chinese take out for lunch/dinner and we rented a movie. So this was an interesting experience out of my normal North American Easter day. What I missed most was saying "Happy Easter" to people.

The weather has become so different. I love that it rains in the late afternoon. I have had language class everyday and we had our final exam and I a 94%. The test was on using the subjunctive and I am just so proud of myself. My Profesora was very proud too. We also did more group presentations and my group focused on the power language has to oppress and liberate people. We each had different roles and I played a prostitute who had to sleep with men to fed my family. I bought some clothes at a thrift store and really got into my part. When I came home with my clothes I asked my Tica mom to help me cut the skirt and shirt. And my Tico dad looked at me funny and I said "sorry this is my new profession." He said, "well that's great. you will be able to pay for university." I was surprised to hear this joke come out of him. But this just shows, I think, how closed me and this family have gotten. I will miss them so much.

After our presentations, the students in my concentration had to go back to the language institute for an Oral Proficiency Exam. This is like official business. We get a certificate with what level our Spanish is at and we can show it to employers. I am very excited about this because I think I did well.

We had Guatemala Orientation and I will be working for an organization that works to bring nutrition back to poor infants and children. I will be staying in Guatemala City with 4 other students painting and doing manual labor for this non-profit.

Last night was my "despeida" fiesta. We had Henry and Laura (friends from church) come over and we had toastadas and flan de coco! I was in heaven, no rice!! My Tico dad sad really nice things to me about how I will always be a part of the family, that they will miss me and never forget me. I started to cry and could only mutter a "mil gracias por todo."

Well that is is until after Guatemala and Miami. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me, I have appreciated all your encouragement and little notes trough the semester. Have a great week!



Clara

Lenguaje y Literatura

Now it is April in Costa Rica and like clock work the season is changing. Since April first it had either sprinkled or rained. Today, actually right now, it is pouring rain with thunder and lightening. I love it!!

Since we got back from Panama we have started more language class and have been having charlas (seminars) over various topics within the subject of "Los Excluidos". We have had discussions with prostitutes who are living in a rehab type of house. we heard their stories and got to share a meal with them. Then we talked to a group in a really poor area of San Jose about their ministry. Then we visited another ministry that works with children in the street. They provide Bible studies and assistance to the families of these children. The this week we talked to a woman about "machismo" and women in Latin America. The last charla was about homosexuality and we talked with a guy who organized a group for gay Christians in San Jose. Many of these topics are hard to talk and see while others are topics that pose more questions then answers. Everyday we have 2 hour grammar class with a wonderful professor, Doña Elly. Today was our last day of class this week because of Semana Santa. Much of San Jose shuts down today and for the rest of the week. My Tico family normally goes to visit other family but they decided not to this year. So I think for Easter we will just be hanging around San Jose. Which is good because I have homework and a large project.

A story I would like to share is about a song I learned back in my sophomore year of high school on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico. It is called "Tenemos tanto" (we have a lot). It is a fun song with simple words all in Spanish and cool hand movements. I learned it from a wonderful lady named Anahi who was the music minister at the church we worked at during the trip. Many know her story but for those that do not I will give it to you in a nutshell. She was very sick in Mexico and one of the parents, Bob Samario, on the trip made a great connection with her, brought her across the boarder by the grace of God, had her live at his house and he helped her get better. Well she had a heart problem and after awhile got a new heart and live longer then expected. But she died back in 2006. Ok how she relates to me right now is amazing.

In every community we visit we are expected to teach songs and games to the kids of the churches. Since "Tenemos tanto" is such a cool and easy song I have been spreading this song throughout Latin America. I taught the song in Wapy, Nicaragua, in Kuna Yala, Panama, in Costa Rica with the kids in the street ministry and hopefully with the church I meet in Guatemala in one week. Thus, the Anahi is still living through this song I believe and I think of her smile every time I am teaching this song and then I see the smile on the kids faces and thank God for her being in my life. The most recent time we did this song was with the kids in the street and I shared this same story with my classmates and professors and I just burst into tears. I am just so happy to be using this song to remember Anahi and see other kids sing the song with smiles. In every country I shared the song, the music leader of the church has asked me to write down the words and hand motions. This has meant so much to me and I know Bob and those who knew Anahi will be blessed by reading this.

This week I went to a Saprissa soccer game with my sister and Tico dad. Saprissa is the San Jose team, unfortunately there were no goals but it was fun to see how much pride Ticos have for their futbol teams. Easter is my last Sunday in Costa Rica. Sunday April 15th we all leave for Guatemala for 2 weeks doing service projects. I hope everyone has a blessed Easter and a restful Easter break for those that get one! See you this month!!

Claire Scholl
EagleVision News Team-- Latin American Correspondent
www.biola.edu/eaglevision

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Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. Philippians 4:13- The Message

And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. 1 Timothy 4:12- The Message