For the 'a' vowel (sounds like 'ah'):
Pancha plancha con una plancha, con una plancha Pancha plancha.
For the 'o' vowel (sounds like 'oh'):
Senora? Compra coco? No Senor, no compro coco, porque como poco coco como yo, poco coco compro yo.
How did you do? Try that for an hour straight, 5 times a week! Bienvenidos a la escuela de lengua en Costa Rica!! (Welcome to language school in Costa Rica!)
Honestly, it is really good. We just finished our second week of school. Every day I feel like I am learning a lot and I show it by coming home and sleeping. After school, which includes phonetics, language, and grammar--then the approx. 15 minute walk home, then making lunch--I SLEEP!! And I am not the only one. Several pictures of other first tri-mester students have had their pictures thrown around Facebook (by their spouses) showing them asleep before 7pm. Glad it is not only me!
We had our first experience with an earthquake--on the second day of classes! September 5, 2012 at 8:48am 7.6 or 7.9 (depending on which news). I was in Language class and Bruce was in Phonetics (second class of the day). I was sitting in class and there was a strange noise coming from out in the hallway. My fellow students, the teacher and I all thought it was a bird stuck in the open area. As the teacher went to open the door, the floor and desks started to shake, and I reached over, jokingly to Emily sitting next to me and with my arm on her arm I said, "glad I could share my first earthquake with you." At that point, it was really just a small shaking, but then the windows started to make cracking noises--and I was sitting next to them! After that, I SHOT OUT of my seat and ran to my teacher--yes, like a child--but I knew that she would know what to do and if this was normal or not. And it was NOT normal. We all evacuated the building and headed up to the main parking lot, but the whole time, the ground was moving like water and Bruce and I both felt nauseated. I compare it with the feeling of being on a cruise ship on rough waters. The strangest feeling I have ever felt--and I didn't like it!
Here is a great video of the earthquake (a little closer to the epicenter, but the length and the force at the beginning, middle and end were the same as we experienced):
Earthquake
After the initial shock, Bruce and I talked about wanting to go and check on the kids, but we didn't want to scare them any more than they probably were (or weren't). There were several of us who decided to leave the teachers to do what they do best. And they did. They explained what was happening, and why, and they kept them safe! The first day or two, we talked with the kids about what they experienced and thought everything was good. But after a few more days, Emme started having a lot of PTSD (in a sort of way). When the wind would blow hard, she would ask why, if another student bummed into her desk, she started to shake, and if the floor shook at home (because we live on the second floor), she would run to us or ask, "what was that". There were several times she would wake in the middle of the night and come into bed with us.
Please pray that she would have a peace about this part of life in Costa Rica. It has been hard for her.
On another note, Emme also lost a good friend. Our landlords that live downstairs had a dog that Emme became really attached to, Fresa. She was a poodle mix and she became Emme's comfort. Fresa loved to be held and that is Emme's favorite kind of dog. She passed away last week from something unknown. We think she either had a stroke or her stomach turned and she became septic. It was a rough couple of days for Emme and all of us, but she is a champ and is doing good. She stills gets sad and says she misses Fresa, but day by day she is getting better.
We have made a lot of new friends from Language school and try to find time to get together outside of school. So far, we have been so tired and fighting the rain that it has made it difficult to get together. We also live on the other side of school so not many families are very close to us. We like where we live, but sometimes it would be nice to be closer to the kids' friends. But all in all, we are doing well. Not to say we haven't been stretched--because some days I feel like elastic, but slowly we are fixing inside of us what needs to be fixed. And some things take longer than others. I often look at other families and think, "how do they have it all together, and we look like we are falling apart at the seams?" But then things like the women's bible study (on Mondays for me and the men's on Monday for Bruce) put it all back in perspective--we are all falling apart at the seams, but at different seams. It is so refreshing to have fellowship time with other families and just vent, or complain, or listen and think, "Thank God it is not only me." I think that is something that has helped me through the rough times. Then other times, we have chapel on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I LOVE THIS TIME. It is so refreshing to take a break between classes, let all the stress go and worship together with others. Some songs in English, some in Spanish, but all of it to worship and glorify our Lord and that without HIM we wouldn't be where we are!
Here is a short clip of us worshiping from this past week:
For anyone who knows the bug problems we have been having, we are making a turn for the better! We purchased little 'white squares' (boric acid) for the cockroaches. And they have been working, the number of cockroaches that I see dead compared to the ones alive are more! And we even baked cookies for our SECOND time in the oven and to avail--no cockroaches came scattering from the oven! For anyone that missed our first round of baking vs cockroaches, here is the famous video:
Bruce also bought the screen material for the windows and we have 4 of the 6 screens up! The last two screens need to be put up with our help of our landlord, because Bruce went out on metal roof and don't think he will be doing that again any time soon! Then one of the ladies at school gave us a screen window type curtain that we put over the door--thanks Betty Chin! And viola! We have much less mosquitoes! It has been wonderful...however, our evenings are kind of boring now that we don't have to chase around mosquitoes with the fly swatter--AND our walls and ceilings look less like mosquito-type stucco! EWWW!
The kids are doing good in school as well. Leyton is finally transitioning into his class and he is making some friends. We are still working on the regression of potty training, but it is getting better. He can just be so stubborn sometimes....not sure where he gets that, but when he is ready, HE will decide. I just hope it is really soon, because I am not sure how much more I can handle!
Emme is also in gymnastics after school two days a week. She really likes it and it is a good outlet for her.
Well, that is about all from us here in Costa Rica, I promise to try harder to update more often. We did send out our first newsletter, hopefully everyone received or will receive it, and if you want to, just send us an email. Here is all of our contact information:
Skype: thecrawfords519
FaceTime: thecrawfords519@me.com
email: crawfords4him@me.com
Our mailing address (for letters, cards, and small care packages):
Bruce and Angie Crawford (or Emme or Leyton)
Instituto de Lengua Espanola
Apartado 100-2350
San Jose, Costa Rica
America Central
Please do not send anything important (documents or valuables) to this address. There is another address for things like that if needed.
Lastly, please pray about partnering with us. We are only here by the Grace of God and by our financial and prayer supporters. If you would like to be involved financially, all donations can be sent to:
Southside Christian Church
PO Box 456
Harrodsburg, KY 40330
memo: Crawfords
We appreciate everyone who has partnered with us and would love to bring on more people to be involved in what God is doing through us in Costa Rica!
In HIM,
The Crawfords
PSALM 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed and the the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot of fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge
AMEN
