Photos:
the first one is of me and my tica friend, Johanna. She took me up to the mountains where we could see all the lights of the city. It was pretty awesome!
the second photo is of me and my friend Danna with our new piercings.
the third photo is of Johanna and I sporting some hats of friends.

Un mes! Pura vida ya.

It's hard work, but I'm having fun in the mean time. I'm reshaping the way I perceive and respond. God has broken, repaired and opened my heart. I'm actually... amazed at my education before this program or maybe it was my upbringing... I don't know. When I say my education before... I mean... Geneva... actually, really, wow... good job in preparing me for this kind of experience. Of course, there is always more that I could have known, but then why would I need to be here? Anyways, I know that this experience is really hard for some people here when... I feel like it isn't for me. The only times I'm struggling are when I'm just being selfish and I'm missing my family and friends. Of course, it helps to not have many standards for the grades that I receive here. They grade really hard. That on top of my capabilities as a student in general does not equal good grades, but thank God I'm the kind of person that just wants to learn for learning sake and I only worry if I'm not passing my classes.

So yeah, this past weekend I went and stayed with my Tica (female Costa Rican) friends. It was really cool to see how another family functions. I stayed with them for the entire weekend. On a whim... I went a little loco and got my lip pierced. I had been wanting to for like... a couple weeks now, hah. I've seen some really good piercings since arriving. I talked with my friend Danna about both of us getting one. When I showed up to classes on Monday (after not seeing her all weekend) I saw that she had her lip pierced as well! We were meant to be friends, for sure. Maybe it was a “you had to be there” thing... but I thought it was pretty awesome. I guess in the whole reshaping things I find that something like a piercing isn't a big deal and the longer I'm here the more I realize how this is my only life, my only chance to have some fun. Just as this semester is flying by, so is my life. Entonces, pura vida.

This coming weekend my parents want to take me to one of the volcanoes. I can never catch the name of it, but I'm sure I'll know when I return. It will be good to spend some time with them. Everything is going so fast I feel bad that I don't get to interact with them more often. I haven't spent a weekend at home since the first one. So, it will be good to be here, hopefully get some work done as well.

I think the weekend after, the one before Nicaragua, I'm going to go to Cartago by myself and visit with this lady that I've gotten in contact with.

Well, I guess that's mainly it. Continue to pray, please. I need to work hard on my Spanish for the next week and a half that I have left in my ILE(Spanish) classes! I've learned a lot already... but I have SO far to go. It's still difficult for me to carry on a simple conversation at times. Just pray for me in general. Pray that God guides me and keeps me strong. Also, as the days seem to turn into a blur my thoughts drift to when I'll be back in the states. I need prayer that God will let me know what I'm supposed to do with my life. Because... I graduate when I get back. I need a job... or something. I want to do God's will. I want him to use me, but I also have responsibilities... they're called loans. If you know of anything... let me know. Either way... pray, porfavor!

Much love. God Bless.