busy February in Costa Rica

We are now halfway through our 1st Trimester of language school here in San Jose, C.R. For me (Debbi), its been like filling in the cracks in a road with a solid foundation, and Roger says for him its been like repairing the missing parts of the road after a disaster!! Every Friday in our Conversation Class (2 hours/day with a crazy fun teacher:), we have to do a 5 minute oral presentation on a different subject that we must investigate (i.e., provinces in Costa Rica, a family member, a scripture devotional, etc). They really stretch us, but its been really good to do.

We have met some really nice friends at the language school here and even our next door neighbors in our apartment (students also). We have lots of laughs with them and other friends...laughter takes away the stress of learning!

Last Friday, the entire school body and teachers went to Cartago (a city near to San Jose), where we visited the Catholic church and learned about their beliefs here....very interesting. We then went to the top of Volcano Irazu, which last erupted the day that President Kennedy arrived to visit Costa Rica, in 1963. There are approx. 35 volcanoes in Costa Rica, as its the area where the plates meet from the Pacific Ocean and the Carribean. When we got to the top of the volcano, we could see down into the crater where there is now a lake of green sulfuric water. We arrived a bit too late in the day, however they say that if you arrive early, before the clouds roll in, you can see both the Carribean and the Pacific Oceans from there. I think we'll go again sometime!

After the volcano, we went to a coffee plantation and had lunch. The coffee here is absolutely incredible, due to the fertile ground from volcanic ash and very high mountains (and pretty cheap here too:). They have little "personal coffee makers" (can't remember what its called, but its a wooden frame with a "sock"...small bag of material, where the coffee goes, then you fill it with hot water and the coffee seeps through the "sock" into your cup underneath. Very tasty! I'll download a photo of it soon.

Lots happening in the last few weeks! Josh is safe!

I (Debbi) had a wonderful birthday surprise a couple weeks ago...our daughter Charity came to visit for a few days. We had a Packer/birthday party and celebrated both of our birthdays (Debbi...1/21 and Charity...1/29) together with some of our fellow students! We had classes while she was here, so couldn't go too far, but it was just good to have here with us! Shes making plans to come during our Trimester break in April, so we can go experience Costa Rica with her then (and hopefully Jeremy, Josh and Albessa can come then too). With her being a flight attendant, its almost free to come here (cost more for the airport exit fee than her flight!).

The week after Charity left, we moved to another apartment, where we are much more comfortable. We live a little closer to school, and next to some fellow students (so its alot more fun), but most of all, we have a bed that we can sleep all night on (we'd wake up at 4am due to such a hard bed in the other place), and a really comfortable couch (the other one was shot...wood with a little material covering it). The first night at our new apartment, both Roger and fell asleep watching tv on the couch (one of my favorite things to do:).

Last night we had a "SuperBowl" party! (Too bad the Packers weren't in it, but oh well, can't win them all!) We opened up our apartment along with the one next door (with the Amslers) and one upstairs (with the Knoodles). Lots of students came over and we had tons of food, and lots of fun with people going from apt. to apt.

Now the best news....Josh is back from Iraq! Thank you so much for praying for him! We know that God's hand of protection was upon him...and he arrived back with his wife in San Antonio on Sat. pm for a month of R & R. He will then go back to his base in Germany for 2 months, then muster out of the military as he's finishes 6 years active duty in April.