La Primera Semana

¡Hola! I warned y'all that consistently keeping up with a blog would be a challenge for me.  I was recently harassed by a red-headed friend, so I decided I needed to get back on track.

I have successfully (depending on your definition) lasted a week in Costa Rica.  So far Saturday was the most difficult day emotionally as I realized I had only been in CR for 3 days and it felt like a month.  Thankfully my beautiful Costa Rican family accepts me as I am and extends much love to me.  I cannot honestly say there aren't many times through out the day that I miss the States, but I know the Lord has me on this adventure for a reason.

Here is a quote given to me recently by a certain red-head, "They say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." -Andy Warhol.  I am doing my best to learn the language, culture, and lifestyle of Costa Rica, in hopes that I can adapt myself to the situation at hand.  Although difficult, it has been a wonderful experience.  Twice a week we have a guest speaker come into the class, and this has been so amazing, but most of the time what the speaker has to say is very hard to hear.  As the topics focus largely on the realities of the world we live in, whether it's the relations the US has with other countries, the poverty of people (whom now I live in close proximity to), or a critical view of the country I'm currently residing in.  One speaker stated, "The innocent people are stuck behind bars while the criminals run the streets."  Upon arriving in Costa Rica one of the first things you see are bars; on houses, on stores, on almost every window you see.  Our professors state that this doesn't represent a bad area, but an area that wants to keep us safe.  We have to be in by 6 every night due to safety, and I realize this is something I will live with for 4 months, but for the Costa Ricans this is just part of life.

I'm not on a missions trip and these people are not looking for help from the US, they are simply living and it is very humbling to be apart of this.  Our program encourages us to put on our camouflage; to blend in with the locals as much as possible, because we are not here to be tourists, we are here to live among a people.

I don't have pictures as we are discouraged from bringing our cameras places, but this weekend we are taking a trip to the coast to see the turtles hatch!!!! It is definitely the highlight of the week, and hopefully I'll come back with lots of pictures.

Proud of you if you're still reading, and if this post makes little sense I apologize, I'm exhausted to say the least.  I love you all and greatly appreciate the prayers!

Also my address is:
Hannah Swanson
 Latin American Studies Program
 Apdo. 54-2070
 Sabanilla, Montes de Oca
 San Jose, COSTA RICA 

They are weird about packages, but letters are wonderful!!!!

Bendiciones para ti,

Hannah