Jiggity Jig**

In Montezuma, Costa Rica

A few small things I’ve noticed in the twenty four hours I’ve been traveling on my way back to Honduras, from Pheonix to Newark to Houston( where I spent the night) and now finally to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The View from the plane of the Honduran Islands

      First of all, I’m still on the plane, and I realized, that I haven’t posted anything at all about my trip to Costa Rica, and very little about being home, so I thought I’d catch you up before I get there.  Before going home, and after Tegucigalpa adventures, Kate Palla and I traversed Costa Rica for twelve days.  Ok so honestly who cares about places I’ve gone,  as St. Augustine says, the past doesn’t exist.  Well, that is why I will share with you stories that you can enjoy now, and that can bring a fuller appreciation of right now, really  the present is the only time when the Eternal reaches down and touches earth—the only time when we experience the Divine.  

Definitely saw God's beauty with this waterfall in Montezuma!

     Story 1: Its best to think of Driving in Central America as a game, and everyone as a hitchhiker

     Me and Kate rented a car. The game: make it to your destination safely with the most points, you must avoiding oncoming traffic—hitting a car automatic game over, and to keep it interesting, avoiding a pothole—plus one point, hitting a pothole—minus one, then double value in shady areas where you can’t see them.  We never lost, although we also didn’t end up with positive points very often, and a little guardian angel cheats kept us from losing a few times.  Along the way we had to stop a few times to make sure we were on the right road, one time we pulled over and just asked something like “Monteverde,  Por este Calle?” [“Monteverde (the city), on this road?”], the guys we asked all said “Si, Si!” and excitedly picked up there bags and machetes, and when we realized they wanted to get in the car we freaked out and sped away, as they cursed, because we were going where they wanted to go.hehe poor guys

Kate and the car we rented

Besides other things Livestock have a habit of getting in the way while driving!

  

  Story 2: Your elders are way cooler than even the coolest trees!

     So I this break I got to hang out with my mom’s mom, and my dad’s parents, and even my dad’s grandfather—my great grand-father. Old people are so great! My  Gramma still to this day can make a tortilla unlike any you’ve ever had, it’s the perfect circle of flour salt and love—mmmm!  Then you get my dad’s parents, my granpa telling jokes every second he gets, so you are always laughing while my grandma shares her stories about her various collections  and her miniature artwork.  And finally, I am still amazed at my 94 and 1/2 year old great-grandfather, Alejandro! We went to lunch at Jack-In-The-Box, as he told stories of his traveling with his Sweetheart ( my Great Grandma) to Europe and Mexico!  I could only marvel that although I had just been to the rainforest, and seen some amazing things—marvelous amazingly old things, there is no comparison between any cool ecosystem and sitting at a Jack-in-the-Box in Tucson, Arizona with a legacy. 

My nephew August with his great-great grandfather Alejandro!

Kate in the rainforest

Story 3:  I didn't finish the post until I arrived in Santa Rosa!
     Santa Rosa is beautiful as ever, at the school has new paint colors, two sisters were reassigned :( but we also have two new sisters :)!   The new first years arrive tomorrow, all scared and shy about being in a new place, so keep them in your prayers.  I can only hope to be as welcoming as family that hosted us in Costa Rica.  They didn’t even know us, but they took us in and fed us without question along with their mutual friend Sabrina who Kate happened to meet in Tegucigalpa!

Sabrina, Gaby (our hostess), Me and Kate

PS  the title is from  **To market, to market to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, Jiggity jig! 
 I've already completed the first Home again, but the next isn't until August 31. So keep me in your prayers that I can have endurance and perseverence with my work here.  Looks like I'll be teaching intro to Mathematics for a couple weeks as well as my two English classes! 


ON the ferry in Costa Rica