A Pure Joy.

Because she listened to me whine, and has been
a huge encouragement!

I will save you the language lesson, because I can’t remember how she said it.  No matter how she said it, it was how I took it that mattered.  I was trying to buy some mangoes and a woman was asking me questions, and I was struggling a little to respond….(a usual thing), when she said to my friend Riley, you speak really good Spanish, the others don’t, you need to teach them.  John must have heard my heart sink because he just patted me on the back and said “it’s okay”…..But it wasn’t okay, it was a cherry on top of some frustrating conversations.  I couldn’t get it out of my head…to me it was another failure.  I know that learning a language is hard, but sometimes I don’t want hard, I don’t’ want difficult and I just don’t want to take my own “suck it up princess” advice- and I just want to whine.  So I did.  (Thank you Riley for listening to my pathetic whining).  But then I thought about it a little…..(okay I am still thinking about it)

I texted a friend and asked for some prayer in the frustration and difficulty, as I typed the text, I remembered my morning devotion… It was James chapter 1. 
“Consider it pure joy brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of any kind……” Pure. Joy.

Pure: Free of any contamination

Joy: A feeling of great pleasure or happiness, rejoice

Not exactly how I was responding, as mine whining was not very ‘rejoice-ful’ and it was ‘FULL of contamination’

The response to the text was a verse from Hebrews 12:11... “You bet, I will definitely be praying….and then this verse: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”…… it was what I needed to hear again, no matter what I was reading in my quiet times, I guess I needed to learn it the hard way and have it pointed out to me again and again.  Thank you friends.

I am thankful for the prayers and the encouragement I have been given, and I apologize for sometimes not taking the encouragement well.  I am learning more and more about myself and my learning style and my pride through this.  I know that this work and trial and error will produce a harvest…later on…. But for now it needs to be a “pure joy”.  And this morning was  a ‘pure joy’.  I attended church for the first time in Costa Rica, and loved it.  Thankfully for all the worship the words were projected on the wall, and my heart became full.  He is the same EVERY day, in EVERY place and in EVERY language. 

His Beauty. 

Finca on Friday: Farm on Friday

Finca on Friday: Farm on Friday

This Friday our team had a tour day, Friday was: Volcano Irazu and an Organic Farm, and it was a gorgeous day to spend traveling to a different part of Costa Rica.  Volcano Irazu was incredible, and we could see the volcano in Turrialba spewing ash behind it.  The Volcano was awesome, but it was the tour that had us all asking questions. 

La Flor farm is an ecological, sustainable farm that strives to use every part of their farm and waste nothing.  The people on the farm usually live and work there, specializing in one area.  The farm is also open for tourists, volunteers and vacationers, where students and adults can participate in farm activities, take classes at their Spanish institute and learn about the various aspects of the farm community lifestyle.  Although there are more than 3, I will boil the farm down to 3 parts I found interesting. 

Animals:

I come from a family that used to milk almost 1000 head of cattle, and I have toured Wisconsin’s largest dairy farms, but this one was different, it was goats!  The farm milks about 25 or so goats and houses 4 male goats for breeding.  The farm is completely vegetarian so none of them are used for meat, solely for milk….well and their manure.

Compost:

The two compost systems used on the farm were extremely interesting.  The manure from the goats and other animals is used in a worm composting process.  It  is processed and dried into soil once again with the help of the worms, leaving it with no bad odor, and sufficient nutrients in the end.  The liquid that is drained from this process is then mixed with water and used to fertilize the plants.  The other compost system is very similar to a backyard compost pile with dried leaves, and other compostable material that is turned and decomposes into soil again. 

Plants:

The farm is home to many vegetable crops grown in small quantitites along with a little more corn.  Outside of the vegetable garden area, is the medicinal garden where plants and herbs are grown for different types of ailments or sicknesses.  It was impressive to see the amount of plants that can be naturally used as medicines, from aloe vera to citronella. 

The farms production is consumed on farm by the employees and families that participate, and when there is enough it is sold.  Volunteers can stay, work and play on the farm, so here is to hoping I can be one of those in the near future!

Being Corrected is not Failing.

“Correction, it’s actually this…” sounds bossy doesn’t it?  It does to me.  Correction is something that happens all the time. It started when I was a little kid, don’t run in the house, don’t hit your brother, or put a period there, put your homework here….the list goes on and on.  I don’t remember how I reacted as a kid, but I’m guessing with a little bit of sass or tears, (mom and dad you can confirm or deny this statement)……..well sometimes I want to do the same here in Costa Rica.  

Even though I know that learning a language is  a rollercoaster, I seem to forget.   I have felt failure after failure with the language and have been corrected over and over again. Last week during class   I me felt like I was 10 again.  I would stop and try to pronounce a word again, just to be corrected.  It was frustrating, but my teacher was doing her job to help me learn the language, after all I learned my first language by hearing it.  A few other times correction has happened amongst teammates, my professors and tour guides.  These ‘on the verge of tears’ moments are frustrating, but deep down I know they are good, and I know I am learning. 
we were reading out loud, reading aloud for me has always been a challenge in English, let alone Spanish.

I will admit, I have always been that “goody-two-shoes-always-gets-good-grades-let-me-do-it-on-my-own-I-want-to-be-better-than-you” type, you know those kind of people.  Well learning Spanish, I can’t be that type, and I can’t compare myself either, after all comparison is the thief of joy.  

So now what? 

Now, I said confidently: “No entiendo” (I don’t understand) or even flip back to English and say “I’m confused”.   Saying these phrases is not failing.  When I was 2-8 years old learning English , (the age my Spanish probably sounds now) I was confused, I didn’t understand,  and sometimes I needed help and needed correction. In those moments, I don’t think I compared myself to the other 2-8 year olds, so I will try not to now.  Instead, I will ask questions, I will use examples and I will ask to be corrected.  I am learning and correction comes with learning.  David Mulder one of my education professors once told me that disciplining a student is loving them, you’re correcting their behavior to help them in the future- not only is that advice logical, but also kind of biblical… (insert: really Kayla a Godly lesson…yes, really.)

In thinking about this concept, and how frustrating yet helpful it seems it makes me think of the Skit Guys skit about being chiseled by God- how he continues to take away every thing that is hindering your relationship with Him. Something’s are easy and fall right off, some things feel like you got hit in the head with a two-by-four.  Asking questions is the easy part, dropping my pride and making mistakes is a little harder.  So I don’t know what I might need to learn emotionally or spiritually out of this process yet, but I think part of it might have to do with discipline and correction.  Because in Hebrews it’s described that we have earthly fathers that discipline us, and we respect them.  My Heavenly Father is doing the same thing, discipline me, correcting me, chiseling me, shaping me to walk more and more with him every day. It is necessary, I need, and deep down I crave it.  Living this life not wanting things to improve would be boring, but with improvement and growth also comes correction and discipline.   But the good news is, “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken….” –Hebrews 12: 28. 

So I will take a deep breath, because being corrected is not failing.

Cinco Fincas

Fincas de Pacayitas y Mollones

This past weekend we spent some time in a rural area.   Rural and Foreign Country usually brings images for me of dirt floors, horses and traditional foods. Well there was traditional foods, but that is everywhere in Costa Rica, but this was  a small town with lots of agriculture and incredible people.   I lived with Patricia, and she was so sweet, and taught me how to bake (music to my ears).....I can't wait to go back.  She was not the only one with incredible hospitality, as every farm tour we went on hosted us with open arms.

1. Cafetal: Coffee Farm

This small coffee farm was run by Rosario, a single woman who dreams of catering to a specific group of people by growing, harvesting, roasting and grinding specialty coffee.  At the farm we learned about the diseases and problems with the coffee crop, the prices, harvesting, drying, roasting and of course drinking of coffee. 

2. Trapiche: Sugar Cane Farm

This was awesome, in looks, action and taste!  The couple that runs this farm allowed us to help in each process of the production.  We were able to plant sugar cane and run it through the mill.  The mill is run by a horse and the sugar cane is squeezed of all its juice through a mill of sorts.  After this process it is boiled down and made into a variety of sugary products.  We were able to taste soboa, something taken off the top that would be put out for children to keep them away from the hot boiling sugar and even some candies.  The farm specializes in Tapas de Dulce, a sweet product that is used in a variety of foods the traditional “agua de dulce”. 

 

3. Jalepeño Farm

Mery, the owner of this farm is a mother of 12, who decided to start this production on her own with some help from her husband.  They grow mostly jalepenos and other peppers with a wide variety of other vegetables.  Mery also produces value added products of jalapeño picante, and is known as “chile mery”.  She participated in a contest for women through an international institute and won a new fridge, and other kitchen ware to assist in her production. 

 

4. Mariposario: Butterfly production

At first I wasn’t sure, I am not the ‘sunshine and butterfly’ type, but it was awesome!  The butterflies were beautiful, and the production behind it was awesome.  The family started this project as a way to create tourism and jobs in their community.  We saw everything from butterfly eggs to the larvae and full butterflies.   They export the pupa, or the outside shell looking part of the butterfly, and use the large butterflies that die in necklaces and earrings to sell. 

5. Finca de Maracuya: Passion Fruit Farm

Passion fruit grows a little bit like grapes, it is grown in rows and on vines.  The juice of a passion fruit is sweet and delicious.  The husband and wife pair each run a part of this farm.  The husband, most of the planting and harvesting and the wife, value added products.  Wine and Jelly!  Muy Rico!