The Next Step!

Today we had our orientation about the next step in our program. This step is called our concentrations. My concentration is called Latin American Studies Concentration and there are about twenty of us who are all spread out over Costa Rica doing some kind of work in a community and living with a different family. I leave on Monday, March 23 and I return to San Jose on Wednesday, April 15!

I will be living in a small town called Esquipulas which is about an hour bus ride from San Jose. I am living with a 53 year-old woman and her 43 year-old sister. My “mom” is apparently a very quiet woman who is really nice but hardly talks at all. My teachers told me that this is going to be an additional challenge in my trip. I will also be working at a school called, Escuela Julia Fernandez Rodriguez. At this school, I will work as an assistant to the English Professors. The children I will work with will be between ages 6 and 12. Apparently, the two teachers that I work with are wonderful women and will actually let me help (which is great I won’t just have to sit there for three weeks!). My house is right across the street from the school which works out great-no commute!

I am a little nervous as this part of the trip comes closer because I will most likely have no contact with any people from my group or my family at home! But, I also think that I am ready for a challenge such as this. I feel comfortable enough in my Spanish that I can navigate a new place. I also feel comfortable living with a new family, especially because I will be living with two women who I can’t wait to get to know!

I will update before I leave but please keep my entire group in your prayers as we all venture out into the unknown for 24 days!