A Complete Spanish Immersion

Hi! We know that we have been really off the map, but we have been super busy. It has been a really crazy and blessed last few months, and I am going to catch you guys up a bit.

At the start of this past summer, we traveled from Santa Rosa de Pocosol (our mission base) to the Rio Pacuare near Turrialba, Costa Rica. There, we volunteered at a river lodge in the jungle with the intent to practice Spanish with the workers, guides, and clients.

We did practice Spanish, and had blessed conversations and interactions—not only at the river lodge, but also with numerous taxi drivers. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we practiced Spanish but also prayed with many of them. One in particular that we really befriended was Don Juan.

Every Sunday, to get to Mass, we had to hike 30 plus minutes uphill through the jungle. Then we had to get a four-wheel drive taxi to the neighboring town of Santa Marta, where the Catholic church was located.

Don Juan was our driver, who was Catholic and really, really nice. One time, he even got us homemade ice cream bars and artisanal chocolate en route. Throughout our time there, we were able to have him as our driver most Sundays, which was a big blessing for us. We are also very grateful to the guides and workers who helped us coordinate it all because they knew we couldn’t miss Mass.

At the end of July, we saw Carson, my brother, off at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica. Saying bye was definitely bittersweet, as this was his first time away long-term from the family. But we are happy for him!

After that, we traveled back to Turrialba, Costa Rica, to attend Spanish school for four weeks. The owner of the school was great, and, after learning that we were missionaries, she said that she had just the homestay for us.

She was right! Our “Mama Tica,” Liseth, was awesome and very Catholic. Whenever we weren’t at Spanish school, we were with her (whether at home, at daily Mass, or out and about). It was a complete Spanish immersion, and it was a blessing to see the Holy Spirit moving in our conversations and encounters together.

From school alone, I personally feel like my Spanish at least doubled, and I enjoyed learning. We each had our own teacher, and they were all really great. A bonus is that all of them were very faith-filled. So, we were able to share testimonies, pray with them, and sing praise and worship songs in Spanish and English.

We went to class from Monday to Friday in the afternoons for four hours a day. Turrialba, in general, is less hot than Santa Rosa, and the school was located up a mountain, so it would get nice and chilly sometimes. We would see sloths, toucans, and other wildlife almost every day. Sometimes we also cooked food like plantains, empanadas, fried cheese (it’s sooooo good), and more.

We were also able to take a break from school and ministry and, for my birthday, go to one of Costa Rica’s beaches, which was very nice and relaxing.

And that just about sums up the last few months. Thank you for reading, and please continue to pray for us as we are for you. God bless!