Brief Update

I graduated from language school!  Thanks for all of the prayers and support; I have learned a lot and feel a lot more comfortable with Spanish.  I am far from being fluent, but I am able to communicate with my tico family (they are very patient with me).

The last week has been filled with many small adventures as I continue to explore Atenas.  With language school, all the interns went to a coffee processing plant where they produce from of the coffee used at Starbucks!  I also got to sample lots of coffee (black, no sugar) and I think I am becoming a connoisseur.

On the walk home from language school one day, some kids were looking up at a tree and called us over.  It turns out there was a sloth in the tree, just hanging out in front of someone's house.  What a cool place!

Last night my tico parents were running around all excited.  There was a caterpillar/butterfly trying to come out of its cocoon.  He didn't make it out last night, and is still there this morning, but it was neat to see its head sticking out and the cocoon shaking in the avacado tree in the back yard.

This thursday was dia de los ninos (kid's day).  My hermanito, Henry, went to school dressed up in clothes from the movie Cars (his favorite movie).  During the day, I also saw superman, a magician, and some princesses.  It was kind of like Halloween meets Christmas.  The kids get presents (I got Cars stuff for Henry and Disney princess stuff for Amy), and they can pretty much go wild all day.  So much fun!

I am about to leave for Guatemala for 8 days.  Please keep the team in your prayers as we work with local contractors and hospital staff in Chichicastenango.  We will be working on a master plan, structural, electrical, mechanical, and architectural drawings for the addition of an eye clinic to an existing hospital.  Please pray that I Spanish will come easily and that I will remember what I learned in school.  Thanks for the prayers and support as I head out of the country!