Drove to Casa de Pan where we spent a couple hours preparing breakfast: comida típica costarricense (Gallo pinto-rice and beans with salsa and natilla sweet cream, platanos maduros-sweet fried mature bananas, papas-potatoes), and a US breakfast of waffles with fruit and whipped cream/syrup. We celebrated Priscilla's birthday with a waffle "cake" and candles that said "24" (she turned 51).
After eating and cleaning up, we went upstairs to listen to Danita's testimony. Most of the mothers and many of the team members were crying. After reading some scripture and sharing the gospel message, we prayed over the mother of the 7 children (of whom Andy was the oldest; I shared their story a couple days ago). In talking with the mother today, we learned more about their family; they had recently moved to this area after having lived in Quepos Central, and she has a back injury over which we prayed healing.
She therefore has problems walking a lot and carrying her children. More puzzle pieces came together. Her 11 year old son, Andy, therefore does a lot of the childcare to help out. After praying, Bethany and I danced both our dances for the ladies. Man my feet hurt, I was weak after having been in my feet in the morning in the kitchen, then my feet were swollen so I put them up elevated against the wall for a while, but I sat in my shoes for another half hour before we danced. Warmed up too early and had too much wait time before performing, and my body felt exhausted. The heat was also pretty intolerable at the time. Not the best of our performances...
It was around 12:30 when we drove downtown to the new marina in Quepos, where there is a new touristy shopping and entertainment center. On our way there, heading out from the church, we saw a rather quick-moving sloth and also a mega-huge iguana crossing the street (for which we stopped and got out of the vehicle to have closer looks).
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| Sloth! |
We had lunch at the marina at a touristy restaurant named Z (I was still too stuffed from breakfast so I just had a smoothie).
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| Marina view in front of Z restaurant where we had lunch. |
Others had typical traditional Tico meals. There was wifi there that I connected to and was able to iMessage Pastor Mary and get a hold of PB on the construction site. Then we wasted some time perusing the tourist trap stores, looking at way overpriced goods, as we waited for the microbus to return and pick us up to take us back to the Casa de Pan church. It was 15 minutes late, in true Tico Time :)
As we piled out of the buseta there at the church, just before 3pm, we were greeted by hugs and joyous remarks from the kids, who opened the van door for us; they could hardly wait for the vehicle to come to a stop. We started the activity time by doing worksheets and coloring to learn names of body parts in English (head, face, mouth, ear, etc.).
Then we gathered up in a circle, and I led a singing of Hokey Pokey with those parts, then branching out and asking kids to raise their hands and suggest other body parts with which to participate (they had to suggest the body part in English though). That was a hit. I got wifi at the church too, in order to be in communication with PB and the guys working in Parrita at the construction site, and was therefore able to post to our team facebook group some of the action going on that afternoon.
Next, as Bethany and I put on our pointe shoes and readied ourselves to dance, the rest of the team led the kids in "head, shoulders, knees and toes." We danced "Oceans" and then asked the kids if they wanted to use all their body parts and dance now. Bethany and Alora and I demonstrated the motions to "Nothing Is Impossible," on of the songs we used on the Philippines mission trip. They caught on really fast because they know the Planet Shakers song lyrics in Spanish! Next we taught the kids basic ballet moves. Plies, releves, and sautés in first and second positions, and chasses across the floor. Ballet technique aside, lining up and understanding order and patience to take a turn was the key teaching moment in that exercise.
In the last 15 minutes of our time with the kids, we had them decorate frog and butterfly cutouts by coloring them and applying stickers, and then framing them on a piece of construction paper. Then they went down to eat and we liked back into a buseta to come home and fix dinner.
We had dinner (PB and Bill were out teaching a class), further celebrating Priscilla's birthday with a chocolate cake Debbie had made, and we frosted while trying to keep Priscilla distracted outside. We lit candles and turned out all the lights and surprised her by singing happy birthday once more.
Carol shared her testimony with the team. After her sharing time, people started getting up and I tried to call them back to have a little time to discuss and plan tomorrow's agenda. But people weren't listening and already off, so I just gave up trying. Instead, I took some alone time as I showered, while Mary washed dishes and everyone else played Mafia. Then while she showered I uploaded photos and shared an update on the team's status to Facebook. Mary and I finished brainstorming and planned the agenda for the afternoon and finished cleaning the kitchen. At 10pm, Bill and PB came home and we warmed up their dinner plates and caught up with them. Carol taught Jacqui, Debbie, and I how to arm crochet, and I taught Mary... In preparation for tomorrow morning's meeting with the ladies.
It's now 11:37 and I want to go to bed. Brush teeth and lights out!!
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