What is a tract?

there are usually little street performers at big intersections... jugglers... dancers... fire stick throwing people.. :)

there are people all of the time with carts or stands of fruit, vegetables, magazines, flowers, candy etc

Costa Rica's Independence Day: there were a bunch of little girls who performed a traditional Costa Rican Dance

one of the main, crazy streets in San Jose

 our room :)

:) some awesome guy

traditional Costa Rican dress

Yesterday, a couple of us went to help out at a volleyball tournament. There were about 6 of us; we helped out with some teams that were lacking coaches. When I was first assigned the team I was like... oh great... H-O-L-A. .. Coaching them ended up being really fun. The girls I coached were as eager to understand me as I was them. We played games and danced to the music playing during the tournament. I actually learned most of their names... they were so cute. 

After volleyball... I was introduced to "tracts." If you don't know what these are.. evangelists often use them to quickly spread the Gospel. They're little pamphlets with summarized Gospels. (There is probably more to them... that's just my knowledge thus far) Anyways, our leader told us to go pass these little pamphlets to everyone in the dome (gym). I don't know why I wasn't crazy about this. I only passed out about 7 because I was talking to (or trying to talk to) the people I passed them out to. One of the other members on our team passed them out to the rest of the people. Anyways, I guess I just didn't like how impersonal the idea seemed. Not that handing out tracts is always impersonal.. but if someone of another religion handed a pamphlet to me and just walked away, I would just be confused... and turned off I guess. Maybe. Maybe I'm just over analyzing this. The Gospel is getting out.. so that is good. I just like talking to people. and just people. I like people :) sooo... yeah! 

language update: I am seeing a light at the end of this tunnel for spanish! ... not that I'm good yet or anything... but I know I can learn it, and I really want to. I haaaaaattttttteeeeeeee not being able to talk to people. So I'm excited. 

God update: AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE.. everyone's relationship with God is so different and unique. People here believe different things than me, and at first that was discouraging... but now it has just made God a lot more personal to me. Our relationships are all different. Different gifts, different emotions, different backgrounds... but one God. That's all that matters. Jesus. 

:) alrighty byebye

First Day of Classes!

We had our first set of classes today. For Bible we had a guest speaker; he's a missionary from Pennsylvania. We're studying the book of James this week. -Oh! Also.. One of our team's goals this year is to read the whole Bible, so we're reading about 4 chapters a day. I'm pumped. - Okay so back to school... we had spanish today also. Spanish was actually really good because I am in the beginner's class... so I don't feel too behind. We're learned some greetings and the alphabet today. I'm excited to finally have homework! Who ever would've thought Grace Cowart would be saying those words! 


Okay so I've tried a couple of times to post videos... but I haven't figured out how, so I will go ahead and try to summarize the past couple of days. 


Basically, the entire group of 29 of us (plus our leaders) split up into groups of about 4 and divide among churches in San Jose and Guadalupe. Saturday night one of the staff members at the Villa named Andrea, my fellow GAPers Derek, Emily, Will and I took two bus rides to this small church in a warehouse type place in San Jose. We got out there a little early, so we had to wait outside in the dark rain, but it was cool because we got to see how everything was set up.... oh the benefit of being ON TIME to things:)! haha... by the way... I have firmly established my reputation of being tardy here, but I really am getting better. The youth group was awesome. Again, the people there were super friendly, and although the only words I really ever understood were hello, how are you and goodbye, I could still tell that I am going to get really close to some of these people. (once we pass this pretty ridiculously big barrier called communication) They sang a couple of American (in Spanish) worship songs, so I was not completely lost. It's comforting knowing that even though you don't speak the same language, you are talking to the same God. The rest of the time was filled with a sermon and games. One of the girls in our group got sick, so we left a little early with one of Andrea's (our group leader) friends. I finally got a taste of real Costa Rican driving!... and I am hoping I will not have to experience too much more of that! I prefer the buses :)


The next morning we went to the same church. It was a little over 3 hours, definitely increasing my appreciation for church back home. The sermon was long, but I guess it really wasn't too bad all in all because we got to sing a lot. There was definitely a big drop of excitement level between youth group and sunday morning worship. But that's okay... I'm feeling some change coming! 


Okay we're about to eat, but I am going to try to upload some pictures soon. I'm a little technologically challenged with this blog thing, but I'm getting better. I hope all of you guys are doing well. Pray for my spanish! pleaseeeeeeeeeeee! Hasta la vista!

helloooo

Today has been awesome. I ran with a couple of the people here at a university that is really close to the Villa (our house). We found out what classes we were in for spanish today.... :) I'm in the baby class. I'm just happy that there are some people here that are on my level. We went to the heart of San Jose later. I got attacked by pigeons and winked at by a couple ticos (that's what they call Costa Ricans), but it was fine... we have a lot of males here who have seen the movie Taken... and we have God.. so no worries! The city is packed, and people are EVERYWHERE. Oh... and the pedestrians do not have the right of way here. You walk out in the middle of the street. You get run over and die. Your fault. But I'm not planning on doing that any time soon:) 

Oooh it just started raining again. When it rains here, it rains HARD. I love it though. Anyways, we've been sharing testimonies, and it's just so awesome. So awesome. We are all weak and broken and sinners, but every single one of us knows that and desires the love of Jesus. That's all that matters, anyways. I got really excited in one of the guy's testimonies today. He was talking about how hockey consumed his identity for so long. I was just thinking of all of the times that I define people by the things that THEY do. I love finding out unique hobbies about people... but those things blow away. Sports blow away, music blows away, knowledge blows away, accomplishments blow away, status blows away... all of these things are nothing if they're not for love.

awesome.

Sorry I haven't blogged yet. But I love it here! The group of kids I'm here with are awesome. Everyone is so full of the desire to know Jesus... and it's really encouraging. We're going to be some pretty fiery Jesus lovers when we get out of here. The leaders and staff are awesome too. Oh! and the food! The rumor is that when our head guy (Jeff Hackett) is here... the food is better... so it's been pretty ridiculously good so far. They have fresh fruit EVERYwhere. It's awesome. Right now we're kind of still adapting to everything, so we have not started classes or ministry yet, but I'm super excited. Oh! A lot of the kids here are very musically gifted. We've got like... four part harmonies going on, so that's awesome. 


Okay... we're going to share testimonies now, so I have to go, but I'll write back soon. 


:)

Flying out!

Well, it is about 2:00 A.M... day of departure for Costa Rica... of course I'm not asleep! I absolutely can NOT wait to be there. I have been waiting for this day since Ms. Christian (college counselor... the bomb) showed me the brochure for G.A.P. years my junior year. I don't think I've ever felt so strong of a calling from God. Anyways, this is my first post, and I really should be packing right now, but I hope I can keep my posts up and keep all of you guys in tune with what is going on. I don't really know how to work this thing quite yet either... so sorry if I am totally butchering how these things are supposed to work. Anyways, I'll try to write again tonight when I get down there. Thankyou friends and family for being so supportive. You guys are all huge blessings to me. huge.
I'M SOO READYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
My Father is good. really good