Off to Guatemala!

Well, I think it's about time for another blog post about the happenings in and around my life in Atenas, Costa Rica. So let's get it started in the words of my Tico family - Vamos Amos! ("Let's go Amos!")For two weeks, I and three of the other interns - Ben, Emily, and Michael - attended language school here in Atenas. And I will say, it has been an intense but very beneficial two weeks. We had class from 8 to 12, followed with 3 to 4 hours of homework, and then topped off with more Spanish practice at home with our host families. The complete immersion is difficult at times (sometimes my brain wants a break from Spanish), but it has been very beneficial.

On Thursday afternoon, we were able to take a break from Spanish in order to meet two members of the eMi-America Latina staff, Micah Faldea (structural engineer) and Josh Ayers (construction manager), who had been in Haiti for the relief efforts. They gave a presentation to the rest of the staff and interns of eMi-AL about their time in Haiti. They were in Haiti for about a week and half performing structural assessment on damaged buildings and designing a temporary displacement camp for people who had lost their home in Port Au Prince to the earthquake. The structural assessment they performed was on hospitals and other buildings requiring immediate use. They deemed buildings as either safe or unsafe for use. They also taught seminars to individuals on how to structurally assess their own house or apartment because it was not practical or possible for Micah to inspect each individual house. The remainder of their time was spent designing the temporary displacement camp. However, they ran into frequent problems with the Haitian government regarding the design. There were many compromising issues, such as the government wanting the overpopulate the camp. It's sad to think that this temporary displacement camp will more than likely be permanent. Since the camp is located far from Port Au Prince, many people will not only lose their home, but their livelihood. This will likely result in more jobless, government-dependent people. There are considerations of eMi staff returning to Haiti to work towards a better solution with the displacement camp.

Tomorrow is the presidential election here in Costa Rica. And it's pretty obvious when you walk around town. Billboards, posters, flags of various colors, and cars with loudspeakers are sure to let you know of the big day and it's candidates. One candidate running is Laura. Her slogan is "Con Laura" (With Laura) and she has an interesting (and pretty catchy) song-and-dance commercial. Many people that I talk to are going to vote for her and she may very well be Costa Rica's first female president. Another candidate's slogan is "Cambia", which means "Change". His publicity plan (complete with appealing graphic design) seems eerily familiar to Obama's. But it worked for Obama, right? I think it's a pretty good plan, because everyone wants change in some way or another. Another noteworthy candidate's slogan is "El Menor Malo", which means "The Least Bad". I'm not sure exactly what he's going for there. Anyway, people are excited to vote. From my perspective, it's pretty neat to see democracy at work in another country.

In less than an hour, Tim Clem (eMi staff and project leader), Michael Baden (architecure intern), and I leave for El Tizate, Guatemala for our project trip. We will be working alongside Global Shores Opportunities in designing a two-story Christian high school called Colegio Crisitano Avivando El Fuego. We will return to Atenas, Costa Rica on Sunday, February 14th. I'm really excited to be a part of this project and would really appreciate your prayers in our labor of love (1 Thess. 1:3). Please pray that that we would serve well and joyfully, that God would be glorified in our efforts, and that through the use of the building we design many people would come to love and obey Jesus as Lord and Savior.

"May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working fo His mighty power." Eph. 1:17-19

For His glory and our joy.

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A couple funny side notes:
-The background music of the morning news is "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
-My new favorite drinks: batidos con leche (basically smoothies) and fresco leche in a juice box (vanilla milk...sheer genius)