Tag: service

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Youth Service Project

On one of my walks to town the other day these high school aged kids did not see me snap a photo of them with my phone. They were evidently doing a service project, possibly through the school, painting this public picnic table at the City Sports Park next to the covered Basketball Court. Hopefully they are painting all of the several at this park which are always full at lunch time with a very popular empanada shop across the street in one direction and fried chicken (el pollo frito) a block the other direction. 🙂

Teenagers painting picnic table in a public park, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

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Conversational English Club

This is 12 of the 19 in the Conversational English Club meeting after school Mondays.
Optional, not required for very busy teens involved in sports, arts, etc. that sometimes conflict.
They are such a delightful group of kids, so friendly, kind, and respectful. Grades 8-11.
In January they will go as exchange students to a school in a Virginia suburb of D.C.
They are much like teenagers everywhere and yet different in a positive & cultural way.
I have come to love everyone of them!
Colegio Liceo de Atenas
Atenas, Costa Rica

See the school’s Cool YOUTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74S9aFTNN_Q

The school’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/liceodeatenas/about/   where you need to drill down to posts, photos, or videos to learn more about the school. This school is one more reason Atenas is a very special place to me! 
And oh yes, the one’s without uniform shirts changed as soon as school was out!  🙂  One reason for backpacks and lockers! And FYI, I’m the happy old man in the center of the back row.   🙂  ~Photo by George Holmes, my neighbor and helper in the club, made on my cellphone. Gracias Jorge!
Do you think they will go to Virginia speaking with a southern accent because of me?   🙂

-o-
NOTE: For those who read this and knew my artist neighbor Anthony Jeroski, who moved back to the states June 1. I just got word that he died July 16. No explanations. He made my garden art bird sculpture that I like so much. RIP Anthony.

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Christmas Eve Anniversary! One Year in Costa Rica!

Merry Christmas from my Terrace where I added Poinsettias to a potted palm.
A cell phone selfie.

And the poinsettias, well, they grow in some people’s yards! Year around!
And most of the people are loving and Christ-like year around. Always Christmas!
And I have been here a full year on Christmas Eve!
It is home now! Pura Vida!

AND TONIGHT I DID WHAT I WAS TOO SICK TO DO LAST CHRISTMAS EVE! I went to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and Lord’s Supper at Iglesia Biblica:

It started with some from the Spanish congregation singing two Christmas Songs in Spanish. Beautiful!
Then with the help of screens, we sang Christmas Carols, most with one verse in English & repeated in Spanish. Nice!
In between the carols the English pastor read portions of the Christmas story from Luke.

We ended with candle-lighting and singing of Silent Night.
Then to fellowship hall for punch and Christmas Cookies plus visiting.
I decided tonight to start attending regularly again, even though I still don’t care for praise bands
or all the Wednesday night Bible studies (too complicated to explain).
But I need the Christian fellowship!

And now that I am home it is noisy with Christmas eve celebrations around town. There are two competing concerts or singers plus fireworks. And last night it was a soccer match celebration. These are partying people here! Any excuse will work for a party!  🙂

I Wish You A Happy Christmas!

“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
It came without packages, boxes or bags!
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
‘Maybe Christmas’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store…
Maybe Christmas perhaps… means a little bit more!'”
– Dr. Seuss