Manuel Antonio

Whenever a young, single, adventurous gringa decides to leave the world of deadlines and stress for warmer waters, I suppose its natural for her friends to accompany their "bon voyage" with some comment or other about finding a latino lover. But of course, it's all in good fun, and no one actually means anything by it. In fact, it must be the rarity for their gringa friend to not only come back bronzed, but with an even bronzer man wrapped around her elbow.

Well my friends, I haven't only lost my elbow, but my heart has been stolen by Manuel Antonio.

If only you could meet him, ay Dios mio, you'd understand why I've fallen so hard. He is everything a girl could want. His muscles are as toned as rolling hills. He has the strength of a thousand ancient boulders. He is full of life. I have never met another man who is filled with so much life it overflows like a rushing waterfall into everyone he meets. Oh! And he can speak several languages. He is definitely my kind of man.

I know this sounds crazy but, even though we only met four days ago, I know without a doubt this was love at first site. I never believed it would ever happen to me... oh, but it did. We spent four amazing days doing everything together. We were inseparable from the moment we saw each other. We went swimming, and fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. He showed me the bounty of his country: the wild toucans, howler monkeys, and those conniving spider monkeys.

I got lost in his wild ways. Feeling so free and alive, but secure within his embrace. His quiet songs would help me find sleep each night and wake me each morning with eager exclamations of what awaited us that day.

I will never forget you Manuel. Even though our lives crossed for such a short time, you are and will always be my latino lover.

 Haha, jokes up. Manuel Antonio is not in fact a real person. Manuel Antonio is the name of the second most visited National Park in Costa Rica.

 This past weekend we got to stay at a friends house which is located in the mountains just outside of Manuel Antonio. This is the view from their house. One day this is the kind of place I want to live. Wild toucans flying around, riding horses to the neighbors house, waterfalls and watering holes everywhere. Just watch out for the poisonous green tree frogs! 

The beach is beautiful, the tourists ruin the scenery, but luckily we got their early enough to see it in its natural beauty.

Those monkeys really are conniving. They will come right up to you. They even stole Hollie's toothbrush right out of her bag! 

Shoutout to the Wheaton Covenant

"Of particular concern in a collegiate environment are those issues related to alcohol, illegal drugs, and tobacco. While the use of illegal drugs or the abuse of legal drugs is by definition illicit, and the use of tobacco in any form has been shown to be injurious to health, the situation regarding beverage alcohol is more complex. The Bible requires moderation in the use of alcohol, not abstinence. Yet the fact that alcohol is addictive to many, coupled with the biblical warnings against its dangers, also suggests the need for caution. The abuse of alcohol constitutes by far our society's greatest substance abuse problem, not to mention the fact that many Christians avoid it as a matter of conscience."


Cruel, I know. Yes, it's true, I just had you read part of the Wheaton Community Covenant...again. Do not sigh in angst nor turn away in frustration from these constraining authoritative walls that impede upon your personal right to exercise freedom when it comes to the decision of alcohol consumption. First give me a chance to explain why I have included them in my blog.


This past Wednesday night was a party at Mama Kuki's place. Past student's she has housed were visiting from France and Ecuador and with such honored guests in town she could not pass up the opportunity to for some mojito magic. Our French friend made crepes, everyone brought a different filling, and Mama Kuki blended up some yerba buena-lime mojitos. With a crowd of 7 young adults, tongues were licking their lips waiting for the first round to be poured and the laughter to start. I however, being the responsible and dedicated Wheaton student that I am (*cough) had to ask for mine "fresca" which in Costa Rica means <sin alcohol>. No big deal! Great idea! Let's make a whole other batch without alcohol! My stance was widely accepted.


It was while we were seated for dinner as the call for seconds on the mojitos (with alcohol) went around that the topic of why I wouldn't drink mine with alcohol came up. Immediately my evangelical antennas were up and my mind was racing with how I could best turn this into a "gospel sharing" moment. Thankfully, instead of hastily rushing into this conversation with Bible Bashing jargon I had the sense to be honest. I told my new friends and family it was because I made a commitment along with the rest of my school to abstain from the consumption of alcohol and other activities while at college. Everyone was incredibly impressed. They could not stop commenting how unique it was that I would keep my commitment especially when the temptation was there to just taste a little. My host brother Carlos then took this as his cue to grab the rum and start tempting me with <Un poquito, un poquito> or  "Just a little, just a little."


One of the people at the table then asked if most people followed their commitment to not drink. It was so easy for me to say "yes, absolutely" because I know this to be true. I did not hide the fact that many people do not agree with the rule, and there are those who do not obey it, but as a campus we sincerely seek to stand by our commitment. The table was wild, they talked for twenty minutes how that is the greatest thing for a school to do, and how at our age alcohol can be so abused. Of course we could not talk about Wheaton's Covenant all night long, we had mojitos to get to. I could have sworn however that I saw everyone mix less alcohol in theirs from that point on.


Later this week I went to a local Brazilian restaurant for a drink and some conversation. The conversation was all about Whitworth, and I, having no idea which dorm was what and who taught this Jan Term class, I began to nod and make comments like "Yes, gotta love it" and "Warren South is the best." After a quick laugh all eyes were on me and someone asked, "What is that contract thing you are on at Wheaton?" And to my surprise I again was given the opportunity to plunge into a discussion about my campus's agreement to abstain from alcohol and other activities as a spiritual discipline. Now, Whitworth is a Christian school for all of you who don't know, and they too have rules against the abuse of alcohol, but, they are allowed to drink. Every single person who was there that night however, viewed our campus's sincerity and commitment as a strong testament. Who knows if any of them would feel differently if they were trapped in the Wheaton Bubble for four years. Most likely many of them would have something to say about the Covenant once they were under its bonds. 


What was my point in sharing all of this with you? It is to say this: stand firm in the Lord and remain committed to the testament of God's work in your lives. The only reason I could say with confidence that I was committed to the covenant and that my school was too is because YOU ALL are committed to it. I know that many of you don't agree with it, and don't see how it is a testament in the lives of others, but it truly is once you get outside of Wheaton. People in Costa Rica are being blessed by your commitment to not give into the temptation of alcohol. As a body of believers we are in fact standing for Christ when we are standing for the things in the covenant. I know it's hard, but summer break is only 3 1/2 months away. You can do it! Wait till then. And so will I.

Mi dia tipica

A day in the life of Kata (my name here is Kata, short for Katalina):

5:55 - Beeep, beeep beeep! Grab watch, roll out of bed.

6:00 - Exercise or help prepare breakfast, depending on the day.

6:45-7:00 - Sit down with family and eat a typical breakfast of gallo pinto (black beans, rice and spices all mixed together) for breakfast with some Costa Rican morning buzz: local coffee!

7:15 - Do dishes, clean up from breakfast with roommate Hollie while Mama Kuki (my host mom) and Carlos (my Mexican brother) get ready to leave for school and work.

7:30 - Shower. Today I just discovered that we DO in fact have hot water in our house. No more freezing showers!

7:45-9:00 - Homework

9:00 - Walk to bus stop down by La Iglesia San Josecito, maybe buy some pan dulce on the way.

9:15 -  Get on bus and go to school.

10:00 - Arrive at school and start Insanity workout with other students. Not quite the cultural plunge, but it gives the Ticos a laugh to see us doing it. (For all of you .3 milers from SB on the AT in the SM, the hike from the bus stop up to school is my .3 miles every day).

11:00-12:00 - More homework

12:00-1:00 Everybody sits down for a delicious lunch together. Aldo and Juan our cooks are lo maximo!

1:00-2:00 Even more homework...

2:00 Begin class, Latin American Culture and Civilization on T, Th, and F. (Class starts at 1 on Wednesdays because we also have a later afternoon class called World Views and Public Policies on that day)

5:00 - End classes and rush down the hill in the pouring rain to catch the bus back home.

5:45 - Try to get off at the right stop and walk home in the rain. By this time we are soaked so no point in rushing. (I'm still confused on how the bus stops work here. I think it is half organized half whenever they feel like stopping.)

6:00 -  Get home and help prepare dinner and set the table.

6:45-8:30 - Sit down with Mama Kuki, Carlos, and Hollie to eat a dinner and converse. We talk about all sorts of topics. Carlos is VERY opinionated and spends most of the time with the microphone. Last night we listened to him rant for an hour how Mexican futbol is the worst and a despicable part of his culture. I would disagree, but he sure had some convincing arguments.

8:30-9:00 - Clean up from dinner, wash dishes

9:00 - Homework, read, journal

10:30 - Fall asleep, *siiiigh*

Balada a los perros de Costa Rica

Inspired by the dogs of Costa Rica I wrote this poem for them. Here is the translation into English:

How is it that dogs can take away all of my worries?

How is it?

They are like ghosts, here in Costa Rica.

One day they wont leave you alone, and the next, they are no longer there.

I am a nomad, without a home or security.

My bed is the soft grass or the hard rocks.

My dinner is the garbage of the rich.

Some days I don't eat.

My toys are a broken stick, a torn bag, a fish in the water.

My friends, I am my best friend. 

Sometimes I come across a brother like me on this road.

Sometime I don't.

What do they call you puppie?

What is your name?

And you, what is yours?

Are you brothers?

Are you husband and wife?

I don't have a name.

I go where the wind, my heart, and my nose take me.

I am a nomad.

That is life, for me.

Una visita rapida

Buenos! That is short for "Good day" which in Spanish is "Buenos Dias."

First off, my apologies. This blog entry might not be the most exciting, but I just want to fill you in on my first week here, before too much time goes by. I promise I will be more creative next time! Now for my address, which some friends and family have requested.

Lindy Scott - Kaitlyn Le Baudour
Apartado Postal 108-3015
San Rafael de Heredia, Costa Rica
40501 Central America
*YOU MUST WRITE LINDY SCOTT AND COSTA RICA IF YOU SEND ANYTHING

I just want to say, and no offense Mom and Dad, but for the first time in my life taking the three planes and 14 hours to get to Costa Rica felt like I was finally coming home. Maybe it was the two weeks extra xmas vacation to build up the anticipation, but I think it was the 21 years of waiting to finally be in a country where I can speak the language and live the culture God has given me a heart for. Here are a few pics and some explanations of what my first week has entailed. Read or just look at the pictures, whatever you have time for or what tickles your fancy.


-Bienvenida a mi nueva escuela! Welcome to my new school! Imagine a mountain, a very green mountain. Not green from leaves the size of your head or all those other tropical plants that are coming to your mind right now, just normal forest green like our trees in North America. You've got that? Okay, now imaging a crater in this mountain, not too big, not too small, but just right. Now add swooshing wind that dips and dives in and out of the crater dancing along its bowl shaped edges and you have the location of the Whitworth Costa Rica Center. Basically, we are living inside of a cloud. I am living here this week until I move in with my host mom on Saturday, and this is where I am taking all of my classes.

- My first day in, those of us who were here decided to take hike up further into the mountains. The road, which might as well be a trail, was busy with avid mountain bikers and hikers. Costa Rica is not the norm when it comes to Central or South American countries, so if you are thinking dirty and poor, you are right! But there is also clean and well dressed, and any combination in between.
Oh, and I cannot forget the dogs. Costa Rica probably has about 50 dogs to the person. They are everywhere! The boy in this picture ran by us while we were hiking with a pack of 10 dogs surrounding him. I think only one or two belonged to him.

 -This is a horse. No other explanation. We just hiked by it and I thought it was neat looking. He lived outside with a rooster and another dog.

- Yesterday we spent the day plunging into the closest town to our school, San Rafael, as well as the closest bigger city, Heredia. All the towns are built around a central plaza with the main church facing west. This pic was taken on the local soccer field/cancho. I'm the one who isn't actually doing a hand stand, but some sort of upside down karate kick. What can I say, I like to stand out.

- Any place with signs that warn cars about soccer players/futbolistas and not the other way around is the best place in the world.

Need I say more?




Today we started school, I only have school in the afternoons this month so in the morning I did hw and did some manual labor on the property building a path out of rocks with a man named Julio. Starting this Saturday I will begin an internship with a Mennonite church who puts on programs for immigrants from Nicaragua. On Monday afternoons I will hopefully be working in a local Heladeria/Ice Cream Shop or Panaderia/Bakery in San Rafa so I can experience a different side of the Tico (slang for Costa Ricans) life. Hopefully I'll pick up some great new vocab too.

Alrighty, I'll fill you in again soon, and for all of you who have never read any of my journal entries or my personal writings, which is pretty much every single one of you, I like to be creative, so I can't wait to get started for real. I am making friends, like that girl with me in this photo, she is my roommate for the week. But I could still use prayers for that.

Te quiero! Te amo! Hasta pronto!

PTL...bucky

p.s. A girl from Whitworth is on the volleyball team there and brought the insanity videos so we are doing them every morning. HUGE BLESSING! Also, we are daily recruiting more people to join us. We've had to upgrade to a projector and big classroom. The only thing that would make it better would be if Shawn T could be dubbed in spanish.

p.p.s. When we went on our hike I didn't know where I wanted to look more, up or down. If I looked up I saw amazing plants and vistas, as well breeds of dogs I've never seen before, but if I looked down I saw the most amazing rocks! I am definitely taking some samples back. Geology, you are re-converting me into a nerd.

p.p.p.s. BEAND AND RICE FOR EVERY MEAL!!!!!