Sights and smells of Cartago

Below:  Gallo pinto, about as Costa Rican as you can get, is basically rice and beans, served as breakfast, lunch or dinner, here, courtesy of Kris, accompanied with scrambled eggs, ripe plantains and homemade fruit smoothie.

It's a jungle out here...literally!

A very rare species pictured here...

And yes, it's a goat.

But I'm not sure what this is...

2011 District Convention

The only English "Let God's Kingdom Come" District Convention in Costa Rica was held this weekend at the Assembly Hall in Belen, Costa Rica. Peak attendance on Sunday was 675.

Our group rented a bus to get to/from the convention each day.

Two young sisters from our group were baptized on Saturday. In total, 5 new brothers and sisters.

During the intermission, we met new friends and heard their encouraging experiences. Newburgh must be on the map -- many had heard of the assembly hall, and some had even been to Newburgh! Most who we met were not from Costa Rica, but had relocated from the States, Canada and other lands to expand their ministry. We met a few sisters now serving in Panama who travelled 16 hours by buses to get the convention in English.

We've been in Costa Rica for almost two weeks now, and are really enjoying ourselves so far.  In the coming weeks and months I will continue to add photos and stories of our new home, Cartago, Costa Rica; including breathtaking views, delicious foods, beautiful flora and fauna and new friends.

Last Tuesday we moved from San Rafael de Alajuela, where we were staying with Patricia Bonilla in her condo, to Cartago, into a 3-bedroom house with Robert, a brother in the Cartago Spanish congregation. Instead of a 2.5- to 3-hour commute each way by bus, now we can be in the center of town in 15 minutes by bus. "Parada de Autobuses" is a phrase that has become very familiar to us; it means, "Bus Stop".

Our place is located in northern Cartago, near the base of the Irazu Volcano. We have a great view of the city of Cartago, the farmland that surrounds us, and on clear days, the volcano.



We are in one of the 10 or so Spanish congregations here in Cartago, supporting the English group. Here's some of the friends we made the first day we spent in Cartago.

Above: Claus and Georgetta, a couple from Germany, who, for the past 10 years where serving in Namibia, and who just bought a house in Cartago.

Above: Our new roommates, Robert and Doky, ready for an afternoon stroll through town.

From left to right: Lisa (who's been in Costa Rica for 6 years now; the last 2 in Cartago), Sonia and her daughter, Carolina, Rachel, Nicole (visiting for 3 weeks from Tennesee) and some crazy lady there at the far right.

Bryndon and Juan Jose, a.k.a Juancito, in the back of an SUV on the way to the territory. As you can see, we aren't the only ones without a car out here.

Typical for the sisters to use umbrellas when its not raining; how else are we supposed to protect ourselves from that tropical sun?!

Doky is a poodle mix and has me wrapped around his little paw. He's posing with Robert's girlfriend, Kris, who also happens to be the best cook this side of the equator!

The city of Cartago has many old churches, these ruins pictured below are a big attraction in the center of town. Stay tuned for pictures of the pilgrimage in August of Tico's (as people from Costa Rica call themselves) from all over the country to a famous Catholic church known here as simply the Basilica.