An Unfinished House

My oh my, how good it does feel to be sitting here clicking away on my own laptop with all the freedom in the world to write as much as please…now whether or not I will choose to exercise that freedom is another matter entirely. That's right I have a new laptop, my Missionary Support Team from Frazer Mennonite gathered up some funds and bought me a new computer. I am so grateful for their kindness and generosity and a little humbled too - needless to say I will never ever walk at night toting my trusty laptop along. Anyway, having been limited to just a few short entries in the past month I’m now finding myself with an overabundance of material to write about - so much has happened in the past few weeks and I hardly know where to begin. Compounding that problem is the feeling of added pressure to relay everything of import before the end of the month because, as of April 26th I will officially be a resident of La Ceiba, Honduras and a new life entirely will commence. Pheww, where t...

Sorry for the week's absence, my Grandma, Aunt, Uncle & Cousin came for the week...we traveled, and traveled...and traveled so more...it was a glorious time but alas I was without the internet and thus could not blog....I'm back though, with a new laptop (props to my Missionary Support Team) and I will be resuming my lenghty & verbose commentaries shortly....look for a new entry in a few days...blessings to you all. Matt

Hullo, Hullo dear readers - I hope this finds you all in good health and good spirits. As I sit here clicking away at the communal computer I am feeling a mite anxio us. School is grinding on and I am finding it harder and harder to pop right up out of bed each day and report to class with a chipper smile on my face. Nevertheless I do and with the help of some powerful Costa Rican coffee I manage to muscle throught he learning of the Subjunctive Mood in Spanish (whoever decided to discard the Subjunctive in English ought to be given a medal and a national holiday). As I said though I'm anxious I am eagerly anticiapting my family's arrival here in Costa Rica next week - we're less than a week away and I'm practically beside myself with expectancy. Lest you think I'll be skipping school next week fear not, Costa Rica (including the school systems) shut down for Holy Week (Semana Santa), thus I will have a week completely free from classes, conjugations and the Subjunc...

Well dear friends, I've found a way to continue posting despite the loss of my trusty laptop, I might even be a tad more regular...I'm thinking an every Wednesday sort of situation. As I mentioned before though, my posts won't be quite so wordy or in-depth...someday when I obtain another laptop we'll be able to return to the days of verbose expositories on life in Latin America. Until then though fleeting thoughts and brief observations will have to suffice. - Anyways, I wanted to give a quick shout-out, and more importantly a heartfelt 'thank you' to all thos e who sent encouraging emails my way over the past two weeks. I certainly had a harrowing experience, one that I hope doesn't repeat itself and I find myself looking over my shoulder more often now when I'm out walking. Nevertheless, God is faithful, He kept me from serious harm, He taught me a few important lessons regarding my own naevete and feelings of invincibility and He's surrounded m...

Sorry to say dear freinds that this maybe the last of my verbose, long-winded blog entries for quite a little while. I was robbed the other night and my computer was stolen along with various other things. This means of course that my ability to compose novellas in the comfort of my bedroom has been retarded a little bit. Please don't go running headlong for the nearest cliff, I'll still be able to post, it just won't be quite so wordy....let's think of this as more of a foray into a pictoral analysis of Costa Rica. Anyways, once I am able to procure a new laptop I will resume with the longer entries and attempt to finally publish my second and long-in-coming newsletter. Thanks for understanding and check back in about a week. Peace! - Matt

Well, well, well, so you’ve returned – thanks. It’s nice to know that somebody is reading these things; otherwise this would be a horrific exercise in futility. Admittedly this week has not been one of astounding accomplishment but not to fear; I’ve dug up and decided to write on some more “existential” themes. That’s a nice way to say that I’m really reaching for ideas here. I’ve expressed to not a few friends that I feel as though I’m losing my ability to observe things in a new and fresh way. Little things like cars and parrots and heaps of trash have lost their newness and it’s getting harder to think of myself as an intrepid reporter relaying the sights and habits of a foreign culture. Now it feels as though I’m trying to find new and interesti ng ways to put a “tropical spin” on everyday life. On top of that I’ve discovered that my ability to craft the English language has taken a nose-dive, I find more and more that my writing and speaking abilities measure up to about that of a...