Our Journey to El Salvador

Our Journey to El Salvador

Monday, November 9, 2015

Arriving at Costa Rica

     It is hard to believe that we have already been here for a whole month. This post will include details from the moment we left California; settling in our new apartment; getting to know the city, our trip to Panama, and the beginning of Spanish classes.

THE FLIGHT

     As we said our final goodbyes to Phil's parents, Phil's brother, Pierre kindly offered to drive us to the airport with 8 boxes (aka balikbayan boxes) and 2 luggages. The balikbayan boxes are typically used by Filipinos when travelling abroad due to larger space to pack things minus the heavy weight of a typical luggage.  Each baggage must be no more than 50 lbs. It was very difficult to figure out what to bring due to the limitations on weight requirements. We were so thankful that Pierre took us to the airport because it would have been hard to try to find a shuttle that would be able to carry all our bags.  When we arrived at the airport, we were concerned that we would have to pay a large fee for all our bags. The attendant that weighed our bags said typically we would have to pay $550 for all our baggage, but thankfully, he came back and said that we didn't owe anything and that he took care of it. Wow!!! A sure sign that God is showing us favor for this trip from the very start.

At the airport

     The children did very well on the flight to Costa Rica. We had the red eye flight which helped make sure the kids were asleep through the entire 5hr and 15 minute flight.

     Upon arriving, we retrieved all our bags and were greeted outside the airport by Denny Seler, Director of CINCEL, our language school.  It was about a 20 minute trip to the school, and all the missionaries welcomed us and assisted us to our new apartment.


Our apartment in Costa Rica

      We do not regret packing the 8 boxes and 2 suitcases that I filled with things that we owned such as familar toys, comforters, favorite cups and plates, products and toiletries to help the kids feel at home in a place that is very far away from home...Having uncertainty of what to expect about our living situation, I was pleased to know that our apartments were well stocked with food (thanks to the Ewing Family); fully furnished; no mosquitoes as of yet; weather is cool and pleasant; consistent supply of electricity and water, and most important of all...a clean and secured gated living area! This was an answered prayer where our needs were met and where the conditions far exceeded above and beyond my expectations. As our director,  Denny, says "We are in a CINCEL bubble. Their goal is to make sure the missionaries are comfortable so that all they need to focus on is learning the language. Being able to speak Spanish is highly essential for our ministry in El Salvador." 

We had a comfortable and cozy space inside

     The kids go to school from Monday to Friday, and they love their teacher Cindy, who is also a worship leader at a church that we go to called Dimension Cristiana. This Spanish local church is accustomed to having missionaries attend their services,  and we could really feel the presence of God moving through their worship team and through the pastoral staff. It was comforting to know that even if we only understood 50% of the messages (for now), we still leave the service energized and refreshed.

Celebrating Day for kids at school during the national holiday

Walking around Costa Rica Mall on a rainy day

Shopping at the organic market in Ferria Verde

OUR TRIP TO PANAMA

     After only being in Costa Rica for two weeks, we needed to take a 3 day trip to Panama with the rest of the missionaries to renew our visas. We have scheduled trips every 3 months in the school year to make sure that our visas stay current. The  trip involves a 5 hour bus ride, with 3 separate stops for immigration, baggage checks, and an actual officer that goes on a bus to check each passenger. Each stop could mean long hours waiting in lines in the heat and humidity of Panama.  As a mom with two restless girls, this could have been a nightmare. However, we prayed that the girls would get through this trip without too much complaining. We were so blessed on this trip that the process went by faster than normal. We reached Panama and stayed at the Grand Nacional Hotel. We took advantage of this time to fellowship with the rest of the missionaries and to also spend quality time with Selah and Shiloh. We knew that when we get back to Costa Rica, language school would officially begin!

Immigration and Luggage Check in Panama

At our hotel

Some quality time with the family
LANGUAGE SCHOOL HAS BEGUN

     Phil and I are classmates and the only students in our class. We jokingly call it a "love class". The rest of the missionaries have already been here for either 1 or 2 semesters, and are in more advanced classes. We have 3 classes: Fonetica, Gramatica, and 2 classes of Conversacion. We have amazing and gifted teachers: Señora Yolanda, Señora Libia, and Señorita Mecbel. The funny thing aboout our first day is that I noticed everything I learned in my entire life with regards to Spanish, was all taught in the first day at CINCEL. This meant that the next days were all going to be a whole new ball game!  So much for all those Spanish classes we took in The United States and the Philippines.  In addition, the Spanish here is taught a little different compared to other Spanish speaking countries. For instance, they commonly use the word Ustedes to address most people and they do not use the word Vosotros. Another difference is that they pronounce the letter "Y" and double "ll" as "ja" instead of "ya". For example: a word like quesadilla would sound like que-sa-di-ja..instead of que-sa-deal-liya.


At our love class :)
     The kids are learning phrases, colors, and songs each day. They are doing so great, and we are so excited to see how fast they will pick up the language...maybe even better than Phil and I.


Selah and Shiloh during the first day of school


    We are taking each day one day at a time, and we feel so privileged to have this opportunity to learn Spanish and immerse ourselves in the Spanish culture. Thank you to all our partners for making this possible.


Here is an Important Update of our Ministry Status:

      On the financial side, we are currently 75% funded for our ministry. We have lost a few partners due to health and financial reasons. We are currently seeking new partners who would like to be a part of this ministry to help spread the love of God and give away free dental care to the people of El Salvador. We are asking specifically for 20 people who are willing to commit to $50/month to help us complete our budget. If you have a heart for missions, please consider joining us to make this vision a reality!

        Kindly go to this link to give and support our missions. 

        Many many thanks!!!

        - Phil and Mia Gendreau