uurica thus far

hello all, greetings from barry in costa rica! unfortunately half of our group perished on the flight over, and a remaining third have fallen deathly ill.... ha ha nah just kidding! we all made it here safe and sound, and in one piece.

we´ve been communicating (rather primitavely...) with our AMAZING host families. Everyone is very pleased with the families, they´re entertaining and really really nice. OH GOD the food here is DA BOMB! rice and beans can be made SO many different ways! who knew? they dont eat dinner here... granted they eat enormous lunches, they feed us, they just dont eat dinner themselves.

In my homestay I have a 15 year old girl, who like emily and I, hardly knows the other language... I also have a 9 year old boy and a 10 ten year old girl. my host parents are the best. My host dad is a hoot! they love all of the presents we gave them, thank god.

the basilica, was much like the cathedrals in europe, very very different style mind you... but it had that same feel. we came on what so happens to be the celebration of the saint of costa rica! its a HUGE holiday and people walk for miles and miles to come in the basilica and to see the statue of the virgin mary. A great majority enter on thier knees, its really awe inspiring to see that divotion.

today we visited La Promesa, the place where we will be and are working. The story of La Promesa in short goes something like this....
There once was a group of squaters, made up of single mothers, Nicaraguan refugees, and otherwise ¨disabled¨ people. These squaters, often involved in drugs, abuse and crime, lived by a river in a valley so to speak. There were richer people that lived above them and decided that they were sick of looking at the dirt-floored tin-roofed shacks. So in time the government came and evicted them. bulldosed their houses, and extinguised their home. La Promesa is where they live now.

Today we were told the story of a very brave women who was living with her husband when he stabbed her 14 times in the head and knocked all of her front teeth out. she has had 7 children, and because of this man she hasnt seen 3 of her kids in years, they were taken by child welfare. she left her husband to start a new life, which many women arent strong enough to do yet. she lives in La Promesa with 2 children. her other 2 kids were adopted by americans and live in the states. Her Daughter one of these two, just had her 19th birthday, but this women knows nothing but the names of the adoptive parents.

In these past two days, I´ve been exposed to more hardship then ever in my life. I was told yesterday the story of a little girl who´s dad is in jail and who´s mom has been missing for a week now. I was also told that Nicaraguan children start having sex at the age of 9 or 10, usually by uncle or father or neighbor. my host mother told me ¨miran sus padres¨ (they watch thier fathers) while explaining that many start smoking and drugs at 9 or 10 too.

okay I think I´ve about updated you... and the things I havent said will have been said by mis amigos. adios!!!!!