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FOCUS-APRIL201427PuravidaSimplytranslatedpurelifeAfterspendingayearorsotravellingmeetingnewpeoplespeakinginchurchesJohnandIalongwithoursonTravisreachedthe75percentlevelofourbudgetinNovember2013.WhatdidthatmeanWereceivedtheokaytobuyaplanetickettoCostaRicatobeginSpanishlanguagetraininginpreparationforourmissionaryworkinElSalvador.WelandedinSanJoseCostaRicaonDecember282013andwiththehelpofotherstudentsatourschoolourhous-ingwaswaitingforuswhenwearrived.Weunpackedandtriedtostarttosettlein.SojustwhatislifelikehereBacktopuravida.InCostaRicalifeisverydifferent.Theresalwaystimeforaconversationonthestreetorinastore.Nothingisdonequickly.Whenweneedgroceriesitstimetogetourgrocerycartandwalk20minutestothegro-cerystore.ActualshoppingisachallengeasthingsarenotlocatedinthesamelogisticalareasthatwehaveinCanadaandourbrainsarestillinconstanttranslationmode.Mostplaceswehavetogettoarea15-20minutewalk.BillsYeswehaveutilitybillswhichisnotanis-sue.Howeveritisanissuewhenthewatergetscutoff.Whatwedidntrealizeisthattherearenosuchthingsaspaperbillsandyouresupposedtopaythebillatthegrocerystore.Itishelpfulthoughtoactuallyhaveanaccountnumber.Thankfullyitonlytookoncethatourwaterwascutofftogurethisout.Hydroohhowweloveourhydroespeciallywhenitstayson.Thesamedaythatourwaterwascutoffweheardaloudbangupthestreetandthenoffwentourhydro.Aswehadalreadydecidedtogooutforabitwehopedthatbothourhydroandwaterwouldbebackonbythetimewegotback.Aswewalkedupthestreetweweretoldwhywedidnthavepower.Apparentlybirdsshouldnotlandonopenwireonepoorcrispyfriedbirdlay-ingonthesidewalk.Atleastthattimetherewasavalidexcuse.Othertimestherearerandompoweroutagesforseveralhourswithoutexplanation.Ontothemainpurposeforuslivinghereschool.WhatdoesaschooldaylooklikeSchoolstartsOneyearagoFocuseaturedastoryaboutJohnandAudreyVanBellesdreamomovingtoElSalvadortohelpchildren.SincethenthePortPerrycouplehavemadetheirwaytoCostaRicawheretheyarelearningSpanishbeoreproceedingtotheirfnaldestination.FocusinvitedtheVanBellestosharesomeotheirex-periencesastheyimmersethemselvesinnewcultureswhilepreparingortheirnewmissioninlie.everymorningpromptlyat730a.m.De-spiteticotimewhichisCostaRicanforalwayslateourschoolisveryprompt.Ourdayincludestwohoursofgram-mar...everydayMondaytoFriday.Itshardenoughtoknowwhatpronounsverbsetc.areinEnglishletaloneSpan-ishwheretherulesaresodifferent.Ontofonticaespaolatheofcialtermforphonics.Howcanwelearnalanguageifwedontknowhowtopro-nounceeverything.Thisclassisanotherhourofourday.Ontoournextclassoflenguajeorlanguageclass.ThisclassisJohnAudreyandsonTravisinfrontoftheSpanishLanguageInstituteinCostaRica.JohnandAudreywerejustplanningtheirtripinApril2013nowtheyarethousandsofmilesawayinCostaRica.ChallenginglieorVanBellesastheysettleinCostaRicaPleaseturntopage28