I hope and pray that everyone had a great Christmas and will have a Blessed new year. I want to share a few things with you today including what it is like to be in a different country at Christmas time. I also want to tell you about a Christmas commercial I have seen on TV here in Limon. After that I have some bad news about our cat Carlos. Then I will share what the New Year for Costa Ricans will be like.
Boo…Booo…Boooommmmm!!!! Is what we hear the few days before Christmas. The people of Limon use fireworks to share their enthusiasm for the holidays. As well as decorating the outside of their houses with as many lights as they can afford to put up. On Christmas Morgan went to faith Moravian and I went to Buenos Aires. Mrs. Rev. Perdita asked me to sing a song for the service in which I used as an example during my lesson with her one day “Mary Did You Know?” So I said I would sing it. Little did I know that by my agreeing to sing this song they wanted me to play for service as well. So I played almost every Christmas song in the Red Moravian Hymnal. Messing up quite a bit because I did not know I was going to play so everything was sight reading. Buenos Aries (or Fuenta De Vita) did their service a little different from the Moravian Churches in the states. We had what seemed like a song service with scriptures in between congregational singing. Then they passed out candles to everyone and cut the lights off as we sang two more hymns. After these hymns they passed out hot chocolate (which I waited till it was cool as not to make me sweat more than I was already) and a Bun with Raisins in it.
On Christmas Morning sister Sally’s husband, Crosby, came to pick up me and Morgan for Christmas lunch with their family. Upon arriving we walked from Sally’s to a meeting house that belongs to Crosby’s mother. It sleeps 12 or 13, has a washer and dryer, and separate bathrooms for the guys and ladies. Along with a moderate kitchen and a huge meeting/dining room, this space is great for work teams and small retreats for the area. All the family members brought something different for the feast. So it was like a potluck Christmas. The whole family took us in and made us feel welcome. After the blessing we all dove in and had too much to eat, as usual for the few and fortunate here. As soon as everyone was well satisfied we all migrated to the huge covered porch that sat around 30 of the present family members. This is where Morgan and I played Christmas Carols on guitar and violin. We sang and clapped and a few even danced, all while Santa was getting ready to make his début. Santa came all the way from Kenya (what he said) and was very happy to stop in Limon for Christmas Lunch. He sat in the middle of the porch and called the kids one by one and gave them a gift then he said that someone in the states had requested him to bring something for Roman and Morgan…which was a welcomed surprise to us. Although we were very grateful for the presents Morgan’s family sent for us. There is nothing quite like receiving something when you were not expecting anything. After Santa had left we all went inside and shared a toast while being reminded of the seven principals of Kwanza. Truly an amazing experience being a minority here in Limon and learning and experiencing things I may not have otherwise. Also getting to see things people in the states do not.
Let me give you a little reality about living here in Costa Rica. The poverty level is so bad that people are constantly asking for help on the streets, either for food or for medical support. It is very hard for anyone with ANY kind of disability to get a job here so these people resort to other methods of procuring food for them and their families. So these people either take the easy way out or they do the small things that other people don’t want to do. One way for someone to make enough for a meal or medicine is to help people with their bags to their car or groceries to the taxi, or even hailing you a taxi. For this small service they expect something in return. These people are called “porteros” which is doormen.
One of the commercials I have seen this holiday season was of a young boy (12 or so) and his mother who were bundled up in their warm coats walking into a store to get out of the cold as well as do some Christmas shopping. As they walk in the boy and his mother notice this doorman wearing a t-shirt and pants, they then notice a nice coat in the store window. After watching the two make a few purchases including the coat and seeing the doorman’s face as they buy the coat I was positive that they had purchased to coat for the doorman (as was the doorman.) After stepping outside the mother and son hand the presents to the doorman who then starts to walk away as the mother says “the car is this way.” Upon placing the gifts in the back of the car she gives him 500colones which is about one dollar. She thanks him and then drives off. The man looks so disappointed and let down but goes back to the door waiting on his next tip. This made me feel very bad. Being a missionary here in Limon I often find myself not allowing these people to help me because I feel that I am young and able to do for myself so I refuse the service of these poor gentlemen. Now I realize that by allowing them to help me and giving them a little more than they typically expect I have increased their value of life by a small fraction but increased it all the same. What can we do for the suffering among us????
Now about Carlos. Two days ago he ventured outside the front gate which Morgan and I have constantly tried to prevent, but it is hard to watch him at all times. He got into a skirmish with three stray dogs. Morgan was still at work…so when the child across the street came to my gate asking questions the only words I understood was mal=bad and gato=cat…so I started to search for Carlos but could not find him. I then went outside and the child led me to wear a woman was trying to give Carlos some water. I noticed he was badly hurt and scared so I cared him back to the apartment and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. I called Sister Sally who told me that there were no vets open because of the holiday. So Monday (yesterday) we took him down to a vet in town which showed us that the dog really got him on the rear end. So we got some antibiotic cream and some pills for him. Although Carlos is slowly starting to walk again but he can only eat soft food. Last night he kept trying to jump up on the chair but can’t because his back legs are still not working as they used to. We will keep a watchful eye on him and keep you all informed on Carlos situation. Just keep praying for him and us.
Lastly I wanted to share with you what the New Year experience is expected to be like here. I will be attending a watch night song service from 10:00pm until 12:00am. From their Morgan and I are invited to go with Ninfa to a party that will last until the sun comes up on the first day of the New Year. This experience will be unlike any New Year I have experienced. I will let you all know what happens.
Hoping to post again soon. Until then…I am wishing you all a blessed new year. (Don’t forget to eat your new year’s meal.)
You’re Missionary,
Roman Brady
Over the past twenty four years I have had many hard experiences. More than most people will ever know. But it is these experiences that make me who I am today.
Coming to Puerto Limon has been an adventure to say the least. After everything that has happened in the past five months it was very nice and reassuring to see so many people come out and support me on my birthday. God really showed his face at my surprise birthday party.
At 12:00am on Sunday Morgan gave me a decoy birthday card, with saying “I wish I could have gotten you something” the whole time planning this surprise for me. I woke up Sunday morning to Sam and Leo singing me happy birthday for which I repaid them with making bacon and eggs that were very tasty. I then went to church at Buenos Aires, where I sat in for Mrs. Vivian at the piano, who has been ill for the past two months. Upon first arriving the congregation sang me happy birthday and presented me with a gift.
The sermon was the story of the Eager Heart which I will tell for you here:
In a small kingdom of about 10, 000 people or so, a 15 year old girl Arial who had recently became an orphan at the beginning of December. She was not sure how she was going to survive after what her parents had left her was gone. But while still living in the house of her parents she heard that the king was going to ask to lodge in someone’s home for Christmas Eve. To whom ever let him enter would be bestowed a gift of great value. Arial saw this as an opportunity to secure her future so she immediately started cleaning up and setting the house for the king. On Christmas Eve Areal was ready to prepare a feast if the King was to come to her door. All of the sudden there was a knock at the door and Arial’s heart leapt for joy. When she opened the door she was disappointed to find a beggar and his daughter. But after noticing the little girl was very cold and the beggar’s cloak had many holes she decided that these two strangers were in a greater need than the king. So she set her own dreams and aspirations aside to care for the ones who had only each other. She led them in and wrapped them in blankets and set them by the fire. After making sure that they were warm, Arial started to prepare a feast fit for a king. She held nothing back. Arial wanted to make sure that these strangers felt at home, at least for one night. So the three lowly and humble people shared a great meal and many stories before dozing off by the fire. The next day she heard a knock on the door. When she opened the door she was not disappointed, but confused. There were hundreds of people packing the little street in front of the one bedroom home. They said “The King is here!.” Arial fervently started to look into the crowd searching for the king, when she noticed all the people staring at her. She said “here?” and looked inside at the beggar who had taken his cloak off to reveal that he was the king. Areal wept as the king thanked her for her hospitality and helped her into the carriage that would take them to the castle.
After this story I was glad to be celebrating a 24th year, and hope that along my journey I can share with friends and family these kinds of experiences for many more years to come.
After church Ninfa and Fernando fixed me lunch and then Fernando and I shared a taxi to my house. We then had a great guitar lesson using a classical guitar book I brought back from the states. It turned out very well. Then Sam and I came to MaribueCaribe to use the internet. After leaving from here was when the real fun began.
At 7:00pm we were ready to go get Morgan from work and go out to dinner for my birthday. Upon arriving to get Morgan, Sam told me that he dropped Morgan off about twenty minutes late so she might have to work twenty minutes over. After Morgan finally came to the car we talked about the choice of the restaurant we left to go to El Fagoun which was in Moin (a fifteen minute drive from our house.) After getting there Sam realized that he maybe did not remember where it was. So he realized that he did not have his wallet with him so he would have to go back to the house and get a credit card. So upon our return he said that I needed to come see what the cat had gotten into. So I ran upstairs and “SURPRISE!!!!”
There were about twenty people altogether at the party and we shared in great food, great fellowship and great music. You should check out Morgan’s blog….she has got some pictures posted from the party. http://antiochprojectcostarica.blogspot.com/ also some pictures of our house in the season.
I really Thank God for the opportunity to come and make new friends here in Limon. It just so happens I get to teach music too. Praise God from whom all Blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. PRAISE Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, AMEN.
