We had one of the best days we’ve had since arriving in Costa Rica. We went with our local church to a baptism at Camp Brittney in the town of Atenas, a little over an hour from here. The area reminded us of home, with a river, some cows, and even some dead leaves on the ground.

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There was a bridge over the river to where the cows were. Diane got stuck , and I had to go rescue her. We figured out a little later that the reason it was so narrow was to prevent the cows from crossing the river.

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Several people were baptized. One of them was named Jesus, a common name in Latin America. The Pastor said it made him think of John the Baptist, baptizing Jesus.

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After the baptism, we spent some time in the pool with new friends.

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On the way back, we went the long way, on several windy curvy roads, and were able to see some of the beautiful scenery here.

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It’s been three weeks today since my appendectomy.  Laparoscopic surgery is wonderful, and I was able to go back to school only one week after the surgery, with three little scars in my abdomen.  The doctor told me not to lift more than ten pounds for four weeks.  So I have one week to go.  I’ve just been telling myself that my backpack only weighs ten pounds… 

I mentioned before that I had a cough when I went in the hospital.  Well, after I got out, it turned into bronchitis.  So I’ve been on antibiotics for a while.  I hadn’t remembered how draining antibiotics can be on your energy.  But now, the cough and congestion appear to be gone, so I’m looking forward to getting the energy back.

Since it’s the rainy season, it rains most afternoons.  Here’s a little sample.

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Quite frequently, there are short term teams from the US who visit our church here in Costa Rica.  We usually talk with them, find out where they are from, etc.  Well, one Sunday about a month ago, we were talking with one team, and they said they were from Hermon, Maine!  And one of them came up to me, and it was someone we knew!  What a small world story.  Check out the picture of the team.  Some of you may recognize Glenn, near the middle in the green shirt.  He came to an EE clinic at Hollis a couple of years ago.  And here we were meeting again in Costa Rica.