Costa Rican Travelogue

One of the best things about our current ministry in PRODOLA (www.prodola.org) is getting to know other places and people. This is our third trip to San Jose, and we’ve been here over a week now. Hal team-taught the course on research design last weekend, and I gave my intensive seminar on “Culture, Spirituality and Mission” last week.

This is a beautiful place.


We are housed at the Nazarene Theological Seminary of the Americas (SENDAS) in the center of San Jose.


We live here, have our meals, and hold our classes and other meetings on the large campus.


The bird-of-paradise plant outside our room….


This strange fruit is called mamón chino, but we’ve dubbed it porcupine fruit. The meat is slimy to the touch but has a mild, sweet taste. (This is especially for my grandson, Reilly, who at six years old doesn’t like weird food. What a challenge this would be!)


San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, city of 1,350,000 people….


Students and faculty took Saturday off to go to the Pacific coast. As in Oregon, the mountains come down to the shore, but the trees here are tropical…


with monkeys playing in the branches…


and pelicans instead of sea gulls swooping overhead. What a beautiful world.

We have another week here in San José before we head down to Bolivia. This week I get to interview students and write their stories, one of the favorite parts of my job. Thanks be to God. Mil gracias.