Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Gone fishin'

On Saturday, Enrique, David, and I drove to Cartago to pick up Kelsey and bring her back to civilization.  She had talked with us about where her missionary friends lived, but I didn’t realize the tranquil beauty until I laid eyes upon it myself.  We live in the metro area of San Jose so I’m used to smelling exhaust as my neighbors drive by to go to work in the morning, and walking to the corner to get to the butcher, locksmith, or David’s school.  The closest neighbors to the Folks are the cows in the pasture and the trout in the pond.
The Folk family live on the side of the Irazú Volcano on a family’s property that rent a house to them.  This family has a restaurant that is only open on Saturdays and Sundays for lunch.  Since we were there last weekend, we had the joy of eating at this delicious little mom and pop operation.  Before having lunch, we had to catch it!  I don’t ever recall going fishing, and if I did, I never caught anything, and if I did, I certainly never ate it!

While we waited for the couple to prepare our lunch, Enrique and I talked with Jacob and Courtenay to get to know them better and find out about their ministry in Costa Rica.  They and their three kids are from South Carolina and arrived in Cartago in 2008.  They conduct Bible studies on week nights and also serve at a local orphanage.

When our meal came, I was delighted to see perfectly seasoned potatoes, fried plantains, salad with a delicious herb dressing, and of course my fried trout.  It was superb!

After lunch, we walked up a hill to see their home.  Jacob had built swing for his children so David and I gave it a try.

Their log cabin is very open, and large enough to house small missions teams who come to help out.  Jacob built their bed which is unusually high.  When I asked why, Courtenay told me that it’s so that none of her sheets touch the floor.  Why?  So that tarantulas don’t climb up.  That’s right, tarantulas!!!  While the climate difference that they experience frees them of the pesky ants that we battle on a daily basis, they deal with the occasional tarantula.  Ugh!

After we visited for awhile, we walked back down to our car to go back to the city.  On the way, Jacob dug up a calalilly for me so that I can plant it at our place in memory of my mom.



We will definitely be returning to the Folks’ home to enjoy the good company, fresh air, and peaceful serenity of nature.