Rain, Rain go away!

I have been in San Jose just shy of a month now, and as you may know we are in the middle of the rainy season. If you've never had a "rainy season experience", basically it means that you can expect rain. A lot of rain. Every day. For instance, it has rained every day since I arrived. 25 days of rain. And my Tico family tells me that the worst is yet to come in October! By Christmastime, the rain should be less frequent but for the time being, I shake my fist at the clouds every day around noon. That's right, if the weather is nothing else, it's predictable. The mornings are beautiful and hot, then the clouds roll over around noon and it usually starts raining on me while I walk home from school, or shortly thereafter and lasts most of the afternoon and sometimes into the evening. There are a few things I have learned: Never, ever EVER leave home without your umbrella. Skirts are better in the rain, since they don't suck up all water from the puddles you are sure to step in. If the rain is going sideways, in sheets, with thunder and lightning overhead, wait til the storm is over!

On a more serious note, the rain can cause all sorts of problems in Central and South America. I have already seen a small mudslide while on a bus this past weekend, and rivers can rise up to dangerous levels flowing at a tremendous rate. Yesterday, the house of some new friends flooded when a river close to them overflowed. Barb and Gerry are from Ontario and will be serving in Guatemala with Mano con Mano Health Reach after language school. They managed to get most of their things out of the apartment they were renting, but the Tico family they were renting from (their house is attached to the rental) have lost just about everything. Please pray for Barb and Gerry as they regroup and refocus (they are staying at Chris and Angela's for the moment), and also for their Tico family. I have heard that the Alliance church we have been attending has stepped in to help, but the house is a mess as you can imagine and the rain continues to fall. Thank you all for your prayers!