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Around noon every day you see some of the elementary school children eating their lunch with their mothers in the park across the street from the school. Some grade levels only go a half day, morning or afternoon, meaning they eat lunch before or after school. But all ages of children are very close to their mothers making lunch with Mom very natural. Almuerzo con la madre.
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| A weiner character at the Supermercado attracts a lot of attention & lots of families have hot dogs this week! La Coope Supermercado, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And having a bouncy house doesn’t hurt sales either! Marketing through children seems to be world-wide! La Coope Supermercado, Atenas, Costa Rica |
See more of my photos of Atenas in those linked galleries or better yet in People & Fiestas! And if you like the Vistas from here, 4 of those linked galleries include Atenas vistas.
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| Letty “cutting in” along the floor as we continued painting the Baby House. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Finally a photo not showing children’s faces as we again played with the Toddler House. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Our “last supper” as a mission team to Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Then we celebrated Larry’s birthday with a Passion Fruit, Pineapple & Coconut Cake inscribed with “Feliz Cumpleaños Larry” Happy Birthday in Spanish. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| The Gnuse family. Matt is missionary director of the home. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
You will hear more about this fantastic children’s home, what we did there and future mission trips to Hogar de Vida. Or see their Facebook Page.
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| A Fantastic Place! |
| Sorry, but we are not allowed to show children’s faces on the internet! My best photos!
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| Sign at Entrance Gate Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Matt gives team tour of campus (3 team members not in photo) Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| 8:30 AM Devotional for those not in school Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rene painting in one of houses |
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| Welcome sign for team at San Jose Airport for Thursday. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| On Ruta 135 going north out of Atenas is this B&W Sign pointing to (maybe 500 meters on this road) Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| I failed to photograph the entrance sign because I’m attracted to the park-like atmosphere inside! Next time I will include that attractive sign & more of the campus. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| One of the children’s’ cottages with a worker hanging out the laundry. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Another children’s cottage on campus. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Playground Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Rancho, which is what we call a picnic pavilion or covered dining/meeting patio here. Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| 8:30 AM Prayer Meeting every morning with all children, staff and volunteers. The table & chairs is for the children’s snack time after devotional. Breakfast is much earlier! Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| While waiting on a parade to start last year this Atenas father leads several waiting children in a game. As I did my daily walk through town today, not seeing a memorable photo op, I thought of this old one. It is so typical of the happiest people on earth right here in the center of Costa Rica! Glad I live here! Atenas, Costa Rica |
See also my photo gallery PEOPLE & FIESTAS.
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| One view of Hogar de Vida campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I was recently contacted by a fellow senior adult in the church I attended in Nashville, First Baptist Church, Nashville, TN USA. They were interested in doing a mission trip to Costa Rica and so I contacted the director of the Hogar De Vida children’s home here in Atenas and in short the group from Nashville will be coming in April 2018 for a week of assorted service activities at the children’s home. If you are in First Baptist Nashville and are interested, talk to anyone on the SAALT Council or to the project coordinator Fred Linkenhoker.
If you would like to know more about the non-denominational private Christian children’s home, Hogar de Vida:
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| Holiday Inn Downtown San Jose My room is on the 16th floor, with only the 17th floor Dining Room above me. San Joe, Costa Rica |
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| I mainly look south with fewer tall buildings, but parts of sunrise/sunset. San Joe, Costa Rica |
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| Temple of Music in Morazan Park across the street San Joe, Costa Rica |
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| “Kissing Statue” Is another thing Morazan Park is known for. San Joe, Costa Rica |
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| 1890 Escuelas Graduadas, famous metal school building San Joe, Costa Rica |
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| 1890 Escuelas Graduadas, famous metal school building San Joe, Costa Rica This is one block from hotel and my check-in desk clerk Javier went to school here and was proud that I photographed it. |
This metal school building of course reminded me of the metal church building in Grecia, Costa Rica I shared it back in 2015. See a photo of that equally unusual church building in my gallery.
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| Museum of Modern Art?? Well, that was one name and there was some, but it was mostly a children’s art museum with a few adult works in one of 4 galleries. Disappointing. San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| I did like this adult installation, for the color in Museum of Modern Art. San Jose, Costa Rica |
In the first gallery, there was a lot of clothing designed in CR, some book covers designed here, and a few other adult-made installations like the umbrellas above. The other three galleries were all work of school children interpreting life on other planets. Those galleries probably rotate or change and I suspect that some of the schools of design here display their work from time to time. So I will check their website before I go again to see what I’m getting into!
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| Children Play in Water Fountain Plaza of Culture San Jose, Costa Rica NOTE: After I made this image, a security guard came up to me and said something like, “I’m sorry sir but we do not allow making photos of children here. Please stop.” I stopped and was amazed! Interesting! The security of children here is very important! |
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| Feeding Pigeons Is an activity in every park in Costa Rica, by all ages. San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| The National Theater or Teatro Nacional Beside the Plaza of Culture San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Flutist Statue at the National Theater San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Clowns Sell Face-painting Plaza of Culture San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| Indigenous People Music On sidewalk across from Plaza of Culture San Jose, Costa Rica |
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| And You Can Buy CD of the Indigenous MusicOn sidewalk across from Plaza of Culture San Jose, Costa Rica |
Big city life is always colorful and interesting anywhere in the world. No exception here!
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| “Happy Hour” By Holiday Inn in a 15th floor corner room watching the sunset. Lots of free snack food and drinks was my dinner after a big lunch! And that building above is Banco Nacional, my Costa Rica bank. San Jose, Costa Rica |
And I made loads of photos of interesting old buildings on the streets I walked today. I may eventually add them to my San Jose or other photo gallery at Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA. This city has lots of interesting things to photograph! Tomorrow I start with old historic churches and then see what happens after that. This is almost as much fun as the real jungles, though I like their animals better! 🙂
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| Walking home from town I passed this children’s soccer game in the Recreation Park. I was surprised that they had artificial turf! Just for “official” games in the dry season, I guess. Not there other days. |
