After 6-1/2 hours, waiting in a variety of lines, about 13 times, we are the proud recipients of Costa Rican Driver’s Licenses!  We’ve lived in NH and NJ and so we thought we had some familiarity with Departments of Motor Vehicles, but we were oh so wrong!.  COSEVI is the short name for Consejo de Seguridad Vial (Road Safety Council).

This was such a different experience, I thought we’d share how our day went and add a couple of pictures for your viewing enjoyment.

The day started with the shortest piece – a 10 minute drive to COSEVI. This was followed by perhaps the oddest part of our day.  In order to get a Driver’s License, you must have an official Medical Physical, on a specific form, signed off on by the doctor and then you, with a Timbre (an offical tax stamp) paid for and applied.  Now this would make most North Americans get on the phone to their PCP and schedule said physical for the soonest possible date.  Not so! here in Costa Rica.  There is a thriving business, actually we hear there are several, of medical practitioners on the street near COSEVI.  They apparently make a business of providing these medical exams.  We were greeted by a young man on the main street jumping up and down holding a hand printed sign indicating that Medical Exams were available.  So we followed the sign, and saw a well-dressed man (business slacks and dress shirt), sitting on a chair under an umbrella just outside the gate.  We tell him we need the Medical Exam to obtain our licenses.  He asks us how long we’ve been in the country, we say less than 90 days (which is a tourist visa) and so he stands and asks us to follow him.

Following him gets stranger.  We pass the entrance to COSEVI, walk past a large pile of garbage – it appears to be some sort of a dump – and we proceed to go down the hill to a little group of residences. We turn left and he invites us into ??? We go down a few stairs, step over several dogs and follow him into a room painted a deep colored bright blue.  It has 2 chairs, a desk with a chair, 2 wall charts that look medical-ish and an eye chart on the far wall.  He asks me to stand in between the 2 chairs, cover 1 eye and read a specific line of letters on the chart.  I do so and he commends me on my Spanish and pronunciation (my teachers would be so proud!), then I do the same thing with the other eye.  He has me sit, asks me questions about any medications and surgeries, gets up to pound my knee with the proverbial rubber mallet for reflex and then fills out the paper work (which we don’t get to see).  He asks me for paperwork which gives my blood type.  I don’t have it although I’ve heard there’s some place on this street that will do it (oh joy!).  I explain that I do know what my blood type is, but don’t have any paper work. He finishes filling out the paper, applying the timbre and signing it with his medical credentials.  Then I put my passport number on it (cedula) and sign my name.

Next Les goes through the same process, except he makes him swing his right arm around in circles, front and backwards, stretches, etc., because he has had rotator cuff surgery.  Makes me wonder why I didn’t have to touch my toes or something, or bend at the waist, since I’ve had major back surgery.  Oh well, some people have all the luck!

He informs me that he is supposed to have the blood work, but he believes us. So he writes “O+” on a one inch square piece of paper and says to take it to a man up the hill.  I politely ask which man, so he steps back out on the street asking us, once again, to follow him.  He whistles and calls out Rafael!  Rafael pops out of somewhere unknown, walks over to us, takes the little slip, writes “O+” on each of our papers, leaning up against a stranger’s car and says goodbye.  We get back into our car and drive onto the official COSEVI property, talk to the first guard who waves us forward (his booth is about 10 feet past the “doctor” sitting on the corner on the chair under an umbrella.  The next guard is several hundred feet up street.  He tells us to go to the right at the fork.  We explain that we need to pay for our license at BCR (Banco Costa Rica) and so he says it will be easier to go to the left at the fork. It appears to make no difference as you don’t get to pay until the end. Go figure!

That was the first hour of the 6-1/2 hour day.  Everyone was very friendly, very helpful, and more than willing to answer questions. But it would have been better if I’d known the right questions to ask.  We proceed to the bank teller (cajero de banco).  He looked at our photocopies (of our passport picture, passport arrival date page, and driver’s license).  We’d looked this up online and so we had a copy of each.  He then informed us that we would need to get more photocopies of our passport.  He showed us which pages and said we needed a total of 3 copies each. Naturally, there’s a little photocopy place in the door just to the left.  It’s only the size of a broom closet, but the copies are inexpensive (about 10 cents a page) and so we get them done.  Feeling prepared we walk about 3 city blocks back following little overhead signs that say Departamento de Licencia, every couple hundred of feet.  Everything is on the COSEVI property – the photocopy place, the bank, even a little “Soda” which is like a little place with food and snacks.

We have now arrived at Phase 2 – 2 long lines.  No signs. No way to know.  Finally the man in front of us goes in the middle of the 2 lines and talks to a guard sitting at a little student desk at the door.  He comes back and gets in line.  So, we figure he must now know what line is what and proceed to ask him.  He says that he really doesn’t know, but the guard told him to get in the left line and we should go ask too.  It’s the only way to know for sure.  Les volunteers me, stating that my Spanish is better.  Wonderful.  The guard looks at my papers and sends me to the right hand line.  So, all good? Not quite!  One of our photo copies, the one from home, is in color.  He’s not sure that is acceptable so he takes those copies and goes in the building to ask someone.  Turns out we’re good.  However, on further inspection, we apparently need 3 copies of the front and the back of our driver’s licenses.  Now neither the bank nor the photo copy place felt the need to suggest this, even though they’re making the same copies for every one.  So, Les goes back to the photocopy place and I stand in the line again.  The man asks for my papers and I explain that my husband is getting photocopies.  He nods his head sagely and confirms that we’ll be getting 2 licenses and so he hands me 2 numbers.  These numbers are 533 and 678 or something like that.  They’re printed on card stock, laminated and are embossed with something that must be official.  For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the numbers mean or refer to.  Les returns with all of our photocopies and we wait in line for another hour to hour and a half, at which point we have worked our way up about 10 people and made it to the door and the guard sitting at the student desk.  He takes these 2 random numbers and points to the 3rd row of chairs, where we are to sit.

Start of next phase, which lasts almost 3 hours.  Every time someone in our row gets called to go upstairs, we all move over one chair.  It’s not very frequent, but it does happen.  Patience is definitely the name of this game.  There is a TV to the left, playing a Spanish Soap Opera. So for the first 2 hours I read my Kindle. Oh, and I read my medical exam.  Imagine my amazement as it explains my flexibility, records my blood pressure (which he did not take), my pulse (also not taken), and a whole page full of information that obviously was never touched on.  Well, apparently that’s the way it’s done.  Made me laugh.  So, bit by bit we make our way down the row of chairs and eventually learn that our 2 rows, the ones going upstairs, are for people with licenses from other countries, getting their Costa Rica license. The first several rows watch for an overhead light in front of a booth on the first floor and they get up and quickly move to the first available booth.  They’re like a bunch of mexican jumping beans and we’re all comatose in the last 2 rows we’re moving so slowly.  So, the number 93 is lit up on the far wall.  It looks like a deli counter number, which is common when waiting in Costa Rica.  I only realize after several hours that it’s either broken or just not being used, as the number never changes.  We are delighted to finally be called to go upstairs, although the soap opera has been replaced by the Olympics which I’m enjoying watching.

Let the next Phase commence! It is quickly apparent that we will be called into a separate room, one at a time.  No relying on one another for Spanish!  The authority there reviews all of my original documents very carefully ant then has someone else do the same thing.  Either he’s being trained, or they’re double checking because of a motor vehicle scandal that was in the news this week.  They tell me to go downstairs to booth 08 where, you guessed it, I once again get in line and wait.  When I get inside, the girl enters all the information, confirms my name, has me sign the digital signer, scans my right index finger for my fingerprint and then fills out a form and tells me to take it to the bank, pay 4 mil (about $8) and then come back and see her.  Silly me, I naturally go back to the teller we originally saw.  Apparently, for unknown reasons, I have to go across the parking lot, inside the Bank, which has no outside sign.  I get inside and ask where to go, showing my paper and stand in line again, make my payment, get a stamped receipt, cross the parking lot (thankfully everything is covered even though it is outdoors, for it is by now raining) and walk the 3 city blocks back to see the girl who after waiting a few minutes calls me and takes my picture.  There’s some discussion about with or without glasses – they make Les remove his and I’m allowed to wear mine.  Perhaps it depends on which government worker you see!

When all is said and done, we have a license for 3 years.  Woo-hoo!  By no means an every day Department of Motor Vehicle experience, but it certainly does redefine waiting!

I can hardly believe that another month has already gone by! So much has happened and so much is going on.  July was a very busy month – a month of settling in with our interns at the Missio Dei Costa Rica house (always work to be done there, setting up household), supporting our interns (Jessie and Shannon) as they prepared for, worked alongside of, and cleaned up after the teams serving with Harvest Hands.  One of the teams came from Jessie’s home church and another team came from our home church, Manchester Vineyard’s Youth Mission Team.  This last kept Les and me extra busy and we were so blessed by them – their hearts to serve, their willingness to step out in faith and of course their obedience to “go,” when God told them to go!

With MVCC, as with all mission teams, there was always something going on!

Joseph sharing the gospel with the 7 color bracelet

There was children’s ministry way up in the Mangos area and other areas, complete with bubbles, 7 color gospel bracelets being made and shared throughout the community, jump rope, and puppets,

Graduating princesses receive a special Bible with the meaning of their name written inside

Princess Club (graduation day) and older girls and Princess Club fiesta (with an emphasis on relationships that honor one another – many are single Moms),

Joseph had some helpers while painting the mural

Ladies Meeting with a surprise birthday party for Adriana (Diana made carrot cake and we all wore crowns!), mural painting by Joseph and Julie (to beautify and encourage the community),

Shannon fitting an old man for glasses

eye glass clinics (we  fitted 225 people with glasses and had the privilege of praying for each one of them, rejoicing at a number of healings!);

After we prayed

there was hauling rocks to be done in order to build retention walls (more rocks arrive every day – and they have to be carried, by hand and by wheel barrow  through the homes), ongoing Monday night Experiencing God Bible study with young men and women from the community with our household (helping to grow leaders),

Night of worship in our house with youth mission team from our home church and Los Anonos friends

community worship nights in our our home (bilingual – totally awesome),photo sessions to bless and reach out,  building relationships, skateboard ministry,

Les and team bathing a man in prayer

praying for people and having the privilege of seeing Jesus touch lives and …

After receiving free glasses -Prayer, the most important part

heal people. Truly a very busy and exciting month!

And did I mention that our car finished its legalization process last week, giving us a vehicle to drive. Woo-hoo!

Which leads to today, Thursday, August 2.

If you are old enough and you’ve known the Lord long enough, you might remember singing an old chorus from Colossians 3: 1-3 in King James Version.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth, for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.

I’m thinking of that verse today, as my mind keeps drifting back to today’s holiday in Costa Rica.  Here in Costa Rica, today, August 2 is a National Holiday, celebrating the Virgin de los Angeles, patron saint of Costa Rica. To honor this patron saint, worshipers make a pilgrimage to the Basilica in Cartago to venerate what has become knows as the miraculous Black Virgin of Los Angeles (La Negrita).

As the story goes, ín 1635 an indigenous woman found a small black statue of what appeared to be the Virgin Mary.  She took it home but it kept disappearing and reappearing in the spot she had discovered it.  The people took this as a message from God and this began the construction of the beautiful and now famous white basilica in Cartago.  On August 2nd of every year, there is a pilgrimage of the faithful to this shrine.

So, today I’m reflecting.  I’m reflecting on “being hid in Christ” and “seeking those things above” and “setting my affection on things above.”  And this, in turn, makes me think of Mary’s Song, also know as The Magnificat, remembering that “the mighty Lord has done great things for me.”  Mary’s song comes from Luke 1 and was the expression of a young girl’s beautiful heart, the young girl God chose to be Christ’s mother.  It should be an expression of our hearts as well, as we seek Him and set our affections on Him. Following is a video of John Michael Talbot singing this song, followed by the lyrics.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aYecuDlDYM&feature=related[/youtube]

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit exalts in God my Savior.
For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,
and my name will be forever exalted.
For the mighty God has done great things for me,
and his mercy will reach from age to age.

And holy, holy, holy is his name.

I may not see the shrine of La Negrita in Cartago and the pilgrimage to the Basilica in the same light as those of my Catholic brothers and sisters who may be reading this blog. But Mary’s Song is something we can all say from our hearts.