The Framework I Needed

I just wanted to quickly comment how studying and living in Costa Rica has given me such a hunger and excitement for knowledge. I can't explain it, but I am just loving learning and really pressing into the issues and topics around me.

I want to really understand international politics and economics, and how the United States affects those.

I want to master the Spanish language.

I want to learn about different cultures and get a glimpse of the world through others' eyes.

I want to see what Christianity looks like around the globe, and broaden my own perspective of God, His people, and His plan for the world.

There are so many things I want to learn... I really could just spend a lifetime reading, questioning, and experiencing all these different issues.

I think I really needed to come to Costa Rica to get a framework for all of these issues. Now, when I go back to school, so much of what I study and learn will make sense, because I can apply it to this context. Does that make sense? When I read about neoliberalism, it will not just be a term to me: it will be something which drastically changed the Costa Rican economy and welfare of the people here. When I read about American intervention abroad, I will view it more critically, because I know how much our actions affected the NIcaraguan people and country. When I see a Latin American immigrant in the United States, or hear about immigration, I will understand just a little bit more where they are coming from, and what type of political/economic structure and system they may be fleeing from.

I can't explain it, but I just feel so excited and happy to be back at Gordon next year. The first two years of college were weird for me- I just had a hard time seeing the point of sitting in a classroom and learning about lots of subjects. I didn't always see the relevance or long term point of things. However, being here has completely changed all that. Next year, when I take Developmental Economics, Theories of International Affairs, Global Political Economy, New Testament, and lots of other classes, I will be committed to them because of what I have seen and experienced here.

:-)