Iglesia

I studied abroad in Costa Rica two summers ago. For the first two weeks I stayed with a host family in Grecia, which is a small town right outside of San Jose. When we arrived at our school there we walked around and this church was right in the middle of town; which was extremely helpful because if we ever got lost we knew exactly where to go because you could see the church from anywhere. It was bigger than any of the buildings because most of them are only one or two stories max. When I met my host family in their house and visited other friends houses, the decorations in all of the houses were very minimal. And for the most part if there were any decorations, it was usually some religious statue, a bible, or a picture of GOD. There were also other churches within the town that were located fairly close together. Every Sunday churchs' would have services and be lined out the door and people would still be participating even if they were standing outside in the street of the church because they could still see and hear what was going on. This particular church or in spanish "Iglesia" was in the middle of town and the center of attention. It is open from 6 am to 8pm and you can go in and out of it everyday, but you cannot take pictures inside. Religion and God are the center of the people in Costa Rica's lives, especially in Grecia. Before every meal we prayed with my host family, at school, as well as before we went to bed. Having very strong religious beliefs is extremely important to this town, and the Iglesia is an architectural representation that portrays how much religion is a central part of the people of this town.