As many of you know, my home church has a sister church in Peru that we have been helping out for the last 2 years...in various ways. Well, our church invited the pastor and his family to visit our church in October. For multiple reasons, it's very hard for a Peruvian to get a US visa, so our church, their church, and others have been praying for a while that they would get their visas. After various problems, they were finally able to get to the US Embassy in Peru to interview for their visas. To be honest, I did have my doubts and fears, but thankfully, after a representative called my home church and talked with my pastor, they approved Pastor Juan and family for a visa!!
I am SUPER excited about this. I think it will be great to have Pastor Juan and family visit our church and meet this church who is the sister church for them. I also think it will be a GREAT way for my home church to see for themselves what the work in Chepen, Peru means and meet someone from the church, and KNOW that it's for real, it's not just some place in South America, in Peru, but it's REAL. Maybe...hopefully...we could get a lot more people involved in missions, both in Chepen and around our church.
However, I am excited for other reasons as well...I will admit that for personal reasons I'm excited about being able to go home as well. I'm excited to visit people, who by that time, I won't have seen for 10 months! Plus, I'll be able to help Pastor Juan and family travel and support them during a time of HUGE changes and lots of emotion (I at least I'm guessing since this trip will be filled with many FIRSTS for all of them!!)
Anyways, this is more that you can be praying about. Planning, traveling, experiencing, everything that could be related to this coming together!!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Holding Down the Fort
Well...I've been back in Costa Rica for about a week and a half...wow how time flies! It's been a week and a half of mixed emotions. I have enjoyed the warmer weather (it has been humid, which I haven't overly enjoyed, but...) and the GREEN of Costa Rica, my parents came to visit me (!!!), and I have been able to see some friends who I haven't seen for 3 months. However, I still miss Peru and ALL the friends I have there and I have had to say good-bye to some good friends. So I know this will be a time of drawing closer to God and to have Him fill me.
While my parents were here we went to the beach town of Manuel Antonio, said to be the prettiest beach in Costa Rica. From my experience (which isn't necessarily a whole lot) it was! The jungle comes right down to the ocean! There was the greenness of the jungle, the blueness of the ocean and sky, and the tan/white of the sand. As my former partner in crime (the other intern, Kari) would say it was LOVELY! We took a couple of tours. We took a Mangrove Boat Tour and saw some interesting wildlife. Then we took a tour of the National Park of Manuel Antonio. I think I liked this tour the best because we got to walk through the jungle and see a lot more animals, reptiles and insects...plus we were in the jungle! I definitely recommend this beach if you ever make it down to Costa Rica!!
Not only did we see the beach, but we toured around San Jose as well and my parents got to meet some of the people I have been working with in my time in Costa Rica! The final thing I did with them was to DRIVE them to the airport...yes I DROVE in Costa Rica...SCARY I know! But after a small detour, I did get them to the airport!
It was definitely GREAT having my parents come and visit me. Now they know where I am, what I'm doing, and who I'm doing it with. Plus, after not seeing them for 8 MONTHS it was definitely a hightlight to see them again!!!!
Now I'm holding down the fort in Costa Rica (and possibly all of Central America) by being the ONLY CMA "missionary" here...kinda scary! (Both missionary families who were studying here have gone, and Chuck and Robbi are visiting MN.) Not that much changes, but it's a little funny for me. Wednesday a new missionary from Canada comes, so I will be helping them out. I'm looking forward to having them come!
Please continue to pray for me...that I will be content here in Costa Rica. That I can excitedly get back into my ministries here. That the new family arrives safely and the transition is smooth. For the new intern arriving in Sept (I think). Finally, for the 2 missionary families who are starting their work in their fields (Paraguay and Mexico City).
While my parents were here we went to the beach town of Manuel Antonio, said to be the prettiest beach in Costa Rica. From my experience (which isn't necessarily a whole lot) it was! The jungle comes right down to the ocean! There was the greenness of the jungle, the blueness of the ocean and sky, and the tan/white of the sand. As my former partner in crime (the other intern, Kari) would say it was LOVELY! We took a couple of tours. We took a Mangrove Boat Tour and saw some interesting wildlife. Then we took a tour of the National Park of Manuel Antonio. I think I liked this tour the best because we got to walk through the jungle and see a lot more animals, reptiles and insects...plus we were in the jungle! I definitely recommend this beach if you ever make it down to Costa Rica!!
Not only did we see the beach, but we toured around San Jose as well and my parents got to meet some of the people I have been working with in my time in Costa Rica! The final thing I did with them was to DRIVE them to the airport...yes I DROVE in Costa Rica...SCARY I know! But after a small detour, I did get them to the airport!
It was definitely GREAT having my parents come and visit me. Now they know where I am, what I'm doing, and who I'm doing it with. Plus, after not seeing them for 8 MONTHS it was definitely a hightlight to see them again!!!!
Now I'm holding down the fort in Costa Rica (and possibly all of Central America) by being the ONLY CMA "missionary" here...kinda scary! (Both missionary families who were studying here have gone, and Chuck and Robbi are visiting MN.) Not that much changes, but it's a little funny for me. Wednesday a new missionary from Canada comes, so I will be helping them out. I'm looking forward to having them come!
Please continue to pray for me...that I will be content here in Costa Rica. That I can excitedly get back into my ministries here. That the new family arrives safely and the transition is smooth. For the new intern arriving in Sept (I think). Finally, for the 2 missionary families who are starting their work in their fields (Paraguay and Mexico City).
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