Last Beach Trip

I have been meaning to get this written for a week, sorry I am a little slow...

Late on Saturday night (a week ago) my friends asked if I would accompany them on a trip to the beach the following day (yes, I was a bad missionary and skipped church to go with friends to the beach, but it was good fellowship!!). We left at 6:30am and arrived at the beach around 9am. One never knows what they will get these days going to the beach because we are currently entering the rainy season. Fortunately God was smiling on us, for we had a very WARM and SUNNY day. The waves were a bit more violent than normal with double the currents...not only the normal undercurrent that takes people more toward the sea, but we there was also a cross undercurrent which took us down the beach. However, despite it all, it was probably the best beach experience I have had here!

We wanted to leave early so we could get home at an early hour, so we left around 6pm or so. It should only have taken aobut 2 hours to get home...I did not step into my house until 11pm! Two of my friends rode on a motorcycle, we the wheel lost air twice, but when the rest of us in the van were 15 minutes and 30 minutes ahead of them, so both times we had to go back to get them. After the second return, we decided to put the motocycle in the back of the van and squish everyone in the van. Well, by this time, the van needed to be refilled with gas. I guess, this type of van is normally filled with disel, however, not this particular van. Since here in Costa Rica, there are gas station attendents, they just started filling the van up, only to find out that it needed gas. So we had to get the disel drained, not an easy task late at night when the garage part is closed and the boss is not around. After getting the disel out, there was the discussion over who would pay for what (disel and gas) and who would take responsibility if there was some problem with the van due to the disel. It was a somewhat stressful situation (as the legal system is a bit different in CR than in the USA...not to say it would not have been stressful back home). The cops even showed up, more for our sake in case something happened to the van, we would have the cops say, not just our own.

But thank you Jesus, after a week of driving around the van, there have not been any problems, and thank you Jesus that we were all kept safe in our travels!

Now, I have a GREAT story for my last trip to the beach...

Long weeks...

Sorry I have not written in a while, we have not had internet in our house for about 20 days! Luckily I do have friends who have let me use their computers, especially since the last 2 weeks have been a bit trying. My sister had surgery to remove a tumor. It was hard not being home with her and my parents, but I know God was in control and taking care of her, and my parents, much better than I could have done. Thanks to God, the tumor did not have cancer and she is now home recovering. I am so thankful to everyone who was/is praying for her, my family, and I during this time. I am also thankful to my friends who let me practically live at their house (and being as they are guys, who put up with my emotional female-wanting to be home with my family times :D God is so good!

Not much new is happening around here. I am just on the count down to my leaving Costa Rica and going to Peru. Please be praying for me through this. Every time I have left Costa Rica I have returned, this time I am not. Every other time, I was not overly excited about coming back (not that I was not excited, I just did not have many friends to come home to), now I have friends and I really want to return, but I am not. So the count down is a little bittersweet. I am SUPER excited to go to Peru again and see all my friends, but leaving Costa Rica means leaving the life I have lived for the last year and a half and the friends and family I have made here. Your prayers will be much appreciated during this transition time!