Playa Jaco

Wednesday are Kari and my free days. So we decided to go the beach yesterday! How much fun that was. I was thinking that since all my family and friends were freezing in MN, if I thought of them while going to the beach and enjoying the sun, maybe they would start to warm up too...did it work?? I hope so!

The beach was BEAUTIFUL!!! It was pretty much the perfect day. It wasn't overly warm and the water was the perfect temperature (not like the previous beach trips when it took a while to get used to the cold of the water). It was beautiful and green and lush. I do wish you all could have been there with me!

There was a guy trying to get this parachute thing going...it took him at least 30 minutes before he was off the ground. Then he flew up and down the beach.

"Snow Day", or "Rockslide Day", or Maybe "Road Closed Day"

Another change in routine today. Every Tuesday, Kari, Clay and I go to the rainforest to teach English. Well, this morning as I was eating breakfast with 2 ladies from my house, we were watching the news. The road that leads to Sarapiqui was closed, still. They closed the road Sunday night, from a rockslide (from my understanding), and still haven't opened it yet. Here, I guess, when a road closes there aren't a whole bunch of other routes available (at least outside of San Jose), so you just don't go, or sit and wait (I think this morning it was up to a 6 hour wait). Needless to say, we didn't go to Sarapiqui today.

So now when a road is closed or there is a traffic jam, be glad you probably have many other route options to get you where you need to go.

More Life in CR

Every Mon, Thur, and Fri morning I have tutoring with Ligia, the wife of the pastor whose church I attend. This is an extremely great family and I enjoy going over to their house and spending time with them.

This morning was an interesting morning at Ligia's house. The morning was going as usual. Then about 1 hr 15 min into it, Ligia's oldest son, David, noticed there was a rat in their "garage." I only saw the nose and eyes of it because it was hiding behind a tire of their car. Anyways, so David went out with the dog (who was probably as scared of the little rat as the rat was scared of him) to try to get the rat. We're (Pastor Manuel, Ligia, and I - their 2nd son, Daniel, eventually joined David) watching from in the house. I guess the rat started running towards the door to the house, so Ligia or Pastor Manuel slammed the door shut and Ligia screamed. Then the rat ran into their little front yard and ran into a hole. One of the boys opened the door to let the dog in. Ligia didn't realize it was the dog and screamed again and almost shut the door on the dog. (The doors here aren't like the doors at home. They have 2 doors, the "storm door" which isn't really a storm door and the gate. The rat could have run through the gate into the house, so that is partly what makes this story more entertaining. However, I suppose it would only be really entertaining or scary if you either knew the people/situation, or were their to experience.)

Let's just say I had a good laugh over this morning.

However, for those who thought the bugs was really gross (and therefore will probably think the same about this story) and not want to come visit, have no fear - or less - this is the first rat sighting I have been around. Plus, if you have a good attitude and are able to laugh, the situation really isn't all that bad!! (Plus, there are mice and rats in houses in the US as well, so it's really not all that different.)

Missions News

Tonight was a night of fun, food, and fellowship.

Chuck and Robbi, the OnMission Directors, had all of us CMAers over to their house tonight for dinner. The CMA regional directors were visiting Costa Rica, so this was an opportunity for all of us to get together and chat. All of us, minus Chuck and Robbi, squished into a taxi van and had an adventure of trying to find their house. (We have all been to their house, but always with Chuck driving, so none of us knew exactly where we were going.) Robbi cooked an AMAZING dinner! Between meals Bill, the regional director, shared a devotional and told us about what was happening with the CMA and with South/Central America. This was followed by an AMAZING chocolate cake!

The talk about missions in South/Central America was good, but in many ways discouraging for me. Since I have a heart for the Latino countries, its hard to hear that there is not a strong need for missionaries; with the missionaries who are already there have been/are in the process/have plans to relocate. Don't get me wrong, I'm super excited that in most cases, the national church is growing and is just doing a GREAT job so missionaries are no longer needed there. However, this makes it more difficult to do missions work there.

What this really means, though, is that I need to be in more prayer about the direction God wants to take my future. I have plenty of time to figure out what God wants me to do and where He wants me to go. God has a plan and a place for me, I just have to trust that He will open space for me in South/Central America, or change my heart for a people group somewhere else around the world where I am needed.

Another discouragement that Bill shared with us is the money situation of the Alliance. There has not been the support of past years coming in and this creates a concern for how missionaries are going to be able to be supported. I guess there has been a lot more interest from college students and high school students in missions work. As great as this is, when there are more possible missionaries with less money coming, this does create a small problem. We do understand that if God has called all these people to serve Him in a missions capacity, He will also provide the finances that allow them go. So I would just challenge you 1. pray about the financial situation of the Alliance and 2. think about what you can do to help. In Ecuador they have started to encourage everybody to give $1 every month (at least I believe its every month) to missions. This doesn't sound like a lot, but there was one church that raised around $60,000 if I remember the correct number. That is astounding. Imagine what could be raised throughout the US if every church did that (and since $1 is worth more in Ecuador than in the States, the challenge could be even more).

Thank you to those of you who give regularly to help support missionaries, from any denomination. I know that it is a huge blessing for them. Please continue to give! Thank you to those who have supported my short trip to Costa Rica. I promise it has been a blessing more than you could ever know!

Now that most of this has been on the more serious side, I'll end on the biggest highlight of my night...I GOT MAIL!! I have been waiting for what seems like FOREVER to get a package from home, and I finally got it tonight, along with some surprise mail as well. It's always a joy!!

A Dream, or Maybe 2

So I had a dream last night, maybe it was 2, I don't remember, but it has made me smile all day so I thought I would share it with you. It's not an overly exciting dream, but for some, it may make you smile too!

I had a dream that I was in MN, I don't remember what I was doing. Later in the dream (or in my second dream), I was in Chepen, Peru, and again I don't remember what I was doing. Even if I can't remember what I was doing, I know I was happy and thoroughly enjoying myself. So when I woke up I thought I was in one of those places (I don't remember which). Therefore, it was with much disappointment that I realized that I was in Costa Rica...Now, I'm not saying that I don't like Costa Rica nor that I'm not enjoying myself...but when I thought I was in 1 of my 2 favorite places only to find out that I wasn't in either, it's a bit disappointing...

Then all day it has made me smile, only because I'm enjoying my time in CR and wouldn't trade it for anything. All the people I have met and have built friendships with have been great and I am very thankful. (Plus, I'm excited about the opportunity to return to Peru!!)

2 Days of Fasting

If everyone could be praying for Kari and I. Monday and Tuesday we will be fasting. It all started with an e-mail from the Missionary Candidate Coordinator (I'm not sure exactly what his title is, but he's in charge of me at this stage of my CMA missions experience - and not related with OnMission). In the head offices of the CMA, they are changing things around and aren't sure exactly where they are going to be getting money to support missionaries. So Rick Byham (the coordinator), sent an e-mail to all the candidates to ask them to take Monday and/or Tuesday to fast.

Kari and I decided this would be a good thing (and its always easier to fast with someone). We will spend one day praying about the situation with the CMA and the other praying about OnMission and personal things we need/want to pray for.

This will be my first full day (2 days fasting). I'm not sure how it will go, but please pray for the things listed above, as well as that Kari and I are sustained during this time.

Birthdays!

Yesterday (Friday) was the birthday party for 2 of my friends who live in my old house. It was TONS of fun with only a little bit of craziness...

Stig, one of the birthday people, wanted to have fun decorations, so we went all out on the balloons, they were everywhere! Then for table clothes there was Wonder Woman and Elmo, the pinata was Elmo, there were Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtle and Nemo (from Finding Nemo) party hats, a pin the tale on the donkey (that we forgot to play), and probably more, but I can't remember it all.

(I helped Stig with the craziness in the decorating.)









(This was the pinata, an Elmo Balloon in front...)










(I really have no idea what Clay is doing in this picture)








(All the ladies in the kitchen, I did do some work and not just take pictures...)







(Kari was our find cake decorator)





(Look how pretty it turned out!)









(The honored Birthday people, Stig and Meli)











(Stig, Clay, Meli, Debra, and Monika)










(Me with Meli, the Birthday Princess)






(Me with Stig, the Birthday Boy)












(Grabbing some food, we had a veggie platter, chips, and chili dogs! yum yum yum!!)






(Clay enjoying his chili dog. I think this is my favorite picture of the night...it took a while for my camera to take the pic, so he was posed like this for a while!!)









(Some of the guys from Stig's youth group)









(Stig taking a swing at the pinata. He only used a toy hammer and in about 4 hits the pinata broke.)







(For those of you who I teased about finding a boyfriend, here he is!! His name is Ethan Samuel and he is completely adorable!!)





This was just a fun time for us all to hang out and I was able to meet some other people who used to live in the house as well as some of the people from Stig's youth group (mostly Columbians if I remember correctly).