Until later...

Well, We're in our house now and it's lovely. We've got a few problems but they'll be worked out soon. Hopefully next time we'll post some pictures. The point of this is really to let you all know that we're going to be without internet for a while so we will also be out of contact. If there's any problem that we are needed for contact the Dixons and they'll get word to us. 

Thanks and God bless you all.

Ella's 4th!!

Well after procrastinating for a week here are the pictures from Ella's birthday. Thanks to all of you that came, and all of the rest of you who would have if you could have. Ella had a lot of fun! It's so amazing that she's 4 already!! 

Jungle pictures!!

http://public.fotki.com/ThirdElementStudios/costa-rica-10/

So here's the link to our pictures of our trip. Enjoy!!

Trip to the jungle!!

Well it's been a week and I've been putting this off in order to find a house... We still haven't found one (so keep praying) but we have some possibilities. I figured that I better tell you all how my week was in Talamanca so here we go:

Well we picked the guys up at the airport on sunday morning, there were 20 of us. Lee, Forest, Gail, Mac (Dave Mcmahon), Beak (Bill), Dr. Dan, Luke, Seth, Dale, Doug, Hud, Bob, Jim, 2 Jeffs, 2 Daves, 2 Mikes and Me. We all jumped on the bus and drove all day to the south eastern part of Costa Rica to a reservation called Talamanca, in a town called Shiroles. We did a lot of work over the five or so days we were there, but that wasn't the best part so I'll just list it off. Together we: 

Dug Leach lines, poured a slab for a shower and toilet, and emptied an 18 year old septic tank (yuck)

Helped plant plantains.

Laid a lot of brick to finnish a dorm.

Poured a concrete column for a gate.

Started a patio cover.

Hauled dirt to fill below a future foundation.

Laid large drainage pipes for rain water.

Helped in a medical clinic (Only Dave, Seth, & Dr. Dan but we all still get credit)

Helped with some teaching (Jim the retired 5th grade teacher)

re-finished a dresser.

Put up a clothes line.

& had a lot of fun!!

It was great. We all worked really hard and had a great time doing it. The best part for me however was the "bible studies" in the morning and night. We got up every morning around 5A.M. and read a chapter from Ephesians  and then discussed it. We had some great conversations. Our facilitator was Gail, a great man of God, and he kept bringing us back to the fact that it's JUST all about Jesus. It doesn't matter about theology and denomination, It's just all about Jesus. 

In the evenings we all took turns sharing about our lives, past present and future, whatever we wanted to share. It was a good time to get to know others and see that we all have stories to tell of what God's done or how we need Him. 

For me the whole trip was great because I got to be around godly men who I could really understand (cause they spoke english). I really got to just glean off of their lives and they all encouraged me. 

After 5 days in the jungle we left. We went to a beach Cauhita to spend an afternoon on the way back. We did a canopy tour and white water rafting, and then got to shop before they left on sunday afternoon. (Don't expect all of that if you come on a future trip... Remember, we're working in the city now and it's all gonna be different) Over all I had a wonderful time. I was really encouraged to memorize more scripture and spend more time getting to know Christ personally. It's not about all the "do"s and "don't"s but it's all about Him. 

So there you have it... I'm hoping to go to the jungle at least one or two more times this year. We'll see what happens.

Thanks for reading. Jesus Bless.

Pictures to come later.... 

 

Oh yeah! Ella turns 4 tomorrow!! We'll post some video if our camera works;)

Stop everything and pray!!

Well, very soon I will be writing a blog about my recent trip to Shiroles, de Talamanca with the mens trip. I am just waiting to get the photos from one of the men. In the mean time we are requesting that everyone drops everything and pray with us. Right now we are in transition again. We ned to be out of our house, here in San Francisco de Dos rios, by the 20th of april. So far we haven't found a new house but we really need to find one... yesterday. After we find a house we need to find used appliances and purchase furniture. So we need God to come through for us very soon. 

Another prayer request is for our house in Visalia. We were advised by people at S.I. and our missionary training to keep our house as an investment and also as a place for our kids to call home. The problem is that we have been without renters for two months now. Needless to say, that puts a huge financial burden on us. We are praying that a nice family that wants to rent long term would find our house and love it...very soon. 

We thank all of you for your prayers and welcome any encouragement via e-mail. I always forget that when I ask God for something He takes me pretty serious. I have continually asked that He would put us in situations where we would see His faithfulness... Well this is one of them. We know he will never leave us or forsake us but now to see the practical application in our lives.

Thanks for everything... Praise report coming soon!! 

My Turn!

So now it's officially MY turn to watch the kids for a week without my other half. Jeremy left on Sunday for the jungle to help lead a team of men from the valley on a "vision" trip.  He'll be gone till next Sunday.  Sunday started out pretty good with Jeremy continuing his Sunday morning tradition of strawberry waffles.  Yes, even though he was planning on heading out, he still wanted us to have our waffles.  So great. After he left, the kids and I played at the park until we all officially needed bath #2 for the day.  We later received some gifts from my mom (Nana) and my sister (Auntie Antz) that made their way to Costa Rica c/o some men who were coming to the jungle.  The kids were extremely excited and immediately started playing and wearing their new gifts.  Thanks Nana and Auntie Antz! Later on I decide to make some pasta sauce that would be for spaghetti Sunday and pizza Monday.  I had a couple more tomatoes to chop and put in when I decided to check how big my dutch oven pot was.  I wanted an idea of about how much I already had in the pot.  So I lifted it up, the rim then somehow hit and got stuck on the hood above the stove, and it all came tumbling down.  You know that sick feeling you get when you're at a loss for words, that's how I felt.  If it was a jar of Prego, no problem. But the fact I just spent 30 min chopping and sauteing and was 3 tomatoes shy of a yummy sauce, wasn't okay.  I think I tried hard to hold it together until Ella asked what had happened since she was standing right there.  I just cried, just being frustrated and tired and now not knowing what to do for dinner.  Luckily, there was my daughter who tells me, "Mommy, I can make you feel happy." And she just held on to my leg and then gave me a hug while she swayed back and forth.  It was just what I needed and I told her so.  Luckily my teammate Tracey mentioned earlier in the day I was welcome over for dinner that night.  At this point I changed our plans and gave her a call.  I knew at this point I just needed to throw in the towel and not try anything else.  Thank goodness for friends and open invitations! 

Today we didn't have school.  Instead they had "culture day" and I decided to stay home with the kids.  I figured I don't get to see them enough anyway so I'd take the opportunity.  I'm hoping to stay on task this week and just enjoy time with the kids in the evening.  If you've made it this far in this blog, please pray for motivation for me.  I'm really feeling ready to be done with school and be with my kids more.  Behaviors they're displaying make me want to be with them more often to correct, and not being able to is tough sometimes.  So, yeah! Only 5 more weeks. Let's pray I (and Jeremy : ) make it through strong and learn everything we can. Although I'm not so sure how much more my brain can hold!  

We're also in the process of looking for our more permanent residence, a home to rent. Not being familiar with the areas makes it hard, so we're really believing God to help us find one. He knows our desires and our concerns, and knows what's best for us.  Please pray with us that His direction in this would be clear.  We want more than anything to be in His will. Thanks for reading!

The report

Well, here's a quick run down of our lives. Erin and the rest of our female staff here in Costa Rica has been in Guatemala for the last week which leaves me and Jeff home with the kids. It really hasn't been that bad but the dishes tend to pile up quick. 

So every day we've still gone to school (except I was a little sick thursday) And then the kids come home and take naps, then we play at the park, eat and play a little after dinner then it's off to bed. It's not so bad. Ella cries every night for about 10 minutes for her mom but other than that they've done great. I printed a few pictures of Erin and we taped them to the wall. tonight while putting Ella to sleep I jumped on her bed and laid against the wall. Ella immediately started crying cause she wanted to "lay next to mama". So cute... Then she got up like she has most nights and gave the silliest picture of mama a kiss. Erin will probably cry when she finds out. It was adorable. 

Well other than that there's not much to report. School is going well. We have a wonderful teacher who is very very gifted. I have a class in which I go out and just talk to people about whatever I want to learn. It's been good to learn not only language but culture as well. We have come a very long way in the last 7 weeks. I feel like I know so much more than I did at Christmas time. We now have 86 ways to use every verb!!! 86!! It's pretty hard to remember exactly how to use each different tense. Here's a quick example. feel free to skip it.

Present tense Caminar (to walk)

There are 6 "people" 

Camino                 Yo (1st person) 

Caminas               Tú (you informal)

Camina                 El/Ella/Usted (3rd person singular or 2nd person formal)

Caminamos          Nosotros (1st person plural)

Camináis               Vosotros (I don't really know cause I never use it plural something)

Caminan               Ellos/Ustedes (3rd person plural or 2nd person plural)

Then past has all the same "people" but I wont write them with the root "Camin" and endings 

Camin---é/aste/ó/amos/asteis/aron

so in those two forms, present and past there are 12 "uses" for one verb... Well then there are 12 more tenses... Each with 6 "uses" imperfect preterite, conditional, future, PPC, Plusc, perfect preterite, future perfect, conditional perfect, Present perfect subjunctive,  past perfect subjunctive, future perfect subjunctive. I dont know if I got them all or what.... Horrible, But we're learning.

So besides that... We're here. We've never doubted that we're supposed to be here, never wanted 

to leave. We're just trying to live life and really figure out how Gods gonna do what we think He wants 

to.

I leave you with a little video love Ella and Judah.