Working... or not

Hello everyone, Jeremy here again. Well not much has been going on of late but we've just been plugging away. It looks like we're still gonna move forward with the Furniture shop/wood shop/apprenticeship program. The Idea would be that we start with a wood shop. It would be to create interest and a clientele but mostly to effect the lives of young boys in the area. We'd begin with 2-3 days a week where we'd be open for whomever wants to come. We'd do small projects like bird houses, step stools or small trinket boxes. The boys would learn basic skills but for the most part just hang out and have opportunities to hear and experience the good news. Later once we have some of them that want to move on we could take on some larger projects that we could do on our two "days off" during the week. These boys could become apprentices and begin a formal program that we could start down the road. The possibilities are really endless with this idea, which is why I'm so excited. We've had nothing but good responses from everyone who works around Los Guido. they all respond with,"Oh my, something like that is really needed."

So for now my work has been research and development... Which I HATE!! for all of you who spend your day behind a computer, or just inside.... You must have the grace of the almighty God all over you. I would much rather come home injured after having worked 36 hours underground than spend a few hours a day behind desk. 8-0 Actually it hasn't been all bad. I get to spend a lot of time with my kids, which I haven't really ever been able to do. I get to experiment a lot with ideas, some of which don't go so well. And then I get to go out and meet new people too! When I was going out to research some plastic options I ran into a great opportunity for our future endeavor. While I was waiting to talk to the salesman I noticed some workers taking a huge load of wood outside. It was pallets that they had broken down and were going to throw away. I ran out and asked if they were throwing it away and if I could have it. They looked at me like I was crazy so I told them about the idea we had to work with boys in Los Guido. As it ended up they were very impressed with the idea and said they'd be calling me when they had more!! So if you saw the new doghouse I built (or kids house as it appears in the pictures) That was all free wood. Actually it was about 1/15th of what I got.

So recently I've taken 2 classes. The first was a hydroponics (gardening) class and the second was about child abuse and the process to go through to report it. The first was really fun and inspiring, the second was... well, heavy to say the least. I learned a lot in both classes but the hydroponics has given me some great ideas for micro businesses and future projects in Los Guido. I am currently experimenting with: hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, basil, squash, lettuce and two types of basil. I have seedlings growing in a hotbox and a bunch of other stuff all around the house. I hope that maybe with the wood shop we can build special planter boxes and then we can start a program to help women grow their own vegetables to consume and sell.

Well I think that's enough for today. as you can tell, while the work is boring, there's a lot of great opportunities around. I leave you with this thought. We only use what God has given us so that other people see Him. While we are not always talking about Him, we need to always demonstrate His character through our actions. The only problem is that we (christians AND SI) are not the peace-core, we're not a humanitarian aid group. While we whole heartedly believe that we need to help peoples situations, that is only a means to an end... We do our "job" and wait for the perfect moment to share about the reason we are doing it. It's not cliche, or lame, to say we're doing this for Jesus. True, people all over the world say things and don't really mean it. Jesus is our excuse when we're embarrassed or when we really are striving to be something important by what we do... those circumstances have made it lame and cliche... The reality is that these situations have lulled us christians into thinking we need to just be like christ and never say anything... To just be a living witness. ABSOLUTELY TRUE!! But we need to make sure that we enter into true evangelism. And that's not standing on a soapbox or humanitarian work. True evangelism is discipleship. It's the example of our lives coupled with the evangelism that is discipleship...and THAT makes a difference. It's not a one or the other thing. Word AND deed... Faith WITH works. So many times I can only focus on one or the other... We need the complete gospel, not only part of it.

Lazy weekend, good times

Our family has had a good and lazy weekend to end our busy week. Our week was filled with a birthday party for Aiyla Shockency, then a farewell dinner for her since she traveled back to California after 9 months of being here, then a weekly staff meeting at the Dixons. Don't get me wrong, all these things are great, just a lot of late nights with kids make the following days preeeetty miserable for everyone! So the weekend was calling for some relaxation and kid time.

On again off again we have problems with our two cars that require Jeremy's attention and time. I'm always amazed at his skill and determination to get something fixed. My neighbor once told me when she saw one of his many projects, "He can do anything!! What a gift." I agree. It surely helps to have someone around that knows how to fix even the small things that in this country could take a long time to repair. The list of things to do never seems to end, but at least when one things breaks, another starts working again. I choose to believe these small things are ways Jesus is telling us he's watching out for us and knows what we need. It's in the little things of life where I see God the most.

So after working on one car, Jeremy began building a dog house for our dog, which we should be getting at the end of this month. The kids enjoyed this project and think for right now it's a little play house. The measurements I gave Jeremy for the house will leave the dog with PLENTY of space, so much that Jeremy and the kids all climbed inside! What can I say, I wanted him to be comfortable! After this project was finished we decided to have a movie night with the kids and enjoy Kung Fu Panda, which I've never seen in it's entirety, and popcorn for dinner. It was very fun to pull out the couch and enjoy some time together.

This morning, Sunday, we went to our friends house next door for a typical "Tico" breakfast. My friend Gabi officially taught me how to prepare "gallo pinto" (beans and rice dish), something I've tried many times, but couldn't get it quite right. We also enjoyed scrambled eggs, fried plantains, fresh corn tortillas and bread. We had a great morning talking and getting to know each other even more. Around noon they decided they wanted to take us to a favorite restaurant of theirs "El Boyero". Every Sunday this place has a clown who walks around making balloons for the kids and a nice lady named Cindi that paints their faces. Well our son is deathly afraid of clowns and clung to us for dear life the entire time. I did convince him to get his face painted like Spiderman. That he liked, thank God! The food was delicious and can definitely be a place we put on our list when we need a splurge. Gabi and Vini also treated us to lunch which was extremely generous. We are so enjoying our growing friendship and Gabi and I might start exercising together, which is a big deal since I've done very little of that since arriving in Costa Rica. We know it would be good for both of us. Our only time, besides in the evening, is 5am, which might just be the kick in the rear I need in the morning! I'll let you all know how that goes! Accountability is a good thing, I guess even with exercise!

So off to another week and more things to do. It's a good thing we don't rely on ourselves but on the One who sustains us. More and more He is teaching us as a family what that looks like. We can't control our circumstances but we can control who we run to in times of testing.

So much to catch up on!

Our lives our getting back into the swing of things here in Bárrio María Auxiliadora. Jeremy has been occupied with writing up proposals and budgets for future projects while I've been taking care of life around the house and kiddos. We've been having beautiful weather here right now, and had no problem adjusting back to the breezy days and cool nights. While we were in CA, friends here told us it had been very dry without much rain, very abnormal for this time of year. Lucky for us, the rain returned with us, and we've been enjoying the clean, crisp air it brings with it. Jeremy called me outside the other day and said, "You smell that? There is nothing like the smell of a Costa Rican rain." It's a good smell, he's right, but I was reminded of us driving through Tulare, CA a couple of weeks ago and him telling me the same thing about their dirt. I guess it's good to have things you value in all parts of the world! Anyhow, it's good to be here taking walks to the park with the kids, letting the lady at the corner store know what we've been up to and why she hasn't seen us, and catching up with neighbors/friends. Lots of little things I missed while in the states (and yes, there are things we miss while we're here as well!) Just to name a few for your information: My clothes line - I don't know why, maybe I got this from my Mom, but I love to hang things on the line in the sun! I love the smell, the freshness, and the non-rushed time it takes.
**The people I see walking all the time - maybe it just reminds me that I don't always have to be in a hurry. Maybe I can walk or take the bus instead of just jumping in the car. More than once in CA I thought, "If only they had a bus system like in Costa RIca, it'd be really useful right now!"
**The feria (farmers market) - Every Sat. our family goes and we load up on fruits and veggies for the week. It's very cheap and the kid like eating the craziest tropical fruits we can find. In my opinion, some shouldn't be called fruits, they're just plain weird!
**Costa Rican driving - I know, call me crazy, I find it entertaining, amusing, exhilarating all at the same time. What people will do sometimes just blows my mind!
**And lastly, SI Cost Rica team time. I enjoy just sitting around, hearing ideas bounce across the room, what's happening at the different sites, or what we could do different next time. We have a great team to do this.

While we were gone our neighbors next store, Vini and Gabi, who have also become our good friends, watched our house for us. We came home to a freshly mopped and dusted home with some new plants in the front yard. Have I mentioned they're awesome!! They are such a blessing to us and we hope we can be to them. We had them over the other night for coffee and cookies just to chat and catch up about life. Their son Daniel and our kids are becoming good friends as well. I had a humorous conversation with Gabi when we returned about the Costa Rica's obsession with locking everything up so securely. She couldn't believe that our house wasn't locked down 24/7, even though we have 12 ft gates and razor wire surrounding the place. So I don't think I'll tell her the events of today. I decided to get the kids hair cut today at the mall in Desamparados, about 15 min. away. Jeremy drove us and stayed for the event, Judah's first haircut in over 2 1/2 years! Yes, I was tired of the matted, tangly long curls that were occurring too frequently. He was a trooper and of course I saved the cut locks. The hairdresser said he had curls of gold! I agree. After that we celebrated with a food court lunch and frosty's. Jeremy left to go work and the kids and I took the bus home. Our bus drops us off about a block 1/2 away from our house. Super close and convenient. We enjoyed our walk home and as we approached our home I saw to my dismay our garage door/gate had been left open for the past 3 hours! I quickly looked around and everything was left as it was. Our front door had been locked by Jeremy, probably thanks to the recent talk with Gabi, but I didn't have that key. Thankfully Judah's window was open and I sent the children in. I closed the heavy gate while some neighbors looked on probably fully aware of what had happened. Do you know how many people pass our house in 3 hours?? ALOT! It is by the grace of God that nobody took the kids bikes, scooter, Jeremy's tools, ladder, just to name a few. I find it absolutely amazing and completely comforting knowing my God is looking out for the everything. Needless to say, I don't know if I'll pass this story onto Gabi. It might give her a heart attack.

So please enjoy the snapshots: Giant Hulk hands (Judah's favorite to beat us all up with), rainy day fun, and todays haircuts.

The Long Awaited!!! (Sorry)

Well We're back at home in Costa Rica. Trying to get back into the swing of things. It's been a while since we've blogged so let me get you all up to speed. Summer was busy, lots of teams. August we went back to the states , might have been busier. We saw lots of people, had good food. Jeremy gained 12lbs and Erin is as gorgeous as always. (This is Jeremy writing) Got a lot done but never got the VISA figured out. We're back at home now on a tourist VISA which means we'll have to leave the country every three months. We've been back for almost a week and have just gotten settled back in.
Well there's the LOST style update for you. Hope it lets you know what we've been up to.
We are going to be trying to get a routine for updates which will hopefully narrow the gaps. Erin will probably be updating you more than I will. We are currently researching the possibility of opening a furniture shop here in Costa Rica. We would supply low cost furniture to needy families and I would begin an apprenticeship program to teach young men to work with wood and possibly metal. Please be praying with us as we do our research. We would be looking at a possible start up cost of $50,000-$75,000 that we would have to raise before moving forward. It could be a very exciting thing to do. Most every Costarican that we've spoken to loves the idea but we still have a lot of leg work to do before we even begin.
Blessings,
Jeremy

As promised... I was healed!!

So here it is as was promised to my facebook friends... But first a little background for those of you who are completely in the dark. A year ago from this last June I was in a motorcycle accident on a friends bike. It was a solo accident and I think I hit some sand and went down. I was going about 45-55MPH and fell straight on the left side of my body. My face and my left wrist took the brunt of the fall and then I slid on my forearms for 44 feet. The doctors couldn't immediately tell but I broke my wrist in the fall. It was put in a brace for a few weeks and after the brace came off I realized that my wrist no longer bent back like it should. The doctor prescribed physical therapy to stretch it out but by that time it was two weeks before we left to Costa Rica. Since then my wrist has hurt too bad to do push-ups, hand stands (with Ella) or even push myself u off the floor. It must have really been a sight to see me have to roll over on my stomach get up on my knees and then use only my right hand to get up. Well not any more!!!
So the other night I was on facebook just peering into other peoples lives (creepy I know, the whole concept is weird) when I came across this video posted by my friend lindsay.After that I just flippantly said "Erin, pray for my wrist." Erin prayed and immediately my wrist felt a little better so I said, " It feels better. Pray again." She must have prayed about 4 times and then I got down on the floor and did a push up, which I couldn't have done moments before. It didn't feel 100% so i had her pray again...and again...and again. all the while i was pulling on my wrist and trying to see if it hurt. Finally I went in the hallway and did a hand stand...Healed!!! I can now do handstands again!!! God is so amazing!! the only thing now is that when i do handstands both wrists hurt. Probably cause I'm out of shape... Maybe we could pray that God takes off all the fat too;)
May Jesus Bless You All,

Photos of our home

Hey everyone! Just wanted to post a short slideshow of our home, including our new family car. Hope you enjoy!

So much to say

Well a lot has happened since the last time I wrote a blog. It's kinda hard to remember. Time has just seemed to fly by since we graduated from language school. So where should I begin? Well we moved to Asserí after searching just about everywhere. My parents were here to help us move and we spent some time on the east coast. It took us almost two months to feel at home but in the mean time we had to buy appliances, furniture, a car, and everything else one needs for life. We found a store that imports used appliances and got a decent deal on: a fridge, a washer, dryer, and a stove. We also bought a table with chairs, an entertainment center, and bookshelves from a place in Sarchí. We found a '90 4 runner for really cheap and are looking to sell our little blue car so I can buy a work truck.
So besides that we had our first group come to the city. They were great. My group worked on remodeling a bathroom, installing a small eve to protect the patio from rain, and we re-finished a table. It all turned out incredible. The lady that lives in the house is a great woman and really serves the people of Los Guidos. She helps single moms with sewing classes and teaches bible studies. She is also a missionary with Food For the Hungry. She is a great help to us as we begin to work where she has lived for quite a while.
The second team came and I went to the jungle with them for the first part of the trip. I always love going to the jungle but this time it was a bit different. While I love going and I love the people there was just to much going on back in the city that caused me to not enjoy it as much. When we came back to the city all of the plans had changed and we were working on a street I had never been to before in Los Guidos. It's just up from where we worked on the house but the people were all new to me. Even with all of the other complications everything went great. The kids I had with me were amazing and worked their tails off. We had some great normal work and then some extreme sights (we got to see the water company cut into a live 2" water main and then not be able to shut it off.) It was very interesting.
When the teams aren't here we have plenty to keep us going. All of our other staff members have every day commitments to teach, help at day cares, etc. But I get everything else. I have built tables, book cases, shelves, and playgrounds. Anything we need to help the ministry sites out. This next week we'll be looking at starting a large retaining wall. the work just keeps on coming!
Even with everything going on, and all that we have accomplished, the thing I am most excited about is that people are starting to know us. I have some people I can go talk to and I run into people in the streets. I have people who care that I'm here and are thankful for what we do. All of the work and everything we do is just so people can get to know us and give us a platform to show them who Christ is. It's so easy to let the work be the main thing, but the main thing is still Jesus. We are doing all of this just so HE can be known. We're just the middle man.
There are still some things that we are needing prayer about. 1st. that Jesus would draw us into Himself. That we would continue to grow in Him. 2nd. that we would find a home church. Imagine trying to find a church in a country you don't know, with no one to make recommendations, with services in a language you don't fully get, With the possibility of not having child care and having a 2-6 hour service. That's where we are. So pray. 3rd. That we would make good friends. Our neighbors are great and seem to want to be best friends, but they work a lot and there's just no time to do anything with them. We need good Christian friends. 4th. That we would find a good school for the kids but still be able to be with them enough. We don't like the idea of letting someone else parent our kids in these important years but it's necessary for them to learn spanish. 5th. That God would continue to find a place for us and SI here in Costa Rica. Although it's been close to a year we are still finding our place. We don't know what it could look like in the future because there's just so many unknowns.
Thank you all for your prayers. We are really loving it here. It's more and more feeling like home. Even with the bars and the traffic and the crazy fireworks all night long. We are continually reminded of how blessed we are to be able to serve God here. Every time I drive up the mountain to go home and see all of the beautiful lights, I can't help but say thank you Jesus. And thank you to all of you who are believing in what we're doing and giving financially. With out you... I guess God would have to find another way;)
Jesus Bless You All,
Jeremy
For Erin, Ella and Judah