A Heart of Gratitude

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4

So much to be thankful for.
As I take time to ponder over the last year let me list just a few:

~ I am thankful for my amazing family that loves me, and supports me in all things I pursue.
~ I am thankful for always having a warm place to sleep at night.
~ I am thankful that I have food to eat.
~ I am thankful for ALL of the safe travels I have had throughout the year.
~ I am thankful for such wonderful encouraging friends.
~ I am thankful to be a citizen of a free country with limitless options.
~ I am thankful for the priveledge, honor and ablitlity to learn and be a missionary.
~ I am thankful that difficult times arise, He is my Rock and my Strength.
~ I am thankful for the neverending blessings He pours out so generously, and many times go unthanked.
~ I am thankful I serve a loving, all knowing God who is so good, and is in control.

I hope that those who celebrated today were totally blessed.
So much to be thankful for.
Praise God.
Praise God.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

that's right folks, today up went the Christmas tree!!!!
Not only that, but the Christmas decorations made their way out of the boxes and onto the counters and walls!!! We have a wreath on our door, snowmen flooding the television stand (okay...only two), and endless Christmas tablecloths!! And I'm not even exaggerating when I say endless, for about the last 5 weeks or so, we've had a different Christmas table cloth on the table every week. I don't know where they come from, but they just show up! Aida and Carlos also put up the Christmas lights outside our house now. More and more houses are putting up lights, and it's really pretty. Christmas all over every store when I got here at the beginning of October!! haha, it was really quite a shock to see!! But now as it approaches the holiday season, it's so comforting! Okay, just thought I'd post a little something!

here's a picture with both Carlos and Aida, and one of just me and Carlitos.
Carlos and I are the kids in the family...haha

...like waves hitting the shore

That's right...I think I've actually hit it.
***CULTURE SHOCK***
Little by little it creeps up on you. The differences in Culture you notice, and simply exclaim inside, "well that's different..." come like waves hitting the shore. Of all of the changes I've undergone, and all the things I've notcied are just simply "different," I hit a point where I have concluded that it actually was affecting me in a way. The defining point was yesterday at breakfast, and it came in the form of Peanut Butter. A very minor incident, that makes me laugh now, but yesterday at breakfast I was kinda frustrated and very...well... shocked!
I'm learning the difference and importance of knowing that things are 'different' and not 'wierd.' What's not usual for us in North America, here it is common sense and very routine in many ways. And when I was telling Chuck about some of the things, he advised me that I will find that this is how they do things, and some thing I will find we have a better way of doing them in North America, and many other things I will notice that they actually have a better way of doing things here due to their culture. So as I deal with the waves that frequently come my way, I thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

The start of something Wonderful!

Alas!!! God provided a perfect ministry opportunity!!
Thank you for those praying for me to find a way to get involved,
and yet again, He was faithful and provided!
I am going to start spending time at a "Comedor" on Saturdays for sure, and hopefully other days during the week as my schedule will allow it.
I went to meet the lady that started this ministry on Thursday, and today to see the ministy first hand, and it was so wonderful.

This is in an area that is pretty poverty strucken, and many kids there are in homes where they can't afford food on the table. So this weighed on the heart of Cesil, and she started a place outside her home to give these kids lunch 3 times a week. Two and a half years later, there is now a closed in area where they are able to provide lunch 7 days a week to many kids in the surrounding area. They have around 70 different kids that come through during the week.

Everyday they start out with singing and praying before they serve out lunch. And on Saturdays they do a Bible study for the kids. I met other missionaries today that were helping there, and getting to know the women that run this was so great. They all have such beautiful hearts for the Lord. I have a lot to learn from them.
God has blessed that ministry right before my eyes in the two days that I have gotten to spend with these people.
I will blog more as I start to get more involved there, I'm sure there will be many stories to tell, because this sure is a lively group! I'm excited for God to use this in my life to teach me, and to use me.
These are just some pictures from my afternoon there. The kids are so great, and I can't wait to get to know them all better!

The Dynamic Duo!

I present to you, the blogging world, my Directors Chuck and Robbi Fanberg!
Long awaited photo for those of you wanting to see who exactly is responsible for all of the fun I've been having (namely my mother!).
Chuck and Robbi have been C&MA missionaries for just about 20 years now. They attended the Language Institue here in Costa Rica, then went to Venezuela for a term, and then to Trujillo, Peru for two terms (and left their hearts there...), and are now stationed in Costa Rica... for this term at least!
They are amazing people, and I have enjoyed the time that I get to spend with them. They teach me so much when I am with them, and it's so great having them here. They do a fabulous job guiding and leading me through all of the changes I am experiencing, and will experience!
They for sure are going to be less than thrilled with me posting this, and I might be on my way home soon because of it...just kidding ;)

They deserve a whole lot more than a blog post, but I wanted to share how wonderful they have been to me, and it's only been 6 weeks! ---and I figure it's nice to put a face with a name for all of you checking this!
Props to my directors! Thank you for all your hard work, and God is really using you two to further His kingdom, and I'm so blessed to witness that first hand!

How do you project the Light?

The more people I meet, the more I've been learning the beauty of the 'body of Christ' that is described in 1 Corinthians 12. When we become Christians, not everyone is going to live the same life, and have the same ministry, but we all have the same mission. Living our lives for Christ and Christ alone. A journey that is lived with daily surrender to Him, and a journey that is learned step by step.
As I've been meeting so many new Christians, I was struggling with grasping this concept of the body of Christ a bit. I attended this semenar, and this woman gave an analogy that I loved because it helped it all become so much clearer!

She described it as when we become Christians we have a light in us. We all shine the same light, but it is projected in different ways. This is simular to lamps. All lamps have a light, but they are all projected differently through different lamp shades. So that concluding we are all different kinds of lamp shades! Very simple, yet I found it very clarifying!

I just wanted to share something that I have been learning!

loco for JACO!

wow! i just spent 4 wonderful days in the hot sun on a beautiful beach!!
Man was it ever amazing! The C&MA missionaries here in Costa Rica (my directors, the Fanbergs, Harmons, Baldwins, and myself) got treated to a weekend away.
We went to the closest beach to San Jose, it's called Jaco (pronounced Hako)...
It was so great to see the ocean, and spend time with these great people. We pretty much just hung out all weekend. We hit some shops, spent much time on the beach, and also some time by the pool! God blessed us with fabulous weather. Well... the first day was a bit rainy, but we sure made the most of it, and the second day sure made up for it! We had sun all day, which provided some great tan lines!

One entrance to Jaco Beach! I went to the beach a couple of the mornings, ran a little, read a little, people watched a little and watched people surf a lot! I would love to come back here and learn how to surf, but we'll see if that happens! There was a surfing competition when we were here, so a few of us walked over to see it. Pretty sweet to watch!

This is Brittany and me at Playa Herradura. For our day at the beach we went to a more secluded and calm beach. When we went out and swam in the ocean, we saw so many sting rays! They were so cool, came so close, and showed off their bright blue color! Luckily no one got stung, but the locals were laughing at us at how interested (and maybe just a little freaked out) we were in them! But they assured us they were harmless!

Playa Herradura

On the way home we crossed this bridge that had 10 alligators just lounging under it. So cool, but boy are we ever grateful for bridges!

I loved getting time to hang out with these missionary families. Their hearts for the Lord amaze me, and inspire me. One of my favorite parts of this weekend was the times I would go out in the morning and walk and sit on the beach. The sound of the waves crashing was so soothing. I loved watching the surfers show off their tricks... but more I just loved enjoying God's creation. I am simply humbled by his faithfulness and love.
The three kids that were with this weekend and I went for a walk to the beach and were talking about how God knows all things, and even down to every grain of sand on that beach. Then we were talking about how He knows them all by name, and they started to give some grains names...hehe, it was so cute! And I fell in love with their hearts for God!
God's meticulous detail on every little thing in this world just mystifies me.
I can't even imagine what heaven will be like!

Highlights of this week...

Okay, so on Monday Edwin (my host dad) held up rotten bananas and told me I was making banana cake that night. haha, My pleasure to do for sure, and I'm so glad they like my baking! SO...let's rewind a little bit. That morning I ate breakfast alone and set the bread that I didn't eat on the counter. Later that morning I walked by and decided to put it away because the ants are pretty bad, and to my surprise a mouse ran off of the plate and under the cubbords! Eeek! Whatever, so I threw the bread away. Then my host mom got back and I told her about it, and she just laughed and kind of made fun of me that I was scared of it, but really I was just telling her why I threw the bread away (they waste NOTHING here!, so I knew she would be wondering why I would throw away bread for no reason.) Then later that night after dinner I saw it on the counter again, and told her, and she didn't care at all. So as I was making this cake they wanted me to bake, I knew I wasn't doing it alone. Being careful where I stepped, I was watching for the little bugger! Then Aida came over to the kitchen to see how I was doing and she saw the mouse on the counter with her own eyes this time! THEN she decided that it was important enough to set out what they call 'Cat Paper.' Which is really sticky paper and what is pictured above with the mouse caught on it while it was trying to prance around on the counter again. It's actually really cute! But in 3 days we caught 8 mice. One was the mom, and Edwin said that if I see another mouse in the house, he'd give me $100!! haha. So I'm keeing my eyes peeled for sure!


Then yesterday I donated blood. It all went well, but it was an experience for sure! There was a blood drive at the Spanish Institute 2 blocks from my house. Now this is full of English students learning Spanish, so I just assumed it would be in English...WRONG! When I got there, not one of the actual students that go to that school were there donating. SO... I got the survey sheet, and it was all in Spanish! It was so funny trying to figure out what disease it asked me if I had, and then wondering if the right answer is 'Yes' or 'No'. Because you know how they mix it up so that they see if you are acutally reading the question? Anyways. I got through it, and the nurse looked at it and on one questions I thought I was being so smart by checking 'Yes' because I thought i asked me if: 'I believed my blood was okay to give to those that are sick.', but I guess I didn't understand the question because the nurse just had me change my answer, haha. So, I hope I filled the form out right so that I can save a Tico's life! The acutal donating process went fine, and I was good to go in less than 10 minutes! It was fun to do! And I got a free bag with a lunch in it, and this great coffee mug! It says, "Today I saved a life! Today I donated blood!" I'm a hero!!