I'm back!!!

Hey Everyone,
I am back in Costa Rica after a great restful week in the States. Jeff and Stacey Werly's wedding was absolutely lovely. It was such a blessing to be able to share in their special day. I am so proud of them and the way they are seeking to center their new marriage on the Solid Rock. It was exciting to share with Will Hasley (spent time in Costa Rica as a 2 year intern) all that is going on down in CR. I also got to hang out with some great friends in Charlottesville and be an honorary Salt Shack girl for the week. I enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Chris's family in Northern Virginia and another highlight was going into DC to see Jackie and Kelly. We had dinner together and strolled past the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and other sights along the Mall on a beautiful evening. The next day I played tourist at some of the Smithsonian museums. Wow, so much to see! I can't wait to go back and see some more very soon. Chris and I headed back the next day after watching an eventful US v. Slovenia World Cup match.

I'm back and we received a team from Chattanooga, TN . They are a fun, lively bunch of 12. Today I acted as the interpreter for a church service for my first time ever in Hatillo. It is definitely challenging but very exciting to be able to speak the Word of God. Pastor Federico was a joy and blessing to work with. This afternoon we got to enjoy a nice long relaxed lunch and a low key rainy afternoon. I am learning for the first time what it is like alongside David how to lead teams. It is exciting, at times a little stressful, but definitely enjoyable learning how to coordinate plans in both English and Spanish!

Thanks for all your continued prayers. This week we will be working in Coronado on the Children's Home! I would love to hear what y'all are up to!

:-D

Wow time flies!

Hey Wonderful People,
Sorry I am struggling to keep y'all updated on this blog. We have had limited Internet at Hotel El Bambu up in Puerto Viejo Sarapiqui. Emma, Matt, David, and I rode the bus out and met the teams that afternoon. Had a wonderful week with Team Austin Texas and Team Tennessee. Both were amazing groups, but I specifically worked with the folks from Austin. We worked on the "blue church" in Horquetas doing every part of foundation laying for Sunday school classrooms. We dug the trenches in what Roberto affectionately called "el swampo". Our amazing Tico friends and workers were Roberto and Eduardo. Wow, they are a blast! Abraham would occasionally come out to make sure we were staying on task. He was also pretty great! Santiago was our amazing bus driver this week. He has such a beautiful gentle spirit and heart that beats for God.
Some other highlights of this week: I got to cook with Pastora Ivania and her mom. It was truly a God-sent to work with them for the day. I learned a few tricks in the kitchen and got to walk down to the river nearby. What a gorgeous country. I wore rubber boots (as all good Tico workers do) but unfortunately the swampy water was so high that it came over the top of my boots. My socks ended up being a poop-looking color, even after washing them. Hope you don't have to eat dinner after reading my appetizing update.
Alli, Chris, and I drove back to San Jose today and Chris and I head back to the US to Virginia tomorrow morning bright and early for Jeff and Stacey's wedding. I can't believe it is here already! Please pray for safey during our travels!
¡Nos hablamos pronto! ¡Que Dios te bendiga!
:-D

We've had an amazing last few days! Hiking to the Cabequar tribe in Talamanca was great. It was hard, but lots of fun. We did a Vacation Bible School with the kids about Daniel and the Lion's den. This was my first time getting up in front of a group speaking Spanish. So fun. I love this language even though it is definitely trial by error. The VBS went well even though the kids were extremely shy; Spanish is their 2nd language, but they definitely warmed up a little bit. We had fun jumping rope, singing songs, and acting out the story of Daniel.
We also got to work with a team from Fairhope, Alabama on Thursday at a Boys and Girls Ranch called "Amor en la calle" in Guapiles. It was a place for kids off the street to come and be loved. What a beautiful ministry. I got to lead the team's morning devotion today and we participated in the other worship sessions with them. I tried the fruit from a guava seed pod, got a bunch of bananas from one of the banana packaging docks right next to where our hike started. Yummy tropical fruit! We also did VBS with the team last night in Sequirres and had a blast being able to sit back and watch and just interact with the kids. There were 4 little girls who I had a blast with: Jennifer, Francini, Brittany, and Jasmine. Francini gave me a lollipop when we left. What hospitable people. I am loving this! :-D

We are heading up to Puerto Viejo for the week and our first official teams come tomorrow! Please pray for their travel! Hope you're doing great! :-D