Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thank you to all of you who have remembered us back home as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Thank you for your well wishes via cards and emails!

We will be celebrating by me cooking for 19 Ticos who we consider dear friends and our Tico family. They are our right hands, so to speak, and work with us and for us at the camp. Without their support, we would not be able to do what we do. This is our way of sharing our American tradition with them.

In the midst of all of this activity, the camp is hosting a Pastor's retreat beginning on Friday evening and lasting until Saturday evening. We expect a minimum of 300 Pastor's and up to as many as 500 to be in attendance. Also joining us for our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow, but coming in for the Pastor's retreat will be the Vice-President of Global Outreach Mission, Len Lane. He will be staying here for a week and we have several meetings to attend with him at the camp with architects, contractors etc. as we prepare for upcoming construction teams.

He leaves next Thursday and on Friday arrives the team from Threshold Church in Charlotte, N.C. as they minister at the camp doing a week-long VBS. Today, we will finish the shopping for the Threshold team, the staple foods since we have so much going on before their arrival. Danielle was a bit embarassed on Monday when we left PriceSmart (our Costa Rican Sam's Club) with four shopping carts full of food.

Needless to say, there may not be too many posts over the next week, but I will see what I can do. On that note, the following are our favorite Thanksgiving verses taken from I Chronicles 29:11-13.

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name".

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you, our family, our church family, dear friends and supporters. We cannot express to you how much we miss you during this holiday season, how blessed we feel to have you as a part of our lives, but more importantly a part of this ministry with us! May God continue to bless you abundantly and beyond what you ask for.

With much love and gratitude,
Ken & Sherri, Danielle, Heather, Kyle & Jordie

One step forward, two steps back!

Ken went down to the camp pool early this morning to give it a cleaning since we had a school renting for the day to have a party. He returned to the house rather quickly to tell me that the camp had been robbed again (second time in one week) and that this time they stole the pool pump. (insert eyeball roll, here) Last Thursday in the middle of the night someone used tools to cut themselves into the camp through the fencing, stole the battery out of the camp truck, but before they did that, they shut the power off to the camp at the road! This disabled the sensor lights in the driveway. They also cut and removed the brake lines and stole tools that were in the truck. Last night, they used tools again to cut the lock off the pump house, removed the PVC piping hooked up to the pump, and then tore the electrical wires away from the pump itself. They also followed the conduit lines away from the pump; one is for water to the pump and the other is for the electricity and cut the conduit and pulled the wires out. Not too long ago we had drained, cleaned and painted the pool in preparation for the upcoming short-term teams and also rental groups. It was a lot of work for a week for the team! Without the pump and chemicals (I forgot to mention that they stole those also) it will be difficult to maintain the pool. Our initial phone calls to pool supply stores has the cost of a replacement pump at $1,000. Needless to say, while filing a police report, we were informed that several area businesses had been hit in the last week around the Orosi Valley. The police don't expect it to end any time soon with the holidays approaching and just the fact that there are a lot of people with drug problems in this area. Last week, the police strongly recommended that we not leave anyone at home by themselves, adult or teenager. Please pray for our safety here!

Today, Kyle and I thought something had hit our house when we were inside and we heard a loud, deadening noise. It startled both of us and we asked each other "what or who just hit something against the corner of the house". We found out on the news that we had another quake here with the epicenter only being about 25 minutes away in Cartago.

Tonight, we spent some time putting the finishing touches on Heather's birthday party preparations for tomorrow evening. She will be celebrating her 16th birthday on December 3. In Costa Rica, you have a "coming out" fiesta for your 15th birthday and a formal ceremony led by your Pastor or Priest complete with attendees (equal to a bridal party), a father-daughter dance and lighting of ceremonial candles. We have 60 guests expected for Heather's ceremony tomorrow night as she celebrates her 16th birthday, but in the 15th birthday Costa Rican tradition. I hope to be able to post some pictures over the weekend of this traditional Costa Rican milestone!

Wobbly!!!

Last night I experienced a first! At some time between midnight and 12:15 our dog, Luna, began to bark loud enough that she woke me up. I noticed that the front gate to our home was making a clanging sound. I got out of bed to see who might be trying to enter, but when my feet hit the floor, I had difficulty standing still. I felt unsteady and as though my body was swaying from side to side. I spent most of the day with a terrible migraine headache and knew that my blood pressure was up from the pain in my head. While the headache was gone, I figured I must have gotten out of bed too quickly and was dizzy. The barking of the dog and clanging of the gate had no impact on the rest of the family! Needless to say, in Spanish class this morning I mentioned to Marjorie that I hadn't felt very good last night and explained my apparent "dizzy spell" to which she broke out in laughter! She informed me that we had a 7.0 earthquake in the middle of the night and I wasn't dizzy at all; that's just what it feels like when you are in the middle of one! While it was not any "dish-breaking", "pictures falling from the walls" event, it was about a minute of a constant trembling, but strong enough that I needed to plant my feet apart from each other and lean into our bedroom wall for support! A lot of our neighbors slept through it much like my family, but then some were able to confirm to my family that I wasn't crazy, as they had experienced the same effects! Marjorie says that in December we will feel more frequent tremors and not only did we have Spanish class today, we also had a lesson in earthquake safety! Well, we've mastered the "hurricane" procedures, now it's on to earthquakes :)

Busy Days and Perspective

The last couple of days Ken, Kyle & David have been working on building the above stage inside the Celebration Center of the camp. This morning this picture was taken of them putting down a second coat of paint. This stage is in preparation for an upcoming Pastor's Conference that is being held in Jardin Sagrado the last weekend of November. It is expected that 300 to 500 Pastor's will be attendance during the weekend, coming from all over the country. The church that is planted at the campground will also be able to use the stage as well as rental groups who have special services. While David & Katherine were visiting our house last night, it dawned on all of us that lately, a lot of our pictures on our blogs were just showing us working around the camp and not doing a whole lot of ministry. A lot of the work that we have been doing lately is for rental groups, upcoming short-term missionary teams that will be coming down from the U.S. and Canada, as well as the day-to-day maintenance and operation of the campground itself. It's a lot of hands and knees work! I am thankful that all of us at the camp are on the same page as far as reaching out into our community and that we have a strong drive to reach outside the gate of the camp! None of us ever wants to be so "caught up" in the administration of the camp, that we are too busy ourselves to serve outside of it. While cleaning the pool, building stages, cleaning cabins, bathrooms and all of the other things that we do to keep the camp "running" so that other ministries, whether it be Tico groups or short-term teams may carry out their ministries is ministry, we too, have a need to minister to others...it is why we are here! On November 27th we will be ministering to our camp employees and their families by serving them Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Katherine & myself. Costa Ricans do not celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. What better way to share our tradition with them and what better time for them to hear from us how thankful we are for each of them and how they serve us! School gets out in mid-December so we are in the process of planning a family activity day at the camp. Our weekends are booked with rental groups from now until mid-March and between Dec. and mid-February we will be hosting four short-term teams. Please continue to keep all of us here at the camp in your prayers as we serve and as we reach out to proclaim the Good News of our Savior!

Children's Ministry Supplies

With the summer over, fall begun and an influx of short-term missions coming December through February; it was time for me to get to work on the task of reorganizing our children's ministry supplies. What I already knew was that "there's some slim pickin's"! Right now I am updating our inventory list and my wish list for a team coming in January.

Heather snapped this picture of me going through the odds-n-ends of it all. Hopefully, I will have everything reorganized and put back in it's place tomorrow since we have a rental group coming in on Friday...yikes!

Celebration Center wall sealing

Many of you who have been reading the blog know of our partnership with God Festival. Tomorrow, God Festival was bringing its 100+ volunteers to the camp for a day of ministry...to each other. The gate to the camp was going to be closed and locked and all of the physicians, dentists, hair stylists, pharmacists and the many volunteers who help them were going to serve each other. The camp was going to be made available for them to set up in, to swim, play a fun game of soccer, fellowship and we were going to be providing their meal to them. Unfortunately, in other areas of Costa Rica, there has been a massive amount of flooding caused by the rainy season as of late, and God Festival had to cancel with us. God Festival has been on the TV for the last three days begging for donations of clothing and food to allow them to meet the needs of those people devastated by the flooding.

Since God Festival cancelled early in the week with us, it meant that the rest of the week and the weekend were free and open at the camp. Ken decided to begin working on the walls of the Celebration Center in preparation for the construction teams that will be coming down from the U.S. and Canada in January & February '09. Our architect here in Costa Rica recommended that the gaps in the concrete walls be filled in and sealed with epoxy. It's a bit of a messy, and smelly job. While the team here was disappointed that we would not be able to serve our friends with God Festival this weekend, we are thankful for the oppotunity that this has afforded us to get to work on the walls!

Please do keep God Festival and it's volunteers who are working hard and long hours throughout this weekend in your prayers as they minister to the flooded, remote areas of Costa Rica proclaiming His Name in deed and in truth!

Luna (en espanol "Moon")

This is an "old" addition to our family back in June. Her name is Luna, but because she looked like a black bear when we got her, we commonly call her "Luna Bear". She was given to us when friends of ours found out that we had picked out a puppy at an animal shelter here in Costa Rica for the kids. When we went to pick up that puppy from the shelter, she was no where to be found. Our hearts were broken because we had picked out a name for her, paid for her initial shots, and even bought her a collar. We are not exactly sure what "really" happened to her. Luna was living in our friends housing development with her mother and her brother. Unfortunately, her brother has since been killed by a car. Luna has a strong personality and it is hard to break her of her "old" habits of living on the street, like she still loves to "pick the trash" and if she gets loose you can pretty much bet your in for a long walk to try and get her back, like to the next town! Like with all "puppies" she views me more for play and Ken as her disciplinarian. Thus, when Ken leaves the house, she goes crazy jumping on the furniture and when I try to get her off, she barks at me and thinks I am playing! We often tell her that she doesn't need her BIG EARS since she doesn't listen anyways! Most of the time, Luna is just sweet and fun. In fact, the friends who gave her to us say her biggest problem is that she is "rotten"...from being loved! That's not a bad thing, right?

Singing in Espanol!

Well...I wasn't kidding when I said that Heather was "moving right along" in Spanish lessons! Here she is on the newly formed Youth Praise Team singing worship songs in total Spanish. It's hard enough for Ken & I to make conversation, but to keep up with some of the faster paced worship songs in only six and a half months is a real accomplishment! Ah, to have a mind that can catch on so quickly!!

Youth Group Fundraiser - Costa Rican Style!

Here's a picture of Jordan adding the last tamale to the pot of steaming water.

After stoking the fire, Ken lifts the full pot of water on to the fire.

Here, Jordan is poking slices of carrots and sweet red peppers in to the tamale.

Here's just a couple of members of the Youth Group who are making the tamales by hand preparing them to be sent down to the fire for cooking.

While the tamales are being put together, Ken, pictured here with Mario, an elder from the church have cut (with a machete) banana leaves from the banana trees at the camp. They have a very small fire built. Ken is placing the whole banana leaves over the top of the small flame for two reasons: first, to kill any insects and second to take out any moisture from the leaves. Once he finishes drying this side, he will flip the leaf over and do the same to the other side and then allow it to cool. The leaves are then taken by wheel barrow up to the kitchen where the whole banana leaf is cut down into smaller, squares (you can see those in the above pictures). The base of the tamale is a cornmeal paste which goes on top of the banana leaf squares, followed by a tablespoon of rice, a slice of carrot, three or four peas, two slices of red sweet pepper and then a tablespoon of cooked meat (we used chicken), but the Tico's use all different combinations of vegetables and meats to make tamales. The tamales are then wrapped very neatly in the banana leaves and tied with string into a neat package. Two packages are stacked up on top of each other and then string is tied around the entire bundle (which you can see in Jordan's hand adding the last one to the pot). Once they hit the hot water in the pot, the cornmeal begins to expand inside of the bundle as it cooks. How do you know they are done? When the once green banana leaf has turned black!

Tamales are usually cooked for special occasions and not eaten as regular food. A couple of months ago the camp cook, Isa, made over 100 when a distant relative in her family died. They were taken to the church to be shared with everyone who attended the funeral. Tico tradition is that you make your "best" tamales at Christmas and they are given to your family and close friends much like our tradition is to give Christmas cookies. We have been told to expect a lot of tamales at Christmas!

For this fundraiser, we made and sold 180 tamales! They sold for 500 colones or $1 a bundle. This will help send the Youth Group on a weekend retreat at a different campground, since they regularly meet on Saturday nights at our campground and they like to feel like they are "really getting away". All of the food items were donated for the tamale-making by various families of the Youth and church members.

Short-Term Team Preparations beginning in Costa Rica

Just to give you an idea, this is "some" of the food that Ken & I bought for a "small" team over the summer. Missing from the picture is a huge box of fresh vegetables and fruits and other miscellaneous items like toilet paper which has already been stored away in a cabinet, and fresh bread and meat which we buy just the day before the team arrives. We need you to be in prayer beginning NOW for the teams that will be coming from the beginning of December through the middle of February; that's four teams in eights weeks and we will also have various rental groups at the camp during this time as well. Right now, there is not a free-day during the month of January on the camp schedule! The teams will be doing children's ministry, construction at the camp and medical missions. The preparations for us here have already begun on all of these teams. Soon, we will be bringing bigger shopping loads than this back to the camp kitchen!

Extreme Make-Over: POOL edition!

What Ken honestly thought was going to be a two-day "breeze" job beginning on Monday, has turned into a week-long struggle against the rains. I have spared you all the gorey pictures of the molds, slim and started with the ending of the cleaning of the pool for your viewing pleasure!

This is the other end of the pool, clean, dry and ready to begin painting!

This was this morning as Ken was painstakingly painting the stairs by hand before the sudden rains came and washed his paint away. Tomorrow's rental group had to be called and informed that the pool would not be functioning this weekend. Thankfully, they were more than gracious about our dilemma. And so tomorrow, the painting begins again!

The "bail out"!!!

The bail out of water down here in Costa Rica, that is! This month, October, is supposed to be the rainest month of the rainy season; that's what we've been told anyways. Things got a little scary around here this afternoon when Kyle and I stepped out our front door and realized that the good-sized ditch across the road from our driveway was up over the embankment and flooding our neighbor's house. We quickly began moving things to higher ground off our front porch (our shoes) and in our front room, the livingroom. I ran down the road and got Ken at the camp and we started helping our neighbor, Norberto. It was pretty messy, but we had fun working away with the family to clean the home. His sister, Isa, is our camp cook and Isa's husband, Koki, is the camp groundskeeper, who came with Ken when I found him at the camp. We also got an urgent phone call from Marjorie, our Spanish teacher, asking us to drive to town, Orosi, and help her remove water from her home as well. This week the team is working around the rains trying to paint the camp swimming pool that we drained over the weekend. We've got a rental group coming in this weekend and we hope to have it back up and running by then. Yikes! I've got cabins to clean tomorrow!

There's no place like HOME!

After a long day of traveling due to bus and roadway delays, we sat at the bus station for 5-1/2 hours before our bus came, we finally arrived home. We enjoyed ourselves in San Juan Del Sur, but it sure is different than what we are used too. We got through the border on Saturday, only to find out from another couple on Monday who were staying in our same hotel, that someone had been murdered there at the border crossing on Sunday. When asked what to do with the body they were told to put it in the trash and it would be burned later. Thank you to anyone who prayed for us as we traveled. As you can see, your prayers are very important to our family and God allowed us more importantly than "delays" to travel with safety!

6th months...

This weekend we have to leave Costa Rica, crossing the border into Nicaragua to get our passports stamped. We do this every 90 days. This weekend also marks a ministry milestone, in that we have now been here for six months. One thing hasn't changed in the time that I have been here. That is, the understanding that we ALL have natural and spiritual gifts that God has equipped each of us with. God won't use those who are unwilling and fight against Him. He cannot and He will not force us to serve Him. But, He did promise that He would empower us to do His work and He would prepare us for it. I think there is a misconception that missionaries are spiritual Super Hero's. I can promise you that we have been tested over the past six months in our faith. I can promise you that there have been days when we have really struggled with wanting to come home. There have been frustrating days because of language barriers. But, I can also tell you that on those particular days God was present with us! He has used many different ways to meet our spiritual needs and to encourage us in our ministry; emails, an opportunity to have some free time and check our mail and not ironically find that we had received something from home, specifically a letter from our parents, or from our church, phone calls that we "out of the blue" received from friends at home and the list can go on. I guess, what I am trying to say, is that we are ALL "called"! Faithfulness and availability is all that HE needs because He can, and is able, to fill in the gaps. And while I wish I was "Mrs. Incredible", I realize that these times of hardship and frustration are intended to continue to mold me; my attitude, my actions and my heart so that I might be more like Him.

Important: Prayer Request

This picture was taken in January when our house was placed on the market in N.C. (thus, no green grass, blooming trees, etc.) A couple of weeks ago we lowered the price of our home...again. I am still working my full-time N.C. job to pay for the mortgage on the home. It means that I have to cut back on my ministry plate (which is full) down here in order to do the work or sometimes "burn the candle at both ends" to help get what needs to be done here. At this time, we just want to bring this situation before you and ask you to join us in prayer over this matter. It is impacting our ability to minister in Costa Rica physically and financially.

Typical Costa Rican dress

With permission, this is a picture of Siday (the Youth Pastor's wife) holding Alianna (David & Katherine's daughter) after church yesterday. This is the typical dress that you would see children and women wear for celebrations such as Independence Day and at Christmas. Yesterday, Siday (who heads up Children's Ministry) at our church dedicated the entire service to the children. Last week, we celebrated "Children's Day" and this week was of course their national holiday, Independence Day. She did a small sermon on Samuel, but also incorporated children's day dancing and the typical dance that is done in celebration of Independence Day with the help of the Youth from the church. Of course, no children's celebration in Costa Rica is complete without a cake or a pinata! Jordan was chosen to whack at the pinata a few times which was special for him since he has never had a pinata at a party before. We had a lot of fun attending the parade today and together with David & Katherine we had a family picnic!

Happy Independence Day Costa Rica!

Today, is Independence Day in Costa Rica. Right now, there is a truck just a few feet from our house blocking our small road and blaring pre-recorded Marachi band music (it's good stuff). There are two ponies outside our gate chewing on grass and the neighbors are beginning to line the street on this Sunday morning. I expect that in a few minutes the neighborhood school will be having their parade and that is what everyone is waiting for. Tomorrow is the "BIG" festivities, parades all over the country. We hope to be able to attend one with David & Katherine for the cultural experience. Today in church most people will wear traditional clothing in the colors of red, white and blue. Not sure that my red "Carolina Hurricanes" pajama pants meets the standard. Well, I guess it's time to step outside and enjoy the celebration!

Extreme Make-Over in Costa Rica!

The Celebration Center got an upgrade to its roof...insulation! Back in July we had ordered all the supplies for insulating the roof due to changes in Costa Rican building codes, and this week a Costa Rican company arrived to do the installation. This picture is the men removing the sheeting. You wouldn't get away with this in the States! No harnesses, no safety lines, no OSHA!

Taken from inside of the building, you can see the layer of insulation.

Again, from inside the building, this picture is the roof now completely insulated.

Here's also a picture from the inside, the old, uninsulated roof. Just for kicks, Katherine and I went into the building last night and had a little shouting session, (not at each other, of course) to test it out! It is amazing; the improvement in sound in the building! And it looks really, really nice too!

What you don't know, won't kill you...

That's Ken. This was the white water rafting excursion. It was all just explained to me today that there are different levels of difficulty in white water rafting, the highest level being a 5. This river had 4's and 4+'s, and the 5's were just up river a little bit further! It was explained in the "oh, so familiar" Man-jibberish with grunts and groans of satifaction and delight, similar to when he sees new Craftsman tools with that infamous "glazed over look". This is crazy!

White Water Rafting and Packing Up

Well, today was the Threshold team's free-day. Ken accompanied them to Turrialba to do some white water rafting...um, better him than me! Tonight they will begin packing up since they need to leave the camp at around 11 a.m. so that we can get them to the airport on time! To their families I'd like to say thank you for the sacrifice that you have made this past week without them at home. We have truly enjoyed getting to know each of your loved ones while they were here. They are a GREAT bunch of guys! Thanks for loaning them to Costa Rica if only for one week. Our prayer is that in some way they were blessed as they served, and as we served them! Our prayers go with you as you travel..

Important Update & Ministry Frustration!

Somedays it is just plain frustrating working with computers or actually not knowing how to work with my computer would be a more accurate statement! I have forever wanted to know how to put a video on here. Really, I would love to know how to make a video, first of all! Well, Katherine made one for her blog and our team of the two and a half weeks of ministry that we did at the Children's Home in Paraiso. She had Heather load it on her flash drive. We downloaded it to my laptop. I can play it on my computer and it is a really nice video. I just thought you would like to know that since I can't seem to get it loaded on here properly...frustrating! I have also been working on a newsletter in recent days. That has not come easy either. Ergh! The biggest frustration is that communication is "key" to missions work. I am a a communicator by nature. I don't like people to feel left in the dark. I certainly don't want my supporters to feel as though we take their support for granted! Please pray that I can get some things "figured out" this weekend on this computer so that I can better communicate with all of you who take the time to read our blog. Thank you for the really nice comments about the pictures, although, keep that in your prayers also. Our digital camera that we have had for three years broke. To replace it here will cost double the price since electronics are so costly here. Right now, as far as future ministry photos, we have to download them off Katherine's memory card.

For anyone reading the blog from the great state of North Carolina, in particular, the Charlotte area; your loved ones arrived here safely on Tuesday afternoon. They are all a hoot! Great senses of humor! Yesterday, they looked more like a demolition crew than construction workers, but they are progressing in their work. By this afternoon, I hope to be able to join them in painting since I was shooed off yesterday when we couldn't see each other due to "dust" and I am an asthmatic!

The Update: The main reason I wanted to post the video was to be able to show more pictures of the kids from the children's home. I thought it would be nice to hear the spanish music and see their pictures. Also the post would have been about the fact that when we left on Friday, Cynthia, the Educational Director told us that we "are welcome back to the children's home at any time and that the doors will always be open for us to serve there". I left with tears in my eyes. Like I have said so many, many times before, we step out in faith to serve and most of the time we return far more blessed! On Friday, not only did we serve the children, but before we left, we went to each individual home, and we laid hands on each mother and prayed for her, her home and the children that are placed in her care as a team. It was a special time! Please pray for a mother who really touched me. Her name is Carmen. We talked to her for just a few minutes after we prayed for her and before we went on to the next house. She has mainly preschoolers in her home that she cares for. She told us that it was such a blessing to be able to have some time apart from the kids when we came and took them from her home to minister to them in another area of the children's home. She is tired, but she is so gentle in her nature with the children and as I prayed for her, she lifted her hands to the Lord. Her deepest desire is to be a blessing to those little ones that the Lord has entrusted in her care!

How can you help minister to these 115 children and also the mothers? Begin to specifically pray for how you might take part in "Operation Orphan". We will be sending out a letter soon through Global Outreach Mission explaining a Christmas party that we will be hosting for the Children's Home at the camp. Our desire is to serve them through a day-long children's program, again pulling in the Youth Group from our church in order to lead them in serving their people!

Construction team preparations

We have been busy the last couple of days doing final preparations for a team that is coming down from none other than N.C. They are from the Charlotte area and will be doing some construction. Final preparations have included getting last minute items at the grocery store, (we did the bulk load of shopping on Saturday when we took the last summer missionary interim to the airport), construction supplies, a huge supply of clean, drinkable water and those kinds of things. I am a little tired tonight. They arrive at the airport around midday. Tomorrow we eat dinner with the team and then have an orientation meeting. They will be here for one week. They asked if there was anything that they could bring us. I can never think of anything when people ask and I never know what people might think is asking too much. It's kind of hard. So, what did I ask for? A bag of Bojangles biscuits! I can just about smell them! Course, Danielle had to tell us all the places she was going to "hit" when she got home after being down here for three weeks...Bojangles, Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel. Ken & I wouldn't give her the satisfaction. We just covered our ears and hummed and she went on and on. Hopefully tomorrow I can post some pictures of the children's home ministry that we did last Friday. I got to talk to my Mom & Dad tonight. I have only talked to them once since being here. Today is my Mom's birthday and I wanted to surprise her. I got to speak with my brother for just a few minutes too. They all sounded really good! Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you and Dad very much!

Serving Costa Rica as Missionary Kids

As we were preparing for some upcoming clinics with our summer missionary interims; on a couple of occasions the team would go out into the neighborhood to practice taking BP's, weights, temps and heights. You be amazed that by offering this "Free" service, it would open the doors for them to share their faith, pray for people, hand out tracts and cultivate relationships. They were also able to get the word out about the church meeting at the campground. This is Jordan with his backpack loaded down with tracts handing one to a young lady in the neighborhood and talking to her.

This is Kyle with Kat as his interpreter praying for a man in our neighborhood.

Heather...the "bead queen" taking a break from the triage area of a recent clinic to string some beads with the kids!

On one of the "walks" through the neighborhood Heather practiced taking blood pressures as Jordan looked on.

There are always "jobs" to be done at the camp. On this day, Heather helped us out with painting a cabin. She is proud of her new smile. Notice that she has had her teeth capped! Gone are the West Johnston High School Marching Band Color Guard trophies! This was done recently by a missionary dentist for free at one of the God Festivals. God is good!

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do".

Children's ministry, as many of you know, is my passion, a burden, a gift that God has given to me. Coming from very humble beginnings and being "dropped off" at social services for adoption has always been part of my personal testimony and my desire will always be to use those circumstances for His honor and His glory. Katherine, my teammate, is a preschool teacher and children's ministry runs in her veins too! I had been thinking and praying about what God would have us to do as far as children's ministry here in Costa Rica. While we have short-term teams come down and do children's ministry with us; I was praying for something that we could begin to do as a family and a team on a monthly basis, perhaps for a day or afternoon every two weeks. Katherine came up with the idea of trying to see if a children's home would consider opening their doors to us (Amy, our summer missionary interim is also a preschool teacher) so that we could minister to the children there. I knew of a youth home in Cartago, about a 45 minute drive from the camp that may be we could call. What Kat found out in her phone calling was that there was a children's home 20 minutes away from the camp in the town of Paraiso. Paraiso is where we receive our mail. It quite honestly seemed to be "too good to be true" to find out that there was a home so close to us! She made the phone call and for the last two weeks, Amy and Brittany (the other summer missionary interim who has now returned to the States) have been ministering in this children's home, sharing the gospel through Bible stories, doing crafts, singing, hugging and loving on these children. There are 115 young children at this home. There are several "houses" on the property which have a Mom and about nine kids living in them to make a "family". The Mom's are exhausted, some of the Mom's are young, but this is their "job".
Last Friday night, Danielle and Brad, Jeffrey (our church Youth Pastor) and 7 members of our Youth Group here at the church went to the children's home with our team (the boys and I had to stay home to provide enough seats in the van) and served a hot dog supper followed by a movie to the kids. This was Brittany's last time to serve with the children and it was a kind of party, an ending to the two weeks of ministry there. We provided microwave popcorn and it was interesting to hear how the kids would finish the popcorn and then rip open the bags and lick the butter on the inside wrapper of the bags. They enjoyed it so much!

Amy is leaving this Saturday to return to the States too. Tomorrow and Friday Kat, Amy and our entire family will be ministering in the children's home. We will work with the younger children in the mornings and the older children after lunch. This is a contact that we (Kat & I) have longed to have. This will enable us, when short-term children's ministry teams come down to Costa Rica from Canada and the States to take the team there to minister. It will also allow us to transport the kids to the camp for a team to minister there with the children. This is a beginning and right now we are in the "earn our trust" stages with this children's home, but the long-term implications of this partnership and the open doors it would provide for ongoing ministry are amazing!

We feel like this is, as the above verse says, something that God prepared in advance for us to do, since every phone call Kat made previously had a negative response. The Director knows that we are evangelical Christians and has given us permission to "share" our faith, as this is a privately owned children's home, not a government sponsored home, since their goal is to have each child make their own religious decisions!

Please continue to keep our team in your prayers as we pray about the direction that God would have us to continue in with this partnership. Pray for the youth of our church as we continue to pull them into joining us in reaching out to their people! Pray for us as we attempt to minister to the Mom's. The Director shut down our idea of having Danielle serve them by providing hair cuts last week, but we are praying about how we can directly minister to them. The hot dog dinner and movie was our Plan B and we thank the Lord for His provision to allow us to serve both the children and the Mom's in this way!

These children are not easy to work with, but in God's eyes I can only assume that neither am I!

Serving in the "Red Zone"

On August 9th we partnered with Festival con Dios (God Festival) and entered the "Red Zone" of the capital city, San Jose. Global Outreach Mission has been partnering with this ministry for the past couple of years. The "Red Zone" is considered to be the most dangerous part of the inner city. Here reside the drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics and homeless. God Festival has a roster of 90 volunteers who once a month, usually the last Saturday of each month, literally go into a designated area (they even cross the borders of neighboring countries such as, but not limited to Nicaragua, to serve) and "saturate" it for the Lord! The volunteers consist of Christian lawyers who donate their counsel, hair stylists, dentists, children's ministry workers, Pastors, evangelism teams, medical personnel and cooks. The initial wave of God Festival volunteers arrive in the designated area at 4 a.m. and set up the tents, stage, food areas and equipment. The rest of the volunteers arrive at around 7 a.m., finish setting up their own personal equipment and begin serving the people by approximately 8 a.m.

This is Danielle at the hairstylists station. Heather is acting as Danielle's interpreter to find out how the people would like their hair cut and the young lady in the black T-shirt is a Tica volunteer. She is Danielle's security guard should someone get a little crazy. To the left of Heather, but out of view of the picture are another eight hairstylists who are set up to work and to the right of Danielle, also out of view of the picture are two armed security guards. Danielle began cutting hair at 8 a.m. Sadly, every person she worked on had head lice.

Brad and our interim missionary served in a number of positions this day. They started out in children's ministry when there was shortage of workers early in the day, were pulled into the pharmacy to count pills for prescriptions when things got busy, and ended up working in evangelism, handing out tracks and praying for people. The evangelistic volunteer team literally spans out into the surrounding neighborhood of where the festival is taking place, going door-to-door handing out tracks and witnessing to whoever will listen.

These are children's ministry worker volunteers. The lady to the left is dressed as a clown and she is pointing to a beaded bracelet explaining the plan of salvation as represented by different colored beads which both the volunteers have made with these two children. She also has made a balloon animal for the girl.

I am working in the pharmacy and the licensed pharmacist has asked me to count pills before the doctors even begin seeing patients based on what she knows will be the most commonly prescribed medications for this area. I am working on preparing and labeling Amoxicillin (an antibiotic).

This is the triage area where they are beginning to consult with patients, take their vitals and get them in to see physicians. I sometimes work at this station since I went to school to be a Medical Assistant. This is actually set up in a nearby church building, what appeared to be their Sunday School rooms, and everything else is going on outside, set up in the central park of the city.

What you don't see are the food service volunteers who feed every single person who comes to the festival this day a good, hot meal.

After we left the airport on Saturday we drove three hours away, nearly to Limon, to work in a medical clinic in a very remote part of the country that our Pastor had set up in a church for us. We spent the night Saturday night and Sunday we saw 125 patients. I saw another Pastor lead a young lady to the Lord!

Well, this is just one aspect of our ministry here. Please continue to pray for our medical clinics that people would be relieved from health conditions and from "heart conditions" too.

Blessed!

We've been a little "teary-eyed" around here the last two days, but we were so blessed to be able to have three weeks with Danielle & Brad! Saying good-bye was even more difficult than in March when we left, but we deeply appreciate those of you who have emailed us yesterday and today to check in and to just let us know that you are praying for us! It means so much and has been such an encouragement!

God's timing is always amazing to us and after five months, the internet connection was installed in our home today! It is so nice to be able to email Danielle (maybe four times in an hour is a little "much" for her), but I can't tell you how comforting it is just to have this connection, not to mention with family and friends! Ah, to be able to sit down at the laptop and write longer emails to people without feeling rushed and to be able to share! You never know how much you miss something until you are required to go without it!

I hope to be able to post some pictures on here of some of our recent ministry projects and share in more detail what we have been up to in recent weeks. With using someone else's internet in their home before, I felt like I was just posting in "survival" mode.

Here's a quote that has been speaking to me as we serve here in Costa Rica! I really thought it was worth sharing.

"Do not expect God to do apart from prayer, what He has said He would do only if we pray"...Arnold Geswein

Surf's Up Dudes and Dudettes!!!

Here's a picture of Jordan on his 8th birthday on Wednesday! Ken decided that we should rent Jordie a surf board for the day. This picture is taken at Jaco Beach on the Pacific Ocean where they take beginner's to learn to surf. Needless to say, well, Jordie didn't get up on his feet, but he seemed to have a good time! Danielle, Brad, Kyle and even Ken all gave it a try. We are still waiting for "The Jordie" as in Foister to come and teach us all how to surf properly and quit paddling around! Happy Birthday, Jordan Taylor!

Volcan Arenal!

I'm so excited, nobody else is, but that's okay! I have finally seen the number one tourist attraction here in Costa Rica. I "off the cuff" made the comment on Saturday evening that we should leave "now", however, I forgot how adventurous and spontaneous Danielle can be and sure enough, two hours later, at around midnight when we had planned on leaving at around 7 am ish on Sunday morning, we were on our way to the Volcano. Okay, the keyboard is in Spanish and I can't remember how to decode it for the "icons" like space, the paragraph sign, so you will just have to bear with me...sorry! Needless to say, we arrived here at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, couldn't check into the hotel, had a hard time finding a restaurant open for breakfast and well, it's been fun. We got a glimmer of the volcano without any clouds around it when we arrived, but it has been shrouded since. They say it has been blowing some lava, but again, last night there were too many clouds to see it. I'm glad we had the few minutes to take it in because it was certainly worth it! This morning we are leaving for the other hot destination, the Pacific Ocean side of the country which is the only thing Brad really wanted to see while he was here, but I have to say, Ken is just as excited! He woke up this morning and said he wanted to leave. I said the word, "beach" to Danielle and in ten minutes she was packed and ready to go. I felt bad for poor Brad! No shower, no time for teeth brushing, just get to the hotel free breakfast table. I gave him a big hug as stumbled around his room. Danielle has been busy doing free haircuts and needs a break. So, I just thought I'd let eveyone know, we're on our way out of here and driving four to five hours to spend two days at the beach. Okay, the natives are ready as they stand around me! Until later....Sherri

Stay tuned....

Some people just don't know when to quit! I was held hostage at my diningroom table last night until well after 12 a.m. and subject to beating Brad at Phase-10. While the game isn't over yet, Ken is on Phase-8, I am in 2nd place and Brad...he's nearly last as far as point standings! I let him beat me in Turkey Foot since it is really his "family" game and I wanted him to have a warm welcome! He's in back of me snickering and saying, "right". Yesterday, we had a last minute group decide to come in and Danielle & Brad frantically helped us make beds. We had just sent a construction team home on Saturday evening. We're a little tired, but having family here keeps us going and laughing too! We are making plans to take them to the Pacific Ocean side of the country and along the way we will see Volcan Arenal which is smoking at this time. We haven't had the opportunity to go there yet, so this will be a first for all of us as an entire family. Got to speak with Robin on the phone for just a few minutes. I cried, but I miss our church family and our friends here so badly. It's a process and a daily re-commitment to the Lord just to get through some days. Keep us in your prayers!

"One more sleep"....

That's how Jordan keeps on track with "big" events in his life. He counts down the days by how many more times he has to go to sleep. Tonight is only "one more sleep" and Danielle & Brad are going to be arriving before noon. Problem is, I don't think any of us here on this end will be sleeping since we are too excited! Brad has already made a checklist via telephone as to whether the Parchessi board game and Phase 10 are in our home here in Costa Rica. We are fully armed and ready for battle which also includes Turkey Foot, the Towle family game! It's gonna be a long three weeks! (snicker)

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations Danielle on completing your Cosmetology education and scoring the highest in your class on the four-part clinical exams. I cannot even begin to express to you how deeply proud Dad and I are of you! We know that it has not been easy, especially this last semester without your family at home, but you pressed on and focused on your goals. We do want to see "ALL" your paperwork!!! :) We love you and we cannot wait to see you...only two more sleeps! All our love,
Dad & Momma

Serving Costa Rica

Hi everyone! I am so sorry that we have not posted a new update sooner! We have been really busy the past six weeks. Today, we took an interim missionary couple, the Metzler's, to the airport waking up at 3:30 a.m. They have been serving here alongside of us for the past five weeks. We also have a young lady living in our home by the name of Brittany Hoffman. She is also an interim missionary and has been here since very early in June and will return to the States in August after hopefully surviving two and a half months in the Dundon household! Last week, we picked up Amy Reidy at the airport who is staying in a cabin at the campground and has a passion for children's ministry and she will stay here for five weeks! Please continue to pray for each of these people as they prayerfully consider missionary service in their futures and as we expose them to missionary service.

This Saturday we have a construction team arriving from the States. They will be here for a week working on finishing the kitchen at the camp and doing some work on the Celebration Center. We have been busy preparing for this team by pricing out building supplies, making purchases and having deliveries of construction materials here at the campground. Today, after getting the Metzler's to the airport we did all of the grocery shopping for the camp cook in preparation for the arrival of this team.

Last Saturday, we traveled to Isla de Chira, a remote island about 4-1/2 hours away. We traveled by bus, boat and truck to get to the people there. We ministered to 177 people through a free medical clinic, prayed for people and shared the gospel through children's ministry. We brought in fruits and vegetables since it is so difficult for them to get on the island to minister to the people there that opened up their church for us to set up in. I served in the pharmacy. One of the doctor's that volunteered with us, though we had three attending physicians this day, had to leave by boat with a man who had hip surgery the week before. He was in his home, slipped and fell in his bathroom and his stitches ripped open. His hip was actually outside of his body as he laid on his bathroom floor for two days when someone finally checked on him. Our doctor mobilized the patient and traveled by boat with him for an hour to admit him to a hospital. Sadly, we saw teenagers with sexually trasmitted diseases and incest was rampant on the island. Some days, you go out to serve and you return feeling like you could never possibly do enough! The other night our team laid hands on the patient sheets that we brought back from the island and each of us prayed over the 177 patients. I hope that we can make it back to the island one day and serve there again. Until then, please pray for the 3,000 people that live there. Many blessed us with their smiles and appreciative hugs! Our prayer is that seeds were planted and that God was glorified and honored in our service.

HUGE blessing!

This is our used, but gratefully new to us van that we use here in Costa Rica. We went a full month without a vehicle and I have to say, this is the only vehicle that I have been able to ride in here and not get car sick in. (It was a tad bit embarrassing to get to your destination and look for a place to barf.) It seats 11 people. One of the reasons we went so long was because we were spending our time shopping around trying to get the best deal. This van has low mileage and well, I didn't actually see this van before Ken bought it, but he knew I would like it! It's hunter green...one of my favorite colors!

Thanks to all of you who helped us purchase this van by giving funds directly toward our outgoing expenses. We want you to know that we deeply appreciate your sacrificial giving on our behalf! We are absolutely blessed beyond what we deserve! Thank you so much!!!

Storms

Well, we have had a "wild" last week here with the storms that have passed over Central America. Here is a picture of the road washed out about a mile from our home that leads to our town. There is another way out going the opposite direction, but the route is longer. With the wash out of the road came loss of water for the weekend. It was wonderful to take a shower on Sunday evening finally, but then last night, the new water pipe burst and we had no water today. All that we can do is laugh and enjoy it while we have it!

The Palm Beach Atlantic team saw a total of 303 patients while in Los Chilies. We did not receive a total on the final number of people who made first time commitments from the evangelistic team. Ken had the opportunity to do door-to-door evangelism with the team and was asked at the third house that he visited if he had anything he wanted to add to the gospel presentation. He felt like the Holy Spirit would have him to say something and as he says, "took a gigantic leap of faith" and did. Three people in a family received the Lord in that home. When he returned to work in children's ministry while the team was doing the medical clinic, he had a young girl ask him if he would pray with her to receive Jesus into her heart.

Before the team left they also did a clinic in the campground and saw 103 patients, 30 of which made first time commitments. I also had the opportunity to share with five people who accepted the Lord. I cried with each one (no big surprise there). I was overwhelmed. God doesn't need us, yet He allows us to be used for His purposes and it is very humbling! We are truly amazed!

Thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday! It was so exciting to receive birthday cards in the mail here in Costa Rica! Thank you to all of you who sent e-mails too!

We love and miss you!

Torn hearts

Well, one thing that no one can prepare you for is the attachment that you have when a team comes down to serve with you. I guess you end up giving a little bit of yourself away each time and it hurts when they have to leave. When their bus passed by the entrance of the campground upon their leaving Jordan and I waved as they drove off to the airport. When they were out of sight Jordan walked back to a picnic table on the white house patio, placed his arm on the table and his head down on his arm and bawled. I tried to explain to him that there will be many more people that we have to say good-bye too over the next couple of months.

This is the hardest thing about being a missionary! To everyone who came down from Palm Beach, we love you and we truly do miss you!

Prayers Answered!

The teams arrived safely at the airport...Always an answer to prayer! Team A made their way on to the other places that they are ministering to before they meet up with Team B, which has been staying at the camp, in Los Chilies. When they combine at Los Chilies they are a team of 38; I think I should have clarified that better in my last post. Team B is comprised of 23 Palm Beach University students. They are a great bunch and we have thoroughly enjoyed the past couple of days with them. To the Mom's & Dad's of those kids who might be reading this; as I told them all last night, "Ya' done good"! They left this morning for Los Chilies. Team B returns to us on Sunday night with a day of sightseeing scheduled for Monday and then an all-day clinic at the campground scheduled for Tuesday. They leave for the airport on Wednesday at 1 p.m. There is a young lady on this team who went to Campbell University and their Director is from Henderson, N.C. We've had a fun time talking to them about "home" in N.C. I tried to keep off the subject of food; like Bojangles! What I wouldn't give for a biscuit and a chicken leg! :)

God answered another huge prayer on behalf of David & Katherine and Ken on Tuesday. The team was held up in customs over medication and after explaining why so much medication was coming into the country the woman said, "it's all well and good what you are trying to do, but today you won't be taking the medications through" and she walked back into the office, and left David & Katherine and Ken at the counter. The three of them began to pray over the medicine and for the people who needed it. The woman came back a few minutes later, looked at them and said, "I never saw you here, now go"! They turned, motioned to the team to get the bags and passed through customs with the medicine! I cannot wait for them to get back. I believe that God has big things planned for this outreach and for this specific team! I believe that they will be meeting physical, but also spiritual needs these next two days. I also know that Satan is against what they are trying to do. Please continue to pray for both teams!

I'd never make it as a super hero, Nathan (hanging head). Today, I unplugged the phone and took a nap! (Well, for that matter, so did Kyle & Jordan)!

Los Chilies

Ken, Katherine & David are at the airport this afternoon. They are picking up the short-term missions team, 38 members strong coming in today. Please continue to keep this team in your prayers over this next week. They will be leaving the camp on Thursday morning after breakfast for a 7 to 8 hour vehicle ride to Los Chilies. Los Chilies is located at the northern border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. There, they will be ministering through three days of medical clinics. They say it can be 110 degrees there and the conditions are deplorable as the people group is mostly Nicaraguan refugees. Ken and Heather will be making this trip together and they will return on Sunday evening. I will stay at home down the road from the camp with the boys since while this group is gone we will have a Costa Rican church renting the campground for the day on Saturday. We have had the campground rented out the last three weekends for Saturday rentals and when this team leaves next week, we will have a group of 70 renting the campground for the weekend! We have spent this past weekend also preparing for this large group by actually having to disassemble bunk beds and then set them up in other cabins, doing laundry (towels, washcloths, etc.) We are all kind of a bit tired, but we are really enjoying working together!

Please pray for safety for the team as they travel, for the boys and I as we stay home and manage the campground, and especially for the people that they will be ministering too. Pray now as the team prepares to bring medicine and the gospel to those who are hurting physically and spiritually.

To Hickory Grove: We miss you, more than words can express!

Picture

I thought you might enjoying seeing this picture! This was the little "visitor" to our laundry room during our second week here. Wow...that "zoom" button on our digital camera is an ingenious little feature since I was taking this from my neighbor's yard! I'm just kiddin'! You have to keep your sense of humor down here or else you will be miserable. Today, I have been looking through 82 emails. We finally got the telephone company to report to the house above the camp and restore the phone service and the internet line! I have not been able to check email for three days now! It's just part of that "learning to be flexible" thing! We are doing well, though Heather has been sick the last two days, throwing up all night the first night, but thankfully feeling better today, but continues to have stomach pain that is concerning us. She may have gotten some bad water, though we don't drink from the tap, and we may have to treat her for a parasite if the stomach pains continue over the next couple of days. I know she would appreciate you remembering her in prayer as she is a little bit uncomfortable. Thank you Chris for posting comments on here and Nathan. It's really nice to have something to read from home and from Nicaragua!

While the cat's away...

the mice will play! The interim missionaries, Bruce & Katie Kneigge have taken our children to see the ocean and should be home this afternoon. Ken and I were invited to go along also, but felt that we had too much to do here at the camp. We have a very busy month coming up in May with nationals renting the campground and also a medical short-term team. We have some cleaning that we would like to do and some organizing! They were nice enough to leave us the keys to their home so that we could use their internet line and also make phone calls home. Yesterday, we held a dinner after church in honor of the Kneigge's and the Lessley's (the Lessley's are retired and have been here for five-months overseeing and working on construction projects at the camp) and we presented them with handmade plaques by a Costa Rican artisian as a memorial to their service here. Pastor Jose knew how to get them and where.

We held another staff meeting over the weekend with David & Kathryn, our better halves, and they are missionary candidates now with Global trying to raise their support to be part of our team here at El Jardin Sagrado. They are bilingual and they handle all of the reservations for the camp. Kathryn helped us get around San Jose and get our driver's licenses last week! David & Kathryn will be moving down from San Jose to Orosi and will be living up the road from us. Kathryn is determined to teach me Spanish and called this morning rambling on and on in Spanish. I shocked her when I responded back en espanol! Right now, they come down on the weekends and I always cook Saturday dinner for them at our house. Kathryn always feels bad that they didn't bring anything, but I tell her, "you are our Tico family" and it blesses me particularly to be able to cook a big meal for them. I tell her it feels more like home when they are here and can eat a meal with us like a big family! They have a four-month-old daughter, Aliyana and Heather enjoys giving Kathryn a break and taking care of her. She's a cutie!

Heather & Kyle are enjoying their Youth Group here in Costa Rica. There are a couple of kids who speak English and so our phone, just like in the States, is now being taken over by Heather. That's a wonderful thing! We are happy that she and Kyle are making new friends!

Saturday night a bilingual group of 8 meets at the church. Lately, with some of the groups that are making reservations there has been a conflict with this group meeting in the church building. We found out from the Lessley's who have been helping this group, at least with the English side of things, that this is a very important class to have. Two of the attendees are Youth Group members because to continue their education they have to pass an English exam. The leader of the group is a Tico who is bilingual. Rather than have them not be able to meet, we offered to allow them to meet in front of our house as we have a large patio that is enclosed. We are sitting in on the class trying to pick up some Spanish, but we also help the leader, should he have questions regarding English meaning. More importantly, we are trying to build relationships and hope that this may allow us to share Jesus with someone from this group as not everyone who comes attends the church. Please continue to pray for this group and this ministry.

Dios te Bendiga!

Patience is a virtue...so is flexibility!

Alrighty then! God is still molding the Dundon Family...that's a good thing! We are slowly, and I do mean slowly, getting things done. Today, we made the heroing track up to San Jose to get our driver's license. I commented to Ken that I felt like I was in a James Bond movie with motorcycles driving in between vehicles and playing "chicken" in oncoming traffic. We now have our driver's licenses, not that I plan on using mine a whole lot, God willing! We have a phone line in our house for in-country calls only. So no one feels bad, we have spoken to Danielle once the last three weeks that we have been here! We have the internet ordered for the house, but that could take three months and we still have no P.O. Box to receive mail. This is really only frustrating us because we feel totally cut off from family and friends. While we are not homesick and do not miss our house in N.C. we miss communication! Well, my time is now up in the Internet Cafe. Ken is here to pick me up after getting gas and weed whacker line for Cokie, the camp's maintenance employee and he also wears the hat of "iguana remover, frog remover and some unidentified lizard remover" from the Dundon laundry room the past two days! We are being stretched and we are having a good time laughing at ourselves!!! :)

Hola

Thank you to all of you who prayed for our family! First, we did arrive in Costa Rica safely and we did get our luggage! For those who had not heard, we arrived with all 10 of our bags missing! They were delivered to the camp by Delta Airlines for us since we are about an hour from the airport on Tuesday late afternoon. We are working on setting up our home. Ken and I had to switch our bedroom around to another bedroom in the house. We just could not get any sleep with the neighborhood dogs and neighbors chickens crowing all night. Seems they are confused. I always thought roosters were quiet at nighttime...not here! We are learning to be more flexible! No cold water to wash dishes is hard for me since the "dishes weren't clean until your hands were red" where I come from! I have devised a routine of drawing hot water from the shower to wash my dishes and this makes me very happy and content in my cleaning! Kyle does not like the peanut butter here and much to our surprise we cannot find Grape jelly or jam! I was shopping yesterday and have yet to figure out if we can buy spaghetti sauce as we know it in the States. I see a lot of tomato products, but none that look like spaghetti sauce. The kids are doing fine, swimming everyday and playing soccer at the camp. I have not seen any "killer" bugs here yet, just simple ants and small spiders. So, seems like it will be okay for you skeptical visitors to come down! Well, since we have no phone line yet, I am typing this from the internet cafe in the town of Orosi. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you, family, church family, supporters, friends. We miss you, but we want you to know that we are blessed to be here. It truly is a beautiful country filled with precious people. That's all for now!

Two ties uniquely bound

"Sever the ties, except the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart" and "Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love...." How amazing that this poem that I spoke about yesterday with a challenge and this favorite hymn are uniquely bound directly to Him, to His love and what He has done for us. Our family is just an ordinary family. There really is not anything that makes us different or allows us to stand out from anyone else. God has allowed a way for us all to serve Him in the capacity that we are endeavoring to serve Him as missionaries. It often requires us in an act of obedience to step out of our comfort zones and totally depend on Him. I wish that we could say that we don't struggle with that, but we do because of who we are in the flesh. For me, I have to die to myself daily, sometimes hourly! They say that out of 75% of people who call themselves Christians, only 9% have a world view. I am thankful that Jesus gave it all at the cross. He didn't just give 9%. What's your world view and where is He beckoning you to share about Him? Across the hallway in your office or two cubicles down? On the 2nd and 3rd grade wing when your classroom is on the 5th grade wing? Only you know. But He knows too! I promise you, the God that saved you will be the God that equips you for the task that He has asked you in His Name to do!

"Blest be the tie that binds" our hearts to this church and to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Packing, eating and letting go!

It's been a very busy week of dinner get togethers with church family, friends and celebrating Danielle's 18th birthday, packing, and unpacking, and uh, packing (too much weight in our bags!) Today, I cried though, out of sadness. A family friend thankfully took our dog, Cassie Layne, and it was hard. I know that she is in a good home and will be loved on like we had loved on her and even then some! She's an ole' black lab, 11 years old. She was My Girl and I will miss her! Funny how we humans get attached to our pets! Well, I have to say, I feel like I am just about ready for my Costa Rican diet. I've enjoyed way too much good food the last couple of weeks! I am looking forward to shedding some pounds.

Happy Easter

May we never forget!

Some good-bye fun!!!

Last night we were invited to Elizabeth & Robert's house for dinner. Shortly after we got there Jessica & Jason arrived too. It was a lot of fun to get to know the "J" Family a little bit better. Altogether there were 10 kids, at least 5 of which were on the couch with Heather or in her lap. She had a great time! I have never eaten better hot dogs and cheeseburgers. We sold our grill in a garage sale in November, way before Thanksgiving. It was amazing to me how good something cooked on the grill tastes when you have not had one for four months. A simple pleasure taken for granted. I suspect that in the coming weeks and months there will be many other things that we realize we have taken for granted when we no longer have them available to us. So, to Elizabeth & Robert and to Jessica & Jason...thanks for the tears... from laughing so hard! We were blessed, but "ya'll ain't right"!

Opposites!

Tomorrow is the last day of school before spring break starts, but for Heather, Kyle and Jordan it is their last day of school in the U.S. I was talking with Heather last night and she expressed concern that she would get to say good-bye to all of her friends. I guess, for some, tomorrow is an early dismissal seeing as though it is prom night. So, today and tomorrow, she will be trying to make sure she gets to speak with all of her friends. Kyle and Jordan on the other hand, well, they just keep breaking into their brotherly rendition of, "Schools Out For the Summer" - not quite I remind them...just until we get settled in Costa Rica!

Hanging in there!

Thank you to those who have thought about us today and called or sent an email! It really blessed our day as Ken and I worked on getting loose ends tied up just to know that you were thinking about us and praying for us!

The Struggle...saying good-bye

We got a phone call at the beginning of this week inviting us to a dinner party in our honor hosted by two of our neighbors and one of our supporters. The dinner is tonight. Last night we got a reminder phone call. Could it be that they have mental telepathy and knew our thoughts over the last couple of days? It would almost seem easier not to show up than to have to endure the pain of having to say good-bye. I shared that with our Pastor on Wednesday night as he discussed our final Sunday here; I wish there was a way out of attending that last service. It is gut wrenching! But then of course, God stepped in and the very next day as I was roaming around on Missionary-Blogs I came across this missionary prayer by David Livingstone on a blog (ugh...I forgot to write down whose blog I read it on): "Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties, but the tie that binds me to your service and to your heart". Enough said!

Happy Birthday Ali...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...I met Ali. It was her first day in the Christian school I had been attending for two years. We ended up sitting next to each other in homeroom. She looked overwhelmed that first day. I said, "hi" to her. She mustered up a half-smile and said "hi" back. I thought she was really shy (little did I know). The rest is a long history of high school together, proms, guys, then marriage and kids. And does she have kids! 10!!! I just saw her a few weeks ago when we traveled up North. Ken & I had dinner with her and her husband, Steve. We laughed, all four of us, like old times when we used to live closer. Distance has not changed our friendship, though. We still fought over paying the bill! Somehow in our families moving around we have always found each other through family members. I called her this morning to sing Happy Birthday to her, but she wouldn't have it! Probably because she knows I would sing off-key! So Ali, since I know you read this blog faithfully every single day, "Happy Birthday" and a reminder, from Proverbs 18:24, "Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers". I love you and I thank God for our 28 years of friendship! Thank you for making my life rich! You are...the best!!!

21 days and...

...and I dunno. Seems like we've waited so long to go and now the days are passing really, really fast! Things are getting checked off "the list", but it seems like new things mysteriously appear in the middle of the night because when I wake up the list still looks long! This week Danielle is on spring break from her college classes and the poor kid has no idea all that I have planned to get accomplished with her. She will be "drug" (said in my best Southern drawl) all over the county helping to get things set up for her independence. Three more weeks. It hardly seems possible...

30 days and...prayer requests

Jordan has the flu. Ugh! People are curious as to how you prepare for leaving the country. Well, since we've been traveling, we are behind. Things that we will be doing this week include, but are not limited to, filing our taxes, composing an up-to-date newsletter for our supporters, looking for more luggage (we can take 2 bags per person) which amounts to 10 suitcases. I think we have 4. Heather has an eye exam this week and we will at least try to get her contact prescription filled for this whole next year, plus get a spare pair of glasses. Set up a bank account for Danielle since we are still financially responsible for her. Update addresses, name changes on our support list to send back in to Global and send out a letter through them. So yes, there is much to do. Please keep us in your prayers! We really don't need to get sick. Pray that we can get things checked off our list every day! Our house is still on the market, but we trust God in all of that. Just pray that we will remain in His perfect peace!!!