No Internet

Hi everyone.  It is Wednesday about 9:16pm Costa Rica time and we have just gotten the Internet restored to our house.  I am sorry for notblogging in quite sometime.  I have lots to share, but it will take time to catch back up.  For those of you that have been trying to call our South Carolina phone number and have not gotten a response, it is because you are actually calling our computer here in Costa Rica and without the Internet, it does not work.  Please know that we have truly missed the contact with our friends and family and welcome your call.  We are all doing well and have been quite busy with school.  My parents were in town for 11 days and we had a great time with them.  I will fill you all in as soon as I can.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers and our language acquisition.

 

Celebrate the Children

A few weeks ago in Costa Rica they had a day that they celebrate the children.  Just like in the United States where we have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, here they have the same and one for children.  So at school a couple of weeks ago, they had a day that was pretty much just for celebrating the children from Kindergarten on down.  They had pizza and ice cream and candy at school, which was provided by the school and the kids got to have fun most of the day.

This was a big day at our church in Cot as well.  They had an extra long Sunday School service for the kids.  The Sunday school teacher and some older children dressed up clowns do a play for the kids.  It was about a clown that was trying to get to heaven.  The clown tried all kinds of funny things to try to fly to heaven.  He learned that the only way to heaven was to ask Jesus to clean your heart and accept Him as your Saviour.  He had to learn that it was by grace that he could go to heaven and not by his works and good efforts.  He went from having a black heart to a nice clean white heart.  The kids loved it.  And afterwards the kids got hot-dogs for lunch and cake!  It was quite a surprise for us.  We did not realize that the celebrations were such a big deal.  It was a lot of fun.  At the end of the worship service Francisco called all of the kids to the front of the church and each of the kids got a package of toys.  The girls got plastic bracelets and jewelry and the boys got toy trucks and bubbles!  It was such a neat day.  The kids had such a great time.  The small gifts were so special to them.  It reminded me of these words of Christ in Matthew 7:11“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! ”  God is so good, all the time.  Times are tough and confusing for some right now.  However, the Lord is still there and still giving us all more than we deserve in His continual grace.  We must not loose sight that the Lord is always the same and is always doing what is best for His glory.  He celebrates and rejoices in His children when they turn to Him and rely on Him for their needs, when they reflect His light and fruit of His Spirit.

Here are some pictures from the day that we celebrated our kids at church in Cot…

The clown play

The clown trying to get to heaven on his own efforts

The clown’s forgiven, clean heart

The kids watching the clowns

Beautiful Tico Tot!

The kids with their toys

 

Playing in the Rain

We are in the rainy season here in Costa Rica and the kids are just loving it.  When the clouds start to gather, the kids run and get their bathing suits on and wait on the rain to arrive.  It is funny because it does not just drizzle here.  It pours!!!  Costa Ricans believe that if you play in the rain and get all cold and wet then you get sick.  So we get lots of looks like we are being bad parents.  It is worth it though because the kids just love it.  Here are pictures of Lizzie in the rain and one of me and Sophia enjoying watching Lizzie play!

Lizzie playing in an everyday down pour in Costa Rica

Lizzie playing in the rain

Sophia and me staying nice and dry, watching Lizzie