Settling In

We have been hard at work getting our things settled into the new house.  I cannot wait to be finished with getting things organized, but we are loving the house!  God has been so good to provide us with such a wonderful place.  If you remember, last summer we turned down a house that we thought would be perfect for our ministry, but at the last moment neither Jacob nor I was comfortable with signing the lease.  Well, before Jacob returned to Costa Rica in March, we sat down with Dr. Gilkeson and asked him what types of things should we look for in our new house.  He suggested that we try to find a place with lots of fresh air flow, away from traffic fumes and things found in city life.  He also suggested that I just follow what we would suggest tourists follow with eating and drinking.  Well, the Lord has provided us a house that has been used as a retreat center in the past.  It has enough room for our family and a team of about 12 people.  It even has 5 showers!!  It also has a 10 foot long picnic table in this all glass room for teams to eat around!!  The house seems to be just what the doctor ordered!!  🙂  We are working hard to get everything in its place and it is going well, just a long process.

I am resting quite frequently because I continue to be a little sore, but I believe it is because I am probably trying to do too much.   Please continue to pray for my health.  Again, it is a bit more difficult than I imagined to eat here as a diabetic, but little by little, I am making it work.

My mom has been a big help.  She and Jacob have tackled many projects around the house.  Jacob, my mom and Francisco spent one day cleaning the house along with 2 other ladies.  On a funny note, Francisco asked Jacob if my mom was like Pharoah and a slave driver.  He and my mom had so much fun together.  I can only imagine because I was not there, but mom said that he was able to talk a lot to her in English and that they had a good time together and that Francisco worked really hard to help us out.  I have not gotten to see him yet, but I have talked to him on the phone.  He is so happy that I am back.  I think he just wants to give us time as a family together before he comes over.  I am ready to help him deal with his diabetes and help him see what he can and cannot eat and the importance of really staying on top of his diabetes.  I do feel that he is one reason why I have been given this diabetes at this point in my life.  I am going to use it to help him with his.

We do not have Internet at the house.  We are working on figuring that out.  I am hoping to post pictures when I can so that you all can see what we are seeing and doing.  We love you all!!

 

We’re Back!!

We arrived safely in Costa Rica!!  Everyone’s prayers have been wonderfully answered, in that our arrival and flight went super smoothly!!!  The guy at immigration did not even question whether or not I had a ticket out of the country!!!  Jacob and the kids were waiting on us right as we were coming out of the airport.  The security guy had to hold Sophia back from running to us inside the airport!!  It was such a sweet moment!!  One thing I have noticed is that it is going to be pretty difficult to eat as a diabetic.  I have now gone to the grocery store and hopefully will be able to make it work.  Any suggestions will be appreciated!!!  We have been up to the new house!!  It is going to be fabulous!!  It just needs a good cleaning!! 

Please pray for me as I transition back into this environment.  The flight was pretty rough on my legs with all of the sitting.  We went back to the house and I laid down and rested immediately!!  I am still pretty sore today in my legs, but I am getting ready to go back to the house, get something to eat, and lay down.  I am so excited to be back!!

Love you all!!  We will keep you posted with the latest!!!

 

Flying out tomorrow!!!

Hi guys!!!

I just want to ask you all to pray for me as I enter Costa Rica tomorrow!!  I am flying in on a one way ticket, which they do not like.  Costa Rica law requires that I have a ticket out of the country in order to enter the country.  In the past, they have never pushed this.  However, in March when Jacob and the kids went back, they were forced to buy tickets out!  So please pray for that specifically.  Also, please pray for our safety and that we can get everything packed that we need to get packed.  Jacob is our packer and so this is the first time I am doing this.  🙂  I can do it!!!!  This has been such a unique and glorious time in our lives.  I pray that I was able to and continue to be able to shine for Christ through these diseases!!  I will be in touch when I can!!!

Siempre esperando en El,
Always hoping, waiting, expecting in Him,
Court

 

Cleared for blast off!

Well, for the last month or so, each appointment with Dr. Gilkeson has been around what he termed “blast off!”  Unfortunately, we kept thinking it was nearer than it was and things just kept happening to push it back little by little.  Well, last week, when I thought I was going to hear that I was cleared for blast off, I showed up to the appointment in pain and we had to postpone the decision.  So I had blood work on Monday to determine how things might go from here and we discovered that the prednisone had caused me to develop diabetes.  After getting over the shock Monday night that I was now facing another issue along with a great explanation by Dr. Gilkeson, I was back to fighting mode and ready to do battle with now – dermatomyositis, interstitial lung disease, prednisone in general and now diabetes.  Long list, but you know what, I feel so blessed that we now know what I am up against.  And we are well on our way in our battle against these diseases!  Dr. Gilkeson’s ability to keep me and all of my problems straight seems to me to be a miracle and points to the fact that God has blessed me with the most awesome doctor who is just an amazing asset to MUSC, the immunology community, his community, the body of Christ and to me!  🙂  I thank you Dr. Gilkeson from the bottom of my heart.  You have made this process go as smoothly as it could possibly go under these circumstances and you have put up with innumerable e-mails and questions from me.  You truly are amazing!

Well, I guess I should get back to the point of this blog…..Dr. Gilkeson has officially cleared me for blast off and handed me my papers to book my flight back to my Jacob and my babies and my Ticos!!  Ok, so they aren’t my Ticos, but I love them like they are my Ticos!  🙂  So we are rejoicing today!!  I am hoping to return on Wed. but I still need to book the flight!  Please pray that they can work me and my mom onto a flight next week, hopefully Wed.  Love to all!!  Rejoicing with you all!!  And appreciate all of your prayers!!  This battle is not over, in fact it has probably just begun, but we are now able to move on with this new normal for our family, as a family, together in Costa Rica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Here are  great songs to worship and celebrate with!!

 

Reflections and thoughts

As the anniversary of our commissioning service has just passed, it got me thinking about this journey that our family is on!  It excites me to see where and how the Lord has taken us through more than we could have ever imagined possible and we are praising Him for that.  Back in early 2007, Jacob and I submitted to the Lord that we would move where ever He wanted us to go to be a witness for Him.  At the time, we were assuming we would move somewhere else in the US.  After much prayer, in August 2007 a team from our home church (including Jacob) went to work in a small village called Cot on the side of the Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica.  As Jacob was gone, God was moving in my heart that Jacob was going to come home and say that we were to move to Costa Rica.  And at the same time He was moving in Jacob’s heart as well.  Even other team members from that trip said they could almost watch God move Jacob on that trip, not even knowing at that time that we were called to move there.  Once Jacob returned to SC, things just started moving at a whirlwind pace as our house sold with out even putting a sign in our yard and we began to sell our things and then before we knew it we had moved to Costa Rica and then the first year was gone and we had, by God’s grace alone, learned Spanish, we came back to the States to share with everyone, then moved back to Costa Rica and here we are now.  WOW!!  What a whirlwind 🙂

I say all of that to say that things have happened over these past years that had you told us we would go through or face we would have said, “No way!  I would never be able to make it through that!”  And yet God has been faithful to us and has showed us His strength, peace and faithfulness through it all.  He has guided us and provided for us in such a manner that it is just exciting to watch!  I know that you all realize that I am writing this from Charleston, SC while Jacob and my babies are in Costa Rica, and that alone has been such a journey demonstrating God’s grace and faithfulness to our family – and it may seem weird (weird is a word that many have used to describe me anyway 🙂  but aren’t we all weird when it comes to Christians living in this world?) but I am thankful for this disease because it has given our family a unique opportunity to draw close to our Father and rely on Him and experience Him in a way that otherwise would not be possible.

I am taken back to one of the most special days for our family and that was our commissioning service back in May of 2008 – please go back to read about it in our archives for May of 2008 (Special weekend or something like that) if you have not read about that weekend.  My favorite part was that our praise team allowed me to pick out the music for the service.  I picked Mighty to Save and My Desire by Jeremy Campy.  That song “My Desire” sums up still our hearts.  I will place a link here so you can listen to it on YouTube but I also invite you to read the words.  We are committed to being used by God however, where ever He sees fit.  Thank you all for praying for us, following us and standing by us on this wonderful journey that our God has us on!  We are all working hard for our family to be reunited in Costa Rica and serving/loving on the Ticos.  We are standing in awe of our Lord and thankful for His constant guidance, love, by our side, comfort, peace…..

Here are the Words….. “My Desire”  Jeremy Camp

You want to be real, you want to be empty inside
You want to be someone laying down your pride
You want to be someone someday
Then lay it all down before the king

You want to be whole, you want to have purpose inside
You want to have virtue and purify your mind

You want to be set free today
Then lay it all down before the King

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire to be used by You

You want to be real, you want to be emptied inside
And I know my heart is to feel You near
And I know my life
It’s to do Your will
It’s to do Your will

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire, to be used by You
Oo yea
This is my desire, this is my desire
To be used by You

All my life I have seen
Where You’ve taken me
Beyond all I have hoped
And there’s more left unseen

There’s not much I can do to repay all You’ve done
So I give my hands to use

This is my desire, this is my return
This is my desire, to be used by You
Oo yea
This is my desire, this is my desire
To be used by You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiQaRn0k88w

 

Update 5/7/10

Ok.  So today I am feeling a bit better than yesterday.  My muscles are sore, but not the gripping pain from yesterday.  The plan is that I am going to go back up to 20mg of prednisone and stay at 175 of Imuran.  I am going to have blood work on Monday and then see Dr. Gilkeson on next Friday!!!  Then we will be able to make a decision.  I miss Jacob and the kids, but everyone is taking this in stride.  God is continuing to be true to His promises and His character.  He has given us the grace that we need in this moment and we are still praising Him for His perfect timing and care.  He has given me a wonderful doctor in Dr. Gilkeson and he is on top of everything.  We are all working together to get me back with the family and serving the Ticos!!   This is a unique time for our family and I am praising God for the opportunities He has given us to praise Him and shine for Him and experience Him during all of these trials.  I have no room for complaints.  All praises to Him!  Please continue to pray for us.  Love to all, Court

 

Update 5/5/10

So, this update is not what I thought it would be.  However, it is not a surprise to our Lord and Great Physician.  I woke up last night around 2:30am to find myself unexpectedly in pain.  I immediately began to pray that I would feel better when I woke up in the morning.  When my alarm went off at 6:30am, the pain was not any better.  So we went to have my blood work done and then on to my appointment with Dr. Gilkeson.  Being that I was still kind of in shock about the pain, I must admit that I did not have the best attitude while I was in his office.  However, I have since apologized.  As I have prayed about my feelings surrounding all of this, I have found peace and comfort in our Lord and Savior who endured my more pain that I am, not to mention Jesus was separated from the Father for about the same amount of time that I have been alive.  So delaying a decision on my return has been put in perspective.  I am praising the Lord that this happened now and not once I got back to CR so that we can fix it.  My cpk is pretty much exactly what it was 2 weeks ago.  So my pain is not following what the norm is for the disease.  My white blood cells (immune system) are a good bit higher than 2 weeks ago.  So we are going to remain at 10mg of Prednisone and go up to 175 of Imuran.  I am going to fill Dr. Gilkeson in on how I am feeling on Friday and we will make a decision then about my return to Costa Rica.

Please pray for me, Jacob and the kids.  I have not been able to speak with them yet today, but I wanted to ask you all to pray.

I will fill everyone in again on Friday after I speak with Dr. Gilkeson!

Thanks,  Court

 

Sticky Jesus

Ok.  So a couple of months ago as I was going through cancer screening, I wrote a poem.  I began writing it on receipts that I had in my pocketbook while I was in the waiting room waiting to have an ultra sound done.  I then continued to write it as I was in different exam rooms as I waited.  One nurse asked what I was doing and I told her and she supplied me with a pad to write on.  I have not written a poem since I was in 10th grade and was forced to do it in English class.  I have held on to it, not knowing what to do with it and I have now decided that I will at least put it on my blog to share with whoever wants to read it.  So here it is.  Let me know what you think 🙂

Sticky Jesus

When life gets sticky, things are hard and you’re blue

You’re wondering where to turn and you don’t know what to do

You could turn to the ways of the world that lead to alcohol, drugs, bitterness and depression

It’s only a downward spiral and a hard life lesson

But there is another way where your burden is easy and light

Your load is much softer and your Guide is the Way, the Truth and the Life

He will stick by your side through thick and through thin

He will stick Himself in the hard places so you don’t have to go in

When you invite Him in, He abides in your heart

He will stick to your soul and never depart

And when life gets sticky He can be like a Lion roaring

But He will carry you through, sometimes you may even feel like you are soaring

All you have to do is admit that you can’t make it on your own

Admit that you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness and ask Him to make your heart His home

You say, “It seems too easy.  How can this be?”

Jesus says, “I have paid the price my child.  Come unto me.”

You ask, “What did He do?  What price did He pay?”

I will tell you right now, nothing would give me more pleasure to say

He stepped down from Heaven to live the perfect life on earth

He paid the price of the spotless Lamb of God to give us new birth

He stuck Himself to the cross pure, holy and true

To take away our sin, as only He could do

So when life gets sticky and too much for you to bare

Turn to sticky Jesus and He will always be right there

Proverbs 18:24 “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”

Isaiah 40:29-31 “²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”

John 1:29 “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Courtenay Folk 2010