New Videos!!

We just made a new tab for videos of the work here!!  There are 4 new ones!!  Check them out and enjoy!!

 

Where has the time gone?

Wow!  It is August 8, 2009!  We have been in Costa Rica for one year today!!   That is so hard to believe.  We have one more week of language school before we graduate and we are spending the weekend with Enon Baptist on Irazu!  It seems that we have a mountain of things to do, accomplish, wrap up, find, buy, organize……before we return to the States on August 25th to raise our support for our second year on the mission field!  We have had such an amazing year.

When we arrived, I could not speak a lick of Spanish.  Now, my teacher has tested me and I received an “Advanced Low” in my ability to speak/fluency.  And that was one level higher than I initially thought I would receive, but hoped I would receive.  Jacob and I both can carry on conversations, listen and understand sermons and fully function here with our Spanish.  It was a lot of hard work and it has paid off.  Even today, I was able to translate for Pastor Scott and his wife Robin while the father of the orphanage we were visiting was explaining in Spanish the origins of their ministry.  It was such a big moment for me!!

This past week, Lizzie turned 6!  Benjamin will turn 8 tomorrow, and Sophia will be 4 on the 22nd!  It seems like they have grown tremendously since we have been here and it is so much fun to hear them use their Spanish.  Although I must say, they do not like to use it with Jacob and I (English only with us), but they use it with other children that they know only speak Spanish!!  They played with the children at the orphanage today and had no problem communicating with them!!

We are certainly looking forward to our next steps on the mission field!  Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue to seek and follow God’s direction in our lives.  Our goal is solely to serve Him and bring Him all the praise, glory and honor.

Here are some pictures that I have been slack about posting.  They are random times and photos….

Some of the girls and I at the goodbye party for Dawn and Tully!

Benja and his buddy Gabe!

Jacob and his friend Anthony!

Kite flying in a local park!

A rare treat of going to Burger King with the kids after kite flying!

A beautiful sunset off our front porch!

 

Photos from Before and After the Costa Rican Earthquake

Here are some pictures of the La Paz Waterfall and Poas Volcano area before and after the earthquake on last Thursday.  I know that at least 10 people were killed in this area.  Please pray for the people affected by this earthquake.

 

Roblealto Orphanage Christmas Party

A couple of weeks ago ILE hosted a Christmas Party for the children from Robleatlto.  Roblealto is an awesome Christian organization here in Costa Rica that was started by missionaries around 70 years ago.  Some of the children are orphans, but some have been taken from their families by the government.  And others send their children there and pay what they can because they are not able to care for their children.  It is located in Costa Rica near a very, very poor area.  The living conditions are really hard there.  But Roblealto offers them hope and light and help.  They teach them from the Bible and use the Bible as a guideline for living.  The children often take what is taught to them back to their families.  Thousands of people have been transformed by Christ with the work of this ministry.  Praise the Lord.

Well ILE does a Christmas party for children every year.  It is sponsored by us students.  Part of our student fees help support this party.  We make the games and buy the presents and have the priveledge of enjoying the kids for the time when they are on our campus.  Well, I got the priveledge of helping out this year.  It was such a sweet blessing to me.  The children ranged from babies to 15 or 16 years old.  They were so sweet and I think that playing with them probably meant more to me than it did to them!!  I had a blast, they seemed to too.  Here are some pictures….

Some of the children from Roblealto

Bowling!!

Ash joining in on musical chairs!

Calling all future quarterbacks!!

The only way to make soccer a challenge in Costa Rica is to blindfold the children!

Ball toss!!

Pin the star on the tree! Peeking maybe??!!

Danny teaching them about sin with a magic trick

Face painting!

Listening carefully to Julie tell the true Christmas story!

Me, Cathy and DarLynne!

Me, DarLynne and her daughter Calla