The countdown is on!

9 more days until I'm back in the sweet south!

And even more exciting....3 days until my family flies into Costa Rica! It doesn't even seem like it should be time yet, but these last 2 weeks have flown by. 3 days until my family gets here also means I only have 3 more days left of teaching, and one of those days is Field Day with the elementary students! I have really enjoyed being with the high school students, even though I have experienced more attitude and unwillingness to participate than I did with the elementary students.

Along with the excitement of going home though, comes a sadness to leave this beautiful country and the people I have built relationships with here. The more goodbyes I have to say, the more sad I become that I am leaving. Last night I had to say goodbye to the women in my Bible study. I don't think they know how much of a blessing that time with them has been for me, or how much I've learned about Heaven and my Father through that study. I can confidently say that that study has changed my life forever. The knowledge I now have of Heaven has given me a stronger desire to share my love for Christ with others. I never realized how intricately planned the New Heaven and Earth was or how big of a part it plays in God's plan for us.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have opposing feelings about going back home. The part of me that still wants to stay in Costa Rica, is the part that has seen God in a new and more powerful way. Since being here, I have been stripped of some of the comforts of home. Granted I've had a beautiful home to live in, plenty of delicious food, a wonderful place to work at, but I haven't had my family, my boyfriend, my closest friends, my car, a TV with more than one English channel or my church (Side note: I am beyond thankful for modern technology that has allowed me to talk with loved ones all the way from CR). Without those comforts, I've been able to see God leading my steps and my words.

I've been able to trust Him to get me from point A to point B in HIS timing through taking public buses, taxis, or by walking. At home I have the ability to get in my car and drive anywhere that I please in whatever time I want (unless I hit Atlanta rush hour traffic which happens quite often). I've seen Him work through relationships I have made in Costa Rica, and He has taught me how to make them glorifying to Him. Through this trust I now have in Him, I have been able to see and recognize Him working in SO many situations, and because I now see Him, I can specifically thank Him daily for his provisions and how He works in my life. I'm afraid that when I get home, I will fall back into the comforts of home, and get back into my old routine that was lacking daily prayer and thankfulness and time spent in His Word. This is the biggest prayer request I have right now, that from day 1, I would continue to be grounded in Him and that he would continue to mold me and transform my mind, without getting caught up with life.

I can't wait to share more experiences from this trip with everyone in person. The prayers have been deeply felt, and I am humbly grateful for them. I believe this will be my last blog from Costa Rica, but hopefully I'll continue to use this blog to share with you all what is going on with my life and what God is doing in my heart.

PS. I saw a sloth cross the road....ha!

Love to you all, God bless, and Pura Vida

Can't get enough

Wow, I have now been in Costa Rica for 2 months, and I only have 3 weeks (and a day) until I fly back to the states! The time has flown by; I have enjoyed every second of it, and God has been pouring his love over me every day (more of that a little later). I started observing/teaching at the high school on February 27. I observed for 2 weeks, and this week I started teaching solo again. The unit is softball (not exactly my sport), but I am quickly growing in my own skills while I am teaching the students the same. The students are used to spending the majority of every class only playing the game (in whatever unit they are in), so I am trying to integrate some drills and exercises for them to practice their skills. With Costa Rica being a Latin American country, softball isn’t exactly the most popular sport around here. There isn’t a school baseball or softball team, so PE class is about the only time they have to play softball. That being said, there are some students who still do very well with it…even hit some balls over the fence for home runs, but many still don’t have a clue as to how to hold the bat or when they should run to the next base. This makes it more challenging to try and teach important skills, while not boring the ones who are more advanced. I am really enjoying my supervising teach, Glenda, just as much as I loved being with Harlet, even though the two have very different personalities. I am still coaching/practicing with the high school boy’s volleyball team. I love having the opportunity to coach a little more while being in CR, as well as play some too.

Two weekends ago, the 4 of us girls went to another beach in CR, Manuel Antonio. This is where I’ll be going with my family (in 16 short days!!). I only made it a day trip, so that I wouldn’t see too much of the area without them. It was beautiful though; like many other beaches here, mountain shoot up right around you, there are giant rocks leading out into the ocean, and overall the landscape just makes you feel like you never want to leave.

Last weekend, Jessica and I went to Poas, a nearby volcano. We went with a company that took us to Poas first, then a coffee plantation, and finally a woodwork shop where they make wood art, furniture, and jewelry. When we got to the National Park at Poas, it was extremely cloudy and probably the coldest weather I’ve experienced in CR (and yes I was wearing shorts and a light jacket, because that’s what the website said to bring). We walked for about 10 minutes to where the overlook into the crater is, and it was still cloudy and foggy to where we couldn’t see any of the acid lake in the crater. Our guide told us that 60% of the people that come to Poas don’t see the acid lake. The reason being that they don’t wait for the clouds to clear…they walk up, see a lot of clouds and no crater, then they walk back and leave. He suggested that we wait between 20-30 minutes to try and see it. Sure enough, after about 5-10 minutes, the clouds cleared for about 30 seconds, and we saw a perfectly clear view of the acid lake!!! Just enough time to marvel at it and take a few pictures. We waited another 10 minutes or so, but the clouds stayed thick the rest of the time. As I am typing this, I’m realizing that this is what a lot of people do with God sometimes…we don’t wait for Him. We set expectations for when we need something to happen, and if it doesn’t happen in our timeframe, we walk away from Him; sometimes for only a short time, but sometimes for an extended time. He will ALWAYS be there waiting for us, so why can’t we wait for Him? This is HIS world. We are living in HIS time frame. Slow down, and wait for HIS PERFECT timing, because when you do, you get to see and experience His marvelous wonders He has FOR YOU!!

To sum up the rest of our Saturday last weekend, after Poas we went to a coffee plantation where we saw the life of a coffee bean from start to finish. The plantation was beautiful, we saw another very cool butterfly garden, we ate a delicious lunch, and we sampled (too much) coffee. At the final woodwork shop, we went on a short and sweet tour of how they make their wood, how they polish it, and how they assemble pieces together to make jewelry, furniture, and art. Check out my Facebook pictures to see more from this trip.

Now to tell you some stories about how God has been loving me :D So two weekends ago (the weekend we went to Poas), I had heard that an a cappella group from Yale would be at church on Sunday, and they would be singing some gospel-Kirk Franklin type songs (which I love!). We also heard that that Sunday morning would be the annual ox cart festival held in Escazu. This is what Escazu is well known for, and the ox carts are one of the trademarks of Costa Rica. The other student teachers really wanted to go to the ox cart festival, and I really wanted to attend both events, but just wasn’t sure which one I should go to since they were at the same time. Now back to that Saturday on our way up to Poas…as we were approaching the overlook to the crater, we heard some music, and once we got up there, we saw that it was a group singing. A cappella. From Yale!! Yes, yes, yes, it was the a cappella group from Yale that was going to be at church the next morning! I was blown away, immediately I began thanking God for bringing me there at that moment to hear them sing, since I was unsure if I would get to hear them Sunday morning. I only heard them sing one song at Poas, but it was beautiful, both the singing and the fact that they were singing gospel at the top of a volcano crater. Yay God!! So if that wasn’t cool enough already…there is even more amazingness to this story! So Sunday morning, I decide to go with the girls to the festival. We left the house around 8:30, and we got to downtown Escazu around 9. I figured that if I saw everything I wanted to at the festival, I could just take a taxi by myself to church and make it to the service at 10:30. Easy enough, right? So we get there, see all of the elaborate and beautifully painted carts, massive oxen, crazy costumes, and beautiful dancers. And the parade hadn’t even started yet. As we are walking around and taking pictures, I run into a friend from CDS (the school I’m teaching at) who does Young Life with the high schoolers and is a substitute teacher there. We start talking and she says she lives right down the road from the festival, and she walked down to take a few pictures before going to church. Church? Church where the Yale a cappella group will be? Yes! So of course I ask if I would be able to ride with her to the service, she says yes, and once again I begin thanking God for working that whole weekend out so perfectly, and allowing me to have every opportunity I wanted. Too stinkin cool man! And let me tell you, that group sounded like angels in church on Sunday. They were so amazing, and it soothed my soul to sit and listen to them song after song.

I’ll leave you with that for now, even though I have more to share from the last few weeks. I’ll try to make another blog in the next few days though to spread it out a little. I really appreciate all of you who take the time to read these and who are praying for me while I’m in CR. It is extremely encouraging, and it helps me go through each day. Love you all and can’t wait to see everyone in 3 weeks!

Halfway there, living on a lot of prayers

I'm half way through my time here in Costa Rica! Friday was my last day working with the elementary students, and Monday I'll start with the 9th and 10th graders. I'll be with the high school for 5 weeks, then my amazing family comes to Costa Rica! My time here has gone by so fast. It's hard to believe that I've lived in a foreign country for a month and a half. I've become so accustomed to the way of living here, so I anticipate adjusting back to my life in the states will be a little challenging. I still haven't had any serious homesickness yet, but I think about friends and family everyday and miss them all so much.

So the swimming unit with the elementary students went really well. I thoroughly enjoyed being by the pool every day, and the students were all so excited to be swimming that it made my job easier to teach them a new stroke, breaststroke. We worked on breaststroke all 3 weeks. It was a new stroke for most of the students, so they needed a lot of repetition and practice to really learn it. Thankfully it was my favorite (and maybe even best) stroke from when I was on neighborhood and year-round swim teams, so it was fun for me to get to pass those skills on to the students. I talked to the high school PE teacher some on Friday and got the low down on what was going to happen the next 5 weeks. It got me really excited to start with them on Monday.

Now to fill you in on my trip to Panama! So the 5 of us left after school last Thursday (the 16th) for Bocas del Toro, Panama because the other 4 student teachers had to leave the country for 72 hours. You cannot be in Costa Rica for more than 90 days without a visa, and they are all going to be here longer than 90 days, so I jumped on board for the trip (wouldn't you?!). Bocas del Toro is a province comprised of the mainland and several large islands. Our hostel was on Bastimentos island. To give you a quick summary of the location (to not make you too jealous), there was clear water, cream colored sand, tropical fish, starfish, neon coral, delicious food, diverse culture, fire dancing, beautiful sunsets, warm and sunny weather, and sloths! We all had such an amazing experience, and if it wasn't such a pain to cross the border, we would probably go again. Speaking of crossing the border, to cross the border on the Caribbean side, you have to walk across a bridge. This bridge was just wide enough to fit an 18-wheeler, it was made out of rail ties and lose planks of wood, and it crossed over a wide river a looooooong ways down. Cool, right? Thankfully I'm not afraid of heights :) God really did keep us under his wing this trip though. We had no problems crossing the border, with the exception of buying an unnecessary $14 bus ticket. We had beautiful weather, no sicknesses, safe travels both ways, and we got to see even more of His beautiful creation.

Here's part 1 of our crossing

And part 2 (a little boring, but you see what I mean with the bridge...)

A few weeks ago Lauren, Erica and I joined a Bible study on Heaven. The study book we're using is by Randy Alcorn, and so far I'm really into it. We missed the meeting last Monday because we were still on our way back from Panama, so I'm a little behind on the days right now, but I'm starting to get a better idea of what Heaven will be like. To be completely honest, I have never really thought about what Heaven will look like. I've read many verses talking about it, but the only images in my head that I've had are streets made of gold, seeing loved one who have passed away, living with no pain or sickness, and most importantly just being with my Father and Jesus Christ. So from the book I've gathered that the two sides of what people picture Heaven as are that it is either a physical place or completely spiritual (where we don't have bodies and we're just spirits floating around). I believe it will be a physical place, and from the little reading in the book I've done so far, I'm starting to see it as a New Heaven and a New Earth. Now my thinking might be a little off, but basically I'm picturing Heaven as a perfect earth, where there are buildings, gardens, kingdoms, feasts, people, and where everything is living! And this is just the beginning. It looks like this book covers a lot from what Heaven will look like, what we will do, and getting deeper into redemption and Christ's resurrection.

Today Jessica, Kelly and I went on a hike up a mountain about 15 minutes away from our house. It was one of if not THE most challenging hikes I've done. On the way up though, there are 3 giant crosses you pass, each one different from the other. When we started our hike, it was cold, overcast, and very windy, which actually made the hike better than if it had been sunny and hot. At first we weren't exactly sure which trail/dirt road to follow, but once we made it to the first cross, we were straight :) This mountain overlooked Escazu, San Jose, and probably one or two other towns. It was so cool looking out over the cities we've been in for the last 6 weeks! It was so beautiful too because there were still other mountains and fields on the outskirts of the cities, buildings, and homes. On the way back down, the clouds cleared up, so we were able to see from even farther up. I think the pictures will explain it best...

This is the first cross, but the pic was taken on the way down when the sun was out :)

The second cross

The third cross

But anyways, like the title of this blog says, I'm living on a lot of prayers. I know that so many of you who are reading this have been praying for me while I've been here, and even before I left for CR. Let me tell you, they are strongly felt. I've felt God's love for me so much the last 6 weeks, and I know it is ONLY because of Him why this trip has been so amazing. He's opening my eyes even more to the hurting people of this world, and He's continuing to grow a desire in my heart to love on them no matter their background, attitude, values or beliefs. Thank you again for your prayers and support!! I can't wait to get back and tell everyone more about my time here.

Love to you all, God bless, and pura vida

"Normal" Life

I am almost half way through my fourth week of teaching, and let me tell you, the time has flown by! I am more than halfway through my time teaching the elementary students, and I am finishing my last 3 weeks with them in their swimming unit! Yesterday (Monday) was the first day of swimming. I have just been observing the students so I can see what level they are all at and to make notes of some students who will need more assistance than others. I am excited to begin teaching solo again tomorrow, but I am a bit nervous about the new “classroom” management techniques I’ll have to use in the pool. The students are so much more distracted being in the water than they are in the gym, so I know it will take a lot of patience, organization, and clear instruction. Even though I have not had as much experience teaching swimming as I have other physical activities, I feel comfortable teaching swimming because of a history of being on my neighborhood summer swim team for countless years, being certified as a lifeguard 3 years ago, and just loving swimming myself J. I am starting off with the breaststroke kick tomorrow (my favorite stroke!), so I think that will help ease me into this new setting. It has been very fun walking down the hall and hearing “hi Miss Meadows!” from many students, and I am gradually learning all of their names (there are about 250 students in the 2^nd-5^th grade).

This past Saturday, all four of us girls (Kelly stayed home to rest) went back to Jaco for the day. Once again it was an interesting bus experience for us (but no worries, nothing was stolen this trip…score!). We got our tickets for our bus trip to Jaco Saturday morning, but our baby-Spanish-comprehending ears didn’t catch the “de pie” part that the ticket-seller was telling us right before we bought them. If you are like us, and still lack some basic Spanish terminology, “de pie” means “standing.” So…we reluctantly were able to sit on the floor of the bus for the 2-hour trip to Jaco. Thankfully though we arrived safe and sound, and just a little carsick for some of us. But once again, the beach was absolutely beautiful! We went to one end of the cove where there were less people and less trash in the sand. We explored more around the rocks where waves were crashing in (check out my FB pics coming soon) and had a delicious lunch at The Taco Bar.

On Sunday, Erica, Lauren and I went to church again, and had a great time in the Sunday School class again and got to be in the service for the first time. After church, some people from our Sunday School class invited us to lunch. It was so nice meeting new people and having fellowship like that that we don’t get to experience as much while we’ve been here. Later that day, Kelly, Jessica and I went to the Multi Plaza (humongous mall) and went to Holligans to watch the Super Bowl...go Giants! Again, I don’t get a lot of chances to watch anything on TV, including sports, so that was a very fun time for all of us, and we appreciated getting to go out for the night. In case you didn’t see my FB status on Sunday, I realized just how Spanish-minded I’m becoming. I saw Jacobs on the back of a player’s jersey during the Super Bowl, and I promise you, in my mind I read it, ‘ha-kobes.’ Yea, I’ve only been here 3.5 weeks…can’t wait to see how I’ll be thinking in two more months!

I have been realizing more and more just how much God has had favor on me during this trip. I have been so protected, felt so secure, had no major sickness that has kept me from what I’ve needed to do, and I have felt so much peace and joy here. Now I don’t think I’ve ever been away from my family for more than 4 weeks, and I’ve only been gone 3.5 weeks, but I haven’t had any feelings of homesickness, and I know that that can only be because of God’s protection over my heart. (Side note: please be praying for me that I don’t have homesickness during this next week, as it will be the “1 month” mark on the 13^th) But seriously though, and not to brag, I just feel that my life is so blessed. Many things have fallen into place recently, and without sharing too much, I’ll just say that God has been changing my heart about possibilities for my future. Before I left for Costa Rica, I didn't really have any worries about anything regarding the trip. For example, I was suppose to have my federal background check (FBC) with me to take to CR, and as of 2 days before I left I still didn't have it. My attitude was something like, "it will be fine, if it comes in the mail by tomorrow then great, if not then I'm sure it will be ok and we'll get it worked out. My mom's attitude was something like, "why aren't you more worried about this?? What if you get there and they don't let you teach??" Well, my FBC came in the mail the day before I left...but to my Athens address, so I ended up driving all the way to Athens to pick it up less than 24 hours before I would be on my flight. Around this time is when my mom said that I have a "miracle life." I hardly ever stress or worry about things, and some how everything always works out on time (or eventually:) (Side note: I took the final exam for my online class the day before I left for CR too....the last class I needed to be able to start my student teaching and to graduate. no big deal)

In Sunday School, we went through Colossians 3:15-16…¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The bold words are the ones that we were meditating on in class. This is my desire: that God’s peace would just dominate my life, and that Scripture would live in me, where my life is an example of God’s Word. It’s a journey to get to that perfect point, but I’m completely confident that God is taking me down that path to reach that destination. I want my "miracle life" to be a "normal" life though. Meaning living minute by minute with God leading every decision, praying constantly, being at peace, and letting the word of Christ dwell in me richly, and doing all of that like it's second nature. Obviously I'm not there yet, but I know God can grow me into a woman of that nature.

sun, sunrise, rain, rainforest, glory to Him!

Wow, what a week! I began teaching solo all day on Thursday and Friday, I went white water rafting down the #5 river in the world (according to our raft guide), saw the sunrise, and experienced rain in the rainforest (go figure).

To start with the teaching part of my life...I am loving it! It has been much more fun to actually teach then to observe my teacher (as amazing as she is at her job). We are in our fitness unit, so I've been leading the students through some muscular strength and endurance-type exercises, along with different and fun tag games to build their cardiovascular endurance. My most challenging class is the 2nd grade. Friday afternoon was rough...I had two 2nd grade classes back to back, for my last 2 classes of the WEEK! And during those classes, there was a high school AND preschool PE class going on IN THE SAME GYM! (talk about a lot of noise) But thankfully I came out with my voice still intact. This week we are still in our fitness unit, but next week we start swimming, where I'll be gettin my tan on (don't worry mom I'll be wearing sunscreen) and spending all day, Monday-Friday, in the pool!! :)

Saturday morning we woke up before the crack of dawn to catch a van that would take us to Rio Pacuare for the best white water rafting trip on my life! We quickly made friends with our soon-to-be-raft-guide, Robertio (or Rob “because we can’t say Robertio”). Rob is a native of Costa Rica and learned English by watching Two and a Half Men (I’m sure you’re getting an idea of his type of humor J). We arrived at our destination around 3 hours later, where we had a delicious breakfast. Then we got back on the van for another little 40-minute ride, through the BEAUTIFUL mountains, to go up the river. The weather on Saturday couldn’t have been any more perfect…hardly any clouds, full of sunshine, not too hot, and a breath taking landscape to add to it. Through most of the ride down, we were in a canyon between huge mountains. Some of the sides of the mountains appeared to be completely vertical. The crazy thing was that there were still hundreds of trees growing on these sides, and they were growing straight up! Pointing straight to the sky despite having a vertical base to grow from. I saw a picture that a friend posted on FB a few days before this trip—it was a picture of a leafless plant that at first glance one would not think how beautiful it was. But all of the branches of this plant were curved to where the points of the branches were pointing directly up to Heaven, giving God the GLORY! How beautiful is that?!—This made me appreciate seeing those trees growing straight up so much more…all of creation glorifies its Creator!! I am so thankful for getting to see a different part of God’s creation in Costa Rica. Every day when we are walking around or driving in buses or taxis, I just gaze all around me in awe of how beautiful this world is, and how magnificent my God is for creating it all!

Check out the pictures on my facebook to see our trip down the river and more pics from the weekend. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2509290568010.2112477.1125450118&type=1

Hopefully that link works for everyone

Saturday was definitely one of my favorite days of my time here so far. After rafting we drove about 2-3 hours to Cahuita, a city on the Caribbean coast. We drove along the coast for the last part of the drive, and it was beautiful! Palm trees, light sand, pretty waves, and clear sky! We stopped at a fruit stand on the way where some of us bought some coconuts to drink from…we really felt like we were in the Caribbean then! So we got to Cahuita, found our hostel, got the key to the tree house (see FB pics), went to a local bar and grill, walked around, then hit the hey (or very stiff beds) but I slept like a baby anyways. We decided to get up early (again) to see the sunrise, since we were on the east coast, and didn’t get to see the sun set for that same reason. But first, this is what we were awaken by: http://www.naturesongs.com/howler1.wav

Oh yea, that was a nice wake up call…not!

But back to the sunrise: when we first walked out, it was very cloudy, and I was getting pretty sad that we weren’t going to see the sunrise in all its glory (or God’s glory actually). The clouds began to disperse though, and enough to where the sky changed colors, and it was absolutely beautiful. What we didn’t realize at that point, was that after that short time frame of the sun coming out and giving light for the sunrise, there would be no more sun the rest of the day. I mean how cool is that, God gave us enough time to let us see one of his most beautiful (and my favorite) works of art! Man, talk about being thankful for every minute God gives you! I loved that I was able to spend my Sunday morning basking in the glory and beauty of my Father. So the rest of the day was rain, rain, and more rain (and in the rainforest no less, ha!), but it just made it a more fun and funny time together. We also got to see monkeys, birds, fish, lizards (in our bedrooms) and a million other bugs haha while we were in Cahuita.

(Last part, I promise J) While sitting in the bus on the 4 hour long trip back to Escazu, I took some time to catch up on some sleep, but also to talk with God, and ask Him, “where do you want me?” He put the word destined, or destination, into my head. I am destined to be with God, and to live with Him is my destination, and what I’m doing along the way is just preparing me for my final destination. I was listening to some worship during this time, and some lyrics from one of the songs said, “it doesn’t matter where I am, as long as I’m with you.” Wow. There it is, there’s my answer (or part of it). He wants me WITH HIM. It doesn’t matter where I am physically, as long as I am walking with Him, and letting everything I do glorify Him. Just as all of creation glorifies its King, all of my being should glorify my Father, letting everything point back to Him.

Semana dos

Hola amigos!

I have just finished my first week as a student teacher, and it has been absolutely wonderful! I continue loving and enjoying every minute of my time here. I am learning more and more spanish every day, which makes it more fun to communicate with the ticos (natives to costa rica) and other spanish speaking individuals. I haven't felt any culture shock since arriving in CR, but I anticipate having it when I get back to the States. I think it will be challenging going back to "normal" life after speaking both English and Spanish every day, keeping my guard up every time I walk out of the door so someone doesn't snatch my bag, and adjusting from anything else like converting money or getting around by only public transportation.

The Country Day School has a beautiful campus and a wonderful staff who have warmly welcomed us to their team. My cooperating teacher, Harlet Channer, has been so helpful, and we get along very well. I have already learned a lot from her and can tell that she has a lot of experience and knowledge in physical education. She is also great with the students, and they all love and respect her. I plan to begin teaching her lesson plans towards the end of this week, then making my own lesson plans the beginning of the third week. I am also helping Harlet with the high school boys volleyball team that she coaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which has been very fun so far and gives me a chance to have fun exercising (as opposed to running which is probably at the bottom of my list for ways to exercise). I'll switch to teaching 9th and 10th graders the last week of February until I finish all together on March 30.

This weekend has been very relaxing and refreshing. Yesterday (Saturday) the 5 of us went to Oky's country club to chill by the pool. Now this country club was one of the nicest country clubs I've ever been to (not that I've been to very many, but still). It had 5 pools, 3 story building with libraries, billiard rooms, and who knows what else, locker rooms made for the rich and famous, restaurants, and I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Needless to say, we all felt like we were celebs being there. Then we went to a Peruvian restaurant at the Multi Plaza (very large mall), and after we finished eating some of the best meals some of us have had on this trip, we walked around the mall and grabbed some gelato to finish the night off (I know, we're just wild like that).

Today Erica, Lauren, and I went to the International Baptist Church (I think one of the very few English speaking churches in the San Jose area). We arrived at 9:00 not knowing exactly what we would be doing (service or Bible study), but as we met a guy from Pennsylvania who invited us to come to the Sunday School class he goes to, so we did! Let me tell you, it was one of the most refreshing experiences of this whole trip; just soaking in God's word and His presence and learning about His greatness from others is the most revitalizing thing, and I see now how I can take those times of fellowship for granted back in the States. In the class, we went through 1 Peter verse by verse, and we picked up where they had left off in chapter 1 verse 17. The Sunday School teacher made so many connections to other parts of scripture and went so in depth with all of the verses (which I absolutely love). We made it through verse 21, and this is what I learned from only those 5 verses: throughout our temporary time in this world, we must live in fear, because we know that we are REDEEMED--set free by a cost, the death of Jesus Christ-- with the PRECIOUS blood of Christ--the ULTIMATE, UNBLEMISHED, UNSPOTTED lamb. And because we are redeemed, we take off the old man, we are renewed in the SPIRIT OF MY MIND, and we put on our new selves--created by God in true RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS! So God knew about Jesus before the foundation of the world, right? So did you also know that Jesus made the world? I didn't....Heb 1:2. He was appointed heir of all things, then sent to the Earth to taste death, then raised from the dead by God, who gave Him (Jesus glory), but so our faith and hope are in GOD! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of that, but I think those connections are so cool!! Sorry this has been a bit long, but it's hard to sum up an entire week in a blog.

Last thought...during my own quiet time this week, I read through 1 Corinthians, and in ch. 2 v. 12 it says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." I challenge you, as I challenge myself, ask Him to reveal to you his thoughts, and to not be afraid to say "so what" when reading scripture or talking to God, so that he can give you a deeper understanding of who he is.

Thank you again for the prayers; God has certainly protected my thus far, and has given me a sense of security in Him.

Pura Vida Costa Rica

Taking from good ol' Wikipedia, the saying "pura vida" in CR means "plenty of life," "full of life," "this is living!" "going great," "real living," "Awesome!" or "cool!" This is exactly how I've been feeling the last few days. Although the actual "work" part of this trip had not started until today, I have felt so relaxed and just living life (how I think everyone should be living....on the beach :).

Going back a fews days to Friday night, I opened my Jesus Calling devotional to that day, January 13 (the first night I was in CR). The first line said, "Try to view each day as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide." Now I don't know about anyone else, but more times than not, the devotionals in Jesus calling are PERFECT for what I'm going through that day. This time in CR is an adventure for me, and it is also a time where I am trusting God to guide my every step in this foreign country. God has already planned my steps though, so now all I have to do is listen, trust, and obey...easy, right? Well that's my goal: to not let my own mind make decisions, but to let God control them. A few lines down, it said "A thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective," and I would like nothing more than to see things from my Dad's perspective. I'll let you read the rest of this devotion, but the last line of it says, "..the safest place to be is by My side," and I know God will protect me while I'm here enjoying the surprises and adventures he throws my way!

Now I'll tell you a little more about my weekend! The other student teachers and I left early Saturday morning to take a taxi then a bus to the city of Jaco, a beautiful tourist-y beach. We SUCCESSFULLY bought our tickets, and got on the right bus to take us to Jaco. Mission: Get There...check. Once we got off the bus in Jaco, we found our way to the beach, laid out our towels, and did what we know best: soak up the sun. The sand on the beach was silky and dark because of the volcanos, so the water wasn't as clear from the sand never being able to settle, but it was still one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. Around lunch time, we walked over to a bar and grill right on the beach, where I had some delicious fish tacos. Mission: Eat Good and Affordable Food...check. After lunch, we spent more time walking and chilling on the beach, before we had to go find a place to stay for the night. To sum it up, we found a very nice hostel that included a fresh and yummy continental breakfast. Mission: Place to Sleep...check. The next day we spent a few more hours on the beach before we had to catch the bus back to San Jose. While we were waiting to board the bus, we were talking about how perfect and successful that trip had been. But we spoke to soon...to make a long story short, two of my friends backpacks were stolen off the bus. The good news is that no one was hurt, and they had their wallets, money, and ID on them, but the bad news is that iphones, a camera, clothes, books, and other personal items were taken. Like I said before though, I believe God has and will continue to keep us safe, and I am so thankful that he protected us during that situation. It was also a good reminder for us of how cautious we need to be while we are here though.

The first day of school with the students is tomorrow, so the rest of this week will be exciting, busy, and probably very tiring, but I'm ready to see what God has in store for me!! Thank you all for your prayers and messages! And check out my FB to see pics :)

Beinvenidos a Costa Rica!

Hola from Costa Rica!

I've made it to my new home for the next 12 weeks in Escazu, Costa Rica (20 minutes outside of San Jose). This day came a lot faster than I thought it would, but despite making a last minute trip to Athens to pick up my federal background check, I felt prepared and ready to be here. I've said to many people, "I don't know what I was thinking when I decided it would be a cool idea to live away from home for almost 3 months," but I know God has plans greater than mine, and He will use me for something great while I'm here. Don't get me wrong, I have been SO excited about this trip, and even more so since I've been here for the last 6 hours.

I can't express how much love I have felt from friends and family this last week leading up to my departure. Before arriving at church this last Sunday, I asked God to just pour his love and his presence over me during the service. Little did I know, God was really gonna bring it, and he was gonna bring it through my church family. The prayers and words of encouragement were overwhelming and gave me the push I needed to feel ready for this trip.

The "good-byes" (or cya later's...I know I know it's only for 12 weeks) to friends and family this week were more challenging than I thought, but it just makes me so much more thankful for modern technology :)

But anyways, back to a more positive note, the house I'm staying in is absolutely beautiful (pics coming soon...I want to take them when the sun is out to give it the credit its due). I met my house mama, Oky, for 5 minutes before she had to take a friend home, but from what I hear from my housemates, she is quite a character, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to share about her. Speaking of my roommates, they are so sweet! I was the last to arrive, and they warmly welcomed me despite only being here for a few more hours and days before me. We are all leaving for the beach via bus in the morning for the rest of the weekend, before starting at the school on Monday.

I really hope to keep this blog going while I'm here, but don't be upset if I don't, I'm new at this ok? :)

Please continue to keep me in your prayers (specifically for boldness, open hears, wisdom, and safety)