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)