I can't post in the new year! (Feliz Navidad!)

I have interrupted my Christmas post to announce that I cannot get my new year posts to show up in the main blog page. They are listed in the contents, but will not show up on this page...It is a mystery to me why this is happening- Can anyone help?

Read the new years day post for a great slideshow at the end!!!


Now for your regularly scheduled Christmas post...

Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!

Navidad! Navidad! Hoy es Navidad! Es un dia de alegria y felicidad! Hey!

This is a song our kids have learned in school and we also now know...(sung to the tune of Jingle Bells!)

We hope your day today was wonderful and blessed and full of joy celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I wanted to share our day with you and a few pictures as well. As you can imagine, this Christmas has been very different, but very special and full of new traditions as well.

The new traditions started yesterday around 10:00 am. Joanie and I a few of her girls were invited to join several of the women in the Los Guido church as well as Neris, pastor Rogelio's wife prepare tomales for the Christmas Eve dinner. It is tradition in Costa Rica for families to gather together and prepare tomales and then celebrate Christ's birth with a dinner and fellowship late into the night. We began the 12 hour process of preparing about 200 tomales for the church. What a wonderful day it was. I was reminded of all the stories I've heard growing up of all the Adair get together's from Mom's childhood and I remembered the days spent together with them just being together. It was a day I will remember forever filled with hard work, laughter and so much love. After a day's preparation, the tomales were put in the fire pit to cook for several hours. Then the festivities began around 8:30. Mark delivered a powerful message based on 2 Timothy. We sang Christmas songs (in Spanish, of course!), shared a few laughs and then we ate the tomales! They were delicious! It really was a wonderful day! I was exhausted when we got home around midnight...but what joy filled my heart! Matt and I wrapped the presents we had picked up for the kids with the money our families had sent for them and we made it to bed around 1:30 am or so.


This is me mixing the "masca" or the base of the tomale. It was hard work! The mixture is corn flour base mixed with puree of cilantro, celery and onion and good ole lard. (I know it is terribly unhealthy and doesn't sound that appetizing- but MAN OH MAN! was it good! And they only eat them once a year...) Since we were preparing for so many, we had a huge batch. Near the end of the mixing process, we ditched the spoon and I decided to use my hands. I was up to my elbows in masca!


Paige helped out a lot during the process. It was fun hanging out with the Price girls during the day and seeing how willing they were to help out.


Here's Sydney mixing away!


Rosa and Zoila armed with appropriate headgear for keeping stray hairs out of the masca (Rosa was ready for a swim, if the opportunity came up- as Alex had fun kidding her about :) ) We had so much fun just kidding each other all day for different things. We shared lots of laughs.


After the masca is mixed, the tomales are constructed in banana leaves and wrapped tightly then tied with string. Neris, Alex and Joanie spent all morning cleaning, drying and sorting the leaves before we constructed the tomales.

During the assembly process, the we formed the masca into balls about the size of a tennis ball then flattened them out onto the leaves. We then placed a carrot strip, red pepper strip, a small potato slice and a small amount of rice in the center of the masca. Then, we placed the meat on top and wrapped them up. They are supposed to be rectangular and even all around, but many of mine were somewhat like an agenda or a small book in size- and it was the joke of the day that I was building a library as I was collecting so many books (tomales). They had fun poking fun at me- but it was that good old clean fun that makes you feel loved... :)

It was so neat to see how everyone pitched in to help during the process. Several of the husbands helped during the tieing process. Many worked on the pig earlier in the day, preparing the meat- that's a whole other story! What a story...


After assembly, the wrapped tomales are placed in a deep fire pit with un poco (just a little) water and then left to cook for about four hours. Pastor Marvin was in charge of this step.

It was a great day spent at La Finca! What a blessing this property is for Iglesia Nueva Vida Los Guido. It is awesome to see how the kids gather for the whole day, people come and go throughout the day, and even without a building, it is a safe place where youth and adults alike can come and worship and serve the Lord in a community that has such darkness surrounding it. Our kids ran and played and laughed all day and late into the night. The girls both fell asleep before suppper, but they spent a full day playing with their friends from Los Guido. One of the most special parts of the day came about 1:30 in the afternoon. I watched as three little girls ran up to my two girls as they got out of the van at the top of the hill. They (these three little girls) had been asking all day when my two girls would get there because they had a surprise for them. I had no idea what this surprise was, but my eyes filled with tears as I saw the following scene play out. These three little girls from Los Guido presented my two little girls with a Christmas gift! A beautiful little baby doll and two braclets for them to share. The people we minister to have so little worldly possessions, yet the depth of love and giving that they exhibit is so amazing. What poverty they have- and it is true- the living conditions are unsanitary and very dire in some cases, yet they are truly rich- more rich than many of the richest living in the United States. Rich because they have the love of Jesus Christ deep in their hearts and they share that love very freely.

Audrey was up this morning around 7:30 am and not long after that, came Isabelle and Ethan. They woke up Daddy and we gathered around the tree and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and started the day with prayer. We opened our presents and took time to take pictures of every one to send back home. :)

We hung out all morning. Alex came over for awhile so we could say goodbye to him - he will be back in the states for about three weeks.


Then, we headed over to the Price's house for lunch. It was nice to be able to share a meal with them today. We played a few games and enjoyed fellowship with them. Then we came back home and started making phone calls. We spent most of the evening on the phone or on Skype. It is such a blessing to be able to talk to those of you back there with such convienance. God is so good!

This has been our first Christmas away from family, first Christmas out of the country, first Christmas in Costa Rica. A Christmas of many firsts, but many good firsts.

We were able to spend some time with our South Carolina buddy Chelsie this past week, too. She was here serving. She left Monday morning, but not before coming over to hang out and snap some pictures. It was so nice to see a familiar face right before Christmas and she was kind enough to bring some goodies for us (like Vanilla Caramel coffee mate - THANK YOU!!!!) We love her and will be counting the days until her next visit! :)


Thank you Father for the firsts of this season. Thank you for that very first Christmas so many years ago when you gave the world your Son. Thank you that we call him Holy, Emmmanuael, Savior, Counselor, Friend. Thank you that because he first lived, then later died, and then later rose from the dead and ascended in to heaven that I now have an example of the way to live my life - I have an example in Jesus Christ of a life that is pleasing to you. I can live a life filled with joy because you live in me. Thank you for this day that we celebrate the birth of your Son, Jesus. And thank you for him.

Dates...

We've had a great week off school this past week. It has been full of things to do...but also we've been able to sleep in some and spend time with the kids- which has been great and much needed!

Both Matt and I have taken Isabelle separately for a walk- Matt let her "lead" the way one day becuase she was "sure she knew where she was going!" We've played in the park, spent alot of time with the Price family and just hung out together.

Matt and I were able to spend half of the day together Wednesday celebrating our 9th anniversary. Lucia watched the kids for us while we went out and ate breakfast then walked around looking at things we haven't yet taken the time to look at before. We also were able to shop some for Christmas, which was fun! Thursday we spent the whole day together. Our friend Ale, who also was a teacher of mine, watched the kids while we spent the day together. It was so nice to just be together with no agenda and just "be." So we found this Italian restaurant we had tried to find a couple months ago...but were unsuccessful...But yesterday, we found it and the food was great! I had eggplant parmesean- it was fantastic! Matt had fettuccini and it was great, too. Then we walked around that area of the city, enjoying the day. It was so sunny and warm (sorry to rub it in those of you with tons of snow back in the states)...We caught a movie (about $5.00 for both of us!) and came back in the evening.

How refreshing it was for us both. We realize how important it is to take the time to savor and nurture our marriage and we are very thankful we had the opportunity to do so this past day and a half! We are thankful for the people God has placed in our lives who truly care for our children and are willing and available to care for them and give us the opportunity to nurture our marriage. So, as a THANK YOU to those who have given us the opportunity to have a few dates:

Here's our friend Katie, who we miss very much! She was in school with us one tri and has moved on to start seminary back in the sates. Her and Audrey were good buddies. She watched our kids for us several times for different things- and for our first date here in Costa Rica! Thanks, Katie! She became someone very special to me and I miss her smiles and hugs already!


This is a picture of several special women God has placed in my life. Jan has given me much encouragement and advice related to being a godly wife, mother and srvant in the mission field! Thanks, Jan! I enjoy her friendship. In the back is Ale that I spoke of earlier. Then next to me is Erin. Erin and I have grammar together. She is great source of encouragemtn and comic relief for me! We can look at each other and burst into tears or laughter depending on the circumstance...it is the kind of thing only women can understand- but she has proven to be a wonderful friend to me. Her husband, Mike and Matt have grown to be friends as well. We value their friendship. They have also allowed us the opportunity to go on a date while they cared for our kids :) Thanks, guys!



This is Ale and me. I have learned much from being in her class- some about the phonetics of the the Spanish language, some about life in general, some about Costa Rican culture, but most importantly about the way God has worked in her life and brought her to a point at which she has realized his power and will and plans and LOVE for her- and for all of us. She has proven to be a great friend and I am very thankful for her in my life. She has become a special part of our Costa Rican family. The kids LOVE being with her and she loves being with them! She has watched them and has even been to a birthday party with her for one of her younger cousins! Thanks, Ale!


Thank you Father for the gift of people who care for us and our children her in Costa Rica. Thank you for friendships. thank you for our marriage and the family you have given us- our three wonderful children. Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

"I will be with you wherever you go."

And the Lord said to Joshua, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

This is such a very familiar passage of scripture and one so very dear to my heart. I have found comfort in these holy words many times in my life and at many different points where the path of life seemed to be heading in a new direction.

Once again, I find strength in these ancient, holy words. Words that ring ever true- unchanging, but forever changing me.

For several weeks, Matt and I have been pondering what our place is in the ministry here in Costa Rica. We have strong desires to be more involved, but managing school and three young children is very limiting, so up until this point we have had only a very minimal part in the ministry side of things. However, I must say that God uses even the limited time we have with these people who are so very dear to us to continue to build the bonds we have with some and form new bonds as well.

So, as a family we pray for the two ministry areas and the ways we can share Jesus in these cities. But also, Matt and I have been praying about which area God has planned for us to minister in. We see the ways in which both the national team and the gringo team are stretched and pulled trying to manage two areas of ministry and two people groups. recently, Pastor Rogelio approached both Marvin and Mark with the news that he feels called to Tejarcillos and would like to begin full time service in this area in January. At the same time, Pastor Marvin and Mark were feeling the Lord leading them to serve in Los Guido-Our God is so all-knowing and amazing to work in the hearts of these men at the exact same time with the same purpose.

When we learned of this news, Matt and I really began searching for what this meant for our family. In the way that only God can do, he also brought both Matt and I to an agreement- the Lord is calling our family to service in Tejarcillos. Matt came to me one night and said "I don't think we are supposed to leave Tejarcillos." I started crying (imagine that!!!) and said "I don't think so either!" So, we agreed to pray about this a few more days and then talk with Mark. Once we sat down with Mark to tell him what we were feeling and what we had decided- with tears in his eyes he told us he has been praying for Rogelio and pleading with the Lord to send someone with a heart for Tejarcillos- the people and the vision and for Rogelio and his family as well. Little did he know that we were that family! The Lord knew though! Mark had some very important things for us to pray about and also some much needed encouragement. We agreed to talk with Marvin and Rogelio very soon.

A few days passed and we made arrangements to talk with the two pastors. What a blessed time we spent with them! Marvin shared with us with great emotion the news we shared with him was an answer to his prayers as well as he too had prayed for Rogelio and his family and asked the Lord to provide people who can be an encouragement and support for the Diaz family- and now we tell him we fel the Lord leading us in this way. Rogelio as well, shared his request of the Lord providing families to serve in Tejarcillos. What an encouraging and exciting time we shared that day with these two men of God!

There are so many ways God has affirmed this decision- there really is no way we can deny that this is from the Lord!

So, what does this mean? Well, first and foremost it means we need you to pray specifically for Tejarcillos - every day if you fell so lead. Please pray for Rogelio and Neris (sounds like "Netty") and their four children: Roger (sounds like "Ro-hair"), Lesvia (sounds like "Les-bia"), Elvis (Ethan's best friend) and Daniel. Pray for the youth leadership team- for these kids the church is the only place in their lives that is safe, secure and where they are loved. For these youth- knowing Jesus Christ is the only reason they live. Some have lives where there is not one safe, happy, speck of light except Jesus Christ and the family they have in the local body of believers. I ask you to fall on your knees for these children- please kneel before the throne of our Lord and ask the Lord to bless the lives of these young people. Pray for their families to come into to the light of Christ. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be present in this dark, dark place that is bound in the chains of evil. Pray that God would bind the enemy and that his light would shine throught these youth. Pray that this very spiritually and physically young church would become strong and be used as a fortress of refuge for those in very real danger and that this very new pastor would be used by the Lord to bring the fragrance of life to the thousands who live in eternal condemnation- separated from eteranl life with Christ Jesus.

Pray for our family as we seek wisdom and guidance from the Lord. Pray that he would open our eyes to the needs that exist that he can fill by using us and our lives. Pray that those that we minister to would look at us and see Christ, not Matt and Brooke. Pray for the ways God will work through our children. I cannot even begin to describe to you the joy that fills my heart when I see my young son playing in the midst of several other Tico boys and think nothing of it. The joy I feel when I see our girls break through to the other children and adults- the smiles that come to their faces when they see the girls get out of the van.

It is very true that the poverty we see in this area is beyond anything I could ever imagine. It is very true that the level of violence in this area is at a level which we have never seen. It is true that prostituition is the profession of most in this city and that drugs are everywhere- everywhere.

But more than all those things, is the TRUTH of scripture that rings louder than any sound that comes from the darkness that exists in the city of Tejarcillos.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
God has lead us to this decision and he has not sent us alone- he is right here with us and will stay with us wherever we go. It is with that knowledge and promise that we are excited to share this with you!

The need for prayer is very real. But the TRUTH of scripture is that our story from start to finish has already been written by the greatest Author ever. He knows all the twists and turns- and he is right here with us holding on as we take the turns with our hands up!

I wanted to include a picture of the youth leadership team so you have names and faces as you pray.


From left to right their names are: (back row) Ariel, Pastor Rogelio, Neris, Ana, Rebecca, Esmelda, Vitza and Lesvia (front row) Jessica, Ellie, Jessica, Wendy, Francela and Rebecca.

The next picture is Pastor Rogelio and his family.



Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Price's arrive...and other things!

Thought I'd post quickly to let you know that Bill and Joanie and the girls arrived safely today to Costa Rica!

We are so excited to have them here! The kids were so excited- we got them out of school a little early and we all took off to pick them up at the airport! It was great! The girls picked up right where they left off last July- fast friends!

Please pray for the Price,s by name name as they begin their transition to Costa Rica. They are waiting for their apartment to be ready in the next few days and have much to do in this first week here. Please pray especially for their girls as they make this transition. Their names are Alex, Paige, Sydney, Sophie and Sunny, and of course Bill and Joanie.

Also, this is our last week of classes for this first trimester- Praise the Lord! I have a big test Wednesday you can pray for- all on past tense- it is tough for me...I cried in class today - I just couldn't get it! Oh well... :) I am so thankful for my grammar teacher- Jonesi. She is so great. A few of us stayed after class a few minutes talking with her and trying to understand this one particular verb and finally we all were able to understand and it sunk in a little. She- Jonesi- has said several times how much she likes our class because we really question her and really dig to understand what is going on. Sometimes the English understanding and translation is so inhibiting to the learning of Spanish. It sounds wierd, but sometimes trying to understand the English translation actually deterrs us from grasping the concept- some things just do not translate - we are learning!

Anyway, Matt and I are officially done with classes Thursday (for a few weeks anyway...) and the kids are done Friday. We have about four weeks off for vacation!

I've got to say a HUGE!!!!! Thanks to all who have sent us care packages recently! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I cannot tell you how comforting it is to know you all are thinking of us back there! AND THE CHOCOLATE IS QUE RICO!!!!! (So delicious!)

Love you all!

Baptisms- Praise the Lord!

I have such a praise to share with you all!

This past Sunday, December 2, 2007, both churches- Tejarcillos and Los Guido- held a combined baptismal service at a pool very near Los Guido in Patarra.

There were some 60 people baptized that day- Praise the Lord!

And we are so excited to share with you that Ethan was also baptized that day as well! We have been talking with him about baptism for many months, but we had left the decision up to him. A few weeks ago he said he was ready to be baptized and not long after that discussion we realized the church was planning to hold a service- Ethan said he was ready!

So, this past Sunday, Pastor Rogelio baptized Ethan right here in Costa Rica!

Isn't God so good?

Here is a picture of right before. Ethan is in the pool with Rogelio and Marvin and Matt walked him out.


This picture was taken right after.


Daddy and Ethan sharing a moment after Ethan's baptism!



I also wanted to share pictures of Pastor Marvin's wife, Zoila's parnets. We have asked for prayer for them before. They recently accepted the Lord and were both baptized this past Sunday as well.
This is Zoila's mom Panchita after being baptized. Meg led her to the Lord and walked her out


This is Zoila's dad- Rogelio led him to the Lord.



We serve such an awesome and amazing God! We can never imagine the ways he will bless us! He loves us so much!

La Feria

I have been wanting to blog about my weekly trip to the feria for some time now. La feria means "farmer's market" in spanish.

Every Saturday morning I wake up about 6 am (it seems early, I know, for a Saturday, but it is an hour later than I normally wake up during the week). Some days, Meg and I walk "the hills" (which are actually more like small mountains than any hill I've ever seen)and then sometimes we also walk around the walking track that is next to the lot that the feria is in. After walking, I head to the feria. I have a smile on my face the moment I walk through those gates! I am amazed at the beautiful rainbow of colors that fill my eyes and the scents that fill my nose. There are booths and booths of fruits and vegetables- some very familiar like red and golden delicious, granny smith (Ethan's favorite- and what he takes in his lunch every day!) and even fugi apples (manzanas), blackberries (moras), strawberries (fresas), pineapple (pina), lettuce- several different varieties (lechuga), cabbage- red and green (repollo), cucumbers (pepinos), cilantro (culantro)and potatoes (papas). Then there are some things very unfamiar and very fun to try like marmachinos ("snot balls"- sounds yummy, huh?)- they look so cool- they are round and a brilliant red and have little spikey things all over them and you peel the outside and inside is something similar to the consistency of a peeled green grape and tastes somewhat similar as well, but different at the same time...some say they go down as smooth as snot...eeewwww...Ticos love 'em! A few weeks ago, I bought a papaya for about $0.60! It was pretty good- I'm not sure I'd buy one again - but worth trying for that price! There are so many interesting things I have yet to try...Probably the best thing we have tried is these amazingly tiny bananas- banana datilos. They are about as long as any one of my fingers and about as thick as a Pizza Hut breadstick. They look just like miniature bananas, but the taste is much sweeter. Audrey LOVES them!!!! She takes one in her lunch every day for school! I can buy about 12 for about $0.75!

It took me almost a month and a half to get the nerve up to actually go to the feria. After we learned numbers and practiced money in our conversation class (and actually practiced buying things from the feria thanks to the girls plastic food that I brought in as visual aids!!!) I felt fairly confident- so I headed out! I have been almost every weekend since!

After I get home, I take all my goodies into the laundry room sink and wash everything in bleach water to sanitize and kill any bugs or parisites. There are some pretty dangerous ones- so I don't take any risks...That whole praocess takes an hour or two depending on how much I've bought. I wash everything for at least 15 minutes- some things longer than that though. Then I dry everything out and store it in its appropriate place.

So, today, I took a picture of my haul and kept track of exactly what I spent and exactly how much I came back with. You all know how much I love a great deal - and one of the reasons I love going so much is because everything is so good and it is such a great deal! You decide:



Here's the pic of my haul- beautiful, huh???

Now, here's a list of my fares:
3 fugi apples, 6 granny smith apples, 3 golden delicious apples, 6 tangerines, 1 large head caesar lettuce, 1 head "American" lettuce, 9 potatoes, 1 cucmber, 4 ears of corn, 1 bag of guanabana pulp (the best juice in the world!!!!), 1 large pineapple, 1 head of cabbage, 1 bunch of radishes and one bunch of banano datils (those little bananas)...38 items for a for a grand totla of just under $10.00!!!!

Pretty cool, huh?

East White Oak mission team

Hi! Just a quick note to let you know that we have a team here this week. Two teams actually...first time for Mark and Meg. A team from East White Oak church in Carlock, Illinois arrived Friday and will be here through Saturday morning. It is only Tuesday, but WOW! is all I can say for the ways God is using this team and the ways he is working through them! I will blog more but I have a million things to do today and not near enough time to do them...Matt and I spent the day away from school yesterday to go into Tejarcillos with the team for a workl project. It was a day of hard work and difficult things to see. But oh the things the Lord is teaching Matt and I and the ways he is directing us. It seems that the Lord is revealing to both Matt and I at least a small part of his plan for our family at the same time. (More will come about that as well later...)

So, please pray for the EWO team as well as the New Hope Fellowship and West Valley Bible Church team. The second team is made of of Mark's parents, another couple and a the son-in-law of the second couple. How fun to get to know Mark's parents. They have been so encouraging already. They are here to assist with the organizing and wrapping of the over 200 presents for the members of the discipleships groups. The next few weks begin a time of celebration, as each group will have their own Christmas party. Each memeber will receive a gift- for most the only gift they will receive and some - maybe the first ever received.

Pray for stamina for the days remaining- the days have been long and tiring but it is the kind of tired you want to be after a day of serving the Lord.

Anyway, you can also pray tonight for Matt- he will be giving the evening devotion for the teams. Pray that God gives him the words to say and that in all things God receives the glory.

PS: Check out the website www.clfcostarica.com for the team blogs and pictures :)

Happy Thanksgiving

I woke up this morning and thought, "Hmmm, Happy Thanksgiving?" It just doesn't feel like it...Walking home from school in the warmth of the summer (it is casi casi [almost] summer here) sun and thought, "This is just strange- it does not feel like Thanksgiving!" then we got home and I started preparing the food I had volunteered to bring for dinner with our team and started getting homesick. I was trying to make corn casserole (We found some Jiffy cornbread mix stowed away in Meg's cabinet- Praise the Lord!- because you cannot buy it anywhere here!) and it was not getting done and I was also trying to make Oreo pudding without cool whip- because that, too is not available anywhere here- except the can kind...and we all know that is just not the same...So, anyway, I am getting worried about the casserole being very jiggly in the middle after over 1 hour of cooking and also about how the Oreo dessert will turn out with my substitution of whipping cream instead of cool whip...and then we are running a little late...But, God is so good and full of grace. After we walked across the courtyard to Mark and Meg's where we were having dinner, I walked in the door and the smell of Thanksgiving filled my nostrils and I felt so at peace. Our friend Carol had made homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, we had rolls, somewhat like green bean casserole (without the fried onions- can't find those here...) sweet potatoes...pretty much the basic Thanksgiving meal- even turkey (Carol bought one for the tune of about $30- let me tell you it was worth it)! I loved it! It felt so good to have all the good eats!

Meg is in the states visiting her mom, so it was Mark and the girls, Melinda and her roommate Noemy, Alex, Stan and Carol, Matt and I and the kids and a teacher friend of mine, Alejandra. It was really a great day. After lunch, we called back home to talk with our family- which was so good!

We cannot really put into words what it is like to be away from everyone we love and care about- those of you who have been our support for so long...it is tough.

Today the Lord showed us that no matter where we are in the world, how far away we are from those we love the most, he will always provide brothers and sisters in Christ to demonstrate his love for us. We had such a good time getting to know each other. Matt and the kids enjoyed a good game of Clue (the kids have realized their fascination with this game - just like I have always been ;) It was really neat to have fellowship with Ticas (Costa Ricans) as well.

We miss you and love you all. We thank you for your prayers for us pray you find comfort knowing that God is providing for us family and showing his love to us through so many of his children every day! We are thankful for all of you and for those the Lord has allowed us the opportunity to share this part of our lives with here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

By the way, the corn casserole turned out fabulous and Ethan said the dirt pudding was the best he'd ever tasted! WOHOO!!!

Thank you Lord for this day. I am so thankful for you Lord, my Creator and my Savior. I am so thankful for your Son Jesus and for the way you manifest yourself into our daily lives. I am thankful for the feelings of "home" and "family" today. Father, I praise you for the great things you are doing in Costa Rica, in so many places in Costa Rica, and in so many hearts of those around me and even those I don't know, but have only heard their stories. Thank you for living through my children. Thank you for their friends in school. Thank you for the light in their eyes- you reflected in them. I love you and I trust you in all things. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.

Volcan Arenal

We spent the weekend at the Los Lagos resort, which is located at the base of Volcan Arenal (an active volcano here in Costa Rica). The volcano is active, but we stayed on the INactive side. The scenery was beautiful. Although the clouds hid the volcano until the bus ride home, it was a wonderful weekend. The hotel owns a massive amount of land so there was so much to do and see right there on sight. It was great. There were many, many pools- both cold water and those fed by the hot springs that run from the volcano. (KJ- you would LOVE these pools!!!) So the girls and I spent most of our time in the pools (the hot springs ones ;). There was a large water slide in the large hot springs pool and all of us enjoyed it. The boys enjoyed the cool water pools and the slides for those. And Matt and Ethan both conquered the Canopy- the zip line that runs through the hotel property. I have a ton of pictures that I do not have time to post right now- they will come later. For now, here are a few.
This was taken on the trip there. We stopped at a Catholic church and this was one of many shrub sculptures that were in the gardens surrounding the church.



Here are a few of Ethan on the zip line...

The road you see in the picture runs through the grounds. It is amazing the areas they went through!

Can you believe this? He loved it!





Mateo having fun flying like Superman!


Here is a picture of one of the many animals that freely roam the grounds. There were so many of these howler monkeys. You could hear them making their "howl" during the day and the night. They were pretty cool!


Here is another animal that (not so freely-thankfully!) roamed the grounds. There was a crocodile farm where many crocs hung out. We were actually standing about two feet away from this one (behind a nice and secure chain link fence...)


There was also a frog farm and butterfly garden- sorry no pics yet...BUt the kids loved it!


It was a much needed respite from school and our small cozy apartment. I was reminded of the amazing imagination of our God- the vast expanse of all creation and the beauty and magnificence of this land he has given us to live on.

This was the view from our back patio. Amazing!



On the way home, we stopped at a restaurant that attracts many tourists because there are literally hundreds of iguanas just hanging out around the restaurant and the surrounding area. It was a lot of fun and the kids loved it. You could actually get close enought to touch the iguanas - and some actually did! Ethan and Isabelle were actually brave enough to feed one- I'll post pictures later...here are a few for now!

These kids got close enough to touch this iguana!


This is one of hundreds roaming around.



A weekend away like this has always been few and far between for us- so the ones we get are always memorable! We are so blessed to have this opportunity to live in such a beautiful country! Gracias a Dios!

I took this on the way home. What a beautiful way to end the day!

Pictures

Hi! Once again I thought I'd update with some random pictures of several different events lately: ENJOY!!! :)

GOOD NEWS!!! Audrey has decided she is ready to go to the potty all by herself and has also decided that she does not want to wear diapers anymore...Praise the Lord! So, we recently had a "potty party" to celebrate this momentous occasion in her life :) (And to celebrate the extra money we'll save now that we are officially free of buying diapers!!!) We had cupcakes and Isabelle made a special card for her little sister and Audrey even got new big girl panties!!! The following picture is her with her new undies and the card Isabelle made her.



The next several pictures are from a couple weeks ago. Matt and I took the kids to a park a few blocks from our apartment and spent the morning there. There is a playground, soccer field and a very large area full of beautiful trees, flowers and lots of ducks. It was a relaxing and fun morning.

This is Ethan being adventurous and trying to get as close to the ducks as possible. He is about 2 feet from this one.



What can I say about our little girl other than isn't she beautiful? I LOVE this picture of her :)




Here are some monkeys we saw lurking in this mini tropical forest. :)



I love this picture , too :) Across the pond there were about 6 ducklings. A couple of them would occasionally wonder off and the park guard would go and get the little one and take him back to his mother :) It was very sweet.



This was taken at the edge of the park. You can see the streets of San Francisco (our little community) in the background.



This last picture was taken in Los Guido. I just love the way the clouds are settled around the mountains. This is actually just outside of Los Guido- there is no road like this one in Los Guido. It is amazing that you actually drive for awhile on a road that is barely recognizable as a road due to the enormous potholes amidst the mud, and then you turn a corner and come upon this paved, lined road that actually dead ends. It is crazy...and something that you have to see to believe!



We are so blessed to be able to see bits of such beautiful creation right outside our door. From time to time I long for a view of the turning leaves and golden fields of corn and wheat that make Indiana home, but I love being able to see these beautiful mountains every day! Just today as Audrey and I were walking homefrom school, we had a great view of the mountains from the top of the hill. It looked as if God was smiling right in a small valley- the suns rays were shining right in the middle of two peaks and it was so beautiful. Our God has such an awesome imagination to have created things as beautiful as this :)

Have a great weekend!

Thank you Father for allowing us such beautiful creation to live in every single day!

Sharon Baptist / Christian Light Team

Thought I'd post some about the team that was here this past week.

Here's the team.


It was actually two teams in one. They came from Sharon Batist Church in Savannah, Tennesse and Christian Light Foundation (our sending agency) in Jacksonville, Florida. Some of the team served in the three day medical clinic in Los Guido. Over 200 people came throught the clinic (which also included a pharmacy and everything was absolutely free of charge). Their physical needs were assessd and instructions and prescriptions were given. Each person that came through the clinic heard the gospel message. Many came to know the Lord through the sharing of "The Bridge."



The rest of the team walked the streets of Los Guido sharing the gospel through "The Bridge" illustration and passing out food bags- "regalos de Dios." The "gringos" were paired up with teens from the leadership team. The "gringos" presented the "regalos de Dios" and the teens shared the gospel.

Through the clinic and the street evangelism over 200 came to know the Lord! Praise the Lord!



This picture is of three nine year olds praying with one girl as she recieves Christ after hearing The Bridge (the rest of the family listens on the steps to others teens as they, too share the gospel.)

Matt and I were able to spend part of every day the team was here with them. We were even to spend all day Thursday walking the streets with the evangelism team.

One of the most amazing parts of the week for me was seeing these teens that I've known for a year and a half so boldly professing Christ to people they had never met. They boldly approached each door and began sharing with all who would listen the saving message of the God's purpose for our lives (John 10:10-abundant life and John 3:16-eternal life).

Watching these teens share so boldly really encourages me and inspires me. (To name just a few of those on the leadership team: Valedia, Mariana, Daniela, Jhorie, Isaura, Javier, David, Aracely, Roger, Memo, Ariel, Jessica, Vitza, Evelyn, Ana, Ericka, Michelle, Melissa, and Michelle- these last three being only 9 years old!!)

The day was very encouraging for me in that it helped me remember the reason I am in school right now. I need the Spanish language. I need to learn the words that I need to share the life changing message of Jesus Christ with the many many lost souls in Costa Rica. To be able to go door to door like that was such an amazing feeling. There was so much excitement watching the realization come across the faces of those who in one moment were lost and in the next moment were found! It is such a privelege to bring the gospel to those who have never heard it. The Bridge illustration works so well because it brings each person to the point of a choice.

My prayer in sharing this week with you is that you too will feel the great privelege God has given you to share the gospel with those around you. The lost are everywhere-in the country you live in, in your state, in your city, in your neighborhood, right next door to you, even in your own house.

I encourage and challenge you to become bold in Christ Jesus your Lord and Savior. I encourage you to begin today sharing Jesus Christ with those around you.
Here is a picture of Pastor Marvin teaching the Bridge illustration to the church- yes- to the church! The past four weeks of sermons in both churches - Pastor Marvin and Pastor Rogelio have taught the entire congregations how to share The Bridge with others. The people are on fire and ready to and willing to share the plan God has for each one of us.



I pray that if you are reading this right now and you have not made the choice to confess your sins, repent of them and make the choice to follow Christ and give your life to him- I pray you do so now.

If you have not chosen eternal life with Jesus Christ- will you make that choice today?

Medical Mission Team this week

Hi! I thought I'd post tonight to ask you for prayer for the team that is here this week. They arrive tomorrow afternoon and will be here until Friday. The team includes several nurses and doctors and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday they will be holding a free medical clinic in Pastor Marvin's house in Los Guido. Please pray for the doctors to be of great physical help to those in need of medical care. Each person that is seen will also hear the gospel and have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with someone who they can pray with and share with. Please join us in prayer for a harvest of souls to be reapt these next few days. The clinic is open to the entire city, which includes over 40,000 people.

The rest of the team will be walking the streets of Los Guido handing out food bags and sharing the gospel. We will be specifically targeting areas of Los Guido that are unreached. Please that as the gospel is shared both during the medical clinic and also as the food bags are handed out, hearts will be broken and veils will be lifted as the life-changing message of Jesus Christ is shared to those who have never heard.

Pray for protection from the enemy specifically as we walk the streets of Los Guido passing out food. Pray for the translators who will be used by God to deliver his message to the people of this city. Pray for the doctors and nurses who will assess hundreds of people in these three short days. Pray for strength and stamina for those delivering food, for the doctors and nurses, for Marvin and Zoila and their family and Rogelio and Neris and their family. RPay for our team as well, as it takes a great amount of energy to keep up with the busy schedule of a team like this. Matt and I will be in Los Guido all three days walking with the streets with the team. Pray for our children this week as well.

I am not sure when the next post will be so I wanted to make sure to post these prayer requests tonight.

Dios te bendiga!

Mommy and Belle- classmates?

I had to share this with you before I forgot about it...

The girls love to have their hair braided and they ask me almost every morning to braid their hair. Unfortunately there is rarely time in the morning rush for me to sit down and braid their hair.

Fortunately, we have found some time to spare on a few occasional mornings and the girls have had braids for school.



Don't they look cute? :)

So, this week, Isabelle worked really hard to get ready quickly so I'd have time to do her braids (she works really well with a time limit and a goal so we are trying to allow her the opportunity to meet goals in this way and see the positive outcome of her hard work and good effort.) Anyway, to the really cute story. I braided Isabelle's hair and thought it looked pretty decent. (Sam (my little brother) never really liked me to mess with his hair, so I never had much practice doing girls hair growing up...so, now I get to practice on my girls- which sometimes ends up being a good thing- when the style looks good and sometimes it isn't so good...kinda like my cooking...but that's another story...)

So, I decided I'd try braids in my hair...I use to wear them all the time and I haven't in well...a long time. My hair is long now- about the length it was when Matt and I met- so it is a good length for braids. So I get done with the braids and walk out and Ethan says "Wow Mom- you look really cute! You like you could be in kindergarten with Isabelle!"

I had to laugh, although I am not sure how to take it really...anyway...it was cute and it will be one of those stories to retell to his future wife one day! He is so sweet and kind. He always has something nice to say to me and never passes up a moment to compliment me or try to encourage me. He is very thoughtful. And SMART! Report cards came out yesterday. Ethan received 4 A+'s, 1 A and 1 B+ ! He also received "Muy Bien" or "Excelente!" for everything in Spanish! He also made the weekly school newsletter for his progress in Spanish! He is really thriving in Costa Rica!

So...here's the picture of my kindergarten debut...(es una broma! it's a joke) Matt took pictures of our hair and Audrey wanted to be with us- she didn't want her hair done that day!






Have a great weekend!

PICTURES!!!

HI! I realize I haven't had very many pictures on here lately...I wish you could understand the time it takes to blog what little I do get done...but- all I can do is what I can do...

So, due to the lack of pictures I've posted up to this point, this post includes many from the past month or so. I tried to caption most of them...

Enjoy... :)

The following are from the Museo de Ninos:



Matt and I are demonstrating our teamwork here. This was in a free play area that was actually supposed to be only for the kids, but we couldn't resist trying it. We actually got asked to let the other kids play with the toys :) OOPS! It was in a friendly way, though :)



The coolest thing about this museum is that everything you see - I mean EVERYTHING!- is hands on. Kids can pick up ANYTHING they see. They can play with it, wear it sit on it...the kids had a blast. Ethan tried on the pirate costume:)



There was a trailer that detailed fire hazards and this fire truck and lots of information to read and look at.


This picture is solely for those of you in our immediate McClain family- this is "the face" that appears in all pictures of our gatherings. Someone (either Rog, Matt or Mark) always makes this face. Matt was having fun taking these pictures with these lifesize cutouts. It is quite funny actually!






This was such a cool area in the museum. Everything in this room was at crazy angles and our equilibrium was way off. It was really cool, but kinda made you feel sick to your stomach at the same time! We are really hanging on to keep from falling over!



There was a real airplane (a very small plane!) but the kids could get in it and pretend to be the captain. The girls had fun with the new friends we made. We went with some friends and the kids had a good time together. Can you find Ethan in this picture?



There was this saddle and you could play with lassos and real toys from the history of Costa Rica. It will be fun to go back and visit multiple times as we grow in our understanding of the language. Of course everything was in Spanish so we do not know all the history of the exhibits yet...regardless it was still a great time!



I don't know if I mentioned it before but the cost was SOOO cheap! We rode the bus there and it cost about $1.00 for the all of us. The museum was about $1.50 each for the kids and it was $2.25 for adults. How cheap!!! We took a taxi home for about $4.00. We ate lunch also- but our friends treated us- it was a great day!