New addition :)

Hola! Como esta Ud.?

AHH! See we are learning something here in language school!!! We should be for all the hours...and I mean HOURS of homework we have every single day! You may wonder why we haven't posted in nearly a month...well, maybe because we are parents in an intense schooling situation and have three young children...I don't know...

We truly enjoy learning and really do see huge imrovements from when we even first arrived in Costa Rica a little over a month ago. Sometimes we are seeing week-to-week improvements. But, you really can pray for us because it is TOUGH to be in school again. For both Matt and I, our previous school experiences have not been fueled with much enthusiasm to learn. Now, some many years later, however, the Lord has lit a fire in both of our hearts and we desperately want to learn to speak the language. So, that is our motivation. But there are days when it is really tough, when we each have four hours of homework, the kids have homework, dinner to cook, showers to be taken...the list goes on and on.

Praise the Lord for our friend and house help, Lucia. She is from Los Guido, Costa Rica, which is where we are serving and comes to help us with household things, cooking, homework, caring for the kids while we study and just to spend time with us. She is fantastic and we love her! She comes three times a week and is a true blessing!

We are making friends at school (not in replacement of all of you...but what a blessing they are to us here) and we have even met several that are staying in Costa Rica- which is really great!

Today there have been many celebrations around the city and country because tomorrow is the Costan Rican Independance Day. It is just as big of deal as the Fourth of July. But a little more crazy...On Friday nights, I go to 2 discipleship groups with Mark and Meg. First, I go to Sector 5 to Ericka and Ana's, then I go with Meg to meet with Luz and Jorleni. Tonight, we get to Los Guido after being in traffic almost an hour (the trip is usually about 20 minutes) and there are no kids there except Ana. The others were required to stay at school for a parade throught the city. This was actually a requirement and part of their grade! So, they missed discipleship group and we headed off to see about the second group...same situation at the next one. So, back to San Francisco. The traffic was so intense- it always is but it was exceptionally so tonight. Then, we got behind the start of the parade in Desemaparados. Think the Olympic runners who carry the torch- that is what this part of the parade was like. So it takes us almost as long to get back home...Craziness...But that is part of life here...we're getting used to it.

You may have heard us mention once or twice about the random power outages or water outages that occur at no particular set intervals. This is also just part of third world living...Well, here's a neat memory I'll share with you...We took the kids to the McDonald's last night that is near our apartment. (BIG NEWS as part of this story- Matt drove there!!! We borrowed Meg's car and ventured out- He did great!!!) Anyway, I needed to study and we just needed to get out! So, the kids got Mickey D's and got to play in the playground while I studied and Matt watched. Just after I ordered (successfully obtaining the food that we desired - by-the-way!!!) and paid, the power goes out! What a crazy thing! They lock the doors because they cannot use the register, drink fountains, anything. So they chain off the entrance and lock the doors so no one else can get in. We eat in the dark! Maybe the humor of this doesn't pass through the airwaves (or however it is that the internet is transmitted) but to us it was so funny. The cool thing is how totally normal this all is beginning to feel! Praise you, Jesus!

All that to say, don't think we are not experiencing culture shock. It is very hard still to be away. I went to my first Wives Club meeting (every Mondays at school, wives meet to share prayer requests and pray for each other- and for all that know me you know this is something I'm totally into and totally LOVBE- praying with and for others!) Anyway, I totally cried- imagine that- ME crying! Can you believe it? I know, it is hard to believe. But anyway, I was just sharing how very hard it is to be away from all of you back there...to know that life continues on without us there and more so that you are not able to see our daily lives here and the great things God is doing in this place! Because He truly is sweeping through Costa Rica! But what encouragement I gleaned and was blessed with from this group of women. I look forward to every Monday with these new prayer warriors God has given me to share this stage of life with.

Well, it is late and I need to get some sleep (Actually, I am not sure I actually remember what that is- but I CAN tell you how to say it and conjugate it in present tense in Spanish!!!)

Anyway, our love flows to you all.

More importantly, may His love pour continually from us.

Love,
Brooke :)

PS: Thanks for all who have prayed for the recovery of my hand and for recovery from the sickness that has bombarded our household. A couple of weeks ago, I cut my habd while preparing dinner bad enough for 7 stitches and a trip to Clinica Biblica (ER). What a great experience!!! My hand is healing well, and I got the stitches out on Tuesday. Doctors orders for Matt to remain doing dishes for another week or so, though ;) And we have had a run of strep that started with Audrey, jumped to Ethan (actually tonscilitis with him), then passed to Isabelle and me. Pray now that it will not hit Matt. The symptoms are lingering with me, but the meds seem to help. No more fever or achiness...just a bad sore throat. So, thank you for your prayers!!!

AND: I almost forgot! The "new addition" in the title of this post? Melinda found a stray kitten today at school that had been dropped off outside the gate. She kept her close all day, but knew she couldn't keep her because she already has her own little kitty at hhome. So, she brought her by to show Mark and Meg and us and wondered if we might want her...It didn't really take much persuading- so, yes, we now have a teeny tiny little Tico 'gatita' living with us. She is adorable and has already proven to be Isabelle's kitty. Isabelle has decided that she should be the one to care for 'gatita' and has so far proven to be able to handle the responsibility! We'll see how the future days go...but for now- we'll keep the little sweetie. I'll post pictures soon :)