Nicaragua pictures...Part 1

Finally, the pictures you've been waiting for!

This is the deck off of the top floor of the house we rented. Both bedrooms were upstairs, although the kids all ended up sleeping in our room...There was an amazing view from our room and from deck of the beach. A parrot lived on top of the roof and every morning he greeted us.


Here is Daddy and Audrey relaxing in one the three hammocks on the patio on the side of the house. This is where we took our afternoon siestas!


This is the downstairs of the house- all one open area for relaxing, eating and the kitchen area. I loved having the kitchen and am so glad we chose this one. I cooked every meal and it was great! There was a great little corner store on the property and everything was SOOOOO cheap! Monday afternoon when we arrived we hadn't eaten anything except snack stuff because the bus doesn't really stop long enough to get anything to eat. So, we were hungry. We went to the restaurant and ate a late lunch/early supper. It cost us $30 for our meals. I shopped at the little pulperia each day and bought just what we needed for each day, sometimes I went for each meal to purchase what I needed. I spent only $90 for the entire week for all of our meals! We were so excited to have saved so much money! The food prices were much cheaper there than here in Costa Rica. Some things like a snack size bag of chips (think Doritos) was about $0.16. Mangos were about $0.30! A pineapple was about $0.50! The pineapple we bought was white on the inside- very different and I thought maybe it was bad or something. But the fruit tasted so sweet without that sting that most pineapples have. It was delicious. One of the best parts of the trip for me was being able to take the time to cook good meals for my family. Lately we've been going and going and going and been eating out way too much mainly because by the time we are heading home it is past our normal supper time and almost time for bed for the kdis...so we've had to grab something fast. I do not like that and so my goal is to not have to do that anymore. This week was a reminder of how great it is to sit down and eat a healthy meal together and the harmony it brings to a family.


Here is Izzy playing in the water. She loved the water and of course collected shells all week long! She is a real stinker sometimes but I had so much fun with her this week .Both the girls were Daddy's girls though and they spent I don't know how many hours in the water together!


Ethan and Mommy. We got to spend a lot of time together and it was really great. I loved it! Ethan is such a neat kid and I am thankful for this week to just get to hang out with him. He played in the sand, the water and just watched the crabs. He even tried to save some crab legs he found to show his Pappy when he gets here in a couple of weeks- but they didn't last too long in the Nicaraguian heat.


We literally woke up and ate breakfast and then headed to the beach every morning. It was so relaxing to hear the waves crashing at night and then to wake up to them again the next morning. Matt and the kids really had some much needed time together. I am so thankful that God allowed us this trip.


Isn't this just an amzing picture? (Although I am sure Sonia would have done a WAAYYYYY!! better job!)


Ethan and Iz


Watching the waves with my babies


Mommy and Daddy at sunset


AWWW! Mommy and Daddy holding hands!


Family picture at sunset. We set up the camera to take this on our last night there.


One of the things we had asked for prayer for was our safety in getting to the hotel once we got into Nicaragua. Your prayers were answered! The border crossing experience was absolutely crazy and quite un-nerving. But, thankfully, we made it through. Once we got to the Nicaraguan side of the border, we were approached by a taxi driver and asked if we wanted a ride, instead of getting back on the bus for another 2 hours to the city of Rivas, where we would either have to take a different bus or a taxi to SanJuan del Sur and then catch a different bus to our hotel. All of which had to be done by 4:00, which is when the last bus out of San Juan del Sur went to our hotel. So, we had been thinking about this for awhile before hand and so when the taxi driver approached us and quoted us a price that was $20 cheaper than what we had expected it to be we took it! We were a little nervous becuase we had no idea where we were going and all the taxis there are "pirate" taxis, meaning they are not clearly marked "taxi" and are not necessarily working for a legitimate taxi company. It can be just some guy who uses his personal vehicle to make taxi runs, which was the case of Leonardo, our taxi driver. It turned out to be a great experience. He was friendly and gave us loads of information about Nicaragua, although we were so tired I hardly remember any of it! Matt and I are so thankful to have met him because he ended up picking us up Friday morning and taking us to Rivas to the "bus stop." Which brings me to this picture. You can see that the kids are sitting on the sidewalk in this picture. This is where we waited for about 1 1/2 for the bus to pick us up in Rivas. No building to sit in, not even a bench. Just plopped our bags on the ground, sat down and waited! It was so funny when Leonardo dropped us off. "this is the bus stop?" I asked. And sure enough the bus that came right before ours pulled over to the side of the road and stopped at the corner and picked up a few people then pulled back our into traffic and took off! After watching the traffic and just being in Rivas watching for that time period, we know we made the right decision to take that taxi. The "border buses" we saw we so jammed pack full of people and it did not look safe at all! The taxis were a joke- some of the most beat up cars I've ever seen. So, I am so glad we have Leonardo's number and he told us to call him if we are ever back in the area again.


The Tica Bus stop in Nicaragua! Oh by the way, I had to use the bathroom once we got dropped off at the bus stop, so I walked up to where the little building is to by your bus ticket to see if I there was a bathroom. There was and it only cost me $0.25 to use it! The creepy old guy working in the store charged me $0.25 to use the bathroom! It was crazy! But what an adventure!



This will be the last picture for this post. One of my favorite things of the trip was seeing the kids together. The girls sat in this hammock every day together listening to music or just swinging. It was such a relaxing few days and it really did rejuvinate us! We've been excited and full of energy this week and I know it was because we had such a great week to refocus and refuel! Thank you for your prayers and continuing to remember us financially!

La Carpio

For some time now I have been spending my Wednesdays in La Carpio, the newest ministry area for CLFCR. I have quickly grown to love the people in this area and look forward to this part of the week.

About 6 weeks ago, some 60 people began the journey through the first book in the discipleship series we use. More importantly, they are learning through God's Word what it means to have New Life in Christ and guarding God's Word in their hearts.

I have been blessed to watch four women from Los Guido, Lucia, Rosa, Sandra and Luisa, not only desire to make disciples in this area, but take in action and begin these groups.

This may seem like a relatively easy task, but it involves quite a bit of planning on our parts as missionaries, as well as theirs, as the teachers. Coco has taken the responsibility of overseeing new ministries and so is overseeing these new groups. Melinda is working with the women to coordinate and organize our time and efforts their. They both work together to ensure transportation to and from La Carpio each week. This is where it gets tricky. The women get picked up near their homes in Los Guido each week, as well as one of the LG leaders, Evelyn. Then all travel to a hospital near La Carpio to park the van. (we still have no secure place to park the van each week, so we do not drive in- we take the bus). So, the car gets parked and we all walk to the bus stop nearby and wait for the next La Carpio bus. We take the bus into the stop that is closest to the first group and get off the bus. We then walk downhill about 2 blocks or so through a rough part of town you could say to get to la casa de Don Juan. The house where the first group meets is where a man named Juan lives. There is a little girl that lives in this house named Stephanie who is 4 years old and needs oxygen to breathe. She has been told she'll be on oxygen for the rest of her life. Melinda and Coco teach this group so they stop there and we walk on another 3-4 blocks downhill on a dirt path that cannot be considered a road but leads to a road. Granted this "road" is another dirt path but cars make their way over it every day. When it rains it is nothing less than a river flowing through the city. Doña María's house is next and is where Sandra and Evelyn have their first group. I've talked about this family before. Matt and the kids and I were able to go with Mark and Meg take this family out for lunch and to buy shoes through the gift of an offering a couple months ago. I love being in this house. It is nothing like any house you have probably ever seen and my heart breaks thinking of the conditions this family and all the others God has touched our lives with from La Carpio, but the love and happiness we feel from this family is unmistakeable. Luisa, Rosa, Lucia and I walk on down a little farther on this road and Luisa and I reach our first group, Doña Helen, a single mom in her twenties with four small children. She is so sweet and her little boy Daniel has a smile that will light up any room! Rosa and Lucia walk down a few houses to their first group that meets in a small pulperia or corner store. After Luisa and I finish with Helen, we walk back up the street, greet Doña María again and head to our next group which is in the home of Doña Adrianna. Also in this group are Glenda and Sabina who are both single mom's and Adrianna's teenage son Emilio. A couple of weeks ago, Luisa and I learned that Sabina's brother is the father of three children whose mother and grandmother were shot and killed. She had been taking care of them for a while for her brother and told us that the oldest, the only girl, had witnessed the murders. The life these precious people live is so very different than anything I can even imagine and I am with them every week. So I understand if you are gasping with your hand over your mouth right now. It is tough to write about, tough to read probably, but it is real and it is every day for them. My daily prayer is that it be through God that they find hope. It is that hope that saved us a little over 10 years ago and that brought us here and is what keeps us here. Each pair has one other group as well and so all in all we spend about 2 1/2 hours there each week. Time that I cherish each week. After the groups are over, we all meet together in a desiganted location and walk up the hill to the bus stop. We generally have to wait anywhere from 5-15 minutes for the bus. Once we catch the bus, we take it to the hospital and walk the 4 or so blocks to where we parked the car. Then, I usually get dropped off at the spot where I meet Matt and we head on to Tejarcillos for the Wednesday night prayer service. The others head to Los Guido to return the ladies to their homes and families and then the members of our team return home. I usually get picked up around 10:30 and I meet Matt around 3:00 or so. Matt and I arrive in Tejarcillos about 3:30. I prepare to disciple a young lady at 5:00. Then the prayer service is at 6:00. We usually get home around 9:00. It is a long day for everyone, but well worth it! The kind of day you feel good about being tired about!

This Wednesday, Matt and I took our kids and we all went to La Carpio. We left to pick the ladies up in Los Guido at 9:30 and went through the whole routine. We ended up with a packed van as several of the youth had no classes and so were able to come with us. Coco and Melinda had planned to make arepas for Doñ Juan and his family and the rest of our team, so we spent an hour or so in his home. It was wonderful time of fellowship and he told me so several times. He is such a sweet humble man. Isabelle came with me to the groups Luisa and I have and Matt and Audrey and Ethan went with Mark and the team here now. We met us a little later and Ethan came with me to the last group. He apparently was really tired because at one point Doña Adrianna got my attention and said "Look, he's sleeping!" Poor guy! But they were wonderful the whole day! It was great and I love watching them mix it up and play with the kids in the ministry. After taking the Los Guido team home we made a quick stop at the Golden Arches to grab supper and headed to Tejarcillos or our Wednesday routine there. After the prayer service, we met with Pastor Rogelio, Neris and our four leaders to cover some things about an upcoming church event. We arrived home about 9:30, all terrbibly exhausted, but happy from a wonderful day. We were able to be in all three areas today and it was so cool. The time spent with the ladies and youth of Los Guido was really priceless.

I am amazed at what God is doing in La Carpio. We ask you to pray for these discipleship groups and the people in them. Pray for long term fruit in that these disciples will go on to make disciples and so on.

On September 7th, our team is planning an outreach where for the first time ever all three ministries areas will be together at La Finca! We look forward to this day with eager anticipation.

Here are a few pictures of the day in La Carpio.


Don Juan, Melinda and Coco


fellowshipping in Don Juan's house


Doña Helen, Luisa Brooke and Doña Ponchita


Isaura and Sharon, Helen's daughter


Mi amigo Daniel. ¡Qué Guapo! ¿verdad? (How handsome, huh?)


Doña Adrianna, Sabina, Glenda and her baby Rachel, Luisa and I

Please pray for these families as well as the others that are being discipled in La Carpio.

The Surreal Life

Sometimes life is so surreal. I can still remember my first trip to Costa Rica like it was yesterday- that first drive into Los Guido, painting the school buildings, my forever friend Jeffrey sitting with me for hours, the first time I met Neris, who has quickly became a dear friend. Little did I know then all God had planned for me and our family- how intricately He would one day wind all of our lives together.

Tonight is one of those moments where I sit back and think, "WOW God, you truly are amazing!" Tonight one of the youth from Los Guido, Isaura, whom I met on that very first trip here over just two years ago, is spending the night with us. I looked at her playing with our girls and could not help but feel the utmost gratitude for our God and His majesty and His willingness to give us the desires of our hearts when we truly seek Him first. I remember the countless prayers I prayed for this young girl during the months after being here. Matt and I exchanged penpal letters to her for alomst a year before we moved here. I remember the way she embraced our children when we first moved here, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to have a little "machito" (blond haired kid) and two little "gringitas" (little American girls) around her (which it is not at all normal here.) But Isaura welcomed them all into her world without blinking an eye and it has been that way ever since.

Tonight she sits watching a movie with our kids and it is all I can do not to weep from happiness at this moment. For those of you that read this blog and have been here to Costa Rica- I am sure you know her. Her sweetness is hard to miss if you have spent any time in Los Guido.

Anyway, I wanted to share this night with you. The girls have played Barbies, made crafts, played dress up and we've been able to just sit and talk with her, too. Isabelle has not stopped talking- all in Spanish and it has been absolutley fantastic to hear her speaking!

I'll be trying to post a blog with pictures from our trip and also one about La Carpio tonight if the internet continues to work!

Please pray for 12 year old Isaura. Pray for her life to be one that is one full of the abundance spoken of in John 10:10. Pray that God would keep her from temptation, protect her from evil and allow her opportunities to glorify him for the rest of her life!

The following pictures are of the girls playing dress up. Isaura was the princess, Isabelle was the ballerina and Audrey was the cat.

We're back...with internet troubles

Hi! Quick note to say we're back from Nicaragua. It was great- we LOVED it! I'll post pictures and more at a later time (I know I always say that...) but I only have a few minutes right now.

We are having some major troubles with our internet...still... Today is the first day I've been able to even get on the blog.

Please excuse the lack of posts and forgive me for not updating very much until we can get the problem fixed. Thanks :)

I wanted to post about a conversation I had with Isabelle today. She casually mentioned to me the other day that she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. Then again today she mentioned it. After a few minutes she said..."well, I either want to be a doctor or I want to own my own store." I said "Really? You're own store? What kind of store would you like to have?" She said either a McDonald's or s Burger King. Then she said, "Well, I really like Taco Bell, so maybe that."

It was pretty cute. I am not sure where she got those two ideas but we'll see where God takes her!

We're heading to Nicaragua...

HI! Just wanted to post that we'll be away from the computer for awhile. We are heading to Nicaragua to renew our Visas. We are now here in the country of Costa Rica as tourists, which means we have the right to remain here for 90 days at a time. After 90 days, we have to leave the country for a 72 hour period, then we are free to return again for another 90 period. This is a process we will repeat for the entirety of our life in Costa Rica...

Hassle? You might ask...At first we thought so. And to some degree it is. But also, we are extremely excited for the uninterrupted family time we will have and the time to actually relax!

The hardest part will be the 8 hour bus ride. We always pray for safety when we ride a bus like this, whic has only been about three times. Those three times though have all been a little scary at times. So you can pray for our safety as we travel on the bus.

We are somewhat nervous about crossing the border and also about getting from the bus stop to our destination which is about 30 minutes away. Aparently NIcaragua is not like Costa Rica in that they are buses running every 20 minutes or so. In NIcaragua there are only so many buses that run at the same times every day and if you miss those, you are out of luck...

There are taxis at the price of $70 a taxi per four people- which won't work for us...

So, anyway, you can pray for that part of the trip where we are trying to get from the bus stop to the hotel. We have to check the time the bus leaves from the stop and also find a grocery store to get groceries from before we leave the city as well!

(Sounds like it will be exciting, huh?)

We will be gone Monday through Friday. Thanks for your prayers!

GRADUATES!!!!!!

Today we officially graduated language school!!! WOHOO!!!!

After a long year of classes, tutoring, homework, endless notecards and exams...we are finally done with language school.

While we are no where near fluent, we have a great base to build on and we'll have the rest of our lives to perfect what we've learned the past year...

What have we learned? you might be wondering.

We've learned 15 different verb tenses and how to conjugate any verb into these 15 tenses. We've leaned 14 rules to the subjunctive verb tense. We've taken both oral and written exams; prepared, presented and moderated Bible Studies in Spanish; written countless papers on various topics and even debated some "hot topics" like death penalty, abortion and stem cell research both orally and through written papers.

It has been a great year and the teachers and staff at the Institue are really top of the line. We've grown to trsut and love many of them and it is great for us to have them here to lend us an ear and share life here with.

The fellow students we've met this past year will, in just a matter of days, be scattered all over Latin America as well as back in the states and other parts of the world as well. Countries like Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Mexico, Columbia, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Argentina just to name a few. For us, in part, today was a little sad. I, of course, shed a few tears. I have made some dear friends this past year who I will miss terribly. However, I have great joy because I know they will be taking the life-saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations! My sadness was momentary today because I know this is part of the plan God has for them and if they don't go, how will the people in those countries hear the good news of Jesus Christ?

Today, if for nothing else, was a reassurance of the good things God has done this past year. He has brought us so far in such a short time. He first created us, molded us over the early years of our lives, called us here, provided for us to be come here and remain here, and has created us for the purpose of being here. Today was the end of a great chapter in our lives. We now begin a new chapter sure to be full of things unimaginable to us now. We thank God for giving us the stregth to get to today and we petition Him for all we need for the days ahead.

Here are a few pictures from today...ENJOY!!


Matt and Brooke carrying the Costa Rican flag


Our family with the Costa Rican flag. Don't the girls look ADORABLE??? They have on their traditional Costa Rican dresses.


Some dear friends who will be returning to the states to start a Hispanic church plant in their city. Brian and Rebecca Harrison and their kids, Katie and Nick.


Our son, Ethan Matthew


Our Iz (or Isa, if we are speaking in Spanish)


The one and only Audrey Ann (with her "popi" or sucker)

the house, haircuts, goodbye friends and more...

Here are some more pictures that I've been meaning to post...I'll briefly describe each as we go :)


Iz and I both recently got haircuts. I went way short (like it?) and Sis got several inches cut herself. She loves and it looks so cute! I really like mine too. :)


Brooke with new hair!


The other day, Alex was over and he and Audrey had some bonding time reading Winnie the Pooh :)

Some pictures from some friends who've moved on to the countries they'll be ministrering in

Isabelle and her friend Megan


Ethan and Andrew (Audrey's buddy and friend from school, also Megan's little brother)


Brooke and some of her friends


Brooke and a few friends after a girls afternooon at the salon :)


Conner, Evan and Julia Van Minnen and the McClain kids :)

Finally, pictures of the house

Our living room


Audrey and Isabelle having a tea party in the school room :)


Ethan's room


The girls room


The kids bathroom


The dining room area


The kitchen


another view of kitchen


Our bathroom


Our bedroom

no internet...

Just a quick post to say we've had no internet for about a week...sorry for the delay in posts...I'll get something posted here in a few days- I hope :)