Home again

To update you:
We are back home again in Costa Rica...we arrived late Tuesday night and found Gatita (our cat) and Wally (our hamster) both alive and well and the all well with the house (gracias Coco!).

Our time in the states was really indescribable, honestly. We experienced so much in such a short time: so much love, so much food, so much peace, so much time with family and loved ones, so much food, so many blessings, so many hugs, so much food, so much wonderful worship (in English!), so many good, deep and challenging conversations (in English!) and, oh yeah, SO MUCH FOOD!!! (Did I mention that?) It is a good thing airlines don't charge you by your weight difference from arrival to departure because Matt and I would have been in trouble! Let's just say for one of us there was a double digit amount of pounds added!!! (Ay jay Jay!!!) We seriously ate so much I am still full today!

We were able to reconnect with many supporters, spend countless hours watching and enjoying the lake, spend priceless time with family, bask in the goodness of our God, were greatly encouraged by special friends and family members and also challenged by what God is teaching us, and also able to make official our relationship with our long time friends at First Evangelical Presbyterian by becoming members (even if we are destined to be long-distant). We shared some precious time with Pastor Tom sharing our hearts, struggles, needs, and prayers. We shared two Sundays with our church family in worship and even got to hear a missionary from Africa speak one of those weeks! We formed a stronger bond with our brothers and sisters from Hickory Grove church and were so blown away for their love for us! Thank you for letting us visit and share about what God is doing with you!

There is no way we could ever thank our friends, Tim and Sue, for their unbelievable kindness and hospitality. They graciously opened their home to us- all 5 of us!!!- for our month-long stay and never once complained or seemed irritated or looked as if they longed for their peace and quiet back during the whole time. They even opened their home to our family and friends- complete strangers to them, but loved ones to us, and that is all that mattered to them- making sure we were able to be loved and to love on those we loved. We had visitors all the way from Michigan- THANK YOU Doug and Karen!!- for your visit and for sharing some really special moments with us! God is so good to have allowed us sweet moments with our special friends. Then, on our last full day, we were surprised with a visit with Alex, aka: Uncle Peanut- all the way from Guatemala! His grandma went to be with Jesus and so he came back to be with family. He had a couple of days in between family things, so he came down to spend the evening and night with us and then helped take us (and all of our stuff) to the airport in Chicago. We had just enough time to catch lunch at Panera (YYUUUUUMMMMM!!) with his mom before heading to O'Hare!

We faced some tough stuff while back with family and I ask that as we re-adjust life in Costa Rica, you pray for us as we think and pray for specific family members. Also, you can pray for us as we look forward to what God has in store for us and some changes that we see Him leading us to as we look ahead. Pray also as the kids and I prepare to begin the new school year. Pray for it to be exciting, productive and most of all- FUN!! I am going a new, uncharted route this year- more of an "unschooling" way of looking at things, if you will and I am so excited! We brought home at two suitcases (plus) of books DVD's and other material for the year. Pray as we get organized. Pray that this year will be much more smooth than last and that I will be committed to the ministry of raising, caring for, building up, discipling and schooling our three blessings. Pray for Matt and I as we look at each other in new, more loving ways. Pray as we re-connect with each other and study each other. Pray that we might grow closer than ever before, that our relationship blossom and grow as God desires it to do, with Him at the center and more apart of our lives than ever before. Pray as we step out in obedience to him, Our Creator, Our King, Our Savior and follow Him wherever He leads us. Pray for us as we seek to make our marriage, our roles as parents, our daily lives, our most intimate moments with Jesus, our roles as missionaries, our quiet private moments that no one sees- all of things- pray that all would match up to what God desires for each of us- that each one- that all- bring glory to His name.

I have so many pictures to download to the computer and then post...give me time and please be patient with me :)

Today we spent the day cleaning (we've been gone for a month, six-weeks of teams before that and a bachelor lived here for a month - you can only imagine how badly this poor house needed cleaned!), sorting, unpacking and organizing today. Had to get a few groceries to get us by until I can get away to actually stock the fridge and cabinets, and fianlly sat down all together tonight and watched Robin Hood together (the Disney cartoon version). Now I'm off to bed! Sweet dreams!