picture post

well, as promised, here are some pictures of our trip to the states...much sooner than you may have expected ;)

Enjoy!


Wii on the big screen...this one's for you, Marcos!



Airplane excitement!





Learnin' to fish











I had the wonderful blessing of being able to visit with old high school friends at the baby shower of one, Lindsey. It was a wonderful few hours of reminiscing, catching up and rejoicing.

Dana (Frey) Crum, Lindsey (Slipher) Thomas and Brooke (White) McClain


Tanner came to visit one night and spent the night with us. He drove by himself!!! How can he be that old? The kids had a blast with him.





Audrey Ann








Reuniting with the Huddleston's included a wonderful reunion, great food, fun with ferrets, and sweet times with Tucker!














Dean and Ethan-Ethan


Wedding rehearsal and flower girl bliss :)
























































I'll post more as time permits...but that about sums up the first two weeks :)

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!

What have we been up to?

Our time in the States is flying by quite fast...
I thought I'd update about our time here. This might be a long post...

We are staying with fiends who have a beautiful home on a man-made, stocked lake. One of the most fun things we have done is to fish on the lake. Mimi brought out fishing poles and worms one day and taught the kids to fish. Isabelle LOVES fishing! She caught on real quick and caught a fish very quickly! Over the course of that first day, she caught 6-7 little ones, that we threw back in. Ethan caught two or three himself and Matt caught a few also. But Iz really impressed me. By the end of the day she was baiting her own hook and releasing the fish from the hook on her own! She has sent several days out at the dock fishing and can't wait to go back! Audrey didn't have much patience with the whole fishing thing...but maybe one day. We hope to get a chance to fish with my brother and my dad and are eagerly waiting for them to come out one day. I have really great memories of fishing/camping trips with my family.

We've also spent time with family and friends. We shared meals with our both families as well as a slew of friends, long-time and some fairly new. Either way, the tapestry that God has weaved of our lives still amazes me and I am so very thankful for those He has made part of our lives.

The kids have enjoyed having their friends the Kelly kids as neighbors and have been together most days hanging out, riding bikes, and just playing. They were able to participate in VBS at one our supporting churches and soon to be home church (more to come on that later!) They really enjoyed it and had a blast! Iz was nervous about going the first night because she didn't know any of the kids. She made her way into the row and sat down next to little Hispanic girl. By the end of the night, Iz called me over telling me all about her new little friend. She said, "Mom, she speaks Spanish and English and we were talking in Spanish!"

Also, we have reconnected with our old neighbors, the Alquezad. We saw them the first time at the first night of VBS and it was a wonderful reunion! I saw Marta and could hardly contain myself as I made my way to her. Ariel, her youngest, looked up at me with her big brown eyes and smiled timidly. I asked her , in Spanish, if she remembered me but she just looked at me. Then I asked her in English, which is what she is used to hearing me speak, and she looked up at me with this big smile and said, "Yes, you are Brooke!" and then gave me a big hug! What a precious moment!

We saw Jennifer and Enrique later in the evening. Ethan and Enrique were in the same group, which was nice. They've grown up so much and speak English almost all t he time now. Jennifer actually did not want to speak Spanish with me because she said she forgot how. But I made her! :) (I needed to keep it up here as much as I can!) So she did. Marta commented on how much our Spanish has improved since we were back the last time. We spent an evening with them this week and ate supper together, which was really fun! We will see them at church this week also :)

Today is Courtney and Daniel's wedding. We had the rehearsal dinner last night and it was really fun. Isabelle had a little stage fright, but I think we've made it past it! Her and Audrey looked so cute! I practiced with their hair last night and I think I found a style that will work. Today, we've got the full beauty shop planned, including nails! I bought a great little nail kit for a $1.00 at the Dollar tree (I REALLY miss that store!) and so today I am going to give them pedicures and manicures! :) I also found shimmery lotion (for $1.00!!!) that I'll let them put on their arms! :) Courtney gave them each pretty tiara's that they LOVE! So, it should be a great day!

My mom and I have had some wonderful opportunities to shop and just be together, just the two of us, which I have really appreciated, thanks to my great husband! It has really been great seeing her!

Matt's mom and I are going to spend an afternoon at the spa next week ,which will be fun also! I just have to decide what to get done! Oh the choices!

We've got some fun things planned for our time left...I'll update more later!

Prayer for Mark and Meg

Please pray today for Mark and Meg, Valeria and Mariana.
Pray as they await the court date and decision about the adaption.

Bon Voyage...

Well, one more week has passed since my last post...sorry again...the days have flown by...Audrey has turned 5! WOW! If you can believe that! I missed being able to post something about her birthday...I will soon, but it was a great day!

The EWO team has been here for the past 10 days and it has been quite a whirlwind for us- but they have been great and God has used them for sure!

We've been busy back and forth to the local hospital with different tests and things trying to narrow down Izzy's cause of asthma, Audrey's stomach issues, and some things I've been dealing with...So far, everything has come back normal and clear of anything major and that is good! So we continue on trying to find the source of these ailments.

Tomorrow, Monday, we will be leaving bright and early for the states!! :)

WOHOO!!!

We'll be taking a month long rest and relaxation visit and are very much looking forward to it! We'll be staying with friends and just cannot wait to see our families and friends!

Once we get settled, I'll post more and get some pictures up here. My computer went out last week and so I have been offline for most of the week. We figured out it is a faulty keyboard and have ordered the replacement...hopefully I'll get it going by Wednesday...errr...well, rather, Matt will get it going...heehee...since I am so technologically inept!

Anyway, I'll catch up more soon!

I apologize for the lack of posts...as you might expect, it has been really crazy around here. The Rock Hill team has come and gone. You can read their team blog at www.clfcostarica.com We had a great time getting to know them and enjoyed watching God work through them.

Rock Hill left Friday and in the afternoon the East White Oak team came in. It is great seeing their familiar faces, those who we've met before.

I ask for pray for them this next days as they serve mainly n Tejarcillos. Pray for God's guidance, wisdom and protection.

Today, especially ask for your prayers for Isabelle. We are still trying to figure out the right medicine for her, the best plan of action, are running different tests to determine if there are certain allergies involved, etc. In the meantime, she has somewhat had her life robbed from her. She does not feel well and is trying to adjust to the medicine. She has some good days, some not so god days and some days where she feels down right rotten...like today. We are awaiting test results for certain common allergies that we should get back Friday. If some symptoms she is experiencing from the new medicine do not go away by that time, we may have to switch to yet a different medicine.

I just ask that you pray for her. I've been home with her since Friday evening...just watching her as she goes about the day, trying to note what gets her tired, how she feels after certain activities, when she seems to feel the worst, best, etc.

I hate seeing her not feel well. I don't feel quite comfortable leaving her with anyone else yet...and she just isn't up to going anywhere...although I think she is starting to get stir crazy.

My only prayer is that symptoms will let up once we get to Indiana next week. Her little lungs could sure use a rest! And fresh air!

Adios, East Hill...Hola Rock Hill

This morning we said good-bye to East Hill team from Pensacola. We had a great two weeks with them and made some great connections this time around. Last time they were here, Matt and I were still in school and we hardly got to know them at all. It was a wonderful blessing to spend so much more time with them this time. We have been blessed by their presence here and they will be missed. My girls are asking for them tonight and Ethan misses his buddy, Jerod.

This afternoon, a brand new team to the ministry arrived. Rock Hill from South Carolina will be serving with us for the next week. Most of them have never been out of the states before, so they are all n a bit of a shock with all they are seeing and learning about our lives here. And they have so many questions, which s always fun. Meg and I were talking about how much fun t s to have a brand new team like this because everything is new and they have so much they want to learn and know about. Matt and I had the chance to sit and talk with some members of the team tonight after supper and t was fun learning about them and answering their questions.

Their main focus will be in La Carpio, but they will also hold a special Mother Daughter dinner in Tejarcillos with brand new moms as the focus.

Please prpay for ths team ths week. Pray for good health, stamina and for them to be open to God using them in the ways He has planned. Pray for them as they see so much that s so very different than all that they are used too and that despite being out of their comfort zone, they will look to see the face of Christ and seek to serve Him.

East Hill team

We are nearing the end of the Pensacola East Hill Christian School team's time here. It has been a joy watching them work and getting to know all of them. Janene and Pam are always wonderful to work with and this time has been especially fun. It has been really nice getting to know them better as well as the kids on the team and Crisitna, too :)

Please continue to pray for them to finish strong with the VBS in Tejarcillos and for God to give them good health and strength and endurance.

Check out www.clfcostarica.com for their team updates as well as pictures from their time here.

Also, please continue to pray for our girls. Isabelle is on a second antibiotic, an anti-asthmatic medicine, to help get her back to her normal self. If she is not feeling more peppy and with more energy by next week, we will be back at the doctor with her. Yesterday, I took Audrey in and found out she has a respiratory infection. Three meds for her. She is a sick little thing right now...you know she's sick when she hardly talks and her little eyes are droopy all day. When she is sick, the house feels so different. She can be so wild and she keeps me going, sometimes to the brink of exhaustion with all the running after her that I do...but I'll take that any day to her being sick...and not hearing that infectious laugh of hers. Matt got them all three laughing last night and it was good to hear her laugh, albeit, somewhat seal-like barky cough...but a luagh none-the-less.

So, just please keep praying against the attacks the enemy keeps pulling out o us and our girls. Pray for sweet rest for them and all of us when we head to the states at the end of this month as well.

God answers simple prayer

Yesterday God answered a simple prayer of mine that he has been hearing for almost three years.

We traveled to Guacimo yesterday with the East Hill team. You may remember this area from back in April when our team went and visited Patricia and Pablo for the day. It is about two hours away from San Jose. We received the invitation back in April on that day to come back and hold a VBS for the church. So, the planning began and it was decided that the East Hill team would be the perfect team to bring with us. The team leaders are super organized and no matter how many kids show up, no matter the weather, no matter what happens, everything always runs smoothly with Janene and Pam. :) They are like the VBS directors dream team ;) [And that comes from a former VBS director herself] :)

The last time we were there, Patricia had told me that her sister, Mercedes, was coming to live with her very soon. Now, three years ago, when I first came to Costa Rica, I met a little boy named Jeffrey on the very first day of the trip. I fell in love with this little boy and he will always have a piece of my heart. I also met Jeffrey's big brother, Jonathan, and his little sisters, Gretel and Alison, who was just a baby, and his mom, Mercedes. (Patricia's sister) When Matt and I came to CR together on what was our vision trip, we were able to spend time with the whole family one evening in their home. I remember playing with Jeffrey and Gretel and talking with Merecedes. Throughout the year and some odd months before moving to CR, we sent letters and pictures back and forth and we prayed for them every night.

Fast forward to last week...I received a phone call one night from who? Mercedes! Imagine my surprise to hear her voice. She wanted to call me to tell me that she was in Costa Rica again living at Patricia's. She was so giggly and excited on the phone ands she wanted to make sure that we were coming with the team and if our kids were coming. We talked and caught up on our lives.

So, Wednesday, God saw fit to reunite us and it was such a sweet day! Lots of hugs and happy tears :) I recognized Gretel immediately when I first saw her and she came running up to me as if we had just seen each other yesterday. And a little later I saw Jeffrey- I cannot tell you how sweet that hug was from him :)

And a little later Mercedes came down to the church. It was a very sweet reunion. All of this was wonderful and we were able to spend several different moments catching up and spending time together.

I am so thankful that God answered the prayer of mine to reunite us one day and for Mercedes and her family to meet ours. But the sweetest thing God did for me that day was to allow me to see my son Ethan playing with my sweet little buddy Jeffrey. I introduced them right away and they hung together at different point s throughout the day. Near the end of the day, I watched as they walked down to the creek bed together, arms around each other, and began throwing rocks into the creek, like they'd been friends forever. Of course, this is really nothing new for Ethan, who is a friend to all. But I had prayed long ago that God would one day allow Ethan and Jeffrey to meet and it was so sweet to watch them play together.

Would you pray for this church in Guacimo. Would you pray for the pastor and his wife. Their seems to be an interest in discipleship, but I really think they have no idea how to even begin. Would you pray for Patricia and her family and Mercedes and hers that they would walk in the way of the Lord and now that they are together, hold each other accountable. Would you pray for those sweet little children that God would provide positive, godly influences in their lives. And thank God with us for waht he did through the team from East Hill on that day. It seemed that the church was greatly encouraged, especially the women. There were some 40 women or more their that day and they were so thankful to Neris for her teaching and said they had never experienced something like that before. The kids loved the puppet show and the drama and had never seen anything like it.

Here are a few pictures of the day.


Reunited after three years :)



Jeffrey Brooke and Audrey


Mercedes Alison and Brooke



God is SO good - Ethan and Jeffrey


boys being boys


Alison and Mercedes


Ethan and Jeffrey

Inthe scheme of life this is one thing that God could have passed over and never thought twice about allowing me the opportunity...however, to me, it was a small reminder of his infinite care for even the small things that are desires of ours. We serve such a loving, caring god. Praise Him and thank Him today for the small things in life.


Our families together

Audrey update

Just wanted to let you know Audrey is still having tummy issues. We have done two rounds of exams and still don't know what is going on...Just waiting but in the meantime she is still experiencing pain. We are going to try cutting out milk and dairy to see if that helps...This should be interesting. If you would continue to life her up in prayer it would be great :)

The East Hill team arrived yesterday and things are going great. What a great group of people :)Check out www.clfcostarica.com for pictures and updates.

Psalm 23

Reflect today on the promises and hope found in these words from David...

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.



Psalm 23 (The Message)
A David Psalm
1-3 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.

5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.

6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.

A great afternoon for Isabelle

All I can say is thank you to those that are praying! God is listening and answering! I posted first thing this morning about several prayer requests for this week, including the health of our girls. Isabelle has felt icky for almost a week now, even on medicine. Even this morning, she woke up and told me she was so tired and she just didn't feel well. By this evening, she was like her old self. I am not kidding- the change was so quick and tonight when she when to bed she said "Mommy, I really feel better!"

Thank you so much form the bottom of my heart for your prayers on her behalf!

Please keep praying for Audrey as she will be having some test run to see what is going on with her little belly.

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
for thine is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever. Amen."

"Praise Him from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."

Specific Prayer Requests for this week

Here are specific prayer requests for this week:

Please pray for Mark and Meg, Valeria and Mariana this week. Mark and Meg have been in the process of trying to adopt Mariana and Valeria for close to 2 years. It has been along process and like anything in Latin America, full of many unexpected twists and turns. This week, they each have separate interviews with what is like Costa Rica's CPS in order to evaluate the living situations, the girls and Mark and Meg before the decision is granted to allow the adoption of Mariana and Valeria to continue. please pray for God's hand to be upon these interviews. That they may encounter people who are believers, people who seek to do what is best, people who will see the love that these four have for each other. Pray that in each interview the four of them have peace knowing God is in control of their lives, these interviews and this decision. He knows each of them and loves them and His Will will be done. Pray they will feel His presence with them this week.

Please pray for Becca as she is set to arrive this week. Please pray for her to have peace as she prepares to say good-bye to family and friends and prepares for the next year serving with our team. Please pray that her support would grow and that she would have the funds she needs to be able to serve the Lord here for the next year. She currently lacks significant funds.

Please pray for the Pensacola team that arrives Thursday and will be here for two weeks. This is a very familiar team to the ministry and are a joy to have here. Please pray for their strength and stamina as they will be in all three areas of La Carpio, Los Guido and Tejarcillos doing VBS as well as a fourth area, Guacimo helping a church their with a VBS as well. Pray for God's protection and that He would go before us and open the hearts of many to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please continue to pray for the health of Isabelle and Audrey. Neither one is feeling much better. They have good periods during the day, but then they basically crash out of tiredness and/or pain. Isabelle- from asthma symptoms and Audrey from headaches and stomach aches. I will be calling the doctor back about both of them today. Pray for healing.

Please pray this week as I try to line up child care for our children during these next five weeks of non-stop teams. This is not an easy thing for me to do for several reasons, the first being that they are sick and I do not like leaving them with anyone when they are sick. I also feel so strongly that they are my primary responsibility and I feel a little out of whack thinking about so much time away from them, so you can pray for me as I seek wisdom from the Lord in this. Also pray for the girl we have chosen to watch them. Pray that she will be faithful and be available when she says she will be. Please pray for no cancellations during this time frame.

Please also pray for our team, as I have asked before, during this time that we would take time to give our bodies rest when we are able, that we would keep our focus on Christ, and speaking for our family personally, that our family would remain our priority. Pray for smoothness in the teams, pray for protection from the enemy and most of all that lives would be changed by the power of the gospel.

(The last two requests span more than just this week, but throughout the month of August)

Also, through several emails and blogs, I have seen a number of our friends in the field feeling similar attacks as our family seems to be experiencing. Whether financially, through health related issues, physical safety or personal protection, a variety of issues...it is all the same: faithful servants in the field are feeling the attacks of the enemy. Please pray specifically this week against spiritual warfare and the attacks of the enemy for those you know serving in the field as God leads you.

Thank you for praying.

Quite a week...

I don't have long this morning but I wanted to apologize for the lack of posts this week and also try to catch you all up on our week...it has been a doozy...

I haven't been able to post anything all week because Blogger would not allow me to access my post page for some reason. I don't know why but finally this morning I could get on. We have to leave in about an hour so this will be quick...

Isabelle started feeling yucky last Sunday evening. Monday she told me she said it hurt to breathe and she was really tired all day. I tried to get her an appointment for Tuesday but couldn't get in until Wednesday. I did not think she was in an emergency state, but she was wheezing noticeably. So, we got to the doctor Wednesday and he diagnosed her with asthma (the times before her symptoms were like those of asthma but it had not yet gotten to the point of a diagnosis). He could tell she was considerably worse this time than the previous times. She is now on Symbicort and will remain on it for the next three months. We are to monitor her and keep her resting as much as possible and really watch her overdoing it. She is struggling, though. She does not have her full energy level back yet and she is still really tired and gets tired with very little activity. She is even more sensitive than usual and will cry at the drop of a hat.

It pains me greatly to see her this way and I ask for your prayers for her during this time.

That same day, I also had an appointment for Audrey. She has complained of a stomach ache for about three weeks off and on. I thought it may be a parasite of some kind but it has not caused her extreme discomfort nor had she experienced most of the main sypmtoms of one so I thought it was not that. The doctor felt, however, that the best first step was to treat her for one and then she if that takes care of the pain. If not, we will go back for some tests to see what the problem might be. So, we decided to all take the medicine as a preventative measure. You can take it to prevent contracting a parasite once a year. Parasites are very easily contracted and are very common. We are all doing fine and Audrey seems to be better, although she has complained twice of a stomach ache. Please pray this medicine takes care of it!

All that was enough to wipe us out and cause me to probably go overboard on the protective mommy spectrum, but I am keeping Isabelle home as much as possible. We feel like it is better to do that than her get overwhelmed outside the house and get worse...

But there is more... :)

Yesterday was the fourth day Audrey had complained of her tooth hurting (her upper right molar). I called the dentist first thing in the morning to try to get her in. We went for her appointment at 1:30. The office works with a pediatric specialist and had called her in for the appointment. She was very nice and spoke almost perfect English, which is always a plus. :) After doing x-rays, she could see that Audrey had significant decay in that tooth, actually to the nerve. She thought that an emergency removal of the decay and then placing of a cap was necessary. So, I explained to Audrey what was going to happen and she was cool with it. The doctor kept speaking to her in English which was so nice of her. After she got the spacer thingy on the tooth and then the little tent to catch the yuck and decay, Audrey got a little freaked out. Then the dentist had to use the little thing to keep your mouth open. She just got a little scared and nervous I think. She did great through the numbing and the shot, but this was a little too much for her. The dentist, Lisbeth, offered for me to move the stool I was using right up next to the chair so Audrey could hold my hand.

What a way to break your self in to the dentist, huh?

Well, after about three hours, it was all said and done. It was really rough for her (and for me, too...to watch her be so uncomfortable...) but she did really wonderful! I am so proud of her. She kept saying she wanted to be done and I would say just a little bit longer. Just have to do and then this. And she would lay back down and let Lisbeth do her thing, even though she really didn't want to.

So, now she has a shiny new cap on her back tooth and can't eat anything gooey, chewy or sticky. The doctor gave us instructions and I didn't think Audrey was paying attention, but as soon as we got home she told her Daddy everything she could do, couldn't eat, and all that had happened.

Each of her molars has some decay. The other three are significantly less and Lisbeth does not think they will need caps. But we have to go back three more times to get those done. Please pray for Audrey to be brave again and for it to get taken care of. Lisbeth just thinks that she isn't get those teeth with the toothbrush so we just have to help her and be more regimined with her.

If you could pray for us as a family. We are certain this is the enemy's way to attack us through our children. And it works- nothing is harder to watch or deal with than having sickness or medical problems with your kids...But greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

As many of you know, we are experiencing very low support levels. Unexpected medical bills quickly add up. We are very thankful to have recently received an offering specifically for our family and we were able to pay for these things this week.

Would you please pray with us for God to grow our partnerships with committed families and churches during this time of need?

Please continue to pray against the attacks of the enemy as well.

Random pictures

Mateo after his birthday eggs! EEEWWWW!!!


Super sweet picture of Daisy, Jonathan and Rebeca (Tejarcillos) youngest daughter


Sheila, Jonathan and Rebeca's oldest daughter

Thanks to recent generous gifts from friends and families for birthdays and just because...we've been able to purchase bikes for our kids. Isabelle and Ethan both got one for their birthdays and we also decided to give Audrey her present early, since we'll be leaving for the states a few days after her birthday this year. We have the best days heading down to the park and letting them just ride. It has given them great exercise and countless hours of fun at home just riding in the garage.

Here is Audrey on her new bike :)





Blogger is not letting me post any more pictures tonight...so more will come another day...

Gearing up

We just finished with the Sharon Baptist team. We spent a few wonderful days with a mix of people from Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. We were extremely encouraged by Brother Jerry, Marvin and Teresa, Latrelle and Jacob, and many others on the team. It was awesome hearing the reports of the people who accepted Christ and we are awaiting the follow-up to see how many will begin discipleship groups.

Matt and Ron did an amazing job leading this team. At times it was stressful and confusing trying to get everything figured out, but the hard work and hours of planning paid off as the days activities ran smoothly and were organized. It appeared everyone was well fed and full each day and many times we even had extras for seconds.

We came out well above budget, Praise the Lord and I really enjoyed being behind the scenes and being able to be with Meg more. Usually we are running different schedules and rarely see each other, but this week we were together every day. The kids did so well, although they were really tired yesterday, as were Matt and I. We were blessed to find a babysitter (after two failed attempts) for Wednesday evening and she worked at wonderfully. You can pray that it will work out for her to be able to help us through the stretch of teams we have coming up.

Please pray for our team as we head into the long stretch of back-to-back teams. Starting June 25 we have teams here non-stop through July 27. Pray for each team coming from the states. Pray for God's wisdom as we will be traveling to a new area this month with the first team. Ask God for his protection as we organize many different VBS's and new activities. Pray for God to allow us special moments of down time throughout these four weeks. Pray that we will seek God's wisdom about what our kids can do and what we can all do as a family.

We will be heading back to the states on July 27th for about a month. We are hoping for an extended period of rest. We will be support raising as well. Please pray for our support as we are at a very low monthly level now. We are not immune to the poor economy and have felt the stress significantly. We praise God for the way he works in the hearts of other believers at just the right times and are thankful for faithful prayer partners who act in obedience to God's leading.

If you'd like to meet with us during our time in the states, please contact us by phone, email, leave a comment here or facebook.

Thank you for your prayers in advance for the upcoming teams. We praise God for the willingness to serve from so many of you back there!

Happy BIrthday, Matthew

Today is Matthew's 34th birthday. We celebrated with cake last night with the team at La Finca and, of course, eggs! It was really fun. Today is a day of rest for which we are very thankful. We took Latrelle and Jacob and the Spencer boys to the airport this morning. There was a lot of traffic, so during the trip we had a really good talk with them all and it was a nice chance to get to know them all a little better. After we dropped them, off, we drove to the road at the end of the runway to try and watch a plane taking off. We were just in time to watch one take off- it was sweet! Then, thanks to a gift from a special couple that was to be used to celebrate Matt's birthday, we ate breakfast at Denny's. This may not be a treat in the states, but here it is. We've only been there once before and it is really good food! This afternoon has been spent relaxing and getting caught up on email and other things. We are about to settle down and watch some movies together and be in for the night. A great way to celebrate the day!

In honor of my husband, I wanted to share a few of the many reasons I love him.

1. He loves Jesus and seeks to be obedient to Him in all things.

2. He loves me enough to stick it out even when it is tough.

3. He is my best friend.

4. He is a great dad and he loves his kids.

5. He searches for the answers to life in the Bible and seeks wisdom and knowledge from the Lord.

6. He seeks and respects the advice of godly men.

7. He loves to share with others about how God has worked in his life and what God is doing in his life.

8. He is funny and goofy and loves to laugh.

9. He values family and seeks to keep us a priority.

10. He desires to be changed daily by the God who created him, saved him and loves him.

11. He desires the best for us.

12. He is a hard worker.

13. He is super smart and I learn so much from him.

14. He is very teachable and willing to learn and wants to be taught.

15. I love to sit and talk with him for hours after the kids have went to bed. We share our dreams, our hopes, everything...I love this about him.

16. He thinks differently than me. Yes, I've learned this is a good thing ;) Because of this he brings to me a different perspective and we make a good team.

17. He loves to play with the kids and shares special times with each of them.

18. He has always tried to make it possible for me to be home with our kids as much as possible. For this, I will forever be thankful.

19. His greatest desire is to serve Jesus wherever, whenever and with whoever God chooses.

20. He helps me around the house often, not just when I ask, but many times without any prompting.

21. He has made sacrifices to provide for our family; to follow God's leading; and to live the life God has called him to.

22. We've spent 10 years of marriage together and a few more before that getting to know each other, nurturing our love for each other, and each day, I grow to love him more and more. I am thankful every day to God for this man He has given me to spend my life with.

Please pray for my hubby today as we celebrate his life. If you think about it- send him an email or leave him a comment to encourage him today.

Sharon Baptist team

Just a quick post to ask you all to pray for the Sharon Baptist team that arrives tonight (Monday) and will be sharing the gospel and distributing food bags to the people of Tejarcillos and La Carpio. Please pray that God will open hearts even now of those he has already chosen to accept His free gift of salvation. Tomorrow the team will be in Tejarcillos and Wednesday they will be in La Carpio. Please pray for safety and proctection for the teaam as well as our local team, including members from Los Guido and Tejarcillos churches. Also pray for those sharing the gospel from both churches that God may speak through them. That they may speak with clarity and effectively share the good news that Jesus Christ has for them.

Please also pray for Matt has he is leading this team with Ron. Pray for him to effectively and quickly think on his feet if and when issues arise. Pray for strength and stamina as the days begin early and will end late. Pray for him to be free from sickness as he is currently fighting a sinus cold. Please pray that God will allow Him to see the fruit of his labor with many new believers and many who commit to learning about the decision they've just made by receiving discipleship.

Pray also that things will run smoothly with the food. This is my first shot at organizing, buying and preparing the food. My biggest concern right now is staying under budget, so if you could pray that we would come out under budget, I would greatly appreciate it. My main concern related to our family is the kids health. All are complaining of headaches and stomach aches. Ethan was not feeling well tonight before he went to bed. pLease pray that they will be free from sickness these next few days. Please also pray for them on Wednesday as they will be home with a friends from Tejarcillos church, Nubia. She has agreed to watch them for me for the day while I am in La Carpio for lunch. Please pray that all will be well with them throughout the day.

Thank you for faithfully praying for the ministry here and for our lives as well.

picture post

Here are a few recent pictures that I have been meaning to post. Enjoy!


This is from Mimi's visit in May. We went down to the Children's Museum one day. We snapped this picture of Mimi and her grandbabies :)


We all recently got haircuts :)
Audrey Ann wanted short hair like Mommy


She is so stinking cute :)


Mommy's haircut


Ethan's "Harry Potter" haircut


Isabelle's haricut


My sweet Isa


Fun with a McDonald's mask
The goal was to wear the mask and make a frown so Mommy could take a picture
Isa's attempt at not smiling...


Izzy holding back a smile


Couldn't hold it back any longer :)


Audrey trying hard not to smile


Holding back a smile (literally)


Audrey giving in to the laughter :)


For several days in a row, the girls set out to build a tent in there room. They did a really great job and spent several days playing inside it. One night they all three wanted to try sleeping in it. It didn't quite work out, so they all ended up in their own beds after many attempts at trying to stay quite not quite working out...but, all in all it was a pretty sweet tent :)


Isabelle and Audrey's tent

Despite our lives as missionaries living in a foreign country, I strongly believe it is my responsibility to provide as much of a normal life as possibly for our children. As their mom, I've got to make them top priority: their spiritual health, physical health, education, and just plain having fun. I fear that sometimes I don't give an accurate glimpse of these fun times in our lives. Hope you enjoy these pictures and that they help you remember we are just a normal family living out the calling God has given us.

A not so normal day...and one I'll never forget

Today was quite a day. It is a day I will never forget. Everything about our experiences today made me so thankful for the blessings God has given us here and our resources to be able to help others that come directly from His hands.

This morning, as every Tuesday morning, we left the house about 8:30 to head to the weekly prayer time. We had a wonderful time of prayer and then Matt and I and the kids headed to Jazmin for discipleship with Katerin. We arrived a little late, but got started and finished just in time to get her off to school. We always drop her off at school on our way out of Tejarcillos on Tuesday mornings. Today, her mom, Jessi, came with us so she could take lunch to her oldest daughter, Jazmin, who has a scholarship to a private Christian school. We stopped at the corner by the school to drop her off. She had her youngest daughter, Monica and her son, Jose ("HOE-say"), who is just a year old. Jessi got out of the car holding Jose. Monica then got out and as she did, she slipped and fell on the ground next to the car. Jessi set Jose down right next to her to pick up Monica. Within a few seconds, Jose had walked a few steps and was near the edge of the sidewalk. As I looked at him I saw that he had walked right to the sewage drain. I yelled "Jose!" just as Jessi stepped towards him.

**As a note to those who've never been here or to a third world country: sewage drains, manhole, and other service type things that create holes in the ground generally are NOT covered! This one was NOT covered that was near Jose.***

Just as Jessi neared him, Jose slipped down into the hole. I cannot express to you the dread that filled my heart at that moment, let alone the fear I saw in Jessi's face. She immediately jumped down into the hole, which was at the least waist-deep. I jumped out of the car to help her in whatever way I could. She and I were finally able to wriggle him out. She sat with him and held him as a crowd began to gather. This was actually very encouraging for me to see. So many gathered around were generally concerned. Two older gentlemen were very concerned. One was giving Jessi advice about not moving Jose too much and brought over a rag to clean him up. Another brought out two glasses of water for Jessi and Jose. The first one got a policeman from somewhere, who unfortunately was reluctant to help in any way. They were both advising Jessi to get Jose to a clinic quickly. I left with Katerin to get lunch to Jazmin as they tried to figure out what to do. Before I left with Katerin, I made sure Monica was okay. She had been standing back by herself and I went to pick her up and she just burst out into tears, sobbing out of sheer fear, I am sure, of what she had just seen. She got calmed down and then Matt took her and held her while Katerin and I took off. When we came out of the school, Matt was waiting on us at the front gate. We then dropped Katerin off at school and headed back to Jessi's house to get Jose's papers she would need to have him seen by a doctor. Then we headed to a nearby clinic where he could be seen by a doctor.

I was so shook up myself from seeing what had happened, but the look on Jessi's face was a look I will never forget. To see your child slip away from you like that is something I hope to never experience. But I was glad that I could be with my sister-in-Christ at this time in her life. I asked her if she'd like me to come in with her and she said yes. Matt stayed with our kids and Monica while we went inside. Jessi got right in, but I couldn't go with her so I stayed outside and prayed while she was in there. She came back out after not too long with instructions to go to another clinic to get x-rays done. So, we headed over that way but encountered an accident that had blocked traffic so we had to turn around and go another way, which added about 20 minutes, at least, to the trip. Once we got there, we found the cafeteria and got Monica and our kids fed while Jessi went to get the x-rays. She wasn't gone long and we ordered her some food and then took off back to the first clinic, so she could see the doctor and he could look at the x-rays. Once we got back to the fist clinic, Jessi had to wait a little bit for the doctor to get back from lunch. Matt and I and the kids hung out outside and had a wonderful time with Monica. She is such a sweet little kid. She is only four, but she speaks as if she is much older. She is super smart and has a quick wit that keeps you on your toes and laughing most of the time. She reminds me so much of our niece, Samantha.

After about an hour, Jessi got in and saw the doctor. He looked Jose over and looked at the x-rays and determined nothing was broken or wrong with Jose. He is bumped up and bruised pretty bad, with several large goose-eggs on his head. But, he was back to his normal cheery self by the time it was all said and done.

We got back to the car and Jessi was overwhelmed with the day's events. She thanked us over and over again for taking care of Monica and staying with her throughout the day and taking her to the different clinics. Of course, for us, it was no big deal. God blessed us with this van and it is a huge help to the daily ministry. What a blessing it was today to be able to take her around today. The whole process took about 4 1/2 hours, but if she had to do it alone- who knows how long it would have taken with the bus and traffic and all those factors. She said she was thankful I was able to be with her and I, too, was thankful that God allowed me to be part of her day. Although, I didn't have many words of comfort, I was able to just be there for here and I am forever thankful to God for that. Again, the terror on her face will not be something I forget.

Matt and I were talking on the way home about how much worse it could have been for little Jose. It was not raining today, praise the Lord. If it had been, he could have been caught and swept down the sewer pipes in a flash. The hole itself had re bar and jagged metal sticking out from it and it is so hard to believe that he suffered no broken bones or anything worse than what he did from the fall due to the jaggedness of the hole and the rough edges.

We also remembered being down here in Costa Rica on what was really our vision trip with Mark and Meg. We spent about 6 hours in the emergency room of a local clinic with Mark and a family from Los Guido. One of the girls had really messed up her ankle and Mark took the mom and three girls to the clinic so the oldest could be seen. Matt and I hung out in the waiting area with the two youngest girls and we remember that night still to this day. We had hardly any Spanish, but God used that night to weave our hearts together with those two girls and to this day we still have a relationship with the youngest, Michel, who is now a leader in the church.

Of course, that night, we never imagined we would have a similar experience three years later, but God works just like that. Today, while very scary in what happened, was a wonderful opportunity to grow our relationship with this family. The time spent with Monica was priceless and my only hope is that we were able to be Christ to Jessi today. And, it appears, that Jose has only some nasty bumps and bruises, which is a miracle in itself.

Here are a few pictures of Jose and Monica from earlier this year.


Brooke and Monica


Jose and Monica


Jose


Jose

When we sat at dinner tonight, Isabelle prayed before the meal and she prayed a sweet prayer for Jose. Then, Ethan shared that he had the girls praying for Jose as the whole event was going on. The girls had, thankfully, stayed in the car, like good girls. Isabelle said that she had told Audrey she thought they should stay in the car since it was kinda dangerous right there. (We were stopped on the corner of a busy intersection and she was right it would have been dangerous for them to have been out there at that moment. So, while they were sitting in the car, they were praying for Jose and Jessi and the whole thing. Is that not the sweetest thing you have ever heard? :) I told Isabelle and Audrey how very much that meant to God that they took the the time to ask him to take care of Jose and that he would be ok.

If our children learn one thing from life as missionary kids, I can only hope that they learn reliance on our Lord, Jesus Christ, and to do just what they did today, go to him at all times: times of fear, times of happiness, times of anger, times of need....in all things. Praise you, Father, for your mighty hand of protection today with little Jose. Praise you Father, for a day spent with our family in Christ. Thank you Father for your many blessings, like a vehicle that allows us to minister in times of immediate need. Thank you for children who come to you in times of uncertaintity or fear. thank you for working in my children's heart. Keep and watch over Jose tonight, Father. I love you, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.