Children's Home

This last week I went back to Coronado where I was teaching English last year to visit with the caregivers and the children!! I have missed them so much. I have been wanting to visit the 2 ladies who care for the children. Time and time again I have seen so many people come to minister to the children but nobody to encourage these ladies. They have sacrificed so much and don't have any help.

Imagine you with 8-11 kids!!!!! INSANITY. Also imagine that on top of that, that these kids come with behavioral issues/ most have been abused. Needless to say.......they need encouragement/ other adults to talk to. These ladies live there for 15 days and then get 2 days off. During the 15 days, they don't leave the children's home. So, it occurred to me that it would be cool to go up there once a week or once every 2 weeks and give them manicures and just chat with them.

So I had a blast chatting with them and then played with the kids for a bit. I really love these ladies and kids. Even though I am no longer teaching there, I hope to visit them when time permits. Please remember these amazing women in your prayers. It's a very stressful job and its really hard to just draw close to God amidst the chaos.

Moving!!!!

I am soooo excited to say that I will be moving to a mold free, cockroach free house in one week!!!!! God opened the doors not only for a house but also another room mate!!! My friend Brooke from Calgary will be living with me while she is studying Spanish at the institute. She is my age and has been called to work in Talamanca, a indigenous community close to the Panamanian border. So I have a wonderful friend from my hometown who is also called to CR long term. AWESOME! Even better, while I am in Canada she will be there to be with and encourage Marilyn. I was a bit worried what would happen with Marilyn while I was away. God has his ways of working things out. I know that this house will be a success because my missionary friends have been living there the last year and in a week will be moving to Honduras to do missions......so.....no surprises this time!! NO MORE MOVING PLEASE!

I met with the landlords last night, and they are the sweetest people ever. Their not looking to make money renting the house they just want good tenants. I even chatted with their daughter for a bit and we might hang out sometime! They even lowered a already cheap rent for me! Also with a new room mate, my cost of living will go down a lot! Amen!!! So I'm looking forward to it........really it came just in time.......I found a baby tarantula in my house yesterday and was thinking......what else is in this house that I don't know about??!!

All in all though I know that I have been blessed even where I am at. There are many who would love the house I am living at. I almost felt guilty about finding another house.....but when I realized that in the end it would be cheaper and a even better location for ministry.....I knew that God was blessing it and opening this door. I have been having alot of problems in this house due to mold and it has been affecting my health so I look forward to having more energy........and not dealing with infestations!!!

Beyond Content!!!

God has been so incredibly good to me!!! I can hardly believe that I have been in Costa Rica already for a year!! I still marvel at the beauty of Costa Rica and I still am in love with the people here. Every day brings a new surprise, a new lesson and it is priceless. Yes, it has been stressful and has been trying/spiritually taxing but through it all I am overwhelmed by happiness. What a gift!

I had so many fears stepping on that plane a year ago and now looking back, I can see God's hand in every step. I felt that life was so perfect in Calgary that I was afraid of exchanging that for the unknown. It has been a journey through doing things that I never thought I could do. When I told God I would do anything for him, I had no clue that he would have me do everything that I was afraid of!! What were/are those fears? Public speaking, leading and socializing in groups. Well, that is all I've done and I'm telling you, nothing feels better than having the chains loosened of these insecurities and coming to the realization of the truth that I can really do everything with Christ who gives me strength!

Anyways, today was just one of those days where I felt God telling me that he loves me through every little thing. Being ministered to by the christian radio station here, taking in the beauty of this country, spending time with wonderful people who love the lord and seeing God transform lives. I can truly say God has given me more than I ever could have asked for.

Soooooo, if there is something that God is calling you towards......GO FOR IT! Don't worry about the risk of diving into the unknown. God knows your heart and your desires and he will only call you to the best. The growing pains may hurt but I can promise the same contentment that I have experienced. Through every circumstance, good or bad......if you keep your eyes on Jesus.....I have no doubt that you will feel the blessing of having someone perfect by your side. Who could be a better guide/teacher but God himself who knit you together in your mothers womb.....who has seen you grow and who knows your future? Rest in him.

Things are not always as they seem......

Well, I stated a whole lot of things in my last entry that have completely changed........just goes to show how we can be so mislead. Hmmmm for this reason I must always pray for discernment and seek the whole story/ perspective before passing judgements.....yeah easier said than done.

 The situation with Marilyn is somewhat resolved. In the end I got two competely different stories from either sides and after putting two and two together, came to the conclusion that my "little sister" who I care so much for has been lying about a whole lot of things. I've confronted her a bit but am finding a balance between enabling her behavior and confronting too harshly. She's going through so much in her life, and I don't want to push her too far. There is so much drama going on with this situation and so much dysfunction with her family. So I'm putting this behind me and moving on. But for the future I now know what to watch for.

So this week has been eventful to say the least. Tuesday night I spent my official 5th night waiting in emergency......I am WAY too familiar with the hospitals here! Marilyns Dad and brother got into a car accident and her brother was being checked for internal bleeding etc. So finally at 5:30am the next day I went to sleep. Thank God that her brother was 100% okay. It was quite a accident!

For the past 6 weeks I have been taking some classes at YWAM regarding Children at Risk. Those classes have been such a blessing and already I am finding ways to apply them to my life and ministry now. Last week the classes were on Human Trafficking. This week I found out naturally through Marilyn about possible human trafficking going on in Los Guido. She told me that a bunch of her friends are working in the States washing dishes and that this week her friend was leaving to do the same thing. I found that kind of suspicious and asked a few more questions.....only to find out that I believe that some youth in her community are being trafficked.....all of them.....under age 20.

So I find myself thinking about how I can raise awareness amongst the youth in this community. They are the perfect targets.....all live in poverty....all find a hard time finding hope for a better future...and then....a foreignor comes and tells them that they can go to the States to work in hotels.....that the apartment will be paid for......that they will make alot of money....and that their visa and flight will all be paid for.....and then they leave. What goes on from there only God knows. Anyways, just something on my mind now. Marilyn was wanting more information on these job opportunites and thats how I found out about it. When I warned her, she was surprised. She's never heard that woman are trafficked from foreign countries to the States to be sold into the sex trade. Hmmmm something to think about.