Flights, Food, and Fun

Well, first things first I guess. I finally bought my return ticket home. I will arrive in Minneapolis, MN at 10:30 on July 22nd. There's something about setting a date and buying a ticket that gives a different feel to my last two and a half months in Costa Rica. I begin to think more concretely about the things that I want to get done here and the things I need to prepare for my return to life in the US. I have already been looking for jobs, but I will begin to apply for things at a later date. And I am also starting to think about a car which I will eventually need to buy. If you know of any affordable options, let me know. :)

I am also creating a list of things that I will do during the remainder of my time. This not only includes some work projects but also some fun things. There are quite a few recipes that I would still like to get from people and things that I want to learn to make. As Rachel (one of the interns that just left a week and a half ago) put it, food has been an important theme here in Costa Rica. Not only are meals and afternoon café important times of fellowship and enjoyment, but there has just been a whole lot of good food here. Almost always, when I get together with other missionaries here--or whoever--we are eating something, whether a dessert or a meal or both. In the last month I had many opportunities to cook with other people and learn new recipes and things, and I love it! Many memories have been made in the kitchen: baking cookies with the kids from the children's homes, learning how to make Georgiana's cinnamon roll recipe that has been passed on through many generations, eating pizza and having intense discussions, etc. It's been a blast, and I can't wait to cook for my friends and family back home and share a little of the experience with them. I just plain love food! What else can I say?

I've been having a lot of fun lately. I've gotten to drive here multiple times now. While the Thomas family was in the States for a week, I drove their daughter to ballet a few times. All the places I've gone have been pretty close, but it was fun nevertheless. Being a substitute "houseparent" in the children's homes when the houseparents (otherwise known as 'Tios') have their day off is always fun. Yesterday I went to a park with one of the houses and it was a blast! The kids went sledding down some steep hills on big pieces of cardboard, and I got to climb up a tree to pick some flowers that we ate later in the afternoon. The taste reminds me of asparagus because one part is bitter. I think they're delicious! Of course, you cook them; you don't eat them raw. And they're usually made in some mix of potato, onion, egg, and tomato. It's called Flor de Itabo, also known as yucca flower in the States.

Yep, I'm going to miss the foods here. For me, lots of memories are attached to foods and smells.

Some of the things I've been helping with lately are just random projects, quite typical of my entire time here actually. One of the missionaries has started an eight week long Mommy and Me class once a week. About 8-10 mothers have been coming which means 10-12 little children as well so I've been helping with the class each week even though I am not a mother and don't have a child to bring. That makes me the perfect help! Two extra hands and feet can do a lot of child chasing, toy picking up, and coffee passing out.

There are also three kids from the Children's Homes in our church's baptism class again. Praise the Lord that He is changing little hearts! There is just one class left and the final test is a week later. If all goes well I'll have three photos of baptisms to post in a few weeks!

English classes continue on in the daycare, and I am still helping out with those on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We have two new helpers that have joined us for the month as well. They are in Costa Rica because of a volunteer program who coordinated with the Abraham Project so that these two could come teach English. I think they are supposed to come Monday through Friday which will be awesome for the kids! The more English they're exposed to, the better. Our current English teacher will be leaving at the end of June though. She is returning to the US for family reasons, and we're not sure who will be able to take over her job. But God will provide someone so I'm not worried.

Last week, as it was their second day in the daycare, I went with the two new helpers to teach English on a Wednesday morning. It was my first time being the lead teacher, and it was a challenge. The kids were all thrown for a loop because the regular teacher, Bethea, wasn't there. But it ended up being a lot of fun. I had to think on my feet and be creative in filling a half-hour period with education learning activities, and it's a lot harder than you think when you don't have any resources and have to keep the attention of 8-20 kids from the ages of 2 to 12. It was a good experience though. But I would still never want to be a full-time teacher.

Well, praise the Lord with me for His continued faithfulness and providence. He is good all the time, amen? I continue to think of all of you, giving thanks to God for the way He is working through your willingness to support His work here at the Abraham Project. THANK YOU!

Prayer Requests

-Pray for endurance to finish strong and be able to focus on the task at hand.

-Please pray for unity in our team here. There are some personality conflicts between the house parents that are causing strife. And a new couple will be moving here on the 1st or 2nd of June, so pray for a smooth transition and incorporation into the team.

God bless!