Fresh Face

So, there have been some changes around this little corner of cyberspace.  If you are reading in a reader, click here so you can check out the new look.  Really, there some fun new photos you can't see in your reader.  Do it.

Ok, you're now at the actual blog?  Let me give you a little tour.

First, loo up.  Isn't the new banner cool?  Yeah, I thought you'd like it.

And see our new prayer card?  Nice huh?  As always my amazing sister did the design work. 

Next, did you see we are now offically United World Mission?  Yep, that happend January 1st, when the merger between LAM and UWM happend.  You can click on their spiffy logo and check out more about them.

Also, there is new information on our Support page, so make sure to check that out.  And lastly, there are a few new recipes

Goodbyes

Way back in August of 2011, we were able to help Will and Elaine Savell and their (then) two kids move to Costa Rica from Tennessee.   It seemed crazy at the time.  We had only been here about 3 months ourselves and we were giving advice on what they should pack, what to expect once they got here and just overall being a person on the ground that could help with their transition from the US to Costa Rica for their time in language school.  At the time, they thought maybe they would end up in Honduras (we did too).  Their son is Forrest's age, so they were in the same class together at school.  

While we went back to the States to have Quinn, they were brave and had Ally here!  Quinn and Ally are about 4 months and 8 pounds apart.

Well, as often happens in Missions, we get to have people for a time.  In 2 weeks, the Savells move back to Tennessee.  God has put them at the center of a ministry that provides incredible theological training for poor pastors through tablets of all things!  This means that Will is traveling around Latin America (and maybe the world even) and they need to be the face of the Grace Institute in North America.  So, for the second time in two years, they are moving internationally.  Pray for them!  That's a lot on a family and they've added a little person to the mix since last time.

As Tennyson said, ""Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all"  and so in the spirit of that, Saturday we had a Despidida here.  And what a party it was!    We knew there were going to be tons of kids, so we planned some fun games for a friendly competition over cookies.  There were sling shots and tin cans (because what guy, big or small, doesn't want to shot a sling shot at tin cans?)

bubbles (yes, even the adults got in on the bubbles.  It might have helped I weighted the point structure to be heavy on bubble blowing!)

bean bags and  ring toss

and an oh so hipster photo booth!  This was sooooo fun!  We made sure everyone stopped by the photo booth and wrote a message to the Savells.   I am going to put it all together and send it Will and Elaine (via something electronic, because they don't need to pack one more thing!)  Such fun stuff!

 My kids, however, didn't think it was fun. Whatever.  Other people's kids thought it was fun though.

  And I told Elaine this needs to be their new prayer card!

We grilled, everyone brought something to share and we just had a blast!  The only thing I wish I had done was made coffee for 45 people.  It dropped to the mid 60's that day and was rainy and damp.  Oh well.  Next time.

 We were able to pray with the Savells for this next time of transition, which was a sweet time of other people who understand all that it means to live internationally, be transformed by that, and go back a different person. 

The rain let up a bit and the boys decided to do what all Latin American MKs do...play fútbol.  In the rain. In and amongst banana and mango trees.

It was hard on Forrest when Jack gave him a hug just before they left. He started to cry because Jack is his first friend here in Costa Rica.  Sigh.  This part.  It's not fun.  But, like we told Forrest, we can go visit Jack some time in the States, and who knows what will happen in this life!

We love you Savells!  Thankful for the time we've had with you and so excited to see what God is going to next with you guys!

New Prayer Card

In an attempt to keep ourselves current and relevant and all that jazz, here's our new prayer card.  As always, my amazing sister did the design work.  Do you need some great stationary?  Check out her etsy shop, three strands design!

LAM Costa Rica Retreat 2012

This weekend we got to be a part of the LAM Costa Rica retreat.  This was a time when all the LAM missionaries in Costa Rica come together for the weekend to hang out, eat, laugh and have some time in the Word together.  Staff from the Miami Office came too, which is always fun to see faces that go with the names and emails we so often communicate with.


We got to spend some more like with Will and Elaine Savell, another LAM family here at language school with us.  After graduation, Will will be working with pastors here in Latin America, helping them get more training and support.  They have and 8 year old, Emma, and a 5 year old, Jack, which is in Forrest's class at school. 

One of the highlights for our family was the children's ministry.  There was a team of 5 people that came from Pennsylvanian to spend the weekend with our kids.  And it wasn't like they were just babysitting!  Oh, no!  This was like VBS on steroids!  Weeks ago, the team leader sent an email to all the parents asking how they could be praying for our kids, what our kids' favorite treats, games and activities were.  Friday night, they handed each kid a gallon ziplock bag full of all of their favorites!  And not just candy and stickers...no, Elliot got a brand new book in Spanish, a sock monkey, and all sorts of other fun stuff, and Forrest even got a set of Legos!  He was soooo excited!

And they spend so much time with our kids!  They had great Bible lessons, songs, and actives.  And this is huge, all in English!  At church and school the boys they boys hear the Bible lessons in Spanish, which is wonderful and they are getting the language more and more.  But it was a great break for them to get it in their first language.

And the fun things!  Oh my!  The boys tie dyes (brave, brave women that will tie dye with a 3 year old!) they made crafts like duct tape wallets, and Elliot's favorite, the "Slippy".  That would be Slip and Slide.  There weren't many hills around, but the team squirt 3 or 4 bottles of baby shampoo on a tarp.  Oh. my. goodness.  They played in that for over an hour! 

Forrest said to me at lunch today, just before we were going to leave, "Mom, I am sad.  I am going to cry when we leave because this weekend was so much fun!" 

I told the team, "You really showed us love this weekend by loving on our kids."  What a blessing!

Noah also got to play his first soccer game since we've been here.  I guess the Saturday afternoon game is a long standing tradition for the retreat.

 Another highlight was getting to sit and talk with some other long time LAMers, especially in our area of ministry, Camping.  Bob Sebean is like the granddad of all camping missionaries in Latin America and he sat for a long while talking with us for the weekend.

Overall, it was a great weekend for the whole family.  We came away with more connections and more excitement for what is next for us.

Where in the World?

Ok.  You have probably noticed some subtle changes around here.  Like the map of Honduras is gone, and so it the clock with Honduran time.  If you were to read our About page, you would find there is a lack of information about Honduras there.  And if you and I are friends on Facebook, you might have noticed I changed my work information.

So what in the world is going on?  Well...

LAM, in preparation for our deployment to Manantial de Vida later this year, did some reviewing of the situation there, and after much prayer, talking, and considering, decided that it was best we consider not moving there.  Without getting into all the nitty gritty,  (if you want more details, you can email me and I'll send you a copy of the letter LAM sent out.) they asked us to pray about this possible change of direction for a week before we talked with anyone. 

Which we did.  And in the end we came to a lot of the same conclusions LAM did.  Let me just say it was a very hard decision to come to.  We had been praying and planning and preparing for Honduras for the last two years.  And just like that, or so it felt, we were without a country. We went through just about every emotion you can think of.  Really.  And there were a lot of questions.  Still are.  Like, hummm, where are we going?  Even ask Forrest and he'll tell you, "we don't know where we are going yet."

But we are learning to trust God at a deeper level, again, still, something.  Before we had to trust that God was going to bring us to Honduras because He was leading us there.  And now we have to trust that we left everything we have ever know for a place we don't know at all.  Like as in, we don't know where it is!  I feel more like Abram than ever!

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

And can I be honest here?  It's not a fun place to be.  I long for stability.  Really.  If it was up to me, I would have bought a lovely centennial farm in a quaint little town just far enough from a nice city to be out in the country, put down roots, lived there until the day I die.  My kids would be able to know their parents phone number when they were 50 by memory because it would be the same one they had when they were kids.  I would plant a garden, and learn my neighbors names and we would be at the same church and community for 75 years.

Instead, here we are global nomads, with no idea what is next, a baby coming in just a few short months, and all we have is Jesus.  And I can say with everything that is within me, like Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."  (John 6:68) 

And so we cling to him and trust that He will show us that next step. 

And how are we going to know those next steps?  Well, LAM has been working with us to help.  We have already talked with one camp here in Costa Rica, and while we love the ministry that is going on there, it just wasn't a good fit for our family.  When we were in the States over Christmas, we talked with the personal people at LAM and they were quite excited about a couple of possibilities for us. 

On Tuesday we will meet with another place just about an hour from where we are living to talk about the ministry and get to know them.

And for now, a couple of things are for sures (yeah!!!) 
1.  God is still in control.  He never wasn't. 
2.  We are still going to be in Christian Camping in Latin America.  Somewhere.  Luis Diego, one of the great people we have been working with at LAM said, "We know there is a camp, we just have to figure out which one it is."

And we wait on the rest.  And would you pray with us about the rest? 

New and Exciting!

Well, I promise I have some exciting things to share, like a trip to the crazy waterfall gardens, a visit to the doctor and navigating an ultrasound, but I am plum tuckered out. 

But I did want to let you know about the brand spanking new LAM website!  What an improvement!  Head over here to check it out! 

And maybe tomorrow I will have enough energy left to tell you about something else.