We are so excited to be going home on Saturday to see our family and friends in Minnesota! Emily's been especially homesick ever since Thanksgiving... it's nice to be in warm weather, but it doesn't FEEL like Christmas is just around the corner! We will be home for almost 3 weeks and we are very much looking forward to seeing everyone!
Roblealto's programs and offices will be closed for about a month for the holidays. Things are very busy here finishing up projects, Christmas parties for the kids, and secret santa (somehow we got involved in THREE different secret santas!). This is the end of the school year so the kids had final exams and the stress of finding out if they will be returning to the Bible Home or not in January. About 30 of the 83 children will be moving back to their families for good this week. This is both wonderful and hard news. Of course, it is wonderful that the families and the kids are doing so well to not need Roblealto's intense foster care anymore. But they will go back to poverty and unsafe communities even if their families are doing better. They will be leaving their friends and those that have become family to them at the Bible Home. Please pray for this time of transition. In January, new children will be welcomed to the Bible Home, also a time of transition.
On Thursday night we got to see the adolescent program finally. We attended the Christmas party which included a hilarious magician/comedian entertainer. It was fun to see how he got these teens to get up in front of everyone to "volunteer." Needless to say, they were reluctant. This program has about 90 teens that were at some point in one of Roblealto's children's programs. They meet together to be encouraged to stay in school, stay away from the negative temptations that surround them, and to grow in their relationship with God. This is a vital part of Roblealto's ministry and we are praying this year that it would continue to grow and support the teens in this challenging time of their lives.
We thank you for your support, prayers and love in these first 4 and a half months of our time at Roblealto. We hope to see some of you in Minnesota! We will be at St. Lukes on Dec. 20th for church and at Ridgewood on the 27th. Mark is preaching at Ridgewood on Jan. 3rd and we are also sharing about our experience for adult Sunday School that morning. We would love to see you there! Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Men of God
Last night we visited another one of the temporary foster homes at the Bible Home. We had a wonderful time getting to know the kids, getting hugs, eating good Costa Rican cooking and practicing our Spanish. The house mother, Marielos, has been working at Roblealto almost a year. She is single and has a 16-year-old son, Fernando, who plays a father role to the 10 children ages 4-12.
What impacted me most last night was during worship. Fernando led the kids in songs and the way they worshiped! I've never seen kids worshiping like this - eyes closed, hands lifted, a look of peace and joy on their faces as they sang their hearts out. It was so beautiful! It hit me that Roblealto is created men of God. The young boys don't hide their faith or their worship. It is here that they are learning how to love God and love others. These young boys have the opportunity to grow up to be good husbands, fathers, leaders, and employees because of what is modeled at Roblealto. Although many of them don't have fathers, the men that work at Roblealto (including Fernando at 16!) are teaching them how to be men of God. This is truly an important ministry and another side of the holistic healing that is happening every day at Roblealto. Praise God!
What impacted me most last night was during worship. Fernando led the kids in songs and the way they worshiped! I've never seen kids worshiping like this - eyes closed, hands lifted, a look of peace and joy on their faces as they sang their hearts out. It was so beautiful! It hit me that Roblealto is created men of God. The young boys don't hide their faith or their worship. It is here that they are learning how to love God and love others. These young boys have the opportunity to grow up to be good husbands, fathers, leaders, and employees because of what is modeled at Roblealto. Although many of them don't have fathers, the men that work at Roblealto (including Fernando at 16!) are teaching them how to be men of God. This is truly an important ministry and another side of the holistic healing that is happening every day at Roblealto. Praise God!
Friday, November 27, 2009
El Dia de Gracias en Costa Rica
Last night we celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with some of our new friends from Costa Rica. Emily cooked an 18 lb turkey to perfection. With it we enjoyed cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, jello salad, and pumpkin pie. The two additions to the normal menu were picadillo (Costa Rican meat chili with plantains) and tres leche cake for dessert. We were thankful to welcome to our house the members of the International Department in Roblealto: Pame Scianna and her husband Jonathan, Nelly Curling, Lizzy Rojas and her boyfriend Gilbert.
After dinner we played a game we learned from Joe Olson that is a little like "telephone" using written sentences and drawings. The catch was that each of us had to use our second language when writing. We laughed all night as many of the stories ended up being about Jonathan (for some reason). So each of us took our turns drawing Jonathan to the best of our ability!
After dinner we played a game we learned from Joe Olson that is a little like "telephone" using written sentences and drawings. The catch was that each of us had to use our second language when writing. We laughed all night as many of the stories ended up being about Jonathan (for some reason). So each of us took our turns drawing Jonathan to the best of our ability!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Casa Nido
Have you ever had a group of children lay hands on you and pray for you? I can say that I never had until this week. And it was an incredibly powerful experience. On Monday night, Mark and I went for dinner to one of the homes at the Bible Home, Roblealto's temporary shelter. The Bible Home houses 83 children who come from such extreme home situations that they cannot live with their own families at this time. Roblealto has 8 houses with incredible house parents that raise these children until they are able to be reunited with their families. Mark and I had been wanting to connect more with the homes and get to know the house mothers and children better. We find we are working in our office a lot on our projects, which we love, but we've been missing kid contact - not to mention the kids are the heart of Roblealto!
We enjoyed having dinner with the kids and chatting with them in Spanish (good practice!) After dinner, we played some games with the children and then they did a little presentation for us. The older kids had an evangelical skit they did and then all 13 of them (plus the house mother's two own children) circled up and sang songs for us. It was a lot of fun to join in when we could! They sang "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty" in Spanish while we sang in English.
The children have a strict routine and at 8:00 start getting ready for bed. Just before 8, the house mom, Francinie, said we would pray together. She asked Mark and I to sit on the floor in the middle of the kids. They surrounded us and laid hands on us, held our hands, stroked my hair. Francinie explained our role at Roblealto and how we would be helping to host the volunteer groups that come. She then asked 5 of the children to pray for us. It was the most humbling experience to have these children - some as young as 6 years old! - pray with such boldness and faith. They prayed God would bless us, watch over us, provide for us. One little guy, Randall, kept praying and praying, thanking God that we had a roof over our heads and a bed to sleep in. I couldn't keep my tears back. These children, who have suffered so much and seen so much, were a great blessing to us. We have been praying for them, and they, in return, now prayed for us.
Every day we learn a little more about what God is doing here at Roblealto. This is a place where families are healed, come to know God, and truly are transformed. Thank you for your support of us in this year. This Thanksgiving we are thankful for each one of you and for how God has allowed us to be at Roblealto this year. Glory be to God!
We enjoyed having dinner with the kids and chatting with them in Spanish (good practice!) After dinner, we played some games with the children and then they did a little presentation for us. The older kids had an evangelical skit they did and then all 13 of them (plus the house mother's two own children) circled up and sang songs for us. It was a lot of fun to join in when we could! They sang "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty" in Spanish while we sang in English.
The children have a strict routine and at 8:00 start getting ready for bed. Just before 8, the house mom, Francinie, said we would pray together. She asked Mark and I to sit on the floor in the middle of the kids. They surrounded us and laid hands on us, held our hands, stroked my hair. Francinie explained our role at Roblealto and how we would be helping to host the volunteer groups that come. She then asked 5 of the children to pray for us. It was the most humbling experience to have these children - some as young as 6 years old! - pray with such boldness and faith. They prayed God would bless us, watch over us, provide for us. One little guy, Randall, kept praying and praying, thanking God that we had a roof over our heads and a bed to sleep in. I couldn't keep my tears back. These children, who have suffered so much and seen so much, were a great blessing to us. We have been praying for them, and they, in return, now prayed for us.
Every day we learn a little more about what God is doing here at Roblealto. This is a place where families are healed, come to know God, and truly are transformed. Thank you for your support of us in this year. This Thanksgiving we are thankful for each one of you and for how God has allowed us to be at Roblealto this year. Glory be to God!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Mid-November
Mid-November in Costa Rica is a little rainy and cool, but we know the summer weather is right around the corner here and that's a little strange. I feel like I should be putting away my summer clothes and taking out my winter sweaters, but I'll have to wait until I'm home at Christmas to wear those!
We have enjoyed having Lois, from Ridgewood, staying with us this week! She is here to begin planning Ridgewood's trip in February and for a Mom's In Touch event happening today. Women are meeting to pray for their children and their schools in over 1,600 sites today around the world. Lois is helping Pamela (our boss) lead one of the main Costa Rican sites at our church, Ciudad de Dios. We pray that it is a blessing to many! We've enjoyed talking to Lois about Roblealto and picking her brain for ideas of how to promote the projects. Our favorite day was bringing her to the Bible Home, the temporary shelter, where she is loved by MANY. Kids ran up to her with lots of hugs. One little boy insisted that I confirm to his whole house that HE saw Lois first! Mark and I haven't gotten into the houses much and so we enjoyed that a lot. I (Emily) enjoyed getting to do some translating for her too! It truly is amazing the relationships she's built over the years at Roblealto.
We have a lot of big projects in the works in the International Department. The main project for the mission trip groups this year is to rebuild the Arco Iris house at the Bible Home. This house is 40 years old and is rotting, has poor ventilation and lighting, and has a poor floor plan for the 16 people that live there! The projected cost is $160,000 and we've written the proposal plan that will go out to churches with groups coming to explain the necessity of this project. Also, we are really excited about the Los Guido campaign that is just beginning. Los Guido is the community we visited 2 weeks ago that has 25,000 people squatting in extremely poor conditions. After seeing Los Guido, we couldn't help but get passionate about the plan for a new child care center that Roblealto has committed to build. The first stage is projected at $300,000 and will allow some children to begin to receive services.
We've also been preparing packets and a powerpoint for mission trip groups that are coming and a big mailing went out this week to our sponsors informing them of the progress in 2009. So it's been a busy couple of weeks! Thank you for prayers for these projects. We know that God will provide for Roblealto and the hundreds of children that are served by its programs. We continue to be thankful that God brought us here as we fall in love with Roblealto!
Afterthought... Yesterday we experienced our first earthquake in Costa Rica. We were at the central offices when we heard a faint boom followed by the building shaking. It turned out to be a 5.1 earthquake centered about 45 miles away at Jaco Beach. New experiences!
We have enjoyed having Lois, from Ridgewood, staying with us this week! She is here to begin planning Ridgewood's trip in February and for a Mom's In Touch event happening today. Women are meeting to pray for their children and their schools in over 1,600 sites today around the world. Lois is helping Pamela (our boss) lead one of the main Costa Rican sites at our church, Ciudad de Dios. We pray that it is a blessing to many! We've enjoyed talking to Lois about Roblealto and picking her brain for ideas of how to promote the projects. Our favorite day was bringing her to the Bible Home, the temporary shelter, where she is loved by MANY. Kids ran up to her with lots of hugs. One little boy insisted that I confirm to his whole house that HE saw Lois first! Mark and I haven't gotten into the houses much and so we enjoyed that a lot. I (Emily) enjoyed getting to do some translating for her too! It truly is amazing the relationships she's built over the years at Roblealto.
We have a lot of big projects in the works in the International Department. The main project for the mission trip groups this year is to rebuild the Arco Iris house at the Bible Home. This house is 40 years old and is rotting, has poor ventilation and lighting, and has a poor floor plan for the 16 people that live there! The projected cost is $160,000 and we've written the proposal plan that will go out to churches with groups coming to explain the necessity of this project. Also, we are really excited about the Los Guido campaign that is just beginning. Los Guido is the community we visited 2 weeks ago that has 25,000 people squatting in extremely poor conditions. After seeing Los Guido, we couldn't help but get passionate about the plan for a new child care center that Roblealto has committed to build. The first stage is projected at $300,000 and will allow some children to begin to receive services.
We've also been preparing packets and a powerpoint for mission trip groups that are coming and a big mailing went out this week to our sponsors informing them of the progress in 2009. So it's been a busy couple of weeks! Thank you for prayers for these projects. We know that God will provide for Roblealto and the hundreds of children that are served by its programs. We continue to be thankful that God brought us here as we fall in love with Roblealto!
Afterthought... Yesterday we experienced our first earthquake in Costa Rica. We were at the central offices when we heard a faint boom followed by the building shaking. It turned out to be a 5.1 earthquake centered about 45 miles away at Jaco Beach. New experiences!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Our first visitors
Hi everyone!
We just had our first visitors and enjoyed hosting in our house in Costa Rica. Emily's friend from her school last year, Janna, came with a friend for 3 days. They are both teaching in Panama and so they took the bus up to visit (a 10 hour bus ride plus 4 hours at the border - oof!) We had fun taking them to a great restaurant that overlooked San Jose, going to a soccer game, visiting the Poas volcano, and going to one of our favorite places -La Paz - where we played again with the toucans. We really enjoyed showing off our new country and comparing living in Costa Rica to living in Panama!
Things in the office continue to go well. We have 11 volunteer groups coming next year so far. This is a huge answer to prayer! We started with 5 groups with a goal of 15 so we are almost there! Mark made many phone calls to churches who are long-time supporters of Roblealto and this strategy seemed to have really worked!
We also enjoyed going to the dedication service for the newest house at the temporary shelter. The Ridgewood team helped build this house so it was exciting to be part of the dedication. There was a lot of prayers and gratitude for the ways God has provided for Roblealto and rejoicing at 10 more kids will be able to receive services at the Bible Home!
Today we went with a few of our co-workers to the Los Guido neighborhood in San Jose. This is an extremely poor neighborhood south of San Jose where many of our children live. It was very difficult to see how over 200,000 people are living as squaters. Many are immigrants from Nicaragua or Columbia. Problems include poor sanitation and nutrition, drugs, prostitution, lack of education, and extreme poverty. Roblealto is definitely a bright light to this community and was given land 7 years ago right in the middle of the neighborhood to build another day care center. This center is SO necessary for the community, but as you can imagine, Roblealto needs to raise a lot of money for this project. We have joined them in praying for this new center to be built soon because of the hope and possibility it would bring to the community. Please join us in praying for the Los Guido Day Care Center! Thank you!
We just had our first visitors and enjoyed hosting in our house in Costa Rica. Emily's friend from her school last year, Janna, came with a friend for 3 days. They are both teaching in Panama and so they took the bus up to visit (a 10 hour bus ride plus 4 hours at the border - oof!) We had fun taking them to a great restaurant that overlooked San Jose, going to a soccer game, visiting the Poas volcano, and going to one of our favorite places -La Paz - where we played again with the toucans. We really enjoyed showing off our new country and comparing living in Costa Rica to living in Panama!
Things in the office continue to go well. We have 11 volunteer groups coming next year so far. This is a huge answer to prayer! We started with 5 groups with a goal of 15 so we are almost there! Mark made many phone calls to churches who are long-time supporters of Roblealto and this strategy seemed to have really worked!
We also enjoyed going to the dedication service for the newest house at the temporary shelter. The Ridgewood team helped build this house so it was exciting to be part of the dedication. There was a lot of prayers and gratitude for the ways God has provided for Roblealto and rejoicing at 10 more kids will be able to receive services at the Bible Home!
Today we went with a few of our co-workers to the Los Guido neighborhood in San Jose. This is an extremely poor neighborhood south of San Jose where many of our children live. It was very difficult to see how over 200,000 people are living as squaters. Many are immigrants from Nicaragua or Columbia. Problems include poor sanitation and nutrition, drugs, prostitution, lack of education, and extreme poverty. Roblealto is definitely a bright light to this community and was given land 7 years ago right in the middle of the neighborhood to build another day care center. This center is SO necessary for the community, but as you can imagine, Roblealto needs to raise a lot of money for this project. We have joined them in praying for this new center to be built soon because of the hope and possibility it would bring to the community. Please join us in praying for the Los Guido Day Care Center! Thank you!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Our First Run for the Border!!
One of the interesting parts of our life in Costa Rica is that we are required to leave the country every 90 days to have our visas restamped. Because we must be gone for 72 hours this is a chance to explore other nearby countries. We could not believe that our first three month period is already up!
So last Friday we boarded a bus in San Jose to travel east over the mountains to the Caribbean side and on down into Panama. This was the first time we had seen the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It was beautiful -- broad flat plains filled with banana plantations, rushing rivers from the mountains and many little towns along the coast. Five and a half hours later we arrived at the Panamanian boarder where we faced a series of memorable challenges in order to be allowed to enter Panama. This could have been a reality show! It was an adventure that included one bus, one taxi and two boat rides to get to our hotel. The methods of transportation are one story, but the experience at the border was another. Let me describe in detail. The bus pulled up into a small border town called Sixaola where we exited the bus and began to look for the border crossing. All we could see were food stands and clothing stores, but eventually we followed some Europeans who had done this trip before. We climbed a staircase and checked in at the Costa Rican side first to be "stamped out". Then we followed the crowd across the river between the two countries, which is spanned by an old wooden bridge with missing slats. Below was a raging river reported to be filled with crocodiles. Successfully crossing the bridge is step two of the border process!
Following this test of strength and skill we entered a street lined with offices where we needed to complete the next steps: buying our return bus ticket (necessary in order to show we intend to leave Panama), buying our tourist visas, and finally being processed by immigration. But, without any signs to guide us, and since the offices are not in any obvious order, this next test before entering Panama was one of wit and endurance (it was 95 degrees in the shade). But, thanks to God, Emily's abilities with the language, and locals who were happy to guide us through (asking for a small tip, of course), we finally got into our taxi and headed to the port town of Almirante where we caught a water taxi to the Bocas Del Toro islands to stay for the next three days.
What a beautiful place! Because it is low season for tourism the hotel and other activities were inexpensive and uncrowded. We enjoyed a peaceful little hotel, time by the water reading and relaxing, snorkeling (Mark's first time) and walking along the beach. We were slightly afraid of the crabs that were EVERYWHERE. In the nighttime the big blue ones came out and you could just hear them skuttling all over the place. Tough to see them on a mostly dark island.
It was a nice break break from a busy couple of months on the job with Roblealto's International Department. In our first quarter Emily worked hard on numerous reports and translations for Roblealto, including a promotional mailing to Roblealto child sponsors inviting them to come visit their sponsored child. Mark has focused on fine-tuning the website and contacting all the churches that support Roblealto financially by way of phone call and an e-flier. The goal is to invite these churches to consider bringing a mission trip. These tasks along with many others have made for challenging but exciting days.
Those projects having been accomplished we look forward to another productive two months before Christmas. Only two months away!
So last Friday we boarded a bus in San Jose to travel east over the mountains to the Caribbean side and on down into Panama. This was the first time we had seen the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It was beautiful -- broad flat plains filled with banana plantations, rushing rivers from the mountains and many little towns along the coast. Five and a half hours later we arrived at the Panamanian boarder where we faced a series of memorable challenges in order to be allowed to enter Panama. This could have been a reality show! It was an adventure that included one bus, one taxi and two boat rides to get to our hotel. The methods of transportation are one story, but the experience at the border was another. Let me describe in detail. The bus pulled up into a small border town called Sixaola where we exited the bus and began to look for the border crossing. All we could see were food stands and clothing stores, but eventually we followed some Europeans who had done this trip before. We climbed a staircase and checked in at the Costa Rican side first to be "stamped out". Then we followed the crowd across the river between the two countries, which is spanned by an old wooden bridge with missing slats. Below was a raging river reported to be filled with crocodiles. Successfully crossing the bridge is step two of the border process!
Following this test of strength and skill we entered a street lined with offices where we needed to complete the next steps: buying our return bus ticket (necessary in order to show we intend to leave Panama), buying our tourist visas, and finally being processed by immigration. But, without any signs to guide us, and since the offices are not in any obvious order, this next test before entering Panama was one of wit and endurance (it was 95 degrees in the shade). But, thanks to God, Emily's abilities with the language, and locals who were happy to guide us through (asking for a small tip, of course), we finally got into our taxi and headed to the port town of Almirante where we caught a water taxi to the Bocas Del Toro islands to stay for the next three days.
What a beautiful place! Because it is low season for tourism the hotel and other activities were inexpensive and uncrowded. We enjoyed a peaceful little hotel, time by the water reading and relaxing, snorkeling (Mark's first time) and walking along the beach. We were slightly afraid of the crabs that were EVERYWHERE. In the nighttime the big blue ones came out and you could just hear them skuttling all over the place. Tough to see them on a mostly dark island.
It was a nice break break from a busy couple of months on the job with Roblealto's International Department. In our first quarter Emily worked hard on numerous reports and translations for Roblealto, including a promotional mailing to Roblealto child sponsors inviting them to come visit their sponsored child. Mark has focused on fine-tuning the website and contacting all the churches that support Roblealto financially by way of phone call and an e-flier. The goal is to invite these churches to consider bringing a mission trip. These tasks along with many others have made for challenging but exciting days.
Those projects having been accomplished we look forward to another productive two months before Christmas. Only two months away!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy Day of Cultures!
After Emily recovered from a lovely bit of flu, we jumped right into work this week. We continue to work on promotions that will go out to supporters of Roblealto. We also got a tour of the Arco Iris house at the temporary shelter which will be rebuilt this summer by several volunteer groups including Ridgewood. This house is 40 years old, is rotting and smelly, is too small and poorly laid out for the new laws such as space needed for disabled children, etc. So it will be a major project and one of our jobs is to write the project proposal that will go out to churches and foundations to help raise the funds! We also are working on getting information to contact churches that are supporting Roblealto so we can invite them to come visit this year on a missions trips. We came into the office today even though it's a holiday (Day of Cultures, here, a little more politically correct than Columbus Day!) We're hoping to get in touch with some churches, though they may be closed today as well!
We continue taking little day trips on Saturdays, most recently to the rainforest about 30 minutes from our house and to the Orosi Valley to see the ruins of the oldest church in Costa Rica. We went to our favorite Spanish-speaking church on Sunday, Cuidad de Dios. We LOVE worship there - it is incredibly energetic. Click on the following link to see! video The youth group does choreographed dancing during the songs - it's just so much fun! And the preaching is very good - it's good practice in Spanish for us as well! We like hanging out with Lizzy and Pame who are part of our department and all of their friends.
We appreciate all of your prayers. Please continue praying! We started with our tutor this week, which will be a big help as we continue to learn the language. Please pray for the 15 volunteer groups we would like to have for 2010 and, of course, the funding that needs to come in for all those projects! We miss Minnesota very much, though not the snow that you all got this week! Much love!
We continue taking little day trips on Saturdays, most recently to the rainforest about 30 minutes from our house and to the Orosi Valley to see the ruins of the oldest church in Costa Rica. We went to our favorite Spanish-speaking church on Sunday, Cuidad de Dios. We LOVE worship there - it is incredibly energetic. Click on the following link to see! video The youth group does choreographed dancing during the songs - it's just so much fun! And the preaching is very good - it's good practice in Spanish for us as well! We like hanging out with Lizzy and Pame who are part of our department and all of their friends.
We appreciate all of your prayers. Please continue praying! We started with our tutor this week, which will be a big help as we continue to learn the language. Please pray for the 15 volunteer groups we would like to have for 2010 and, of course, the funding that needs to come in for all those projects! We miss Minnesota very much, though not the snow that you all got this week! Much love!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Go Vikings!
We are watching the Vikings right now on ESPN - hooray for satellite cable! It's making me a little homesick to see the Metrodome, but we are enjoying ourselves. We stayed home from work today because I (Emily) had a touch of the flu. But after a day and a half of feeling horrible, I'm feeling better now. I'll still stay home tomorrow just to be sure. Right now a lot of our work is on the computer, so Mark was able to work from home. He continues to work hard on updating and improving the website. We wrote a recent article about the kids' participation in National Egg Day on Friday that's on the front page if you want to check it out! www.roblealto.org
We spent last week continuing to create promotional materials to encourage groups to come down in 2010. We are working all our contacts and researching churches that may be interested. We're going to try all angles - the worst someone can say is no! Pamela, our boss, also trained us in on the process of having volunteer groups. There is a lot that goes into the preparations! We spend part of the week at the Central Office with our International Department team and the rest of the week at the Bible Home which has a super-nice new computer for us to use! One answer to prayer is that we found a wonderful tutor. She is the wife of one of the Roblealto staff and will work individually with each of us 4 hours a week. We found that because our team speaks such excellent English, we tend to speak to them in English and weren't practicing our Spanish like we should. This will be a huge help to keep learning and practicing. We definitely want to make sure we can speak Spanish by the time we leave.
We spent last week continuing to create promotional materials to encourage groups to come down in 2010. We are working all our contacts and researching churches that may be interested. We're going to try all angles - the worst someone can say is no! Pamela, our boss, also trained us in on the process of having volunteer groups. There is a lot that goes into the preparations! We spend part of the week at the Central Office with our International Department team and the rest of the week at the Bible Home which has a super-nice new computer for us to use! One answer to prayer is that we found a wonderful tutor. She is the wife of one of the Roblealto staff and will work individually with each of us 4 hours a week. We found that because our team speaks such excellent English, we tend to speak to them in English and weren't practicing our Spanish like we should. This will be a huge help to keep learning and practicing. We definitely want to make sure we can speak Spanish by the time we leave.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Continuing our orientation
We've had another eventful week getting to know Roblealto! We spent Monday discussing the upcoming year and the department goals with Pamela, our boss, and Steve who is an LAM missionary and was our initial contact in getting us here. We were excited and overwhelmed by the high goals for the year including having 15 volunteer groups in 2010, raising money for several big projects such as the new daycare center, and increasing the number of international child sponsors. Mark and I have spent the week informally bouncing ideas off of each other about how we can be of help. But we have also spent a lot of time praying because we know only God can help us reach these goals!
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday with Lizzy and Nelly who are in charge of all the correspondence that goes out to the sponsors. We especially loved going to 2 of the centers with Nelly so she could take pictures. She sends a photo of the child along with a yearly progress report for their birthdays to each of the sponsors. We learned that a major organization dropped their partnership with Roblealto and pulled all of their sponsors to go to work in Nicaragua about 4 years ago. This was obviously difficult for Roblealto. They want all of their children to be sponsored, but that is no longer the case. We've realized that North Americans don't know what great needs Costa Rica has. It has also been interesting to learn that many of the children Roblealto serves are in fact Nicaraguan immigrants. These families experience terrible poverty and Roblealto has a wonderful ministry to them.
Mark and I have started to research contacts who may be interested in coming to Roblealto on a missions trip. If you know of a group that may be interested, please let us know! This will be one of our first major jobs. We continue tweaking the website, as well. We haven't had as many elaborate excursions recently, but we enjoyed going into San Jose to their little zoo this morning. It's kind of like Como Zoo and we laughed that they have deer on exhibit - the same kind my parents regularly have in their backyard! We saw a strange phenomenon while we were there - a rainbow entirely around the sun. There's a picture here, but it doesn't quite do it justice. It was pretty amazing!
We are thinking of you all often and miss you. Emily especially gets bad bouts of homesickness, but it helps so much to have skype and facebook! Much love from Costa Rica!
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday with Lizzy and Nelly who are in charge of all the correspondence that goes out to the sponsors. We especially loved going to 2 of the centers with Nelly so she could take pictures. She sends a photo of the child along with a yearly progress report for their birthdays to each of the sponsors. We learned that a major organization dropped their partnership with Roblealto and pulled all of their sponsors to go to work in Nicaragua about 4 years ago. This was obviously difficult for Roblealto. They want all of their children to be sponsored, but that is no longer the case. We've realized that North Americans don't know what great needs Costa Rica has. It has also been interesting to learn that many of the children Roblealto serves are in fact Nicaraguan immigrants. These families experience terrible poverty and Roblealto has a wonderful ministry to them.
Mark and I have started to research contacts who may be interested in coming to Roblealto on a missions trip. If you know of a group that may be interested, please let us know! This will be one of our first major jobs. We continue tweaking the website, as well. We haven't had as many elaborate excursions recently, but we enjoyed going into San Jose to their little zoo this morning. It's kind of like Como Zoo and we laughed that they have deer on exhibit - the same kind my parents regularly have in their backyard! We saw a strange phenomenon while we were there - a rainbow entirely around the sun. There's a picture here, but it doesn't quite do it justice. It was pretty amazing!
We are thinking of you all often and miss you. Emily especially gets bad bouts of homesickness, but it helps so much to have skype and facebook! Much love from Costa Rica!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Trying out the bus system
On Friday morning, we went out to our car to head to the Central Offices for our meetings to find that our Corolla wouldn't start. We hadn't had any problems with it, so we had no idea what was going on, but the ignition didn't even make a clicking sound. We had three big meetings so we had to get into the city. Luckily, our landlord called a friend who has a taxi service and we were able to make it to our appointments. We had a busy day of learning about the psychology, social work and Christian Education departments at Roblealto (again, all in Spanish!) and then Lizzy and Pamela (part of our International Team) showed us how to take the bus home. We have a bus that comes right to the restaurant by our house and we saw how easy it would be to take the bus right into the main part of San Jose and not have to deal with the crazy driving!
Our landlord's friend is also a mechanic so he's looking over our car right now and luckily there was just an easily-fixed problem with the battery. We plan to go tonight to a concert at Pamela and Lizzy's church. We visited there last week and it was a great experience. This is a mega-church right in the middle of the neighborhoods that are served by the daycare centers. The Sunday morning service was like attending an intense worship concert - so much energy! It was incredibly Christ-focused and we really enjoyed the worship. It helped that the pastor speaks very clear Spanish so we could understand the sermon!
On Wednesday we enjoyed a tour of the hog farm at Roblealto. The whole farm provides for about 15% of Roblealto's operating costs, primarily through the chicken farm, but it was fun to learn about the pig and cow operations as well. We, of course, had many photo ops, too :) Fun for city kids like us. We continue typing up reports on each part of Roblealto as we learn. These reports will be used as information cards for tours given to volunteer groups that come to Roblealto. We have a few more meetings to go this coming week. It is overwhelming, a blessing, moving, impactful and encouraging to learn all about this great organization. We are thankful to get such a great overview on all the parts and to see what God is doing at Roblealto! Check out the website (www.roblealto.org) for more information!
Our landlord's friend is also a mechanic so he's looking over our car right now and luckily there was just an easily-fixed problem with the battery. We plan to go tonight to a concert at Pamela and Lizzy's church. We visited there last week and it was a great experience. This is a mega-church right in the middle of the neighborhoods that are served by the daycare centers. The Sunday morning service was like attending an intense worship concert - so much energy! It was incredibly Christ-focused and we really enjoyed the worship. It helped that the pastor speaks very clear Spanish so we could understand the sermon!
On Wednesday we enjoyed a tour of the hog farm at Roblealto. The whole farm provides for about 15% of Roblealto's operating costs, primarily through the chicken farm, but it was fun to learn about the pig and cow operations as well. We, of course, had many photo ops, too :) Fun for city kids like us. We continue typing up reports on each part of Roblealto as we learn. These reports will be used as information cards for tours given to volunteer groups that come to Roblealto. We have a few more meetings to go this coming week. It is overwhelming, a blessing, moving, impactful and encouraging to learn all about this great organization. We are thankful to get such a great overview on all the parts and to see what God is doing at Roblealto! Check out the website (www.roblealto.org) for more information!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Happy Costa Rican Independence!
Today is Costa Rica's Independence Day! It is a national holiday, so we didn't have any specific work at Roblealto, but we did go up to San Jose de la Montana to see the parade. The students at the Bible Home have a marching band - drums, xylophones, flags and cymbals. They have been practicing for weeks (we've heard them) preparing for this big day! At 7:30 this morning they marched down the hill to the town and joined 5 other schools in the desfile (parade). Roblealto had a beautiful float and the kindergarteners wore historical clothing representing all of the country's provinces. It was so impressive to see the kids all dressed up and playing their instruments so beautifully - we were really proud of them! Many of the children's parents come to watch them. We were told that sometimes the parents cry with pride. They can't believe their kids who have had such difficult lives have such talent!
We continue our tour and introduction of the various parts of Roblealto. Yesterday we met with the director at the Bible Home to talk about its history and why kids are entered into the program. We learned that while these children live in extreme poverty and suffer the risks that come with that, they also have high-risk homes. It is not safe for them to live with their families, so they come to live at the Bible Home. There are 83 kids there now, mostly ages 9-12. While they get love and help from the Bible Home, their families are also receiving services. Sadly, there is never enough room for the amount of children that need the Bible Home. One of our prayers is that the Bible Home will continue to grow and add more houses so that more kids can be helped. A ninth house is currently being built to house 10 more kids.
Our first big project since coming here has been working on a new website. Mark has spent HOURS working on it and it has just been launched today on Independence Day! Please check it out. We are so excited to act as reporters and write articles about what is going on at Roblealto. The link is: www.roblealto.org
Enjoy!
We continue our tour and introduction of the various parts of Roblealto. Yesterday we met with the director at the Bible Home to talk about its history and why kids are entered into the program. We learned that while these children live in extreme poverty and suffer the risks that come with that, they also have high-risk homes. It is not safe for them to live with their families, so they come to live at the Bible Home. There are 83 kids there now, mostly ages 9-12. While they get love and help from the Bible Home, their families are also receiving services. Sadly, there is never enough room for the amount of children that need the Bible Home. One of our prayers is that the Bible Home will continue to grow and add more houses so that more kids can be helped. A ninth house is currently being built to house 10 more kids.
Our first big project since coming here has been working on a new website. Mark has spent HOURS working on it and it has just been launched today on Independence Day! Please check it out. We are so excited to act as reporters and write articles about what is going on at Roblealto. The link is: www.roblealto.org
Enjoy!
Friday, September 11, 2009
El 15 de Setiembre Daycare Center
We continue to get more involved at Roblealto. We spent the beginning of the week furnishing our office in the mountains at the Bible Homes. Mark spent many hours working on the details of Roblealto's new website. He's had a lot of fun learning how to manage a website and making it user-friendly and informative. We were really happy to hear that our bosses love the website and want to get it up and running as soon as possible. The plan is to launch it on the 15th of September, which is Costa Rica's Independence Day! We will send an email with the link so you can check it out once it's up!
Wednesday we met with Pamela, our boss, to discuss the next couple of weeks. She has set up visits for us to all 3 daycares and the Bible Home/school. We will also be talking with all the major department heads to learn as much as we can about the many facets of Roblealto. After each visit/meeting, we are typing up a informational report that will be used by Roblealto staff when giving tours of the various facilities - luckily they are in English. And luckily we have Lizzy who is doing the visits with us and is bilingual! Emily also presented (in Spanish!) the evaluation comments from last week's volunteer group. We had a good initial conversation about some of our ideas for continuing to develop the volunteer experience.
Yesterday, we went on our first visit to one of the daycare centers. It was fun to see this part of Roblealto! We really enjoyed meeting Dona Elba who is the director and has worked there since it opened 38 years ago. She has seen a lot of changes including growing from 30 kids to 140 and, at the same time, watching the neighborhood around them deteriorate. We had the honor of talking to one of the teachers who has been there 15 years. She discussed the difficulty of working in that neighborhood where the children see prostitution, drugs, abuse, and violence on a regular basis. She said to us, "For the students, it's not a movie, it's life." It's hard to imagine what difficult lives the children have, but it was so wonderful to see Roblealto at work. As Dona Elba said, Roblealto is the only good thing in the community. We loved chatting with the children and playing with them a bit on the playground. They are so warm and welcoming - just regular loving kids! This is only because of the changes that God brings about in their lives.
Today we visit another daycare center. Continue to pray for the ministry of Roblealto and the 650 children that they serve. God is certainly at work here!
Wednesday we met with Pamela, our boss, to discuss the next couple of weeks. She has set up visits for us to all 3 daycares and the Bible Home/school. We will also be talking with all the major department heads to learn as much as we can about the many facets of Roblealto. After each visit/meeting, we are typing up a informational report that will be used by Roblealto staff when giving tours of the various facilities - luckily they are in English. And luckily we have Lizzy who is doing the visits with us and is bilingual! Emily also presented (in Spanish!) the evaluation comments from last week's volunteer group. We had a good initial conversation about some of our ideas for continuing to develop the volunteer experience.
Yesterday, we went on our first visit to one of the daycare centers. It was fun to see this part of Roblealto! We really enjoyed meeting Dona Elba who is the director and has worked there since it opened 38 years ago. She has seen a lot of changes including growing from 30 kids to 140 and, at the same time, watching the neighborhood around them deteriorate. We had the honor of talking to one of the teachers who has been there 15 years. She discussed the difficulty of working in that neighborhood where the children see prostitution, drugs, abuse, and violence on a regular basis. She said to us, "For the students, it's not a movie, it's life." It's hard to imagine what difficult lives the children have, but it was so wonderful to see Roblealto at work. As Dona Elba said, Roblealto is the only good thing in the community. We loved chatting with the children and playing with them a bit on the playground. They are so warm and welcoming - just regular loving kids! This is only because of the changes that God brings about in their lives.
Today we visit another daycare center. Continue to pray for the ministry of Roblealto and the 650 children that they serve. God is certainly at work here!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
First Week at Roblealto!
We just wrapped up a great first week at the Bible Home at Roblealto. The Bible Home is up in the mountains where the volunteers come to hang out with the kids and work on the construction/maintenance projects. There are 10 homes, a school, a cafeteria and office, and several other buildings. There are only 2 guys that run the maintenance for the whole campus, so you can understand why the volunteer teams that come through are so important. Everyone appreciates them so much!
This past week the Washington team did a great job and we really enjoyed getting to know them. On Thursday, Steve (a missionary who has been here for over 3 years) took us on a tour to learn about the chicken farm side of Roblealto. We couldn't actually go into the chicken farm because of health standards, but there is a new building being built which we toured and Steve explained the process to us from egg to sale. The granja (farm) provides 80% of the chickens for all of Costa Rica AND Nicaragua. They hatch 150,000 chicks every week! Some chicks are broilers (they're sold to get fat and then be eaten) and some are layers (sold to provide eggs). It was fascinating to learn what a science the process is. They hatch the chicks twice a week and know to the minute when the chicks will hatch. They then move the hours-old chicks to their "homes," mostly by truck. In the afternoon, Steve brought some baby chicks by for us to hold and play with - a couple of the Bible Home kids were around too and couldn't get enough of the little fluff balls.
We haven't had a chance to get to know many of the kids yet. We hope to be more in the homes soon, but we did befriend a little guy named Sergio. He typically follows Juancito (one of the maintenance guys) around. We were helping Juancito so Sergio jumped in to help us. Mark was really great at working with him. It was one of those situations where without his "help" Mark could have been done in half the time. But Roblealto is all about the KIDS so Mark chatted with him and Sergio tried out his English words. Mark modeled how to mud the bathroom and Sergio helped and eventually they finished. This guy has a special place in our hearts already. We look forward to getting to know more of the kids. We were so happy that on Friday when we left we could say "Hasta lunes" (see you on Monday). It's fun to say that we are here for a whole year and to know we'll really get to know many of the people at Roblealto.
This morning we'll be going to Mike and Kathy's house church. They've asked Mark to preach there at the end of September which he is excited to do. They also have a library full of thousands of English books that have been donated to them over the years. Since I (Emily) am on my last book that I brought, I'm excited to check out some new ones! Finding books here was one of my concerns, so this library is a God-send! We're thinking of you all this Sunday morning. For those of you at Ridgewood, we have to say it's such an honor to come from your church. Ridgewood has had such an impact at Roblealto and everyone gets a huge smile when we mention you. Much love to all of you!
This past week the Washington team did a great job and we really enjoyed getting to know them. On Thursday, Steve (a missionary who has been here for over 3 years) took us on a tour to learn about the chicken farm side of Roblealto. We couldn't actually go into the chicken farm because of health standards, but there is a new building being built which we toured and Steve explained the process to us from egg to sale. The granja (farm) provides 80% of the chickens for all of Costa Rica AND Nicaragua. They hatch 150,000 chicks every week! Some chicks are broilers (they're sold to get fat and then be eaten) and some are layers (sold to provide eggs). It was fascinating to learn what a science the process is. They hatch the chicks twice a week and know to the minute when the chicks will hatch. They then move the hours-old chicks to their "homes," mostly by truck. In the afternoon, Steve brought some baby chicks by for us to hold and play with - a couple of the Bible Home kids were around too and couldn't get enough of the little fluff balls.
We haven't had a chance to get to know many of the kids yet. We hope to be more in the homes soon, but we did befriend a little guy named Sergio. He typically follows Juancito (one of the maintenance guys) around. We were helping Juancito so Sergio jumped in to help us. Mark was really great at working with him. It was one of those situations where without his "help" Mark could have been done in half the time. But Roblealto is all about the KIDS so Mark chatted with him and Sergio tried out his English words. Mark modeled how to mud the bathroom and Sergio helped and eventually they finished. This guy has a special place in our hearts already. We look forward to getting to know more of the kids. We were so happy that on Friday when we left we could say "Hasta lunes" (see you on Monday). It's fun to say that we are here for a whole year and to know we'll really get to know many of the people at Roblealto.
This morning we'll be going to Mike and Kathy's house church. They've asked Mark to preach there at the end of September which he is excited to do. They also have a library full of thousands of English books that have been donated to them over the years. Since I (Emily) am on my last book that I brought, I'm excited to check out some new ones! Finding books here was one of my concerns, so this library is a God-send! We're thinking of you all this Sunday morning. For those of you at Ridgewood, we have to say it's such an honor to come from your church. Ridgewood has had such an impact at Roblealto and everyone gets a huge smile when we mention you. Much love to all of you!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Starting at Roblealto
Hi everyone!
We have finally started our work at Roblealto this week. We are 3 days into it and have already learned a lot. We were so excited to begin what we came here to do!
There is a small team of college students from Washington that is at Roblealto this week as volunteers so it's been good for us to see what it looks like to have a volunteer group. This is the last team that comes until February when Ridgewood will be coming, so it was key that we are there this week to see how it looks. We were able to jump right in! Unfortunately, Pamela (our boss in the International Department) injured her foot and is out this week, but Steve (who was our initial contact at Roblealto) has taken over and helped with the organization and support of this team. We have so much to learn about Roblealto over the next several weeks, but this week we get to be around the homes and help with the projects - painting, organizing the free clothes store... one of the girls on the Washington team is an artist and is painting a beautiful mural for the school. We've gotten to use a little bit of Spanish with a few kids and the Roblealto staff, but are mostly hanging out with the volunteers and learning as they do.
We are excited about our new office space that Steve prepared for us. It's a beautiful room, but lacks furniture so one of the first things we'll be doing is rounding up some furniture. We got an old table and sanded it down and painted it today so we have a conference table for when we all sit down as an International Dept. team to talk about our goals and roles. Mark and I have a lot of ideas of what we hope to be involved in, but our roles are sure to develop and change over the year. Mark has been working on Roblealto's new website and is planning to launch it in the next week or so. One of our jobs will be acting as reporters for what is happening at Roblealto to go on the website so that you all can keep up to date with the organization. We'll be sure to let you know when the site is active!
Please continue praying for our Spanish as we are now really needing to use it! There are a lot of new construction terms that we haven't learned in school, obviously! Pray also for us as we learn about Roblealto and experience the many parts of the organization - there will be a huge learning curve coming! Thanks for all your prayers and continued support. We can't believe we've been here over a month and we are doing well. God is good!
We have finally started our work at Roblealto this week. We are 3 days into it and have already learned a lot. We were so excited to begin what we came here to do!
There is a small team of college students from Washington that is at Roblealto this week as volunteers so it's been good for us to see what it looks like to have a volunteer group. This is the last team that comes until February when Ridgewood will be coming, so it was key that we are there this week to see how it looks. We were able to jump right in! Unfortunately, Pamela (our boss in the International Department) injured her foot and is out this week, but Steve (who was our initial contact at Roblealto) has taken over and helped with the organization and support of this team. We have so much to learn about Roblealto over the next several weeks, but this week we get to be around the homes and help with the projects - painting, organizing the free clothes store... one of the girls on the Washington team is an artist and is painting a beautiful mural for the school. We've gotten to use a little bit of Spanish with a few kids and the Roblealto staff, but are mostly hanging out with the volunteers and learning as they do.
We are excited about our new office space that Steve prepared for us. It's a beautiful room, but lacks furniture so one of the first things we'll be doing is rounding up some furniture. We got an old table and sanded it down and painted it today so we have a conference table for when we all sit down as an International Dept. team to talk about our goals and roles. Mark and I have a lot of ideas of what we hope to be involved in, but our roles are sure to develop and change over the year. Mark has been working on Roblealto's new website and is planning to launch it in the next week or so. One of our jobs will be acting as reporters for what is happening at Roblealto to go on the website so that you all can keep up to date with the organization. We'll be sure to let you know when the site is active!
Please continue praying for our Spanish as we are now really needing to use it! There are a lot of new construction terms that we haven't learned in school, obviously! Pray also for us as we learn about Roblealto and experience the many parts of the organization - there will be a huge learning curve coming! Thanks for all your prayers and continued support. We can't believe we've been here over a month and we are doing well. God is good!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Last Day of School
Well, we made it! Tomorrow we have our last day of Spanish classes. We have not talked very much about the school we have attended since Aug 10th. This first month has mostly been about gaining language skills for our work beginning in September. Our school called Intercultura and is well-known in this area for providing excellent language instruction. We have met people from all over the world who have come to Costa Rica simply to attend this school. In the evenings Intercultural also offers English classes for Costa Ricans who want to learn the language for business and tourism. It has been intensive work for both of us. Our classes were four hours each day, Monday to Friday, with homework afterwards. Both of us have improved in spite of tired brains each night.
Mark can now talk in the past and future tenses and has learned a lot of conversational vocabulary. Emily reviewed a lot of the verb tenses and has gained dozens of new vocabulary words. We would recommend Intercultura to anyone interested in serious study of Spanish. (www.interculturacostarica.com)
We are now very excited for Monday when we will finally begin what we came to do, serve at Roblealto. Beginning Monday we will meet with the Roblealto staff and jump in right away helping with a church group that arrives this week. As of next week we will know much more about what our jobs will entail. We are eager to serve along side Pamela (international department director,) as well as Lisi and Nelli. While we were in school we also did some work on the new Roblealto website anticipating that it will launch in September. Thank you to Steve Hein from Ridgewood for his guidance and hard work to create the website.
We ask for prayers from all of you as we leave behind our month of becoming accustomed to Costa Rica and gaining language skills!
Mark can now talk in the past and future tenses and has learned a lot of conversational vocabulary. Emily reviewed a lot of the verb tenses and has gained dozens of new vocabulary words. We would recommend Intercultura to anyone interested in serious study of Spanish. (www.interculturacostarica.com)
We are now very excited for Monday when we will finally begin what we came to do, serve at Roblealto. Beginning Monday we will meet with the Roblealto staff and jump in right away helping with a church group that arrives this week. As of next week we will know much more about what our jobs will entail. We are eager to serve along side Pamela (international department director,) as well as Lisi and Nelli. While we were in school we also did some work on the new Roblealto website anticipating that it will launch in September. Thank you to Steve Hein from Ridgewood for his guidance and hard work to create the website.
We ask for prayers from all of you as we leave behind our month of becoming accustomed to Costa Rica and gaining language skills!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Best Day EVER!
We had an amazing day trip this weekend! We like that on Saturdays we have gone and explored various parts of the country. We have gone to places based on peoples' recommendations and we have not been disappointed! Saturday morning we left around 9 am and headed for the Poas Volcano - about 2 hours of curvy, crazy roads. We drove through some serious road construction due to major landslides when the area had an earthquake last January. It was really interesting to see some of the damage and the way they are terracing the land so it is less likely to create landslides next time. We got up to the National Park and took a short walk to the edge of the huge crater of the Poas Valcano. It is the second largest crater in the world - a mile across! It is considered an active volcano, though it hasn't spewed lava in ages. It is basically a geyser now and you can hear the water bubbling and steam and sulfur pours out of the top. It was great!
Next we headed about a half an hour away to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. They also had major earthquake damage and landslides took out most of their walking paths. Normally there are paths to 5 different waterfalls, but right now you can only walk to two. Even still, this place was amazing. The waterfalls were great, but the highlight was all of the animal preserves they have - birds, monkeys, frogs, a butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden where you can possibly observe up to 26 different types of hummingbirds - more than anywhere else in the world! When we were in the aviary building, we even got to feed the toucans! It was really incredible! We met the builder/designer and the general manager of the place (the wife and kids of the general manager were there and the daughter recognized us from the airport in Dallas - they had eaten next to us at the Bennigans during our layover 3 weeks ago!) We got talking to them and talked maybe about being able to bring some of the kids from Roblealto for free this fall. That would be a great opportunity if we could!
When we were at the Waterfall Gardens, we learned a lot about the area. Because it's in a rain forest, for a long time no one considered the land useful - it was too wet to grow coffee or anything else. Eventually, they built dairy farms and imported cows from none other than Madison, Wisconsin, which we thought was hilarious! And of course, since it is a rain forest, at about 4 pm it started to POUR. We waited it out a bit, but wanted to get down the mountain before it got dark (at 6 pm). Luckily, as we went down, the rain and fog let up a little. No need to add pouring rain to the craziness of driving in the mountains!
We are excited to start our last week of classes tomorrow. We plan to go to the beach again next weekend as we figure we'll most likely never live only 3 or 4 hours from the ocean again! Next Monday we start at Roblealto! We are thinking of you all. Please keep praying for our Spanish - we have a lot to learn! Much love!
Next we headed about a half an hour away to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. They also had major earthquake damage and landslides took out most of their walking paths. Normally there are paths to 5 different waterfalls, but right now you can only walk to two. Even still, this place was amazing. The waterfalls were great, but the highlight was all of the animal preserves they have - birds, monkeys, frogs, a butterfly garden and a hummingbird garden where you can possibly observe up to 26 different types of hummingbirds - more than anywhere else in the world! When we were in the aviary building, we even got to feed the toucans! It was really incredible! We met the builder/designer and the general manager of the place (the wife and kids of the general manager were there and the daughter recognized us from the airport in Dallas - they had eaten next to us at the Bennigans during our layover 3 weeks ago!) We got talking to them and talked maybe about being able to bring some of the kids from Roblealto for free this fall. That would be a great opportunity if we could!
When we were at the Waterfall Gardens, we learned a lot about the area. Because it's in a rain forest, for a long time no one considered the land useful - it was too wet to grow coffee or anything else. Eventually, they built dairy farms and imported cows from none other than Madison, Wisconsin, which we thought was hilarious! And of course, since it is a rain forest, at about 4 pm it started to POUR. We waited it out a bit, but wanted to get down the mountain before it got dark (at 6 pm). Luckily, as we went down, the rain and fog let up a little. No need to add pouring rain to the craziness of driving in the mountains!
We are excited to start our last week of classes tomorrow. We plan to go to the beach again next weekend as we figure we'll most likely never live only 3 or 4 hours from the ocean again! Next Monday we start at Roblealto! We are thinking of you all. Please keep praying for our Spanish - we have a lot to learn! Much love!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Our first "normal" week
We just finished up what felt like our first "normal" week here. We feel more established now that we have a car, bank account, and a cell phone. Our second week of Spanish classes went well. We continue learning and being a little overwhelmed by all that we don't know, but it's coming... we are glad we have another week coming up. We've thought about possibly doing another week mid-year around Christmas, but we're not sure if we'll do that. We will see how we feel later this fall. It's hard to know how much of the language we will just pick up once we start at Roblealto.
This week we enjoyed a couple of dance classes, a cooking class and an outing to go dancing with our school. It's fun to get to be a part of the Costa Rican culture in these ways! We rented a couple of movies from our local video store, which we are discovering are mostly "bootleg" - copied - but here it is legal to copy up to 20 movies from the original, apparently. We did laugh when 1 hour into one of the movies, it switched from English to Russian for just 5 minutes and then switched back! So apparently the movies come through Russia!
We are off tomorrow to venture out on the roads of Costa Rica to see a volcano and a Waterfall Garden (at least that's the plan!) We enjoy just getting out and seeing the beautiful country. Check back to see pictures later!
This week we enjoyed a couple of dance classes, a cooking class and an outing to go dancing with our school. It's fun to get to be a part of the Costa Rican culture in these ways! We rented a couple of movies from our local video store, which we are discovering are mostly "bootleg" - copied - but here it is legal to copy up to 20 movies from the original, apparently. We did laugh when 1 hour into one of the movies, it switched from English to Russian for just 5 minutes and then switched back! So apparently the movies come through Russia!
We are off tomorrow to venture out on the roads of Costa Rica to see a volcano and a Waterfall Garden (at least that's the plan!) We enjoy just getting out and seeing the beautiful country. Check back to see pictures later!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Visiting Cartago
HI everyone! We are warm and dry inside our house while it is pouring rain outside. We experienced our first real rain Costa Rican style this weekend. It is very typical for this time of the year to be very rainy, but I've never seen SHEETS of rain like this - it poured for 2 hours straight yesterday and looks like it will do that again today. Luckily, it's started later in the afternoon once we were home from our adventures. The rain is so loud when I was talking on skpe with my (Emily's) folks yesterday, I felt like I had to yell!
We had a fun day yesterday. We left earlier in the morning to head toward Irazu, a volcano near our house. We used the GPS and headed up the mountain in our car, which we now know can handle the mountains! We got to overlook the whole central valley as we drove up - it was amazing! We didn't make it all the way to the volcano as it started to cloud over later in the morning. We will try again in the "summer" months (Dec. and Jan.) when the skies are typically clearer. We headed instead down into Cartago, which was the capital of Costa Rica for about 300 years before they moved it to San Jose. So it's a city full of history. It was Mother's Day yesterday here and it is typical that Catholics go to church on that day, so a lot of people were out and about. We really enjoyed seeing the ruins of a cathedral built in 1575 which was seriously damaged by an earthquake in the 1800s. They've created a beautiful garden inside now and the area is kind of a public park/square.
We also visited the basilica in Cartago which has a very interesting history. The story goes that a young Indian girl, walking through the forest, found a black stone figurine of a woman holding a baby. She brought it home to keep and the next day, found the doll had escaped and was back in the forest. She went through this routine for a couple of days and finally told her story to the priest and gave the doll to him. The doll disappeared from his office as well and returned to the forest. They decided this was a sign from God. As the story spread, the Costa Ricans adopted this as a vision of the Virgin Mary and call her the Negrita - the little black girl. People come to the church to pray to the Virgin for healings and give thanks for successes and miracles they've experienced. They bring charms of their body parts they want healed or tokens (sports medals, notes, etc) and leave them at the church. It was fascinating to see the thousands of tokens that people have left behind.
We also stepped into the mass that we just finishing up. Mother's Day in Costa Rica coincides with the Day of the Assumption of Mary. There were many in church and at the end of the service, people got on their knees to crawl down the aisle to the altar. We learned they were asking something of God or had promised God this act of contrition. It was incredible to see and to imagine how painful this would be! Every August 2, people from all over Costa Rica come to this church (some walking all the way) as a pilgrimage to worship and ask things of God.
We really enjoy learning about and seeing various parts of the country. Spanish classes are going very well. Mark did EXCELLENT on his test and can now talk in the past tense quite well :) We both passed into our next levels which we start tomorrow. We are feeling a little more confident as each day goes by and it feels a little more like "home." We miss you all, however! Thanks for your prayers!
We had a fun day yesterday. We left earlier in the morning to head toward Irazu, a volcano near our house. We used the GPS and headed up the mountain in our car, which we now know can handle the mountains! We got to overlook the whole central valley as we drove up - it was amazing! We didn't make it all the way to the volcano as it started to cloud over later in the morning. We will try again in the "summer" months (Dec. and Jan.) when the skies are typically clearer. We headed instead down into Cartago, which was the capital of Costa Rica for about 300 years before they moved it to San Jose. So it's a city full of history. It was Mother's Day yesterday here and it is typical that Catholics go to church on that day, so a lot of people were out and about. We really enjoyed seeing the ruins of a cathedral built in 1575 which was seriously damaged by an earthquake in the 1800s. They've created a beautiful garden inside now and the area is kind of a public park/square.
We also visited the basilica in Cartago which has a very interesting history. The story goes that a young Indian girl, walking through the forest, found a black stone figurine of a woman holding a baby. She brought it home to keep and the next day, found the doll had escaped and was back in the forest. She went through this routine for a couple of days and finally told her story to the priest and gave the doll to him. The doll disappeared from his office as well and returned to the forest. They decided this was a sign from God. As the story spread, the Costa Ricans adopted this as a vision of the Virgin Mary and call her the Negrita - the little black girl. People come to the church to pray to the Virgin for healings and give thanks for successes and miracles they've experienced. They bring charms of their body parts they want healed or tokens (sports medals, notes, etc) and leave them at the church. It was fascinating to see the thousands of tokens that people have left behind.
We also stepped into the mass that we just finishing up. Mother's Day in Costa Rica coincides with the Day of the Assumption of Mary. There were many in church and at the end of the service, people got on their knees to crawl down the aisle to the altar. We learned they were asking something of God or had promised God this act of contrition. It was incredible to see and to imagine how painful this would be! Every August 2, people from all over Costa Rica come to this church (some walking all the way) as a pilgrimage to worship and ask things of God.
We really enjoy learning about and seeing various parts of the country. Spanish classes are going very well. Mark did EXCELLENT on his test and can now talk in the past tense quite well :) We both passed into our next levels which we start tomorrow. We are feeling a little more confident as each day goes by and it feels a little more like "home." We miss you all, however! Thanks for your prayers!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
New Car!
Yay! We got a car this week! It was quite a process... after looking at one car (a 91 Nissan Sentra that was in bad shape), our friend Mike took us to look at a 93 Corolla that was for sale by his house. We liked the look of it right away. Lower miles, in good shape, ran pretty well... we've learned that cars and other electronics are very expensive here so we were happy with this car and the cost - just what we budgeted! Once we made a deal with the seller, Mike went to the bank to get cash for our traveler's checks, and then we had to go before a lawyer. He filled out some official forms and collected the fees and watched Mark as he paid the seller. Very different process! So we our now proud owners of a Costa Rican car (which is actually a car from the US that was brought down here)!
Spanish classes continue to go great! We are learning a lot and really enjoying getting to know other students. By the end of the 4 hour morning our brains are hurting, but it feels great to be surrounded and immersed in the language. We are glad we have 2 more full weeks of the classes. This weekend we plan to take a little trip to the south of San Jose to see a volcano and Cartago, which was the capital of San Jose from the mid-1500's to the 1800's. We continue exploring on new home. Pura Vida!
Spanish classes continue to go great! We are learning a lot and really enjoying getting to know other students. By the end of the 4 hour morning our brains are hurting, but it feels great to be surrounded and immersed in the language. We are glad we have 2 more full weeks of the classes. This weekend we plan to take a little trip to the south of San Jose to see a volcano and Cartago, which was the capital of San Jose from the mid-1500's to the 1800's. We continue exploring on new home. Pura Vida!
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Coast!
Hello everyone! We just got back from the most wonderful weekend! To celebrate our first anniversary (on the 8th) we went to Manuel Antonio beach which is on the Pacific Coast. We had a chaotic time getting into San Jose to catch our shuttle (traffic is terrible as you may have gotten by now), but thanks to our dear friends Mike and Kathy, we were able to form a plan to meet up with the shuttle at a later stop. Lesson #1 of the weekend: leave very, very early!
We were very glad we took the shuttle for the 4 hour drive through the mountains so Mark didn't have to drive the windy, bumpy, hilly roads. It was very beautiful and kept getting sunnier and warmer as we approached the coast. It really felt like we were in Costa Rica! To celebrate, Mark made reservations at a fancier hotel called "The Mansion". It was beautiful - with an amazing view of the coast line and wonderful service, very friendly people worked there who Mark befriended practicing his Spanish. We got a cheaper reservation because this is the off-season. Lesson #2 - go to the touristy places in their "winter." We spent the weekend relaxing by and in the pool (it was VERY hot and humid - in the 90s), down by the beach (the water was so warm!), walking through the rain forest (where we saw many monkeys, sloths, iguanas and geckos, a sleeping snake, raccoons and an armadillo!) and just enjoying ourselves! We even got "star" treatment for our anniversary dinner. Initially, we were the only ones in the restaurant so they gave us a special table on our own private deck to celebrate. We felt like we were on "The Bachelor!"
After the wonderful weekend, we were ready to jump into Spanish classes today. We left really early this morning to get tested to see which classes we should be in. We both are very impressed with the program. The classes are very small (6 students or less) and interactive. We are meeting people from around the world who come to learn Spanish. It feels great to be back in school and to learn the language since we have such a "need to know" being in this country. Our classes are an easy drive - about 25 minutes away. On Wednesday we plan to take dancing and cooking classes - a perk to this program.
We plan to do a little visiting of the day care centers this week with Pame, with whom we will be working directly. We have homework each night and got a TV from our landlords so we can keep working on our Spanish (though there are many English-speaking channels). We are also in the process of buying a car with Mike's help. We'd appreciate prayers that we would buy a reliable car that we could resell after our year.
We are adjusting well and though we miss you, friends and family, we have enjoyed hearing from you and, or course, our families are just a skype call or email away - thank goodness! Much love!
We were very glad we took the shuttle for the 4 hour drive through the mountains so Mark didn't have to drive the windy, bumpy, hilly roads. It was very beautiful and kept getting sunnier and warmer as we approached the coast. It really felt like we were in Costa Rica! To celebrate, Mark made reservations at a fancier hotel called "The Mansion". It was beautiful - with an amazing view of the coast line and wonderful service, very friendly people worked there who Mark befriended practicing his Spanish. We got a cheaper reservation because this is the off-season. Lesson #2 - go to the touristy places in their "winter." We spent the weekend relaxing by and in the pool (it was VERY hot and humid - in the 90s), down by the beach (the water was so warm!), walking through the rain forest (where we saw many monkeys, sloths, iguanas and geckos, a sleeping snake, raccoons and an armadillo!) and just enjoying ourselves! We even got "star" treatment for our anniversary dinner. Initially, we were the only ones in the restaurant so they gave us a special table on our own private deck to celebrate. We felt like we were on "The Bachelor!"
After the wonderful weekend, we were ready to jump into Spanish classes today. We left really early this morning to get tested to see which classes we should be in. We both are very impressed with the program. The classes are very small (6 students or less) and interactive. We are meeting people from around the world who come to learn Spanish. It feels great to be back in school and to learn the language since we have such a "need to know" being in this country. Our classes are an easy drive - about 25 minutes away. On Wednesday we plan to take dancing and cooking classes - a perk to this program.
We plan to do a little visiting of the day care centers this week with Pame, with whom we will be working directly. We have homework each night and got a TV from our landlords so we can keep working on our Spanish (though there are many English-speaking channels). We are also in the process of buying a car with Mike's help. We'd appreciate prayers that we would buy a reliable car that we could resell after our year.
We are adjusting well and though we miss you, friends and family, we have enjoyed hearing from you and, or course, our families are just a skype call or email away - thank goodness! Much love!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
End of our first week
We just came back from a great afternoon at Roblealto! We were able to meet with Pamela who we will be working with the International Department. We were able to learn more about Roblealto and some of what our positions may entail. It was great being there and getting to meet some of the staff members and a few of the kids. We even went with Pamela to the supermarket to get food for a small group of volunteers from Minnesota that are coming this weekend. Even though we weren't planning on starting with Roblealto until September it looks like we may be able to spend some afternoons visiting the day care centers in the next couple of weeks, as long as our Spanish classes are in the morning (which we will find out on Monday).
Driving continues to be interesting ... the GPS has become our very best friend. Mark drives and Emily tries to navigate. The problem is, at times, what seems like a road on Genevieve (our GPS) is actually a dirt road to no road at all so that makes it interesting! This morning we headed toward what we thought was Roblealto, but what we had marked incorrectly and ended up in the middle of some random town ... we were able to find our way eventually - only 45 min. late for our meeting with Pamela! Mark's favorite aspect of driving was this afternoon on our way home from Roblealto when I was looking at the GPS and said, "OK, turn right here" and before us was a 55 degree hill that we zoomed up in first gear- crazy! We did find what we think is the best way to Roblealto - it will take about 40 minutes from our house.
Yesterday we also went to where we will take Spanish classes so we could make sure to find it Monday morning. Every little task we accomplish, we feel so proud of ourselves! We made it to the hardware store for a bolt and space heater (it's chilly here!), opened a PO box and found a HiperMas (Wal-mart) close to our classes. So overall, we are figuring it out!
Tomorrow morning we are headed to the beach to celebrate our first anniversary. We can't believe it's been a year since we got married and celebrated with many of you! We are so thankful for a wonderful marriage, a great first year, and the excitement the next year in our new country! We'll post when we get back! Thinking of you all!
Driving continues to be interesting ... the GPS has become our very best friend. Mark drives and Emily tries to navigate. The problem is, at times, what seems like a road on Genevieve (our GPS) is actually a dirt road to no road at all so that makes it interesting! This morning we headed toward what we thought was Roblealto, but what we had marked incorrectly and ended up in the middle of some random town ... we were able to find our way eventually - only 45 min. late for our meeting with Pamela! Mark's favorite aspect of driving was this afternoon on our way home from Roblealto when I was looking at the GPS and said, "OK, turn right here" and before us was a 55 degree hill that we zoomed up in first gear- crazy! We did find what we think is the best way to Roblealto - it will take about 40 minutes from our house.
Yesterday we also went to where we will take Spanish classes so we could make sure to find it Monday morning. Every little task we accomplish, we feel so proud of ourselves! We made it to the hardware store for a bolt and space heater (it's chilly here!), opened a PO box and found a HiperMas (Wal-mart) close to our classes. So overall, we are figuring it out!
Tomorrow morning we are headed to the beach to celebrate our first anniversary. We can't believe it's been a year since we got married and celebrated with many of you! We are so thankful for a wonderful marriage, a great first year, and the excitement the next year in our new country! We'll post when we get back! Thinking of you all!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Pura Vida! (Pure life)
Hello! Pura Vida! This is what the ticos (Costa Ricans) say all the time. It means life is good. We heard it a lot today from our guide, Warner, in the rain forest! It has been a life-long dream of Emily's to see the rain forest and it was unbelievable! We left early this morning and drove about 45 minutes through the mountains - it was foggy and so very green. We saw lots of little waterfalls as we drove. The driving was precarious with so many huge trucks and cars passing, zooming by - this is the main road that goes to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Our landlord's daughter, Stephanie, had recommended a place to see called the AerialTram. It is a ski-lift-like ride that takes you through all three parts of the rain forest. At times we were just a few feet off the ground. At most we were 120 feet up! It was so amazing! Warner was so knowledgeable about the various plants and animals. We saw a tarantula, a huge walking stick, a poisonous snake, many butterflies and other insects (including the largest ant in the Americas - it was over an inch long! - it's bite can hospitalize a person). We saw beautiful flowers and HUGE plants and one of the highlights was seeing a rare Snow-capped hummingbird, named for it's white head. We've posted some pictures here.
Tonight we talked with an English teacher who is from Tahoe and is working at the school that Wendy, our landlord, started and runs. He's sure that we fall in love with Costa Rica as he has :) We are continuously grateful for Mike and Kathy who brought us to their church yesterday. We enjoyed talking with people there and seeing the large library of English books they have created over the years. This was good news for a bookworm like Emily! We ate lunch with them and good friends of theirs and Mike took us to the equivalent of Wal-mart so we could outfit our home and buy groceries. We didn't know that we could get anything we may need there and all the brands that we are used to including Jiff peanut butter! :)
Tomorrow we plan to go to the Museum of Gold in San Jose... now that our GPS is up and working we feel like we can explore and at least get home! This is a GREAT help! We continue thinking of you. Thanks for your continued prayers!
Tonight we talked with an English teacher who is from Tahoe and is working at the school that Wendy, our landlord, started and runs. He's sure that we fall in love with Costa Rica as he has :) We are continuously grateful for Mike and Kathy who brought us to their church yesterday. We enjoyed talking with people there and seeing the large library of English books they have created over the years. This was good news for a bookworm like Emily! We ate lunch with them and good friends of theirs and Mike took us to the equivalent of Wal-mart so we could outfit our home and buy groceries. We didn't know that we could get anything we may need there and all the brands that we are used to including Jiff peanut butter! :)
Tomorrow we plan to go to the Museum of Gold in San Jose... now that our GPS is up and working we feel like we can explore and at least get home! This is a GREAT help! We continue thinking of you. Thanks for your continued prayers!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
We are here!
Thank you for all of your prayers! We arrived in San Jose last night with no complications. Emily got to use her Spanish with immigration and convinced the agent that we were OK to enter the country :) We were so happy to see our friends Mike and Kathy on the other side of the door. They brought us to our new home which is BEAUTIFUL! We feel unbelievably blessed. Emily is especially happy with the kitchen which has so many more cupboards than our condo in Edina! Kathy was kind enough to supply us with kitchen essentials, some food and a lovely orchid.
Our morning: We initially woke up to roosters crowing at 4:30 a.m. as well as other birds. We've been assured that we'll get used to that. Later this morning, we looked out the window to see lemon and lime trees in our back yard. Mark proceeded to make fresh lemonade. Emily killed one ginormous spider and we've found many others - a natural part of living in the tropics. We also realized our neighbors have cows, ducks, horses and a turkey! Our landlords also grow eucalyptus, kumquats, mint, huge hydrangeas, sugar cane and blackberries to name a few. We aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto.
We feel very safe and cared for as our landlords (who live next door) speak English and are so helpful and friendly. They know Roblealto mission very well and have invited us to their church. This morning, Mike returned (he's letting us use his car this week) and took us on our tour of the area. Mark got to experience Costa Rican driving (it's incredibly chaotic!) and we ate authentic Costa Rican food for lunch - beans and rice, meat, plantains, yuca (like a potato) and Pepsi, of course - YUM! We were thrilled to drive up to Roblealto and talk to some of the kids and staff there. Emily had tears in her eyes to see this place we've heard so much about and planned for so long to see - especially the buildings that Ridgewood Church has helped repair and build.
As for tonight, we were happy to skype with Mark's parents and so grateful for technology and wireless internet! It was dark by 6 pm so we cooked some comfort food (mac and cheese and hotdogs) and listened to Minnesota Public Radio since we were feeling a little homesick. Please continue praying as we acclimate. We look forward to visiting Mike and Kathy's house church tomorrow. Many adventures lie ahead!
Our morning: We initially woke up to roosters crowing at 4:30 a.m. as well as other birds. We've been assured that we'll get used to that. Later this morning, we looked out the window to see lemon and lime trees in our back yard. Mark proceeded to make fresh lemonade. Emily killed one ginormous spider and we've found many others - a natural part of living in the tropics. We also realized our neighbors have cows, ducks, horses and a turkey! Our landlords also grow eucalyptus, kumquats, mint, huge hydrangeas, sugar cane and blackberries to name a few. We aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto.
We feel very safe and cared for as our landlords (who live next door) speak English and are so helpful and friendly. They know Roblealto mission very well and have invited us to their church. This morning, Mike returned (he's letting us use his car this week) and took us on our tour of the area. Mark got to experience Costa Rican driving (it's incredibly chaotic!) and we ate authentic Costa Rican food for lunch - beans and rice, meat, plantains, yuca (like a potato) and Pepsi, of course - YUM! We were thrilled to drive up to Roblealto and talk to some of the kids and staff there. Emily had tears in her eyes to see this place we've heard so much about and planned for so long to see - especially the buildings that Ridgewood Church has helped repair and build.
As for tonight, we were happy to skype with Mark's parents and so grateful for technology and wireless internet! It was dark by 6 pm so we cooked some comfort food (mac and cheese and hotdogs) and listened to Minnesota Public Radio since we were feeling a little homesick. Please continue praying as we acclimate. We look forward to visiting Mike and Kathy's house church tomorrow. Many adventures lie ahead!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
We Leave Tomorrow AM!
We have cleaned, canceled mail, seen friends and family, packed and now we are ready to go! At least, in most aspects we are ready... it doesn't really feel real that tomorrow night we will sleep in our new house in Costa Rica! We have been trying to get emotionally and spiritually ready, asking that God would prepare us. He has been with us in this last week as through this whole process. We'd appreciate prayers for our flight - we leave at 11:15 AM central time and will land at 7:30 PM central time in San Jose. We are thankful that we will stay in the same time zone so no jet lag! Our friends, Mike and Kathy Garrett, will meet us at the airport and take care of us over the weekend - introducing us to new people and showing us around, helping us get adjusted.
We are excited to see Roblealto, our house, our neighborhood, the rainforest and mountains. THANK YOU to all who have helped make this mission year possible! Keep in touch... and the next blog will be from Costa Rica!
We are excited to see Roblealto, our house, our neighborhood, the rainforest and mountains. THANK YOU to all who have helped make this mission year possible! Keep in touch... and the next blog will be from Costa Rica!
Monday, July 13, 2009
We have raised our support!
Praise God for his faithfulness. We have raised all the financial support we need to pursue our year of service in Costa Rica! Thanks to all the friends and family that are supporting us and allowing us to serve God and his people in this next year. We will be busy getting ready to leave in the next couple of weeks. Cancelling things, packing, cleaning... hopefully getting up to the cabin a bit too :) We leave July 31 and can't wait to see our new house and new country!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
We have renters for our condo!
It was confirmed tonight that we have renters for our condo. Two married Christian authors from Tulsa are moving here to work on their new books. They will living in our condo! They are giving us a signed copy of their latest book. How nice.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
We have a house!
Well, it was confirmed tonight. We have a house to live in just north of San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica beginning August 1st. It looks really quaint and is in a safe area. Also, the land lords live on site and are friends of the mission we will work for. It sounds like the perfect place for us. We will easily be able to drive to both our spanish classes and our office at Roblealto in about 15 minutes. The cost was a little higher than we anticipated but not by too much that we would say no. Especially because of the safety and the security of having friends of the mission right there!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Letters Officially Out
We met our goal of getting our support letters in the mail as of today! Praise God
Friday, May 15, 2009
notice to friends and family
This website is under contruction and there are some pictures that are not from Costa Rica at all. We are learning how to manage a blog website for our work at Roblealto.
sending out support letters
Today, Friday May 15 we begin to send out support letters to friends and family! Thank you to Ridgewood Church for commissioning us as missionaries to Roblealto
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