Connecting to the ministry

We are in the middle of May with two and a half months left here and with no idea of where God wants us to be next. We are praying for our next step more than I think we've ever prayed for anything. Coming to Costa Rica seemed so much easier than where we are at right now. We knew we were coming about 8 months ahead of time. God provided our position here, our house we are renting, found us renters for our condo, provided financially through dear friends and family, etc. It was literally one thing after the next, everything fell into place. We are so thankful for that because we've never had a doubt we were supposed to be here. Even when things were a little tough this year, we KNEW that God called us to Roblealto.

But now, we really have no idea where God is calling us next. We were hoping we'd know by the time we left Costa Rica at the end of July, but we're beginning to wonder if that will happen. So we keep praying for guidance and wisdom. Thank you for your prayers. There are a few church possibilities right now, but we'll have to see where they lead. What we do know is that as God was faithful to us this year, he will be faithful to us in the next year. And we are grateful for that assurance.

One thing that has recently been a blessing for me (Emily) is helping our department with translating the last couple of weeks. I've been reading and translating letters from the kids here who are writing to their sponsors. They say really cute things such as one little boy who wrote to his sponsor: ¨Today I'm going to play soccer and all the goals I score I will dedicate to you.¨ I've also helped translate progress reports that are sent once a year to sponsors about their kids. These are reports that the instructors and social workers fill out about how the child is doing, what he or she is interested in, and what the family situation is. The reports are sometimes hard to read because the families are in such severe poverty, often are single mothers, maybe the child has been abused or the parent has lost their job. It's one thing to know these things about the population we serve and another to read about specific cases and translate them for the sponsors. We want to be honest about the difficulties the families face so that sponsor will know how much their support is needed.

Although hard, this translating has been a blessing because it's made me feel close to the ministry of Roblealto. We are often in our office working on our computers and it's easy to feel distant from what Roblealto is all about. But with these reports I was reminded that what Roblealto does is so important and necessary. The children have a safe place to stay while their families receive classes and support to heal and be able to provide for their children. God is at work and using Roblealto to minister to the families and children. And that is what this place is all about.

Living in Costa Rica Means...

After living in Costa Rica for 9 months, we've come to take for granted what is normal for us now... We've adjusted, in general, to life here. But as we think about preparing to move back to the US, we don't want to forget day-to-day life here. For us, living in Costa Rica means...

• Looking out our window to gorgeous mountains
• Eating fruits and vegetables we've never heard of before
• Having fresh pineapple and mangoes every week at our house
• Seeing men in rubber boots cutting grass with machetes
  
• Watching smoke come out of the top of a volcano
• Driving only an hour and half to the nearest beach and the Pacific Ocean
• Sharing a car, a house, a job and being together 24/7
• Working at an organization that is meeting REAL needs
• Seeing Roblealto's mission through fresh eyes when volunteers come
  
• The sun setting suddenly at 6:00 pm all year long
• The sun directly over head at noon
• Cows living on either side of us
• Eating in open-air restaurants
• Driving by coffee plantations on the way to work
• Walking through rain forests
  
• Baking blackberry pies with berries from our landlord's garden
• Worshiping in Spanish
• Talking to family on skype
• Seeing the most beautiful rainbows
• Throwing used toilet paper in the trash
• Getting hot water from the shower to wash our dishes
• Planning our day around the afternoon rain
• Shooing chickens and dogs out of our kitchen
• Learning how to cook differently
  
• Not being able to find ingredients for recipes we're used to
• Learning to kill really big spiders
  
• A bigger perspective on God's work in the world
• Connecting with people across cultures just because we all love Jesus
• Meeting families struggling in desperate communities
• Falling in love with the children at Roblealto
• Never having to wear a winter jacket or drive in snow
• Learning how to drive defensively, but rarely driving over 45 mph
• Being trusted by the Roblealto staff with real ministry
  
• Reading a psalm in the morning and praying together more consistently
• Relying on friends and family's prayers
• Seeing God's faithfulness over and over
  
• Seeking God's direction for the future

We are indebted to you for your support and prayers that have made this year of service in mission possible. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.