Greetings from sunny Costa Rica. We finally had a hot week here, but we also had our first big rain. The teachers at the school have warned us that this is the beginning of the rainy season. No one is looking forward to the long days of rain, mold, and wet roads, clothes, and shoes.
This week Jon and I both had to give 5-minutes presentations in our language classes. This was the first time we had to talk for so long in a formal setting. I did mine on earthquakes, which I now have first-hand experience with, and Jon did his on hippopotamuses. He could have picked any animal he wanted and that's what he picked. He said he actually learned a lot. Ha!Ha!
We also had our first experience at the immigration office. We spent 4 hours waiting to apply for a visa extension to stay in the country for another 30 days. In Costa Rica you are only allowed to stay on a "tourist" visa, which we have, for 90 days. At the end of the 90 days, you have to leave the country for at least 72 hours and then you can re-enter. You are permitted to apply for a one-time 30 day extension, which is what we did on Tuesday. Even though our wait was long, Parker did awesome. He played quietly, we walked around outside a little, and then he fell asleep in his stroller. I think God knew we needed a peaceful day.
When we got up to the counter, the woman helping us tried to explain, in Spanish of course, that we would not receive confirmation of our extension for another 2 months. We have to present our paperwork at the border when we leave for a short trip at the end of April. We were a little confused about what she was trying to tell us and we were worried at first that we didn't have all the documentation we needed. Thankfully, another employee came over and explained it to us, in English of course. It will be so nice when we know more Spanish, especially in situations like this.
Parker stayed home most of the week with Carla because he had a cold. He enjoyed having the attention and she loved having the company. When I came home on Monday, she told me all about how she ironed, swept, made lunch, made the beds, and cleaned the bathrooms with Parker on her hip. She was a little concerned that she hadn't gotten enough done, but I was so grateful that he was happy considering the week he had last week at school.
My last ESL class was on Wednesday. There was at least one woman who gave her life to Christ after the message. Praise God! The kids came during the reception time and were able to meet several of my students.
Two other quick firsts: I took the kids on a bus to McDonald's myself and went to a local store called "Pequeno Mundo" (Small World). Also, Kendall and I got our hair cut at a local place around the corner. This is a scary thing for a girl with short hair, but thankfully it turned out well. I rehearsed how to say, "Can I make an appointment to have my hair cut?" the entire way there. I also learned the word for layers "capas". Good times.
Praises:
1. We were able to apply for our visa extension without any problems.
2. Jon's parents are coming in a few weeks.
Prayer Requests:
1. One of my teachers shared with us how her father is struggling with Alzheimer's and has had to be hospitalized. She is the only one in her family who is a Christian and is experiencing some rejection within the family for this. Her sisters are not allowing her to help make decisions about their father's care. Please pray that she will be a light to her family and that she would have opportunities to share the gospel with them during this hard time.
2. Please continue to pray for Parker in his class. He only went once last week, so we're not sure if there is any improvement with his biting.
3. My parents finally sold my grandfather's house (he has moved into an assisted living situation). This is a praise and a prayer request. My mom has a lot to go through, both material items and memories. My oldest sister is coming to help her in the next few weeks. Pray that they would be able to get a lot done and that they would be comforted by the Holy Spirit--it's hard thinking about what do to with Poppy's things.
4. Pray for the woman at AMCA House who accepted Christ. Pray that she will get involved in one of the discipleship programs and begin to learn more about her Heavenly Father.
Thank you for your love and support. Sorry this post was so long.
Love in His Name,
Jon, Amanda, Kendall, and Parker
