A Gift from God

Today I experienced a gift from God. I know that God intimately cares about His children, but today I had a first-hand account of this. During school today, one of my teachers told me that there was someone who wanted to see me. I thought this strange, but I followed him anyway. Sitting at a table on the patio was an elderly women. I introduced myself and I see that she is holding a picture of our family (one of our old prayer cards actually). Anyway, she proceeds to tell me that she is from Colombia, Santa Marta, Colombia to be more specific. She attends our church in Colombia and her daughter works in the Esperanza School where we will be working. Her son is one of my teacher's pastors here in Costa Rica. We talked for a while and she told me that she had been praying for us for a year now and was anxious for us to be in Colombia. How special that she came to Costa Rica to visit her family, but made a point to come to the school to meet and encourage us. God certainly knew that I needed encouragement. Yesterday was a difficult Spanish day for me and I was feeling very discouraged. I am grateful that God sent me someone, a lonely woman from Colombia, at just the right time to remind me of His provision, care, and concern for His child. How cool! Praise God for He is worthy is be praised.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, I actually have a break in the weekend to write and update everyone. I have had a large amount of outside work to do for my classes this trimester. We also don't get out until 1:00 pm now, so the afternoon schedule at home has been pushed back an hour. Thankfully, my language teacher has reduced our workload some. We are now having to do a Bible study every other week, instead of every week. It was taking me about 4 hours to do the Bible studies and they were becoming very stressful for all of us. On the off weeks, we are going to all read the same passage and discuss it. We certainly need practice with free-flowing conversation and discussion as well. It's going to be great practice.

The kids are really enjoying their classes this trimester. Parker especially has done a lot better in his new class. They have been doing more activities and his teachers read a lot to them. Looking at books is one of his favorite things to do. He also loves anything to do with animals. We have animal flashcards on Jon's IPOD and he sits and says the names of all the animals in English and Spanish. Super cute.

Kendall continues to be a "leader" and "little mommy" in her class. For those who have a first-born girl, you know that these are both good and bad characteristics, but mostly good. She is very observant and tries to take care of everyone, including her little brother.

Jon and I are both teaching ESL this trimester. Jon has the advanced group in the morning and I have the advanced-beginners in the afternoon. The students absolutely adore Jon; his jovial personality and humor go a long way here. I have a smaller class of mostly women this time. We have had a good time learning directions, adjectives, and daily routines (washing the dishes, ironing the clothes, etc.) One of the men in Jon's class actually serves as a translator in Costa Rica for E3 Ministers. E3 is the group that our church in Columbia, SC works with during our campaigns to Colombia, South America. It is certainly a small world.

Church has been going better. It is amazing how much more we can understand now that we know past tense. We don't necessarily know how to use it correctly all the time ourselves, but reading the Bible and listening to sermons is getting a little easier. Sometimes my English background is frustrating for me because Spanish and English do not always match up. Learning the new forms in Spanish is difficult when I can't attach it to how to translate it in English. It's part of the process I know and my teachers keep reminding me to take it one day at a time.

Last week, our language class studied food. On Friday my classmates and teacher came over for lunch. Each of us prepared a typical food and then had to explain, in Spanish, how we prepared it. It was a relaxing and fun time. This was also the first time I had had a teacher over to the house. She enjoyed our American dishes and we all laughed at some of the differences in Costa Rican and American foods. The 2 hours of language class has been really good. I get a lot of talking time because there are only 3 of us in the class. Yesterday, I had to describe a funny moment that happened to me in the past. I (tried) to talk about the time that I dislocated my jaw at a museum in Washington, D.C. This is a very famous family and friend story, and luckily it was just as funny in Spanish. It of course was not funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now.

During the week, Jon goes around town and talks to various people about different topics. Each week he has a new theme and questions that he has to ask them. The following week he presents his finding to his teacher. His teacher Anna was actually a flight attendant at one time and learned English really well. She is able to help Jon with every question he has because she knows both English and Spanish.

Praises:
1. The kids have been healthy so far this trimester.
2. A group from the US came and led chapel on Thursday. It was an encouragement to us to continue on in the hope of the gospel.
3. God has blessed us with wonderful friends here. Learning and life in general would be a greater struggle without them.

Prayer Requests:
1. That learning would continue to come and that we would not become frustrated or discouraged, especially me, at making mistakes.
2. One of my teachers from last semester lost her father this past week. (I mentioned his condition in a previous post). Pray that God would be glorified in this situation and that my teacher would be a light to her family, most on them are not believers.
3. Pray for dependence on God in all things.

Back in School

Hello friends. The past month has gone by incredibly fast. It was full of final exams for our first semester, a trip to Nicaragua, a visit from Jon's parents, and the start of a new semester. We are trying to catch our breathes as we have started our new classes. Jon is taking a grammar class and then another class called FARO. Each week he will be compiling a list of questions and then will visit 8-10 predesignated people to compile information about his topics for the week. He is excited about the relationships he will make, but is trying to get used to the new format of learning.

I am taking one grammar class and a 2 hour conversation class. There are only 3 of us in the conversation class, so there is no hiding. I feel like I have already talked more in the past week then I did all last semester. I am a little overwhelmed by all the work, but I usually do feel overwhelmed at the beginning of something new. I am, however, excited about the Spanish I will learn. Each week we have to give several informational presentations, as well as conduct a Bible Study each week. This is a pretty daunting task when you think about the fact that I knew only a few words and phrases in Spanish a few months ago (and those words were only from watching "Dora the Explorer"). But I am happy to report that I can now watch Dora and actually know what she is saying.

We had a wonderful visit from Jon's parents a couple of weeks ago on our break. They had a good time and it was nice to show them where we lived and take them to the places we go each week. Kendall and Parker of course loved the attention of their Nanna and Pappa. We were able to go to a hotel for a few days with them called Punta Leona. The food was awesome and we got to see monkeys, iguanas, frogs, butterflies, and more every time we stepped out our door. Each day we had breakfast with a different kind of animal. The last day we were there, Jon's mom and I were a little worried that the monkeys were going to jump on our table and take our food.

Our trip to Nicaragua (for our visa renewals) was not so exciting. The buses we took were surprisingly very nice and the hotel was also beautiful. But, because it was the off season, the hotel had designated times for meals. Lunch wasn't until 12:30 and dinner didn't start until 7:00. For a 2 and 4 year old, this is a big problem. We are usually putting the kids in bed by 7. Needless to say, their schedules were way off and they didn't seem to bounce back very well. Also, when we did eat, we had a hard time finding food that was good. Jon thinks we experienced a little "culture shock" because we were having a hard time adapting to our surroundings. Thankfully, we don't have to go anywhere for a while.

Praises:
1. Jon's parents had a safe and fun trip here. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces.
2. Jon and I both will have the opportunity to teach ESL classes at the AMCA house on Wednesdays.

Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that our minds would soak up Spanish.
2. Pray that we will be able to manage the work load and not become weary of all the new things.
3. Pray for relationships with our neighbors and friends that we meet at AMCA. May God give us the words to say and may we be examples of His light.
4. Pray that our time back in the States (in August) will be short so that we can get to Colombia quickly. We have about 5%-7% more support to raise before we can go.

We love you. May the Lord bless you and keep you and give you peace.

Another week of firsts

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

Costa Rica Fun

Hola friends and family. We pray that everyone is doing well. Thank you so much for all the encouraging emails and messages you have sent. It seems that God knows just when we need some encouragement because He sends someone our way.

Last weekend the kids were invited to a birthday party at McDonald's for our friends' little girl Avery. They had a wonderful time of playing games, face-painting, and hitting the pinata. It was pretty funny watching a bunch of 2 and 3 year olds try to hit a pinata. I don't think Kendall even realized that candy was going to come out of it. The party was quite the fiesta. The women who were in-charge sang songs, played games, and did an excellent job of entertaining the kids. We also went downtown with the kids on Saturday morning. They have a square where you can feed pigeons. We saw one little girl, probably around 6 0r 7, feeding the birds and they pick up one of the birds and hold it like a football. She had the death-grip on it and wasn't letting it go. It was really funny and Jon and I both said, "Man, I wish we had brought the camera."

My ESL classes will be over this Wednesday. I am sad that they are over, but we will start up again in May. This past week was my birthday and I only stayed for part of the time since Jon had arranged a babysitter so we could go out on a date--our first in almost three months. Anyway, the ladies in the class were so precious because they were actually upset with me for not telling them it was my birthday. Birthdays are a big deal in Costa Rica.

Even though I only stayed for half the class, we had a great time. Last week we taught them verbs and nouns that went with cooking. One of the ladies actually made the sample recipe that we did and brought me some. The muffins were still warm when she got to class. For class this week, we had them actually follow two recipes and bake banana bread and peanut butter cookies. Most people do not bake here, so this was a new thing for them. Most people only use their ovens for storage and they don't measure ingredients. I assume many Ticos don't use their ovens because there are so many bakeries.

School is defiantly getting harder. Our English brains get confused sometimes because the sentence structure in Spanish is different than in English. I just keep saying, "Thank you God for not calling me to China, learning Chinese seems almost impossible to me." But aren't we all glad that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion?

Praises:
1. God has kept us safe here.
2. We're learning Spanish--I'm pretty sure we aren't getting worse.
3. We're extremely grateful for all those who are supporting us through prayer and finances.

Prayer Requests:
1. Parker is having a hard time in school. He's just extremely tired and he has been biting the other kids. Many of you may remember that we had this same problem when we did our training at Wycliff this past summer. Please pray for his teachers, us, and Parker in this situation. We have tired several things to deter him from biting, but nothing has worked yet. The administrators at school have been kind in this and are doing all they can to help him.
2. Pray for rest. We are tired from the busy schedule.
3. Pray for endurance for the rest of the semester. It is getting harder and harder to get up in the morning (5:45 comes early).
4. Pray that we would be able to extend our visa for one month to give us a chance to leave the country at the end of the trimester and not during the tri. We will be going to the immigration office this week to complete our paperwork for this.

Please send us your prayer requests so that we can know how to pray for you.
Love In Christ,
Jon, Amanda, Kendall, and Parker

Just When You Think You've Got It...

Hola mis amigos y mi familia! I am sorry that we have not written in a couple of weeks. Every time I thought about writing, something seemed to pop up. Plus, we have been going to bed super early. When you wake up at 6 (or before) and your mind is constantly translating Spanish to English and then English to Spanish and back again, life becomes really tiring.

This past weekend I was able to go to a women's retreat with the ladies from school. Jon and the kids hung out at the house and had a good time. Jon even ventured in a taxi with both of them and took them to the mall.

But in all seriousness, God showed up in an amazing way during the retreat and really challenged me in a new way. The Holy Spirit keeps bringing to mind my need to love others as God loves them. Easier said then done, right? But in all reality, the passage in I Corinthians 13:1-3 has been echoing in my mind for the past few weeks: "If I could speak all the languages of earth (especially Spanish) and of angel, but didn't love others, I would be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." My love for God and of others needs to be the motivation for which I do everything, not prideful or selfish things. I am praying that God would allow me to see His children as He sees them and not as my mortal eyes do.

School continues to move along and we are moving right along with it. There are days and even minutes where I think to myself, "Wow, I actually know Spanish." But then, of course, I get a not so subtle reminder that I really don't. It is hard to have a conversation where you can only talk in present tense. Though we are starting to learn some ways to express ideas in the future. This past week I studied clothes, so I am now capable of describing what you are wearing, your shoes, undergarments, and accessories. If anyone needs help with this, let me know.

My ESL class has been going well. It has been a wonderful experience for me as I have been stretched to think differently about teaching English. Even though I was an English teacher, this is a totally different environment and structure. We have been working on practicing English while studying about job, interviewing, and writing applications.

The kids are doing well and picking up more Spanish every day.
Praises:

1. That I was able to go on a short retreat.
2. Praise God that He loves us enough to change us more into His likeness.
3. For Carla, our house helper. She is such a blessing to us and I would not be able to study or concentrate on Spanish without her.
   

Prayer Requests:

1. Pray that our minds would be clear as we learn Spanish.
2. Pray for the concluding session in ESL. During the break we will have a special gospel presentation for the students and we are praying now that God would prepare their hearts for this time.
3. Pray for protection (physical, spiritual, and mental) as we continue to live here in Costa Rica.

Asking God to Open Our Eyes

This past week was an exciting, yet very busy week. Jon and I both had several tests and several other activities that we needed to do. On Wednesday I started my ESL class. It was a wonderful time of getting to know the students and trying to access how much English they knew. I was impressed by how well several of them spoke. We spent the beginning of the class introducing ourselves. I am very thankful that my group was talkative. Apparently, in the past that has not always been the case.

During the break, we were able to visit more, share some refreshments, and listen to a short Bible lesson. The directors of the program teach an English song and then give a short devotional. Teaching English is only the means by which we use to get people to the classes. Our real heart is to be able to share the love of Christ with them. I was deeply encouraged by my time with the students. They were so appreciative and thankful for my time and the help I was willing to give. During the second half of the class, I handed out pictures from a magazine and asked them to describe as many things as they could while focusing on the use of adjectives. It is going to be a challenge for me to plan lessons, but I enjoyed being able to teach again. When we concluded our first session, several of the women gave me hugs when they left and assured me they would be back next week. One of the men wanted me to meet his daughter, who was in the beginner's class, to practice her English. I started to speak in Spanish and he stopped me and said, "No. No, in English." I complied, but I was hoping to practice my Spanish on her.

Jon and I both have gotten tutors to give us extra speaking time. This has been a good time for us to work on those things that are giving us some trouble. We always have to keep in mind that we are not doing this not just so we can speak Spanish, but that we might be able to proclaim the gospel to those who have never heard...in Spanish. Language is also a means by which we can really start to understand the culture of the people who God has called us to. We are thankful for all you who have prayed and given to financially...God has used you to be a tremendous blessing in our lives.

On a personal note: God has again reminded me of His provision in our lives. All that we have is from Him. As we were shopping for food yesterday at Hipermas ("Wal-mart"), I realized that many people had mainly rice and beans in their carts. Don't get me wrong, I like rice and beans, but eating it every day does get a little old. I was convicted by my own selfish heart as I saw families with little in their carts but that. We are so blessed to be provided for in all that we have--especially being able to eat a variety of foods. This small realization may be a simple thing, but it was one more way that God prodded my heart and reminded me that life's not about me.

Prayer Requests:
1. May our eyes be open to what the Lord would teach us here.
2. Prayer that we would not be prideful of our abilities, but rather trust in Him to accomplish in us what He wants.
3. Pray for continued safety and good health. It is hard to miss classes.
4. Pray for clear minds to concentrate on school and retain information. We have new information coming at us each day.

Praise:
1. This week is "Spiritual Emphasis Week" at school. This gives us the opportunity to take a little break from homework and listen to the Word of God.

Quick Update

This has been an interesting week for our home. Amanda has been sick the entire week with a high fever and sore throat. We took here to the school doctor who diagnosed here with strep throat. It's never good when momma is sick. Daddy is alright for the most part, but there is no replacing mommy. Sick momma is still more capable then a healthy daddy :). We are praying that she'll be up and about and ready for school on Monday.

We didn't have class today, so I took the kids with some other couples to the children's museum. This was also our first ride on the public bus. The Parkman squeeled with glee while riding around. I felt like a kid again on the bus. Good times. The museum was a lot of fun and there was a lot of things for them to do. It is interesting the differences in the cultures. There were a lot of things that you'd never seen in a museum in the States. I'm thinking about bringing our kids back when they're older so we can do the "birds and the bees" talk. I'm sure all the really graphic pictures and diagrams will help. Thankfully they're still too little to "get" all that there was, so no awkward questions were asked during the tour. Plus, momma wasn't around so I could say, "Ask mommy". I would post some of the pictures of the stuff, but I think Amanda would hit me.

Anyway, here's a couple of the PG rated pictures for all to enjoy.

Kendall looking for gold in the dirt pile. We are exploring alternate methods of raising support. This one might not work out to well.

Parker sitting in the airplane. He likes the planes and helicopters.

God's Overflowing Grace and Other Random Happenings

This week at chapel we heard a wonderful message about God's amazing and overflowing grace. The speaker, another student at the school, used the illustration of Jesus's first miracle of turning the water into wine. The speaker helped us realize how Jesus in fact made too much wine for the wedding feast. Did Jesus not know that it was the end of the party? Did Jesus not calculate correctly? No, that wasn't it at all. Jesus took the opportunity to show how he was the ultimate provider and that he had enough "grace" to go around. You can never be reminded too many times of how God's grace is sufficient for you. If Jesus is your Savior, there is never anything that we can do that falls outside of his grace for us. We are certainly in need of God's grace right now as we fumble through conjugating verbs and try to form questions and responses with people we meet.

We were all finally able to go to church together this week. The worship time was wonderful and the kids did ok. It is a little stressful to have Kendall and Parker in with us during the 40 minutes of singing. We had to entertain them with crackers, juice, cars, and drawing.

It was neat to hear familiar worship songs, even though they were in Spanish. Because we knew the tunes, it was easier to sing the words. I could actually recognize a lot of the words. Yeah! The church we went to is fairly close to our house and several other students from the school also have been going there. Two other boys from Kendall's class were there. It was nice to have some familiarity for her since she is still trying to transition into being here.

Jon starts with his tutor this week and he's really excited to get the extra practice. I still may get one too because I have already missed several days because of the kids being sick and I am now sick. This Wednesday I will be starting my ESL (English as a second language) classes. The AMCA House, where I will be teaching, offers relatively free classes to anyone who wants to learn English. I will be paired up with another student from school and we will work together to build relationships and prayerfully use the classes as a way to communicate the gospel. I will have two classes with a break in between. During the break, there will be coffee and a short devotional (in Spanish). I'm super excited about this opportunity.

Praises:
-Kendall and Parker are both feeling better.
-Several people have increased or given new support to us over the last month. This is a tremondous blessing because we still need about 13% more to reach our 100% support goal.
-We all were able to go to church this weekend.

Prayer Requests:
-Kendall seems to be having a hard time adjusting to being gone all day and she is acting out at home. Although this is totally normal, especially for a 3 year old, Jon and I want to be good parents and we are asking the Lord for wisdom in how to best deal with her.
-Pray that I would be able to catch up on my school work since I have missed two days this week due to sickness.
-Pray that I would be well enough to start my first week of ESL classes on Wednesday.

Thank you for your prayers.

Poco a poco (little by little)

Our theme this week has been "poco a poco," which is the Tico way of saying, "little by little." This past week of school has been humbling to say the least. Our classes require a lot of preparation. Each class builds on the other and you have to stay on top of things. I am trying to not be discouraged by my process or lack there of. Most of our classes also require you to spell new words constantly and reading aloud. I'm not a fan of reading out loud in English, I know strange for an English teacher, let alone in Spanish. There is no hiding with only 4 students.

As we said before, we have a house helper, who comes three times a week. We had a funny miscommunication on Monday. I had taken the sheets off and put new ones on to help her out because I didn't want her to worry about doing them. Well, when we got home, through a series of poor attempts at communicating, we realized that she had taken the new sheets off, washed them again, and put them back on the beds. I felt so bad, but she did make the beds better than I had which was nice.

The highlight of the week for me was my grammar class on Friday. We were reviewing adjectives and articles for an upcoming test. The teacher asked us to describe the parable of the sower. He drew four simple pictures and we had to describe each scene. Once we did that as a class, we split up into small groups and had to select a story of our own. My group decided to do Noah's ark. Our phrases and pictures were very elementary, well probably more like preschool, but we had fun doing it. We were all excited to be able to communicate a Bible story, even though it was done in the simplest of terms. Our teacher laughed with us as we delighted in our small accomplishment.

Jon and Kendall were able to go to church on Sunday. I stayed home with Parker who had a fever. They seemed to enjoy the service though it was differnt than what we are used to.

Kendall and I have been watching Spanish cartoons to help with our Spanish. It's fun to recognize words during the programs. I also find myself reading the signs and billboards to see if I can read them or pronounce the words. My brain is so full of words and we haven't even started verbs yet--that's tomorrow's class.

Praises: Kendall's ultrasound for her reoccurring UTIs showed no abnormalities.
We are making some wonderful friends here at the school.
More language learning is helping me be able to communicate better with our house helper Carla.

Prayer Requests:
1)Parker has a fever now and we go to the doctor tomorrow. The doctor is coming to the school early to see us. It is a blessing to have such a wonderful doctor connected with the school. Pray that he would get better soon and that our bodies would adjust to the new environment. It's really hard to miss class and we can't take the kids to school if they are sick.
2)Pray against attacks from the enemey. It is easy to feel discouraged. Pray that we would take every thought captive for Christ.
3)Pray for possible ministry opportunities here. There is another school close to ours that teaches ESL (English as a second language) classes. I would like to look into working there to get some experience before Colombia. Jon also wants to work with a youth ministry that meets once a week on Thursdays.

May God bless you and keep you. May He shine His face upon you and give you peace.