This Fragile Life

I have struggled to find words to begin this, so here goes....

The good news is, Mom and I (Bonnie) are fine. The bad news is, we were in a car accident. If you read nothing else, just know this...we are alive!!!!  We are feeling Gods protection and praising Him for the helpful and skilled medical personnel who helped us.

 The Short Story

Mom and I were driving in Oregon when we were T-boned on Mom's side of the car.  She had to be cut out of the car and we were both put on backboards and transported to the hospital. The details remain a blur, but all I know is that we both came out alive and we now have an amazing story to add to our testimonies. God's hands were on us through the entire ordeal and I now have a new understanding of who God is in my life.

I am fine, just bruised with some strained muscles and a few neck and back things going on.

Mom, however, did not do as well. She has 3 fractured ribs and a C2 fracture in her neck. Major bummer! She feels fine when she is laying down, but when she sits she is in a lot of pain. She isn't letting it get her down though!  She is using this time as a testimony to all of the hospital staff who come to help her.  She is the best Jesus testimony and such an example to me. Everyone wants to take her home with them because she is so positive in the midst of all this pain.

Please pray for her and praise God with us that we both have our lives, we are claiming through Christ that we will soon be fine!

That is the short version. After the shock of all this has subsided I will be happy to share details with you, but for now I will write this while the emotions are still so raw and real.

The Long Story

We were T-boned on  moms side of the car. Thankfully the air bags worked but we were trapped for a while. The EMT, fire department, police, and ambulance were there quickly. The first thing I remember was pushing the air bags down and reaching over to undo moms seat belt so I could get her arm out.  When the police arrived they told me not to move her and that they would help her.  They skillfully took over and helped me out of my side of the car. They had to cut mom out of the car while one person held her neck to keep it stable. They covered her and the EMT who stayed by her side with a tarp so they could safely cut her out of the car. They quickly put us on a back boards and had me in one ambulance and mom in another. We were then taken to the hospital. I was asked if I was fond of my shirt and jacket because they needed to be cut off! While they were talking, my light jacket and shirt were cut off and I was put into in a hospital gown. I was wearing baggy pants so they were able to slip them off me. Mom was going through the same thing in the next room. They were good at keeping us informed at how the other one was doing and worked as a team to get us both cat scanned.

I have nothing broken, just some bruises and strains, a very sore neck and back, and tender ribs where the seat belt crossed......Praise God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sometime after midnight when all of that was finished I was released to go home. Home?!? I looked at the doctor and said, "My cloths were cut off me, my van is totaled, all my belongings are in the van, I am from out of state, it is after midnight, and my mom is still in the emergency  room..what am I suppose to do?" He said that those issues were not his department but that something could be worked out.  There was a moment of helplessness, a bit of hopelessness, and then I closed my eyes and just prayed. I was filled with a peace and just knew I needed to stay strong for mom. The nurse showed up with a t-shirt and I was able to get dressed. Mom went to the ICU so I spent the night there with her on the couch in the room. Day one done.

Day two and three have been in the trauma wing. She is getting stronger but her pain is still high so they are trying some different medications. She will be transported to Richland Eagle Rehab when the pain is managed better, probably sometime this week. She likes it at Eagle since that is where she went for her hip recovery. She likes all the OT and PTs there.

Through this entire ordeal, God came through for us again and again.  My sister's friend Maggie, who happens to be from the area, came to pray with us and made herself available if we needed anything. I had not met her before she came into the hospital room.  My son Tylan and his girlfriend Kasey had just moved to Oregon and they came to to be with us several times to read a devotional and have some great conversations.

I called the towing place to see about getting our personal things out of the van. The lady  was a bit harsh and said we only had 15 minutes to gather our things. I was dreading this trip. Maggie just said, "Let me do all the talking and just keep praying"  Before we went in, she and I prayed for peace, for more time to gather everything, to not be overwhelmed with emotion at seeing the totaled van, and for the person at the front desk to be nice to us.

Simple prayer...right?

We walked in and there was a black man at the desk, not the grumpy lady I talked to. He asked if he could help and Maggie said we were here to get our things from the van that was in the lot. He said he was sorry for the accident and asked if everyone was okay, and then told us that he prays for all of the people who might have been hurt in the cars in his lot.  We got very excited and told him we had prayed someone would make this easy for us. It turns out that he is the boss and is rarely at the front desk since he is usually upstairs doing paperwork.  Coincidence? I think not!

The roof of the van was cut completely off and laying on the seats. He held up the roof so we could shake the glass off everything and try to reach our things. He helped us pull things out of the car and was giving God the glory for us being alive. We ended up hugging him and thanked him for his concern and prayers. He was such a dynamic and on-fire man so we said he should be a preacher. I asked him if he felt comfortable praying for my mom on my phone, and he said "Bring it on, of course!" My mom received the prayer with joyful tears and I am sure she will listen to it on her phone many times during this recovery period.

I called him back the next day to thank him for the prayer and tell him how much it blessed and encouraged my mother. He said he was just listening to a sermon that said, "All we  have that really matters is our character.  We have one shot in life to make a change and impact someones life. To touch someones life and see Jesus in us."

That is going to be my new word for the year.... impact.  Now that I know a new level of the word impact, that is what I want to do in the lives of others.  I want to really impact them with the love of Jesus by just caring and being willing to really put myself out there for Him.

 

Please feel the peace that we are feeling.  Rejoice in the fact we are comfortable and being taken care of, and rest in the fact we will soon be back in the Tri Cities and that God will contine to use this seemingly horrible experience to His glory. Continued prayers would be greatly appreciated. We are experiencing the power of prayer and walking in faith that a complete healing will come soon. Thank you for your prayers my friends!

Bonnie

     The sunset was beautiful this evening...it made me reflect and enjoy God's creation. Food for thought. What if we woke up tomorrow and the only thing we had was what we thanked God for the day before???? Remember, don't take anything for granted!

April Update

So far this month we have had many opportunities to serve people in our neighborhood. We were able to bring groceries over to our friend whose husband was in the hospital. She had little food in the house and could not afford to a taxi ride to the store, which is 15 min away. She called one of our other friends in tears so we went right over and brought her eggs, beans and bananas. She was so grateful and seemed to appreciate the encouragement and company as much as she did the food. Being the hands and feet of Jesus and sharing His love is part of our everyday lives here in Costa Rica.

Our 5-year-old neighbor boy, who is being raised by his grandma, likes to greet Cailene and chats with her nearly every day. A few days ago he was washing his bike for the first time and Cailene told him what a great job he was doing. He beamed with delight from the attention! He even offered to wash her bike for her. In this picture she is giving him a scratcher sponge to clean his tires, he was so excited! Positive words and encouragement are invaluable to a boy like this who deals with a drama-filled family life.




Cornelio gives guitar lessons to several students.  He focuses on theory as well as technique. The underlying goal of these lessons is to teach the students responsibility through the challenge of learning how to play an instrument. Because he is teaching Christian songs, the students get exposed to Jesus while also having fun and learning a new skill! You can't beat that.

 


In March we had the water go out twice, both times for a full day. Mini power outages are common during this winter season in Costa Rica.  Fortunately our new water system is gravity fed and it does not need electricity. Many thanks to our family and friends in the states who made the water tank possible! We are enjoying God's continued blessings and provision over our lives here in Costa Rica.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Joyfully serving Jesus in Costa Rica,

Cornelio, Cailene, & Bonnie

The Best News of All

If you have been a believer for any span of time, chances are you know that Easter has nothing to do with bunnies, eggs, or even chocolate. Many of us nod our heads and say "Yes, yes, I know, of course not" but do we really understand the gravity of why we celebrate this day?

 

Can you imagine being completely innocent and blameless, yet sacrificing your life to save someone who doesn't deserve it? God sent His son to this broken Earth and He died on the cross so that we may have a chance to live forever in the light and warmth of the Lord, even though we are full of sin and turn our backs on Him daily.

"Everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:15-17 

Close your eyes, still your heart, and imagine this: You are Barabbas. You sit in a prison cell, head hung low, guilty and awaiting the punishment for what you have done. You are hopeless and no one can help you now.

"A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising."  Mark 15:7

Jesus Christ walks in to your cell, tells the guards "This man is innocent, take me instead" and you are free.

You. Are. Free.

YOU ARE FREE!!

Christ died so that you could be free. What a reason to celebrate! Not only did Jesus sacrifice his own sinless life for your sin-filled one, but He also made it so that when you believe what Christ did for you and you stand before God on Judgement Day, He sees nothing but Jesus. Jesus takes your "sin card", erases your name and write His own.  But He doesn't stop there!  He then takes His "sin card" which is completely blank, erases his name, and writes yours in its place.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV)

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

"With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved.  Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous low-lying black cloud.  A new power is in operation.  The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2 (MSG)

No matter how many different ways you say it, the truth is clear.  And what a beautiful and powerful truth it is! Rejoice in your freedom this Easter Sunday, whether you are by yourself or with your family, and take some time to still your heart and mind enough to soak in the magnitude of what has been done for you. 

Thank you Lord for your sacrifice and for your great mercy and love!

March Update: Home (And Life!) Improvement

This month several important projects were completed that have helped make things just a little bit easier around here.  Some of the tasks of daily living that we take for granted in the states are more of a struggle in rural Costa Rica.  The first project was the water tank.

The Water Tank

The purpose of the water tank is to have the water from the house flow through the tank and then back into the house. This keeps fresh water flowing at all times which is important for everyday tasks.  First we dug a trench from the tank above the carport all the way to the house and then buried the pipe that carries the water. This project has been extensive but it feels so good to have a water supply in case of an emergency!

The water tank stand

The trench for the pipes!

The tank!

 The Wall & Fence 

The new wall and fence we have been working on have made such a difference!  Before these structures were built, when it rained or the neighbors did their laundry the dirt and water would come down and fill the driveway with mud.  Now that the wall is complete, the mud problem is gone as well as the mold. 

The heavy rains in Costa Rica brought a steady, muddy river flowing down the driveway.  Keeping muddy tracks out of the house was an endless battle!

Hard at work!

Finished wall, now for the fence!

...After!!

Another bonus of the wall is privacy!  Before, the neighbors window and wash area was right above Cailene’s kitchen door so they were always peeking in on her and she did not feel like she could be in kitchen without eyes checking on what she was doing, cooking, eating, and wearing. Now she can do her household chores in peace.

The finished product! Water tank, wall, and fence.

Many people around our neighborhood choose to burn their garbage, which is not a good habit because it affects everyone around them.  Even though Cailene and Cornelio have offered to let others put their garbage with theirs to be removed on garbage day, at no cost to them, they prefer to burn their garbage, plastic, diapers, and whatever else they want. They tend to choose to burn on the day Cailene has just finished hanging her clothes on the clothes line so the essence of burnt plastic seeps into the freshly hung clothes. This new fence makes the smoke go up and over the clothes line. 

Thank you Jesus for the small things that make life enjoyable!  The peacefulness and privacy that the new structures have provided have been such a blessing because everyone benefits.

Last week there was a huge wind storm and the power was out for 2 days.  A lot of damage was done. Roofs were completely ripped off and some houses were blown over. We are so thankful that nothing happened to us. The wall and fence blocked a lot of that wind. 

Diving Into Scripture

All of this positive change is a reminder that God is good all the time! He is also ALWAYS at work, orchestrating even the small minute by minute details of our lives! Romans 8:28 ALWAYS applies!

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

A lesson we have been learning this month is that things don't always go the way we want or expect them to.  The trick is to be flexible and trust that God has His hands firmly on our lives and He will not steer us off course.

"In His heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9

 Thank you all for your continued love, support and prayers.  Without your help, none of the things that were accomplished this month could have happened.

Joyfully,

Cornelio,  Cailene, & Bonnie