Happy Fathers Day!!

Thank you Fathers for being more than "a man with a child". Being a Father is a very intentional act, and we want to thank you for it!

The church hosted a breakfast for the fathers of the church in the morning. During the service we honored them through prayer and a song dedicated for them. It was beautiful to see the Fathers surrounded by the wives and children. 

There was one story that very unique that day. There is one woman in the church that has faithfully attended Vida Nueva for the full 3 years it's been established. She was there when we were sitting on paint buckets under a tree. But, this Sunday was the first time her husband joined the family for the service. The service seemed to really touch this man's heart. Having all three children hug him, and having the wife pray for him with the whole church in agreement was a very special moment. After the service, while talking with this woman, she mentioned being very encouraged. Hopefully her husband will continue to attend church with the family. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all our friends and family
        who have adopted us as their 
               "missionary Kids"
      We send our love from our hearts to your home.

Surprise! It's May!

 Here´s a fun fact: In the states there are June bugs, in Costa Rica there are May bugs. This is one of the few times where the American bug is bigger than the Costa Rican bug.

There have been some fantastic surprises the past few weeks. One week, the church bought a new guitar and bass for the worship team! This was a great addition to add a balanced sound to the music. Often times the vocals would be drowned out by the drums and piano. We have amazing singers, so we want a sound system that will show them off! That´s why, the next week, we were excited to find new speakers! To have a new functional system is amazing. However, the best part is feeling the church´s support behind us as a worship team.

A clear sound for worship is nice, however it´s only a small aspect. Worship is a matter of the heart and a lifestyle as well. Last Sunday, the church had a guest speaker who hosted a worship workshop. He gave a refreshing perspective about leading the congregation. It was wonderful to see people from the church attend, not just the worship team.

There seems to be a new addition to our routine. After walking the dog to the field, we have ended in a soccer game with a group of kids. A great surprise was seeing one of the boys the next week as a new student in Selah school! Eros (Our dog) has become quite a celebrity among the children. They literally run from all corners of the school yelling his name in glee as we come walking by the school. 

After observing how well behaved Eros (our dog) is, the neighbors asked for help in training their new puppy. The fun challenge is that their new puppy is a 5 month old, waist high, goofy Great Dane. We spent a lot of time teaching this dopey dog how to sit and to follow his owner. A big part of training the dog, is training the owner. Cailene taught Juan different tricks and exercises that he can practice at home. Juan did a great job positively reinforcing his dog. Training the dog also gives a chance to learn some English vocabulary. The English words are shorter and easier to command. For example, instead of ¨Sientense!¨ we use, ¨Sit!¨ What a difference! 

Throughout life, there´s always surprises. I feel that this month has been a good example of that. Spontaneous soccer games start, plans are canceled, new students sign up, and car brakes go out, anything can happen in a day. However, there are constants as well. There is a beautiful sunset every night, refreshing people to enjoy conversation with, and a God that will provide for every need. Praise God for surprises! Praise God for constants! May is a good month.

                                                  

Happy Birthday Selah!

Isn´t it funny how, in Costa Rica, the English ¨Happy Birthday¨ song is just as well known as the Spanish ¨Feliz Cumpleaños¨ version? So, we decided to start our Radio advertisement with the English song, ¨Happy Birthday dear Seeeeeeeeeelaaahh, Happy Birthday to yooooou! Selah School is having their 3^rd Birthday! Come learn your and your child´s learning style, enjoy cake and refreshments! All for Free! ¨ It was a successful advertisement, we could hear the song play from the porch.

                We planned for this event for weeks! We made goodie bags, stuffed them with candy and a sample of homemade bread, ordered a cake, bought refreshments, reserved the room, and practiced speeches and interpretations! Wow! You can imagine how nervous we were for the actual celebration to come.

                The day finally came for us to put our plans into action. We started setting up chairs, the sound system, projector, and picked up the cake.  People started trickling in, one family at a time. The chairs filled slowly, then at 3:15 it was time to start the presentation.

                The speech was filled with games, visuals, and a test to uncover your learning style. The test was the hidden agenda for this celebration. Yes, we were excited to celebrate a successful 3 years of education. But the hope was to give parents tools to better understand their children (and themselves!) Bonnie was the speaker, and she explained 3 different learning styles: Visual, Kinesthetic, and Auditory. Then she explained what the learning styles would look like at home. The speech was very applicable to everyday life.

Naturally, Selah was advertised as well. The speech encouraged the listeners to learn English because of the growing tourism in Costa Rica, and the opportunity to have higher paying jobs. Bonnie mentioned how Selah uses all 3 learning styles and gives a well rounded education.

After the speech, cake was served, refreshments were given, and some of Selah´s registration forms went out the door. The evening was considered successful.

 My mom came down to visit us. We did a lot of catching up, seeing new things, going to a birthday party, a baby shower and visiting friends. It has been 3 years since she has been here in Costa Rica. One of the things we did was to go to a cooking class in San Jose to learn how to bake typical breads for special occasions.

 We learned how to make 6 different kinds of breads. I am trying to continue my knowledge of cooking and baking things here in Costa Rica.  I also sell bread to friends and neighbors to make a little extra income.

 It has been fun to have my mom here and help us get several projects done. She loves to use her creativity to make learning fun. Her fresh approach to learning has energized and encouraged us.  It's been wonderful to gather new ideas for our growing school. 

  

                                                                      
 
We are renting the bottom of the internet cafe for our school. This new location is in the middle of town which makes it easy for our students to get to. The internet cafe is a hub of the town because that is also where you pay your cell phone, internet, insurance, water and electricity.

The internet building has a porch where many gather. This creates a relaxed environment. We have had the opportunity to talk to many people coming and lingering there. We have had various conversations about Jesus and how real he is. It is not about religion it is about the relationship.


This month’s praises!
* We have had our car for 8 months and no car problems!!
* Donations that came in extra this month covered the cost of Cornelio’s much needed glasses!!
* Our school was donated a lap top computer and printer. What a surprise and blessing!!

Prayer requests:
* That we will continue to get more students.
* That our church worship team will grow.
* To receive donations for dental work Cornelio needs on his teeth.