September update

      

     We are training Kattia, our new part time teacher, to fill in for me when our baby is born. Kattia has been my classmate at the university for the last 2 years so it is fun to have her join us. We are rearranging our school schedule so Cornelio has more classes to teach and mom will be teaching all the Friday classes. This will make the transition easier for everyone.

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived, it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." Nelson Mandela

     Last week Cornelio came home encouraged and said that his whole day was worth the one hour he had with one of his students. This young man was scared and didn’t know what to do when he found out that he and his girlfriend were pregnant. Cornelio explained what this new responsibility would be like and encouraged him to step up and take control of his life and the one’s he is now responsible for. He reminded him that Jesus is the glue that makes everything work together and by the time the student left class he decided not to abandon his girlfriend and try to work things out by taking on this new responsibility. God is good! Cornelio continues to encourage him and others to be the next generation of Costa Ricans who are strong in their faith and make responsible choices.

           We enjoy having get-togethers in our home. Here we are preparing to watch a Costa Rica soccer game on TV. We painted the Costa Rican flag on everyone’s face and all watched the game together. Our house will be full of fun, family, food and laughter on our Independence Day September 15^th.  There is a big parade in our town. We will go and watch and cheer as many of our students participate in parade. We enjoy staying active in the community activities and to support the hard work that goes into each event.

God Bless

Making learning fun!

      Last week I was praying for a chance to make a difference and see a change in someones life. The next day a student dropped out of our school. When I called his mom she sadly told me that her husband was one of the many teachers who hadn't had work for 2 months because throughout Costa Rica the government hadn't paid public educators. This family, like many others, had to take out a loan to pay the bills. I told her that Fernando, her son, could still keep coming to class and that she didn't have to worry about paying us because her son's education was more important than money. She started to cry, thanked me and sent her son to class.

Fernando

     This is the reason we have the school, to give people who wouldn't normally have the chance to expand their education the opportunity to do so. That evening Cornelio and I felt just as blessed as our 10 year old student Fernando. Two days later we had a 16 year old girl whose parents are deaf and money is tight. She was thrilled when we told her to come to class for free and  to do her part by taking advantage of learning English.She is very appreciative and motivated to learn. God answers prayer in many ways and both Cornelio and I were happy to be part of His bigger picture.

       English game night was a great success this month. Over 30 people showed up and we had new people come and check out our school and participate in the nights activities. Children, teens and adults were all laughing and enjoying the evening together as we spoke only in English.

Bug Season

Some people say that Costa Rica doesn’t have seasons, only wet or dry. I however notice the seasons here not by temperature, but by bugs. As the months change so does each bug season. Right now we have these little winged creatures who only live a day. This is what I wake up to and clean. I am thankful however that most of the bugs that invade our house are harmless.

Last week when Cornelio was biking in the mountains he saw a cow that had just fallen off a cliff and died. After he told the owner, Cornelio helped him butcher the cow. The owner said that Cornelio could take as much meat as he wanted, so he took 30 pounds of meat! He had to walk 2 hours carrying the meat on his shoulder. We are so thankful for that blessing and after giving a lot of the meat away to family and friends we still have abundance! God is so good and creatively continues to provide for all our needs.

            Father’s day was celebrated here this month also. In the school we had our students make a father’s day card and write something personal in it. I was surprised at how they struggled not with the English they had to write, but finding meaningful words to put in the card. It was a good reminder to take time out and really tell someone you care. A form of honoring an important person is telling them how much they mean to you. Both Cornelio and I are expressive people, but we are learning that not only do our actions make a difference, but being bold and speaking truth and light into someone’s life or a situation can change the whole environment. That is the kind of change that needs to happen on a more regular basis.

Ephesians 4:15

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. 

Filled with Joy!

This month has been filled with joy. I graduated from Universidad Panamericana with my ESL degree. I can now teach English as a second language in public and private schools. It feels great to be done and I am thankful for my family and friends who have encouraged me through the whole process. I will continue to teach in our school. We have been praying for a teacher to help out with some classes and we now have one, glory to God! As the school continues to grow she will be a big asset starting next month.

         Cornelio and I are thrilled to share that I am pregnant. We wanted to wait till after I graduated college to start a family and God worked out the timing perfectly! This baby will be such a blessing and we are so ecstatic to be parents!

As a graduation present, Cori invited me to go with her to Guatemala over Holy Week. It was fabulous to visit a different country and experience that culture.  It really did make me appreciate Costa Rica more than I had already. It is easy to take for granted simple things like drinking water from the tap. It was nice to have that time in Guatemala but I was happy to go back home.

Over this past month Cornelio and I have been reminded to appreciate the simple things of life. As we continue to be grateful and notice the daily things Jesus does for us, we find a deeper level of happiness and joy.

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what you hand have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts! Psalm 92:4-5

Cori's Update: A Season of Change

Change is good. I like change. I thrive on it, actually. But not all change makes me happy. First change: the weather. Second change: new living arrangements. Third change: Logan headed back to the states.

The weather changed in the last week and a half or so. It cooled off. Logan was thrilled. It started with an afternoon when the clouds rolled in with a teeny-weenie rain shower. We're talking spit from the sky. Each day, it rained a little more. As I sit here typing, rain is pounding on the roof and pouring out the gutters. And there are some SWEET cracks of thunder too. :-) Summer (as they call it here) is ending, and the rainy season is on its way. Luckily, the porch is entirely roofed and guttered, the house has been re-roofed, and some recent issues with the septic tank were resolved just as the clouds blew in. Believe it or not, Cailene and Cornelio's house and property is starting to look normal again. Heck, the space on the side of the house that has been a dumping ground since we got here and construction started is once again bare dirt waiting for the grass seed to be laid! The dogs are sure happy about that!!!

This is the river running down our driveway from the rain. Just a small flood every afternoon.

New living arrangements. This one goes hand in hand with Logan leaving. The short story is that I'm living on Cailene and Cornelio's porch. We put up a cozy twin bed and nightstand, my clothes are in the same tub they've been in since I got here, and I get to sleep in the open air and wake with the sun. Not too shabby, if you ask me. The sucky part is that I'm without my better half. Logan's talked about going fishing again this year for several months, and he finally got around to doing it. He got tired of being hot and spending money (hard to buy property when you've spent all your money…), so he packed his bags and headed home last night. He is scheduled to arrive in Wenatchee at 1150pm tonight (Thursday), after a solid 24 hours of traveling. Then he'll spend a few days in Stehekin getting his fishing clothes and gear together, and should be headed to Dutch Harbor sometime around the 13th or so. Once he makes it to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, he'll be on the boat for at least a month, possibly 6-8 weeks. He's committed to two trips (each takes about 2 weeks), but may stay for a 3rd if he's feeling good.

This is from last year, but you get the idea.

With Logan leaving, I had to decide if I was going to stay here in our house alone (not a good choices due to high rates of burglary), pack my bag and do some traveling in Central America, or head back to the states two months early. After a very rough day of thinking about it, I decided to stick around. I'm not ready to be back in the good ol' U-S-of-A and surrounded by English again. And I'm not sure I'd like traveling alone, much less for 2 months. But I didn't want to live alone. My imagination is way too active for that. Thus, we arrive at the porch solution. As soon as the apartment is finished, Bonnie will move down there, and I'll move into her room. But that's a slow process (albeit coming along) and may or may not be finished by May 6th. But it doesn't matter. The porch is sufficient for me, and I'm thankful to Cailene and Cornelio for their hospitality and friendship.

Best part about living on the porch? The amazing view. God sure paints the sky with pretty colors.

That's where we're at. A period of change. Now I just have to get through the next 8 1/2 weeks until I can see my husband again. It's gonna fly by.