Sing Praise to Him

          So so proud of Lilly for presenting such a great project. Back in April she asked me to take Flat Stanley along with me to Costa Rica. Today was the day she has been waiting for! Not only did she learn a great deal, but she also blessed me so much! She shared about Flat Stanley's journey from the animals he saw, and what it was living living in a small community.The best story of all though was when she shared how Jesus had healed an elderly lady in the streets of San Jose who suffered for years with knee pain. This girl rocked her project, literally out of America! #suchajoy  

April 20th            325 colones for a bus ride. In the United States this rounds out to be about 65 cents.  We stood, rocking back and fourth. For anyone who is socially awkward this may be even worse, ha.  Riding the bus has always been my favorite part of the trip.  I love every part of it, the awkwardness, adrenaline rush.  The abrupt stops that leave you bumping into the person in front of you, hanging on to the bars for dear life.             In the city we prayed for this old man named Mario who was out of work, him and his three brothers.  He had faith that Jesus would provide, and despite his situation was really not all that depressed.  It was incredible to see God’s spirit rain down.            We continued praying and then a lady who seemed confused began to walk by and I asked Kevin to go with me to pray for her.  She had pain i...

April 19th         I cleaned the churches stove all morning.  While doing so I met around ten spiders or so, and I can really say now I am thankful they’re not in my list of fears.  The rest of the day was a blur of sleeping, for some reason possibly my sunburn or something else I felt very sick.  I would sleep, wake up and fall back asleep.               Fede and I have become very close, and it’s been nice to share my heart with someone who shares the same passion as I.  Alyssa and Chris and everyone walked up into the city to buy some pirated movies.  It was like little kids in a candy shop. I teased Fede though, because we knew it would pour and sure enough it did and plentiful!            The 20’s something group was a blast. We planned a cookout for them, and did some worship and then someone gave a message.  Fede and I continued to talk, an...

April 18th               I love awakening in this community. Everything about it makes my heart swell with joy, but at the same time there is a deep aching feeling from within.  The dogs bark, the rooster crows and people begin there day.  By 5 am the first bus has left to the city.  The people here for the most part are slow wakers.  It’s as though the city is a little radio that starts on low, and by the afternoon with the hustle and bustle of everything has been turned on high.               This morning was extremely slow, the men had set out on a work project up in the Mangos.  Alyssa showed me the footage she had shot so far, and I learned a lot in the few minutes her and I were talking about it. God has blessed her with such a talent and it’s sweet that she is fulfilling it with His will.  So often people waste there God given talents, but a special notion...

April 17th             This morning Natalie and Jessie and I sorted through the clothes for the nearby store.  We were able to this pretty quickly, which then involved sewing a few stuff animals that had misfortunes.  By the time we got to the store many of the women were there ready to sift through the new clothes.  Though this is great unfortunately when the women pick through everything first they end up putting the ‘best‘ to the side.             The kiddos were crazy, and in such a little room we had to get them out to run!  Before we knew it squirt guns were going and rubber lizards were being thrown back and fourth.  This little one Alexandra is adorable and I begin to twirl him and cinco’s and if I knew I would have been able to without falling with us both I would have been able to.             On the way back up to the house we stopped by...

April 16th, 2013              The days of counting down are over.  This morning I woke up, and it was as though I did a double take.  One of those childhood moments when you jump up thinking, “Did Santa come yet?”  Except this was a little different.              The sound of a rooster woke me, and with that came an array of birds singing in their different tones.  Frequently through the night there were motorcycles whizzing by, children crying and darks barking.  It’s the sound track of Costa Rica.  A sound track of hope and a future.            After breakfast Jessie and I traveled down to the church to tidy up a bit.  It was nice to be able to share my heart with someone who shared the same dreams as I.  As I was working outside I kept thinking, “Where is Kevin!” Walking inside though he jumped out and scared me.  I screa...

April 15th, 2013                 My heart is beating in my heart, but I can hear it in my ears.  I can’t help but think due to my nursing classes, “Would I be running to tell the charge nurse that this persons heart beat is way out of wack!?”  Nerves overwhelm me, though I love flying I still have airport anxiety.  I am thankful for a God who knows the deepest of my fears and joys and is able to provide me with relief as soon as I find myself settled in on the plane between two nice strangers.               Relief was almost what I felt, or at was what had been expected. One of the men leaned in and whispered to me.  His accent was thick, but even then I heard the words clear as day.  My instinct leaped as I loudly said, “Bomb!?” He hushed me quickly though, as to not alarm those near by.    “Two bombs were dropped right below us in Boston at the marath...