Mandatory Vacation

Well it's that time again in which I must take a mandatory vacation courtsey of Costa Rica. Don't you like how that sounds? I sure do! I will be heading to Granada, Nicaragua again on Monday and will return on Friday to renew my visa. (I have to leave every 90 days for 72 hours to be legal here.)

Please be in prayer as I am traveling alone. Pray for safety during the bus ride and my stay. Pray also for my health that I won't get sick nor anything from the 100 degrees plus heat. Pray that my time with Jesus, as I am using this time as a personal retreat with Jesus. And please pray that everything will work out with my visa and I will be able to enter Costa Rica without any problems. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Laura - A Life of Ashes Turning into Beauty

Laura is a very tenderhearted, loving and sweet young lady who just turned 17 today. She has been at Renacer for almost three months and is doing fantastic in the program. She and I have a special relationship. I know you’re not suppose to have favorites but she is one of my favorites. When she sees me she just grabs on for a big hug and gives me a big kiss (which is the normal greeting here.)

Laura comes from a background of drugs, abuse and prostitution which has brought her to us. She found herself, like the rest of our girls afraid, searching for something to fill up that hole in her heart. So therefore she turned to the drugs and street lifestyle but was left empty.

Her grandmother took her to church and gave her that foundation that she needed that has helped to bring her to this moment of change. She also is a Christian and she loves Jesus! Laura impresses me at how many verses she has memorized and her knowledge of the Word. She thanks Jesus daily for bringing her here and giving her the opportunity to work through her life and addictions.

Laura has been taught that one has to be doing all the right things to have Jesus forgive her and to go to heaven. Her biggest fear is that she won’t go to heaven because she may not be doing all the right stuff when He returns. She also finds it hard to forgive herself, less alone accepting that Jesus’ forgiveness applies to her at all times. The beautiful thing is that she wants to learn and wants to accept these things but it’s going to require her to undo some of the teaching she’s grown up with. I just love that she is open to it.

Please pray for Laura as she continues in this process and that she will learn that Jesus’ forgiveness applies to her as well and she can find security in her relationship with Him. She has an amazing future ahead of her that will lead many to Christ. She is a passionate young lady who wants to help teens that are going through what she has gone through and is currently experiencing. Talk about an amazing testimony!

The Holidays

Okay this is late! But I’m trying to get caught up.

Christmas was very different this year but really sweet. We started the celebration the first weekend in December with a cookie exchange at my friend’s house in Tres Rios (where the Starbuck’s coffee is grown.) That was a fun time to meet other ladies and get some yummy cookies.

The week of Christmas we had a team from Kentucky come and celebrate Christmas with the girls at Renacer. There were 3 families that came and brought gifts for the girls and staff, played games, did crafts, and shared their love for Christ by loving these girls.

The weekend before Christmas, I went with a friend and a tica family out to Santa Anna (its right over one of the mountains about 20 minutes away in a place called The Valley of the Sun.) It was a cold and sprinkle type day in San Jose but just over that mountain the sun was shining and it was perfect weather for the pool. We had a BBQ tico style and spend much of the day there. Then we headed back into the cold and sprinkles of San Jose. We changed out of summer clothes and put on sweaters (should have brought our jackets) and headed to Central (down town) to watch the Christmas Light Parade.

Christmas Eve was a warm one, even at the top of the mountain with the girls. We celebrated Christmas Eve with the girls with a rally. They played in the mud, in water, and whatever else you could think of. It was such a fun time. After work, I went over to a dear friend’s home Marge Long and spent the evening with her family. We played Phase 10 and ate some yummy food.

Christmas Day was a hot one until afternoon. I was a little sad that morning thinking of people at home with a white Christmas, but I was thankful for the families I had here to love on me and include me in with their families. That morning I went over to another friend’s house and spent the morning with their family playing games as well. Then I went back to the Long’s house in the afternoon for dinner, which was so yummy! We even had pumpkin pie, which is a rare thing here to have.

Then New Year’s Eve I was back out in Tres Rios with their family. Tres Rios is located further out in the mountains and there’s a view of a small valley. Here, all of December, the Costa Ricans celebrate with fireworks and New Year’s Eve is without exception. We went outside and watched fireworks going off all around us and in the valley. It was quite incredible. I didn’t know which way to look. They went off for over an hour or so. It was crazy but beautiful! Next time I want a spot overlooking the entire San Jose Valley, now that would be a site to see!

Over all, the holidays were special and sweet. Though, I greatly missed being at home and in the snow. It’s just awesome to see how God provides all we need at all times. I hope all of you had a great holiday season and an awesome year ahead!

Wendy Advances

(If you haven’t read the story about Wendy yet you can click on the tag below called Wendy to read her story.)

Wendy is the first girl I have told you about (the first of many that you will read about.) I am so pleased to tell you that a week and half ago, Wendy advanced to the next phase of the program, which also means that she changed cabins. What a great success for her! She did this phase in the minimum time that one can. She even passed the most advanced girl in the cabin. (The most advanced in a cabin is the one who has the most time in that cabin, but they advanced by accomplishing their goals for each phase.)

Wendy is the girl there that just makes me so impressed. Every day she looks more and more like a woman, growing in her faith, spending more time laughing and cracking jokes. It’s amazing to watch the transformation that God can do in a life when we allow Him to. I’m so excited to see who she grows into being and even more excited to see her reunite, at the end of the process, with her son and the mom that she be to him.

Praise God for all He does in lives and that He doesn’t leave us in our mess and troubles! He will rescue us! We must cry out to Him and hold on to Him! Thanks for your prayers for Wendy!

Responsibilty and Trust

(I have been awful with staying on top of my blog and newsletter. To this I apologize. I’m getting a routine set up for doing these things so you can stay on top of what is going on here.)

The past three months have been one of waiting and learning. I knew I would have about a month to watch and learn and then I would start getting to work, however that was not the case. At times, I was thankful for it at other times I was frustrated.

The biggest challenge for me was to understand the girls. Yes, I speak Spanish, but it’s different when you get out of the school setting with teachers who speak clearly and slowly. During my first several weeks, I wondered if I even knew Spanish. The girls not only speak fast and unclear, they speak teenage language and some uneducated language. I love finally being able to understand the girls. There are still a couple of girls I still struggle with understanding because they “eat their words” or mumble. One day at a time.

In the middle of November I was given my first assignment; to come up with four “tallers” or therapeutic workshops over values for the 3rd phase, Deborah. I was a little overwhelmed when I thought I was suppose to do them all in one week. What a misunderstanding. My boss and I had a good laugh at it because it was only maybe one a week. I’m still working through the language.

In December, I was also given the assignment to teach the 4th phase, Tamara, English. This has been such a challenge for me. I’m not too good with teaching another language in another language but thankfully it’s something God can do! I was just told last week that the girls will have to take their high school test over English in 3 months and I need to prepare them for it!!! Now I’m really scared it’s no longer “let’s learn English for fun” but now there’s a big test for them to past! At least there is a book.

During all this free time I have had, I have sat in the therapeutic groups, other tallers, and playing with the girls. This has been such a special time to develop relationships with the girls. With every passing day, those relationships get stronger, and I even have girls who are now coming to talk to me about things going on with them. This to me is the biggest compliment; it shows that they trust me and that’s the root of having a say in someone’s life. So due to these three months of some times painful inactivity work wise, it has been the perfect time for relationship building. I’m now so thankful for those times and praise Jesus for allowing that time.

The end of December, we had a team from Kentucky for a week over Christmas. I got to work with them and translate for them. It was fun to have them up there with us and even having fellow Americans up there with me. I’m so thankful for their blessings to the girls and staff that they brought to us by their presence and work with us.

Now my work has been full speed ahead. The first week of January, I was given the task to develop the interview tool that will be used for the initial interview to develop the treatment plan for the girls. I had only a few days to write it but my boss liked it and I put it into use this past week.

In fact, this past week was very busy for me. On Monday, I taught a Bible study on Jesus feeding the 5000 to the 1st phase, Rut. I then began the interview process with one of the girls, Nataly. I was thankful that she actually speaks English too. So when I was confused, I was able to ask for sure what she meant. On Tuesday, I taught English, which was a little rough that time, and then I finished the interview with Nataly. On Thursday, I taught Deborah on the value of solidarity, then began trying to figure out how to write the report and began writing it, which I finished on Friday. Now that was a challenge, but it appears that my boss was happy and I begin all over tomorrow with a new girl and new lessons.

So here I am busy and getting into the nitty gritty of the work. I’m still unsure at times, how and why God chose me to come here and do this. Yet, I do know I’m thankful and love being here. Thank you for your prayers and support that have me here to do this work. I’m humbled at the thought of it all.

187 Miles in How Many Hours?

This is a quick note but I made it to Granada, Nicaragua! We left San Jose, Costa Rica at 12:30pm and arrived in Granada at 10pm! 2 1/2 hours were spent at the boarder the other 7 hours of that was straight driving only a grand distance of 187 miles! That´s not even all the way to St. Louis from Springfield! I have some fun stories already, but it´s time to sleep! Thanks for your prayers! Keep praying!

My Handsome Brady

I can't believe I have not told you earlier about my new addition to life. Brady - my kitty. I did not have any intentions on getting a kitty while here, since giving up Zeus and Aphordite was one of the most gut-renching things I could have done. But God had a different plan.

I really felt like something was missing without having a cat. They just make life better in every way, shape, and form, especially when you live on your own. I would be lying if I didn't play with the idea of getting a cat but I just couldn't do it.

Thankfully I have several friends who do have cats and I get to cat-sit when they are away. Brady was one of them. I always joked with my friends' children that Brady was my cat. Well they ended up having to leave Costa Rica due to a family emergency and Brady needed a home. That is how he became my kitty.

Brady has presented challenges. I feel bad since my place is so tiny and he was used to a big place and could play outside. Nights were rough with Brady and I decided that he would need another home. But that really didn't work out. (Thank goodness!) I had to finally allow him to go outside (which I hate having an outdoor cat.) But it's working and I'm learning to let him have his freedome outside, although it makes him super dirty!

God brought him to me at a time I really needed him and I'm so thankful to have him to come home to. I just now feel bad that I will be leaving him alone for 4 days as I travel. Hopefully he doesn't go too crazy!

Enjoy some more photos of my handsome kitty.