And So It Began To Rain

Costa Rica consists of two seasons; the middle of December thru April is summer or the dry season and May thru the middle of December is winter or the rainy season. During winter, the rainy season, it rains every afternoon for at least 3 or 4 hours. By October it's common to have rain all day and for several days straight.

As it likes to happen the torrential rain starts just a few minutes before it's time for me to leave school and head home. Today's rain was literally coming in sideways. This is always bad because it's impossible to stay dry due to the angle your umbrella has to be. (Trust me, I am at the low-advance level of a professional umbrella user - It's tricky.)

As I walk my 8 minutes home, my mesh tennis shoes begin to fill up with water and my rolled-up pant legs are filling up with water as well, in the cuffs! I was wishing that I didn't have my books so I could just forego the umbrella all together. I finally got home dripping of water.

BUT the fun doesn't stop there (otherwise it wouldn't be a true Costa Rican story.) Due to home my apartment is made and how it sits in the carport of a tico family; it's prone to rain problems. If it's a torrential downpour (like today) and if the rain is angled in the perfect direction (like today) then the rain likes to visit me through the 1/2 inch to 1 inch gap under my front door. (I found this out last week!)

So today it was unavoidable, my friend the flood was coming over for lunch. Thankfully the tiny semi-automatic washer I have comes in handy. It has it's own little part to put clothes in to spin dry. So it becomes very useful when I only have four towels to dry up the flood. Oh wait that's not all to this story.

My laundry room has given me much grief with rain and now it's much better until all the ingredients come together so perfectly, like today. Because it is a laundry room and ticos aren't fans of dryers (they are so expensive to run) there is a hole in the wall where air and sunlight can come in to dry the clothes. So once again one of my towels had to soak up the minor flooding in the back.

Let's go back to the kitchen where the front door is. My apartment is not the best constructed place, and there are several cracks in the wall and it so happens that in two other places the rain decided to enter in through these cracks and through the molding of the corners of the ceiling; which took up the other two towels.

At least the mopping in the kitchen area will be taken care of today! I'm just a tad worried about how my apartment will fair while I'm back in the states for 6 1/2 weeks...The joys of living in Costa Rica. One can't help but laugh. Otherwise you'll be a pretty unhappy person throughout winter here!

I NEED YOUR HELP! ASAP!

(I know this is a long one but it’s one of the most important ones you can read. So please take the time to read this.)

As you might know I am returning to the Missouri Ozarks on 15 August to 1 October. I’m very excited about this opportunity to be home, attend a beloved friend’s wedding, see the new baby of another beloved friend (once he is born in September), to worship with the people of LifePoint, and to see all my friends who I have missed so much.

Besides loving on friends, I am also home to raise support for the next year (August ‘09-August ‘10). I would like to do two big fundraisers while I am there. My goal is to raise my entire year of support which is $24,000 through fundraisers and individual support. I know God is able to provide all of this and more. So this is where I need your help.

GOLF TOURNAMENT I need to find several people who would be willing to put on a golf tournament for a fundraiser in September. Some tasks to be done: costs, find course, adverstise to find golfers and I’m sure other things. I will work alongside of them from Costa Rica until I return home. Obviously, the more people who can help the better it can be. I have a friend, who has a friend, who had a fundraiser tournament and raised their entire support for an entire year (for a family of 4). This is an immediate thing that we need to start working on.

DINNER/DESSERT THING I would also like to do some type of dinner, maybe a spaghetti dinner or something, in September. I have several ideas for this and would like to work alongside with several people who would be willing to help bring this all together. I would love to begin working on this no latter than the beginning of August.

“CAFECITAS” (This is a Costa Rican favorite daily custom. Around 3-4pm the ticas will fill their coffee cups and have pastries called empanadas.) What I would like to do with this idea is set up as many “cafecitas” as possible. I would like to take about 45 minutes to share with each small group about what God has done in me and is doing in me during my first year here in Costa Rica. I would like to share about the ministry that I will be working in and have a time of prayer. I would like to then extend the opportunity to those there to be a part of this ministry in several ways; being a prayer partner, being a financial support partner, and/or holding their own “cafecita” to help spread the news about what God is doing here with the teenage girls of Costa Rica. My goal is to have at least 25 of these small groups. (Now I can’t promise that many bags of Costa Rican coffee…sorry.) I would like to get started now setting up dates for these.

ARE YOU INTERESTED? First, pray to see how God wants to use you. Then, I need you to email me at sunshineloveland@gmail.com with how you are interested in helping, as soon as possible. PLEASE do not think “I would love to help but I’m sure she already has enough people.” If everyone thinks this then I will not have any of these fundraisers. There is always a place for you to be used.

THANK YOU! Thank you for being a part of working with God as He changes the ashes of the teenage girls to incredible beauty, as only He can, by helping me raise support, by supporting me, and by praying for me. I would not be here without the incredible team that God has provided me and continues to grow for me. Thank you.

PS. 2010 CALENDARS I am currently working on putting together a 2010 calendar of my photos from Costa Rica to sell as another fundraiser. More info to come…

Newsletter is coming!

I give my apologies that I have not sent out my newsletter yet. Things have been crazier than I could have imagined! But don't you fret. I am currently working on it and hope to have it emailed before midnight tomorrow. Thanks for waiting...and praying.

Teaching on Saturday

I'm very excited yet nervious about teaching this Saturday. I will be teaching the teenage girls of the La Carpio ministry about the masks we wear and what God has to say about it. I am responsible for three hours worth of material (all in Spanish of course.) There will be a craft, some type of game (that I have no clue what it will be yet), and then the lesson.

Please pray for me in these next few days to get everything done the way God wants. Please pray that God will provide the ability to share in spanish and that I would understand what the girls are sayin. Please pray that the girls will be responsive and will begin and/or continue to know the face of the perfect savior, Jesus.

SUCCESS!

I have always been nervous and even intimidated by the idea of going to a doctor here due to the language barrier. Would I be able to tell them exactly what ailes me or what I need? Would I be able to understand what they said to me? Thankfully the school has a doctor that speaks English that I visit when needed.

It was finally time to spread my wings and go to the eye doctor. I have been having problems with seeing for about three months but never would go. I had no choice as I only have contacts for about two more weeks.

My friend, Melissa who needed to go the doctor as well, and I ventured down to an eye doctor to see if we could get an appointment for sometime in the near future. (It's not like you can just look in the phone book and call them...I don't even know the name of the doctor.) Of course in good Costa Rican style the rain came pouring down as we began walking to the doctor's office.

I have always been nervous and even intimidated by the idea of going to a doctor here due to the language barrier. Would I be able to tell them exactly what ails me or what I need? Would I be able to understand what they said to me? Thankfully the school has a doctor that speaks English that I visit when needed.

It was finally time to spread my wings and go to the eye doctor. I have been having problems with seeing for about three months but never would go. I had no choice as I only have contacts for about two more weeks.

My friend, Melissa who needed to go the doctor as well, and I ventured down to an eye doctor to see if we could get an appointment for sometime in the near future. (It's not like you can just look in the phone book and call them...I don't even know the name of the doctor.) Of course in good Costa Rican style the rain came pouring down as we began walking to the doctor's office.

I asked the receptionist about making an appointment and she said we both could be seen right then. Now how nice is that? And get this only 6 mil for a contact lenses exam...that's less than $9! There were only one or two things that I didn't completely understand but it wasn't that important anyways. We were able to get my new power for contacts and for the lenses in my glasses. Sadly they cost about the same as they do in the states.

After my exam my friend got her eyes checked. I had to help interpret for her as she has only been speaking Spanish for a month. She got lucky...she doesn't need her contacts and glasses because she has great vision! LUCKY.

I was so thankful to Marta, the eye doctor, for her patience and willingness to help us. Now I may not be so nervous when I have to go to another doctor. The next one...the dentist. I'll always be nervous for this one. Even in my own language!

Missouri Here I Come!

I have great news. I will be in Springfield from 15 August to 1 October. I'm excited to share in the celebration of a dear friend's marriage and welcome in the newest member of a family of another dear friend. Also during this time I will be getting together with people to share more about my ministry and time here in Costa Rica. I also will be working intensly on raising support for the coming year. I look forward to getting together with everyone and can't wait to see all the beautiful faces I miss so much. Please contact me at sunshineloveland@gmail.com if you are interested in hearing about my adventures here in Costa Rica.