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.

Traveling

One of the least fun parts of being in Costa Rica is having to leave every 90 days for 3 days to review my tourist visa. For my first year I had a student visa, which meant never having to worry about leaving the country.

Therefore, now I must leave every 90 days, which is up on 29 December. On Tuesday, the 15th, I am heading by bus to Granda, Nicaragua, which is about a 7 hour or longer trip. It depends on how long it takes to cross the boarder, since a lot of Nicaraguans are heading back for Christmas. I am staying at a hostel and will lie out by the pool for several days, making it a personal retreat time with Jesus.

Please be in prayer for my safety and everything with customs and boarder crossing. I have to go by myself, which makes me a little bit nervous, but I have to be legal. Please pray that in my personal retreat time that I will allow God all my heart and let Him continue to do the work He has been doing. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Sorry there won’t be any pictures, although it’s a beautiful and old city. I just don’t know how safe it will be. I’m sure I’ll be back there within the year and hopefully that time I will be able to share pictures with you.

Wendy - At the Beginning of Transformation

In an earlier blog I wrote about the day when 3 girls ran away and only 1 returned, her name was Wendy. I’d like to share a little more about her with you.

As I mentioned in the previous blog, she lived for quite some time on the streets; sleeping where ever she could, hoping she would get to eat that day, and doing anything and everything to survive and numb her pain. She is only 15 years old and she has a 1 year old who lives with her mother.

Wendy had been there for a month and half before I began to work there. This is her second time at Renacer, as she ran away the first time. I have been told that when Wendy came into the program she had all the behaviors and language from the streets, along with being overly skinny from hunger.

When I began working there, Wendy was still pretty rough looking, had a pretty big attitude and had a strong sexuality about her. Now in just 2 ½ months I’m amazed when I look at Wendy. She has moved into the second phase of the program where they begin to identify problems, strengths, weaknesses, and begin working with more intensity on their process. At this phase they begin to talk about caring for their selves, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically.

Wendy has begun to wear a little make-up from time to time, she does her hair almost every day (even if it’s only pulled back – it’s no longer a huge mess), her clothes are less sexually appealing, and today she looked and even spoke like a young lady. She wears a beautiful smile more often and her laugh can be contagious.

This change is not because she has been told to change. It has come because she has begun seeing value in herself, caring about herself, and even liking herself. The change from the inside out is really what is taking place and it’s incredibly beautiful!

Two weeks ago, after lunch during their short free time, Wendy was lying on the ground reading her Bible out loud. A young, budding lady beginning to seek out God and what He is really can do for her and how much He loves her. A young, budding lady taking her free time to spend time with Jesus to learn about Him. No one told her to read her Bible. No one told her that this is what she needs to do. But she has heard about Jesus every day and she has begun to hear the knocking on her heart from Him.

How beautiful! This moment made my heart soar and sing praises. A hard core street girl’s heart is softening to let in Jesus and change her life for eternity. Not only that, but her heart is also softening to the long, hard, painful and complicated process she is on to live a life without addictions to drugs, alcohol and prostitution.

Oh, how I can’t wait to see what God will do with this young and precious soul over the next year. What a transformation and she’s only begun the transformation process! Please be in prayer for Wendy as she continues to seek out God and what He means to her. Pray for salvation. Pray for her process in recovery. She will be at Renacer for at least 10 months or more.

Rally Day

Friday was a break from the normal routine of therapy groups, workshops and schedules, it was Rally Day! This was a time for the girls to just teens. We are in the transition to summer (dry season) so there has been sun every day, although chilly in the shade and even in the sun at times. But nothing was going to stop these girls from enjoying the day’s activities to the fullest.

The girls we split into two teams and there were 9 stations they would have to visit. Each station presented a challenge to complete in 10 minutes with the most points. They started with a slip and slide type of soccer game with soap added into the mix of it. The girls attempted to remain on their feet as they tried to get a goal. They were falling all over the place.

The girls had other activities, such as popping water balloons on a line while being blindfolded. Oh did I mention that the needle was fixed to a hat they had to put on their head? There were other water games and some non water games as well.

The best one was the pool. They made a HUGE mud pit and the girls had to crawl, almost swim, under the ropes that hung low to the pit – for 10 minutes! Our mud here is like that of southern Missouri, a red-ish orange-ish color, and only the whites of the girls eyes could be seen. The funnier part was that they still had a couple challenges afterwards. Therefore the mud began drying on the girls and they had a hard time moving after that!

After the girls were de-mudded and cleaned up, we had a nice lunch. It was a fun day for the girls to enjoy and for the staff to play some as well. I wish I had known that this was a day for pictures! Next time I will know!