One Body

Today, was a different experience. I was supposed to teach a bilingual Sunday school class, but it turned out that only my 2 kids were in the class. I still tried to keep it bilingual, but ended up reverting to English, naturally. After that we had a different speaker in the main service. Our pastor and his wife, the one who usually teaches the bilingual class, are on a mini-furlough back in the states. Well, Max did a wonderful job speaking in church.

He focused us on the passage in 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul writes about the body of Christ and how we, if we know Christ as our personal saviour are all a part of that body. I was truly refreshed and convicted to be reminded that we are all in this together. We are not an island unto ourselves. When one hurts, we all should hurt. This made me wonder, do I really hurt when someone I know hurts? Do I really seek to represent the body well? Do I need to be an arm to help wipe off the tears that the eyes are shedding? What if I don't particularly care for someone, do I try to hurt them or ignore them? Why would I want to hurt a part of my own body? If I am truly living as Christ would want, I wouldn't want to hurt any other part of His body.

As I process all of these thoughts, I have one prayer...Lord, may you make me more like you!

Ambassadors

We've had a great week of spiritual emphasis at ILE. This means that we have no homework and we have chapel every day, twice a day with the same speaker. One illustration that our speaker, Dr. M. Dave Sills from Southern Seminary gave us tonight seemed very appropriate to share.
Hypothetically there is a war between country A and country B. Many people on both sides are dying while they fight for their countries. The leader of country A has asked you to be his ambassador and take a message of peace to the leader of country B. On your way over to country B, you become tired and upon arrival you decide you'll take a few days to rest and recover, so you can present the best picture to the leader of country B. However during your rest time you read over the rules of peace and decide that you don't agree with them so you change them a bit. When you FINALLY arrive in front of the leader of country B you are not only late, and more people have needlessly died in the war, but you have even changed the message you were sent to present.
Just like this many are dying without the message of peace that Christ has asked us to share with others. Are you listening to the prompting of our leader who has sent us as ambassadors to the other "countries" to share HIS message NOT OURS! How are we doing? Are we representing Christ the way He has asked us to? Are we sharing HIS gospel or our watered down version, so as not to offend anyone?
Something I hope makes you think, it did me!

Dentistry in Costa Rica

I'm shocked! I've experienced some of the worst dental care here through a traveling dental truck the school brought in, but now I've experienced the BEST dental care I've EVER had! I have 6 cavities and therefore had 2 filled today, 2 tomorrow, and 2 more probably on Friday. I'd schedule the final 2 for Thursday, but I've been helping with music in chapels and I have to sing on Thursday and Friday morning. Therefore, I'll have to wait until Friday. Amazingly for the BEST dental care that I've EVER recieved, it only cost $80 WITHOUT insurance to have 2 fillings! Next week I may have to get a set of small braces to fix my bottom center teeth that beginning to overlap. Either way this dentist is going to get my GOLDEN RECOMENDATION to all the students I can talk to. She was so gentle and used enough novecain (Spelling??) and with my headphones I actually almost fell asleep! Amazing HUH???

Teachable Moments

Ok here's a script that transpired in our house this morning while the kids were making an umbrella fort.

Hannah - Wow! You've got a GREAT fort, Caleb!
Caleb - Thanks!
Hannah - Those umbrellas really help with the rain!
Caleb - Yeah, they do!
Hannah - But I've got protection from the rain too!....Right?
Caleb - Yeah, I guess we both do.
Hannah - You've got good security for your fort!
Caleb - Yeah, no one can get in here!
Hannah - But I've got great security too!...Right?
Caleb - Well, we both do.

After this went on and on for about 5 minutes, I tried to focus the kids on their relationship dynamics. I know, they are young, but as I shared with them, God has given them a GREAT opportunity as to how to relate to someone of the opposite sex. Maybe this is preparation for their future "one boy and one girl" (husband and wife).
Much to my sadness, I rarely stop to take the time to listen to the way my kids interact. I'm usually too busy with other things and just thankful that my kids aren't fighting or running to me with "He said, she saids." However, I'm thankful that I didn't miss this conversation.
I used this teachable moment to help Hannah see how encouraging she was and naturally is toward her big brother. Caleb needed to see his need for encouraging his sister and helping her along. Maybe someday, with LOTS more guidance and teachable moments, their relationship will have helped to prepare them to be the Godly spouses they need to be. Any teachable moments with your kids lately?

Hannah Graduated Kindergarten Today

Congratuations my "Little" One!!

Hannah greeting her principal and teachers with the typical Costa Rican

greeting of giving a kiss on the cheek

Hannah with her friend Olivia Hobson. Olivia's parents are in Doug's

class at the language school and the girls were walking buddies for graduation.

Hannah with Miss Lauren, her main teacher for all things English. Miss Lauren grew up here as an MK and has been a great teacher for Hannah to have!

Hannah with us!

There are more pictures on our shutterfly website of ministry photos. You can access that site by visiting our home page at www.amundson.info and then following the instructions under the "Photos" button.

Retreat

Rarely do we have the opportunity to escape this city. However, I was able to attend a ladies' retreat for students from ILE this past Friday to Saturday. It was great to get away, enjoy a pool, and be refreshed along side my fellow female students!
I'll post pictures when my friend Heidi gets hers to me. I forgot my camera! OOPS!!!

Questions about flooding

I've had various friends write about our flooding issues. CURRENTLY, we don't have any more flooding, but the roof was "fixed" before and then got worse. So at this point we are leaving the buckets there, especially when we are gone. There is no upstairs bathroom that flooded into ours. It comes directly from the roof and onto our ceiling tiles and then when the water finds a hole, it just FLOWS and FLOWS and FLOWS!!!
For now we are thankful that we are dry and we'll trust Him for the rain.

For all of the special women in my life

Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.......
Sisters are there,
no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you.
A girl friend is never farther away
than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life
will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,
praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley's end.
Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk
beside you...Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended
family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and
neither would I. When we began this adventure called
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.

Today's flooding in our bathroom

Each day is an adventure on the mission field, and today was no exception. Here's just some of the video we took today while our ceiling unleashed showerS of water upon us and EVERY bucket in our house!

Are you a cistern or a canal?

Today during church our pastor asked a very vital question. When we have problems we tend to hole ourselves up like water in a cistern. We hold everything in and don't share with others. If we are a canal we allow our trials to comfort others by comfort that flows from God to us and then on to comfort others. Many times I want to selfishly be a cistern but I know I need to be a canal of free flowing comfort and grace from the hand of God.

Ever Feel? - June 6, 2008

Ever feel like you're trying to please everyone but the Lord? There's a situation that I've been struggling with. I want to protect those that I love while at the same time knowing that I need to place them in the Lord's hands. I know that this situation is TOTALLY separate from me and doesn't even involve my nuclear family, and yet I still want to protect those I love from being hurt. However, the Lord is reminding me that He uses things that hurt us to help us to grow and learn more about HIS character and not ours. How can I deny my loved ones the chance to grow in HIM? My "protection" may not be truly beneficial for the ones I love. Instead it could hold them back. Seeking to please the Lord only involves my actions and communication that God and I share together. It has nothing to do with finding God's will for other people.

PLEASE PRAY!! - May 27, 2008

Please pray for our safety! Recently there has been more and more crime in our area. From street robberies, to pistol whippings if you don't have any money to give the robbers, to home invasions, crime is up! Many of the victims have been our fellow students. For example just in the last month alone, 2 homes have been broken into in our neighborhood, one Costa Rican man was robbed at gunpoint on his way back into his home after walking his dogs, a pistol whipping, and just this past Saturday, our American neighbors were held up by gunpoint while they were out for a morning walk. Praise God that although they had no money and nothing to give the man, he let them go. In the past people who refuse or have no money are shot and killed on the spot.
Another family from our language school had their home broken into and the wife and kids were tied up. The husband was gone to the grocery store long enough for the robbers to take everything of significance. God never promises us physical or psychological safety, but He does promise peace and asks us to trust. Please pray that we'd have peace as we walk the 13 blocks to and from school. It's REALLY hard to find the balance between trust and stupidity. Pray for wisdom and that we'd demonstrate God's love to everyone we have contact with, even robbers.