Memories

So here in Costa Rica, we have something called the Jesus Christ Lizard. It is called this because it walks/runs on water.

Anyway, last night I had gotten out of bed to take some of my medication, which Doug didn't realize and woke up startled as I got back into bed. This reminded me of an experience from 3 years ago. Sorry if some of you may have heard this one before...

Middle of the night, I roll over and realize I'm not going back to sleep without taking a trip to the bathroom. So I climb out of bed. I go to the bathroom. Flush the toilet. Wash my hands. Go to the kids' room and check on them. Then I head back to the bedroom...

After all of this time, Doug still hasn't woken up, until he sees a shadow in the hall coming toward the bedroom. (Side note here: Doug only sees to the end of his nose without his contacts or glasses.) So, he sees this shadow in the hall, KNOWS that his wife is sound asleep next to him, and begins what I call the "Jesus Lizard" walk across the bed with his hands held open like the talons of an eagle, while roaring like a bear. Then he stops after hearing...

"It's me! It's me!" I covered my head in fear. Doug had so much momentum he couldn't have stopped, so he just hugged me.

After asking him what he would have done had it been an intruder, he replied, "I was honestly hoping he'd turn and run."

For the next month, EVERY time I got out of bed, I woke him up to tell him.

Estudio Biblico

WOW!! I just finished my first official Bible study in Spanish as a ministry opportunity. I've prepared lots of Bible studies for my language class last trimester, but this was the first time I got to use the Spanish and the concepts that I had studied and practiced last trimester. Thank you Annabelle (my teacher)! Our new friends from Word of Life who were transferred here from Brasil to take over the ministry, asked me to share a Bible study for the ladies of Word of Life here. God is teaching me about His strength rather than my own and so I simply shared what God has been showing me. It seemed to go well and my missionary friend said it was great! I only hope God uses it, if not for anyone else who was there, but for my continued growth in Him! Here's a picture we took afterward of me with some of the ladies.

Out on the "Town"

Tonight was the first night, after many suggestions in the past that I finally went somewhere with my new neighbor Jackie. We went to PriceMart (like a Sam's club). I needed some things and so did she. She has a car. Obviously I don't. Then we went to Pali (owned by WalMart, but a lot like an Aldi). It was SO nice not to have to try to find a taxi and fabulous to stop at 2 different places without having to return home between errands to drop off the things that I had bought, only to go right back out to a different store.

Doug, Rolando, Jackie, MariaPaula (3), Hannah, Caleb, Sebastian (6), and Daniella(15) when they came over for the traditional American breakfast just after they moved in one month ago.

Jackie is SO great! She has been so helpful with my language and she is SO patient! I hope and pray that as time continues, although we have less than 3 months left here (HARD TO BELIEVE!!), that we will become closer and really be able to communicate on a more intimate level. For now, we talk about life, kids, groceries, and God.

Reading in Spanish

Regardless of your like or dislike of the Harry Potter series, it is a pretty good read, even in Spanish. That's right, I'm reading it in Spanish. It's actually pretty interesting, although I'm using my dictionary quite a bit, especially my out of date 1960's Spanish dictionary that I still have from my high school Spanish classes. I think that's because the books were written by an English author and therefore when translated it is more typical of Spain Spanish, plus the topics are quite "old school."

This is the first exposure that anyone in our family has had with this series. I'm hesitant to expose my kids just yet to this type of world of imagination. However when I saw the books in the bookstore here and I needed to begin reading something elementary in Spanish, I thought it would be a good way to guage the value of letting my kids read the books or see the movies. For me, it is simply a good imaginative story, but for my kids and their little eyes, ears, and thoughts, we are putting into practice the kids song "Oh be careful little eyes what you see..." Any thoughts?? I welcome comments as to what your family has done and any positives or negatives that have resulted.

Cow Stomach

Ok - so tomorrow is Independence Day here in Costa Rica. Therefore we celebrated at Church today with typical Costa Rican food, which happened to include cow's stomach. I couldn't eat it. What a bad missionary, I am. I just couldn't do it. I did taste it and tried to chew it, but it was like chewing tough fat covered in felt. It had no taste, but I just couldn't eat it. That delicacy went by the way side. The other foods were yummy. You'd think that things would be spicy here, but it is nothing like Mexico where everything has a kick to it. Here things are VERY bland but full of celantro flavoring. Enjoy your next meal and think of us!

Trip to Chile

I'm excited. Due to my seriousness of my health situation, especially in an emergency, the powers that be, and we though that it was a good idea for me to visit Chile to meet and find out about the care that I would be receiving in Chile. Therefore, I am going to Chile in November. I am SOOOO excited!!! Not only will I be able to visit with some doctors, but I will be able to transport some of our belongings there directly from here in Costa Rica so that we don't have to haul some of it back to the states and just about all over the country before putting it on a container to ship to Chile. We are also taking this opportunity to send our pet rabbit, Galatea Ann Amundson, with me. Thankfully some of the missionaries there have said they would watch over her for the few months between when I visit and we arrive in February. When Hannah received her rabbit as a birthday gift back in March, we thought we'd have to leave her behind with another family, but she has become one of the family, and so we are glad to have the chance to take her to Chile with us.

While I'm there for my 8 day visit I'll have the opportunity to

1. Visit with doctors,
2. Be sure they have my medication, and if not begin thinking about the medications that I will need to transport to Chile from the states,
3. Check out the car we are planning to buy - This is another story, but GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!! 2 years ago I made a list of cars that were available in Chile that would be economical and fit our family, including if we adopted. Well, some of our own ABWE missionaries are moving to northern Chile and want to sell their car. It's one of the EXACT cars that was on my list! GOD IS GOOD!!!
4. Look at the Santiago Christian Academy's (ABWE missionary kid school) school library, to see if any of the homeschool books that I am planning to use are already there. That way, I'll know when we get back to the states the books that I need to order and those that are already there. Just another way to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!
5. Look at some houses while we're there, to see what size homes and yards are available. Although we will not decide on a house in November, at least we're not planning to, it will help in the process come February when we get there!
6. Get to spend time with my future collegues on the field.

Overall, this trip will be one of searching and observing. Please pray for

• The extra cost that this trip will entail.
• The travel safety and fluidity, especially with an animal on board for the flights down there.
• The people, that God will provide to watch our kids while I'm gone.
• Doug and the kids while I'm gone
• My health with the additional stress of the trip.
• I will encounter all the medications, doctors, and medical care that will be needed while we seek to serve God in Chile.

The first FULL week

Well we've just completed our first full week of a new "normal." Overall, I'd say it went quite well. Monday we started our 3rd week of homeschool and I started my first week of "classes." Monday afternoon I had the priviledge of spending an hour talking to my language partner. Her name is Blanca. I am told she is a new Christian, and I look forward to confirming that and then beginning the discipleship process with her. I know more about Biblical Christianity than she does and she knows more about Spanish than I do. What a great exchange!!! Then Tuesday after homeschool, which we do every morning, my tutor came for lunch and our tutoring session. We mostly reviewed this week, but starting next week we'll begin to finish the grammar book that the school has already given to me. Wednesday was more interesting. After homeschool, the kids and Doug went to gymnastics which started on Monday, but I had no idea, so we started a day late. I headed out to get some groceries as we had invited an older couple from our church over to eat with us Wednesday night. They were DELIGHTFUL!! But I'll fill you in on that later! Thursday looked just like Tuesday. Fridays will look like Mondays without gymnastics which will give Doug and the kids some special time without mommy, and give mommy a much needed break. Today, I took the kids to a friends house while I went to talk to Blanca again.

Although there is something scheduled for every afternoon, it seems to give the kids motivation to get all their seatwork done before their upcoming special activity.

Funnies that Made me Smile

Through A Child's Eyes...

My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago."

While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4- year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. The various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs, unfailingly intrigued her. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his Father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather, and unto the Sonnn .. and into the hole he gooooes."

A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"

A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found", the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear."