So far away...

It seems like it was only yesterday that I walked up the hill to catch the bus for the last time. The Lord has taught me so much after being back. It has been 2 months since I left Costa Rica. It was such a rich sweet time. The Lord provided in SO many ways. From the moment I stepped off the plane to the day I left the Lord provided. Lalo helped me so much, more than he will ever know. Not only that, but he taught me so much with his wise deep thoughts on our way to my house from La Carpio. Those kids have stolen a piece of my heart and I will never forget what it feels like to walk off of the bus and into La Carpio and see the kids running to greet me yelling "Hola Briyi!" The way they said my name is so sweet and I miss it.

Tonight we were talking about how the Lord had compassion for the widow who just lost her only son and when he saw her "his heart went out to her." We talked about what breaks our hearts and who do we have compassion for. I was reminded of the kids from La Carpio. My heart breaks for them. I love them so much, and thinking of that reminded me of how much more the father loves them. They are precious jewels. I am so thankful that I even got to spend a short time with them.

Old pics when Sarah was here

Crafting with the kiddos in La Carpio.

Sarah is helping Jessica and Tatiana.

This is the amazing view from the center in Cornado.

And this is precious Mili the youngest at Cornado. When Sarah and I went most of the kids were at school, so we hung out with Mili.

Cornado

When the group was here we went out to Cornado to spend some time with the kids there. Cornado is a home where kids with troubled families or no family live. The kids are all adorable. While we were there, we celebrated some birthdays and the kids put on a dance for us.

Precious Angel

This little girl came out in her beautiful white dress with nothing on it. Seeing her was just an example of how innocent these children really are.

Two weeks left

I'm sorry that I haven't been very good at keeping this updated. Things have been busy here in Costa Rica. After Sarah left, a group from Community of Faith came. My parents got to come along too. It was great to see so many people I know and love. The group did an amazing job and it was a blast getting to work with them.

The first day the group was in La Carpio it was a lot less chaotic for me and I was able to have deep conversations with some of my girls who went to camp. I had been praying for time and the Lord was so sweet. I was painting Jessica's fingernails and was just asking her to share her camp experience with me. It was a huge blessing. I also got to talk with Milady and Jocelyn and spend some sweet time with them. It was so great to see everyone from CoF just jump right in without skipping a beat or needing time to adjust. Everyday there were so many kids and they just got loved on so much.

While the group was here, one evening we talked about how the trip was going and what we were learning or experiencing. Laura asked me to share, and I think for the first time I really processed what I have been experiencing here. From the get go, I just jumped in taking everyday at a time, not trying to make elaborate plans for the future like I normally do. Right before the group here I began to realize that my time is almost up here and I immediately turned into planning mode. The group helped me to realize that it's not about what I plan, it's about living in the moment of everyday and loving on these kids with every chance I get. These kids have made a huge impact on my life. I'm cherishing these last 2 weeks that I have here.

I'm sad to go, but not as much as I would think, because I can come back and these kids will remember me, because I know the Lord has used me in their lives.

Be praying for me as I finish my time here, that I would not turn into the planner that I am, but that I would live moment to moment with these kids. A big prayer on my heart right now is that the Lord would send a full time female to La Carpio to mentor these girls. The hardest part of me leaving is not knowing if the girls are going to have the opportunity to cook once a week, or to be heard, or loved on. Pray that in the mean time, there would be women that could impact the girls' lives between when I leave and a full time female is able to come.

La Montaña

This weekend we took a group of 40 to La Montaña in San Ramon, Costa Rica. It was beautiful and an awesome experience. Sarah and I shared a cabin with 8 girls from La Carpio.

We had an awesome time, from skating, playing games like "steal the bacon", volleyball with a gigantic ball, bumper soccer, scooter soccer, and water balloon volleyball, learning about Jesus, blobbing, and a huge mud obstacle course. It was a blast! The kids soaked up every moment!

Life is good especially when there is chocolate...

I'm really bad at keeping this updated very frequently, but things have been going great in Costa Rica. On Saturday we had a soccer tournament in La Carpio for the boys. It was a fun, there were a ton of people who showed up to play and watch! Also, during the weekend, I experienced a "tico" move. It has been about a 3 week process and will probably continue until I leave in August. But the house is nice and I'm settled in a bigger room.

This week has been great! I got to bake cookies with some girls on Wednesday! I needed a sweet fix, and we had a lot of fun making them. Sarah or "Sarita" came on Wednesday as well and I'm so excited she's here! Today, Sarah came to La Carpio along with one of my friends Chelynne from language school. We made bracelets and cake!

Tomorrow we are leaving for camp at La Montaña. We are taking a group of 40! 2 girls cabins and 2 boys cabins! I'm so excited. A lot of the kids have never even been outside of La Carpio, so this will be a huge experience. Be praying for safety, for us leaders, and the kids! The Lord is going to do some awesome things!

These pictures are of the soccer tournament and baking!