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!

The Good Life

This week has been going great! It's my second week in Spanish school and 3rd week in La Carpio. We had a group helping us this week from Kentucky. They were great, really took initiative and did extremely well with the kids.
I have enjoyed this week so much, the Lord has just been so kind to me and each day He shares something different with me. One thing that was really sweet and touched my heart, was yesterday in La Carpio, we gave the kids balloons and they were writing on them. One little boy Estevan, wrote on his balloon "Briyi (that’s how the kids say my name) te ama a Dios" which means God loves you. It was so special, the Lord was loving on me while I was hanging out with His precious ones.

We are taking a group of 40 to camp next weekend and I'm so excited! I think it's really going to help develop our girl’s ministry. I'm especially excited, because these kids have never been to a camp before and it's going to be incredible to see them react. Please be praying for safety and funds so that everyone can experience camp!

This weekend we are having a huge soccer tournament in La Carpio and it's going to be really exciting.

These are some pictures of houses in La Carpio near the river, two of my favorite boys, and a right of passage across the rickety bridge!

Pura Vida

I've have been in Costa Rica since last Monday, June 2nd. It has been awesome so far. I'm living with a "tico" family. Tico is what Costa Rican's call themselves. They are really great and help me a lot with my developing Spanish.

Last week I didn't have school, so I was able to spend a lot of time in La Carpio. La Carpio is a poor Barrio where many Nicaraguans live. I have been working with two missionaries, Lalo (Steve) and Antonio, at the Community Center there. My mission there is to work with the girls and start up a girls ministry.

The first day in La Carpio there was only one girl that came there, and from that day on, word spread that I was going to be there and many more showed up. I have met so many girls and it has been great.

Last week I also got to see a lot of San Jose. I saw a lot while taking the bus and also, Antonio and I went to El Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. It was great, my favorite part was the view and the butterflies.

Yesterday, Monday, I started Language school at the Institute and have been enjoying learning more and more. Every day my Spanish is getting better! It is interesting how different it is to learn Spanish here than in the states. I am fully immersed in the culture and at school we only talk in Spanish. But when I go home, I only talk in Spanish as well.

Tomorrow, I'm headed to La Carpio so I'm sure I will have many great stories to tell.

Also, I'm posting some pictures of some of the kids and a view overlooking San Jose from the museum.