Tour D'East of the Mississippi

Yesterday I embarked on a two and a half week, 11 state journey. I now have one night and 4 states down! West Virginia and Maryland barely count, but I drove through them, and in accordance with Smith family tradition, honked as I drove past each state welcome sign.

After I finish this journey I will have seen all 5 of my Mommy's siblings in the last year. That is pretty impressive, considering how spread out they are! (NY, NC, NM, SC, Southeast Asia-I didn't go to SE Asia, they are here in the US right now). I will also get to meet my newest nephew, Isaiah, who was born October 9th. YAAY!!

So, I'm not sure how often I'll get to post while I'm here. I'm really looking forward to seeing so much extended family and getting some quality time with my brother's family and my parents as well.

I am curious to see how all this driving will go. I really only have one really long day planned (11.5 hours if all goes well). And I have a backup plan if I can't make it all the way. All the rest of my travels are broken up. 6 hours is the next longest, and that will be the push home. And I do have lots of books on tape to listen to. I know Mommy doesn't like them, but I am curious to see if I like them and can follow them.

Yesterday's 6 hour trip was painless and smooth. That was largely due to the fact I had a passenger though, my dear friend Chrissy. I am am her house now, writing this as she tries to sleep off the nasty post finals cold that has her in its nasty grip. But, I am very content, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music is playing. It doesn't take much to please me. It is a sound of home for me, and I am really enjoying it.

The concept of spending Christmas away from my parents has been really hard. I won't see them till Dec 30th. I will be with my cousins and grandparents, which will be really nice. It will just be different. I am still learning to adjust. I know I'm going to have a lot more things to adjust to in the near future, and it won't be easy. But, I'm just learning to take it all one day at a time and keep telling myself, God is my Rock. New and different is ok.

Carrie's Cartwheel?

I don't really know who reads this blog. Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me to let me know that you do. As far as I know I have 4 faithful readers-my parents (who count as one reader), one of my former youth leaders, my Cuban mom from the LAM, and another LAM missionary appointee. As you might know, I am a bit of a communication addict-especially in regards to e-mail.

Anyway, I am assuming that you, faithful reader get my Carrie Chronicles and my Carrie Cartwheels as well. Why on earth did I name my "serious" missionary prayer letter "Carrie's Cartwheel," you ask. Well, I'll give you the obvious reasons you're thinking of first. Cartwheel starts with C. So does Carrie. I, like Cookie Monster, have a serious affinity for the letter C (and cookies!!) Yaay! Alliteration!

Why else Cartwheel? Yes! Indeed, I was a gymnast for a few years. Doing cartwheels was one of my absolute favorite things to do on the floor in gymnastics. I was only starting to get the hang of a back handspring before we moved and my dream of being the next Shannon Miller with Bela Karolyi as my coach came to an abrupt end.

I will admit though, I had more than these things in mind when I chose that name. Cartwheels are neat because you do a complete circle with your body, yet at least one appendage is touching the earth at all times. (I know your body is always touching the ground in a somersault too, but cartwheels are harder and look way cooler). I like to think of my life as a long series of cartwheels. It is crazy: I go upside down, I am not always balanced perfectly on my feet, the motion seems to never stop. But, God is my Rock, and He is always under me, supporting me. And no matter what, part of me is always in contact with Him. Of course, this isn't a perfect metaphor. I just like that there is always a part of me being supported by God. And even though it may just be one hand and all my weight is resting on it, I can keep going in peace, knowing that the Ground under me can not be moved.

So, there you have it, dear reader. And if you have never gotten one of my Cartwheels, please let me know and I will do my best to remedy that as soon as possible. Megan-yours is coming. :-)

"Holp!!!"

Jajajajaja! That was my favorite line from Bobby, Trixie Belden’s little brother. It’s just cute. (And yes, I know I just laughed in Spanish, but if you haven’t figured out by now how crazy I am, just keep reading.) Trixie Belden was a member of a good gang that solved mysteries. If you are near my age and haven’t read her books, ask your parents and maybe they have heard of her. I highly recommend the whole series. It’s wholesome and exciting!
Anyway, this post I am going to make you laugh at me. Hopefully it won’t be too hard. I was just looking at old pictures from the team I went on a missions trip with to Guatemala. Ok, let’s rephrase that. I went on a missions trip to Guatemala my freshman year of college. More on that some other day. (I know I also owe you an explanation of my awesome Honduran family, the Vieras and more thoughts on abiding). Briefly, it was awesome, I got a new perspective on God and had the sweetest fellowship with other believers I have ever had in my life. We still hung out together after the trip and the pictures I was just looking at are from a dinner we had several months after our trip together. I am a noisy person and tend to interact with my computer (please understand that in the cleanest way possible). So, I saw this picture of us I hadn’t seen in a very long time and just started going “AawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!” or something like that. It’s a good thing I’m home alone!!
And then, after I stopped sounding like a bugling elk I had a very rapid thought process and a few things happened. I got a SWEET e-mail from Abuelito Jack, the current president of the Latin America Mission. If you ever want to become a missionary of the LAM I recommend you apply now (more like a few weeks ago might be better) so that you can go to orientation in January and meet him before he moves on. The new prez is coming in for the January orientation and I am excited about him, but I know Jack now and think the world of him. Maybe I’ll think the solar system of the new president once I meet him. That would be great! Anyway, Jack wants the Carrie Cartwheel I just sent out last night to be used as one of the examples for other new missionaries who need ideas for prayer letters. Wow! That’s so exciting! (If you would like a copy please e-mail me and I will send you one)
Then I thought about-well I’m not even sure. I think I wished I had someone to share that exciting news with. I don’t know, I have had so much change in my life-especially in the last 4 years it has just been INSANE!!! Seriously, if it weren’t for God, I would be in the loony bin or drunk on the streets...or somewhere scary and icky. But anyway, another reason why I am really excited to get to Costa Rica March 15 is that means I will be there in time for Semana Santa (Holy Week-the week before Easter). If I am there for Semana Santa that means I will have been there for Semana Santa 3 years in a row!!! That is amazing! That last time I was somewhere three years in a row for a holiday was from 2002-2004 when I spend Christmas (and Thanksgiving and the 4th of July) at home, all three years in a row. Mommy, correct me if I’m wrong. But ever since 2004 I have spent the holidays all over the place. There’s nothing wrong with that. Overall, it’s been fine and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve had some great opportunities to see people. But after so much change and traveling, I’m excited for some stability. So, there’s my “nother” reason for going back Costa Rica.
Yeah, so at some point I decided it would be nice if someone were here. I’ve spent most of the day by myself. Actually in the last 2 months, I’ve spent a lot of days mostly by myself. It gets kind of lonely after a while. But, it’s been fine. I have fun, and that way it’s ok for me to shriek at my computer like an elk or laugh at ridiculous e-mails or pictures.
Ok, I’m dancing around this, but I’ll just say it-I get lonely here. I’m weak. Sometimes I wish I were married just so I could have someone to share my day with. I am a verbal processor so if I don’t talk or journal through something, the thoughts don’t develop and nothing happens and that’s no good. There will be a lot of other bonuses (and plenty of challenges) that will go with getting married too, but I am looking forward to knowing and loving and becoming one with my life companion. That sounds selfish and I know God really is enough for me, but I’m just being honest and open right now. And don't worry, I'm not about to go nab any human with a y chromosome. I have a lot of waiting and growing to do.
But here is a tough thing about relationships. As I mentioned in my post about my birthday and Thanksgiving, there is nothing like family-those people who have known you your whole, entire life. Ok, maybe some of you have actually lived in the same house your whole life and so did all your neighbors and your whole town, but that is NOT the case for me. I have lived all over the place (though mostly in the general northeast of the country) and had to change friend circles as many times as you change partners in a square dance. Part of that is really cool. If I hadn’t lived in all those places I wouldn’t have experienced so many different things and met so many people. But, it’s hard to keep meeting new people and have them not know anything about your previous life. Obviously that is part of getting to know someone. But…I don’t feel like I’m explaining myself very well. Hopefully you’ll just “get it”. But I’ll give you a brief example. I made friends with this guy named Luciano this summer. He’s from Honduras and he’s awesome He’s also 37, so don’t get any ideas about anything on the romantic end. We had the same day off and had so much fun hiking together, eating together and working on his English. He is also a Christian and we had a lot of great conversations. God provided us with one another so that we wouldn’t totally shrivel up from lack of fellowship over the course of the season. We got to know each other pretty well and learned a fair bit about one another and made a lot of good memories together (like that ridiculously long day in which we went on a float trip, hiked 8+ miles, ate amazing pizza at Dornan’s, watched my friends go cliff diving in Phelp’s Lake in the southern end of the park and went up to Huckleberry Hotsprings at the northern end of the park). But, there just seems to be this barrier that exists because, well, he hasn’t known me my whole life. He knows me well, but there’s just a lot about me he doesn’t know. Maybe more of that would come with time. But, I don’t know. That might seem like a poor example because we grew up in different countries, but this is the case with other friends I have as well.
Hmm, this part of the post isn’t so funny. Oh well. You had to know I would settle down a little bit. ;-) or maybe not. Well, time to run. I have to go babysit and write on the backs of more prayer cards after the girlies go to sleep. Thanks for all the grace you extend to this loquita!!! (little crazy girl)

I Don't Know 'Bout You, But I'm Stayin' in the Vine!

I'd like to share a couple songs with you that have been particularly meaningful to me in these past couple months. The first one is the second verse of "Be Thou My Vision" (though the other verses are very significant for me as well) and the second is "The Solid Rock." Below you're find my thoughts on these songs and why I hold them so dearly.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

The Solid Rock
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

When all of my life is transient and I am living out of two suitcases and a backpack there is one thing I can cling to -Jesus Christ, The Solid Rock. When I don't have a clue about raising support and becoming a missionary, He is my Wisdom. He is always with me and will never, EVER let me go. Even though I get distracted by various things and just generally mess up, my Father still loves me and calls me His beloved daughter. His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am "faultless to stand before the throne." Wow. Praise the Lord!

I think both of these songs are so powerful to me because they have something in common that leaps out at me. To me, the lines "Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one" and "O may I then in Him be found" seem to come straight out of John 15, one of my absolute favorite Scripture passages. The whole theme of John 15 is abiding. Remaining in God, resting in Him. The Message puts it as "making our home in Him." That's a neat little twist. And over the last 2 years or so, abiding has been a theme for me. I want my relationship with Jesus Christ to be one of abiding. Yes, I want to serve, worship, give, reach out, and do all those other things Christians are supposed to do. But, if I'm not abiding, those things are empty and vain. In John 15, there is a sort of cycle/connection thing between abiding, loving, and obeying. We are to abide in the Vine and His love. How do we abide? We obey. How do we obey? We love. What does love lead to? Abiding.

So, "when all around my soul gives way," and things are stormy and unstable, I am again reminded to abide, to stay in the Vine. Maybe I'll share more thoughts on abiding soon, but this is long enough for now. "Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches, His banner over me is love..."

Oh, and a very random, silly, unrelated note about "The Solid Rock." It is the only place where I have EVER seen the word "whelmed" alone. One of my friends once showed me a quote "You can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?" I guess so! ("His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood" Ok. That's all for now.

A Miraculous Event and a Few Other Blessings

Miraculous Event
I do my best to keep in touch with my Pastor down in Costa Rica, Rolando. But, I tend not to hear from him very often. I usually have to write him a second time before he actually responds, which is often comes 3-4 weeks after my first e-mail. In a way, it's understandable because he is the very busy senior pastor of a 500+ person church that is continually growing. But, it can also be a little frustrating. I want to communicate well with my readers and supporters so that you all can know what's going on down there. And if I don't have good communication with them, I can't have good communication with you.
So, Rolando had sent me this 48 page document all about Centro Cristiano Internacional Heredia: its strategic location, how it runs, descriptions of all the ministries, etc. I read it on Tuesday. After reading it, I had some questions and just needed some clarification to make sure I understood everything. And I had one question that was REALLY important to me. Seeing as how I'm going to be the coordinator of the missions actions of the church, I think it would be optimal for me to arrive before the annual missions conference. Last year it was in April and I wanted to know when it will be in 2009 so that I can set my deadline for arriving before then. In my long letter of questions I asked that he just answer that one question right away, and the rest could wait. (I am working on sending out more information about me going to Costa Rica and I really want to include the day I want to leave.) My e-mail went to Rolando Tuesday mid-afternoon. Yesterday (Wednesday) about mid-morning I received an e-mail from Rolando - and in it he answered ALL the questions I had asked!!!! I did not expect that!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
So, the date for next year's missions conference has not yet been set, but he said it will be in late March or early April. Therefore, the deadline I am setting is MARCH 15, 2009! Please join me in prayer that all my support come in and all the little logistical things come together so that I can leave for Costa Rica on that date. This way I will definitely get there before the missions conference. I may even be able to help with some of the final details so that when I help plan it in the future I will have a clue of what to do.

Few Other Blessings
Despite the fact that I spend hours a day on my computer, I am not the most computer savvy person. Well, for this stuff that I am going to send out with more info about me going to Costa Rica, I want to include a pie chart of the breakdown of my support. A lot of people like to know where all the money goes, and I thought a chart would be the best way. Out of all the Microsoft Office programs, Excel and I probably have the most distant relationship. I expected it to take at least an hour for me to figure out the silly thing. Well, God gave Excel a phenomenal understanding of what I desired, because it only took me about 15-20 minutes to figure it out and have it be just the way I wanted it to be!!! He is SO good to me!!!

Yesterday the sun was out ALL DAY!! I was pumped with excitement about hearing from Rolando, setting my departure date, and the ease with which my pie chart was created. And to have relatively warm sunshine made me nigh manic!!! Unfortunately, the weather tends to affect my moods. And even more unfortunately, due to its poor geographic location, it is cloudy all the time in Grove City! So having a really sunny day is very impressive around here and truly a reason for rejoicing. But I know that whether the sun is shining or not, God is good!

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart

Perhaps I should name this "TRADITIOOOOOON! Tradition!" (a song from Fiddler on the Roof). I am a sucker for tradition. If I haven't made it clear yet, change is very hard for me. This year was the first year I have EVER been away from my parents for my birthday and Thanksgiving. Everything went well and I had a good time being with friends. But, as much as we say friends are like family (and some definitely seem that way), there is nothing like those people who have lived with me my whole life and know all about my previous inability to pronounce my Rs, my dreaded fear of "being sent to the facilities" (I thought facilities meant jail), and the awesome stuffed animal kickball games my brother and I played (the stuffed animals were the players, not the ball!!).

My family has always had a lot of traditions at Thanksgiving. Mommy cooks up a storm and I help. I usually get excused to watch the Macy's Parade and yell for Mommy to come when a song from a Broadway show is about to start. After the parade, Grandpa Smith usually carves the turkey. I make sure the table is set and that everyone's place card is present and vertical (some of them were made by my brothers when they were in elementary school, so they aren't in the greatest shape). We have our amazing meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, creamy onions, stuffing, homemade oatmeal molasses rolls with homemade cranberry-orange relish, etc. It is a classic New England Thanksgiving dinner. It is beautiful and pretty much the most delicious meal of the year.

Before we dig into the Libby's pumpkin pie and homemade special apple-cranberry pie we go through our Thanksgiving rites. Someone reads through the official proclamation of Thanksgiving as a National Holiday. We recite Psalm 100 together. Then, Mommy goes through our Thanksgiving vocabulary word scramble. There are pieces of paper that each have one word on them; for example, "taptoo." The first person to say "potato" gets the paper and whoever has the most at the end wins. We've done this so many times I have them all memorized and have to have a 5 second handicap. Next, my brothers and I are obligated to sing "We hunt buffalo," a cute (but now politically incorrect) song my oldest brother learned in kindergarten or 1st grade about Native Americans. We perform this ritual by wearing ancient grocery bags that we decorated when we were wee children, wearing dyed noodle necklaces and beating old oatmeal containers that have been decorated and converted into authentic looking drums. We do the motions too. It is quite a sight that you should probably never see unless you are prepared to learn the motions, make your own grocery bag, necklace and drum and sing along. Next tradition-my 2nd favorite. We use the alphabet as a tool to say what we're thankful for. Let's say Mommy starts, so she says something that starts with A. Apples. I'm next to her so I get B. I may say I'm thankful for brothers and the beach. Zach is next to me, so he gets C. He says he's thankful for Carrie and chocolate, etc, etc, etc. This is a really fun way to say what we're thankful for without dragging on until midnight or collapsing from too much turkey consumption. The final, and my favorite tradition is listening to part of a cassette tape that my Mom's younger siblings sent to her the first Thanksgiving she was away from home. We listen to a "sermon" by Sister Suzy (my Aunt Nancy). She preaches on "Thou Shalt Not Kill Thy Turkey" and it is the most hilarious thing I have ever heard IN MY LIFE!!!! Not only is she funny, but my uncle is making innocent turkey noises in the background and the whole thing is just so ridiculous I almost bust a gut just thinking about it!

After all that, we eat our hard-earned pie. I whip the cream - and get to lick a beater when I'm done. Then we usually go for a walk and just have a nice, relaxing afternoon. Mommy picks over the turkey, freezes some and makes the rest into soup that will feed us for the next 3 nights.

Now you might be able to understand better why it was so weird for me to spend Thanksgiving in Ohio with someone who has only known me for just over 3 years and her family. I had fun, and the turkey was great, but as my cousin pointed out, it's a lot harder to impose your traditions on others when you're not hosting. I made it through, though. I got choked up when the Macy's parade started and a couple other times over the course of the day. But, I felt very welcome at Keegan's house and her family was incredibly kind to me. My parents called that night and we talked about our day and I sang "We Hunt Buffalo" for Mommy. So everything turned out ok. The world is still turning and I remain truly thankful for all the things God has given me.

My Birthday! .... and the "Evangelist"

Yesterday was unlike any birthday I have ever had. It was the first time I have ever been away from my parents on my birthday. You might think, "You just turned 22 Carrie, grow up!" But, my birthday has always been an extra-special time for me. Not only is it time to eat the uniquely decorated cake that Mommy makes with my porcelain clown candles in front of it, have my nose buttered and open presents, but it is also time to be with family and rejoice in the life that God has given me. My birthday always falls in Thanksgiving week and my family used to always host Thanksgiving, so I'm used to a lot of attention (and if you know me at all, you know how I love that!!).
I did get a lot of attention yesterday, it was all just from afar. I got oodles of Happy Birthdays on my facebook wall and had "Happy Birthday" sung to me in English, German, 2 versions in Spanish, and English with a HEAVY Spanish accent. It was great. I got several phone calls and had fun getting the chance to brainstorm and decorate my cake. (Mommy always does it in secret and reveals it when she walks in the dining room with the light dimmed and the candles lit.)
It was still really, really weird to not be with my parents. I missed them a lot. But, it wasn't the painful missing I had last week when I almost bought plane tickets to Arizona. I was content with how the day worked out (and accepted that I just had to make the most of things because that's how they were going to be).
I think it's just part of this whole transitioning thing. I am not a big fan of change, but that's all that seems to happen in my life. I am so grateful though that I can always turn to God, my ROCK who never changes.
I think things will be different when I am in Costa Rica. I think of birthday and Thanksgiving in the US away from my family and get sad. I think of birthday and Thanksgiving in Costa Rica and feel no loss. I guess we'll see how things will really be. Hopefully by this time next year I'll be in Costa Rica (and will have been for many, many months) and I'll do my best to reflect on these things once more and see how my perspective has changed.


Slightly changing the subject-Today I read the latest edition of the "Evangelist", the quarterly magazine put out by the Latin America Mission. It was heartbreaking to read some things, and exciting to read others. It's fun to recognize some people's names and pictures in there (I'm on the back inside cover-contact the LAM if you want a copy) and it just gets me PUMPED to go and serve in Costa Rica. This is not so my name can be mentioned in a magazine, but because I am thrilled to be a part of what God is doing in Latin America!! May God get me there quickly!

Mulling over Missions

I was invited to a missionary retreat yesterday because there were a whole bunch of missionaries there from the Latin America Mission-including a family that is moving to the same province as me!!! How good it is to know they won't be very far away! And of course, they are already offering me hospitality and they won't even get to Costa Rica until February. I love a functioning Body of Christ!!

Being with a whole bunch of missionaries got me thinking about missions stuff again. In a recent post one of my indirect points was that missionaries are normal people too. We all should be "missionaries" so it only makes sense that they are all people just like everyone else. I have been learning this lesson. The missionary couple that was at my LAM orientation in June like to play a fun game called Wizard. My aunt and uncle who are missionaries like to have a pet dog. And, like all other people, missionaries have baggage. They get depressed, their marriages fall on the rocks, their kids get sick, and like everyone else, their past influences the way they live in the present. I say this not to make missionaries look bad, but to make the point that they are not superChristians. We all have our weaknesses. Troubles come. Life happens.

I think on the mission field there is an extra challenge because missionaries are often isolated and can't always get the help they need right away. But, the LAM has a good member care program, so that is comforting. And, God is always at work in the midst of trouble, and that is even more comforting. He has a plan for everything and will never leave us. Praise His Name!!

A Lifetime's Not Too Long to Live as Friends

I once heard someone describe how friendships were built in terms of time. There's quantity time and there's quality time. Quantity time is all those times you see someone in the grocery store, or always sitting by someone in church or class or the groups of people you eat with regularly. It is not necessarily a lot of time all at once, and the conversation isn't particularly deep. Sometimes there isn't much room or time for conversation, but it is time shared together, often with high frequency, and this builds the relationship. The more time we spend with people, the more we get to know them and the more comfortable we feel around them. So, eventually the times comes when we can open up and share more of ourselves with one another. We have gained one another's trust and can say "not so good" when someone asks us how we are and share why. We can talk about our struggles and the things that really bother us. This is quality time. Once there is a good base of quantity, it is much easier to have quality. Instead of having to make small talk there can be soul talk, and without much preface.
The trueness of this is hitting me again. I'm in Massachusetts this weekend to pick up the car a couple of my college friends are giving me. I've seen them about 5 times since they graduated in 2006. But, we spent a lot of time together when we were all at school. We went to church together, ate together, went to InterVarsity together, hung out together on the weekends, ran into each other in the halls and just built up a lot of quantity time with one another. Now, we are reaping the quality time from the quantity that we sowed. Even though I don't see Brian & Jackie very often, we can immediately dive in to good, deep conversation. The same goes for Brenda, Mollie, Rach and a few other people that graduated before me. I know I can never go back to college life and I will never have the same quantity time I had with my friends before. But it's ok. We are able to make the best of the time we have with each other.
What a blessing that is!! I feel this is true for me especially since my life has been so transient. I only spent one of the last 4 summers living with my parents. I spent the last 2 summers in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, but there was a different set of employees working there. So, each summer I met new people and tried to make new friends and build strong relationships. However, a summer is only so long. By the time I built up enough quantity time with people and felt like I was really starting to know them, the summer ended and I had to go back to school. I think that's a big reason why I am living in Grove City right now. It has been the place where I have spent the most time and built the strongest relationships. So, of course I want to be there! (I think my parents moving twice over the course of my college career is a factor as well.) But, I'm happy where I am. God is really helping me to be content. My prayers (and the prayers of others) for patience in waiting to go to Costa Rica are being answered. Thanks be to God!
I just want to make one more note about the quantity-quality thing. I don't think a relationship HAS to have a lot of quantity time before the quality time can start. There are several occasions on which I have just felt a bond to someone. We didn't have to really spend any time together at all before we had a quality relationship. And, just because I spend a lot of time with someone doesn't guarantee we will become close friends. But, it does increase the chances.
I'm so grateful God has blessed me with so many friendships!

Be a Missionary Every Day! (clap clap clap clap)...

I am finding that the word "missionary" comes with a lot of baggage. Literally and figuratively. ;-) It seems like being pregnant, all of a sudden one becomes public property and people will give all sorts of "advice" whether or not they have actually been pregnant themselves. I do appreciate the advice though, for sure. I know I have a lot of learn about missions and I am grateful for all the counsel given to me. However, becoming an "official missionary" has given me a lot to think about, even without talking to others.
Seth, one of my amazing junior high youth leaders once told me that he tried to live like a missionary all the time. I have never forgotten that, and I think he hit the nail on the head. Missionary should be a lifestyle, NOT a job title. We are clearly not all gifted as evangelists (not even all missionaries are), but we have the Truth, the Good News, which is salvation to every man. We are to be known that we are Christians for our love. As someone who is in love with Christ, I want to love Him more every day and I want to love others as He has loved me. Through this others can know I love them because God loves me and has given me the grace to love them as He loves me. And, by the work of the Holy Spirit people will come to know God personally. It's being a missionary.
So, whether we are called to stay or go, we are called to live out the gospel wherever we are; to let the Lord reign in our hearts and lives and be obedient to Him. It's kind of like all those who aren't working officially with a ministry are tentmakers-missionaries who have a "real job" but use it as their ministry. We are all in this together, the Family, the BODY of Christ. "May we be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Jesus and have loved us even as You have loved Him." John 17:23

One of the BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE!!!

Yesterday was absolutely A-MAZ-ING for several reasons!

1) I got an e-mail from a dear friend telling me he and his wife are willing to GIVE me their extra car! I have to go and get it (in Massachusetts), but I found a sweet CHEAP ticket on Southwest, so my total expenses in getting their will be $80. Praise the Lord!! AND the weekend I am going to get it (not this, but the following) is the weekend my friend is getting ordained! I am overjoyed that I will be able to attend and share such a special time with him and his family!
2) My wonderful suitemate from last year came to see me yesterday. She was in town for the day so we had a couple hours together to catch up and just enjoy being together again. We had a great time. She's just one of those people I've spent enough time with that we can go a while without seeing each other and pick right back up where we left off. What a blessing!
3) I got an e-mail from my Costa Rican friend Ana Luisa. She had her interview in the embassy and a tourist visa was granted to her!! YAAAAY!! Getting a visa, even a tourist one to the US is NOT easy right now. So, praise God she can come! I am hoping I'll get to see her and dreaming and praying my support will be in so I can go back to Costa Rica with her. (She is coming in January for a couple weeks). I'M SO EXCITED!!!!
4) I chatted with Rolando, my Pastor at my church in Costa Rica yesterday on Skype. I hadn't heard from him in a while, so it was great to get caught up on some stuff. He sent me a picture of what the church building looks like and a big, looooong document about the church, so I am looking forward to reading that and am thrilled that I can use the picture of the building in my presentation!
5) I also had the chance to chat with my dear friend Josue!! He is from Honduras, but his family has been living in Costa Rica for the last few years because of his Dad's work. I'll write more about the Viera family some day. They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met!!! Anyway, Josue and I had a spectacular conversation. We hadn't chatted in a long time, so it was great to catch up.
6) I made dinner for some friends of mine. I forgot to thaw the meat earlier in the day, but it all turned out just fine and was extremely yummy. All those years of helping Mommy in the kitchen are definitely paying off!! And we just had a lot of fun together. I was glad to give them a chance to get off campus.
7) I had a blast at IV and afterwards a friend said he would let me borrow his car! So, tomorrow I am going to go see Kiki (my adopted Cuban mom) and Janet (I guess she's my adopted Puerto Rican Mom)!! They both work for the Latin America Mission and are at a missions conference at Messiah College. So, I am going to drive to see them and hang out!!! That will be SO fun!!!
8) My prayer card went to the printing press and I should have them in about 10 business days!!

Needless to say, it was a VERY eventful, exciting day and I had a hard time winding down to go to bed. But, it gave me some stuff to think about. I know a lot of good things happen, and they're not always this big, but whether lots of good things are happening or not, I should maintain that same worshipful attitude towards God. It's easy to praise Him when he's poured blessings on me like Niagara Falls. But, even when I'm standing under a trickle, I want to (and need to) praise God. Things with Him aren't circumstantial. He is the SAME, Yesterday, Today, and Forever. So no matter what, He is still worthy and I want to praise Him just as if the blessings are coming like Niagara Falls.
The other thing I realized is that most, if not each thing I just listed up there came as an answer to prayer. I've been learning a lot about prayer and expectation (ie faith) and when I pray for things and believe they will come-they do!! That just encourages me all the more in regards to my support. If I look at is as something I have to do, it's impossible! But if I look at it as something God can do, I can know with every assurance that He can and WILL do it! With Him ALL things are possible! That doesn't mean I can just sit back and do nothing, but oh what a joy and peace it brings to know I can trust Him to provide and care for me!!

I Still Have No Job & A Blast From the Past

No Job
Yes, I still have no job. I am thinking I'm going to have to go back to the original plan of working in the cafeteria at Grove City College. I decided to not even bother interviewing for the position in Pittsburgh I mentioned in my last entry. I realized that there's just no way I can be gone for 11 hours a day and still expect to raise support to go to Costa Rica and survive. So, we'll see. But I'm guessing that may be what happens. There aren't many opportunities around here. That's for sure. All the Outlets may have all their seasonal help, but I may go investigate and pray that isn't the case. I have no retail experience, but if we're both desperate, I figure neither of us really cares.

Blast From the Past
On to the more fun part of things. When I was little there was this a capella special that we taped from PBS. It had Rockapella, Ladysmith Black Mambazo (which I called "The Pajama People" up until just recently), Take 6 and several other phenomenal a capella groups. I frequently requested to watch that video for the next several years.
When I was in high school I actually got to be in our a capella group for my last 3 years. It was SO great! We were quite good too. Now my Daddy is in an a capella group and I'm jealous of him (he was jealous of my music group in high school). My memory of the a capella video faded over the last few years and I didn't get to watch it since it is so old and worn. I thought it was lost forever. BUT the other day Daddy sent me the link to the first song of the program -and the WHOLE thing is on YouTube!!! Check out the Spike Lee & Co Do It A Capella program! It is such amazing music! And the early 90s garb that everyone (except Ladysmith Black Mambazo) wears is pretty sweet. :-) I have the best Daddy in the world!!!

The Job Dance

So, I'm looking for a job. I have been here in PA now for a few weeks and have had very little luck. A lot of people have my name as a Spanish tutor, and a couple places actually have my resume. Well, one of the places called me and it looks like we may be setting up an interview in the near future. However, it is in Pittsburgh. The good things about it are that 1) I will be doing almost exactly the same stuff I did at work in the Tetons, which I like and feel comfortable doing and 2) it will pay me better. If I am offered the job and take it, the not so good things are I will 1) have to get a car and 2) have to commute an hour+ to work every day. That isn't very appealing to me, especially with the oncoming winter. Plus I wouldn't get near as much time off as I'd like around Thanksgiving or Christmas. But I guess that's how the world is. I can't have the schedule of a college student forever. And having a car would make life somewhat easier, especially with winter coming.
But the real challenge will come, (though perhaps it may be a saving grace) if and when any of the other places I've shown interest calls me. Then I have to go through this cutesy dance of "I'm still considering some other positions" and "I'm still waiting to hear back from someone" and fearing all of a sudden everyone will drop me like Pippi Longstocking drops dirty dishes. I know that's not all completely rational, but I've had to do this before and I'm not a fan. It's nice to have choices, but sometimes I can be sickeningly indecisive.
I know God has a purpose for me in this time though. So may He continue to guide me and provide for me as I dance for Him.

Fall Fun

While I was in high school one of my favorite parts of fall was going apple picking with my Mom. We'd go to the orchard, pick apples (and eat as many as we wanted while we picked) and then go home and make apple sauce and other delicious things which contained apples as a main ingredient. It was a delightful time-I loved sharing that time with her and there is nothing like eating crunchy, juicy apples, straight from the tree.
I didn't really get to do that while I was in college. Home was kind of far away and I never made it apple picking in Grove City. This year though, I am thinking (and hoping and praying) will be my last fall in the US for a few years, so I want to make the most of this time. I have loved the changing colors of the leaves, twice (in WY and PA), I bought apple cider last week, and yesterday and whole bunch of friends from school and I went to the apple orchard nearby. We couldn't "pick your own" because it was so late in the season, but we bought 3/4 bushel of apples and went home and baked up a storm. We had apple sauce, apple breads, apple pies, baked apples, apple slices with caramel and apple cider and candy corn. It was spectacular!!! I really enjoyed "being domestic" and cooking and baking all that wonderful food. And it was a great time to share with my friends.
I'll miss fresh apples in Costa Rica, but I know that there are much more important things to worry about there. Maybe I can start a tradition with mangoes!

Back in Grove City

I'm very happily unpacked back in Grove City, Pennsylvania-I never felt like I really unpacked all summer. It's been quite a transition. I have felt quite overwhelmed most of the week, but with time things are getting a little easier. I've been learning the need to just take life one step at a time. It's hard to put in to practice though, especially where there is so much to be done. I am
I have seen a LOT of people. I made it to IV on Tuesday night and went to the Homecoming Dance for a little bit on Friday night. (I've decided that white men can't dance. I knew I was spoiled in the Tetons. People there really knew how to throw a party. But Grove City dances (with the exception of the Gala) have always been terrible and very lame. The best part is always the chocolate fondue fountain.)
I also saw oodles of people yesterday at Homecoming. That was very overwhelming, but it was great to see so many people. It feels like it's been way more than 5 months since I graduated. And I realized that as nice as it is to have homecoming, it is NOT the one time a year people can/should catch up with their friends. If I am going to stay friends with someone, I hope we will stay in touch and try to see at each more frequently than just at Homecoming. It is just one day and there are tons of people there. It is nice to say hi to people, but it is not a day for quality time with people. It is a day full of small talk and brief catch-up time. And that is nice, but it clearly can not be the basis of a continuing relationship.
I am working on finding a job. It is a bit tough since I don't have a car and there aren't a ton of jobs in the area, but I am considering substitute teaching. Maybe that will be able to help keep me busy. I feel like I have a lot to do anyway though in order to keep raising support and staying in touch with everyone.
I am house-sitting right now with the fiancee of an engineering prof. She is hilarious and wonderful. And she loves to hug as much as I do-maybe more!!! Needless to say we get along really well. And it is great to be in this house again. I also stayed here a couple weeks in January when I took a 2 week intensive class at school and it is great to be in a familiar place, to sleep in a bed I've slept in before, to know where most things are in the kitchen, and to know how to work the DVD player. It's wonderful.
Tonight will also be an adventure as it will be my first time back at my church here. I am so excited! I feel like it will be a relief more than anything else. I didn't get to regularly attend one church all summer, so I am pumped to go back to my church here. I know it will be a little different than it was a few months ago-things always are. But with the liturgy, the clear, Biblical presentation of Truth, and the wonderful fellowship I know it will be great!

Numb

I left Grand Teton National Park on Sunday afternoon. It was cold. There were a few inches of snow on the ground. It was really cloudy, so I couldn't even see the mountains. I'm sure it was snowing there again. We saw some bison. Most of the trees had no leaves left on them. It was so sad!!! The Tetons have been my home the last two summers and now they are over 1500 miles away and I have no idea when I will see them again. I know someday I will. I have to!! But leaving was really sad. I got quite choked up and as I put it when I was in 8th grade "my eyes were misted." If I hadn't have been in a car with 4 men I probably would have just let go and cried. (I was riding with Angel and his son Carlos--2 members of the most wonderful Mexican family ever-- Tulio, and my friend Luciano).
Surprisingly, none of my good-byes to humans were emotional. I just started to feel a twinge of emotion when I said goodbye to Jessica (my beloved fellow HR clerk from Chile) when something interrupted us and she had to go. Luciano was pretty emotional when we said goodbye. I wanted to be, he has been such a dear friend. But-nothing. I get really frustrated at myself sometimes. I feel like I never cry when I wish I could or feel like perhaps I should.
So, I traveled for some 18 hours yesterday. I was able to take some time to try to process everything that's going on, but I hadn't gone through the shock of getting back to PA yet. I knew I was definitely back in Gringolandia though - there was no one for me to speak Spanish with all day! I already really miss not being able to immerse myself in Spanish whenever I please. :-(
Anyway, I landed in Pitt and the first person I saw that I knew was Chrissy. She was a freshman at Grove City last year but we bonded well. When I graduated this spring and said my good-byes here, she was the only person that made me cry. And soon to follow was my best guy friend here, Bryan.
It was so good, but also so weird to see them. Everything here is just so surreal! It is good to be back here, I was starting to feel ready to leave the Tetons-especially since it started snowing and the mountains were covered-I feel like their beauty just got smothered in plain whiteness. But it is so strange to actually be back here. I knew it would be another transition and that it wouldn't be easy, but I am going through culture (and more) shock! Grove City is full of white people and I've been hanging out with people from Turkey, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Nepal, the Philippines, Jamaica, etc. It is humid here and the air is incredibly thick! I've been living in a desert at 6,800 feet. It was winter in the Tetons when I left. I was wearing the scarf Jessica gave me, my winter coat and mittens. Here, it is fall, and there are all sorts of different trees here-the Tetons are dominated by Quaking Aspen and evergreens.
The car ride home was hilarious. I was trying to tell 3 stories at once and describe my life out west and note all these different things. Bryan interrupted me once and just had to laugh I was so scattered, but that's just how things are for me right now. I feel like I haven't totally left the Tetons, and I haven't completed arrived here yet either.
Ok, I want to wrap this up before this gets any longer, but I have to share the best part. We got to the Reuber's house (my new current residence) and my friend Meg (a daughter of the professor who owns the house) was here to greet me. It was about 12:30am by the time we got here. We took my luggage downstairs to my room. I opened the door, AND INSIDE THERE WERE 11 OF MY FRIENDS FROM SCHOOL!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. The thought of them doing that had crossed my mind earlier in the day, but I had quickly dismissed it. They actually did it though. I was surprised. Again, I just wanted to cry, but no tears came. I am starting to wish I would have just let myself cry in the car on Sunday. So, after hugging everyone, eating cookie cake and hugging everyone again I got to share with them just a little bit of what's been going on with me. It was SUCH A BLESSING to be surrounded by all these people who stayed up late at night and left their schoolwork to show how much they love me. Fellowship and community are the things that I lacked most in the Tetons. What a welcome it was! And everyone was calling it "home." The cookie cake even said 'Welcome Home, Carrie!" I have been referring to Grove City as "the closest thing to home" since I don't really feel like I have one on earth right now. But, I know I am loved here and I will be here until my support comes in. So, for now it is home.
Anyway, before everyone went back to school they prayed for me. How wonderful it was to join with others in giving thanks and making our requests know to the Lord! He is so good to me!!! All praise and glory be to His Name!

Narnia!

I went on my last big hike on Monday. It was wonderful. I felt like I came full circle. My first hike of the season was to Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and into Cascade Canyon (the most hiked trail in the whole park, I'm sure). And Monday, I did the same thing, but Luciano and I went farther than April, Gretchen, Daniel and I did. We actually made it to the Forks, at the end of the canyon (6.5 miles from where we started at South Jenny) in 3 hours. We were moving!! It was so wonderful!!!!!
We took the South Fork and not much later, we started getting in to snow. It had snowed in the mountains over the weekend. There wasn't a whole lot where we were, but enough to make everything look pretty and make a few little snowballs. I seriously felt like we were in Narnia though (before the curse of the White Witch was broken). I was hoping Mr. Beaver would pop out from behind a tree and start hiking with us. It was so beautiful! There were dark evergreens, a view of a long cascade, snow, lightly coating everything, and we were swallowed in to the depths of the mountains!!
We stopped and had lunch at Sparkling Falls (which Sarah, April and I named when we went to Hurricane Pass via the South Fork earlier this summer) before turning around. The little waterfall isn't near as sparkly anymore because most of the snow from last winter melted. But, it was still a marvelous lunch. Everything bagels and stale chocolate chip cookies never tasted better!
It was a bit sad and very nostalgic for me to leave Cascade Canyon. It is one of my favorites and I have no idea when I am going to hike there again. I have been there more than any other canyon in the park. But I know I will return...someday.

CLOSED!!

I went to church this morning with a really sweet lady named Tracy. We really enjoyed the trip in the car to and from town. The foliage is absolutely gorgeous here. The leaves have been yellow for a while, but now there is more orange and red and it's just gorgeous. The mountains were totally masked by clouds because it has been raining here for the last day, but they have cleared now, revealing a new layer of snow that went down to probably 9,000 feet or so (that's my very rough estimate). We also had great conversations both ways too. With all the transitions that I am facing I have a lot to process and it was really good to talk with her. Church was really nice too. :-)

It was so weird when we got back to the lodge though; there was a sign in the road that said "Closed to Public Entry." CRAZY! Today was closing day and everything shut down for the season at 11am. No more restaurants, no more shops, no more people in the hotel rooms, no more people to send on hikes, no more weddings, conferences, nada. It's over. I've worked seasonal positions before, but I've never actually made it to the bitter end. It was a little eerie to sit in the lobby earlier and actually be on a couch closer to the huge picture windows. (Employees are asked to sit further back to give preference to guests.) I also took advantage of the baby grand piano. It is normally kept locked, but it was open for some reason and I had my hymnal with me, so I got to tinker around with my minimal piano skills and have a little hymn sing. It was wonderful! And the acoustics in the lobby and really nice.

It is kind of strange to see people working in their normal clothes since uniforms are no longer required. This last week is going to be really interesting. It will be full of good byes, and the lodge will seem more and more empty as the servers, bussers, front desk and activities agents check out in the next couple days. Then the housekeepers will go, then the kitchen staff.

It's all pretty surreal. None of the good-byes I've said thus far have really hit me. All my Turkish friends are gone. Last night my tico (Costa Rican) friend Daniel left. My good friend Laura is leaving tomorrow along with both of the Honduran Alexes. I fear it won't all hit me until I leave town next Monday. Luckily the amazing head housekeeper Miriam will be on the bus to Salt Lake City with me. That should help ease things a little bit. But, it is still going to be so weird! I guess that's life though. Time just keeps passing and it's time to keep moving on. I am so grateful God is with me through it all!

Bittersweet

As you may know, I am really excited to go back to Grove City. I know it is just a little town in Pennsylvania near some sweet Prime Outlets and the intersection of routes 79 and 80, but there are some wonderful people there and Slippery Rock is the home of what I consider one of the best churches in the country. It is a comfort zone for me.
But I really love the Tetons too. If I didn't, I wouldn't have come back here this year. There are a lot of wonderful people here too (though I haven't know any of them near as long as some of the folk back at school) as well as the most gorgeous mountain range in the whole country. Just the other day it hit me how much I am going to miss these mountains. I will confess, I am a mountain addict. The thought of not being able to hike for months is terribly depressing. And not being able to look out across Willow Flats at Jackson Lake and the Tetons will be like having my backyard confiscated by cruel monsters.
I know I need to go though. I am ready to go. It is time to move on. And I've decided that I'm okay with bittersweet endings. My life is so full of transitions right now, I think it's good to be ready to move on to the next thing. At the same time, if I'm sad about leaving the place I'm in, that means I've had a good experience. So, I'm really going from one good thing to another.
Sometimes I get so excited for the future it's hard to remember to live in the present. God has a purpose for me here. He has a purpose for me each day. And I want Him to fulfill that purpose. I don't want to get too distracted. I can't wait to see my friends and go to church at Grace, but I also want to finish well here and have a good sense of closure. May God continue to give me the grace and bring me through this coming transition.

TRANQUILA!!!

I am not the most patient person in the world. You could say I am rather far from it. I also tend to be pretty detail-oriented (which isn't really a bad thing, but our greatest blessings can sometimes be our greatest curses). I can also tend to be neurotic and perfectionistic. I like to be in control and know exactly what is going on. Are you laughing yet? If you are familiar with Grove City College at all or happen to be a member of the Gates family (my mom's side), you probably have an idea of what I am talking about. Maybe not, and that's totally ok.
Anyway, being like this causes me to stress out sometimes. But actually, it's not NEAR as bad as it used to be. You see, I went to Costa Rica. And there I learned that I do NOT have control over anything. Things will go wrong, or at least not according to the original plan. The bus broke down (multiple times). We didn't always make it to every place that was on the trip itinerary. It can be disappointing but it's far from the end of the world. I learned to go with the flow. Yes, I am basically fluent in Spanish, but I still can't understand everything. Have you any idea how fast news reporters talk? (I know that sounds pretty ridiculous coming from me. I hardly ever realize how fast I talk in English, but I've been told it's pretty darn fast sometimes.)
Living outside the country gave me a whole new perspective on everything. It's pretty hard to describe. But, it just helped me realize that there is so much more to this world than the US and what happens here. Yes, we are one of the most powerful countries in the world and we have mightily influenced everyone else. But, there is a lot to be learned from others. One of my favorite things in Costa Rica was the slower paced life. Hardly anyone is ever is a hurry. They walk so slowly I would be almost a block ahead of the people I was supposedly walking with. It's not the end of the world to be late to something (just as long as you're not too late). I found that most people would not turn a molehill into a mountain, as we often do here. And yes, these are generalizations. Not every since person in Costa Rica is this way. But, this is the way the culture tends to be.
That culture is clearly very different from that of the US. And I learned a lot from it. If I ever started to freak out about something someone would just tell me, "tranquila." And I'd pause and try to stop stressing. I haven't come up with the perfect translation for tranquila yet. It basically means, "be at peace, calm down, take a deep breath, it's ok, chill out, don't worry." So, I have been learning to apply this to my life. I'm definitely still not totally tranquila all the time, but I'm getting better. So, if something isn't working out, I still will try to make it work, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. Maybe there will be another chance. Maybe God has something different and better in mind. I don't know. But I am learning to rest and trust in Him. I don't have any control. But God has it all, and He has a perfect plan for me. So, with that knowledge I can be completely tranquila.

Perfect Timing

I got an e-mail the other morning-totally out of the blue. It was from the head of the missions committee of the church I went to in middle school and high school. We've been in contact, and he'd said the church could support me, but when the committee realized that I am going to be gone for more than 2 years, I fell into a different category. It turns out one missionary couple from the church finished their assignment and so the church can take me on as a new missionary and support me more!! Praise be to God!! What incredible timing! This won't be official until the congregation votes on it later this fall, but wow! This is so exciting!! I still have a long ways to go in this support-raising process, but I know that whether the support is coming in or not, I want to and should be praising God. He is in charge of this whole process. And I know He will prove Himself faithful and provide for my every need.
I must confess though, that is isn't always easy to remember. For example, I am currently trying to make plans to visit New England later this fall. I was thinking pre-Thanksgiving, but now it looks like afterwards might be more plausible. It's always nice when the people you want to see are actually there. I have no idea how I can get from Southern Maine to Cape Cod or vice versa without inconveniencing several people or spending oodles of money on a rental car. So, I know I can't sit back and expect this trip to plan itself, but I also know I can't stress myself about it. I am praying for God to open doors and pave the way. And I am telling myself TRANQUILA!!! (I'll tell you more about that later).

My Family & Our Adventures

I love my family. I am convinced it among the best in the whole world. Of course, I may be somewhat biased, but in this case I think that’s ok. I am the youngest of 3. I have 2 older brothers, which explains a lot. J When we were little we didn’t always get along, but I know that’s rather normal. And now we actually really do enjoy being around each other-when it happens. We are currently very well esparcidos, spread out. I am currently in Wyoming and will be headed soon to Pennsylvania. My parents are in Mexico-or might as well be. They live in southern Arizona. My oldest brother Dan (and his wife and almost 3 kids) lives in Indiana, and my brother Zach and his dog are in Tennessee.
When we are together we like to play Scrabble, Bocce (lawn bowling), and cards. All of us, (except me) are avid readers. I used to be, then in about 7th grade my extraversion took over and I got involved in lots of activities and I have never made it back to reading as much as I would like.
We traveled quite a bit when I was little. We did a lot of repeat vacations to Myrtle Beach, SC, Isleboro, ME, and Stowe, VT. Easter was often spent at Grandma & Grandpa Gates’ in South Carolina and a couple days after Christmas were typically at Grammy & Grandpa Smith’s in Massachusetts. The 4th of July was almost always spent at Grammy & Grandpa’s too because Uncle Mike and Daddy have their birthdays on the 4th and 5th. We always hosted Thanksgiving and I liked that, because my birthday always falls during that week and I often got to have company on my birthday.
Along with vacations and holiday travels, we did some adventuring to see the country. I remember rather vaguely our trip to Disney World when I was 5. I really liked Thunder Mtn, and made us ride it over and over again. And every time we went through the line they measured me again to see if I was tall enough. We also went to San Antonio, TX once and Lousiana. Daddy and the boys really liked the Tabasco sauce factory. Mommy thought it was pretty neat too. I was so overwhelmed by the strong stench of red chili peppers I couldn’t really focus on anything else. Once we lived in Maine we made several trips to Canada. I loved PEI-and Daddy going to the liquor store to try to find me some raspberry cordial (check out the Anne of Green Gables books if you don’t know what I'm talking about). Great Breton and Nova Scotia were beautiful and really neat too. I remember lots of mud flats and people sliding on them and the tidal boar. The river actually changes the direction it is flowing depending on the tide (I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. It is getting to be a while ago). It is a fascinating thing, however it works. We also went to Quebec City and Montreal. There was lots of French there, which was fine for Zach and Daddy. Mommy and I had a harder time though. Once while trying to check in to a hotel the front desk person was speaking English but her accent was so thick Mommy still couldn’t understand her!
The biggest and longest trip we ever did was a tour of the country and several of its national parks. We spent lots of time in the car with books and playing “Ghost” or listening to Daddy’s stories when it was dark. In 17 days we saw the St Louis Arch, Enterprise Square in Oklahoma City, Santa Fe, NM (I think), The Painted Desert, The Petrified Forest, Zion and Bryce National Parks, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone (Somehow we missed the Tetons!!!! And now we of course regret it, but I think I’ve pretty much made up for it), the Badlands, and Mt. Rushmore. Side note-the indoor water slide at the hotel nearby was more impressive to me than the 4 large faces. They look way better on postcards. Anyway, I think that trip we also saw Mitchell’s Corn Palace in Nowhere, Kansas and Walldrugs, or something like that. It is a very famous place that was clearly very memorable for me. But give me a break-I was only in 3rd grade. (This all explains very well why I was so surprised when we moved to Maine and a whole bunch of people-even by 8th grade- had never been past Storyland, which is just over the border into New Hampshire.)
So, there is a glimpse at the Smith family and our adventures. I would have loved to include some more tangents, but I’ll save those. Feel free to e-mail me and ask about them. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with my family and I’m looking forward to seeing all of us again soon!

The Best Things in Life are Free

Last night we had a girls night out. Jules, my friend Laura's roomie is getting married in December and wanted to celebrate. So, we went to Teton Village for a tasty but overpriced dinner and some fun. After dinner, the plan was to ride up the gondola and have champaign and s'mores at the top-though I think most of us were going to go without the champaign. So we went over to where they sell gondola tickets and it was locked. I was disappointed and feared we would not be able to go. But we kept faith and went to the gondola and ask the attendant about tickets. He told us that we were lucky- it was free!! The computer was down or broken or something and they couldn't charge us. WAHOO!!! So we got to save $12 each and enjoy the beautiful romantic ride in the gondola. And just to clarify if you are thinking the kind of gondola you find in Italy, that's not what I'm talking about. Gondolas in this neck of the woods are like enclosed ski lift boxes. We got to the top and the place that did s'mores was closed. Apparently business was slow and it had closed early. We were a little bummed, but after a fun photo shoot with silly poses we went to the grocery store and got some super Ben n Jerry's S'mores ice cream. Unfortunately that wasn't free, but it was delicious and worth it!!
The trip home was gorgeous. There was some fog down by the Snake River and the almost full moon was shining on the mountains and they looked as if they were glowing. It was so beautiful! I wish you could have seen it!

A few other free things I have enjoyed lately
-Sleeping in my wonderful bed! (housing here is technically free-though I do have to pay $60/week for food and employee activities)
-Church!!!
-Kayaking and hiking
-The mountains looking like a cutout in front of the clear blue sky
-The bike my friend Steve gave me when he left
-Keeping in touch over e-mail with my friends in the US and Costa Rica
-The grace of God
-Skype (computer to computer it is free! E-mail me if you want my username)
-Amazing backrubs and Mexican food from Rosalinda
-Driving to Colter Bay in company cars on the clock (well, I guess that's not really free-I get paid for it!)
-Did I mention sleeping in my sweet bed yet? With clean sheets? And 2 pillows? And Zippy and Cuddles? Mmm, yeah. It's bedtime. G'night!

My Busy Week

I don’t know how I do it, but I always end up SO busy! You know I like it. I love having people to see, places to go, things to do, etc. But, especially since my time in Costa Rica, I have been learning the value of not packing my life so full. I just haven't been succeeding a whole lot. I am learning though.
This week, for example, is packed full.
Sunday I went to church in town (YAAY!! It was great! There were hymns and a real piano and a whole bunch of people!). Then I went shopping and had a picnic with my friends. I spent much of the evening on Skype with a friend from school.
Monday I hiked Death Canyon with Sarah and Luciano. GORGEOUS!!!! My favorite place in the Park! We made it all the way to Fox Creek Pass! (That is the end of the canyon). That took all day. Then we had a yummy dinner at Dornan’s (they have phenomenal pizza!) and then read another chapter of “The Trumpet of the Swan” to Luciano. His English is improving significantly. Tuesday I worked. It was a very slow, quiet day. I was ok with that. I was pretty tired from the previous day’s hike. In the evening I taught English-I only have one class left! And then I went to the 80’s party. I didn’t dress up. But I still had fun. I lost twice at Twister and played “Pin the Glove on Michael Jackson.” It was pretty hilarious. The girl that plans employee activities this year is doing a great job!
Yesterday I got to go to Colter Bay for part of the day. I put fake flowers on the tables in the cafeteria like we did here at Jackson Lake Lodge. Then I helped clean and straighten some other things. Luckily the head housekeeper saved me. The cleaning solution I was using was far from adequate. It was rainy off and on much of the day, but when I drove back it was sunny and I got to drive through the park with the windows down and the sunroof open. It was great!!! (And don’t worry-I wasn’t speeding).
Today was a busy day at work. A lot of people are tired and just want for it to be over. I don't blame them. There are a lot of people who work their tails off here. A lot of people have already had to leave due to school and J-1 visa expiration and it is really hard to hire anyone to work for one month. Tonight we had an HR barbecue. I had a phenomenal steak, but don't plan on eating again until at least next week I am so full.
Are you tired yet just by reading this? Me too!!! I know a lot of busyness is a choice, and I am still working on learning to say no. Tomorrow evening I actually have no plans and hope to keep it that way. Saturday I am going to Teton Village for a girls night. It should be fun.
Ok, well. There's a glimpse at my crazy week. God give me the strength to make it through!G'night!

You're just so far away...

I'm not married, so I really can't understand. I would like to think though, that when I'm married I wouldn't be able to imagine leaving my husband (and children if and when I have them) to go work in another country. But, there are so many people here who have done just that! I only know of one gringa who has done it-but among the foreign employees, it is shockingly common. I can't evening imagine what it would be like to leave my family and go work my tail off in another country, over a thousand miles away. A lot of them talk every day with their family, but I'm not sure that makes it any easier.
The other day I was asking my friend Malta about her family and she started to tell me about her kids. Upon mentioning her 5 year old daughter and she started to tear up and before I knew it she had disappeared to recollect herself. Oh man! I almost wished I hadn't asked.
Another example: Earlier this week there was an employee art sale. A whole bunch of my coworkers put their pictures, needlepoint, jewelry and other pieces of handiwork on displayfor the guests and other employees to admire and purchase. I got there towards the very end when most of it was already cleared away. My friend Jose popped in and asked if I know who had been selling the jewelry. He wanted to buy a necklace and matching earrings for his wife. Thinking I might know her I asked him, "Who's your wife?" But his response was, "Oh, she's in Mexico." Oh. Oops.
So, there is this part of me that says, "No way! I could never leave my family-or let my husband leave us, no matter how bad the economic situation!!!" How could I be separated from my media naranja, my other half? But if we had no money, were starving and our country was still trying to recover from a hurricane that happened 10 years ago, I just might start to consider it.
I don't know. I just can't put myself in their shoes right now. And even once I am married (whenever that happens), I don't think I will be able to really understand. Is it really such an ultimatum? Stay with family and be miserable and possibly die or leave family and be miserable but feel like you're taking care of them? Yes, God is the Ultimate Provider and he takes care of His children. But we can't just expect money, food and shelter to magically appear. It happens. But that's not how God works every time. So, the issue remains. Unfortunately I believe it will be around for a while.
In the meantime, may God continue to meet our needs and may He be with those who are far away--from each other and from Him.

Change and Riches

Wow, it’s September! Fall has definitely arrived in the Tetons. On Monday there was fresh snow at the higher elevations! And some of the leaves are already starting to change! The evenings and mornings are quite chilly and there have actually been a lot of clouds in the sky! It’s easy to let it depress me and have a bad attitude about it. I really feel like I’ve had enough of winter. After living in Maine for so long and then being in Northwestern PA near the snow belt, I am really ok with never seeing snow again. And I can tend to get depressed when I can’t see the sun. But there is much more to life than weather.
The coming of fall is simply another transition I must go through. I was talking with my friend Alex at breakfast the other morning (the younger of the 2 Honduran Alexes that are here) and I decided that life is just a big series of transitions. Example-I was a student for the past 17 years-and now I’m not anymore! A lot of my friends started school again last week and it is just strange to not be there studying with them!
And because I’m not a student anymore, I’m still here in the Tetons. Things are changing here too-I already mentioned the weather above, but all the college kids are gone now and all the foreign students (my Turkish friends, the Ukrainians, Bulgarians etc) are leaving soon too. The dynamics are different this time of the season.
But, I know that in the midst of all the change “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!” Amen! I knew that was the truth, but forgot it was straight out of the Bible (Hebrews 13:8) until I happened to read it the other week. How comforting it is to have a Rock that never changes!
And He’s not just a Rock. He had been reminding me lately of his abundance and how He lavishes His love on me. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up as a thrifty little New England girl or what, but I often forget how rich and full God is and how He just pours out his love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it talks about these exact things.; “every spiritual blessing” “God’s grace that he lavish on us in all wisdom and understanding” “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” It’s just wonderful! May God's riches abound in all our lives!

My Dream is Coming True!

Today I lunch I got to chat over Skype with my Pastor in Costa Rica!!!!!! We hadn't had any contact for a while, so it was really good to catch up a little bit. One of the first things he told me was that they were praying for me today. WOW! That's great! Thank God! We got each other up to date on some stuff-regarding my official acceptance and the church's connection with the LAM.
And good news! My church used to share it's building with a hardware store and now it can rent the whole thing and has the option to buy it!! That is so wonderful! They are starting to renovate the building to make the missions office-where I'll be working!!! Can you tell I'm a little excited? This is just incredible to me-to see things continue to unfold, one little step at a time. I have never been through anything like this before! It seems so much like a dream coming true! But I know it's not just a dream, it is part of God's awesome plan for my life.
And with that, good night! Come read again soon!

Two God Stories

God story #1
I went to orientation with the Latin America Mission in late June. It was 10 days of a lot of stuff-lessons, songs, pictures, swimming and a sweet trip to the Everglades. Before orientation ended I was told that I was unofficially accepted as a missionary of the Latin America Mission (LAM). I was pumped to get my official acceptance and start the whole support raising process. I'm still pumped about the process, but I will openly admit I get a little nervous about it too. But I know this is an opportunity for God to really show Himself to me. I know that He wants me in Costa Rica. When He wants me there, He'll get me there. I know He will be faithful and provide for my every need.
So, orientation ended and I was the only LAM candidate that hadn't left yet. The LAM shares their building with a couple other ministries and I happened to be downstairs near one of them. I met a girl in the hallway who was super nice. She asked me if I was going to go on one of those missions trips and I told her yes. She said, "I want to support you monthly and pray for you! Send me a prayer letter!" I thought to myself, "Oh my goodness, my God is amazing! I haven't even left the office of the LAM or received my official acceptance and I already have someone who I barely know wanting to support me regularly!" I know The Lord is in control of this whole process. What a lesson in trust and faith!

God Story #2
So I'm working here in Grand Teton National Park. I have a little dorm room that has wifi. I appreciate it, though it is slow. However, most of the time I opt not to be in my room. Why would I when there is wifi in a big open lobby with monstrous picture windows of the Tetons? It almost seems wrong to have my face stuck in my computer when I could be absorbing the beauty of the mountains, but the computing must be done (and I mountain gaze regularly during my lunch break).
Anyway, one evening I was in the lobby on my computer, writing a Carrie Chronicle (if you don't know what that is or if you would like to receive it, please give me your e-mail). A couple came and sat near me. We got to talking and it turns out, they are Christians too! They took interest in my love for Costa Rica and what I will be doing there and they said-"We'd love to pray for you and support you!" I thought "Wow, God! What a divine appointment!" So, before I got my official acceptance (which was also my permission to start raising support) I had 2 separate incidences of people I just met wanting to support me! God is so good! I am looking forward to sharing even more stories about the people I meet and God's incredible provision!

Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father.....

My Great Day

So, I was off on Monday-I have Sundays and Mondays off, which is pretty wonderful. Monday was the last day my friend and roomie April was going to be here. She left on Tuesday and it was very sad. But anyway-my wonderful day. My friend Luciano was off too, so we set off to adventure all through the day.

We started with a 7am float trip on the Snake River. Think white water rafting but slow and not dangerous and you don't have to do anything. You sit on a raft, listen to a guide spout facts and interesting stories, and enjoy the gorgeous view of the incredible Teton Mountain Range. It is an activity that is offered to the guests, but employees can go for free if there is space. SCORE!!! I love living in a national park and getting perks like that! Oh and we saw 5 bald eagles, a bison with two calves, a moose and her calf, white pelicans and (I'm going to butcher the spelling of this) meganser ducks.

After the float trip we had lunch and then went hiking to Bearpaw and Trapper lakes. It is about an 8 mile hike roundtrip that is flat and easy. It follows String Lake and Leigh Lake and has gorgeous views of the mountains! It was a wonderful time. We went faster than I thought we would (which often happens. Apparently I am a pretty speedy hiker. I don't go so fastI can't take it all in though), so we had time to have supper at Dornan's. Dornan's is a great pizza place right outside the park. All the pizza's are named after mountain peaks and all the ones I've had are spectacular!

We then met up with April and a few other friends and hiked to Phelps Lake (there are a lot of lakes around here) where they all went cliff jumping. There is a HUGE rock at the edge of the water and it is really deep there. So, it is very common for people to jump off the giant rock into the depths of the lake. Can you tell it's not my cup of tea? I am a total wuss!!! I'm not afraid of heights, but when it comes to jumping from high places I just can't do it.
So, after everyone but Luciano (who unfortunately has a cast on because he dislocated his wrist) and I (the wuss) jumped off the rock a couple times, we left. We got back to the car just as it was getting dark. And don't worry folks, we had lots of noise, headlamps/flashlights, and bear spray.

And wait-the day was not yet over! Yes, we headed from the far southern end of the park all the way up to the nothern end! (As in not very far from Yellowstone.) We went to Huckleberry Hotsprings-a place I had been wanting to go to ever since I first heard of it when I was here last summer. I had always wanted to go to real, natural hotsprings. Yeah, like, the hot water is there and you get in and relax. It was incredible. (Now if only they had jets...just kidding). April, Dan, Luciano and I were the only ones there, which was nice. I guess they can get pretty crowded sometimes. So, finally, after relaxing and enjoying the stars and moon, we headed back.
And that was my wonderful day. Jampacked full, but lots of fun. I will try to not make all blog entries this long, but I wanted to describe everything well to you. Hopefully pictures will come soon.
The End

Welcome to Carrie's Blog!

Hi!
Welcome to my blog! This is new to me, so thanks for your grace in this. I plan to update this every few days-letting you know what's up in my life. I am currently an appointee with the Latin America Mission and am working on this whole support raising process. I am going to have a lot of stuff on here. I hope to have some good stories, creative ideas for supporting me, and of course, some pictures!
It is late at night and no one is going to know that this post exists until I send out an e-mail with the link, so I will wrap this up. I'll just tell you I spent the day with my friend from Honduras (Luciano) and my wonderful parents in Yellowstone Nat'l Park and I just had the last 3 days off work. Life is good! But, tomorrow is back to work here in my current home sweet home-Grand Teton National Park.
And-why is this called "La gringa mas latina" and what on earth does that mean? God has given me a huge part for Latin America and its people and the church there. (Hence I am going to be a missionary in Costa Rica!!) I love speaking Spanish and being immersed in the culture. Several people have told me that I am the most "latina" (Latin American-ish) white girl from the US they have ever met, which in Spanish is "la gringa mas latina." So, there you have my blog title.

A quick other note-While I blog, I will talk about people-they tend to play a big role in my life. :-) I promise on my blog I will not say anything about you that will make you lose your job (or make me lose mine). If you are in a sensitive country and have already read this I'm sorry. I hope you don't come to any trouble. If you prefer to not exist in this public life of mine, please let me know. I'd rather you were a part of things but if you have a stalker, I sure don't want to make your life more miserable. But don't be scared. I won't share your life story (unless you tell me to). I just might mention you like I did Luciano. That's all. So, be at peace.

Ok, I'm going to bed now. Really. More to come! Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave me a comment or e-mail me at smithcj1@latinamericamission.org

May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you!