Tico Tuesday, February 22nd

Who is this and what did he do to have the honor of being highlighted in a Tico Tuesday? This, mis amigos, is Mr. Steve Johnson, the president of the Latin American Mission. This past weekend we had a retreat of all the LAM missionaries from Costa Rica (plus some friends from Honduras and Perú) to learn what is up in the LAM these days and have some time to share together. Steve shared a lot with us about the LAM, who we really are, what we do and where we are going. I really admire Steve's vision and leadership! I'm really excited about all this! God put me in one amazing organization! (Feel free to ask me any questions about it!) And, it was nice to hang out with these people I don't get to see often enough. One of the highlights was definitely the soccer game! Yes, a whole bunch of gringos (plus a brasiliano, a tico, and a panameño and some other semi-Latin people) mejengueando was quite a sight to see, I'm sure. It was a blast though. The other highlight is on the blog!

Have a great rest of the week!

Carrie

Yes! Heather and I got to brush out teeth together again! (Ever since college I've had this thing with toothbrushing. I think I might have mentioned it in another post a long time ago. but this is funny, I was looking for the picture to post and couldn't find it. Then I remember I even had a folder just for toothbrushing pictures. No wonder! Jajaja! I can't believe I'm posting this horrible picture on the internet!). We first met as roomies at LAM orientation in June 2008. Ever since I have been waiting for us to be together in Costa Rica. She came with us to Manuel Antonio the other weekend, but it was really fun to be together in an LAM environment again too. So, Heather and I haven't

spent a ton of time together, but we get along really well and enjoy what time we do share. Her life keeps having some kind of major change take place every 6 months, and she is due for another one in June now, so you can pray for grace, wisdom and strength for her. Thanks!

Tico Tuesday, February 15th

Happy Tuesday!

The other weekend, I got to go back to Manuel Antonio National Park, which is a lot like paradise on earth. I went with several of my Costa Rican/Honduran friends, and my friend Heather (my roomie from LAM orientation) was able to come along too since she's now at the language school here in Costa Rica! Manuel Antonio has lots of wildlife in its natural habitat (monkeys, sloths, spiders, other animals whose names I can't recall, iguanas, etc) and gorgeous beaches! This picture was actually taken outside the park, but I LOVE the spray that forms when the waves crash on this giant rock. The power, the beauty, the display of God's work. AWESOME!!!

May you enjoy good friends and God's awesome creation this week!

Carrie

This is a beach inside the park. The picture doesn't even come close to capturing the gorgeous color of the water! It is in an inlet, so there are almost no waves. It's a lot like a big pool! Sooooooo nice!

Tico Tuesday, February 8th

Last week was a really exciting week in Roblealto! We have been working on building a new (fourth) childcare center in Los Guido (a slum on the southern side of San José) for a decade now, if not more. Donated land? Check. Donated architectural plans (a breakthrough of that sort in Costa Rica)? Check. All kinds of gov't permits for a really nice, handicap accessible place in a squatter settlement that currently has no way of dealing with sewage, etc? Check! All that was missing was 2 million smackeroos. But, you'll note the past tense. WAS missing! Between the Costa Rican gov't and some well-off generous folks, we are much nearer to our goal, close enough that we hope to break ground later this year!!!! This is phenomenal!!! More on the blog!!!

PS The money for sustaining the first year of operation is also already in the bank! Praise the Lord!!! (and the picture above is of the site of the Los Guido Childcare Center)

YES!!! Isn't this amazing??? I was just reading various documents the week before last about the Los Guido Childcare Center. It seemed like we'd had the land forever and that nothing had happened! I talked to Pam though and she explained to me what I explained above. A lot has been done and it has all taken time! Especially in a burro-cratic country like this. We have indeed been pressing on. But, the money coming in like this is monumental. Our current president, Laura Chinchilla's star gov't project is a Network of Care and Development for Children (and the elderly). She wants to expand current childcare centers, build new ones, etc, etc, etc. Roblealto already has stellar rapport and a close, healthy relationship with the gov't, so it is VERY willing to participate in this project, because it will help Pres Chinchilla meet her goals. And yeah, generous people are generous and just incredible! It is so beautiful how the Lord touches people and moves them to do wonderful things!! Please be praying for us in Roblealto as we seek to raise the rest of the money needed to build this DESPERATELY needed childcare center!! It will serve 250 kids that live in poverty or extreme poverty. This is serious. All our other childcare centers and the Bible Home are currently maxed out and there are still SO MANY children and families who desperately need the care and love provided through Roblealto. Have I ever told you how much I LOVE this ministry???

Tico Tuesday, February 1st

Happy Tuesday to you once more!

This morning we had a special breakfast celebrating the jobs of the International & National Development Departments of Roblealto. They do a different recognition at the end of each year for people who have been there 5 years, 10, etc. This was just a special breakfast for the association to tell us that they love us, they appreciate us and want us to keep up the good work! As you can see we enjoyed a traditional breakfast of fruit followed by eggs, gallo pinto, tortillas and bread. A little heavy on the carbs, but breakfast is the big meal of the day here. Anyway, one person was assigned to each person who was being celebrated. And that person made a card and prayed for the person that corresponded to them. Doña Carmen made me a really sweet card. Another lady from the Nat'l Dept got an acrostic of her name that was really colorful and creative. We ended the time by sharing testimonies from our departments and then praying together. It was a beautiful moment!

May God bless you with many beautiful moments this week!

Love,

Carrie

Isn't Roblealto great? The breakfast was a really nice thing I'd never heard of before, but I like it a lot. It is nice, especially for those of us who haven't been around long enough to be included in some kind of recognition thing.

The other big news of the week thus far is that Roblealto got a donation of Tdap (tetanus, etc) vaccines and so we the employees got vaccinated for FREE!!!! I was due this year anyway! Does God have perfect timing or what? I was a little nervous getting the shot.... 1) because I hate shots and 2) because it was the first injection one of my parents had NOT given to me since I got my yellow fever vaccine in 2005. Not that I get stuck that often.... but my parents have given me all my injections for as long as I can remember. I clearly remember my last tetanus booster ... I was babysitting 2 kids. We were playing in the kitchen in our house in Auburn, ME (sigh). They had on play armor and I was talking to the little boy when my mother approached me with a needle and got me right in front of the kid. I'm glad he wasn't traumatized by that. I sure was... Ok, not really, but I remember the moment vividly.

Then there was part 2 of my hep A that Mommy gave me in the kitchen of our house in Old Orchard Beach, ME right before I went back to Grove City for my sophomore year. I had on a Gordon College t-shirt. She stuck me and she hit an artery and blood literally spurted out of my arm. Sorry for not warning this would be a little gory. I grew up with this kind of thing as typical dinnertime conversation though and wouldn't change it for the world. Anyway, the blood squirted out and it got on my shirt and Mommy didn't have anything to wipe anything off with but the wrapper of the syringe. It was SO HILARIOUS!!! And there really wasn't that much blood. Aren't you glad you're reading this? These are fun stories! So I get back to college and I'm wearing the same shirt (with the blood stain washed out). I recounted the story to a couple of my friends after having lunch and one of my friends for some reason wipes her sticky hands on it (it was one of those wonderful close, I'll do anything to you and I know you won't care kind of friendships. And we're still friends to this day!). It was bizarre but hilarious. I guess the shirt getting blood on it the last time somehow made it ok to get peanut butter on it that time. Whatever!

Then, there was the TB test Daddy did for me before I started college. He had to leave the HUGE needle in me FOREVER!!!! We were in the dining room of the house in Auburn (sigh... I miss that house and it being my "home"). He finally finished and got the needle out. Then, I got really dizzy. I asked if it was ok for me to be that dizzy. I was wearing a navy sweater. I think the one that had been Grammy's. Anyway, then next thing I knew I was waking up, and the first thing I thought was, why am I not in my bed? Where are my pink and green pastel sheets? Why am I on the dining room floor? My glasses had fallen off. Luckily I didn't hit my head on the table leg but apparently I came really close. I was only out for a few seconds, but I almost felt like I'd slept a whole night. Oh the memories! Well, there you have my exciting injection stories.

The End.

PS. MY ARM DOESN'T HURT FROM MY SHOT YESTERDAY (and everyone else's at the office does! Except for 1 other girl... jijijijiji)