Tico Tuesday, December 23rd

Another year has rounded up at the Bible Home and the Roblealto Child Care Association. 

Wednesday I went up to the HB to say good bye to the kids and witnessed some scenes I hadn't seen before. Most of the kids go home by bus and their families pick them up. However, some families have cars and come and pick their children up. I had said good-byes to children before, but I had never seen any kids say good bye to each other before. That was really heart-wrenching, especially for girls who were returning to their families permanently. They were both in “Exemplary Women” with me, so it was really hard for me to say good-bye to them too, but watching they say good-bye to each other was even harder. Thankfully there are opportunities to see them again in the future.

The final activities we had with personnel were fun. We played Bingo and I learned more about the game I ever knew was possible, and on the last day, each program's personnel put together a special presentation. At the Bible Home we kept ours very simple—learning a simple parody the day before. Other programs got a lot more elaborate. It was all really fun though.

Now I'm in the States enjoying quality time with my family and enjoying some much needed rest and vacation.

May God grant you rest and quality time with loved ones as well and may we all delight in the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus our Savior and Lord!

Carrie

Tico Tuesday, December 16th

It's that time of year when we just have one activity after another.

Thursday was our annual Christmas and Thanksgiving service and in the evening I went to the movies with my girls from "Exemplary Women."

Friday afternoon was the graduation for Kindergarten and 6th grade, Sunday we had a "Christmas afternoon" with special recognitions for children and families who will be leaving us and some gift giving and then a traditional tamal in the houses. Tonight at the Bible Home is the closing bonfire and fireworks, and tomorrow the children go home. It's quite a whirlwind and if I find it surreal, I can't imagine how the children must feel with so much activity.
Once more, there are a few particularly special children I will really miss. These three are of them. Two have been in girls group (someone took a picture when went to the movies but hasn't been able to pass it to me yet. I'll be sure to share it when I do!) with me, and the littler one has grown and matured so much this year: I am proud of all of these girls and all the other kids who will be leaving us for good tomorrow. God has done amazing work in their lives and I am so glad to be an instrument he used to carry out a little piece of it. Please pray for the children and their families as they go through this process of family reinsertion and reintegration. Be praying as well for the families who continue with us and the new ones who will join us in January. We got to meet several of them yesterday and look forward to what God has in store for them.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support of my service to God here!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, December 9th

It's that time of year...things are winding down and we are preparing a number of children to return to their families for good.

 Last week we had the annual activity in which we give them a taste of the PROAA, our adolescent followup program, and encourage them to get involved. As usual, there were games, fun, and lots of pool time included. One of my favorite parts was at the beginning though. A few kids from the Bible Home and I were exploring, and the recreational center we were at has a lake and turtles! Have you ever had the chance to look closely at a turtle and watch it slide its head in and out of its shell? It was fascinating! I loved it. The kids were pretty impressed too. I love stopping to admire God's creation, and pausing to see the work he has done in the children at the Bible Home this year. He has done some amazing work and we have many children who are not the same as they were before! A week from tomorrow they will be returning home for good, while the rest go to be with their families for a month. Please pray for the children as they prepare for this.
May they make right decisions and apply everything they have been learning at the Bible Home in their homes with their families.
And may we not forget to stop and wonder at God's creation and all he is doing in us and those around us!
Carrie

PS. Please keep my mom's side of the family in your prayers. My grandfather is not doing well. He will get to go be with Jesus soon, so we rejoice in that, but we lament that he will no longer be with us here.
PPS. So, my Chronicle didn't make it out last week. Sorry 'bout that. It will either come next week or December and November will have a combined Chronicle. :-) 

Tico Tuesday, December 2nd

Good grief, I could write you a Chronicle just with the events of this past week! Speaking of Chronicles though...one should be headed your way tomorrow or Thursday! 2 Thanksgiving celebrations, a fun recreational activity, decorating for Christmas, and more!!

I think this picture is the most fun to share...At the annual recreation activity for Bible Home staff and their families, we had the opportunity to have our pictures taken with our families (all in clown gear). So, instead of having my picture taken by myself, I grabbed sweet K, the girl who is in charge of laundry and cleaning the offices at the Bible Home. She is a dear girl right about my age--a single mom working hard to finish studies (she just graduated from college this weekend and has already started further studies!) and raise her 6ish year old son as best as she can. I gave them a Jesus Storybook Bible earlier this year and they are already reading it through for the second time! I love it when K comes to clean my office because we always have a good chat. Life has been hard for her, but she is growing in her relationship with God, and that is beautiful to see!
Anyway, the recreational activity was fun. I got to swim in a nice big pool and play a homemade version of scattergories and just hang out with my coworkers. We went to the place where the first water slides in Costa Rica are...but I was enjoying the big indoor pool so much, I forgot to go outside and use the slides! Oh well. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to go back someday...
May you have some spontaneous fun this week and make the most of every opportunity you are given!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 25th

Another birthday has come and gone. I am grateful to have lived 28 years of life and look forward to all that God has in store for me in the future!

Growing up, I rarely had to go to school on my birthday because it always falls during Thanksgiving week. So, then I never wanted to go to school or work on my birthday because why not have your birthday be a personal holiday? But, I am very glad I went to work yesterday. I could not keep track of the number of times coworkers and kids sang me "Happy birthday." At one point, a group of boys playing soccer paused their game to sing to me in English!!! And they were led by one of our newest arrivals! It was so sweet and adorable! I felt incredibly loved all day. A note here, a chocolate there, a shouted "Feliz cumple!" from afar (and a bajillion facebook posts!)...it was all so sweet. One of the best parts though was that the birthday card from my parents came Right.On.Time! I was really hoping it would come and fearing it wouldn't. I'm so glad it did! The plan after work was to go to the minigolf place here, but then it rained!! So, Chrissy and a couple friends from my first couple years here just went out to dinner instead, and that was lovely and full of laughter and fun.
God has blessed me very, very richly and I am deeply grateful for everything he has given me. In the hard times and the "easier" times, God is always good. He is always God, and He is always worthy of all our praise. He is working in me, and patiently, faithfully molding me into the woman he desires me to be, one day at a time.
May God help us to see his faithfulness in our lives and give us the grace to be faithful to him every day,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 18th

Several months ago, somebody told me about one of those groupon sites here in Costa Rica, and when the opoprtunity came to go to a lodge for over 50% off and get a welcome facial and spend a relaxing 2 nights in a big bed, have breakfast included, and be able to relax in naturally heated pools, I just couldn't say no! So, as an early birthday celebration, Chrissy and I went to El Tucano for the weekend.

It was so wonderful, and was actually much needed. I've been stressing quite a bit with my studies, work, and all the other random commitments I have, so a break, even if just for a weekend was more than welcome. Chrissy and I had a lovely time in the large, warm pool and hot tubs (they are naturally heated by hot springs. This place is sort of near the Arenal volcano) and everything else the hotel had to offer. They had the most difficult, hilarious mini-golf course I've seen: pure concrete! No putting green. Just painted cement. I had no idea how bouncy golf balls were! After getting about a 37 on one hole though, I got a hole in one on the next! It was ridiculous. It took a lot of perseverance, but like many other things here, we just had to keep trying and enjoy it, because otherwise we would have gotten horribly frustrated. Saturday it was rainy most of the day, and that literally put a damper on things, but, the good thing is, rain doesn't really matter if you're going to be in a pool! Sunday was gorgeous though and we were able to use the tennis court (I hadn't played in 10-15 years!) and explore the river that runs along the edge of the property. It was so fun. I LOVE wading, playing in, and exploring mountain rivers! There were a couple hot spots where hot springs pour in. It was so neat to see. And as we had breakfast, we saw at 3 different kind of butterflies, including beautiful blue morphos! It was such a delightful, refreshing weekend. Only thing is, I feel like I need to go back again already!
Please keep me in your prayers as I'm in my end of the semester/year crunch with studies and work and whatnot. It is all too easy to get stressed. Thank you so much!
God's peace be with us this week and may he grant us the grace to persevere and remain faithful to him in all we do!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 11th

This past Saturday we had our annual recognition picnic of (formerly LAM now) UWM missionaries.

Helping lead worship at the picnic

 At long last, I was recognized for 5 years of service here in Costa Rica!! Compared to the other missionaries who have been here for 25, 30, 40, and 60 years, that's nothing. But in God's economy, it definitely counts! The last 5 (and a half now) years have been a phenomenal journey. They have brought some of the most difficult painful experiences I've ever had, but they have also included incredibly rewarding experiences, and God has done amazing work in my life. It is always nice to see fellow missionaries at the picnic: according to my rough, low estimate, there were over 500 years of accumulates missionary experience present! As a visiting missionary from Colombia said, it's like being with the "big leagues!" It is a bit awe-inspiring to be with people who have so much wisdom and know so much rich history of missions in Costa Rica. But at the same time, they are just people too. In fact, I recommend reading this blog post about idolizing missionaries! And a cool thing about the picnic is that I met another girl who is my age serving here! She lives in San José and doesn't have a car, so that makes getting together a bit more challenging, but she is supercool and is actually friends with another friend of mine from my missions organization! It was nice to not be the only youngster at the picnic! I look forward to getting to know her better (and am praying she'll stick around at least as long as I will--however long that may be!).
Thank you so much for your loving care, prayers, and support!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 4th

Tuesday is upon us once more!

An announcement before I launch into Tico Tuesday: since it's Birthday Month, some of you may be wondering if my address is still the same since I moved 2 months ago. It is the the same one at the Bible Home. If you are still sending mail to a Condominio #45, that is not the correct address. Please see my signature below for my current mailing address. :-)

Ok, so Thursday, for the first time in the 5.5 years I have been here, a relative came to Costa Rica! My Grandpa and his wife were passing through on a cruise and I was able to go and see them! I had some mix ups as to where they actually were and I got quite delayed in trying to find them, but thankfully we were able to see each other after all. A very kind couple (the guy had a Boston hat on so of course I knew he would be a good person to talk to) actually recalled who my grandpa was and went back to the ship to call his room and let him know I was there. I was so relieved I was actually able to see him and his wife! The time we shared was short, since it was so late already, but to just hug and talk even briefly made it worth the drive to Puntarenas and back. So...if you ever go on a cruise that stops in Costa Rica, be sure to let me know!!! And Lord willing, I won't have any delays or anything and will be able to meet up with you sin problema! And don't forget we are always looking for more short term mission teams to come serve at the Bible Home! Or you could just come and visit me... People are way better than birthday packages! I just want to make sure you are aware of all the options you have available! Jijiji ;-)

Visitors are always welcome, but, thanks be to God, I know I am never truly alone. God is with me, watching over me, and caring for me as only He can. And for that, I am immensely grateful!

May you be mindful of God's presence and watchcare over you this week!

Carrie

PS. The Turrialba volcano, about 40 miles away, has been spewing ash and rocks and whatnot and severely affecting the area around it (but not me). Please be praying for all affected by this volcanic activity and for it to stop!

Tico Tuesday, October 28th

I just got a massage, which was ridiculously good...and cheap! ($30 for a whole hour of massaging!) But, I can't really write a whole Tico Tuesday on that. So, before I melt into sleep I will tell you about the family excursion we had with the Bible Home on Sunday. Some 250 people: including the children and their families at the Bible Home, house families, and various other staff members all gathered together at the place where we went to for camp with the kids earlier this year.

Several of my girls did a great job in the dance they choreographed and presented for everyone, we had a time of worship, pool time, games, and of course, lunch and coffee break. It was a fun day and I loved watching the kids with their parents. It broke my heart to see some parents so impatient and irresponsible with their children,while it warmed my heart to see others being so loving with their children and really enjoying their time together. The end of the day was really sad to see one boy sobbing as he had to say good bye to his mom and her eyes filling with tears as she tried to comfort him. I sat next to him on the bus home and tried to help distract him, but driving by the airport did the trick. We were on the road that goes by the foot of the runway and a plane was taking off so we paused to watch it. Of course, we were on the far side of the road and another bus had the same brilliant idea of stopping, so it did, obstructing our view of the plane completely, but we still got to see it as it went over us. I never realized how fascinating flying was to kids before I started serving at the Bible Home. But seriously, people just come down to the airport to watch planes take off and land and they love it! Flying is something that seems so common to me, but to these kids it is just a dream. Interesting to think about...
May God open our eyes to the gifts he has given us and keep us from taking anything for granted!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 21st

I was going to write to you about my trip to the beach this weekend, but today there were two activities at the Bible Home that are much more worth writing about! We're in the middle of a big campaign about being Guardians of Treasures. The treasures include ourselves, our rights and responsibilities, practicing virtues, self-care and proteccion and many more. Today the children went on a treasure hunt all over the Bible Home and each grade at school ended up with a box with chocolates, treasure-related stickers, and a promise for a prize for their class next week. It was a lot of fun to watch them search for clues, sing the song about protecting themselves, and find and dig up their treasures!

Then in the afternoon we had a visit from several missionaries with a ministry called OneBody. They make these booklets with daily readings. Over the course of the year we are reading the whole New Testament! Today they (including Koreans living in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Korea and I think a couple other countries) came to do a review game at the Bible Home. They had asked our kids to memorize 14 verses from Proverbs 10 in 2 weeks. I was blown away at how well the children had learned these verses! I am so proud of them! The activity was a lot of fun-the kids were really enthusiastic and I think their knowledge blew our visitors away!
Thanks be to God for all the treasures He gives, especially those we find in His Word!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 14th

Another Missions Day at AWANA at the Bible Home has come and gone. Last year I was in the States recovering from a marathon, so, it was good to be back for it.

 The stands we set up were more impressive than ever. The Nordics had an amazing boat they made of cardboard, a little house and a Christmas tree forest. The Japanese had a handmade cherry tree, a bamboo shelter and a real sushi chef, the Danes from Greenland had a huge block of ice the children had to walk on barefoot, and in Fiji we had sand and water. I don't think I will ever assimilate the cultural value that Ticos place on physical appearances. It is so not me. But having such impressive stands is fun and our enthusiasm gets the kids excited and helps them learn about the need for Jesus all around the world... I guess I just kind of have this thing for missions. ;-) jajajaja. It was a great day, the kids all learned a ton, and it was a lot of fun! Oh, and during manual time, my boy wants me to make up a song for almost every verse now (did I tell you I made up a song for him for 1 Thessalonians 4:17 since it was so long and complicated?) So, now John 1:12 has a song, and thankfully I already knew one in Spanish for Psalm 119:105. And, I have now pulled a tooth out of a mouth that was not my own. My kiddo had one that was super loose, so I offered to pull it (so we could get on with the Scripture memorization). He accepted without any further convincing, and it came right out, no problem. I felt like I took another step into adulthood...or something like that. ;-) I do pretty much anything I can for my kiddos!
Thank you again for your constant prayers and support! God uses you to bless and sustain me here! God's blessing, peace, and joy be with you,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 7th

It's over! This year's Bible Bee has come and gone. I didn't tell you much about the prep since I've been so excited with about Mujeres Ejemplares, but there was a lot that went into this year's Bible Bee! This year, we separated the pre-k kids through the first graders and did a totally separate activity for them while the rest of the kids went from game to game, cheering hard and showing how much they've learned in their daily devotions over the course of the year.

 Thanks be to God, it went really well! This year our theme was "Jesus is my Lifesaver" (oceanwise, not candywise), so all the teams were different kinds of shells and sea creatures. It was just great! Before the Bible Bee, kids were reciting the verses they had to memorize to me and I was incredibly proud of them. They all appeared to have a wonderful time. One game was a ring toss, and of everyone on the team, the little second grade girl landed both rings on a bottle every time she had a turn! I think my favorite was the one pictured here though. The kids had to put on the flippers, swim ring, and goggles as the made their way around the room and then answer the question with all the gear on. It was really funny! The kids did great, and the house moms outdid themselves with making pom-poms, arm bands, masks, head bands, and other random things to identify their team. The activity with the little kids went too, though it was a bit hard and it was the first time we'd done anything like it. At least I learned from it! Even though this was my third time coordinating the Bible Bee, I am still learning a lot about coordinating, communication, and working with others. This year I didn't get near as stressed as I have in the past though. That was a real gift! Thank you so much for continuing to pray for me. I really need it! I have come a long way, but I can see I still have so much farther to go! God's grace is indeed amazing.
God's grace, peace, and joy be with you this week!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 30th

Thank you so much for your prayers! The sleepover with the girls from 'Exemplary Women" this weekend was a blast! It went so well! We started by playing with a Bop-It (I don't think I'd seen one of those since a jr high winter retreat!) and then moved on to hide and go seek while the pizza was in the oven.

I have a phenomenal bruise on my arm from a shelf that leapt out from the wall in the dark, but at least it happened to me and not one of the girls. Hide and seek here gets pretty intense! After dinner, the girls had a silly pillow fight while I made chocolate chip cookies, and then the girls each had a challenge I gave them and had to answer a review question about the women we studied. The challenges included a few "Minute to Win it" games, as well as a couple that required balancing something. Then, each one shared about an exemplary woman of the Bible she studied on her own, using the questions I have us ask every week. I was very proud of the work they did! It was an amazing night! Most were asleep by the second scene of the movie we watched, which was fine with me...it was later than I'd hoped. Then, since I was the only one responsible for these girls, I had a hard time falling asleep. Anytime I'm the sole adult in charge, I feel a huge weight of the responsibility I have and I'm always the last asleep. I woke up early too, thanks to a girl that took up more than her allotted share of mattress space. It was ok though--I napped when I got home!
A couple years ago, I chaperoned a sleepover for some girls, and it was crazy. This sleepover was wonderful! Thank you so much for your prayers! I've decided I'm going to be praying for one a day, since there are 7 of them!
You are welcome to keep praying for them too, especially since we've received the green light to keep meeting for the rest of the year!
With gratitude to you and praise to God,
Carrie

P.S. The Bible Bee is this Friday! There is still MUCH to do and very little time to do it in. Please pray for everything to get done and for the activity to be a blessing to all the children. Thank you!

Tico Tuesday, September 23rd

This past Thursday, we studied Ruth in Exemplary Women (the discipleship group I'm leading).

Artwork by S

Though a few of the girls are usually eager to read, this time I told them to just listen and use their imagination to picture everything as I read to them. I thought I might be able to find a little video online for them to watch or something but the only thing I found that wasn't a full length movie was one of those animated ones that has a whole bunch of made up stuff in it and kids watch it and think everything in it is straight out of the Bible. So, I told them their imagination would be better. I interrupted myself a few times to explain some things, but it was just wonderful! These girls were left inspired by Ruth. I had told them before that the Book of Ruth read just like a fairy tale, and my words did not disappoint!As I read, I was impacted once more at Ruth and how God directs and provides so perfectly for her and Naomi. And, I came across something fascinating: In the Spanish version of the NIV, Boaz tells Ruth that he knows she is a "mujer ejemplar" (an exemplary woman-- that's in 3:11 if you're wondering)! I did not have that verse in mind when I named the group "Mujeres Ejemplares!" But, God did! I will have to ask, but I suspect that so far, Ruth has been everyone's favorite woman so far.
Please be praying for us this Friday: we are having our closing slumber party and it's going to be a blast! And guess what? The girls are asking for the group to continue! I'd be delighted to do so, and am checking in with my supervisor about it. It brings me such joy to see these girls enjoying our time together and motivated to learn from God's Word! So far we've only studied women in the Old Testament, so we can definitely study a lot more women in the time we have left in the year!
Thank you so much for your prayers for me and for these girls. Between now and Friday will you pick and pray for one in particular? M, MJ, K, S, J, I, or JA?
Also, if you haven't read the Book of Ruth lately, I challenge you to read it before next Tuesday! Let me know if you do and what you learn from it!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 16th

While knowing life and loving two very different countries can be hard, it is fun to get to experience and participate in the traditions and celebrations of Costa Rica. Yesterday was the 193rd anniversary of Costa Rica's independence from Spain. It was fun explaining to one of the kids at the Bible Home a little bit of how the US' independence is different from Costa Rica's. Traditional Independence Day celebrations here mean, the torch of freedom comes on the 14th (after leaving Guatemala a couple days previous), and we get the flame and run it up the mountain to the Bible Home. Quite literally, run. Last year, we took it pretty easy and had lots of time. This year, the torch was running a bit late and so we did have to push a little harder to get up the mountain faster, but it wasn't too bad. The kids were great troopers! Then, we did our annual little march around the Bible Home with faroles (homemade lanterns that all represent something typical or a national symbol, or just something with red, white and blue on it!). This year Magali came out front to keep us from going too fast. I was at the front with all the kids who had ran with the torch and we all still had lots of energy and were moving at a pace much quicker than we were supposed to.

Then yesterday, Chrissy (my roomie) and her boyfriend Gera (Gerardo) joined me up in S Jose de la Montaña to watch the parade. I just love to watch my kids march by! They did a great job again this year! We joined one of the houses for lunch and had 2 desserts: arroz con leche (rice pudding) one girl's grandma made, and... ice cream made from Roblealto's farm!! Yum! It's no Hood or Turkey Hill, but it's a lot better than other brands of ice cream I've had here.
So, all is well. Work is still a bit crazy with prep for our quality certification and I have a lot of other things going on too, but life is good, God is good, and I'm trying to take it all one thing, one day at a time.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers for me!
Viva Costa Rica!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 9th

Happy Children's Day! I never heard of Children's Day until moving to Costa Rica...I'm not sure I even heard of it before I started serving in Roblealto. But, apparently it is a big deal in many parts of the world! Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to join the children from the Bible Home and our on-site school in their Children's Day celebration: a member of the Legislative Assembly paid for us all to go to the National Children's Museum!
The children picked coffee, learned how bananas are processed, toured the train that used to go back and forth to Limón (Caribbean side of the country), "directed" an orchestra, dressed up like police and firemen, learned about the food groups and grocery shopped, did an obstacle course, toured a house with slanted floors, learned about dinosaurs, lit up a light bulb with their bodies, learned about Egyptian mummies, and more! This kid was an absolute hoot as a "mummy!"
God really protected me from getting sick, since all the kids I was with were coughing (without covering their mouths), sneezing, putting their hands in their mouths, touching everything...and of course holding my hand! On the way home a girl with a temperature fell asleep on my lap and left a HUGE spot of sweat on my pants. I am so glad I didn't get sick!
Thank you so much for your prayers: God does protect me in wonderful ways. I guess I haven't told you about the time a few weeks ago when I was on my way to one of our child care centers and my wallet fell out of my bag and an honest man missed his bus to give it back to me! In a sketchy neighborhood in Costa Rica!
I thank God for his presence and the ways he cares for me. Thank you again for your faithful prayers, and please keep them coming! God hears and answers them!
God's blessing, peace, and joy be with you and your children!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 2nd

Surely last Tuesday was more than just a week ago, right?
What a week it has been! (And what a month August was! A Chronicle is forthcoming!)

I am now a resident of San Pedro de Barva, which means Chrissy and I are now officially roommates! Our apartment is beautiful! It is brand new--we are the first to live in it! And it is so much nicer and more spacious than my old one! I am so happy and grateful to be living here! Once I get more settled and unpacked, there will be more pictures, and perhaps a virtual tour on facebook. Moving was EXHAUSTING! I told Chrissy on Sunday night that if I was any more tired, I would just break down and cry. Thankfully, I had a lot of support in the move. Two girls from my "Exemplary Women" group at the Bible Home came over and did a great job helping me pack and make muffins. That was a really fun evening. Moving Tip: Make lots of muffins (or sandwiches or something) before you move. The muffins saved me from turning into a hypoglycemic monster until I could go out and get food. Saturday, three friends from our young adult group from church (Arbolitos) helped me finish packing and pack everything into their cars and the truck a woman from church brought. They were such a blessing to me! But, once everything was inside the new apartment, they had to leave, and it was me and a whole lot of boxes and suitcases. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! When there is a lot to do, I tend to get overwhelmed and just kind of freeze. Or I start a million things and don't finish any of them. But, poco a poco... (bit by bit). Chrissy and I got the kitchen and living room under control. So now, I'm chipping away at the piles of boxes and suitcases and bags in my room. I can't believe how much stuff I had crammed into my old apartment! I'm trying to sort through some things and see what I can get rid of. Simplicity is something I'd like to try to aim for more. And the goal is to make serious headway tomorrow, since my weekend is getting quite full and the new semester starts on Monday!
Thank you so much for your prayers and support and for accompanying me virtually on this journey. (And for those who are wondering, this move was not for financial reasons. But, it is a little more economical than my last place. I have to drive to work now, but it's only about 15 minutes away, and well worth it!)
May God give us all the grace and strength to do what we need to in the rest of the week... and may we keep our eyes fixed on him in all we do!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 26th

And now back to your regularly scheduled Tico Tuesday...
It's hard to believe I've been back from Maine for only a week. It feels like it was ages ago. I don't have any good pictures from the week, but I'm sure you won't mind seeing some of the Great Falls Balloon Fest, right?

We sang the Nat'l Anthem when this first balloon went up!

This week has mainly been working and studying. In about 3 weeks, we are going to be inspected for our ISO9001 (quality) certification with the PANI (National Child Welfare Institute). We have a whole quality management system we're implementing. I've received days of training about it now and can even sing you a catchy song about it! (I've told you before that God has blessed us with an abundance of creativity at the Bible Home, right?)
Girls group--"Exemplary Women"--went really well again on Thursday. Explaining why it was ok that Tamar slept with three different men was a fun challenge. I should have taken a picture of the bizarre "family tree" I drew to try to show what was going on! The next day, one of the girls came to my office to help me and another was there working on a present for someone. We had so much fun together! Later in the afternoon, one went with me to the discipulado in San Jose to help support my coworker Xinia. And before I left for S Jose, the director spoke some very kind, affirming words to me about girls group: that she's glad I'm doing it and that it is really good for the girls. Thanks and praise be to God! I'm really glad I'm leading this group too: I'm loving it, and I truly believe he is working in these girls' lives.
Thank you a million for your prayers for me as I've been finishing my semester. It's been a tough push, but thanks to your prayers, I am almost there! Tomorrow I plan to polish off the last paper and take the final exam. (Oh, and last week I got my first e-mail about my graduation in May! Woohoo!!!!!) Then it's packing time! Next Tuesday I'll be writing to you from Chrissy's and my new apartment!
May God give you grace to do everything with quality and as an act of worship to him!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 20th

I just spent a week in paradise!

The paradise of southern Maine and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, that is. I got to do so many things I hadn't been able to do for years... walk and run on the beach with my mom, play bocce, and enjoy a Dunkin Donuts chai with her, hike in the White Mtns with my mom and pick fresh wild blueberries right on the side of the trail, watch Red Sox games on TV with my parents and delight in Red Sox Nation and the greatness of New England, sit together with my parents at East Auburn Baptist Church and thoroughly enjoy the sermon together, go to the balloon festival and watch the hot air balloons inflate and take off right in front of my nose, laugh and share with dear friends, etc, etc, etc. I love so much to spend time with my parents and see how their sense of humor and many mannerisms and ways of life have rubbed off on me. It is such a joy to be my parents' daughter!

The trip was quick, but jam-packed, as you can see. And absolutely, totally worth it. I love Maine! It's not always easy to live there (especially in the winter...well, is it easy to live anywhere all the time???), but it is a wonderful, beautiful place. Having my parents back there makes me miss it a lot more than before. So, I will make the most of it when I am there. But, until/unless God hits me with a 2x4 and tells me to leave Costa Rica, that's where I'll be.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Please pray for me to be faithful and obedient to God and delight in him in all I do. I am nothing without him, and your prayers and mine are so important! And, it is now serious end-of-semester crunch time. I was able to advance some in my schoolwork in the past week, but not quite as much as I hoped.

Last week's Tico Tuesday is available on my blog, but I'm sure you can understand why I was unable to get it out!

God's blessing, peace, and joy be with you,

Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 13th

I wrote this post a week ago and didn't get around to posting it till now... sorry! It's still well worth reading though!

Wednesday greetings from the USA!

Yesterday I was focusing hard on my studies and traveling, so Tico “Tuesday” is coming to you today. :-)

Monday was my second round of presentations for the Annual Training Course for instructors at our child care centers (I'll present one more time at the Bible Home later this month). This time, instead of standing there and teaching the powerpoint, I broke the instructors into small groups and gave each one the notes on a different high-maintenance personality. They had about 15 minutes to read the material and prepare to teach it to others. They could use the powerpoint, posterboard and markers I brought, or anything else their creative minds invented. Overall, I was very pleased with their presentations, and didn't need to add or explain much more for most of them. Especially with the group I had after lunch, I knew I needed to have them actively engaged in their learning or they would have a hard time staying awake. Many thanks to my amazing Aunt Jenny for her reminders and tips! And actually, I noticed something when the morning groups gave their presentations—high maintenance people often have low self-esteem! They don't know how to handle themselves and their own personal issues, and this manifests itself in a number of different ways with other people. They can end up as “sponges” or “indifferent ice cubes” or “martyrs,” but however it is manifested, the salient issue is self-esteem. I think self-esteem is an issue for a lot more people than I ever realized (myself included!). This is another area where God has been working in me lately, and I am so grateful! Not to say that I “have arrived” and have no more concerns, but lately God has been helping me see my worth and understand that he has chosen me to fulfill purposes that he designed specifically for me! So, I seized the opportunity to tell the staff at the child care center that they are valuable. That God has them there for a purpose. That he loves them like crazy! That he is using them. It was sweet to be able to speak truth into their lives like that. What a blessing and privilege.

Thank you for your continued prayers for me regarding my studies and travels!

May God use each of us to speak truth to someone's life this week!

Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 5th

Today's picture has nothing to do with what I'm going to talk about, but I thought many of you might not have ever had the privilege of meeting one of these little creatures! Isn't it adorable?

What a wicked long tail!

Unfortunately, I took no pictures at AWANA this past Sunday. It's Mother's Day in Costa Rica this month, and at Roblealto we decide to just celebrate Family Month (or maybe more people celebrate it too?). So at AWANA, we had a big Family Celebration Day. The leaders of each AWANA club put together a presentation based on a family in the Bible. Ositos did a newscast about Lazarus' resurrection and the relationships between Lazarus, his sisters, and Jesus. Llamas did a fantastic tico adaptation of the "Prodigal Son" that got me all choked up, and in Chispas, we wrote a poem about Samuel and read it with a mime and peanut gallery to make it more fun. I was responsible for putting our presentation together and got quite stressed about it. Being the good gringa I am, I try to plan ahead and, well, don't you just hate it when people don't respond to your texts? But, thankfully, we were all able to meet together and write the poem and come up with funny things for the girls in the peanut gallery to say. Practice was minimal, but I think it turned out great. I'm hoping someone recorded it and will upload it to facebook, but I'm not holding my breath.
In other news, I gave a training session (part of our annual training course for Christian Ed) on a couple chapters from Les Parrott's High Maintenance Relationships yesterday at one of our child care centers. Overall, I think it went ok, there was just a lot of material to cover and not enough time. I have to teach on a few other chapters at other child care centers next week (and then at the HB later this month) with similar time constraints. Please pray for wisdom on how to teach the material well and for it to be a blessing to the personnel who receive it. I would also appreciate your prayers this month for me as I 1) write two research papers--which are hard for me and not my favorite--and take a final exam to finish my summer semester 2) go to Maine for a week 3) Move into a brand new beautiful apartment with Chrissy! 4) continue girls group--called "Exemplary Women" 5) Learn the ropes for my new (additional) role of secretary in AWANA and continue to juggle a whole bunch of other responsibilities at work. I know there's no way I can even try do it all on my own!
Be sure to let me know how I can be praying for you!
May you find joy in the tasks that lay ahead of you this week!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 29th

This past Thursday we had a special ceremony at the Bible Home to celebrate the 190^th Anniversary of the Annexation of what is now the province of Guanacaste. (Hence, July 25^th is a holiday here and I got to have a long weekend!)

We celebrate by wearing typical outfits, performing traditional dances, saying “bombas” (a kind of poem), and singing traditional songs. It is a day of lots of fun and lightheartedness. Much of Costa Rica's cultural richness comes from Guanacaste. (Nicaragua's loss!) While people dance, everyone makes hilarious noises: ayayays, high pitched “weep weeps,” and other random sounds that just make me laugh! The kids all did excellent jobs in their presentations—you should have seen the second graders dancing! I was impressed! And to top it off, the teachers from the school and a few other members of personnel danced too. We closed the morning's celebration by eating ice cream made fresh from the farm (productive project whose profits all go to Roblealto!) and taking lots of pictures. The boys all cracked me up with their painted on facial hair made of shoe polish, and the skirts the girls and women wore (with some having as much of 9 meters of fabric—as much as a kilt!) looked like lots of fun too. I'll leave you with the video presentation the kindergarten did. You don't have to watch the whole thing, but grab the first 30-40 seconds for a taste of the music, a hint at dancing, and a bomba about the Bible Home!

May God's joy be with you this week!

Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 22nd

This boy is great! He is one of our newest arrivals at the Bible Home! On Sunday in AWANA, he did a great job listening and participating in the Bible lesson, and in game time, he stole everyone's heart with his high taste in fashion!! Ok... maybe we just wear crazy hats while we run around the AWANA circle. I will say I was definitely not the only one that took his picture though! And when the kids had to run around the circle like zoo animals, his "crab" movement was more like flying than anything else! My heart may have also melted when he plopped down in my lap for a while... Don't be misled, though. He's with us for a reason! I saw a glimpse of his low level of tolerance for any kind of provocation and I have yet to read his file. All the kids that come to us come for serious reasons. We don't just separate kids from their parents/guardians so they can come have fun. But, while the kids are with us, we do everything we can to love on them, help them discover and develop their talents (and self-esteem), provide help and support in whatever issues they bring that need to be dealt with, and, of course, help them get to know Jesus. This kiddo asked one of the other AWANA leaders about a colored bracelet that she had (same colors as the Wordless Book) and she explained it to him. When she asked him if he wanted to pray to receive Christ, he told her, "I think I prayed that last night." Thanks and praise be to God!! He is already hard at work in little D and I know he will be faithful to fulfill his purposes for little D while he is with us at the Bible Home. Please keep all the new boys in your prayers as they adjust to a very different life up here on the mountainside. And please pray for two coworkers and their families as well: one suddenly lost her brother over the weekend and the other has an elderly mother with a number of complicated health concerns and a potential upcoming surgery.
Thank you so much for your love, prayers, encouragement, and support!
I'm so excited to see all that God has in store for little D while he is with us!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 15th

They're back! The two week mid-year break is over and all my lovelies are back at the HB! And... we're opening the Porvenir house again, so 9 new children are coming in this week, with a few more to come shortly thereafter to make sure all the houses are going at full capacity. Yesterday I swung by all the houses to drop stuff off and it was so wonderful to see all of the kids again. I got to enjoy a couple nísperos and try my first pitanga (I didn't enjoy that new fruit so much).  I ended up having a great conversation with a house mom too. She has an amazing testimony! Her family threw her out because she became an evangelical Christian and now she and her family are a great blessing to her family of origin. It's so beautiful! I can't believe I'd never heard her testimony before. God works in such amazing ways!

I ended up staying so late, I got to catch this beautiful sunset by the Bosque house, which is the one furthest up the hill.
Life has been incredibly busy and full lately, there's a lot more I could say here, but I'll save some of those tidbits for later. God is good, and I am grateful for his love, grace, and provision. He is hard at work in me, and though it may be hard and doesn't always feel good, I know it is good for me!
Sadly, the World Cup is now over. Did I tell you about the HUGE party last week they had to welcome the Sele home? They estimate about 500,000 went out to see them. That's about 1/9 of the population of this country!!! We continue to be incredibly proud of our team (and wish our goalie had been granted the Golden Glove award). Ok, I probably won't talk about soccer much again for 3 years and 11 months. ;-)
May we all delight in the Lord and his glorious creation this week! Thank you so much for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement! They mean so much to me!
Carrie

BONUS 2 of 2

Please see end of Tico Tuesday below for Bonus 1. :-)
Sunday night the team from my church in Maine that came down here gave their report. They were able to connect me in on Skype and in was really almost like being there! I could not believe it when they said the team had only returned two weeks ago. Seriously, it feels as if at least 3 months have gone by. REALLY! It was so great to see almost everyone from the team again though and hear their description and some of their thoughts about the trip. Then afterwards when they broke for refreshments, they left me connected and anyone who wanted to could come up to me on the computer and say hi. Several people came up and it was just so great to be able to talk with so many different wonderful people! It was almost like being there, just without the hugs. I had so much fun! I loved how conversation varied so much from person to person: reminiscing about high school Spanish, the World Cup, visiting with my parents, a bike accident, a book... It wasn't just focused on me and my missionary life, and that was really nice. A couple people actually made some pretty vulnerable comments to me. It was such a delightful evening! Oh, and at one point multiple people were there talking with me and I heard my mom start playing the piano in the background. They immediately moved aside so I could watch her play. I thought that was really sweet! She played a few songs and Daddy sang in the background. It was so wonderful!!! I could continue to gush, but that's pretty much it and it's now way past bedtime. Thanks for reading!

Tico Tuesday, July 8th

Hello and happy Tuesday to you!
In spite of all the crazy weather that happened over the weekend, I hope you were all able to enjoy it! I think I just had the best Independence Day celebration I've had here in Costa Rica. Thursday, I noticed on facebook that a friend was at the Esplanade in Boston. When I went to the website to make sure everything was set for the real show the next night, I realized that, due to weather, it had actually been moved to Thursday!! That made me happy and excited, since I had other plans for Friday night! The Boston Pops, plus a great Broadway singer (Megan Hilty), plus the Beach Boys. Plus fireworks. From my perspective, it really can't get much better than that!! Well, there's nothing like fireworks in real life, but my gringo friends and I were unsuccessful in finding any. (Note: watching Pops Goes the Fourth is special to me since we used to watch the end of it every year when we got home from our local fireworks. Last year I could only listen to it via online radio, but this year they webcasted it and I was able to see the whole wonderful show!!)
So, the actual 4th, I went to my friends the Kampers' house and hung out with their tico landlord and several other gringo families. Someone had given Liz patriotic paper plates and napkins and they were so great! The food was too. I sat by this handsome date at dinner (pictured--and check out the amazing silverware!!!), and we had so much fun! I also enjoyed playing ring toss, watching several of the kids experience their first three-legged race, and enjoying the new trampoline. In the midst of the Tico passion and frenzy with the World Cup, it was really good to stop and cherish my good ol' USA.
America, America, God shed his grace on thee! And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!
Love,
Carrie

BONUS 1 of 2
FINALLY!!! AN EASY GOVERNMENT PROCESS!!!! I was at the PO last Tuesday mailing a letter I'd meant to send about5 weeks beforehand, when I spotted a sign. "License Plates that end in the number 4 must be traded in May-June-July 2013." It was July 1, and my license plate ends in 4. So, I asked the lady what I needed to do to get the new license plates. She explained the process to me, which included showing an unexpired ID card. I checked the expiration date on mine. July 3. So I made a trip to the National Registry on Wednesday, July 2nd (the only place I could get my new plates in the same day). I was quite nervous the night before since I didn't know about parking or anything, but after getting advice from a friend and my landlord helping me make sure I could get my plates off by myself (using a handy dandy pair of pliers), I felt ready to go and face another government entity. I got there, found parking no problem, got my plates off no problem, bought the necessary stamps right from the parking guy so I wouldn't have to make line twice, pranced right in, and waited in line for about 5 minutes. A lady took my form, plates, and stamps, and gave me a little receipt telling me to come back in an hour and pick up my new plates across the room. BOOM! It was that easy!! I'll take that a thousand times over Migration! As I walked away from the service window, I recognized a coworker from Roblealto and said hi. After sitting down and reading for no more than ten minutes I got a text message from a friend, "I'm right in front of you!" So, we grabbed smoothies and caught up for an hour. Then, even though I was feeling marvellously capable, I decided to accept his kind offer to put my new plates on and put on the new sticker. The whole process could not have been easier. Thanks be to God!!

BONUS 2 of 2
To come in a separate post... I must get Tico Tues out!

Tico Tuesday, July 1st

Lots of strong emotions...
As you may have heard, Costa Rica is currently making history in this year's World Cup. We made it to the quarterfinals!!! We have never made it this far before, and I tell you, it is so amazing to be part of this! I had to buy myself a "Sele" (short name for our national selection) shirt...and another flag since I gave mine to Jessica. Sele paraphernelia is everywhere. The celebration of our victory over Greece on Sunday was so amazing. I was at a restaurant, and found myself hugging the people around me I'd never met before. Not long after our winning penalty shot went in the net, a worker from the restaurant had us stop and respectfully sing the national anthem of Costa Rica. It was a phenomenal moment. Ticos are so proud of their country, and it was so special to see them pause the madness and honor their great country. It is typical for everyone to take to the streets after a (big) win. People with cars honk and wave flags, people on foot cheer and wave at all who go by. I also saw a shirtless man on top of a bus... Anyway, it was so much fun honking my horn all the way home!

Sadly, the USA got eliminated today, but more sad for me is that my dear friend Jessica, who has been like a sister to me for the last 15 months, has moved back to the States. Her 2 year teaching contract ended and she chose not to renew it. I'm very sad, but I had the opportunity to do some journaling about it on Sunday night and that helped a lot. I know this is an opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God and a good reminder that I need to trust him fully to take care of me and provide for my relational/emotional needs (and all the others as wel.l) I do appreciate your prayers in this time of grieving and transition though. God hears and answers them!
More to come in an upcoming Chronicle!
God's peace and joy be with you throughout this week!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 24th

Today, all the members of the team from my church in Maine (EABC) who were here last week were asked to post on the group facebook page a one word reaction or summary of their time here. My word was filled, but thinking about it again, I think "overflowing" is a lot more accurate. As King David wrote, "My cup runneth over." In the time the team from EABC was here, I received so many expressions of love: gifts, hugs, backrubs, snuggles, getting to play 2 games of Dutch Blitz (which I hadn't done in years!--and they left me the cards!) and watching the movie Frozen (which I'd been wanting to see for some time now), getting to share time with people I've known for almost 17 years (and with whom I feel totally loved, accepted, and comfortable), seeing how 4 kids I used to babysit have grown into amazing young adults... It was all so phenomenal. I loved having people I know and love love on "my kids" at the Bible Home. There were just so many sweet moments leading up to and on this trip. My former Sunday School teacher got up in the middle of the night to see the team off. A cancer survivor I've never met sent me sweet gift bag. It goes on and on.

View of Los Guido from the 1st floor of the child care center!

Another major highlight of the week was getting to go to the Los Guido Child Care Center. I hadn't been to the property for over a year, and they had only begun to start moving dirt around. Now, there is a whole building with 6 adorable painted classrooms with bathrooms and sinks and running water and toilet paper!!!!!! The kitchen and dining hall are underway, and funds are still being raised for the administrative offices. If you ever want to know what it's like to walk on a miracle, come to Los Guido! It is a source of incredible joy and awe.
This past week filled my heart to overflowing and as I told the team: my heart is full of thanks and praise. (And my apartment is overflowing with maple syrup, canned blueberries, thank you cards, shredded wheat, chocolate, and many other goodies!)
All glory, thanks, and praise to God!
Carrie

PS When are you coming down here with your church? We need your help!
PPS If you care anything about the World Cup, Costa Rica came in first place in our group (over Italy, Uruguay, and England!) and on Sunday we play Greece to see if we can make it into the quarterfinals!!! This country is PUMPED!!!!

Tico Tuesday, June 17th

Words can not describe how happy I am and how amazing this week is. The team from my home church in Auburn, Maine is here and I am being spoiled up the wazoo. Hugs, backrubs, and so many presents I don't even know where I will be able to store them all in my 250 square foot apartment! The gifts are wonderfully fun, useful, and heart-touching. But getting to spend time with these people far outshines any present: even clam chowder, chocolate, and bagels! I am so thrilled to get to know the members of the team I hadn't met before, bond more with people I did know previously, and see how 4 kids I used to babysit/watch in the nursery at church have grown and matured. It's just overwhelming. Our time has been wonderful. The reunion at the airport was emotional, but the rest of the time has been a blast. We went to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens on Sunday and delighted in God's magnificent creation there (my favorite parts were the butterfly garden and the waterfalls). This morning we had a special cupcake decorating activity for the house moms that went really well. The team is working on painting and sewing projects as well, and having special crafts and activities with the kids. We are milking every moment. And I'm going to go play Dutch Blitz again for the first time in waaaaaaaay too long!
May you enjoy some quality time with someone you love this week! And may we never take God's goodness and love for granted!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 11th

Yes, it´s Wednesday, but I´m making do as best I can without a compu at home. I´m so grateful it´s just a 10 minute walk over to my office here at the Bible Home! And I´m trusting my new laptop will arrive to Maine on time for the team from my church there to bring it down on Saturday! Anyway...

God is doing great things here at the Bible Home! About a month ago, I met with two girls to remind them of some important truths. They have been continuing to work through their struggles and learn and grow. Last week, everyone in their house was challenged to do something to bless others and show what they have been learning. So, these girls composed a song and performed it during AWANA on Sunday morning. The song was beautiful—and very well done! I was so proud of them, my heart once more was full to the brim. After AWANA, they gave me a personal reprise and then we hung out doing cartwheels, bridges, and backbends until their family members arrived for visiting hours. It was delightful! These girls are very special to me right now, and I´m looking forward to continuing to build my relationship with them and pour out more into their lives. I have a meeting with my supervisor later this week about an idea I have to do just that! I´ll let you know what comes of it!
May God fill your heart to overflowing this week!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 3rd

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...And the Stupendous, the Sad, and the Beautiful.
The Good: God is good. He is loving, faithful, holy, perfect, just, and worthy of all praise, no matter what happens in life. Also good is my relationship with my coworker Xinia who's been here at the HB for a couple months now. She's wonderful and I am so grateful for her!

The Bad: My personal computer died on Sunday. The video card burned out and it has been recommended that I get a new one. Thankfully, it's not much hassle to just stay here at the HB after work and use the computer here. Also, God's timing is pretty amazing. Right now in my semester, I barely need my computer. I am just doing tons of reading. And, as soon as I send this out, I hope to order a new one for the missions team from my church in Maine to bring down when it comes in less than 2 weeks. (unless anybody has any other suggestions).
And yes... that would be the Stupendous right there. For over 3.5 years, ever since I started serving in Roblealto, I've been saying they need to come. And FINALLY, they're coming! June 14th! A team of 15 people, including 4 of whom I used to babysit or watch in the nursery at church! And they're coming to love on "my" kids here! So beautiful! So exciting! Reality just started to finally hit the last week, and I'm ecstatic!!!
The Ugly: It's raining termites here in my office and not long ago one just landed on me and ... I'll spare you the details. Yuck!
The Sad: My friend Jessica is leaving in less than a month now. Though I know she is being obedient to God, I (selfishly) don't want her to leave. I've never had a friend like her before and I hate that I'm going to have to let her go. I'm going to miss her dreadfully. I appreciate your prayers as she and I try to make the most of what time we have left together and for each of us in our grieving/transition processes. (If you didn't know, yes, it is actually really good and important to appropriately grieve all losses, not just death. :-) )
The Beautiful: This comforting song, right here. Even if you don't understand a word, I am confident it can still soothe your soul. Listening to it usually makes me want to cry, especially when we sing it during worship with the kids at the Bible Home. I'm pretty sure I've written about it before, but it's just.that.good. The lyrics translate as follows:
Sweet Refuge in the storm is Jesus Christ the Savior/He encourages and feeds me with his Word and his love/I come to rest in him, he is my faithful friend, a powerful and fresh anointing fills my heart/Sweet Refuge in the storm is Jesus Christ the Savior
Listen to it, savor it, believe it. Amen.
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 27th

Diamonds or Toads? To introduce the theme for this year's camp for moms, I participated in a drama about the tongue, and how kind words are like jewels and flowers and unkind words like snakes and toads. I got to be the jewel and toad bewstowing fairy and it was so much fun! From the interaction I had with many of the moms, I saw open attitudes and women ready to learn and enjoy themselves. God did wonderful work in their lives. I think one of the most powerful things was through the letters we had the kids and house moms write for the moms at camp. They opened their letters and I saw tears streaming down the face of almost everyone in my cabin. Then, we let the moms share testimonies (one of the lessons we had about a jewel-like tongue was that it testifies to God's work). One mom shared how her son had turned against her and hated her and never wanted to see her again. Her son hasn't been at the Bible Home for long, and they have slowly been rebuilding their relationship. His brief note of, "I love you, Mommy. I hope you have a good time at camp" with a heart with his and her initials at the bottom of the page filled her with such emotion and joy she could not withhold the testimony of what God has been doing in her and her son. Mom after mom got up to share what God has done in them in their children. My heart was full of praise! God worked in the moms at camp, and he did some work in me too, some of which I'm still processing. I can't thank him enough for his goodness and for all he has done.

The wonderful women in my cabin on our dressup evening

One mom, who had a poor attitude when her daughter joined us, has been transformed by God's power. She received Christ in February and has been attending the biweekly Bible study, participated in the women's self-esteem therapy group, and becoming more involved
with the rest of the family treatment plan. She was able to take her little girl home to stay yesterday, thanks and praise be to God!
I had a wonderful time sharing with the moms and getting to know them better. One mom is a year younger than me and her son will soon turn 10. Wow. She was actually at the Bible Home too when she was younger. 95% percent of families in Roblealto don't need our services in the next generation. This woman is one of the 5% who do. Please pray for the cycle to stop with her!
May all the words of our mouth be like diamonds and not like toads!
With joy and gratitude,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 20th

A Week of Surprises
-The number of people who came to Arbolitos (young adult group from church) on Wednesday. We are growing!!
-Being served my favorite drink fresco de mora en leche (like a fresh blackberry milkshake) when I went to the Nido house for a snack one afternoon
-The beauty of the bean plants a couple boys have planted and are caring for all by themselves

-Forgetting my shoes at home and wearing Chrissy's sandals for a fun girls night out with her and Jessica. Oops! Surprise for you: Chrissy and I will be roommates starting in September! I'm really excited to live with her!
-Running into a girl from the Bible Home and her family at the feria on Saturday morning. (The kids were home visiting their families this weekend. One weekend they are home, the other they stay here.) That was fun and sweet!
-The clutch on my car dying. God protected, cared for, and provided for me as only He can though! I was in a lighted, not particularly dangerous area, not alone, not rearended when my car suddenly stopped, and my amazing mechanic personally received my car after 9pm on a Saturday night after calling his tow truck friend who only charged me $50. Getting a taxi would have cost about the same!! (No AAA here... I might considering upping my insurance for roadside assistance though.) Oh, and an angel had swung by to push my car onto the median and off the center of the highway. I am so thankful to God for his goodness to me! I was bummed to miss the goodbye party I was on my way to, but I know the quality hang-out time I had with Kiki on Thursday was better than what I would have gotten at the party. Also, shout out to Paul Pittman, the Area Director for UWM Latin America, who was very helpful and caring over the phone while Jess and I were figuring out what to do.
-A coworker's hilarious, enthusiastic participation in the personnel meeting on Monday.
-Realizing the short-term mission team from my church in Maine will be here in less than a month!!!
-God's goodness in many other things...
How has God surprised you this week?
May he remind you once more of his care, goodness, and love!
Carrie

PS Please be praying for the Camp for Moms this weekend. We have been working hard making many preparations for it! There are supposed to be 110 people total! (Moms from all of Roblealto's programs plus staff) Thank you!

Tico Tuesday, May 13th

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend United World Mission's (UWM is the organization with which the LAM merged) Latin America conference. We spent a nice long weekend at the beach with worship, field reports, and forums/workshops in the mornings, and then nice afternoons and evenings of time to enjoy the beach, pools, and one another's company. Two other "LAM background believer" families were there for most of the weekend as well (and my friend short-termer Kiki helped out with the kids).
 Callie, my new kindred spirit who works in Mobilization (formerly with LAM and now UWM), and I were there the whole time. Callie and I first met at the LAM/UWM retreat a couple months ago and enjoyed the brief time we shared together. This time I picked her up at the airport and we were buddies all weekend. We were the only young single women participating in all the sessions. I am SO grateful for her! We have a lot in common--she actually served here in CR for a while, so she speaks Spanish really well, and with tons of tico slang that cracks me up! I was relieved she wanted to be active and swim in the pool with me. I was afraid I would be missing my mom, since we have always been hotel pool buddies. (Did you remember to call your mom for Mother's Day?)
The weekend was a wonderful opportunity to gain a better understanding of UWM and how it works. It was also neat to meet the other UWMers who are in Latin America and get to know them. I now have friends in Chile, the DR, Argentina, Colombia, and a really sweet couple is on its way to Peru!
The downside of the weekend: the violent 24 hr stomach virus that hit many of us. But God was gracious, and miraculously I did not give it to Callie, Kiki, nor the Kamper kids whom I was babysitting when it hit me. Another upside? The last morning I got to have breakfast with John (the president) and another leader from the office in Charlotte. Our conversation was a great blessing to me and I cannot say how happy and grateful I am for the leadership of UWM. I admire them deeply. I'd love to say more about my weekend, but it's late and this is already getting long. Maybe another blog post later. My next semester starts on Monday!
There are UWM board meetings the latter half of this week. Please join me in praying for them! Gracias!
Peace and good health be with you,
Carrie