Tico Tuesday, December 22nd

It's almost here! The Advent season is almost over! In just a couple days we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ! And one day after that I fly back down to Costa Rica!
Going back to Costa Rica had been feeling very surreal until the last few days, when all of a sudden, more plans have been made and I've been in touch with more people I'll be seeing in less than a week!
Yesterday I got a little foretaste of returning to Costa Rica and being immersed in Spanish again--which was really good because a week after I return I will be interpreting for my roommate's wedding. But seeing Cindy (who I met in Costa Rica) and John (who is tico) was good for much more than just speaking Spanish. God richly blessed our time together. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing. After I saw them, I went and saw some close friends from college and had a rich time of sharing and prayer with them too. Once more I am feeling very blessed and grateful.
Nowadays, one of the things I get most excited about is traveling, and thinking of the relationship between excitement about me being in Costa Rica and the excitement of Christ being born and present, God with us, is really neat. If I get so excited about what is comparatively such a small-scale coming (me returning to Costa Rica), how excited should I be about the presence and coming of Christ (The Divine putting on skin and walking with his creation)? Wow.
May our hearts be full of awe, worship, gratitude, and excitement as we celebrate Christ's birth and anticipate his coming again!
Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and journeying with me!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, December 15th

I spent this past week visiting several relatives on my mom's side of the family: my grandmother who was widowed at this time last year, my aunt and uncle and a couple cousins who live in the same town as Grandma, and another aunt and uncle and cousins who live a few hours away. It was a wonderful time to share and enjoy time together.
While I was with Grandma, I went for a run through her neighborhood and enjoyed seeing all the Christmas decorations so much that I insisted on taking Grandma for a "light ride" one evening so she could see them in their full splendor. I've never really been a fan of these blow-up decorations, but as I ran by these ones while they were turned off and thought about them, a spiritual parallel came to mind. (Sorry they're so small in the picture.) The figures in this picture are unrecognizable in their airless state. I tried to guess what they were: I thought the white one on the left must be some kind of snowman, the middle a reindeer, and the one on the right, perhaps some gingerbread men? The one on the right didn't inflate properly when I took Grandma by it, so I never figured out what it is, but the left one is a little snow fort with penguins and the middle figure is actually a monkey! I never would have known! John 15:5 says that "apart from me you can do nothing." Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Without God, I am nothing. He breathed the breath of life into Adam, and every breath thereafter is a gift from him. God is the Source of power and life. I only am because He is. I want to walk more closely with Christ and I want people recognize his presence in my life. I want to be more aware of my complete need for and dependence on him and live accordingly. I pray for the same desire to be fulfilled in you too!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, December 8th

Greetings from South Carolina!

I just spent the weekend with this adorable little guy and his mom and aunt (my cousins). He is so precious and I miss him already! I'm excited to meet another baby though--My pastor in Costa Rica and his wife had their baby on Thursday! Thank you for your prayers: both mama and baby are doing well.
Following up on another prayer request, I think I've found an apartment! It has a good-sized open front room, lots of natural lighting, sufficient counter space and storage in the kitchen, and pretty much everything else I was looking for. It's not definite yet, but I'm excited and hopeful about the possibility.
I can't believe I return to Costa Rica in about two and a half weeks now! It feels like I've been gone for a long time though, and I'm a little nervous about returning. I know a lot will be changing with my move, my roommate Chrissy getting married, and me learning a new role in church and everything. And I know that while I've been gone, I've changed, and surely lots of other people and things have changed too. That's an important lesson I've been learning: Change is inevitable, and so I need to be grateful for what has been, savor the present, and remain hopeful about the future. Giving thanks in every circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18) has been taking on a much richer meaning for me. All of this is hard for tradition/routine/structure-loving me, but being open is much better and healthier than being resistant. While I may not be able to understand what is happening in the moment, I am slowly learning to trust and rest in God's goodness, sovereignty, and love.
Thank you so much for praying for all those things I mentioned last week. It is exciting to see how God is already answering them! Please keep praying with me for my re-entry to Costa Rica and all that will entail.
God's blessing, peace, and hope be with you all as we press more deeply into the Advent season and await our Savior's coming!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 24th

Happy Tuesday from me to you as I celebrate the completion of another year of life! Thank you so much for the birthday greetings many of you have already sent me!

A few Pioneer Girls (with some funny faces!) and their leaders

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit my church in Auburn, Maine, and share in each of the services. Overall, it went quite well, though in the first service I forgot to include the fact that I graduated from seminary earlier this year. Thankfully, my pastor remembered that I had and told everyone. Seminary feels like it was an awful long time ago now though!
Speaking of not including things, last week, I neglected to mention that my spiritual mentoring training will continue as I enter my new role serving at my church in Costa Rica. My current module of spiritual mentoring training is a year long and will wrap up next year in September. I believe there is a third module as well, and then a whole lot of continuous life learning!
Now to explain this week's picture: Yesterday I made another trip up to Auburn to visit the Pioneer Girls ministry at my old church. The girls have decided to adopt me, and so they send me Christmas and birthday cards and pray for me. I am so blessed and grateful! I was able to spend a brief time with each of the four age groups last night and the time went by way too quickly. We had a lot of fun and at the end they all sang "Happy Birthday" to me.
I pray you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy some special time with loved ones this week! I am so thankful to God for each and every one of YOU!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 17th

A Big Announcement!
Today with great joy I share news of my next minstry placement with you!

Where? San Rafael de Heredia, Costa Rica, at my church Vida Abundante Heredia (VAH)!
What? Working in the very important and necessary area of discipleship. While details are still being worked out, it looks like I'll be serving alongside the discipleship pastor, don José, and be a liason between him and the small group leaders who will be carrying out the discipleship modules he has developed. I love to encourage and equip people and help them grow, so this sounds like a really great fit for me! 

When? I'll be starting in mid-January 2016. I'll remain in the States on Home Ministry Assignment until just after Christmas, then go to Costa Rica, stand in my roommate's wedding, and move into a new apartment and try to get as settled as possible before I start my new role.
With whom? I'll be working very closely with the discipleship pastor, don José (the man on the far right with a mustache). I expect I'll be working with several of the other people pictured as well, along with others who are leading small groups.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to have the opportunity to serve in my church and have an idea of what the near future holds! More about my church and this new role in the future!
In the meantime, I continue to covet your prayers for me as I learn more about this role: pray for God to continue to prepare me for it and give me the grace to trust him as he brings details together in his timing. Pray also for the various meetings this will entail and the accompanying paperwork. And please pray for all the people with whom I'll be working!
Thank you so much for your constant prayers, encouragement, and support through all of this! I am deeply grateful for you all!
God's peace and joy be with you,
Carrie

Love Walking Through Doors

Last night I went to the first Christian concert I've been to in English in a very long time. It was the most authentic, worshipful concert I'd ever attended in my life. Citizen Way, Jason Gray, and Big Daddy Weave shared not only their music, but also their hearts with us, and my heart was deeply touched by theirs. I'd never been to an event before where 4 men (each during separate moments) got choked up as they spoke in front of a few hundred people. This was real, and it was amazingly beautiful. They talked about pain, they talked about crying, they talked about situations that have broken their hearts and caused them to experience deep suffering. And, they reminded us that Jesus understands pain. He suffered tremendously on the cross for us, and he is with us now and loves us, even in our darkest moments. Thanks be to God! And, on the cross, he defeated sin and death. He is way bigger than all my problems. He is big and powerful, and intimately close.
Thse who spoke and sang encouraged us to be better friends and not slap bandaids of easy answers or platitudes on the wounds hurting people share with us. Listening, hugging, and making a casserole are much more beneficial. We need to let ourselves and others experience (and not stuff, ignore, brush aside, etc.) emotions and present them to God. Oh, Body of Christ, that we would rise up and care for each other and be one as Jesus prayed we would! (John 17). And that we would be more willing, selfless vessels for God to use! As Jason Gray sang last night, "God put a million, million doors in the world for his love to walk through, one of those doors is you." May his love walk through us, unhindered.
Big Daddy Weave ushered us into God's presence--on a couple occasions the thought that came to mind was: This is such awesome, beautiful worship-- and it is only a tiny little foretaste of what heaven will be like!!! WOW! As the time to close approached, Mike of Big Daddy Weave confessed they are figuring out how to end their concerts well. Being in God's presence like that is so awesome and beautiful. Nobody wanted to stop, yet at some point we all had to go home. So, their tour manager shared a bit and then prayed for us all: a prayer of faith, love, solidarity, encouragement, freedom, and power.

In this world of brokenness, suffering, misunderstandings, imperfection, failure, terrorism, sickness, etc., these guys gave us a glimpse of heaven and indeed, the things of earth grew strangely dim in the light of God's glory and grace. All evening, the gospel was spoken clearly and all the stories and songs were life-giving: it was wondrous balm for the soul. They were doors through which love was walking boldly and I am enormously encouraged and grateful. It also gave me hope: if there are deep, authentic, Jesus-loving married men out there, surely there must still be some single ones too! ;)
Afterwards, the band members all hung around, and people were free to approach them for a chat, autographs, and pictures. I was able to talk with members of each one and thank them for their authenticity. Jason Gray (center guy in the picture) read me an encouraging quote by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross about pain molding us into something beautiful. What a special gift! I'm so grateful I was able to go and have such a wonderful, encouraging evening!

Tico Tuesday, November 10th

Happy Tuesday!

One of you kindly helped me realize I neglected in my Chronicle to tell you about my retreat time in Grove City! I had a wonderful experience. I was able to share with a woman who listened, encouraged, and prayed with me as I verbally processed with her. She also gave me some helpful materials. After working through them, I felt God inviting me once more to worship and rest in him. So I made a playlist of songs of God's love that have been speaking to me. As I was listening to the third song, another song came to mind and I added it into the fourth position on the playlist. That song, "Sovereign Over Us" (both Aaron Keyes and my old favorite Michael W. Smith have great versions of it) ended up being the song that spoke to me the most. "Even what the enemy means for evil, you turn it for our good and for your glory." It's been hard for me to remember this year that God is working all things for my good and his glory, but He is! Through it all he is "faithful forever, perfect in love." Thanks be to God!
Also during my retreat, I joined members of my church in Slippery Rock for a beautiful walk/hike through nature. Afterwards we took some time to reflect and pray. I loved sitting there and watching the leaves fall. I also admired the trees and realized that no matter what season they are in, they bring glory to God. In the same way, no matter what season of life I am in, I am to continue seeking, trusting, and worshiping him. That was a powerful lesson for me!
On the hike, I also met a newer member of my church (pictured with me). We couldn't believe it when we realized we have a mutual friend here in Maine! It's so nice to be back in a place with more of a small town feel to it!
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support. I can't express how much it means to me!
Maine people: let me know if you want to get together while I'm around! I'd love to share with you!
May we all rejoice in God's faithfulness, sovereignty, and love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 28th

Salutations!

The past week has been full of travel and rich times of sharing with family and friends who feel like family. I have been experiencing and enjoying fall as if for the first time. While I was with my brother and his family in St. Louis I got to see some trees hit their peak color and then start losing their leaves. A nephew, my niece, and I were catching leaves in mid-air before they landed and it was one of those glorious experiences of sheer delight and freedom. I relished the moment, the beauty and wonder of God's creation, the laughs and shouts of Agnes and Isaiah, the breeze that made leaf-catching such a challenging sport, and the joy I felt welling up in my heart. I wanted to just lie down on the ground and soak it all in, wishing it would never end. Knowing that homemade pizza and homemade applesauce were awaiting us was good motivation for going inside though. After meeting my youngest nephew, Gabe and spending quality time with my brother, sister-in-law, and their six amazing children, I headed up to Chicago to visit some other dear friends and enjoy my surroundings: Pumpkins, apple cider, a wonderful time of worship at Willow Creek Community Church, a beautiful 11 mile run, pretty sky at sunset, the Art Institute of Chicago, Lake Michigan, excellent conversations, and lots of delicious food. Yesterday I had brief but wonderful visits with a cousin and his wife and a great aunt and uncle.
Tomorrow I leave my friend here in Ohio and head to Pittsburgh and the Grove City area, which leads me to a prayer request: On Friday and Saturday, I'm going to be taking a personal retreat to try to process the events of the year and pray and reflect on what God has been doing and what I've been learning. Will you please pray with me as I seek the Lord and quiet myself before him? I want to be open and receptive to what He has to say to me. Thank you so much!
May we all delight in God's creation and good gifts to us this week!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 20th

Arizona has never been so beautiful to me before!

 When my parents lived here, I was never struck much by the natural beauty of this place. The sky was big and deep blue, and the mountains all around were nice, but after being in Mexico City for the past few months with only a few brief excursions outside the city, I'm feeling like God is just spoiling me here and pouring out his love to me through natural beauty. The sky is enormous and gorgeous; I looked out the window last night and saw the most stars I've seen in a really long time; I've had amazing mountain views and was even able to hike 10 miles yesterday--and got to see some leaves miraculously changing color in a canyon and follow a pretty stream with its soothing song for a while; I'm breathing fresh, clean air, and just generally feeling a sense of joy and freedom from leaving the overwhelming-ness of Mexico City. 
Sunday, I had the opportunity to share at two different churches here. I had been a little nervous about it, but though it was exhausting, both times it went really well, thanks and praise be to God! It is such a privilege to not only serve others in Jesus' name, but also to share with others about serving and what I learn through it. That in turn brings its own wave of blessings to me and I am just feeling hugely blessed, grateful, and loved. This trip around the States is off to a great start! Next stop, my oldest brother and his family in St Louis!
Thank you again for keeping me in your prayers! 
May God continue to open our eyes to see his work and love and teach us to live in awe of him,
Carrie

PS. You might be wondering what is happening with my ministry assignment. I'm still waiting for the schedules of 3 busy men to have an aligned opening. One of them is currently traveling in a place where he has no internet access, so hopefully after he returns next week, they will be able to determine when they will meet together. Please continue to keep this matter in your prayers. Thank you!

Tico Tuesday, October 13th

In less than 48 hours I will be on US soil! It's been a week of wrapping up, good byes, lasts, and working on final details for my three week tour of the States before I get to home sweet Maine. 

I had a little going away get-together Saturday night that was very nice and low key. Well, my hilarious friend Eunice (pictured) breaking out in song for us all wasn't so low key, but it was delightful! As the party wrapped up I seized the opportunity to thank those who came for their kindness and friendship to me. Then, I gave people the opportunity to say something to me if they wanted to, and several people spoke very kind, life-giving words to me. I left the party feeling humbled, grateful, and inspired. We often have no idea how we impact the lives of others, and to get a glimpse of how God has used me in my time here was special. I like it when God uses me without me realizing it because that leaves no room for my pride--it is all grace. I am more aware than ever of everyone's need for Jesus (which is awesome because this is something I've been praying about) and feel a greater sense of importance and urgency to become more like Christ and have others see Jesus in me. This makes me even more grateful for the spiritual mentoring training I'm receiving and shows me the importance of putting everything I'm learning into practice.
May the Holy Spirit continue to make us more like Christ each day and teach us to see and love others as he does!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 6th

Have you ever driven on the beach? Have you ever driven on the beach and gone faster than 20 mph?

Not very common, but it's the only way to get to the Kikomar camp I'm visiting this week. I'm staying with two other UWMers (and would be with a third, but she is in Costa Rica helping her brother who broke his back a couple weeks ago) and getting to listen to them, watch them, and learn from their lives. It is a joy to be with them, and they are challenging me and stirring in me and greater desire to spend more time with Jesus and become more like him.
The camp is beautiful and is thriving under their administration. There a lot of bugs, so I'm suffering from them, but to get out of the city and come to a quiet camp on an empty beach is worth every bite. I was really feeling the need to get away from the city again, especially after I went to the heart of the city to run an errand on Friday and saw all these important building surrounded by barricades and police everywhere because there was going to be some kind of big protest. It was scary, but thankfully I got back to my part of the city before the protest began. I've learned that big city life is not for me!
Anyway, my heart is heavy right now since there's a delicate situation my hosts are dealing with concerning another person they know. I think they'd prefer I not go into any details, but will you please lift up a prayer for my hosts, A, and those around her? Please keep me in your prayers as well, as I've been dealing with a few heavy situations myself over the past week.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
May God grow our desire for him every day and continue to make us ever more like Jesus,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 29th

We did it! We gave the mission coach training!

 It was a full, tiring day, but we did it! It went really well and it feels great to have finished it, but really, it was just the beginning! We got some good, helpful feedback from several people who came and have some great ideas to integrate into the training in the future. We have come to a difficult place now though: I will only be in Mexico for another 16 days, and Ann just left for the States for three weeks, so we won't be able to do much followup up on it together. What we really need is a missions coach coordinator who can come and dedicate him/herself full time to leading this area of the Centro Latino de Movilización. Neither Ann nor I feel called to this role: God used us to help develop structures, processes, and to kind of jumpstart things, but we need someone who can take over from here and start bringing people through the process. Last Wednesday's training was really just a trial run, since no one there had gone through the application process to become a mission coach. It was important though because Cynthia and the rest of the core team of the CLM needed to see the training straight from the horse's mouth. Also, this way the first official mission coach training will be an improved version of this trial one that we did. We got a lot of encouraging feedback, but there is always room for improvement. Please join us in praying for the mission coach coordinator to join the team quickly so that the area of missions coaching can continue to move forward. There are a couple ideas of people, but so far the search continues. There are also some other needs of personnel and finances at the CLM, so please just keep the whole ministry in your prayers.
Thank you for journeying alongside me in this and for all your prayers. It has been an invaluable experience to collaborate with Ann in developing the mission coach training and process. I learned a ton, gained a lot of confidence, and made a new friend.
Over the next couple weeks I will be wrapping up my service at the CLM and preparing to leave Mexico. Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Things are progressing regarding my next ministry placement and I look forward to sharing details with you as they come!
May we continue to see God's faithfulness and trust him provide for our every need,
Carrie

Top 10, er 13, reasons why housesitting for K&L was awesome

I recently housesat for a family I know here. Their house was quite a contrast to the place I've been living here in Mexico. While some of the things that are true for K&L's place are true for other places and people, I especially appreciated them this time around!
1. A big soft bed with a headboard! Soooooo nice!
2. Being able to walk freely through the house without dogs barking, lunging, or occasionally snapping at me. I will say it. I do not like dogs. I appreciate my brother's greyhound and think he is brilliant, but I would not want live with him. I will never live with another dog again (and don't even think about cats)! The end. Please make sure my future husband knows this. (I can stay with a dog or cat overnight, it's not like I can't deal with them at all. I just refuse to live with them.)
3. Privacy. I've been living with 4 other people and sharing a bathroom with two. It was really nice to enjoy those freedoms that come with living alone (or with someone you really know and trust) for a week!
4. Being able to use internet throughout the house. Where I've been living, I have to come down to the middle floor in order to use the internet on my computer. It works very slowly on my phone in my room. And where I can use my computer I have to sit sideways in a chair --it's quite uncomfortable. At K&L's, that was a nonissue and it was so nice! I had a huge dining room table all to myself!
5. Being able to listen to music whenever I wanted! This is closely related to being able to use the internet throughout the house. I've realized how encouraging for me it is to be able to listen to music, so it was a real gift to be able to do so at K&L's!
6. The water in the shower stayed hot for more than 5 minutes.
7. Laundry onsite!
8. Room for my things to fit easily in the fridge, and no need to worry about someone else eating food I was counting on eating.
9. The gliding rocker (with a gliding ottoman too!)
10. K&L's oldest daughter's adorable fleece ladybug blanket
11. Getting to see mountains from the roof.
12. The electric piano! Almost every night I took a few minutes to work my way through a couple songs and hymns (one finger at a time). I'm not good at playing the piano, but I have a reasonably decent ear for music and love to sing, so it was wonderful to be able to take advantage of the piano. As mentioned above, music does great things for my soul!
13. The turtle. If ever I do get a pet, it just might be a turtle. The last few times I've seen turtles, I've been fascinated by them. They help me not only #practiceawe, but with their reputation for slowness, I am learning a spiritual lesson from them. Slow down. Pay attention. Engage fully and don't just rush through life. Discover how Christ is present in this moment. I loved watching him move about in his nifty homemade tank (made out of one of those big 5 gallonish sized water jugs); admiring his webbed, clawlike extremities (what do you call those things anyway?); seeing how he extended and drew in his neck; observing how he blinked. I feel like a little kid and want to learn about turtles now!
So, housesitting was a real blessing to me in so many ways (I didn't mention the super-rich chocolate cake that got left in the fridge, did I?). I feel spoiled and refreshed now, and have only 17 days until I say goodbye to the four poorly trained dogs who have been trying my patience here!
Housesitting helped me be grateful for a lot of things I often take for granted and think I deserve. I've been learning the importance of being grateful in all circumstances because it is a way of being more aware of Christ, the Bible commands it, and I know that just having solid walls and a roof over my head in a safe neighborhood and with food stored in the fridge is a lot more than many people have. I encourage you to join me in practicing gratitude and looking for Christ in all things!

Tico Tuesday, September 22nd

At last, here you have it! A picture of Ann and me. We are sporting new chairs we bought off the side of the road (where else do you buy cheap chairs?) for the café of the Centro Latino de Movilización (CLM), which is now open! That's exciting!

Tomorrow is our big day! Please pray for a good night's rest for Ann and me and for a good day of mission coach training with our 15ish participants tomorrow. We are armed with dynamic activities, metaphors, small group and individual reflection times, and fun visual aids!
Changing topics: please watch this video! It does an amazing job portraying Mexico City in just over 2 minutes. It will give you quite a taste of what my life has been like over the past few months. It shows the most famous buildings & landmarks and includes many of the noises I hear every day. It starts with the haunting voice that wanders each neighborhood daily asking for mattresses, fridges, microwaves or any other piece you might want to sell. Listen also for those bells I hear every day. That means the trash truck is coming! Can you pick out the man selling the tamales from Oaxaca? Or the shouts of ¡Viva! from Independence Day? What about that calmer version of dreadful sweet potato cart whistle? City life sure is noisy! And I thought the car alarms and bus brakes in Costa Rica were bad! Well, they are, but I'll take them over the sweet potato whistle any day!
Thank you so much for your prayers for this mission coach training. I look at it all and just see God's grace in helping us develop the materials for the future mission coach coordinator, the mission coaches, and the volunteers that the coaches with work with in the CLM.
God's peace and joy be with you,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 15th

It's beginning to look a lot like...

WAIT! Not yet! While some people will soon be pulling out their Christmas decorations (at least in Costa Rica), this red, white, and green is not for Christmas. These are Mexican colors. I have had to remind myself of this many times over the past couple weeks.
While Costa Rica and Mexico have consecutive days of celebration, Mexico's Independence came in 1810, while Costa Rica and the rest of Central America did not become independent until 1821. Costa Rica starts celebrating its independence on September 14 with the running of the torch of liberty from the border of Nicaragua to Cartago (Costa Rica's first capital city), parading around with homemade lanterns, and eating typical foods like white corn on the cob and hot agua dulce (kind of like diluted molasses). Then there are parades the next morning in the center of each town. Mexicans start celebrating the night of the 15th by eating pozole (chicken hominy soup) and then going to the center of town to shout "¡VIVA MEXICO!" at 11pm. Tonight will definitely be an interesting new cultural experience! Honestly, I don't know what, if anything happens tomorrow. It's common for latinos to celebrate holidays the night before the actual day. They always celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve too. Just some interesting facts for you. Oh and I just heard more fireworks...That has been happening all day and I expect will intensify over the next several hours. What a day it will be! Instead of feeling like I have a divided heart and wishing I could be in Costa Rica, I'm praying for a big, open heart to enjoy it all.
Before I close, I'd like to mention 3 petitions:
-One week from tomorrow Ann and I will be giving the mission coach training we have been developing over the last few months. Things are coming together and we are going over final touches and trying to make sure we have everything ready for the big day. Please continue to pray for our final preparations!
-I have a Skype meeting on Thursday with a couple UWM leaders to see how things are progressing with a couple future service possibilities for me. Please continue to pray for God's guidance in this matter.
-I am praying for someone in Chicago to lend me a car for 10 days in late Oct/early Nov. Please pray with me, and spread the word with all your friends who live Chicago! (I'm willing to pay up to $300 for the 1400-1500 miles I'll be putting on the car).
Thank you so much for accompanying and supporting me along this journey! I am a grateful, blessed woman!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 8th

This is the Avance library, minus the one shelf out of view.

I have now spent two days here making sure books are labeled, in proper alphabetical order and according to the Avance decimal system, purging old books that don't look as good to make room for new books I wish I had time to read, sorting through donated books to figure out which are worth saving and which we can pass along, sighing at the number of good books that I want to read, and laughing uproariously at "How to Find a Husband: For Girls." Published in 1953, this book is kept around the Avance office for entertainment purposes. The author describes how unfeminine and unflattering wearing "levis" is and how men are turned off by heavy makeup. I'll skip a more gory one about fingernail polish colors... Yes, 60+ years ago, it was the way of life (and I know some men are still turned off by heavy makeup), but the way the book is written makes me laugh so hard, they can surely hear me down the street.
Anyway, this is an impressive little library, and I could literally spend days enclosed in it reading! It was fun going through the titles and recognizing the names of some authors I came across in seminary. I'm definitely feeling inspired to become a better-read woman.
Speaking of reading, I've started reading the first book for our second round of spiritual mentoring training (which officially started Sep 1st) and wow, it's a good one! The Shattered Lantern by Ronald Rolheiser. I highly recommend it. Less than 200 pages, but an eye-opening, thought-provoking text. Let me know if you read it; I'd love to hear your thoughts!
And, 2 weeks from tomorrow, Ann and I give the first mission coach training! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we try to finish and review everything and make sure it is interactive and easy for the participants to learn and for the Mission Coach Coordinator who will come after us to find the material we've created easy to follow and use as well!
Thank you so much!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 25th

Happy Tuesday!

CLM bags and mugs!

Thanks for your prayers for my meeting with the regional leader last week to discuss how to spend the rest of my time here. We came up with a number of ideas! I'm going to come alongside one of the Sunday School teachers whose helpers have all become teachers of other age levels, and perhaps help with another ministry at church. I will also be meeting with several of the other missionaries in the greater Mexico City area to get to learn more about their ministries and how God is using them to impact him. I'm excited, because this is a great opportunity to learn and to see how people who share my interests and talents are putting them to use. I expect this to be useful to me as I continue to grow and develop the gifts God has given me and seek how I can best use them for his glory. I hope to be an encouragement to all the people I get to meet as well. In the meantime, I will continue to work on the missions coach training (which has turned out to be quite a monstruous task!) and help out with special events at the Centro Latino de Movilización. In addition, I am still providing spiritual mentoring for the Avance participants who are back in the States and Canada now, planning my Home Ministry Assignment (HMA--trip around the States Oct-Dic), and working with various people in UWM on determining what my next steps will look like after HMA. So, there is a lot going on! Again, I thank you for your prayers, and ask you to please join me in praying even more for God's guidance in my life and for me to be more in tune with him and keep my heart and mind engaged and focused on him. Thank you so much!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 18th

I'm thankful for a slowly growing sense of community here. Even though I am only here for a few months, I know there are a lot of people here that care about me, and I am deeply grateful for that.

One group of people I feel I have started to bond with more are my fellow collaborators at the Centro Latino de Movilización (CLM). We have started gathering once a week to pray, and now we eat lunch together before we pray too. There is nothing like food to help bond people! And today, some of us went on a brief retreat to the same cold, beautiful, foresty camp (Kikotén) that I went to for the Avance prayer retreat last month. We read an article by the wonderful Henri Nouwen about the need for solitude, which prepares us for community, which leads us into ministry. An excellent read about the need to be rooted in God's love and not expect people to love us as only God can. That is our goal, to be rooted in God's love, to love others, and to practice gratitude and compassion and help others do the same. That is what we want everyone who comes to CLM to grasp and put into practice.
Tomorrow is the halfway marker for me in my time here in Mexico. I feel like so much has happened I should be more than halfway through, but I know God knows each day and what it will contain. I ask for your prayers for me on Thursday as I meet with the Regional Leader here and discuss how I can make the best use of the time I have left here. I will continue to collaborate at the CLM, but will get to know and support some other ministries too. Please pray for guidance and wisdom for this working out of the near future, as well as my next longer term ministry placement. The ball is slowly rolling, and I will continue to keep you informed as things come together. Thank you so much for your prayers! I thank God for hearing and answering them!
May we all continue to learn how loved we are by God and how to better love others,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 11th

It is time for a cultural lesson from Mexico. Today we will focus on a core aspect of Mexican culture: street food.

But first, a word about nopales, prickly pear cactus. Mexicans LOVE nopales. They eat its fruit, called tuna here, and the teardrop shaped green slabs that compose the rest of the plant (once the prickles have been removed). They slice it, cook it and it turns into a sea of slimy green pieces thing that they devour with gusto (pictured).
And with what do you eat nopales? TACOS! I highly suspect tacos are the national food of Mexico. You can find a taquería pretty much anywhere, though they are especially common by metro stops. I can eat these because the meat itself is not spicy: people can add as much spicy salsa as they want, which in my case, is about 0.5cc.
Tamales are of course very common. Thay all have spicy salsa in them and are therefore quite juicy. So if you buy one from a street vendor, you can have it unwrapped and placed in a large bun for you. If you are like me and can't handle much spiciness, you are stuck with a sweet tamal, which is like eating a sweet pink sponge. Too bad it doesn't have creme filling!
Corn on the cob (the white, less-flavorful kind) is another popular item you can find on the street. People here love to put mayo (and chile, of course!) on it.
You can also find people selling potato chips, fruit, shredded carrots, and more, all with chile sauce to dump on to them.
I learned an important lesson from one of the Avance participants in the way she treated one of these street vendors: I often blow right by them, since I'm not interested in their product. But, when I was with her, she greeted a vendor and gave him a little money, even though she didn't buy anything from him. That really struck me. Even though I don't usually to buy from them, these vendors all bear God's image and need to know and experience his love. It is my job to be salt and light everywhere I go. I can give them a smile and treat them like a real human being. It's the least I can do.
Who are some people you can show a little more kindness and respect to? May God give us his eyes and his heart, that we may see and love others as he does!
Thanks for journeying alongside me,
Carrie

A Few Single Thoughts

The wonderful Velvet Ashes blog I follow is doing a series on singleness. I recently read some excellent articles on the Gospel Coalition website about singleness. And here I am, in the middle of Mexico, a single woman, wanting to build into the conversation. I'm no polished blogger and I won't pretend to be, but here goes.
Right now, I feel there there must be something contagious going around: My facebook feed is full of people getting married, pregnant, and having children. I can name you at least ten people I know off the top of my head who are either expecting or gave birth in the past 2 weeks. No joke. Is the water I'm drinking too filtered? Is the air so contaminated here in Mexico City that love can't make it through? Ok, I'll confess I'm not actually looking for love here. I know I'm not in any condition to start a relationship right now. And I know true love isn't caught like a disease. But, I am writing from an accumulated experience of six years on the field as a single missionary, and this is not the first time my facebook feed has been full of engagement announcements, wedding pictures, creative birth announcements, sonograms, gender reveals, baby bumps, and baby pictures. After graduating from college over 7 years ago, I am still single. And that's ok.
A number of these articles I recently read have talked about how being single is different from being married and the multiple unique struggles and opportunities we as singles have. I highly recommend heading over to these blogs and reading a few articles, especially this one about the Purpose of Singleness and this one by my college friend about singleness neither being harder nor easier than married life on the mission field. The first one was an absolute game changer for me. I would like to add some of my own thoughts to Krista's article: how I feel singleness is a challenge for me.
I see that couple holding hands walking down the street. I see that mother with her baby on the metro. All around me, there are couples, families, and children: my dreams. It's easy to feel like they are being rubbed in my face. Sure, there are a lot of people without a significant other or a little one in tow, but of course it's those who do who grab my attention. And my heart cries, I want that! Yeah, I hear ya, girl. I do. I am happy these people have their significant others and children. I'm not angry that I don't have it. But there's just that longing there, hoping that maybe someday... If not, it's ok, due to the reasons cited in the other article I mentioned. The whole idea of fasting as a single really hit me.
One of the benefits of marriage I long for is the ability to dream, process life, and make big decisions with my husband. If you've been reading my blog at all this year, you probably know it has been one of the most difficult, tumultous years of my life. I know I haven't been alone in this time, yet I haven't had that someone to snuggle with at night, whose life is deeply intertwined with mine, who has concerns that must be factored into the decision. Maybe some married people would think it is simpler to be in my shoes. I think it's just another example of singleness and marriage just being different.
It is hard living in a huge city and not having someone with whom to explore it. I have had the privilege of traveling a bit of the world with my mom and so far, she is the best travel companion ever. Exploring a city, enjoying beauty, discovering new places: I'd much rather do so with a buddy. It's more fun, and it is a great way to make memories and bond together. But, she's not here. Again, maybe some wife or mom with littles (or just some introvert, regardless of her marital status) disagrees, and that's ok. I'm just speaking for me, and maybe some other single extroverts out there.
Singleness is a challenge. It can be painful. It can be fun. I'm sure the same can be said about marriage. Let's keep the conversation going and keep learning from each other.

Tico Tuesday, July 28th

To the moon and back

This is me on the moon, with the sun behind me. Ok, pyramids named after the sun and moon at Teotihuacán, Mexico. I joined the Avance crew for an excursion to the hot, sunny pyramids made by the Aztecs a long long time ago. The pyramids have received a lot of maintenance and concrete, so they aren't exactly as they once were, but this way, people can still climb up them for a great view. That was really nice, because I can never have any kind of view but buildings around me unless I happen to be in a vehicle on an elevated highway. Living in a big city impacts life in so many ways I had never even considered before!
Going to the pyramids was also nice because last week was a very full, intense week with multiple meetings and activities every day. Doing 7 spiritual mentoring sessions in 5 days as a beginner was intense--it was good, and full of both challenges and blessings. I'm grateful for them all, and excited to keep learning and growing as I accompany people on their walk with God.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support. I can't tell you how much I need them! Please also be praying for the Avance participants and facilitators as they prepare for their re-entry to the States. Once they leave, I will continue monthly spiritual mentoring sessions with the 7 girls via Skype and start dedicating more of my attention to the Centro Latino de Movilización.
God's blessing and peace be with you,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 21st

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday I had the amazing experience of spending 8 hours at the airport helping welcome delegates who are coming from 159 countries to the World Assembly of the International Federation of Evangelical Students (IFES). This student movement is called Intervarsity in the USA and Canada, and the vast majority of my time and evergy in college that were not dedicated to my studies went to IV. So, IV/IFES has a special place in my heart. IFES only has a World Assembly every 4 years, so it is amazing that it is here in Mexico while I am here and that I was able to be involved somehow! (A fellow missionary who is a former IV staffworker and who's roommate works for the IFES movement here got me in the loop). I only wish I could go to the assembly and actually participate. That would be amazing! Yesterday I got to welcome people from every continent, practice my near-extinct French, be a model as a Hungarian practiced some photography, hear pesos be called peesos, spend time getting to know this fantastic girl (pictured) Isabel who is a facilitator for the Avance program and was on duty with me, and apologize to random people a hundred times for not knowing where things were in the airport (AirFrance, customs, migration, an elevator, buses to Puebla, etc.) It was an amazing experience! I only wish I had time to go back today or tomorrow, but this is a jam-packed week.
As always, I thank you for your prayers and ask you to continue to pray for me as I seek and serve the Lord. Please pray especially this week as I am starting spiritual mentoring with several girls in Avance.
Thank you!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 14th

Happy Tuesday!

I wore some sweet Aladdinesque pants!

This weekend was Portal a las Naciones, a one (full) day missions conference with Mexican missionaries that serve in Asia, North Africa, Honduras, India, and Mexico (including a really cool outreach ministry to Jews). It was beautiful to see how missions really is becoming from everywhere to everywhere. Each country/people group had a room that was decorated with typical things, served typical food, and shared about the work God is doing where they serve. It was exciting to see so many people interested - the rooms weren't very large, but each one was full all 5 sessions! I helped with a lot of logistical details, but was still able to be present for a few sessions. I also participated with the rest of the Avance participants and facilitators in a singing a song in Swahili, Spanish, and English: we marched in wearing costumes from all over the world and doing motions to the song. It was really fun. Then we had people pray in different languages for the missionaries there. I always love that! I love seeing how God is at work in the church here. And I love the enthusiasm of the Avance crew. They know no shame and are always willing to help in any way they can. And they are hilarious--I get to laugh a lot with them around. Last night we had a girls night for all the Avance facilitators and staff and had an absolute blast. It was like a good ol slumber party, except that most everyone went home by 11 and got a relatively good night's sleep in our own beds. We definitely made some good memories. 
Thank you so much for continuing to pray for me. I'm still battling some cold/laryngitis stuff and am dealing with the overwhelming-ness of life here, as well as fulfilling several different ministerial responsibilities. And of course there's that ever present wondering regarding the future and what I will be doing and where I will be doing it. I'm trying to enjoy this time though and not stress through it.
May we each delight in the work God is doing around us and around the world and consider how we can best join him in it!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 7th

Happy Tuesday, everybody!

In my new room!

Wow, I feel like I haven't written a traditional one of these in a while. For those of you who are wondering, YES, for now I will continue to call it Tico Tuesday until I have some greater clarity about where I will be in the future. I'm not sure when that clarity will come, but I'll be sure to let you know when it does!
Today I have a couple exciting things to share: first, I have moved into the place where I hope to stay until I leave the country in October! It is in a very central location (about a mile from 3 different metro lines and), in a safe neighborhood, close to a pretty park with a 2k loop running path, not far from the mobilization center, and down the street from a fellow missionary. A very kind woman I met at the church I went to a week ago Sunday has taken me in at a price that is cheaper than what I told I would be able to find in this neighborhood, so I am deeply grateful to God for answering our prayers!
Second: I went on a prayer retreat with the Avance ministry on Thursday and Friday. It was sooooo good! I hadn't been on a retreat like that in way, way, way too long. AND, a big reason I was there was to start bonding more with the female participants and facilitators and offer them spiritual mentoring as a followup to the retreat. Today we passed around the signup list at a meeting and 7 chicas are interested in receiving spiritual mentoring! WOW! Thanks be to God! I need to mentor 5-8 as part of the 2nd module of my training, so this is fantastic! Please pray for me (and these gals) as I start mentoring them. Walking with someone in this way is treading sacred ground, and I consider it a real privilege to serve this way.
Thank you so much for your continual prayers for me! May God continue to teach us to pray and draw us ever closer to himself!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 23rd

A New Adventure

Did you know Mexico is about 3x the size of Texas?

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I embark on a new adventure. Another chapter of my life story will begin. I fly to Mexico! I will be in Mexico City (known as the DF--Distrito Federal) for the next 3.5 months, working with Avance and the Centro Latino de Movilización (Latin Moblization Center). Avance is a ministry, language, and cultural immersion program for young adults who are considering a future in missions (generally from the US or Canada). The Moblization Center (known as the CLM) is a coffeehouse that provides coaching and spiritual direction to Mexican youg adults who are feeling called to missions and helps them get get involved in missions. I met the leaders of both of these ministries when I was in Austria for Spiritual Direction training in April. I am glad to have connections with a couple people in Mexico already and look forward to seeing my new friends again!
By the end of my time in Mexico (mid October), I hope to have clarity on whether or not God is calling me to move to Mexico and serve Him there. Will you join with me in seeking God over the next few months and asking him for guidance and clarity regarding my next step?
This has all been a big surprise for me...I never thought I would serve in Mexico, but God has made it clear to me I should check out a few of the ministries there. I know that God knows all, and that He is good and in control. It is my desire to grow closer to him in this time and for my will to be one with his.
Thank you so much for walking alongside me and for your support, encouragement and prayer!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 16th

Artfulness

When I was little, I wanted to be an artist. My parents got me a few art lessons and actually still have the framed painting of my take on Van Gogh's Sunflowers on the wall. My painting/drawing skills haven't improved much since then, sometimes I think they have even deteriorated, but 8th grade art and the Arts in Civilaztion course I took in college have given me an enormous appreciation for art. In college, our InterVarsity staff worker gave those of us on the leadership team notebooks one year, and allowed us to select if we wanted one with lines or without. I, of course, chose a lined one since I am a lines and structure kind of girl. But, our staff worker also encouraged us to draw in our notebooks: we started with Ephesians 1 (that's a rich one!). I am now surprised at how many sketches of spiritual reflections I have in there...not many, but enough that I wish I'd chosen a notebook with no lines in it! Like I mentioned in my Chronicle, the trip with my mom really did leave me wanting to express myself in a more artistic fashion, and I guess my point today is that doing artistic things like writing a poem or making a drawing are good and can be very worshipful. I know some of you already know this far better than me. I have a friend who often includes poems she wrote in her missionary updates. I'm not sure I'll be so bold to do that, but I want to encourage you today: what is that thing that you keep in the back of your mind that you like to do but don't do hardly ever? How can you worship God through your hobbies and other things you like to do? Or maybe you need to cultivate a new hobby. Will you take 10 minutes today to consider this and worship God in a creative way?
I leave for Mexico a week from tomorrow! Please keep praying for me as I prepare to enter a different (but related) culture, different Spanish vocabulary, and meet with potential future coworkers! Thank you!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 19th

Tuesday greetings to you all from Portland, ME!

The last week was full of fun with family and friends in North and South Carolina. And the highlight? GRADUATING from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary with my Master's of Arts in Religion with a concentration in Christian Care and Counseling! (similar to an MDiv without the Hebrew and Greek) It was a full weekend for the seminary, since Friday afternoon was not only Baccalaureate, but also the dedication ceremony for the new Rogers Hall of Mission. I was able to represent my missions organization there (as it made a donation for the Latin America room to honor the legacy of the Latin America Mission) not only with my presence, but as we closed with people praying in a whole bunch of different languages, I was asked at the last minute to pray in Spanish! What an honor it was!
Graduation was a wonderful ceremony and time of celebration. My mom flew down, and an aunt, uncle, cousin, and my grandma joined us too. Afterwards we all went out to lunch with a couple friends I bonded with in seminary who showed extra kindness to me in my times of residency there.
I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to get my Master's at Gordon-Conwell. It was a great experience, and though it required a lot of hard work, I know it was worth it. I truly did learn and mature through it all. I feel more confident and better equipped for ministry now. And I will say, it feels SO GOOD to be done!!
Thank you for your continued prayers for me as I step forward into what God has for me!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 12th

Happy Tuesday from South Carolina!

Thanks be to God, I had smooth travels up to the States from Costa Rica. I spent the weekend in Charleston, SC, and was able to spend some time with a couple cousins. Sunday, I spoke at a church just outside Charleston and was very grateful for the opportunity to be able to share what God has been teaching me. To keep it interesting, I used a Disney illustration: Aladdin asking Jasmine if she trusts him. Over the last few months, I've felt like Jasmine. God has been asking me, "Do you trust me?" He is standing there on the edge of the magic carpet inviting me to go on a new journey with him. I find it scary to get off my comfortable balcony, but God has reminded me that trusting him is what truly brings me joy and freedom. And thankfully, God truly is the King of all, not just Aladdin imposing as a prince. I can trust him fully and know that he knows best and is taking care of me. He is the real deal! God has been so faithful and good to me and I am very curious and excited to see how the next chapter in life will play out!
Thank you for continuing to pray for me throughout my journeys: both spiritual and physical (as I fly around)!
May each of us take God's outstretched hand and trust him with our whole hearts.
Love,
Carrie

Carrie's Chronicles, May 2015/Tico Tuesday, May 6th

Greetings, dear family and friends!!

What a month April was! So much happened I will do my best to be concise.

-April started with a visit from a friend from college. She graciously read to me for hours in the car and patiently napped next to me at the beach so I could finish my readings for seminary and the Spiritual Direction training I was about to receive. We managed to see a few sights and have some fun together too. I keep making friends with people who are better than me at Boggle! ;-)

-The Spiritual Direction training was excellent. We received a lot of information in a few days, but it was very valuable. God met us in a special way, both as a group and to many of us individually. I know I raved about this last week in Tico Tuesday, but I can't express how excited I am about the way UWM is choosing to invest in the spiritual well-being of its missionaries. UWM wants to be an organization its missionaries love, and that is definitely the case for me! It is so wonderful and exciting to partner with this organization as I join God in his work in the world! And to receive training in a castle with a prayer room in a tower was just wicked awesome!

-And now...what you've all been waiting for: What was that invitation I had you all praying about and am I going to be accepting it or not??? While I was in Austria, 2 people who serve in Mexico (one an incredibly amazing woman who was my roommate there) realized I am in transition between ministries, and each invited me to Mexico (in the Distrito Federal—the capital city commonly known as the DF) to get to know their ministry and help them out for a few months...possibly as an interim kind of visit. But, the ministries--a short term missions program and a new center to help mobilize Latins into missions (especially the second one)--sound so great and I received so many confirmations from the Lord, I will go not for an interim visit, but what the missions world calls a “vision trip:” visiting and getting to know a place and ministries in order to discern if that is where God wants one to be. (While I’m there I’ll get to learn about some other ministries too.) I've shared with you only part of my experience with wrestling over staying in Costa Rica, and I will say that God has been doing a huge, wonderful work in my heart. My heart had been so gripped with fear, not wanting to release my comfort zone, this place and these people I have grown to love over the last 6 years. But God wants me in the challenge zone, not the comfort zone, because that is where I can grow more. He is stretching me, and reminding me once more that though trusting him and letting go of everything else sounds frightening, trusting him is what actually brings true freedom, joy, and peace. (It really does!!) He wants me to rely on him for everything, and he is more than enough. Besides, when I try to do things on my own, I tend to just make a royal mess. I want to follow him and be obedient to him. It is worth it to follow Jesus!

The plan to go to Mexico has come together quite quickly and so this has been a whirlwind for me the past few weeks. It wasn't until church on Sunday that it started to really hit me. My hopeful/tentative timeline is as follows:

May 7 (TOMORROW!): Fly to Charlotte, NC

 (little did I know in 2011 when we chose Mexico for Missions Sunday!!)

May 16: Graduate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary!

May 18: fly to Maine

May 25: Go on a special 2 week trip with my mom to Europe as a graduation present

June 25 at the latest: Fly to Mexico!

Mid-October: Fly back to the States and visit a whole bunch of YOU! It is my prayer that by the time I leave Mexico, God will have made my next step clear. Please pray with me!

Late December: Fly to Costa Rica for my current roommate's wedding and do whatever I need to do to move into the next step God has for me.

Please keep praying for me in this time. These last few months have been incredibly challenging, but like I said, God is calling me to trust him, to keep stepping forward into all that he has for me. I especially ask for your immediate prayers for safe and smooth travels tomorrow (Thursday). The Turrialba volcano has been spouting ash off and on for the last couple months and they've had to close the airport periodically because of it. It is currently open. Also, I have a 3 hour drive from Charlotte, NC to Charleston, SC tomorrow, so it will be a long day.

The last couple weeks have been filled with “See you laters” with a lot of people. Last night, the young adult group from church got together to share with me and bless me. I felt deeply honored, appreciated, and loved. I am blessed and grateful, and there really aren't words to express all I am feeling. I'm pretty sure there are going to be a lot of tears on the plane in the morning. Please pray!

Thank you so much for your faithful support and partnership. You are all an amazing blessing to me too!

Love,

Carrie