Tico Tuesday, February 24th

Machetes are known in Latin America for being the all-purpose tool.

Better than a Leatherman, they have countless uses: cutting grass, breaking coconuts open, bushwhacking, snake killing, meat cutting, etc. On Sunday, I saw a brand new use for a machete: a man was using the dull edge of it as he weaved to make sure the strands came together as tightly as possible! Yes, there in the middle of the mall, a guy was weaving and using his machete! The green strip you see on the ground is from a plant called "cabuya" and he peels it apart, separates the fibrous strands out, spins them, dyes them, weaves them, and then makes all sorts of beautiful bags, baskets, etc. It was fascinating! The guy said his work is one of the oldest in the country! And right there at a tourism expo in the mall, I got to see him work and have quite a cultural experience!
I tend not to frequent malls here. I don't ever have much reason to, but it was a central location to meet a couple from Maine that recently came down to serve here. They are about my parents' age, but as we talked and starting sharing more about our lives and ministries, they started asking me: what should we do? They are living in a village that is in a very complicated situation, full of secrets and tension. I have 6 years of ministry experience under my belt, but that still isn't a whole lot, and it's been in a very different context from their situation. Yet, they need help! I offered a couple perspectives to keep in mind and then encouraged them to keep praying hard! It was delightful to meet them and hear a good ol' Maine accent. But, my heart definitely hurts with them as they seek to share God's love in a place that is darker than they realized. Please join me in praying for them and for God to make a "divine machete sweep" and clear out the spiritual cabuya in the way and turn it into something beautiful.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, February 17th

...It's Tuesday again!

Yesterday Chrissy and I had a very gringo morning. She teaches at a private school on the US school calendar and got the day off for President's Day, so I took the morning off of studying and we went minigolfing, as we had originally hoped to do on my birthday. Birthday season is now officially, finally over (2.5 months later!). It was a fun little course--here they don't dye the water like they do in the States though. And there were some really steep slopes we had to get the ball up! Afterwards, Chrissy took me to an outlet store, much like an outlet you'd find in the States!
That is a very interesting cultural thing about Costa Rica...and many other places in Latin America and the world: The power of the influence from the US is unbelievable. Most nationwide chain restaurants (especially fast food) are here, English words pepper many conversations, malls here are just as nice--if not nicer--than a lot of malls in the States, there is a trampoline jumping center, a really nice (and very expensive) bowling alley, and a whole bunch of other things have popped up here over the last few years that I just wouldn't expect to find in a developing country in Latin America. Yes, Costa Rica is far more developed than most of its neighbors. But at the same time, it is still a developing country! Roads are narrow and often full of patches and potholes, there are numerous communities harshly wrought by poverty and violence, there are chickens that wander freely, an abundance of stray dogs, pieces of litter everywhere, and street vendors that sell you pirated anything. Sometimes it's nice to have things that feel like a piece of home from the States, but at the same time, I think it makes some of the other differences more stunning. If some things can be like in the States, then shouldn't everything? That's a dangerous assumption I've had to work hard to keep in check! As the powerful influence continues to pervade, I'm very curious to see what will become of Costa Rica!
May God give us the grace to keep our assumptions in check and our eyes fixed on him!
Love, 
Carrie

Good Shepherding and Community

This morning at church my pastor greeted me by name! And he did a pretty darn good job of pronouncing it right too. (Not something that ticos do very often.) And he looked me straight in the eye. As a member of an 1100 person church body, it means a lot to me for the senior pastor to know me by name and exude pastoral care in a greeting and a smile. From this and previous interactions, I know that he genuinely cares about the wellbeing of this curly-haired sheep in his flock. I haven't felt that from a lead pastor in years.

And then after church, I stayed around for a while greeting and talking with people I know (primarily from the young adult group). I've been to going to the young adult group the past 3 Friday nights and going out to eat with a number of them afterwards... and am starting to feel like I have a sense of community with them! This is huge! I haven't felt like I've had a genuine sense of belonging and community in a church here for a Very Long Time. We have a text messaging group, and in it we share prayer requests and encourage one another. Announcements and funny pictures get passed around too, but I have already been blessed by the words and prayers of others, and have been able to do the same (even though I don't even know everyone in the group!).

For the last few years, I feel like I have been in a desert...I have felt isolated, alone, like people don't care for me in a very deep or genuine way. I have tried a few different churches and never felt like I've clicked and become a part of the church community. It's been hard. Even painful. As a young single woman living in a foreign country constantly pouring out into the lives of others, it has been very difficult to find a place where I feel like I can get fed and poured back into. And in this culture, I've learned that if I want to get together with a friend, 99% of the time, I have to be the one to take the initiative. Even when I have a scratchy throat and almost no voice, I have to be the one to call for help. It's tempting to be resentful of that. But, I have been learning to just accept that reality and keep reaching out, even when I'm sick and tired of it. The plus side is that it's shown me that when I reach out and open up a little bit, it's going to be a lot easier for the other person to open up a little more with me. And that is a real privilege.

I don't know what my next ministry assignment entails. It may be here in Costa Rica, it may be somewhere else in Latin America. I hate that I might have to leave this growing sense of community, now that I finally have it, but like I said in my Chronicle (please comment if you haven't seen it and would like to), God has been reminding me that I have to let go of everything and trust him alone. He has given me all I have. As Job said, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. The name of the Lord be praised!” (Job 1:21). God needs me to entrust him with everything, because he is the Lord, he is the Provider, he will sustain me, care for me, and give me everything I need. Always. And in the meantime, I am rejoicing in and thanking God for what he has given me!

Tico Tuesday, February 3rd

Happy Tuesday!
Today I want to share with you about something that has me happy and excited. I started going to this church last year in Aug/Sept, right around the time Chrissy and I started rooming together. I didn't have many opportunities to get involved since I was swarmed with a lot of other stuff going on, but I was able to go to the Welcome/Newcomers class, and that was really helpful.

A week ago Saturday, the young adult group kicked off for the year with a picnic. I went with a girl that I met at another church I went to here before--pretty cool how we've ended up in the same church again! And, thanks to camp and AWANA through the Bible Home, I already knew a few people there. I was able to meet some others and have fun playing games with them. They told us about all the activities they have planned for the rest of the year, as well as the weekly Bible study they have. I went this past Friday, and it was really good--the most meaty one I've been to for a young adult group here! And, I got to meet several more people. I even went out to eat with a group of them afterwards. I've been feeling pretty tired of trying to make friends and find a group of people I feel comfortable hanging out with, but I know I have to keep putting myself out there. And thanks be to God, I feel more comfortable and at home with this group already than I ever did in groups from other churches. I know breaking into a group is often hard here, but this one feels quite welcoming and I'm excited to get to know people more and get more involved. Please pray for me in this and for God's continued guidance and direction. I'm so glad he's in control!
May God provide you with rich times of fellowship and study of His Word this week!
Carrie