Tico Tuesday, December 19th

Greetings from snowy Portland, ME!
The guy next to me on my flight to Portland asked if I was going home and I told him, "Well, from home to home." Yes, home is Costa Rica, I've spent almost 9 years there now, and most of my post-college adult life. But home is also wherever my parents are, and especially Maine, since I did much of my growing up here. It's hard having my heart in two places, loving two cultures, loving so many people, missing the one deeply when I'm at the other. But, that's just part of my life and calling.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you today about the Christmas party I served at on Saturday. It was for 200+ children in Guararí, the poorest part of my province, Heredia. We had cupcakes, juice, hot dogs, goody bags, and a present for every child, along with face painting, several piñatas, clowns, music, games, and a well known Christian soccer player. We also had tons of donated clothes, so we were pulling aside moms throughout the morning to help them select clothes for their family. My church has been doing this for several years, but it was the first time I participated. It brought back a lot of reminders of fun times I had serving at the Bible Home. At risk children will always have a special place in my heart. I loved having a girl grab my hand and start a game of tag with me, getting to involve the children in the different songs and activities we did, having a boy put my arm around him, and just getting to be with them and love on them through playing together and serving them. It was so fun and life-giving. Indeed, it is far better to give than receive.
I won't be sending out a Tico Tuesday next week as I seek to make the most of my time here with my parents, so, Merry Christmas to you all! Christ has come and he is coming again! May we continue to hope in the Lord and grow in his love, joy, and peace! God so loved the world that he sent his son Jesus that we might have peace and eternal life with him! Glory to God!
With love and deep gratitude for you all,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 28th

The past week was as amazing as it was intense: 2 Thanksgiving celebrations (including one planned, led, and mostly cooked for by me), the annual volunteer party, teaching in the 201 CLASS again, a special activity with the counseling ministry, a little birthday party for me, church, all of Sunday afternoon at church for the family weekend, hanging out with a friend in San José, talking with my parents and one of my brothers, etc. It was exhausting and wonderful.

It was a joy to share Thanksgiving with most of my coworkers and the family who I've become very close friends with this year. Thanksgiving is right up there with Christmas and Easter for me, and it always means a lot for me to share with people here. At the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims thanked God for the Wampanoags and the kindness and support they provided to help the Pilgrims adjust to life in the New World. And every Thanksgiving here, I seize the opportunity to thank people who have shown kindness and support to me and helped me as I live in a different world and culture. I share the history of Thanksgiving and how it has grown to mean more to me as I live in a foreign land, and I can't make it through without getting choked up. God has been so good to me! We had a wonderful time of celebrating and giving thanks together. It was really special. And I think most amazing of all is that I've spent Thanksgiving with a different group of people every year! A couple people have repeated here and there, but I am blown away to think God has put so many special people in my life over the past 8 years! My heart overflows with thanks.
And of course, there are no words to express my thankfulness for you. Thank you for all you do to partner with me and support me as I serve here. I couldn't do it without you! Thank you!
May we live giving thanks each day,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 21st

Tuesday greetings to you! Last Tuesday I wasn't able to write to you because my eyes had been dilated and everything was blurry. It was my first time seeing an eye doctor here in Costa Rica and he insisted on dilating my eyes. Last week I had a couple of other appointments as well: my orthopedist said I never had to see him about my knee again! Thanks and praise be to God!

We made a Thankfulness Tree at the retreat! (and now the cafeteria has a nice floor & ceiling!)

This past Saturday we had our last small group retreat of the year. It was a fun day of celebration, thanksgiving, growing, and sharing together. Turnout wasn't as great as I hoped, but I know a lot of people are still catching on to the idea that small groups are about being healthy disciples together and not just to do a 6 week study together. The good news is, a lot of my new facilitators came, so they are getting the right DNA/understanding from the get go. I think my biggest challenge right now is raising up a group of community leaders, people who are willing and able to accompany and support other facilitators. I can't oversee them all. It's too much work! So, please be praying with me for that. And please pray for wisdom as my team and I meet next week to evaluate this retreat and year and work on our planning for next year. You can pray for the pastoral team as we meet to evaluate and plan in the coming weeks as well.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support. I love to hear from you guys! I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving and enjoy giving thanks with and for people dear to you. I can't express how thankful I am for each of you!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 7th

And now back to your regularly scheduled Tico Tuesdays...
It's so good to be home! This is a sentiment I have often expressed in the past week. I loved my time in the States: it was a great blessing to me spiritually, emotionally, relationally, psychologically, etc. I even had a couple people buy shredded wheat (not the frosted stuff) just so I could have it for breakfast while I stayed with them! It was a wonderful trip!

But, it's really good to be back in Costa Rica: To be back in my apartment that is now clean and decked out in fall/Thanksgiving decor, to be back at church worshiping with my brothers and sisters here, to be back at work and focus on small groups again, to be with my coworkers again and see my friends and start catching up with them, to have more of a routine again, and have more control over my diet again. It's nice to say hi to my neighbors and not need the GPS pretty much every time I get in the car. And it's great to share about my trip with those who want to hear about it and tell them what God has been teaching me.
My return from this trip has been drastically different from the one from my trip in July. In addition to what I'm learning about God's love, I'm also learning about vulnerability, and I'm experiencing more freedom to be me. I think I've suppressed some of my silliness in recent years in the name of "cultural adaptation," and often allowed work to consume too much of life. So, I'm working on having more fun and enjoying the life and personality God has given me more fully. It includes a lot more dancing!
Thank you so much for continuing to walk with me on this journey. May God bless you and continue to grow your love for him each day! And please keep our new series "40 Days in the Word" and the new small group I'm opening for young adults in your prayers!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, October 17th

Fun with my cousins in Charleston, SC

Hello from Charlotte, NC! I've had a spectacular time in the Carolinas over the past couple weeks. As I mentioned in my Chronicle, the PTM conference that I went to was excellent and opened my eyes to the world of member care. Being there was also incredibly refreshing and good for my soul: I was reminded of God's love and how he pursues, delights, and sees us. He desires a relationship with us more than anything else. Pleasing him and becoming like Jesus are the fruit of this relationship and I have to be careful to not confuse the fruit with the root!

The last couple weeks I've had a great time visiting friends, extended family, and visiting a church I've had a relationship with now since 2009. That was the same year I came to Costa Rica! It's really neat realizing I have a number of years of history with people I've gotten to know from life experiences as an adult. What a gift it is!
It has also been a gift to be at UWM's home office today. It's been great to reconnect with a number of people here and get to meet some newer people face-to-face who I had only known via email. I had the opportunity to share briefly during UWM's weekly prayer time and it was a honor to tell of what God has been doing in and through me in Costa Rica and have them gather around me and pray for me. I am so blessed, so thankful. God's goodness, faithfulness, and love are just amazing!
Thank you to all of you for your friendship, prayers, and the many ways you support my service to God with UWM: spiritually, emotionally, financially, etc. I am so grateful for you all! I continue to look forward to seeing more of you soon!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 26th

Happy Tuesday, though I guess it's now Wednesday for many of you. I greatly covet your prayers as I have had a sore/scratchy throat most of the day and fear I'm coming down with a cold. I've been working a lot the past several weeks in preparation for my month-long trip (leaving Friday!) to the States. So, I know I might be a bit more susceptible catching a cold right now. Please pray for this to go away/for me to recover quickly and for my upcoming travels.

Tonight I want to share with you about the prayer vigil we had Friday night. We did a lot of things differently from other vigils and have heard a lot of positive feedback about it. Part of it was a lot like the concerts of prayer we used to do when I was in college and I really enjoyed it. We had a lot of different dynamic activities throughout the night, including this Wall of Thanksgiving. People wrote something they were thankful for on a piece of colored paper that was already stuck to the wall and once or twice over the course of the night, Ana Luisa (Rudy's wife, who is also in charge of planning our prayer vigils) read several of them aloud. It was a great, creative way to express our gratitude and praise to God. I spent most of my evening at a table helping people write down their prayer requests, tying ribbons around their wrists (so they'd know what station to pray at later), and writing their name on a piece of paper to have a "secret prayer buddy" (like a secret santa but instead of giving gifts you pray for them). I thought that was really neat too. God moved in us and spoke to us and the time absolutely flew by. There truly is no better place to be than God's presence!
I'll miss it here while I'm gone, but I'm really looking forward to seeing many of you soon and sharing more with you about all that God has been doing in, through, and around me!
With gratitude,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 19th

A real conversation that happened on Sunday:
Tico: Wow, you were so good at jumping rope at the traditional Independence Day breakfast yesterday!
Me: Really? Thanks!
Tico: Yeah, I was commenting with someone and we were both amazed! You jumped better than all the ticos!
Me: Well, I don't know about that...
Tico: Seriously, we couldn't believe how good you were at it.
Me: Really? Well, I guess I have a fair bit of experience jumping rope.
Tico: Really? Do they jump rope in the US too?
Me: Yeah! It's really common there. I did it a ton at recess when I was little. (I didn't mention I've also been known to jump rope as an adult, primarily for the sake of exercise)
Tico: Oh wow! I had no idea! I thought we only did that here!

This conversation struck me really funny. I confess my initial gut reaction wasn't the most gracious. But, this person genuinely thought jump-roping was a tradition unique to Costa Rica (or perhaps Central/Latin America). I think a lot of times we have no reason to believe our assumptions are wrong until they are challenged. If only it was easier to discover our false assumptions!
This also reminds me of something my mom has told me multiple times: I'm not normal. I've had the opportunity to see and experience a lot of things in this world, a lot more than many people will ever get to in their lifetime. This person really had no way of knowing if jumping rope was a typical activity among children in the US or not. (Maybe it isn't so much anymore, though I sure hope that's not the case!)
And so, a lesson in extending grace, giving thanks for all the opportunities God has given me, and trying to be a little more careful about what assumptions I might be making.
More on this amazing Costa Rican Independence Day weekend next week!
Thanks for praying for me as I'm now 10 days away from my month long trip outside the country. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by work, but hope and trust I'll be able to get done what I need to before I go. I look forward to seeing and sharing with many of you! Thank you again for all the ways you support and partner with me in ministry!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 12th

COMING SOON!

As part of my preparations for my upcoming trip to the States, I'm finally making a new prayer card! I had a blast with my friend Ale (yes, the Small Group facebook page wonder is also a photographer!) doing a mini photo shoot so I could have a nice new picture. Now, I just need someone with some skills to mount the UWM logo and the "Please pray for Carrie Smith serving in Costa Rica" text on it before I send it off to snapfish. Who can help me?
And if you'd like an updated prayer card (or have never had one), please send me your address and I will get one in the mail to you.
A lot of other exciting things happened this past week: over 100 people came to the 101 Welcome Class, we had the International Children's Day party for 250 children at church with impressive Lego decor, we had a Christian ventriloquist come and do an evangelistic show as part of his farewell tour, I had another productive, encouraging meeting about small groups with Rudy, I got referred a new coaching client that has a goal unlike any of the other goals of my current clients, and I went to the beach yesterday. I also had new neighbors move in to the apartment above me.
I thank God for all He is doing in and around me. He continues to stir in my heart and teach and remind me important, life-giving truths. One example is: God is bigger and stronger than hurricanes! He always has been and always will be faithful, all-powerful, loving, and good. He knows what's going on, even when it sure doesn't make sense to human minds.
Thank you so much for your prayers for me and for your generous, faithful support. It is a joy to be on this journey with you. God is doing great things!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 29th

Tuesday greetings to you all once more!

Great sunsets at church never get old!

This past week was full of some crazy busy days packed with errands and wonderfully productive meetings and days at the office. Before we had this office space, I used to always have to work from home. And, I've continued to do a lot of work from home. But, lately, I've been trying to take more advantage of the fact that I actually have office space and a desk. And last week, I started a new habit I'm really liking. It consists of only doing work at work. Pretty wild, right? A couple nights, I actually even left my computer at the office! That meant I was able to come home and read and rest a bit. Wednesday, I got to the office at about 9:30 and came home for an hour in the afternoon before returning for our midweek service. I almost didn't come home, but I'm so glad I did! Otherwise I would have spent over 11 straight hours at church.
I've been learning and thinking a lot about limits lately. It is quite an accomplishment for me to decide to leave work at work as much as I can. There is always more to be done, there always will be. So, in order to live a healthy life and protect myself from burnout, I need to set boundaries for myself. And I see this tying in perfectly with what God has been teaching me about trusting him. Setting and respecting limits with work is a way for me to practice trusting God and remember that I am serving him. He has everything under control. It is about him. I am not a slave to small group coordination: I am a servant, friend, and daughter of my perfect, loving heavenly Father. And I like that. It fills me with peace and gives me a great sense of freedom.
May you sense God's peace and freedom this week, and be encouraged to trust him to help you identify and implement a new boundary you may need in your life.
With love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 22nd

Greetings to you all once again!

This Sunday I finally was able to go to visit our church plant at our drug rehab center! It's often hard for me to get away on the weekends, but at last it worked out for me to go. While the centro is almost directly north of us, there are also mountains directly north of us, so we have to drive around them to get there. Most of the drive is through a verdant national park, so, if it's not too foggy, cloudy, or rainy, it's gorgeous. The road is narrow and curvy though.
The rehab center is a small, simple place. It has individual cabins for each of the 16 men going through the intensive 3 month program. On Sundays their families brings them the food they need for the week and they are responsible for making their own food, handwashing their laundry, and they also help with maintenance and gardening projects around the grounds, along with receiving the rest of their treatment.
I think what impacted me most was the time of worship through singing. (My pictures of that were blurry or back-lit. Bummer!) Watching the men in the program sing to God was powerful. How often do I sing and completely forget about the words coming from my lips? These guys sang to God with all their hearts. The phrase that came to mind was, "he who has been forgiven much, loves much." It is so true. These are guys from really rough backgrounds, who have been on the streets, who have lost so much, who have been forgiven much. And they learn to love God and know that He is the answer, he alone satisfies, frees, restores, transforms, and saves. It was very encouraging to be there. And I really enjoyed the time with my friends Mónica and Daniel who took me.
In other news, my current migratory process got sent back to square one on Friday. That was obnoxious, but at least I was able to write emails and read while I waited in line for 4 hours, so it wasn't time wasted. Migration here is an amazing picture of inefficiency, ridiculous complications, and treating humans like cattle. Not very pleasant, but until some serious reform and technological advances are implemented, I'm learning to just roll with the punches. Please keep my migratory processes in your prayers.
May God continue to grow our love for him and our awareness of him each day,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 15th

Greetings to you on this Costa Rican Mother's Day!

Here's what Ale and I will be working on together!

Do you ever feel like you hit a jackpot? Getting to have my mom as my mom is a jackpot, but in terms of work this past week or so, I feel like I hit a jackpot too. Since I went to the small group strategic planning conference, I've been more motivated to find someone to help Small Groups in the area of social media. Social media is not my strength, and it is something I knew would be really good for me to delegate to a volunteer. When I went to Fraijanes a couple weeks ago, I noticed my friend Alejandra showing great ease and domination of technology and social media and mentioned to her the idea that she help me. Ale said she'd be happy to help. I mentioned it to her again a few days later, making sure our conversation had been serious and not just a joke, and she affirmed that she had been serious too. So we've now met a couple times to talk things over and start developing a plan, and Ale is amazing! It wasn't until our last meeting when she was blowing me away with her wonderful ideas that I found out: she has a degree in marketing! No wonder she has so many great ideas and such a good hold on what we need to do! Jackpot! But really, I know it is God's provision. Ale is a mature, hilarious friend that I know will be committed and dependable. If you feel like working on your Spanish or just admiring Ale's genius, check out the Grupos Pequeños VAH page on facebook.
Thank you to all of you again for being God's provision to me. I wouldn't be here were it not for you!
Carrie

Tico Thursday, August 10th

Thursday greetings to you! Just checking to see if you were paying attention! It's been another full week on the mountainside of San Rafael, Heredia. A lot of big exciting changes are coming for my church with the implementation of the strategic plan and things I learned from the conference I went to in California, so my church and I are in need of your prayers even more than ever!

But today I want to tell you about the training retreat we had for the small group facilitators on Saturday. Wow, what a wonderful day! God's presence was with us from the moment it began to the very end (and he held off the rain until everyone left too!). I know God is always with us, but his presence was palpable. We started with a time of worship, then I sent everyone outside to spend some time in Psalm 139. After a coffee break, we divided everyone into 3 groups and had them create presentations about the vision, mission, and philosophy of small groups. This helped me get an idea of how much they all understand these things, and I was quite pleased with the results. The group that did the mission did such an amazing job I want them to do the skit in front of the whole church next time Rudy preaches on small groups! After the presentations, I explained how to do the spiritual health assessment and plan and sent everyone outside again to do them. After lunch I shared about some of the things I learned at the conference in California, as well as some of the plans we have for the future. Then we gave everyone some time to share together. We closed the day having people share briefly what impacted them or what God spoke to them during the day. It was beautiful to hear how God moved throughout the day and how people were challenged and encouraged. My team and I received a lot of positive feedback afterward, and I can only give all credit and glory to God. I felt so relaxed all day (unlike most other training events I've led). God's hand was definitely in charge of it all and I'm full of gratitude for all he is doing in me, in Small Groups, and in my church.
Thank you for your role in this. God is doing great things! May he continue to do great things in you too!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 25th

Happy Annexation of Guanacaste Day!

Today is a national holiday celebrating the annexation of the northwestern province of Guanacaste. Much of the cultural richness of Costa Rica comes from Guanacaste, so the whole country celebrates with enthusiasm, wearing white shirts and a blue or red handkerchief around the neck or the traditional flowing skirts and boat neck white blouses. Four line poems known as bombas (the word also for bomb and balloon) and other poems are commonly invented or recited on this day as well.
To celebrate, I joined a small group many of my friends are in on an excursion into the mountains. We visited a restaurant that does business for local missions. It is run by a church located further back on the property that does a number of things to bless the members of its community. This church and restaurant (and mini grocery store, center for the elderly, vegetable garden, etc.) is located very close to the Poás volcano, which has been so active lately the national park that contains it has been closed indefinitely. Poás is the most accessible active volcano to the Central Valley, making it a huge tourist destination. And with it being closed, a number of nearby businesses have been suffering or forced to close. So, since Rudy has been good friends with the pastor of that church since before my church was born, he has been encouraging everyone from our church to go and support this restaurant. I look forward to returning with my small group!
May we use the blessings God has given us to be a blessing to others this week and always! Thank you for being a blessing to me!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 18th

Tuesday greetings from Costa Rica once again!

It is good to be back in Costa Rica, but I did have such an amazing time in the States it wasn't as easy as usual to switch back and forth between cultures. I shared at a Sunday School class at my church in Maine, and answering all the questions the kids asked me about Costa Rica really helped me realize just what a different world it is here. It is a joy to serve here, even though it's definitely challenging. Yet I know that every place has its own challenges.
One thing that made it really good to be back here was to see one of my small groups take over Jholy, the evangelistic theater my church runs, for the week. There is a new show at Jholy every week, and this past week they did it all, and they did a great job! I had to be at church Saturday night, but I arrived just in time to catch the second act. I am so proud of this group! Usually it is a challenge to get groups to do some kind of evangelistic activity-- and this group hit it out of the park! Those who didn't act helped with the set, lights, selling snacks, photography, etc. Everyone got involved! And yes, as you can see in the picture, this is a not-so-small group. Conversations are happening about that... :-)
I praise God for all he is doing in the small groups at my church here and thank him for his presence with me everywhere I go. Thank you so much for keeping me in your prayers. They really do make a difference! I am so grateful to have you journeying along beside me.
May you sense God's presence with you this week!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 11th

California Greetings to you all!
I am currently at a small group strategic planning conference called Accelerate! that is put on by Saddleback Church. I am learning a lot and really enjoying the planning sessions they give us, as well as getting to know the other people here and how small groups are done at their churches. I'm also getting a lot of the questions I had about small groups answered, which is really, really great. This is a wonderfully productive time, and I'm excited to go back to Costa Rica and start implementing new ideas and action steps.  Thank you so much for all of you who are praying for me specifically while I'm here. Please keep it up!

Quintessential Maine

As I mentioned in my Chronicle, this trip to the States has been one of the best ever. I ended up having a mini reunion with several of my good friends from InterVarsity in college. I hadn't seen some of them in about 10 years! But it was SO GOOD to be together again and share a little bit of what's happened in our lives. It was so special and I am in awe of God's faithfulness and so grateful for all he's done. Not to say life has been easy for any of us, but God is faithful and with us through it all. I can't describe how much it meant to me nor how good for my soul it was to see these friends. What a wonderful gift!
And then I had a week of glorious summer in Maine. It was rich. I saw a few different people and loved getting to share and catch up with people at my church there. But the best part was getting to do life with my parents (including biking, hiking, going to the beach, etc. with my mom) and having some time to just slow down and watch the boats in the harbor, listen to live music on a wharf, play games, and just talk and be together. This trip has been a much needed time of refreshment, rest, and fun (and getting a boost with small groups and all sorts of ideas about church life!). I am very thankful for it. I will be diving in head first when I return to Costa Rica, so please be praying for me as I do so. There are some big things coming up quite soon: including the ministry fair, the next small group training retreat, the next series, etc.
Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support! May God bless you and refresh you with rich times with him and with others!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 27th

Hello!
Thank you so much for praying for me this past Friday as I had my retreat day to pray for and focus on strengthening the vision and philosophy for small groups. It was a wonderful day and I came away feeling a greater sense of focus and clarity with small groups and some ideas of what needs to happen next. I am now even more excited for the Small Group Strategic Planning conference I'll be going to in 2 weeks! There is much work to be done. I think my greatest prayer request now is two-fold: For God to raise up people to help carry this ministry forward (because it is completely impossible for me to do on my own), and for me to be able to let go and trust the people God raises up (I have some pretty obnoxious control issues that God and I are still working through). I'm excited to see what God will do in the future!

Today we had a staff work retreat day. We needed to update our organizational chart in order to prepare for making our first ever 5 year strategic plan. It was not an easy task, but God gave us grace, and a really helpful engineer took the day off work to help us. Some restructuring happened, and now our chart makes a lot more sense. However, we are also more aware now of some glaring personnel needs, and the budget has been painfully tight lately. We have seen God's hand as we've made our way through the God Provides series, but as we discussed today, long lasting change starts in the heart and makes its way to our pocket. Ok, so we didn't say it quite so poetically, but life experience shows that real, lasting transformation happens from the inside out. Please pray for us as we continue to move towards making our 5 year strategic plan and being a better organized, more effective church. We have a lot of churches asking us for training and mentoring, and having our ducks in a row will also allow us to help others better. I'm excited for what God has in store for us and the churches we mentor in the future!
Funny note about today: I think it was the day in which we ate the most together. We started with a big breakfast and fruit, then someone brought us a traditional dish called chifrijo at 11, then we had lunch at 1 (though no one was hungry), and we celebrated a coworker's birthday, so we had the dirt cake I made him too! Needless to say, I had a very light supper tonight! As you can see, food is a very important part of our church's culture!
May God continue to transform us all from the inside out and use us more effectively for his glory,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 20th

Last Thursday, my small group did a prayer walk around our town, San Rafael de Heredia. I drive through it often, but, I have not been able to get to know it as well as I'd like since moving here in October. I usually get to know my town by running and bicycling around it, but with my knee surgery last year and a nasty sprained ankle a couple months ago, I haven't been running much lately, and it has been hard finding time to get in a good bike ride. So, our prayer walk was a wonderful adventure. I loved being so intentional about praying as we walked along. We also stopped to pray in a couple strategic places, including the corner of the park that is right in the center of town between the school and Catholic church and across the street from the municipality. As we walked and prayed, I felt my love growing for my town, and a desire to get out into it more.

Aerial view of the center of San Rafael, Heredia

And, I discovered we have a full size track! I'd heard there was one, but thought people were talking about a different one I'd seen that isn't full size and not so nice looking. While I prefer to not run on a track all the time, I like having it as an option, and love that it is so close to my apartment! I can't wait to use it!
Anyway, the prayer walk. You never know what you'll discover or what God will do in you, but it sure gave me different eyes and deeper love for my pueblo. The prayer walk was actually one of our assignments for the God Provides series we're doing right now. Only a few of us in my group were able to go, but it was a really special time. If you haven't done one before, I encourage you to do so. All you have to do is walk and pray: blessing and interceding for the town, praying for the people around you, praying for the properties for sale or rent to be bought or rented, etc., etc., etc. I don't think I'd done a prayer walk since college, but I sure don't plan on letting almost another decade go by without doing another one!
Thank you for your continued prayers for me. I have been coming up with some ideas and strategies for small groups, and have set aside this Friday as a retreat day to pray and do some strategic thinking and dreaming. I'm excited for what's to come!
May God bless you and use you to be a blessing to your town!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 13th

Salutations from Costa Rica!
I've been visiting 1-2 small groups per week over the last few weeks, in addition to the meetings with my own small group. It's fun getting to know people, seeing who is in which group, and seeing each facilitator's leadership style (and getting to eat delicious things like last night's dessert torte of ripe plantains, refried beans, cheese, and cinnamon!). Rudy, our head pastor, often says that the bigger our church is, the smaller it must be. This means that the more people we have coming to our church, the more people we need in small groups.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and brainstorming about small groups lately. How do we take small groups to the next level? What does that look like? What will it take? I've been wrestling a lot with these big, hard questions. Being small group coordinator is a lot of hard work. I am amazed and very grateful for all that has happened with and in the area of small groups in the past year and a half that I've been in this role. I kind of feel like I've created a Frankenstein though: I can't do it all, it's too big for me. That is a good thing though, and I'm working hard on trying to strengthen and grow my core team, but issues of time and commitment make it quite a challenge. So, I'm continuing to learn...and seek the Lord about it. Will you pray with me as I work to clarify and strengthen the vision for small groups and share it with others so they can catch and spread the vision too? I'm registered for a small group conference at Saddleback in July and I have high hopes that will be a fruitful, transformative time. I appreciate your prayers for that as well.
May God help us all to better understand and spread his vision for his kingdom!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 30th

This past Saturday, we had the first 401 CLASS ever! For years we've been offering the 101 Welcome class, the 201 Discipleship class, the 301 Service class, and now, finally, we gave the 401 Missions class! It was a big group of people, and it was a beautiful time! One of my favorite parts was when we split into pairs and told each other how we started our relationship with Jesus (pictured here).

Quite a few tears were shed in those 15 minutes, and it was a wonderful opportunity to remember what God has done for us, who he is to us, and the difference he has made in our lives. At one point Rudy (who was teaching the class) asked where we would be if it weren't for our relationship with Jesus, and the answers were astounding: in jail, dead, with a whole bunch of alimony to pay to a bunch of different women, a drunkard, homeless, in an abusive relationship, etc. That's not to say Christians are invincible to these things, but they generally are uncharacteristic of the Christian life. Thankfully, Jesus accepts us wherever we are, picks us up, cleans us from the inside out, and gives us hope, peace, and joy impossible to be experienced any other way. Sometimes we still suffer the consequences of past decisions for a long time, but God uses that for good.
Anyway, it was a challenging, inspiring day. Again I was reminded of the importance of remembering who I was before Christ, the difference he has made in me, all he has done for me, the things from which he has protected me, and the hard times I've gone through, knowing I wasn't facing them alone but with him by my side. Not to say I don't forget sometimes, but thankfully, God's love and goodness for the people he has created has absolutely nothing to do with us. It doesn't depend on us not even the tiniest fraction of a percent. It doesn't get any better than Jesus!
May the hope, peace, and joy of Jesus fill you this week!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 23rd

It's that time again... I had an appointment at Migration last week to see what they had to tell me about my request for permanent residency that I submitted in October. They told me that I'm not eligible for permanent residency yet! This is due to previous migratory woes: that time it took 19 months for me to get a new residency card and I ended up having to change migratory categories to one that isn't eligible for permanent residency. Once I switched categories again a misinformed worker at Migration told me I'd be eligible for permanent residency when this card expired. So that bad news is, I need to pay more money and renew my current temporary residency as a religious worker because it's not good for me to go about life with an expired residency card and nothing in process for a new one. The good news is, I have an appointment in December once I will actually be eligible for permanent residency, and I have a nice, helpful man on the inside doing everything he can to make things work out favorably for me. Tomorrow at 9:30am (11:30am Eastern) I have an appointment to hand in the paperwork for renewing my current residency. Please pray they accept the paperwork and that there are no further complications in this process.
It's not fun stuff, but recently reading "Jesus Calling" reminded me that "in this world you will have many troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world" (my paraphrase of John 16:33). I don't know if migratory woes are the kind of troubles Jesus might have been referring to, but it is good to remember that life won't always be easy and that whatever happens is an opportunity to trust God and grow closer to him. He has everything under control.
And so, instead of boring migration paperwork, I send you a picture of my latest creation and a place I hope to go soon on a day off! I present you: don Mario's birthday cake.
May God give you strength and wisdom in whatever troubles you may be facing (and a good trip to the beach soon)! Thank you for your prayers!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 16th

It's a toy! It's a flower! It's a butterfly!...or some relative of a butterfly. This beautiful creature that I wasn't sure was actually a creature greeted me on the floor of the classroom where I was going to teach the last class on inductive Bible study. At first I really couldn't tell if it was some kind of toy or half flower left from some craft or something, we were meeting in a children's Sunday School room, after all. But wow! How wonderful to realize this was indeed some kind of butterfly-ish thing! The things of nature I see here never cease to impress me. And even after 8 years, I keep on seeing new things. Did you know Costa Rica contains 6% of the world's biodiversity? Have you ever considered coming to visit me? For real? I'd love to have you!

Anyway, moments like that are a great blessing to me. Lately I have been insanely busy--with commitments every night of the week and the days quite full too. There is a lot to be done! Did I tell you we're going to start another series at church this coming weekend?
So, yesterday on my day off I relaxed at home in my jammies all day and caught up on journaling and read a little bit: I'm re-reading "The Shattered Lantern" and it is helping me remember all the things in my life that turn my focus away from God, and my need to slow down, be grateful, and refocus on him. My plate is full, but I can choose whether or not to stress. I still have a loooooong ways to go. But those butterfly spying moments help me reconnect with God in the midst of the busyness and turn back to him. The calendar may be full and the to-do lists long, but I can maintain peace in my heart and not be controlled by my circumstances. God has been teaching me a lot about not being so controlling too...He is so good to me!
May we all keep our eyes open to the beautiful wonders around us and remember God's presence with us! Thank you for keeping me in your prayers!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, May 9th

Welcome to the office of the Executive Pastoral Team (EPE) at church! My desk is the second one in, before the filing cabinet. Sorry it's not the greatest shot. I just wanted you to get an idea of where I have started spending a lot of my time. My desk hasn't been here for long, and the filing cabinet is a quite new addition too. It's so nice to have a space designated just for work! That means I am working a lot less from home now. Unfortunately, the internet cuts out sometimes, which is quite inconvenient, but, that's kind of how life is. I love the view and all the natural lighting we have, though the brightness does make it hard to see our computer screens. It's completely worth it though.

We are blessed to have such a beautiful location for our church. We are blessed to have office space and a church building (and on the same property!)...not something we had a year ago! But we are coming up on the one year anniversary of moving on to our property. It's hard to believe that was almost a whole year ago now! How easy it can be to get used to something like that! I drive by the school where we used to meet every time I go to church now, and much of the time, I totally forget that I used to have to turn in there to go to church! But I'll never forget the first time I went to up to our new church building. The transition from the school up to our building happened while I was in Cuba, so I came back, all impacted from that trip, and it was all I could do to hold back the tears as I drove past the school and went up to our building. It wasn't just "the property" anymore. It was, and remains, the home of Vida Abundante Heredia. We live in a place where we are free to meet and worship Jesus. That isn't the case in Cuba, nor in many other countries. I won't say there's no persecution here (because there is, though not always direct), but I am grateful for the freedoms we do have and the ways we have been able to serve our community better by having our own building. It's incredible how easy it can be to take things for granted, isn't it?
Let's give thanks this week for some of the things we often take for granted! I am thankful for each and every one of you who takes the time to read this!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, April 25th

Our head pastor Rudy is turning 40 on Friday, so on Sunday afternoon we had a party for him at church. It was a sweet time to celebrate him and have some fun. And of course, you can't have a good Costa Rican birthday party without a piñata! That was hilarious! Latino style, the piñata doesn't just hang there while you whack at it blindly: they move the piñata up and down and send it swinging back and forth so you are whacking blindly at a moving target! It makes for quite a spectacle!
The other thing I wanted to share with you today is totally different: I was reading in Matthew 22 where Jesus gives what is known as the Great Commandment. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." Of all the things God could command us: to give, to sacrifice, to do this or that... the God of the universe who reigns over all could command us to do anything. But what does he command? That we love him! That we love him with every fiber or our beings. That's it! Because of our love for him, we obey other commands he gives us, but first and foremost he wants us to love and delight in him! And we can only love him because he loved us first and continues to love us with the most beautiful, perfect, eternal, unconditional, complete love there is because he is Love himself. It just blows my mind. He is so amazing, so beautiful, so good, so powerful. He is great and holy, and he knows and cares about every detail in our hearts and minds. How could I not love him? Yet how often, how easily I forget... God has been teaching me some wonderful things about loving him and trusting him, but that's all I'll share for now. If you want to hear more, let's skype!
May God continue to teach you more about his love and loving him!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, March 21st

This past week I had the opportunity to participate in a couple excellent trainings. The first was a week-long conference with Biblical Worldview expert Dr. Darrow Miller. I interpreted for him a couple mornings plus was able to sit in on part of another morning session, though I would have loved to have attended every talk all week. He talked about the need for Christians to adopt and live the biblical worldview. How Christianity isn't just about making converts, but bringing God's kingdom here on earth, how we need to be people of the Book and know and live the whole counsel of God. He gave a fascinating explanation about the impact the Reformation has had on the world and the role of the marital covenant and value of family. North America was colonized through marriages and families. South America was colonized by men who came alone (and then had relations with the indigenous women here). And now look how different they have been! He also discussed the destruction of the family and the lack of dignity towards women and how they are affecting the world on both micro and macro levels. I was very challenged by all this and more.

Dr. Miller gave a great explanation on the need to abolish the separation between the sacred and the secular (that division is why people tend to put missionaries on pedestals). I also loved his analogy of how Sunday church gatherings are like halftime in a football game. The players come in off the field, refocus, strategize, listen to the Coach, regather strength, and get ready to head back out onto the field for the rest of the game. Like I was saying last week, we can't just sit complacently. Christians are God's team, his workforce, his hands and feet in the world, and I don't think I have ever felt more of a need to repent for corporate sins the Church has committed. It has been such an enormous, powerful force, there are innumerable things in history attributed to followers of Christ. I'm not saying Church has been perfect: It has committed atrocities in the past, and it is doing a lot of good today, but I think there is so much more we can and should be doing. We are to be known for our love, not for being bigots and/or hypocrites. Speaking of not being bigots, the other seminar I went to was about homosexuality and the Church. I'd love to tell you more about that too, but this is plenty long enough already.
May God use us to be salt and light in this world and may we do everything out of love for him and others,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, March 14th

When I moved into this apartment in October, I said I would get to know my neighbors. I'd met my upstairs neighbor when I came to look at the apartment and managed to meet the ones next to me somehow (perhaps because our doors are right across from each other--although I didn't realize they had another son in addition to their strong-lunged baby until a couple weeks ago). But, there were still three other apartments whose inhabitants I did not know. It was getting to the point of embarrassment. Then, I decided enough was enough. Shame or not, I would introduce myself to my neighbors. And then the series at church was about to start. Suddenly, I really had no excuses. So, armed with oatmeal raisin cookies (like a good gringa) and fliers to invite them to the series (with a brief note with my phone number on the back), I went door knocking and met a young couple, a family of four who actually left their old church and started attending mine in January (who knew?), and a woman who is 8 months pregnant and I'm pretty sure she lives alone. It was very nice to meet them, even if just briefly. I can even tell you all their names, though I almost forgot one.
For all too long I've been very good at living in the bubble. In college it kind of drove me crazy because it was so hard to get out of it, but at the same time, the bubble is so cozy and comfortable, it can take a lot of motivation to get out and be intentional in showing the love of Jesus to people who might not know much about him. I don't know if any of my neighbors came to church this weekend, but the ones who weren't home when I dropped by came knocking to thank me and I definitely feel more of a sense of warmth with them now.
I've been sensing a lot of nudging from the Holy Spirit lately to be more intentional about reaching out to others. Complacency is not ok. God has been so good to me, how can I keep him to myself? It takes effort, it takes getting uncomfortable, but the joy I felt at just getting to meet my neighbors and show them I care for them--and seeing an opportunity to reach out further to my pregnant neighbor--was sweeter than those oatmeal raisin cookies.
Thanks for keeping me in your prayers as always. Lately I've been desiring them more than ever, so please continue to intercede for me! You are always welcome to write to me and let me know how I can pray for you!
With gratitude,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, March 7th

"You're going to have your small group at 9 o'clock in the morning?!?! Is anybody actually free at that hour?"
"Actually, yes. There are quite a number of people who can't attend a small group in the evening due to work schedules or having classes at night, or being elderly and taking medicine that makes them sleepy and ready for bed at 8:30pm."

I didn't get a pic of my small group, but here's a rainbow!

I've had this conversation multiple times over the past few weeks. In the series we did last year, I realized what a need there was for at least one morning/daytime small group, and figured I could do something about it. It works well for me too, because this way I am free to visit small groups in the evenings. It worked well for me to start a new group because unfortunately the one I had last year ended up fizzling out. So, instead of having a group for young women, I decided to open it up to everyone and an incredibly diverse bunch of people signed up. Actually, so many signed up, we may have to consider multiplying sooner than later. If everyone sticks with it, we'll be about 11 people, and a) that's getting a bit big for a small group and b) that many people don't fit very comfortably in my living room. Our first meeting on Thursday was delightful though! We took some time to start getting to know each other and I am really excited for what God has in store for us.
This Thursday we'll have one more meeting to bond and build trust with each other before we dig into the series my church is starting next week, "gods at war." This series (based on the book by Kyle Idleman) is about the idols of our heart. It invites us to take several weeks to consider how pleasure, love, money, power, and self seek to occupy the throne of our heart instead of the rightful King and ask him to remove those idols so we can live for and worship him as we ought--and as he deserves.
As you can see, this series is going to be quite confrontational. Please keep my church and all the small groups in your prayers as we enter this time of corporate self-examination and repentance. May the Lord transform us and glorify himself immensely in and through us!
Thank you so much! May God bless you and transform you to be ever more like Christ as well!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, February 21st

Tuesday greetings to you!

This past Saturday we had our first meeting of the year of Vida Abundante Heredia's core leaders. This is a key space in which we have some fun and games but also receive vital training and information to pass along to those involved in our respective roles and ministries. I was given the microphone for a minute to make a couple important announcements about the small group facilitator training retreat we're going to have this Saturday and our series that starts in two weeks, "gods at war."
This year we are going to have three training retreats instead of seven different training sessions (like we did last year). I'm excited to see how the training retreat goes. I think my team and I have put together some good stuff and I look forward to helping them get a better idea of the value of small groups, how (and why) to delegate responsibilities, and provide them with some valuable tools for analyzing and improving spiritual growth. As the series approaches, I'm also working on recruiting new small group leaders and members, making sure the database and all the sign up sheets are up to date, selling the materials for the series, making sure I have enough volunteers at the small groups stand to help sell the materials, figuring out my own small group, and more. And this Friday I happen to be teaching from John 5 in young adult group. I'm feeling a bit swamped, but trying to stay on top of it all and do it all as unto the Lord and not for men (as Paul put it so well in Colossians 3:23).
I covet your prayers in this busy busy time of year. Please pray for me, but also the rest of the pastoral team at church and the rest of my church. I know of many people dealing with cancer, depression, addictions, marital struggles, etc. This is why we cling to Jesus. He is Hope and Life in the midst of our brokenness. And helping others know him is what all of this is all about.
Thank you so much for journeying with me and for your constant support!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, February 14th

Valentine's Day greetings from Costa Rica!

This past weekend was men's camp. I heard a couple updates about what was happening over the course of the weekend, but I'm not sure much could have prepared me for their return. As the second service came to an end on Sunday, we received the 120ish men who went- an all time record number of attendees. (I think in the past the record had been around 70). The men could hardly wait for the sermon to finish and make their entrance clapping in rhythm and shouting "¡Grande y fuerte es nuestro Dios!" Great and strong is our God! These men were exuberant. Once they all made it to the front of the church we all sang the song "Grande y fuerte es nuestro Dios" and then their families all came and surrounded them, happy to be reunited again, even though they were only apart for a couple days. It was a special, joyful time. God has been moving powerfully in our church the past few weeks and this was clearly a continuation of the same movement of the Holy Spirit. So, why am I telling you all this? Because, in addition to wanting to let you know what's going on in my church, there is a more specific testimony I want to share with you. A man who started attending my church last year, got baptized, and became a small group leader came up to me after the service. He is divorced and no one in his family comes to our church. I think they might even all live in San José. But after the service, though he had no spouse or children there to greet him, his small group came. And that touched the depths of his heart. And it touches mine. That is one of the main things small groups are supposed to be about, and I praise God for it and allowing me to be aware of it. Hallelujah! He is so good!
May he continue to work powerfully in your life! Thank you for being a part of mine and being an instrument of God's blessing to me! ¡Grande y fuerte es nuestro Dios!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, February 7th

This past Saturday I had the privilege and joy of teaching part of the 201 Spiritual Maturity class at my church. A lot of people who came are relatively new to my church, and many of them do not have a regular time of devotions with the Lord. I pray that will begin to change after this class, which covers Bible reading, Bible study, and a few other related disciplines, along with prayer, basics on how to have devotions, tithing, and Christian fellowship.

I teach the section on prayer and how to have devotions and I love it! It is so much fun! I love being able to provide people with tools and ideas to help them grow in their relationship with God and really encourage them to start putting these disciplines into practice and allowing God to be their first priority in life. There is a saying in Spanish that translates "Tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are"--implying that the people with whom we spend time mold our character. From what I have learned in life, I have coined a somewhat similar phrase, "Tell me how you spend your time and I will tell you what your priorities are." We make time for what matters most to us. The way we live reflects what we value. Part of why I love teaching a section of this class is that it leads me to reflect on my own life. How is my time with Jesus? Am I living in a way that allows people to see Jesus in me? The material challenges and encourages me, and gives me an opportunity to challenge and encourage others. The goal of the class isn't just to convey information: the goal is to invite people to make a deeper, stronger commitment to the Lord. And most (if not all) of them do.
There is a huge need here in Latin America for discipleship, for helping people grow and mature in their relationship with God so they can be equipped to evangelize and disciple others well. I love being a part of what God is doing here! Through your prayers and holistic support, you are a part too! Thank you!
May others see Jesus ever more clearly in you!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, January 24th

Today, we had a staff retreat. A kind couple from church lent us a beautiful space that was open, yet protected from the wind, and there we

took some time to start evaluating the five purposes on which our church is based: worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, and mission. It was exciting yet overwhelming to think about a multitude of things we can do to reach out to the community the surrounds us. Upon recognizing the feeling of being overwhelmed though, I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me that the work doesn't rest on the 10 of us who were sitting around the table. The work of convicting and persuading people to come to salvation is his. As staff, it is our job to coordinate, promote, motivate, build teams, invest in and empower, and encourage others. We must be faithful in our tasks, therefore enabling others in the church to do what God is calling them to do. But also as we sat there processing different issues and concerns I was also reminded of the importance of praying for my church and its leaders. I am one of them. I have an idea of what it is like, and I tell you, it is hard. The head pastor and other teaching pastors carry very serious responsibilities, and as a sheep, I believe it is my responsibility to pray for my shepherds. And in my role as small group coordinator, I must care for the facilitators I work with as best as I can. It is challenging. And it is also exciting.
12 years ago when I went to Guatemala on my first missions trip I was introduced to some great words from Oswald Chambers: "Prayer is not the means to a greater work, prayer is the greater work." I wrote that on my prayer card that many of you still have. And so, in this 2017 (I can't believe January only has a week left!), I invite you to continue to join me in prayer. For my church and its leadership and your church and its leadership. For government leaders, for those who are suffering, for those who are mourning. May God attune our hearts to his and lead us in the great work of prayer.
Thank you so much for praying for me and with me!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, January 17th

And we're back!

Subtle picture from small group

Wow, I feel like I could write a short novel about our time on that special Caribbean island this past week. But first, let me thank you for your prayers. Life on the island is hard, and especial in and around the capital city, the spiritual atmosphere is really dark and heavy. I know many of you were praying though, and I thank you. God answered them! God blessed our trip and our trip was wonderfully fruitful. We felt we surpassed our goals. From what I sense, these visits to my brothers and sisters on the island are like taking water to the desert. Not because we're great, but because they live in such a hard place in such hard circumstances. Yes, we bring a lot of donations (most people there live off less than $20/month), but I think just the time we can spend with them, the trainings we can give them, the friendship and encouragement we can offer them all mean so much. And at the same time, God blesses our giving and obedience and we end up leaving blessed and encouraged ourselves. I don't think there was a dry eye on anyone on our team the last day when we started saying our good byes and they thanked us and gave us each a wooden mortar and pestle with their fellowship's logo custom-made on it.
In our time there, not only was I able to give the small group training I'd been asked to provide, but I was also able to spend a lot of time talking with the young woman who is in charge of discipleship and small groups. She had a lot of questions for me and we joked a lot about my team leader's comment about the people there squeezing us like lemons all week. But that's what we were there for and I was so happy to share what I have learned with her. We also had the opportunity to visit a few of the small groups. That was really neat. It is such a gift, such a joy to be able to share with fellow brothers and sisters in other places. Being part of God's family is such an amazing gift!
Being able to go on this trip was a really special gift too. Thank you to those who gave to help make it possible. This trip helped me grow a lot and we were able to provide some tools and training for our brothers and sisters there and encourage them to keep on persevering and growing in the task set before them.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support. May God continue to challenge you, grow your faith, and use you to bless and encourage others!
Love,
Carrie