Tico Tuesday, December 21st

Happy Tuesday!
This is the Christmas tree we had at the office. Pretty nice, isn't it? Friday morning we had a birthday/Christmas party/breakfast. It was really nice. We played chubby bunny (which was the most hilarious thing I have seen in ages), had delicious tamales for breakfast, sang Happy Birthday, revealed our Secret Santas and received nice gift baskets from the association. It was great! More pictures will be coming soon, but I'm currently enjoying my favorite Christmas tree in the world at my parents' place in Arizona. I'm more a homemade ornament colored light kind of girl... I'll be sure to post a picture of our tree later, but right now it's late and I need to sleeeeeep!
Have a blessed Christmas week!!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, December 14th

Tuesday greetings to you all!

This weekend I went on an adventure to mountain paradise! Fabián and I hiked the Barva volcano. It is considered extinct, so it isn't quite as exciting as the 3 more famous ones-Arenal, Poás & Irazú. But, it is closer. The morning was sunny and beautifully clear and the views of the Central Valley got better and better as we gained altitude. We had all day, so we took our time, walking along, talking and taking lots of pictures! We took an hour at a picnic table to read the Bible, pray and worship together. It was great! Then we headed into the cloud forest and wandered amongst the poor man's umbrella's (for a picture head to the blog) until we got to the crater. I'll confess, it doesn't look terribly impressive, but it is still really cool to think about the fact that you're standing in (what used to be) a volcano.

So, it was a great adventure with lots of natural beauty and wonderful views... and really good company!

More pictures and the story of my first time to Volcán Barva on the blog!

Blessings on the rest of your week!

Carrie

My first time to Volcán Barva was almost 4 years ago now, when I was a student here. I remember driving up in a little microbus with the 7 other girls in my program, our program director, and our fun chauffeur who was so cool I decided to adopt him as my tico uncle. We drove right up to the park entrance, so we didn't have very far to hike. I much preferred the walk up from where the bus left us! It was even foggier (cloudier) that day, but there were more cool flowers out. I remember it poured and we ate lunch by the park entrance. That experience definitely doesn't compare with this one! Adventures are always more fun with people you know and feel more comfortable around. I never felt that comfortable with or got that close to any of the other girls in my program. But, boy did God have His purpose for having me in Costa Rica then. If it weren't for that I sure wouldn't be here now!

Tico Tuesday, December 7th

This past Sunday I had a special treat. A whole bunch of fellow LAM missionaries and I got together to sing hymns! I loved it! And I got to meet some really wonderful people! There were hundreds of years of missionary experience in that house we met in!! I felt so honored to be there! And I sang until I almost because hoarse. We stopped just in time and it's a good thing we did, though I still wanted to sing at least 3 more that I really like. We sang a few Christmas carols too. That was nice. Anyway, the view in the picture is actually from the Bible Home and where we had the hymn sing is actually high up and so not only can you look down and see the whole valley, you can also see part of Roblealto's Farm, Bible Home and Camp!!! So cool! Pictures of that should be coming, I hope. I was so taken with the people, hymns and loving the beautiful house we were in and its view that I didn't get to pull my camera out. Oh well.

A few more thoughts on the blog! Blessings on the rest of your week!

Carrie

I think this is the year in which I have listened to less Christmas music. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The Christmas music that I have is all quite old and it makes me really nostalgic. A Mannheim Steamroller album brings me back to our living room in New Jersey and me dancing around with my best friend at the time. A more recent Smitty album takes me back to our living room in Auburn, ME next tot he Christmas tree wrapped up in the blue blanket from Aunt Nancy in Daddy's red leather chair, a cup of hot in hand and the Guidepost Christmas Treasury on my lap. I used to read through the whole book every Christmas season. Yes, Christmas is a nostalgic time, and it's kind of hard, because more than anything I wish it could just go back to the way it was, with all 5 of us together, each of us in our robes and on our bean bags on Christmas morning. I'm a sucker for tradition. But I know, Dan has his family now, Zach has his life, and I'm here in Costa Rica living it up and loving it all. I will get to be with my parents for Christmas this year... for the first time since 2007. Wow. Has my life been an adventure!! I'd tell more but I'm falling asleep. I'll do my best to post again before next Tuesday!

Tico Tuesday, November 30th

Happy Tuesday!

Last week was very full! More to come in the soon-to-arrive Chronicle, but for now I'll highlight my birthday. It was a great day at the Bible Home and we had the debriefing of the group of volunteers from Canada. I made my pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving and then headed to Albeiro's for a fantastic birthday dinner of shrimp, broccoli, salad, rice and of course, birthday cake! I think this was the first year in my life I haven't had a homemade cake. I didn't have time to make myself one. I was given 2 storebought ones though, so I guess that makes up for something.... sort of. I definitely felt the love on my day and birthday month/season has been great. My birthday package from my parents didn't come until yesterday!

May God bless all of you each day. Each one is a gift from Him and reason enough to celebrate and give Him thanks and praise!

With love,

Carrie

Tico Tuesday, November 23rd

It's Tuesday again!

This week I would like to feature my supervisor at work, Pam. She is such a wonderful leader! she is well-organized, knows what she's doing, relates well with the members of her team, sets a good example, loves what she does and is just an amazing woman of God! I am so blessed to work with her! Last week we were working on writing the printed bulletin together. the last page is SO GREAT!!! It was a total team effort and I lvoe the way we included the gospel in it! God's love is so awesome and powerful! Head to the blog for more!

May we live out the gospel this week and be THANKFUL for EVERYTHING God sends our way!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carrie Jo

So Pam and I put the last page of the bulletin together. It was really great to bounce ideas off one another and just rejoice in the gift of the life of Jesus Christ. We serve Him, we live because of Him, and Roblealto only exists because of Him. God is so great I jsut love Him so much!!!

Pam put together the page before the last one and it was beyond adorable and heart-melting. It sends chills down my spine every time I re-count or hear what the kids said. It would be worth making a donation to Roblealto just to see this page. Seriously! Pam interviewd 6 kids and asked them what they would give Jesus for Christmas. And oh the blessed innocence and the sweetness of youth! It doesn't occur to them that they might not have to give what they want to give. They just think of how to best express their love and devotion to Him.

Getting to spend time ehre at the Bible Home is so great! I love having volunteers here. I get to have more interaction with the kids and hear and witness some really greta stuff. Ok, sorry, it's Wednesday now and I have to go. More soon, I hope! Thus far it's been a great birthday!!!

Tico Tuesday, November 16th

Happy happy Tuesday!

We are currentling hosting a team of volunteers from Canada here at Roblealto's Bible Home. Can you imagine traveling some 36 hours to go somewhere? And when you arrive they give you a lawn mower and tell you to get to work? Ok, we're a little nicer about it (and we let them sleep some too), but, really... What disposition! What a beautiful willingness to serve! But, of course we don't just make volunteers slave away all day. That would be cruel. THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE TO PLAY WITH!!!! And these kids need a lot of love!! And language barrier shmanguage larrier. Smiles, hugs and gestures go a loooooooong way. Really, they are all you need. But anyway, I am really loving having volunteers here! And I am continuing to learn so much-about Roblealto, about working with people, about lawnmowers and weedwhackers... and of course about God and His transforming love. Friday we took the volunteers to Los Guido and to El Manantial, one of our childcare center. More about that on the blog!

May God bless the work of your hands this week and may it be an act of love for Him!

Carrie

Los Guido is the site of Roblealto's future and 4th childcare center. It is essentially a slum on the southern side of San José- illegal immigrants, not good access to water and electricity, extreme poverty, drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, child labor and abuse, serious exploitation. This is the reality of life there. Not pretty. At Roblealto's new childcare center, 250 children will be cared for each day. The kids' parents will be able to get better jobs and Lord willing, break out of poverty and start a new life. We have the land. We have the architectural plans. All we need is $673.500 to get going on Stage 1. We are writing grants, praying hard, and trying to make friends with rich people. Anybody know anyone that might be interested in helping transform a community in Costa Rica? We are sure excited to see how God is going to provide! We KNOW HE WILL!!!

Next, El Manantial. Our 3rd and "newest" childcare center. It was built a year after I was born (and I'll be 24 a week from tomorrow!!!! :-) ) It serves 235 children from areas like Los Guido (some of them are even from Los Guido. And unfortunately, areas like Los Guido are all too easily found here in Costa Rica). When we went to visit on Friday, we arrived while the children were having lunch. It was SO great!!! The kids were beyond adorable. We walked in and all the kids turned around and stuck their hands out for handshakes and high fives and started shouting "¡Visita! ¡Visita!" (Visitor! Visitor!) Too cute for words! And then you'd approach one and they'd start talking to you with their mouth full of food-like 3 kids at once trying to tell you their names and ask you 3 different questions and tell you 3 different things. Yes, overwhelming, but too fun and wonderful to think anything else. They just starve for love! Oh it was a blast! Can you see now why I'm so enamored with this organization??

Ok, sorry to cut it short, but it's bedtime. Sorry for the lack of pics, but I need to make sure the pics I post are of kids who have permission to have their fotos plastered in public. More to come! The rest of this month is going to be an exciting whirlwind!

Tico Tuesday, November 9th

This past Friday night we had a prayer "vigil" at the BIble Home. We ended around 10pm, so it wasn't that much of a vigil, but I know I wouldn't have made it through the night and it was quite cold up there in San José de la Montaña. Really, my tank top, long sleeved t-shirt, other t-shirt, sweatshirt and scarf were not enough!!!! Anyway, this was the 5th vigil they have done at the Bible Home. The previous 4 were all in newly built or remodeled houses (there are 8 total, originally constructed in the early 1930s. With 10 kids plus a foster family you can imagine the wear and tear these houses get!!!) This year, the school, which was also several decades old, got quite the facelift! So, we had our vigil there. It was very well planned. A lot like a concert of prayer, if you know what that is. If not, it suffices to say it was kind of like an extended worship service with songs, some teaching, prayer, and worship dance by a few ladies. Oh yeah, and tamales and some yummy cakes and breads. It was a beautiful evening or worship and thanksgiving together! I'm looking forward to knowing the staff and kids at the Bible Home better!
Have I mentioned yet how much I love my job and how fascinated I am by the ministry of Roblealto?
Blessings on the rest of your week!
Carrie