Tico Tuesday, July 17th

It's Tuesday again!

I've enjoyed getting to know this lovely lady since coming to Roblealto. Mami Marielos has been a house mom at the Bible Home for around 4 years and she loves to share amazing testimonies of what God has done in the lives of the children who have been under her care. Yesterday, we were receiving several new children at the Bible Home and I heard her say what she was going to do to receive the new boy in her house. She was going to wait for him at the door with 2 balloons. When he came she would open the door -and her arms- wide and say "Welcome!" and give him a hug. So adorable! And just what kids need when they are having to leave their families and come and live in a new place. I got to go make house calls last week to check on some of our kids and their families and see how things were going while they were on vacation. Boy was that eye-opening and heart-breaking. One family we visited didn't even have food for lunch and their house is literally falling apart. Please keep praying for the kids we serve and their families, especially the ones who are arriving this week! Thank you!
God's blessings on you and your family!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 10th

Happy Tuesday!

I'm writing to you from my new apartment in San José de la Montaña! This is what it looked like on move-in day. I will soon have pictures of what it looks like when it's all unpacked, but I'm still wondering what that's going to look like myself, so we're gonna have to wait on that. ;-) I used to say I would never dare to live by myself and that I would surely be miserable. Say I'm in the honeymoon stage if you like, but I am actually enjoying having a space all to myself, especially after sleeping in 17 beds over the course of my time in the States and having at least technically shared a room for the past approximately 8 years of my life. Is it/will it be lonely? Sometimes I'm sure it will be. But I share a wall with my landlords and there is plenty of singing and noise to let me know I'm not isolated. And it's really fun having my own kitchen and just knowing I have my own, cozy little getaway. I thank God for his provision for me here, and I encourage you to consider joining God in that work. Moving and obtaining furniture, appliances and the works have their costs, but you can serve as God's tangible means of provision and grace. I appreciate your prayers as I continue to settle in to life here and juggle unpacking, studying, work, and other fun things like finally getting my car fixed after the bus hit it 11 months ago and getting Migration to renew my residency.
Thanks!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, July 3rd

¡HOLA! It's a real TICO Tuesday again! :-) I'm so happy to be back! I've already gotten so say hi to a number of people again and plan to visit Roblealto's central offices where I used to work. (As of Monday I start working at Roblealto's temporary shelter, the Bible Home as a Christian Education Assistant/Family Area helper.)

Yesterday I got to tour the newly finished Arco Iris (Rainbow) house. IT IS SO GORGEOUS! The house mom is already putting in plants all around the house and the kitchen is the envy of all the other houses.

And another piece of exciting news: Roblealto is about to max out its new capacity of 90 children! We've been looking for house parents all year, but in less than 2 weeks these new families will join us and 20 new children will be arriving! Please be praying for everyone at the Bible Home as we enter this stretching transition.

Muchas gracias!

Love,
Carrie

PS Sorry, no picture, I'm having some internet connection problems

Tico Tueday, June 26th

Hey everybody!
Happy last Tuesday from the US for several months! The light at the end of the tunnel is finally visible and now I'm just trying to stay focused during this intense week of Old Testament and New Testament classes. More to come on that...
This past weekend I was in Summerville, SC. I had the opportunity to share at a church there and hang out with people I'd only ever served beside in Costa Rica. It was a great experience, minus the killer mosquitoes at the cookout we had Saturday night. Sunday afternoon a whole bunch of us went out for lunch and had a lovely time. I really enjoyed getting to reconnect with these people, most of whom I hadn't seen for about 2 years. Another plus of Summerville was going out to a Trappist monastery one afternoon. I really enjoyed the quiet space and nativity made of recycled materials. With all the go go go of the past few months, a bit of tranquility was very welcome.
May we all take a few moments to pause and relax this week.
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 19th

Praise God for my wonderful, sweet family! He has truly blessed this portion of my trip (and it's not even over yet)! I have had some really sweet quality time with my maternal grandparents and my aunt, uncle and cousins (and got to talk with a couple other aunts on the phone since everybody calls Grandma and Grandpa). I actually have gotten to see two of my married cousins who are close to my age!! That has been great. I am so grateful for my extended family. Between the time with my immediate family in Arizona and this, it sure makes me wish I had some biological family with me in Costa Rica. Family is still more the base unit of society there than individuals, and families tend to be very close. I like that a lot. My extended family is spread out all over the US and a few continents. So, all the more reason to make the most of what family time I can get.
And the extra special blessing? Grandma made me an apron! I'd been planning on getting one since I'm going to have my own kitchen in my apartment, but Grandma had it almost finished before I arrived and I hadn't even told her I wanted one!
May God bless you with some uplifting, quality time with your family this week!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 12th

One step closer!

Although it was great to spend lots of quality time with these beautiful people and some wonderful people around them, I'm very excited to announce that the next time I get on a plane, I will be on my way back down to Costa Rica! Today, I traveled to South Carolina and will be visiting some relatives and a couple churches before going up to Charlotte, NC for my first intensive residencial session at Gordon-Conwell. (I have to go to 5 times over the course of the 3 year program.) I've learned a lot in my Old Testament course and am excited to take what I'm learning back down to Roblealto. The countdown is just under 3 weeks now till I go back down! Speaking of Roblealto, the Arco Iris house that we've been rebuilding has been completed! All it needs now is furniture, a house family and 10 children! Praise God for his faithfulness and provision, both in my life and in Roblealto. I'm still working on raising some one time donations for my travel and equipment fund in order to help cover the costs of me moving and this trip to reconnect with supporters and meet new potential ones. I encourage you to consider living out God's faithfulness to me in this way.
Thank you and God bless you!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, June 5th

Happy Tuesday everyone!
I was doing some journaling and reflecting last night and was reminded again of something I (and I would dare say many other Christians too) forget. It's ok to have pain. It's ok not to be ok. It's ok to be "struggling with" (ie, failing!) something. Things don't always work out that way I expect/fantasize. And that's ok. I've gotten the feeling from many Christians that we need to be walking constantly in victory and that if you really love Jesus you'll be just fine and nothing should hurt. I say that's total bologna. Jesus himself hurt and was rejected. He wept. And that's the very beauty of it. Jesus is still Emmanuel, all the time. He is still with us, loving us, holding us when it hurts, when things don't feel right, when I wish I could turn back time, when I wish I could fast forward time. God's not mad at me. I, we can cling to Jesus and know things will improve, eventually. He is our hope. Just wanted to share the reminder with you. :-)
And no, the picture has nothing to do with the rest of the post. I'm just enjoying watching the tiny newborn hummingbirds on the wind chimes on my parents' patio and wanted to share them with you.
God's peace and joy be with you this week, whatever you're going through.
Love,
Carrie