Tico Tuesday, September 24th

This weekend I ran my first marathon ever. It was without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done before in my life, physically speaking. I've read and heard people talk about hitting a wall at about mile 20 of the 26.2 mile race because the body runs out of glycogen. Well, that happened to me. The last several kilometers all I wanted was to just stop and be horizontal. I didn't dare walk though, because I knew once I started walking, I wouldn't run again. It was incredibly hot and the sun was powerful. I'd prayed for clouds, and God answered that prayer a good bit of the way, but there were some sections of blazing hot sun and I felt like I was just burning. Even when the going was excruciatingly tough, I had to keep going. But I made it! I finished in 4:09:53. 5th in my age category and the 12th woman to cross the finish line!
Even with the toughness of the race, it was a really neat experience. It was at the nicest beach I've been to in Guanacaste, Tamarindo Beach (my race route was basically from Playa Tamarindo to just before Playa Flamingo, and then back to Tamarindo). So, that's why it was so hot. The race left at 5am, so it was still dark. How did they send us off? With fireworks!! If anyone wasn't in town for the race, I'm sure it would have been most obnoxious, but it was a great way to start a very loooooooooong race! I only wished there had been more people along the way to cheer me on. That would have helped a lot.
My friend Jessica accompanied me on this weekend adventure. She did the half marathon and then waited around for me for a couple hours at the finish line. What a good friend! I thank God for the opportunity I had to run the race and for all the reminders of his goodness and love. Above all, the lesson I'm carrying away is that I really can't do anything in my own strength! I need God's strength every step along the way, every moment of every day.
Thank you for your prayers for my safety. Now to rest for a couple weeks and then start working on shaving down the time to see if I can qualify for Boston in the next couple years!
Prayer request: The Roblealto-wide and local Bible Bees are coming up in the next couple weeks. Please pray for everything to come together and for both activities to go well and for God to be glorified in them! Thanks!
Love,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 17th

This past weekend was Costa Rica's celebration of 192 years of independence! Independence Day is officially celebrated on September 15 with parades and traditional foods, clothes, and games. The 14th is a special day too though, because that is the day the news of independence travelled through Central America. So, now to celebrate, a flame of independence (the antorcha) travels Olympic style from the Costa Rican border with Nicaragua, all the way to Cartago, which used to be the country's capital. As the flame travels, elementary and high school students come to meet the flame in the center of each town. Some carry it further towards Cartago, others carry the flame on to their own towns. When the torch arrives at 6pm, everyone sings the national anthem and then parades around with homemade lanterns.
The children from the Bible Home go down to Barva to get the flame and run it the 5km (a little over 3 mi) with some 500 meters (1600ft) of elevation gain up to the Bible Home. I'd been wanting to join them for a couple years now, and this year I got my chance! I was just going to watch them since I had a terrible cold most of last week, but Saturday I was feeling much better (and stir crazy since I hadn't run for days), and it wasn't raining when antorcha time came around. So, I put on my sneakers and joined the kids and Leslie, who had been training the kids and doing tests to figure out who would be able to run up the mountain. A little boy who is 9 or 10, R, somehow passed the test, but he sure huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain. Some of the kids had been making mean comments about him, but he was a shining example of determination, and only got into the van for the last really hard part. In spite of the teasing though, R's fellow runners chose him to have the honor of lighting the torch at the Bible Home in front of everyone. He lagged behind most of the way, and I stuck with him, encouraging him, trying to give him a couple tips to improve his form and not expend as much energy with every step, and getting the bystanders to cheer for him. When they did he shot forward like a rocket. It was adorable and hilarious at the same time, but as a runner, I know the blessed effects of cheering bystanders! (I'll just imagine you all cheering for me as I run my first marathon this coming Saturday!) Another boy stuck with him too, helping him along and encouraging him every step of the way. Sometimes he and another boy practically carried R. It was really sweet to watch. Even sweeter than the kids chanting my name to have me carry the torch for a little while. How many gringas get to carry the antorcha in Costa Rica? Really. Everybody had a turn to carry it though, and they didn't make me an exception. And it's a good thing we all took turns... that thing gets heavy! But though I was touched by that, it was even more heart warming to watch the older boy help R, especially since I overheard a conversation earlier last week about the older boy going through a really difficult situation and dealing with a lot of anger.
Have I ever told you what an honor and privilege it is to be a part of what God does here and witness him working in children's lives? May the Lord open all our eyes to see the work He is doing in, around, and through us, and may we be ready instruments in his hands who are willing to go the extra mile!
Carrie

BIG NEWS! and Tico Tuesday, September 10th

Hey Everybody!
Some of you probably got an e-mail earlier today with a big announcement and I'm here to tell you that it is true! The Latin America Mission (my missions organization) is becoming one with the United World Mission (UWM). This decision has been made with the future of both organizations in mind, and while a very small part of me kind of wishes the Latin America Mission could remain an independent organization, this is much like a marriage. Instead of losing a daughter, we're gaining a son. And this son will bring many benefits (like lower cost for health insurance and a lot of streamlined processes). One thing I really appreciate about the UWM is that it recognizes the amazing strategy the LAM has employed to partner with and work under national leaders and ministries. UWM believes in these partnerships and realizes it would be a huge step backwards missiologically to have LAM missionaries leave their current ministries and force us to do other stuff. So, to put it straightforwardly, the LAM's union with UWM will NOT directly affect my ministry: I will continue to serve happily at the Roblealto Bible Home in Christian Education for as long as God has me here. Future information about this union and how to change the financial giving process is forthcoming. The official merge date is December 31, 2013 (and that way, everybody's taxes will be easier!). Please contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
And now... to your regularly scheduled Tico Tuesday.

This past Thursday was a very special day: we had the annual retreat for house helpers, cooks, and cleaning ladies. Lily (my fellow Christian Ed worker), Gladys (the family psychologist) and I planned and led the retreat. Everybody had a wonderful time! We started with me leading an ice breaker. Everybody had to write 3 things about themselves, and then I read them out loud and we had to guess who had written them. That created a lot of laughter! After a Biblical reflection on serving with love by Lily and Gladys, we had coffee break, and then handed out the letters the children had made for each woman present at the retreat. It had been one boy's idea, and all the ladies were so touched by the cards, letters, and little goodies they got! Then we had a time of sharing, and the women really opened up their hearts. Many tears were shed, and it was a beautiful, special time. I learned things I never would have suspected about these women. I admire them so much, and am so grateful to God for meeting with us and blessing our time together so richly! We ran out of time to do the craft we had prepared, but that was ok. God took control of the time and it was greatly edifying for all of us! I praise, thank, and bless him for giving us such a special retreat and bonding us together! (Sorry I don't have any better pictures, but my battery died and I haven't been able to get pictures from anyone else yet).
May God use you to bless and encourage others this week. You never know what people have gone or might be going through!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, September 3rd

Sunday afternoon I witnessed one of the most incredible storms I think I've ever seen. The skies opened just as I got home from AWANA, and soon the downpour was accompanied by heavy winds, lightning, thunder, and even hail! The hail was just under the size of a marble. At first, I was really enjoying watching the impressive display of God's power. The rain and hail were so loud on the roof, how could I think of anything else? And to have frozen white stuff on the ground...here in Costa Rica?? I could hardly believe it.
 Soon, the carport was full of water, there were waterfalls across the street, the yard was a swamp, there were piles of hail where the ground was higher, and floating islands of hail swirling around in the massive puddles. And then, I realized that something I dread was happening: the water wasn't staying outside the way it was supposed to! It was seeping in the floor, dripping in by the door, and I had a miniature waterfall flowing off the window sill. And of course, I was expecting company. Pardon the pun, but that really put a damper on things! I was not happy to be cleaning up after a small flood on my day of rest, but the bright side of the story is that the floor in the front room and window sill are now very clean.
So, needless to say, it was an adventure. But, God is good. I had just finished hanging up all my wet rags when my company arrived and I had a wonderful time sharing with a family who has been very kind to me and known me ever since I was a student here in 2007. And in spite of the flooding in my apartment, I was literally able to praise God in the middle of the storm! He is awesome, powerful, and worthy of praise, no matter what kind of storms may come our way.
May we always remember to praise him, regardless of our circumstances!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 27th

The last two Sundays I have been blessed with the opportunity to deepen my relationship with two different ticas. Last Sunday, it was my friend Ivannia that was a house mom in the Jardín house, and this past Sunday, it was a girl I met at church named Jessie.

Jessie & I sang in the church choir last year

Jessie and I have been saying for months that someday we need to get together and hang out. Usually, when ticos say that they are just saying it would be nice, but they actually have no intentions of ever making it happen. But, Jessie and I really did get together: we went out for lunch and talked until 4:30 and then went and got ice cream before parting ways. I had a wonderful time. And since it was just us, we felt comfortable sharing with each other. (Deeper conversations tend to not happen in group settings in this culture, especially among young people.) So, I'm feeling really grateful and blessed. I yearned for single female friends for so long here, and now I'm FINALLY getting some! Jessica is still my closest friend here right now, but I'm enjoying getting to know her roommate Tammy too, who often joins us when we run together. Now that Ivannia isn't in charge of a house full of kids, she's more available to hang out, and though Jessie is wicked busy, she really needs to get out sometimes. And Iva and Jessie are ticas! I'd wondered if I'd ever make friends with any ticas who are actually closer to my age than my mom's. I don't know how close I'll get with either of these ladies, but I thank God for what He has given me with all my heart. Thank you so much for praying for this to happen! Please continue to pray for God to provide me with good friendships, for me to be a good friend, for people to always be able to see Jesus in me --and for me to remember that it's about Him and not me!
As you can see, I'm staying plenty busy as always. I especially appreciate your prayers as I try to get my Church History II paper written and submitted by September 7th.
Thank you for all your prayers, love and support!
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 20th

Happy Tuesday to you, once more! This is another one of those weeks in which I could easily write you a whole chronicle. To followup on last week's picture: My dear sad-faced boy in the chef hat told me yesterday he's going to start behaving better again and is very excited about helping me with some upcoming activities. He has some fantastic ideas! Praise the Lord! Please keep praying for him, the other boys in the Arco Iris house, and Leslie their house dad. They are still working to adjust to their new situation. 

I know I wrote about AWANA two weeks ago, but this past Sunday was the most special lesson time we've had in AWANA the whole time I've been there. We watched a movie clip of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and Judas betraying him. Then, we talked about how we can follow Jesus' example of praying when he was going through a really difficult time. We wrapped up the lesson forming a circle and having everyone give thanks for something and then share a request. The kids responded really well to the activity and were very respectful as everyone else shared. Some of the leaders opened up quite a bit and a couple of the kids followed suit. It was really beautiful and special. One boy shared, "I want my dad to leave his vices so we can all be together and share as a family again." Talk about ripping your heart out. At the end, we let the 2 boys who'd been wanting to pray ever since they heard the lesson was about prayer pray for us. One (the taller tan one in the picture) had paid incredibly close attention and mentioned almost ALL the requests we'd made. It was so amazing and beautiful, truly a special moment. I thank and praise God for all the things he is doing and will do in the lives of the children at the Bible Home and their families, and more than ever, I consider it an honor and privilege to be a part of what God is doing here!
Thank you for journeying with me and helping make it possible for me to be here!
With joy and gratitude, 
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, August 13th

An incredibly sweet family came to meet and hang out with me on Saturday. I'd gotten an e-mail from some fellow LAM missionaries with an open offer by this family to bring any LAM missionary in Costa Rica stuff from the US! I seized the opportunity to have them bring me my books for the fall semester. What a blessing! But they didn't just bring me books! They found my blog and brought me a number of things on the "if you so happened to want to send me a package" list! Raspberry zinger tea, organic maple syrup from Canada, a box of shredded wheat, and a bag of Dove Promises. Yum, Yum, Yum, and Yum! What an incredible blessing! And I was really touched that this family took a full day out of their vacation to hang out with missionaries (they were with another missionary family before they came over to me). Talk about generosity! It was such a gift to get to know this family a little bit and just be a tourist in my own town. God gave us such a great sunset we had to stop multiple times for them to snap more pictures! (I went unarmed...they promised to send me pictures though.)

Oh, and on the way down to Barva for a fantastic supper, we were able to see random fireworks going off over part of San Jose. It was so cool! I am so blessed and grateful! There's nothing like a mini-escape and some fun for a missionary that's been feeling a little worn lately! If we all like it so much when people invest in us, why don't we invest more in other people so they can experience the joy and love too? Who will you invest in today? Tomorrow? The next day? Go for it! God loves us not so we can keep it to ourselves, but for us to pour out and share his love with others.
Ok, so what's the connection between this and the picture? One of my Dove Promise wrappers says, "Make a list of your dreams." Thursday evening, the youth group we have at the Bible Home had a hat parade and a special activity about dreaming about the future. So, everyone who went had to make a hat about their dreams. I was checking in on the Arco Iris house before the activity and got to see the hats the boys in the house made. B did a fantastic job with his (his face is sad because he misses his former house mom a lot)! I look forward to spending some time in the kitchen with him!
May God fill all of us with his love and show us who to invest in and how!
Thank you to those of you who write to and invest in me!
Carrie