a lil update... just a little one

This summer is flying by.  My days are pretty consistent.  Wake up, run, make coffee, cook breakfast, clean up, assign jobs, cook lunch, clean up, finish my assigned jobs and make sure the teams finish theirs, help with supper, clean up, Worship on the Mountain and sleep.  But there are a group of 19 year old college guys that are blessing my heart with their help.  They are so willing to serve.  I can tell them what to do and they do it, and do it with excellence.  The Faith Christian Group was Awesome.  There were two men, John Weber (J.Dubs) and Mark Lavender (Purple Java) that slaved in the kitchen with me every morning.  Little do they know, they were an answer to my prayer.  I was really wondering how I was going to take care of 30+ people everyday by myself.  Well, God sent these two men who not only worked along side of me sacrificially, but offered encouragement and wisdom from their years of life.
I also realize this summer is a little different from the past.  I am now considered Summer Staff. Summer Staff.  I don't know what to think about that title.  It's good, but I don't feel as though I should be honored to have that title.  Delegating responsibilities and praying over every person in the process.  I have a different prospective because the sacred ground I serve on is the same ground that changed me life and now I get to see the life change in so many others.  It's AWESOME!   
I think one of the coolest things for me, is to watch freedom come to young adults, teenagers.  It's neat to see where I have been in my life and now to watch people be released and experience freedom for the first time. I love it.  
More to come.  I'll do better blogging, just never get to the internet cafe that much.
Main thing, pray for strength.  Pray for wisdom.  Pray I can cook some good food!

I'm an American raised in the South, not Costa Rican.

As previously stated.  I love Costa Rica.  I think some of the prettiest people in the world live here, not just for their outer beauty, but their heart as well. But I am not a Tica (name of Costa Rican Women).  Not that being a Tica is a bad thing, but I am truly happy to be a Dixie bread american woman!  Thank you father for my skins ability to bronze but no thank you for the assumption from foreigners that I am fluent in Spanish.  I do know enough Spanish I can get by and survive but it takes a minute to process what was said.  So, when my look of confusion crosses my face, they think I'm either death, so they say it again louder, or dumb.  I don't know which is better?  Maybe I'll just play dumb!

Welcome to San Jose.... Don't touch my bag!

I love Costa Rica.  The people.  The food, the chill way of living. But one of the things I don't like is when you land in the airport, you are bombarded with Ticos trying to help you.  I like help, but don't force yourself.  Case in point, when you are carrying your luggage out of the airport they want to carry it for you.  .  Hello, I didn't ask for your help, so when you grab my bag and offer to carry it I think I'm in Mebane, and you're treating me like a lady.  Not the case.  They want a tip.  And when they look at you wanting money, for carrying a bag 10 feet, that you didn't ask them to carry, you instantly think, "I better give this dude money or he might send the mafia after me." So you drop a buck, for safety.  Well this year I was stern.  I was very polite at first, "no gracias." But that soon transformed into a teacher voice of, "DON'T TOUCH  MY BAG!"  Oh the looks I got.  But I kept my dollar!

Airports are the best!

Airports... I don't like them.  Don't like them at all.  The combination of stress, finding your way and the TSA (God bless em:) will put anyone in a tail spin.  But they are good for one thing, People Watching.  On my way to Costa, my connecting flight in Houston proved to be prime for people watching.  To say the least, I was not disappointed.  So I have a list:
1. Starbucks has a line no matter where you are
2. Is that girl really wearing Wedge flip flops, leg warmers, jean shorts and a wife-beater?
3. Japanese people have the best luggage.
4. Alright white, see-through pants lady, it's your third time through the Starbucks line, I hope you're sitting near the lavatory
5. I hope the man with the white cooler box is NOT on my plane.
6. Texas Ranger!  Do you know Walker?
7. The people on the flight to Guatemala are the prettiest people I have ever seen.
8. Where are the Cowboy hats?  I thought I was in Texas.
9. I wonder if anyone is watching me watch others.
10. Mr. Marshall would love seeing all these pilots.
11. No matter where you land, a car seat turned upside down will result in the dropping of lost cheerios!

But I'm in Costa Rica.  I love it.  I have always loved it.  The people. The Mountain. The simplicity. Even the Rice and Beans.

Pura Vida!

I'm just supposed to..

If you have known me for any period of time, you would know that I LOVE Costa Rica and have poured 3 summers of my life into the missions happening there.  Last summer I didn't go.  I can't explain why I didn't go, other than I wasn't supposed to but that is not the case this year.  This year I'm going for no other reason than, I'm just supposed to.  Being in the teaching profession has blessed me with summers "off" (for those saying it must be nice, let me remind you I work a good 65+ hours every week of the school year and when school ends each day, I still have homework, grades, and planning to do.  So 'off' is simply catching up on the overworked hours in the school year) allowing me to take grand adventures to the Mighty Rich Coast.  So, I'm going back to the jungle Monday and will return August 4th.  Pray for safety, guidance, and protection from all the dangers of not only the jungle, but living in a foreign country.
    

Back to the Jungle!

As I gear up for another adventure in Costa Rica, I thought I'd re-post one of my favorite blogs from two summer's back.  Now it is funny.. then, not so much!  One week Babe... and I'm back in the Jungle!


Below you will find a picture of the vehicle I am about to write about.
FJ PICTURE
I feel like I'm in Big John (our Christmas Tractor) when I was driving it up the mountain yesterday.  Here's the story... The FJ was stuck at the bottom of the mountain and needed a driver to get it back up.  Diego (the hardest working, smartest, can fix anything, reminds me of my daddy) tico asked me to ride down and drive it back up the mountain for him.  Honestly, I really didn't want to because one the FJ is like driving a tractor and two the road is still awful, regardless of the fact Diego, Humberto, and I worked on it all day (that's how I relax on my vacation... work! can't help it.. it's in my blood)!  BUT... I start driving the mountain in this big ole FJ and do great until I get to the last "S" curve.  I start up the S, with Diego following me in the Red FJ, when I start to spin.  Well Dag... It wasn't that bad of a spin but I wasn't going anywhere. With my foot pressing the clutch, one hand on the wheel, one on the stick shift, and the other foot on the break I stick my head out the window and yell, "DIEGO, yo tengo un problema  (Deigo, i have a problem)."  Luckily we were close to a flat spot in the mtn road, so Diego hopped out and came running to where I was.  He said I needed to back up and get more speed.  So I backed (slowly because on this incline breaks are not really good... it's the equivalent of breaking on ice) to the flat spot and get another running start.
Well... the good news is I got past the part I was stuck the first time... the bad news is I got stuck further up.. in the middle of the "s".  Here I am, not moving, spinning on mud (because we need strong rain), sandwiched between two mountain dirt walls, two ditches, and knowing I was going to have to back this thing around a curve, down a mountain, and to the flat spot.  Again...with my foot pressing the clutch, one hand on the wheel, one on the stick shift, and the other foot on the break I stick my head out the window and yell, "DIEGO, yo tengo un problema!!!!!!!!" with a little more volume.  I was starting the freak out.. just a little.  Here comes Diego running up the mountain to save the day.  I coach myself by taking a deep breath, putting this small tractor like vehicle in reverse, and pray to God.. in English and Spanish!  Foot off the clutch a little, on the break a little and... HELLO slide.  An out of my control, holy moly I'm picking up speed, going sideways, I'm going to hit the wall like a nascar driver... slide.  Diego is telling me which way to turn the wheel but my Spanish translation wasn't working at the moment, so... I had NO IDEA what he was saying!  I stop sliding only to be sideways in the road.  That's a fine position to be in, if sideways wasn't between two big mountain walls and on an incline that could result in a rollover at any moment.  So I sit sideways.  What do I do?  Well, a 3 point turn wasn't going to work.  So I start to go in reverse (thank you diesel engine and power) and move a little.. and slide more but the slide was good.  I started to turn in the direction where I could actually get down the mountain in a forwards motion.  The entire time Diego is on some side of the FJ providing some support to keep me from turning over!  Well... I made it back to the flat spot and told Diego I was walking back to Refugio!  He chuckled and told me to get in the Red FJ and he thought there was a leak in one of the seals causing the Green FJ to lose power!.. well that's good to know.. thanks for telling me now that I have almost peed in my bricthes!
Christine and Erin (the other interns) have been going to different places all week, going on "adventures".  Well, no offense to these girls but going to shops and looking at the waterfalls isn't very adventurous to me.... come talk to me when you're sideways in an "S" curve... that's adventure!