I Say "Healthier"

If you know me really well, you know I love to bake, create in the kitchen...and it usually has to do with sweets.  I mean I will cook anything and enjoy cooking everything, but desserts, breads, pastries, cookies...now that is where the fun is.  I try to be healthy, I really do.  I am better at controlling portions than controlling the what the contents are that I put in my mouth.  I go in cycles of trying to cook healthy...well, maybe that isn't completely accurate, it "healthier" than what I would normally eat.  But, hey, I am trying.

A group of girls, whom I went to school with, and I started a little support group to help keep ourselves motivated and share our ups and downs of just being healthy.  They all keep it real.  And real is how I can live.  To me real life is trying.  I try to be a healthier person but I still live, meaning I want to eat yummy food and carrot sticks do not count.

This muffin recipe has always been my "go to" muffin mix for all of my muffins.  It was loaded with a ton of sugar and lots of shortening.  A couple of months ago I decided to see if I could make it a little bit healthier without compromising the wonderful taste and perfect muffin texture.  And SUCCESS!!!

Some would still say it isn't healthy, but I say it is a whole lot healthier than what I was making before.  For me, this is healthy.  Actually this modified recipe is better than the original.

{Click on the image below to enlarge}

Go enjoy some "healthier" muffins!

Love Knows No Boundries

There is pain and suffering all over the world.  There is sickness.  There is poverty.  And there is no God in so many of these places.  So many people have no idea what the concept LOVE really is.  They have no way to know what LOVE is because they have never truly seen it or felt it.  How will these unloved people all over the world ever know what LOVE is, if we do not show them what LOVE is.  We have to LOVE them for them to know LOVE.  We have to be the light that brightens their world.  Their world can only be brightened by God's love.  And we are the vessel that can show them.  The ways of showing love are endless.  There is just really no end to how we can show and share God's love.  

We have been here in Costa Rica full time for over 21 months.  Everyday here is a new day with new challenges, many celebrations, and heartaches too.  Living here has been such a blessing to our family.  We are blessed to be able to see the broken, because seeing it truly changes you.  It changes the way you think about everything.  This place has changed me.  And I pray these experiences that I live everyday, keep changing me to be a better servant for the Lord.  

Our life is truly full here.  There is so much work to be done and not enough hours in the day.   We continue to have church services in Los Altos and studies with the people in that community.  David continues weekly to try and make new contacts in the area and share the Gospel.  It has been so encouraging to see members at the church in Los Altos take the initiative and share Jesus with those they meet.  One of the young men have been accompanying David when he is out trying to meet more people.  Developing relationships with people weaves you through a web of meeting more and more people.  Through this process we have met more people who live in other areas.  

{This is Alejandro.  He has been going with David and meeting new people.}

We have had weekly studies with a group of people in an area called Barrio Jesus.  These studies have been a major course of encouragement for David and I.  These people are so hungry for the truth, in its simplest and raw form.  They are eager.  They are thirsty for the word of God.  We sit for hours at a time engaged in His Word, asking questions, and looking straight in the Bible for the answers.  Please pray for this new area of work and that God will be glorified and His will and truth will shine brightly.  It is our hope and prayer that we will soon have a church meeting in this new area.  

There are so many other things that are in the works here in Costa Rica, and we are just in the beginning stages of planning and praying about.  I cannot wait to share all about it.  Some of you who personally know me know that I am a registered nurse and I have a passion for medicine and helping people heal with the knowledge of medicine and the miraculous healing powers of God.  He hears prayers and he answers.  And it is such an awesome thing to be a part of helping someone back to health and witnessing miracles of life through beautiful births.  That being said, I have missed that part of my life from the states.  I have missed medicine.  I have missed delivering babies terribly.  It was not just a job to me, it was a service to the Lord.  And, it has been on my heart since before we moved here to be able to use my knowledge to help people here in Costa Rica.  Like I said, I can't wait to share more, but this is it for tonight...just pray, pray for God to lead us down the path and show us the possibilities and that everyone involved will know the Love of God because it is so great.

{one footprint at a time...}

Red Letter Words

GO RED TO END IT!

"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.  Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and need." ~ Proverbs 31:8-9

I always have grand intentions of getting things blogged.  I have a little notebook that I am constantly scratching down random thoughts, sometimes just little things I want to remember, other times blog post ideas, and then those things that I need to be reminded of so often.  With that said, I had an entire other idea that I was mulling over this morning while I was running...but then I saw all the END IT pictures.

While we feel as if we are so small and that we can't possibly do anything to help and there is nothing we can do - WE ARE SO WRONG!  To end Human Trafficking, you are right, I can't stop it, you can't stop it, or your church, but together with CHRIST we can END IT.  Anything is possible with Christ, Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  It does not say some things, but ALL things.  

This was a great educating experience for my children this morning.  They needed to know this.  I got the red pen out and started marking, and we started talking.  Talk about some questions, and funny understandings from a four year old.  After I marked and we talked, Leia went running to find Daddy and her words, "Daddy, Daddy, I have a red mark so no one can sell me."  Okay, so she didn't get the whole picture, but we gotta start small here.  The other kids have been learning some about slaves, since they have been studying about the wars in England, France, and the War of 1812, so slavery has been mentioned.  They thought that since all these wars were fought that no one allowed slavery anymore.  I explained that these people are owned, they are property, they have no life, they have no choice, they are nothing.  They are treated horribly, they are punished, they are hurt physically, mentally, and endure things that we could probably never truly imagine.  They are still young and we didn't get into the even harsher realities of what most human trafficking consists of, but it was the beginning of a conversation that we will continue to have.  Because, like it or not, the trafficking is everywhere.  It is in front of your eyes, and you probably walked by someone in at least the last week that is imprisoned to this.  

Olivia wanted to share her thoughts she has had today after talking about trafficking this morning.

 

Costa Rica has become one of the highest trafficked areas in the world for this, and while the government here is being forced by the United Nations to crack down and do something about it, it is still happening.  I blogged more about this a few months ago, and you can find it here.  

I haven't had the time to research the origination of the X for the End It Movement.  But, for me, it signifies that the only way to stop this incomprehensible evilness in this world is with the words of Jesus, the ones that share of his love, his sacrifice, and the blood that was spilled for all of us sinners in the world.  One person at a time.  That is all we can do.  One person at a time.  One relationship at a time.  And sharing the One true KING.  I believe all those Red Letter Words are the best and only tool needed to Free the Slaves.

If we aren't using those Red Letter Words then it will be impossible to End IT.  

Jesus's very words were, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." ~ Mark 15:15

Recap of 2013 by David

Since I am a bit technologically challenged, I didn't know how to export David's newsletter into the blog without making it a PDF and then changing it to a JPEG, so sorry for the small font.  I was able to zoom my screen in and see it fine.  You can simply do that, or you can also click on the image and then zoom in on the font.

Daughter of the King

An answered prayer!!  She is a daughter of the one true King.  Cleansed and made whole. Washed with the water, sins removed by His blood...This is what Olivia experienced Monday, January 20th.

She made this decision with much thought and study.  She chose to give her life to Jesus and to strive to live like Him.  Confessing her faith of him and acknowledging that this would be a new life for her is just the beginning of her changed life.  She is just beginning her journey with the Lord, and I pray she grows with Him, grows deeper and deeper with Him, and more in love with Him.

So, you teach the Gospel to others and you share the love of Christ, and in that time some choose to obey and you are a witness to that obedience.  But, I must say that hearing my daughter's words, "I want to be baptized," and confessing her reasons and her understanding of the Gospel are some of the most precious words I have ever heard.  

 {Pretty sure this will be one of the most memorable baptisms he ever does.}

  

 You can barely see her face, but it is that smile of knowing you are free, clean, and a 

DAUGHTER OF THE ONE TRUE KING.

 It was dark, and the end to a long day for many, but everyone came with rejoicing hearts to witness this very special day.

{I snapped this a few Sundays ago before church while they were waiting on me to finish my snapshots of everyone else.  It is candid, and I kinda love this picture a lot. }

SHE IS A DADDY'S GIRL

I don't know why, but her recent birthday of turning 9 years old hit hard this year.  I mean by American standards we are half way done.  She is half way to 18!  My mind kind of goes into space with this thought.  It is typically your human instinct to think ahead, but I can honestly say at this moment, I am actually not thinking ahead and am instead remembering sweet memories of the past living the present, hoping we are making many more to remember.

A Battle For Jesus

You share the Gospel, you plant the seed,  and show love, and share love, and live love. This is what we tell ourselves, this is what we try to live.  So many of us Christians have had "normal" lives, have known of Jesus and really known Jesus for more years of our lives than not, and we all have struggles.  We all have moments where we aren't living like we should, making the choices that God would approve, and living a complete Christ-centered life.  And in those moments, maybe some of us have people who love us, nudge us in the direction we should be moving, or God intercedes and takes his hand and carries us where we need to be.  We have love.  We have God's love, true love from our family.
I was and am so fortunate that I have parents who truly love me and have always showed that love.  I had a loving family that included a father figure and a mother figure.  Some are less fortunate, and maybe only have one of those, but that is still one.  Then there are some who, by tragedy have neither of those.

Think on this....

How does one know what love is?

How does one grasp that God, the most amazing father in the world loves them more than anyone?

How does one imagine what this love is?

How does one Believe this Father is different?

WHEN....

At the age of ten years old you were sent from your home country to neighboring Costa Rica to work as a babysitter.  REALITY HERE!!!!  My daughter is 9 years old.  I cannot imagine doing this to my child.  You come to this country you have never been to before to care for children, when you are only a child yourself.  And you do this for the next 8 years.  You are all alone!  You are a child alone in a foreign country caring for another person's children.  For the better part of the next 8 years, you never hear from your family much and do not see them.  In this time, your family has grown without you.  You were sent away.  How does that make you feel?  You have nothing!  You are a child with no family.  

Your family moves to the country where you are living at the age of eighteen.  You have yearned for this for so many years.  You just wanted your family.  You wanted to be loved, to be accepted.  But, the reality is they moved on without you, they grew without you.  For whatever reason they chose to send you away.  In your heart you know the situation for what it really is, but it is so hard to tell yourself that they must not have really loved you.  You now find yourself with 4 children, living a life that you wish was better, wishing it could be different for your children.  You are not married and have 4 people who depend on you, but you live constantly in war with life and yourself.  

As I think about this woman, I think about how us Christians who have Jesus struggle at times in their life with their faith, and we know Jesus.  We had and have people who love us, who didn't send us away, who didn't abandon us.  And, we have times in our life when we think, how can I get through this, but we know we have Jesus on our side and we have him to lean on.  He is there to comfort us, to carry us, to carry our load.  

My heart breaks for these people who don't know love.  They cannot even comprehend it.
I can't expect them to understand that God is love, when they don't even know what LOVE is.  

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." ~ Heb 11:1  

With faith, there is love.  And this is the battle that Jesus fought.  He is a warrior for love.  And I have faith that God will show this person what love is, that they will see it. Because the Gospel is LOVE. I think circumstances make things harder or easier for people, but at the end of the day we all have to make the choice to know God's love or to not know God's love.  Please pray that this one who does not know love, will know love, will have faith in the God of love, and act on that love in obedience to the one who showed the biggest sacrifice of love.

And the Saga Continues...No Time

It is always on my mind, although at the back, to update this blog more often then once every 3 or 4 months.  I just have not had the time.  Between homeschooling the kids and then just everything that our daily life entails here, I just haven't made it on here.

Then, the few times I had a second, I just did not even know where to begin.  And, again, that is my story today....Where do I begin?

2013 was a year full of so many blessings and trials thrown in as well.  We are so thankful that we are here and celebrated our second Christmas and New Year's here in Costa Rica.  When we moved we had no idea what our time frame for being here would be and we still do not know, you just never know what the Lord has in store, but here is 2014 and we are still here.  

So many people always ask how the kids are doing, and have they adjusted?  

{ pretty sure they are doing just fine...perfect if grandparents lived here }

We just celebrated all of their birthdays!  Carson's isn't until March, but we had a party for all 4 of them when Papa and Nana were here.  They are growing so fast, Leia is 4, Logan 7, Olivia 9, and Carson will be 6 in March.  We are midway through our school year and it is my highest of high hopes that we can be all completed before we leave to visit the states in May.  I know, I am dreaming high, but I will try.  

The kids have thrived so much since we moved into this house that we are in now.  We have now been in this house a year and are so thankful for where we are at.  The location is perfect, our neighbors are wonderful, and the kids are at home.  Before we lived here, I cannot say they were adjusted, doing well, or thriving.  But now, they are!  Praise the Lord.  Because you want happy, smiling, laughing, screaming, giggly kids!

Olivia joined her friend Jimena in swimming classes for 6 months out of the past year.  She could swim before but now she looks like a little professional with all her strokes she has learned.  She finished that up in December and will not be continuing that this year due to the location.  She has decided that she would like to give Volleyball a try, so we will see how that goes.  And she is learning how to play the guitar.  She has asked for a guitar for several years for her Christmas and Birthday, and she finally got one this year!  When Keith arrived here last week, he gave her some instructions to start with and we shall see if we can find someone to teach her.  At the moment, David and I are trying to teach ourselves so we can help her.  I think David is picking it up pretty fast, and I should probably just stick with woodwind instruments!  But, I have not given up yet.  I just can't feel my fingertips in my left hand, even now as I type this.  

Logan and Carson continue to play soccer and have improved so much over the past year.  They are now scoring goals and kicking up the dirt on the field.  They look forward to playing every Saturday morning.  Logan begs to do Karate here, but we just don't think that is a good idea to give him and Carson instructions on how to fight with each other better! : )  They are both now reading really well. Some days they shine with their brilliance and then other days David and I wonder if their brains escaped....the life of a boy!

Leia is a ball of fire, and needs to start school soon, so maybe she will be less detractive to the others while they are doing school.  She loves going in and out all day long and has pretty much stolen the hearts of all our neighbors.  At any time if she is not at home, she is at someone's house playing.  She has two little friends that are the same age as her and one just as equally spirited as her.  They have their moments and one goes running home and then they are ready to play again in 2 minutes.  She does not want to play any sports and has no interest in even watching the boys or Olivia when she was playing soccer.  She has asked ever since we moved here if she can do ballet.  She is finally old enough and will start that in February.

That is it.  There are four of them and they can choose one thing to do, and that is it.  I don't know how people keep up with all of their kids in every activity and sport.  I would be running circles getting no where.  Now I know why my mom gave us limits on what all we could do.  It is expensive and then there is no time for anything else.

David and I just had birthdays too.  He is 34 and I am 31....how in the world did that happen??

The last 7 weeks have been crammed full of fun and memories.  We have had my mom and dad and David's mom and dad here 5 out of those 7 weeks.  So, it has been crazy, crazy here, David still trying to get work done and cram in some family time.  The kids and I had lots of time at the house just hanging out and then some days exploring this beautiful country.  No school, itself, was a VACATION! We were so thankful for those days of having fun thanks to our parents.  It was some much needed fun time!!

 { Top of Volcan Irazu }

{ Playa Tamarindo }

This past year we have developed more relationships with people here and continue to strengthen the old ones and build more on the new ones.  Our days are full!  Praise the Lord!  

Sunday Snapshots

It is my goal to take family photos of all of the families we go to church with.  This is something we have been wanting to do for them for a while, but something always comes up, or someone would be sick, etc.

It is quite comical trying to take photos of them.  Through the past year I have taken tons of photos and the good ones I get here and there are when they have no idea I have my camera out.  They all have a phobia of smiling for the camera.  It makes me laugh so hard.  I know this is something normal for lots of other cultures too.  They are not conceited like us Americans who love to smile in front of the camera and take tons of "selflies" for the world to see.  LOL!  They all stand there like we are burying someone, solemn faces and eyes.  You have to be creative and tell them to do funny things, say funny things.  Saying funny things isn't too hard for me since my Spanish is probably equivalent to a 4 year old...maybe.

CAMPOS FAMILY

I snapped these a couple Sundays ago after church.  It was hot and SUNNY.  Let me say that again, "It was HOT."  I WAS HOT!  We don't have that perfect sweet hour of light right now.  Some days you might have it, but other days it goes from blinding sun to dark with torrential rain.  There is no scheduling a time to take some photos.  With raining season, you just go outside when you can.  

I thought (above photo) was cute.  Little Valeria just wasn't quite big enough to get her face above the rail.  I was working on getting some smiles...no one was impressed but Mom and Dad.

We were walking around looking for some shady places to take some photos and we ran into these people.  Their grandmother offered for us to come in their gate and take photos in her beautiful flower garden and rancho.  I have some of those too, but that will have to be a later day.  I edited these couple of pictures during school today and this little bit of computer time is about all they can handle today...there is chaos in the house.

And, I do believe this photo is a SUCCESS.  While it may not be prefect lighting, I think these are some perfect facial lines!

p.s.  I don't have time to reread and check for grammatical errors and typos...I am smarter than my typing and writing may always appear, just busy and trying to formulate complete sentences with 4 kids talking, laughing, and at times screaming.

Sweet Fellowship

While the Moore Family was here visiting at the end of July we scheduled to have a Sunday get together for lunch and an afternoon singing.  It was a wonderful day.  Everyone was visiting with one another.  There are some in the group who rarely speak, actually they don't at all unless they are spoken to, and others that love to chat.  I always say it takes all kinds to make the world go round.  He knew what he was doing.

Everyone stayed for the singing.  I couldn't get everyone in the photo.  : )

 Visiting

Brother Jorje

From Left: Martha, Julito, Felecia & her granddaughter

This particular Sunday that we had our get together after services a new family had visited our services for the first time.  David had previously met her before and visited with her very briefly.  She joined us with her two children, a six year old little boy, and I believe a 9 year old girl.  She asked us to pray for her husband because he had cut his hand the previous day with a machete.  Automatic nurse instinct is to think the worst.  I am thinking he has a mangled hand that was chopped with a rusty machete.  They do not have seguro (the national insurance) because they are unable to pay, like so many people we know here.  

Later that afternoon on the way home, David and I stopped to visit their family.  We were very thankful to assess a hand that had a small cut to one finger that would heal fine with a peroxide cleaning, clean gauze, antibiotic ointment, and some band-aids.  I did ask to see the machete, and as I thought, a really nasty and rusty piece of metal.  I explained, at this point David is translating, that he really needed a tetanus shot.  Tried to also tell him that it would be a good idea for him to have it anyways since he works with a machete everyday and could potentially harm himself with it.  He did not want it.  We couldn't understand why.  We told him we would get the medication and I could give it to him.  He refused because he did not want to be stuck with a needle.  He said if I gave him a shot in his arm he would not be able to work.  I tried to explain that he would be able to work, but if he got tetanus he would not be able to work.  Oh well, we tried.  God answers prayers and his finger is all healed.

We headed back to the house from a full day of "like back home" Sunday fellowship.  On our way home we passed an ambulance flying down the road with crater-sized potholes.  David and I both commented that someone must be in a bad way.  Because in the entire year we have lived here, I have never, and I repeat NEVER seen an ambulance move in rapid manner.  They drive like normal with the their lights flashing.  No one moves to the side of the road.  No one stops at intersections to let them pass.  They sit in traffic like any other vehicle and I envision people dying in these things, because they are never going to make it to the hospital.

A few minutes after we got home we received a completely frantic phone call from Demaris.  Her son had been run over by a motorcycle.  They were in Atenas and were soon heading to the hospital about 45 minutes from here.  She asked for us to pray.  David called everyone from church to let them know what had happened.  We heard from her again that night that her son had sustained some head injuries, possible some internal bleeding, and they were doing some more scans.

The next morning we learned they were sending him home and he had some follow-up visits in the following days.  We went to go see him the next day and for a little boy who had a motorcycle run him over at a high speed and went down the entire middle of his body, he looked good.  God had answered a many of prayers.  Prayers from so many people, people in Costa Rica, people in the United States.  He obviously had some swelling in his face.  He had no broken bones, only nine stitches on his forehead, and not a single bruise or any swelling visible on the trunk of his body.

Since then, him and his family have been at services every Sunday.  His stitches are gone, he lost a tooth, but his smile is back.  He is a quiet little boy with a smile behind his mother's leg when we talk to him.

The power of prayer is a miraculous thing!  I need to get some pictures of that shy smile, so everyone can see the miracle.

Muy Ocupado

Translation - VERY BUSY

Yes, that pretty much sums up my life.  For years I have had goals of less.  Less stress, less work, less daily over commitments.  And, it is a never ending fail situation.  I quit doing some things only to find other things that I need to do and commit to do and have to do.

In all of that, the blog just gets lost and completely forgotten.  I said, "Forgotten."  Sorry.  I remember late at night when my brain is not coherent and I am in a slumber of really wishing I could sleep but too tired to get up do anything in the middle of the night sleepless state.

Life in Costa Rica.  Crazy!  Good!  More crazy!  New things!  New friends!

Major Blessing- To all those prayer warriors that prayed along with us for so many months that our house situation in the states would work out with a sale or a new rental commitment, God answered.  We literally received a contract just days before we were going to be out the mortgage with no rental income.  While we definitely are taking a monthly loss in order to secure that rental contract we are praying God will provide.  Another Year!!!

July seemed to come and go in a complete blur.  The kind of blur, you know the one that is just circles
of blur.  I thought I would have a few weeks to catch up on "my things," the non homeschool related activities that just are a passing thought.  Things like swimming at the pool, reading books, taking pictures, trips to the park, and ice cream cones were on my agenda.  Well, I think we went to the pool once, I read one book, once to the park, and we managed lots of pictures (that still need to be edited) and ice cream cones a few times.  It went by in a blur.

We take all visitors to Tio Mano's for some local "helado."

{New Friends - Africa, Vietnam, Taiwan, United States, Germany, and Israel represented here in 

Costa Rica.  Love Diversity!!!}

During that time David and I painted the church building (still not complete, need to cut in the ceiling, but hey it looks better than it did) and we had tile laid in the church.  Before it was varying types of concrete from cracks everywhere, finished spots of concrete, to unfinished, and unlevel.

{We have had a full house almost every Sunday for the last 6 or 7 weeks.  This particular Sunday there was not a chair left.  That is such a good problem...people sitting on paint buckets.}

Nana came for a visit, of which was part of the radial whirlwind blur of activity in July.  She was here and then she was gone.  She came with puppets for the kids and they loved that and have had some hilarious puppet shows for us and have entertained company as well.

And we still have crazy, funny, and loud kids.  Some things never change!  : )

I have so much news to share that I do not even know where to begin.  So, for now this is a start.  Along with our normal daily activities of survival, learning, teaching, meditating, and so many other things I am wanting to start doing photography here as a free-lance.  I am not a professional by any means and have so much to learn, but I think this is a good place to start.  I have had lots of people here ask me to do this and others encourage me to do so.  So, that has pretty much consumed my little tid bits of spare time lately.  I am one of those OCD kind of people.  If I am going to start this then I want to do it right.  That means more prep work on the front end, but to me it results in better organization and less hiccups...or so I tell myself.  I have been working on building my website (talk about a brain zapper and time consumer...and I am using a template).  I started with what would be my logo.

Then I made my Facebook page.  Let me just tell you the couple different times I have attempted to manage more than one Facebook page linked with my name it is a disaster.  And, this time was no different.  But it is working now.  Yay!!!!  Finally after fighting with it for 5 weeks...yes, sadly, it is true.  FIVE long frustrating weeks.  You can check it out here.  I will let you know when I am ready to launch the website.  While you are probably living in a different country, you can still take a look and see what I am up to in the wee hours of the night, staying up really late and going cross-eyed.  Because, we all know, especially homeschool moms, that there is never any time in the day for this sort of activity.  I decided to take the plunge and do this.  I figured if I can even do a few shoots here and there that will help pay for plane tickets to go back to the states, once a year hopefully, and maybe not drain the bank....have you seen airfare prices lately??????  And for a family of 6??  Whew! 

So, Kristin, thanks for the shove!!!  I laughed when I got your message this morning.  Hopefully, I am back from my extended leave.  And I will give the latest and greatest snippets of life here in Costa Rica serving a mighty God.

Night All!