Quito

We wanted to share our exciting news with everyone. We are going to Quito, Ecuador! After a long 5 weeks of praying and fasting we were glad to hear the news that a new place of service has been found for us until the doors open up for us in VZ. I have placed a slide show of a few of the photos from Quito on the right hand side of the blog. Some interesting facts about Ecuador: The city of Quito is home to about 2.5 million people and lies 20 miles south of the equator. The currency of Ecuador is the US dollar. There are over 40 different indigenous nations with over 40% of the population being indigenous. Ecuador is also home—despite its small size (it is a little smaller than Colorado) —to a great variety of species, many of them endemic, like those of the Galapagos islands (located 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador). This species diversity makes Ecuador one of the top eighteen megadiverse countries in the world. The geography is varied with the snow capped Andes mountains, beautiful white beaches, Amazon rainforest, and the region encompassing the Galápagos Islands. Cuy (guinea pig) is a popular dish among the people in the mountains. It is served roasted and I'm told tastes like chicken.

We are excited about our upcoming move and rejoice in all the Lord has planned for us as we seek to serve Him in Quito.

RIP Nacho

It is always hard to have a pet die, but I believe perhaps even harder when you watch your pet die. We have had little Nacho now for a little less than a year. The kids knew they were going to have to say goodbye to our little furry friend when we left, but we always assumed some friends of ours would give him a good home and we would say goodbye in a bittersweet way knowing he was still swinging around his cage like a monkey and entertaining somebody else just like he always did us.

Thursday morning when I got back from my run I found him trapped in the window of his little house that is in his cage. He had 1 paw and his head stuck out and his color was really dusky. I got Ken and we got him unstuck, but you could tell he was struggling to breath and very flaccid. I had the kids hold him for a little while knowing that when we came home from school he would probably be gone. Sure enough when we came home Nacho had passed on and so we decided to have a funeral for him. The children decorated a box for him to be buried in. Connor played "Amazing Grace" on the guitar and Kayleigh read the 23rd Psalm. Afterwards we had a hard time explaining to Cade that we couldn't dig him back up and put him in his cage. We have said goodbye to 3 pets now in the last 1 1/2 years and this one I believe was hardest on the kids just because they knew the little guy suffered. The kids wanted to know if they would see their little "luchador" in heaven and I told them that if the lion was going to lay down with the lamb in heaven that surely there would be room for a little hamster named Nacho Libre.

"Glory"

I made this video for an upcoming praise and worship time we are having at school for our last chapel. Most of the photos are from people and places of Central and South America. The message of the words are so powerful. "Glory" by Selah and Nichole Nordeman

Walking the Desert

Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt you were walking in the desert? When it was so dry in your life that you could almost taste the sand and feel the heat? That was how I felt about 2 weeks ago when we were waiting to hear about where we would be going. I was struggling with wondering if we were really where God wanted us, because if we were, why were there so many obstacles now? Why did I feel like we were out here in the Sahara alone? Does anyone know what I am talking about? You try to remember where you must have turned left when you should have turned right. You find yourself looking back at the signals and wondering if you imagined all the signs as if they were an oasis that was only a mirage.

This is where I found myself when ironically we had our Spiritual Emphasis Week at school, but it wasn't really ironic at all. I feel that it was God's answer to my spiritual thirst. During the morning sessions with Iva May and just the ladies I heard Iva talk about the need to not just go through the motions in our daily quiet times (as I had been doing lately), but to really reflect on what God was saying to us through His Word and our prayer time. She encouraged us to start a Bible journal that helps us to see the lessons God is showing us each day during our quiet time. Although I have often had prayer journals, I never even thought of having a Bible journal. How wonderful it is to reflect on what is truly important.

The part for me most of all that hit home was when her husband, Stan, in the evening session talked to us about the Israelites being in the desert. He read the passage in Numbers 9 that talked of the Lord using a cloud by day and fire by night to guide the Israelites. That when the cloud/fire lifted from the temple, day or night, a day, month or year, they were to follow it. They were never forewarned of where they were going or even when they were going. They were to merely be obedient in the call. He pointed out how difficult that must have been after a long day of traveling when they were tired and had finally eaten and put the children to bed and then the pillar of fire moves beckoning them to follow. I am sure they probably wanted to say no way, but they realized that without the great I AM, they were nothing. Without Him guiding them, they would be lost in the desert. But what truly grabbed me in this lesson was when we read the passage in Joshua 10 where the Israelites marched all day and night with Joshua. Then they proceeded to fight all of the next day, and when Joshua asked God to stop the sun they continued fighting through the "night" into the next day. How could they do that? Because God had conditioned them in the desert for 40 years, following the cloud by day and the pillar by night. It was not for nothing, this intense training. God had a purpose.

And so I know God has a purpose for us when we go through those tough times in our lives of trials and tribulations. God is not just testing our faith or showing us how much we need to depend on Him. He is preparing us for what lies ahead. And as the Lord showed Hagar in the desert when she cried out for mercy, the Oasis is right in front of us if we will only open our eyes and see. His Word is that Oasis and our prayers are that cry. So with each of these moments in the desert I pray that God draws me ever closer to Him knowing that He is the eternal spring in a barren and thirsty land.

Freedom is Never Free

I was sitting here and looking at all the posts on Facebook of 4th of July activities and comments of thanks about our country's founding fathers. I was reminded of the price paid for that freedom, a price many other country's citizens are unable or unwilling to pay. Below is a poem that reminds us of the cost of freedom. As we celebrate this important holiday and our heritage as US citizens I hope that all will give thanks to God for our freedom and pray for the soldiers that continue to pay the price to keep our freedom. God bless all of you and God bless America.

FREEDOM’S PRICE (Tribute to Declaration of Independence)

"In God we trust," on our money appears

Showing our faith down through the years.

Behind the flag we call "Old Glory"

Lies a valiant and courageous story.

________________

The Declaration, as Jefferson penned it,

Called for British rule to be ended.

Unalienable rights of freedom were told

When John Hancock etched his signature bold.

________________

Fifty-six strong and courageous men

Took in hand a goose-quill pen.

Knowing the risk, and holding life dear,

They signed the charter, ignoring the fear.

________________

Five endured torture which took their lives,

Never returning to their wives.

Twelve homes were looted, plundered, or burned,

And nine men died in a war they had spurned.

________________

Four sons were captured or otherwise lost,

Of these brave men who counted the cost.

Their gallant echoes of the past

Speak of a heritage rich and vast.

_________________

Now, we cherish this land of ours

And give praise to higher powers.

God has smiled on its fruited plains

And blessed its wealth of golden grains.

__________________

The Star-Spangled Banner proudly waves high

Over these brave men, and we know why--

Independence won by master design;

Freedom gained through Providence Divine.

617729

There are many times in my life when I have heard others talk about how they reacted in a crisis and I have said, “Well I wouldn’t have done that, I would have…” I have discovered that in the midst of a crisis reactions can be so fast that you never truly realize the danger until it has passed.

Today a kid walked up to me on the street while I was walking from the school at 9:20 in the morning and said, “¡Deme todo!” (Give me everything!) He literally bumped into me when I tried to walk past him and I replied, “¿Qué?” (What?), because I did not realize that he was really robbing me. I was not scared. He was just a 20-something punk kid, but then he showed me his “pistola” saying in Spanish he had a gun and I needed to hand everything over to him. For those of you that don’t know, I was in the military, and I immediately looked at the gun and thought it could be a fake. Then again, I thought about the fact that he was bold enough in broad daylight to rob me, so it might just be real. I handed him my book bag and he asked me for my money. I told him I didn’t have any and then I started yelling, “¡Ayúdame! ¡Él me robó!” As he ran off, I chased him around the corner. He jumped into his waiting car and sped off as I memorized the tag number 617729 and the type of car (a gray Nissan sedan).  I turned to see who had witnessed this and found a man in a white van willing to help me as I wanted to write down the tag number. A lady nearby had seen the car speed off and she too remembered the last 4 numbers of the tag, and saw where the car had turned up the street. The kind man in the white van, José, called the police with the information. The nearest small police station was actually ¼ mile down the street and we waited about 3 minutes for them to show up. When they never did, José drove me the couple of blocks to the station. The police were there and after giving them the information again (they received it the first time, but I guess had not planned to leave yet to catch the man) they left in a motorcycle and police car. I will give the lady cop credit in that she found a large assault rifle, grabbed extra clips, loaded it, and got into the patrol car like she meant business. The two guys looked really “tranquilo”, but she was loaded for bear. Atta girl!

  Anyway, I am told that the police need me to go downtown and fill out a report to be able to do anything, and even then they believe the car and tags are stolen. I can say a friend was robbed about two weeks ago by a guy in a similar gray car and matching this kid’s description, and a couple just a week before that all within two blocks of the school. If all this happened so that he can finally be caught I am happy to forfeit my books, backpack, Franklin translator, and tape recorder, but I will say that losing my favorite little red Celtic HCSB Bible hurt some. There was also in my backpack a Bible study in Spanish called Vida Abundante with a simple study on the gospel of John. Most of all I pray he reads that. That alone would make it worth it all to me. I pray he comes to know the Savior that can heal and forgive. I thank God that my children were not with me, and I ask all of you to pray for this man and for the safety of the people at our language school. God is sovereign and I know that no one is beyond His power to save.

Just Hanging Around

Well, the countdown shows just a little over 6 weeks and we can honestly say we are ready to graduate! Unfortunately there have been a few delays in our process of leaving and there is a possiblity that we will find ourselves "hanging around" for a little while. We are hoping to receive more answers in the next week concerning our next field of service, so we would ask that each of you would pray for us as we seek God's direction in where we should go. We know that He has a plan for us and we want to be sensitive to His will.

So if any of you have any suggestions for us as we take another look at South America, feel free to give us a comment and tell us what you think. PS, if anyone knows of a good home for a cute little hamster named "Nacho Libre" please let us know. He's just kind of "hanging around" too!

School's Out For Summer

Well, the kids had their last day of school on Friday and we had a cultural day for our classes as well. As you'll see from the video the kids had a talent show and we had fun playing carnival games for our cultural day. For the record, I won 5 of the 7 games I played and Ken won 3 of the 7, but he would tell you he won the ring toss and that was of course the hardest game to win. He has the paper ribbon to prove it!

The King of Spanglish

Our youngest son, Caedmon, has been afforded the benefit of more than 5 hours a day of Spanish-only day care during our 11 months here in Costa Rica. While our other two children have been in regular American-style classes with only an hour each day of Spanish instruction; Cade's teachers are all Ticas, and have cared for and taught him every day while we have been in language school.

As a result he has learned much from his "maestras" and fellow Ticos. He seems to easily understand cartoons in Spanish and when asked a question in Spanish he usually responds appropriately. However, at age 3, assimilating what he has learned into everyday conversation has been quite entertaining. He has a propensity for throwing Spanish words into his mostly English lexicon.
There is the usual mix of the Spanish in his sentences like, "I want más leche, Mamá." (more milk) and "Look, una mariposa!" (a butterfly). The other day he was counting and said, "Uno, dos, tres, four, five, six..." Just this evening he got liquid soap on his toothbrush and reacted with "That's just huacala!" (gross). Last night I cut my hair very short leaving the normal 1/16" guard off of my trimmers. He rubbed my head and told me my head looked like a "bola" (bola = ball).
We had been told that children are like sponges when it comes to learning a new language, and it seems that little Cade has developed his own little special combination of the two. I guess it's his destiny to be the King of Spanglish.

That's Where the Party's At

Here is a collection of photos from Cade's birthday and from our trip to La Cumbre in the mountains. Disfrútelas.

Everyone Who Calls...

This day at the House of Restoration started like any other day. Courtney and I went to the house at 2:30 Thursday to teach a lesson out of the 12 step book we have been using. When we got there I saw Maria.

Last week after the lesson she spent some time with me talking about a dream she had that had really frightened her. We talked about the fact that God can give peace in even the worst of circumstances. We talked about what it meant to be a child of God. She told me she did not have that kind of relationship with God, but that she desperately wanted one. She then prayed to receive Christ as her Savior. I was a little skeptical about if she really understood the commitment she had made. She is a quiet lady and she rarely participates in the Bible studies we have. I found out that she did not know how to read or write and I found 2 of the ladies at the house who told me they would be willing to read the Bible with her during the week. I left the house praying that during the week she would stay strong in the faith as so many of the women face great temptation after they make a profession of faith.

Towards the end of the lesson this week I looked outside to the front porch and saw Maria talking with her son and his girlfriend. As the lesson concluded I went outside to tell Maria the "homework" for the week and I noticed tears in her eyes. I sensed that she wanted to ask me something, but I also felt like I was intruding at the same time. I walked back inside, but said for her to let me know if she wanted to talk to me about anything when she was done visiting with her family.

During this time I learned that there had been a baptismal service on Saturday and Maria and a few of the other ladies had been baptized. I was so happy to hear this news as it is a real profession of faith here in a Catholic country. As I was discussing this with some of the ladies we saw that Maria, her son, and the girlfriend were all crying outside loudly. When I inquired, "¿Qué pasó?" I was told that Maria's son and his girlfriend had just prayed with Maria to receive Christ. They were tears of joy! We gathered all 3 of them in the house and one of the other ladies, Angie, prayed over all three of them. What a beautiful thing to behold. I was so happy to see that Maria had not only embraced the Lord as her savior, but had on her first opportunity shared this joy with her son and his girlfriend.

When I first prayed with Maria I had been skeptical that she understood fully the commitment she had made. God has taught me a lesson that there is no room for cynicism when we share the gospel. Our job is merely to be the vessel that He chooses to use in the moment and then let God be God. He is the one who should convict, affirm, and change hearts. Salvation is a sovereign work of grace from God.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

Lessons Learned

A couple of weeks ago we had Cade's 3rd birthday party at Parque La Paz. We were thankful for the beautiful weather that we had that day as the rainy season has started and it is difficult to tell sometimes if the rain will start early or late in the day. Our friends the Bredbenners, Murphrees, Gillens, Constantes and Woods were there to celebrate with us. The kids enjoyed playing in the park and riding horses.

We had originally invited many people to come to the party, but several were unable to attend at the last minute, so we had several Thomas the Tank Engine cupcakes left over that I had made. Something we have noticed here in this culture is that strangers are not afraid to come up and ask for something they want. This was exactly the case as a girl who looked to be about 5 or 6 years old came up to me and pointed at one of the cupcakes I had on a plate. I realized that she wanted one, and although I still thought it strange, I gave her one anyone because of her boldness. Less than a minute later, her little sister came with her and she too pointed to one of the sugary treats. I gave her one, but this time I was getting a little put out, after all, it was a birthday party for my son and I really didn't feel like being the hostess to every child in the park that day. (There were well over 20 at the time!)

The next day I was running and listening to my daily 2 chapters in the New Testament on my ipod. As it would be, that day the verses I heard were from chapter 11 of Luke.

5-6 Then he said, "Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don't have a thing on hand.'
7 "The friend answers from his bed, 'Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.'
8 "But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, because of your boldness he will get you what you need.
9 "Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open.
10-13 "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

Luke 11:5-13 from The Message

Wow, it hit me like a ton of bricks! Isn't that exactly what that little girl did? In boldness she asked for something she did not have, and because of that she received, but so many times I sit and suffer in silence over a situation in my life because my pride refuses to let me acknowledge that I need help. All I really need to do is in boldness ask the Lord for those things I need; peace, courage, strength, compassion, self-control, love...and would He too not give them to me when I am a beloved child of His? How many times do we walk around in despair or pain when if we will only diligently ask God to bring us through it, He gladly will.

I am so glad that day a little Tica girl asked me for a cupcake. I think I was the one who really received a reward that day.

For Mom

This morning at 5am I awoke to the sound of fireworks. I remembered that today was suppose to be my day to sleep in as it is Mother's Day in the US. Here, however, it is not Mother's Day. They celebrate that special day in August. I wondered to myself where these fireworks were coming from and why. They were a little sporadic, but just frequent (and loud) enough to keep me from going back to sleep. Ken went out to investigate and asked a neighbor where they could be coming from. The neighbor nonchalantly said probably neighboring Zapote was having a fiesta. At 5 in the morning????!!!???? Are they crazy? When do they sleep? Then I remembered that the feria (farmer's market) starts at 5am in Zapote. I guess it was supposed to be our wakeup call to come to the feria.

Well, since it was Mother's Day, Ken told me to enjoy myself and go back to sleep after the fireworks stopped. As I snoozed off and on, Ken and the kids made me a big breakfast with pancakes, eggs and turkey bacon. The kids had each made me cards with little coupons like "Good for one free back massage" and "good for one free bed making" and others. I am excited to use my wonderful gifts!

Most of all I am thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful family. It is such a blessing to have a family that loves me. Thank you Lord for Mother's Day and thank you Lord for mothers!

Wings

Yesterday we celebrated the 3rd birthday of our little man, Caedmon Samuel Nelson. I know some of you know the history behind his name, but for those who do not, I would like to tell you the story.
Cædmon was a simple farm laborer who became an Anglo- Saxon poet. How did this happen?
Cædmon was a herdsman and during joyous gatherings the herdsmen joined together and sang songs. When Cædmon’s turn to sing approached he quickly got up to avoid embarrassment, for he knew no songs and did not know how to sing. One night Cædmon went to the stable to sleep with the animals, and in a vivid dream he saw an unknown man who asked him to sing about The First Creation. He obeyed and used words which he had never heard before. The verse he wrote was full of praise for God and his creation, this verse was called "Cædmon’s Hymn"
He was thought to be glorified and honored with a divine gift. This gift was given to him by God; he received the “art of poetry.” He was welcomed in the community and later became a monk. He composed poems based on the first book of the Bible and also the New Testament. This all came from an uneducated man that merely wanted to serve God with the gift he had been given.
It is our prayer that our precious son, Caedmon, will serve God too with the wonderful gifts he has been given. We love you Cade.

What a Day That Will Be

Last week we completed our second trimester and decided to go on a trip to Puntarenas to stay at the beach and have some fun. Our friends the Woods came with us for the trip. We had a wonderful and relaxing time and are now ready for our last trimester as the rainy season appears to have started back today!

35 with 5 years experience

This last week I reached a milestone that I never really thought about reaching when I was younger; I turned 40. I awoke the morning of the 17th a little bit down as I went for my 30 minute run. My body ached more than it did when I turned 35. I also admit that my pace is probably quite a bit slower than it was at 35 too. Because I only had one class that day I thought of skipping school entirely, but I didn't. I really need all the studying I can get as it is a little harder to remember things it seems with each year that passes.

I wasn't really sure what the day would hold as not too many of my friends here even knew it was my birthday and with it being at the end of the trimester, I knew the first part of my day would be spent in the student sale. I also knew that Ken, being the last minute person he can sometimes be, had just invited some people the night before to come to Otero's for pizza that night, so I wasn't really sure that at the last minute anyone would be able to come.

As I was working the sale a dear friend, Nicole, brought me the perfect thing to brighten my day - flowers! When I arrived at grammar class late they all started singing to me, "Feliz Cumpleaños". I was even able to lay down and have a siesta for a little while that afternoon with Cade. I hear that's what you do when you get older.

Anyway, we went and bought a couple of small cakes and headed over to Oteros. Our kind Tico friends from here (Yoko and Gus) took us from the store to the restaurant so we would not have to take a taxi. That was another unexpected blessing for sure. When the waiter at Otero's asked how many would be coming we told him probably around 12-20 people give or take a few. Before I knew it there were 53 of us! I had to send Ken around the corner to get another cake from the bakery. I felt so special to have so many friends there.

Suddenly I did not really feel like 40, really more like 35 again. And so I have decided that I am really 35.....just with 5 years of experience!

Semana Santa

Easter 2009

Make a Smilebox postcard

The Day After Tomorrow

This week I had to write a paper after we watched this movie (The Day After Tomorrow) in Spanish class. For any of you have seen this movie and just love it (like most of my teachers here in Costa Rica) I am sorry, but the science in it is way off. I do believe that the climate is changing, and surprise... I do believe it is a result of man's actions. Now here is the kicker. I believe that we are in the end times because Jesus clearly states in Matthew chapter 24 that we will see many changes here on the earth that will signal the begining of the end. Are these changes a result of our actions? Yes! These changes are occuring because we have sinned against God and against each other. I do not believe in global warming (I think most scientists today have said that with the polar ice caps refreezing at such a quick rate the "warming theory" has way too many holes in it) but I do believe that the world's condition will deteriorate drastically before the return of Christ because He has allowed these things to happen.

Anyway, this is my paper in Spanish class. It basically gives the reasons the Bible gives for being good stewards of what the Lord has given us (the earth). I did not get on a soap box, but I did think about it once or twice. For those of you who have never seen my post on "Iron Eyes Cody" from last fall, it will give you a good idea of how many central Americans see the environment as being very seriously... somebody else's problem. The river behind our house which stays full of trash, the cars and trucks with no fuel emission standards, the raw sewage allowed to flow in rivers and streets from houses and even government park buildings (see Manuel Antonio and the recent shut down for health reasons) are good examples...not to follow.

Anyway, here is the paper, and by the way, my teacher gave me an A.

La Biblia y el Medio Ambiente

Hay muchas cosas en el mundo que debemos cuidar, pero a veces los cristianos no vean el medio ambiente desde esta perspectiva. La película “El Día Después de Mañana” me hizo pensar,“¿Qué dice la Biblia sobre el medio ambiente?”

La Biblia dice que Dios nos hizo e hizo el mundo para que Él recibiera gloria y honor. Dios tenía la intención de que cuidáramos el mundo. (Génesis 1:26 Hagamos al ser humano a nuestra imagen y semejanza. Que tenga dominio sobre los peces del mar, y sobre las aves del cielo; sobre los animales domésticos, sobre los animales salvajes, y sobre todos los reptiles que se arrastran por el suelo.) Dios nos encarga que tengamos responsabilidad sobre los animales y la tierra (Génesis 2:15 Dios el Señor tomó al hombre y lo puso en el jardín del Edén para que lo cultivara y lo cuidara).

Ojalá que siempre hubiéramos cuidado el mundo como el Señor quería. En el Antiguo Testamento la gente tenía problemas como hoy. Dice Jeremías 2:7 “Yo los traje a una tierra fértil, para que comieran de sus frutos y de su abundancia. Pero ustedes vinieron y contaminaron mi tierra; hicieron de mi heredad algo abominable.” El mundo va a tener problemas hasta que nosotros tratemos de cuidarlo. Por ejemplo, no debemos matar a los animales hasta que ellos se extingan, pero muchas personas los han hecho (Proverbios 12:10 El justo atiende a las necesidades de su bestia, pero el malvado es de mala entraña.)
Además a mi me molesta que mucha gente use el rio como un basurero, y la calle también. Ezequiel 34:17-18 dice: En cuanto a ti, rebaño mío, esto es lo que dice el Señor omnipotente: Juzgaré entre ovejas y ovejas, y entre carneros y chivos. ¿No les basta con comerse los mejores pastos, sino que tienen también que pisotear lo que queda? ¿No les basta con beber agua limpia, sino que tienen que enturbiar el resto con las patas? El Señor nos dio la tierra para cuidarla y tenemos que ser buenos administradores de lo que Él nos ha dado.

El Señor no recibe gloria por nuestras malas acciones y no la recibirá mientras no cuidemos el mundo como Él lo desea. Pero, es evidente que no debemos adorar el mundo con nuestras acciones. Hay gente que no cree que la vida de los humanos sea más preciosa que los animales o la tierra. Ellos creen que "demasiada gente" debe interpretarse como un "contaminante" del medio ambiente o la naturaleza y por eso, el típico "el control de la natalidad" y el aborto por lo general son las teorías de apoyo. Es triste que hayamos permitido que esto suceda.
Finalmente, Deuteronomio 8:10 dice:"...alabarás al Señor tu Dios por la tierra buena que te habrá dado." Si tuviéramos respecto por la creación que Dios nos dio, desfrutaríamos más su creación. Por todo lo que recibimos, debemos dar gracias al Señor.

Now...English...

The Bible and the Environment

There are many things in the world that we should care for, but at times Christians do not see the world from that perspective. The movie, “The Day After Tomorrow”, made me think, “What does the Bible have to say about the environment?”

The Bible says that God made us and the world to bring glory and honor to himself. God had the intention that we would care for the world. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. (Genesis 1:26) God gave us responsibility over the animals and over the plants of the earth. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15 Dios el Señor tomó al hombre y lo puso en el jardín del Edén para que lo cultivara y lo cuidara).

I wish we always cared for the world as the Lord wanted. In the Old Testament the people had problems very similar to today. Jeremiah 2:7 says, “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.” The world is going to continue to having more problems unless we take care of it. For example, we should not kill animals to the point of extinction, but many people have done just that. A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)
Also, it bothers me that so many people use the river and the streets like their own personal trash can. Ezekiel 34:17-18 says, “As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? The Lord gave us the earth to take care of and we need to be good stewards of what He has given us.

The Lord will not receive glory from our bad actions, and He will not receive them in the future either if we do not care for the world as He desires. It is evident, however, that we should not worship the world with our actions. There are people that do not believe that human life is more precious than the animals or the environment itself. They believe that “too many people” are considered a “contamination” of the environment and nature, and for this “birth control” in the form of abortion is a theory they support. It is sad that this has been allowed to succeed.
Finally, Deuteronomy 8:10 says,”... praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” If we have respect for the creation that God has given us, we will better enjoy His creation. In everything that we receive, we should give thanks to the Lord!

Culture Day

Today we had our culture day at school. Each trimester we have a day devoted to learning interesting things about the Latino culture. In previous culture days we learned about Christmas traditions, national holidays, food, music, and many more interesting little facts about life in Latin America. Today was no different as we were privileged to hear about common home remedies, popular children's games, music and dance, and of course food. It took me almost 13 years of marriage and becoming missionaries for Ken to finally take dance lessons with me, but it finally happened! We learned how to do the merengue and the salsa.

Another neat part about culture day is we get to eat some of the local cuisine, but this time we actually got to help cook it too. I finally found out the secret to making something with the brick-like substance they use instead of brown sugar. They melt it down with coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove and make a sort of candy with it that is pretty good. We also had a great potato and meat dish with corn tortillas, fruit salad and a refreshing fruit drink. All in all it was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to experience some of the culture. Below left you will see the photo I call "white men can jump" and to the right I call it "white men can dance".

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

Here are some pictures from Kayleigh's 1st grade teacher's Surprise 50th Birthday Party. Happy Birthday Peggy. We love you.

Young at Heart

This last weekend I had the pleasure of going on a one night retreat to an area about 1 1/2 hours outside of San Jose with the ladies from our school. The theme of the retreat was "You are His Stars" and each of us was treated like stars during the day we were at the retreat with chocolate, star name tags, people to pray for us, and some wonderful messages from Marge, our speaker.

When we went there I was starting to feel a bit tired and worn out from the daily trips to school, continual studying, and feeling like I was moving at a snail's pace learning Spanish. I guess some people would call it a slump, but as I get closer and closer to the big 4-0 I think at times that maybe I am just feeling my age. Then I went on this retreat. They had fun games for us to play including one where we all lined up around the room according to our ages. I felt a little bummed as I looked around the room and realized that I was in the older 1/3 of the 70 or so women that came to the retreat.

During the retreat we were given a couple of hours to enjoy the pool and the big water slide. Because I recently dyed my hair back to it's original color of brown, (don't ask me about the "zanahoria/ orange" color I had been sporting for 5 months through an early miscommunication with a Tica hairdresser) and I didn't think it wise to get in the pool, but I enjoyed watching other ladies go flying down the slide squealing the whole way. The funny thing about the slide and the pool was that the ladies most represented were the women in the 50 something category. While me and my 30 something friends were staying a safe distance from the water, the 50 something "red hat" ladies were having a blast in the pool, doing water ballet, playing chicken, and acting like little school girls.

As I watched them frolick in the water I realized that they might be older than me, but what a blessing it was to see that these ladies were truly young at heart. And so I left the retreat renewed in my spirit with perhaps a lighter and younger heart than when I came.

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

- Psalm 103:2-5