Costa Rican Vacation

So I am sitting in Starbucks with the intent of being able to concentrate more but as you can tell, I am not being successful in this venture. I think it is the lack of a close deadline, like tomorrow. I definitely write papers quicker under pressure. But God willing, I will be able to concentrate before too long.
I have yet to tell you all of all the adventures that I was able to experience the last week of Costa Rica. I can’t say I am going to go into extreme detail because we will both end up bored. The beginning of my vacation was begun with a great trip to one of Costa Rica’s magnificent volcano’s complete with a trip to the hot springs and a beautiful waterfall. Then after a journey through the lake, over the mountains, and through the woods we made it to the town of MonteVerde and were able to go zip lining (the one thing I wanted to do before I left). I can say that this weekend excursion was well worth the money. Being able to zip line about a quarter of a mile over a valley like superman made the whole thing complete.
And as much as I love to hate the beach (because of the sand, heat, and salt water; I’m more of a pool person) I went to the beach because yet again, it’s all part of the experience. We went to two different beaches. Both beaches magnificent and something to be experienced. The first beach had a national park and we got to see a howler monkey, a sloth, Costa Rican raccoons and the little whit face monkeys (no idea what they are called). The beach was beautiful and we got to set up our hammocks until the park closed. I am convinced that the hammock was the best $40 I have spent in my entire life. At one of the beach towns we went searching for a waterfall and with little surprise but much joy we found it and spent all day playing on the rope swing and jumping into the deep pools of water and finding a perfect spot to set up the hammock. The next day we got to go snorkeling at Isla Tortuga where we had a fish lunch then got to set up our hammocks again right on the beach. Life here is truly “Tranquilo” or calm and it is beautiful.
This is definitely the extremely brief version but the details are numerous but this was by far the best vacation I have been on because of the company and the experiences. I will never forget this week and could probably move back to one of the several places we went, become a beach bum, be completely content with life and die feeling successful.



Our hammocks right on the beach.



The view from my hammock in the national park. Can life get much better?



Isla Tortuga- Around where we went snorkeling. We set our hammocks up on this beach too.



Love this kid

Pictures

Here are some pictures from my first weekend being a tourist. We went to Arenal Volcano where we went to Hot Springs, then went to La Fortuna, the waterfall then took a "van-Boat-van" to MonteVerde where we got to zip-line.
I am having writers block so the pictures will have to be enough for now. And the top picture is of my Tico family and I.

I'm HOME

Amigos,
Sorry for the long space between posts but I was blessed with the opportunity to be a tourist for a week with 2 of my favorite people from school and I didn't have regular internet access. And if I can be completely honest, internet access was not even on my top 100 priority list for the week. But rather finding a place to set up my hammock was 1st priority. And I was quite successful at that. As of today I am sano y salvo (safe and sound) at home but I would really love to tell you all about my last couple weeks in Costa Rica and some concluding thoughts whether or not anyone is still reading. I plan on including some fotos. Maybe, with caitlyns gracious artistic permission I can use some of hers. Considering she was a little more picture happy. I can't tell you all how strange it is for everyone to be speaking english. I keep slipping random spanish words. I am ecstatic to be home to see my wonderful friends and family but it definitely is a little strange to be back on US soil. Thank you friends for your thoughts and prayers and check back within the week for some exciting posts, well hopefully I can do my adventures justice and you can live the excitement vicariously. Maybe I will be able to communicate sufficiently. Love you all.
Lauren

PS I didn't proofread this so please bear with me

Vamos Morado

So when my host dad told me we were going to go to see a Saprissa soccer game (I had been dropping hints like no one's business) I wasn't quite sure if I heard him right or if we were really going, because he told me not to tell the kids. But alas, when Sunday rolled around we rushed home from church, changed, ate cereal, and the guys and I headed back out.

The Saprissa is the local San Jose futbol (soccer) team. My host mom says they are boring, but my tico dad and brothers love the Saprissa.

So we took a bus to the center of San Jose and began our journey to the stop for the other bus we needed to take to the stadium. As we are walking down the street (and just about every street we walked down), Randall (my Tico dad) turns to me and says, "Don't ever walk down these streets, they are dangerous". So Than, being a great brother grabs my arm until we get to our destination. I saw a few hookers, crack heads, gang members and strip clubs, and I'm not just saying that. How's that for culture, professor? Ha. Anyways, we finally get to the stop and there's already a huge line of Saprissa fans. We had over full occupancy on our bus which is over 80. I was slightly claustrophobic standing like herded animals but luckily it was a bearable, short ride.

We have to go buy our tickets when we get there. They have many different ticket prices. The cheapest being in the sol (the sun) and the next is in the sombra (the shade). It was overcast so everything was shaded but apparently because the sun seats are so cheap there are a lot of crazies, so Johnathan insisted on the shade seats. But don't let this fool you, all Latin Americans are crazy when it comes to futbol.

There were two large groups of gringos (North Americans) in the section above ours so the kids watched them before the game started and we poked fun at them during the game. All in good clean fun I must say. Because I'm constantly around Ticos (Costa Ricans) I don't consider myself a gringa. And my friends in Carpio say I'm a Tica because I know Spanish. We also could see the whole city, the mountains and more from our seats. It was quite a sight. So normally I hate watching, playing or anything related to futbol, but this was better than awesome.

If you have ever been to any sporting event you might know (or if we are honest) you might even be that person who knows better than any player, coach or other fan and likes to voice it. This person is obnoxious, just saying. So I had that guy in front of me, and even though I couldn't always decipher his screams muffled by the other crowd noise, it was still slightly annoying. But not as much when you think that it's just part of what makes the experience. I mean isn't that what makes life so interesting? You experience the good and the bad (hopefully more good) and should just able to appreciate being alive.

There are people in the "end zone" seats with huge drums and they chant for the entire game. It's great. Some of the chants aren't exactly appropriate though.

Then when we score a goal (there were 3) people go crazy, so crazy that the stands shake. They move so much it feels like an earth tremor. It's honestly an accident waiting to happen. But alas it was great.

All in all it was a fabulous experience and I wish I could go all the time.

A Few Pictures

Me with Carmen and Lorena, my favorite ladies at the Refuge in Carpio.



A few of the kids at the Refuge playing with newspaper scraps.



The aftermath



More of the kids at the Refuge

Week Full of Firsts

So Saturday I headed into Carpio around lunchtime. Normally, once we get into Carpio the bus isn't very full, but today there were a ton of people the whole way. It threw me off and apparently the chofer (bus driver) too. We made a stop about 4 stops before the last one (my stop), and as the driver begins to take off, I hear a thump. I hear thumps all the time because there's always stuff in the street and the Carpio drivers are known for being the worst (a Tico told me so it has to be true). So I didn't think anything about it until everyone starts screaming "Dios mio" and rushing to the window. I stayed seated until a lady starts screaming at me that we hit a kid. I didn't really want to look, seeing as I have a sensitive stomach but I was the only one still seated. Thankfully I couldn't see because there were so many people. So I got off the bus and walked the rest of the way. I found out it wasn't the driver's fault and as far as I know the kid lived.

Ok, on to less depressing firsts.

Friday I went solo to San Jose. I didn't know if was possible to feel anymore independent after going alone to a foreign, non-English speaking country, traveling solo on the bus most days, etc. But my trip to the city made me feel more independent than ever. I just walked around, went into different stores, the market and made some purchases with no incidents. I can't wait to go back.

I normally don't talk on the bus, ever, and if I do it's only in Spanish. Well Thursday I asked an old lady next to me a question to make sure I had gotten on the right bus (many look the same but don't go to the same place). After she told me, she proceeded to tell me her whole life story for the rest of the ride. I think old woman chatty cathy just needed someone to talk to. I was just glad she wasn't looking for advice.

I am in no way being mean when I say this, but I have made friends with the sketchy pot head that lives three houses up. I mean, we aren't going to have dinner together, but he is super friendly and we always talk in passing. The way I see it, it's a sort of security system; he has a lot of sketchy druggie friends but because he likes me he won't let anything happen to me. (They have a field for smoking pot 200 ft from my house, so there are always people creeping around my neighborhood.)

I am super annoyed with gringos that talk to the people here in English. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that many of them don't speak English. They shouldn't have to, it's their country. You came to their country!! At least try to speak their language, its the least you can do.

Sunday we went to the local San Jose team (Saprissa) soccer game. I now think you haven't lived until you go to a Latin American soccer game. And it's best when you are the only gringa surrounded by hundreds of locals. This experience deserves its own blog later.

I have to write daily journals for school and I was told they just need to see that I was getting enough "cultural interaction". I don't think I could have anymore - I have had more culture than most people have in a year.

Hope you all have a great week.

"But he said to me, 'my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I've learned more life lessons here than I ever could in class

Sunday was the presidential elections and I went with the family to go vote. It was super insane. Luckily their polling place is right up the street. But Johnathan held onto me the whole time. I think he was afraid I would wander off or get kidnapped in the massive crowds. Costa Ricans elected their first female president. She won by a decent margin.

Monday and Tuesday it rained for the first time since I've been down here (aka 3 weeks).

I've been helping the cooks at the Refuge make lunch but lately we haven't had running water in our building (making cooking real difficult) so we have to go down to another building and carry huge things of water up too many stairs. But o well. It's character building.

I have small fingerprint size bruises and a knot on my arm from kids that don't know their own strength. But they scream my name from the time I walk into club until we leave so it's worth it.

The kids started school Wednesday. Yay! But they only go 3 hours at a time and all the kids' class times are different. (Costa Rica is the longest running democracy in Central America but their school system is inept).

Tomorrow I'm going into San Jose with my best friends from Carpio. I might take my camera but I'm not making promises. They just gave me the title of tica (what they call native Costa Ricans) yesterday so I don't want to look like a tourist. I'm super pumped. I'm also excited to be going with only adults. Not that I don't love kids, but trying to weave through crowds holding the hands of a tired and cranky 5 and 8 year old gets exhausting quick. All you parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles can understand. And if you say you can't you are either a saint or lying :).

Last night during dinner I saw the cat (I dislike cats, sorry) scurrying across the floor like a maniac then quickly realized when I saw it in her mouth that she'd found her protein for dinner, aka cockroach. I wasn't going to say anything but the rest of the family quickly noticed and began to watch, but they wouldn't let me look. I wouldn't put my feet down until I was sure the roach was dead.

Today when I was walking from the bus stop to home some of the kids were just getting out of school and I saw several of the kids from Club. It was the first time I saw them around the neighborhood. It was super exciting.

So you know when kids try to color or draw on their own and it often leaves much to be desired and up to the imagination and you nonetheless tell them that its awesome? Well today we made little monkeys out of pipe cleaners at club in Carpio. I have made over three types of pipe cleaner animals with the kids in Pavas and I normally end up doing everything for the kids. But yesterday was different. I helped a couple kids with the first monkey then they did the second completely unassisted except for when I had to glue the eyes on. These kids brought their creations to me with such pride. Some of their monkeys just looked like mangled pipe cleaners but I sincerely thought they were beautiful because these kids had given their all to build them. For the first time ever I could honestly tell these children I thought their work was great. I felt the pride a parent must feel when a kid tries their hardest. It was a good feeling.

That's it for now, I try to pick out the most interesting things to tell you all. Hopefully you all aren't bored yet. If so, then there's probably no hope for the rest of the posts.

I love you all dearly,
La

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" -Ephesians 3:17-20

Love Like Crazy

I haven't really been in the mood to write, and I'm still really not. But alas, sometimes we do things we don't want to.

- It is currently so hot I think I might melt soon. I know yall don't really want to hear it, because it's been so cold, but we have no air and even with all the windows and doors open there is still not much relief.

- Everything isn't bigger in Texas. The cockroaches are without a doubt bigger here and run rampant.

- There was a huge fire this morning up the street that affected over 45 families. The dangerous thing is that all these homes have bars, and they are all touching so it spreads faster than you can put it out.

- Johnathan, the oldest son, is pretty much my best friend. He always keeps an eye on me and comes and checks on me. He always sits by me, puts his hand on my shoulder, and gives me hugs. He also brings a pack of cookies for me for the long trip home after church. He doesn't know how much this comforts me to have someone always watching out for me when I'm without all of y'all and all the familiar things of home. I'm so thankful for him.

- I'm having a great time here, but it's sometimes difficult when you know your life at home is going on (changing) without you. But I don't expect any less.

- Some say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but it's not exactly productive for relationships. They can take their distance and I'll take my heart that is already pretty fond. But you do what you can with the cards you are dealt. I still have no doubt I am supposed to be here now.


This week I have experienced the intense love of the women I work with, not only for the girls at the Refuge but everyone they encounter. These women shed a lot of sweat and many tears in an attempt to help these young girls make something of themselves. They truly have the heart of Jesus. It's super refreshing and inspiring. Everyday I pray that I'm filled with the Love of God and have his compassionate heart for all I encounter. These women are positively affecting these girls, not just now but in the future, more than they will ever know.

I have no idea what the future holds or where I'll be in the next 6 months. But what I do know is that I want to be filled with the love that only comes from God. I want to positively impact everyone I encounter by sharing a love that is without judgment, expectations, conditions, or anything else that so often hinders our relationships with others, and others' relationships with their Loving Creator.

I want to love people with everything I have, so much that it hurts.

Lauren

Daily Happenings

Yesterday, Karen and I began our 1-hour journey to Carpio catching our first bus at 7:30am. Every morning before the girls start their respective classes, one of the teachers leads the girls in a Bible study. It's a pretty laid back atmosphere. The girls can bring their kids, which at times can make things a little distracting when a baby is crying. But for the most part, the kids are good at entertaining themselves inside the safe fences of the refuge.

So there are many things I can get used to, like cold showers, not flushing toilet paper, rice and beans with every meal (including breakfast), dinner after 7:30 pm. But there is one thing that I've experienced many times in Latin American culture that I will never get used to. We are sitting in a circle having devotional and one of the young mothers starts breast feeding while we are reading Juan. And she continues feeding her child for the rest of the study. I know it's natural and all, but I really don't want to watch anyone do that. But I'm a little modest like that, so take these comments with a grain of salt.

After Carpio, Ana and I took the bus back for club. I learned that I have a lot more patience when pre-teens have their bratty moments (which is too often) when I don't completely know the language. Especially when they are screaming. Every moment I have been here, I've wished I knew more Spanish. But club on Thursday was not one of those moments. A preteen boy that apparently only knows how to communicate by screaming was having a moment. When the other adult looked at me like, "I just want to get out of here", I was able to just smile because I had no idea what he was saying or what was going on. That was the only time so far during this trip that I've been thankful I'm not fluent.

A few random facts:
- Keylie, my host family's cat, came back after 5 days of being MIA. I think she realized food was worth enduring living with 3 kids.
- I already have a bit of a farmer's tan.
- Johnathan has given me another last name to fit in. He now calls me Lauren Michelle Hudson Mier. But Michelle for short.
- I still haven't gotten used to Emily watching me everywhere I go, but I stole Visa's slogan and I've started to say: "Emily, everywhere you want to be."
- I think whoever owns a steel company is making bank because every house here is barred up with steel fences around it. And every door, even the closet, has key locks on it from the outside. My house has three doors with dead bolts before you can even get inside. But I do sleep well at night.

Lauren

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11

Some Random-ness

Beware! This is full of really random thoughts and happenings from my days! Sorry I have no pictures. Where I live, you want to blend in as much as possible and not look like a tourist. Maybe later.

*I found out that China, my host mom, has a spin bike so I have ridden that in the mornings at about 5:30 ever since I found out. It starts the day off productive.
*I'm helping Randall with his English homework which is always fun. We repeat things a million times in English before we move on.
*If I have any more chocolate shakes, hot chocolate or anything with chocolate in it with my breakfast, I will barf. But I don't have the heart to tell China that I don't like it, so the only other option is to drink every drop with a smile on my face.
*This morning I luckily let Karen shower first, and I feel bad saying this, but I'm glad I did. She found a cockroach she claims was about 2 inches (I don't know because I wouldn't go look, along with the boys). I'm glad though because I normally shower with no contacts so I would've never known I had a shower partner to help wash my back! Haha.
*Today was my first lukewarm shower so it lasted more than 2 minutes.
*I've had a problem when I say perro(dog) and pero(but). They make fun of me everytime I say pero because they say it sounds like perro but I can't hear the difference when I say pero and they say pero. But Ana Virginia helped me and last night when I said it right they all celebrated with me. But their jest was all in good fun because I joke with Randall about his English when he pronounces bought, gorgeous, arrived and much more. :)
*Yesterday Jeffrey, a boy in Caprio and the son of one of the ladies that works at the refuge, was mixing cement and he said I couldn't do it so of course I had to step up to the plate. So in 2 minutes of mixing cement I got it all over me. But o well it's washable.
*There have been temblores(tremors) from Friday to Tuesday. But I only felt the first, and don't worry, I know where all my exits and open spaces are.
*It hasn't rained here yet, it's been beautiful and pretty darn warm.
*My bus passes the US embassy everyday. That thing is sincerely locked up tighter than Fort Knox. The story goes that the gringos were getting nervous with having the embassy in the city because of the other embassy bombings in the Middle East. And they didn't want to wait for plans to be drawn so they just used the plans for the embassy in the Middle East. As a result this embassy looks like it belongs in a sandy wonderland.
*The bus also goes by the new national soccer stadium that was a gift from China (the country, not my host mom). And it is being built by Chinese workers with Chinese goods and the workers are fed only food from China. So the Costa Rican economy is not benefiting one bit. And I hope the Costa Ricans are aware that they sold their soul to the next superpower. I guess it's either give it to the US or Chinese. Its the less of 2 evils and I guess its smart that they're going with the one on the rise. But I hope the benefit is worth the cost for the people that will feel the effects, not the crooked politicians. Ok off my soapbox.

This is my weekly schedule for those that wanted to know. (Probably only my mom!)

Monday: La Carpio in the morning from 830 to 1 then bus back to Pavas for "club" at 230 with the kids until 430. We play games, do crafts, and listen to a story.
Tuesday: Carpio in the morning then return to have a sort of "club" with the kids that are ages 9-12. (This Tuesday I attempted to play soccer, with little success, but when we played basketball they thought I was great, it helped I had a foot on them, but I don't care :)
Wednesday: Carpio all day and "club" there at 2:30 until 5 then bus back home.
Thursday: Same as Tuesday.
Friday: Stay in Pavas and make house visits or whatever for the 9-12 year olds.
CFCI takes kids to adventure camp but they pick the kids that are regulars to club so my job is to make friends with the kids and figure out the regulars and hopefully I will get to go to adventure camp with the kids in march. This is the first time the Pavas kids will go to camp and they don't know yet.

Thanks for all the comments guys. I appreciate them but I can't respond to them individually. But they let me know that someone's reading. I barely have enough time alone to type this blog but I like this craziness. It gives me less time to miss all of you guys that I love so much which is best for me.

Lauren

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2

A Sunday in Costa Rica

So it's been a long day and I haven't slept well for many reasons and I have so many things running through my head and my heart so bear with me please. Yet again it might be scattered.

Today has been a great day because I realized without a doubt that this trip was the will of God for my life. It's not that I really doubted it but it took awhile for the dust to settle. This experience is bringing home to my heart and mind the things that are important in life and my goals in life have started to change.

My host family is by no means well off but their house and each member of the family is so full of love that it constantly overwhelms me, not just for each other but for everyone. They have in less than a week made me feel like an honorary daughter and sister, it moves me beyond words. In this culture family is very important and in my host family it's God then family. I think sometimes in the United States this gets so muddled and so many things come before both of those that by the time we are done chasing after things we aren't sure which way is up.

Also it's a common misconception that some people have that Latin Americans aren't as hard workers but that's very far from the truth. Randall (my host dad or "pa" as the kids whine often) works 5 days a week 12 hrs a day and on Saturday he goes to work from 6 to 1 then English class from 2 to 5 with Jonathon. The only complaint Randall has about these long hours is that he hates leaving his precious children and loving wife (this is one family where the machismo culture didn't win out). Its pretty humbling.

I want to preface this by saying that I'm just as guilty as the rest but I was convicted this morning at church. I'm not going to claim that I knew everything that was said but despite the language barrier I was still able to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit more than I ever have in my life. I couldn't help but think as I'm watching these people praise the one true everlasting God, that I've/we've had it all wrong. Their time of worship was around an hour and it was more like a celebration, people were dancing and there were flags to wave around and "interpretive" dancers (my host mom being one; and if you know me I normally can't handle this because its quite a distraction) and people were on their knees crying at "the altar".

But before you judge and tune out completely, it wasn't gaudy or a big show to make themselves feel good. It was obvious that they could not have cared less what someone thought, whether good or bad. Even with the language barrier it was obvious that these people were sincerely worshiping their Creator. Most of these people have less than lower middle class Americans but they weren't requesting everything, they were giving thanks for what they do have. It is hard to explain but it was obvious that the Holy Spirit was present. Why wouldn't we want to go crazy worshiping the Creator of the Universe and the Lover of our soul, despite his knowing all our transgressions?

I'll admit, I've been going through the motions. Complacency comes easy when life is also easy. But the first step to change is acceptance, right? This complacency is just as bad as doing nothing at all. The Word of God clearly states in Revelation that "because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth". But today like everyday was a gift from God and one of revelation. Often times we are stuck in rows too worried about what others think, just mumbling the songs and skimming the Word but doing nothing more. Like taking the Love of God to the streets and loving people like we are commanded. Their church was a great example of what the church should be. They welcomed Karen and I, offered their help while we were in their country, and prayed over us. It affirmed that God is much bigger than a language barrier.

After church we went to Randall's mom's house for a birthday party. He has 4 siblings. But there were a ton of relatives and friends that equaled about 30 or so. They welcomed me into their house like I was one of the family. The 4 plus hrs there just reaffirmed the beauty and importance of family. It's beyond words. If you know me, you know how much this affected me when I say a big family seems kind of fun and always interesting (but don't worry, much farther in the future). There's a certain magic about the chaos.

Oh and some random comments: its election time here, I thought it was bad in the states but its worse here just take my word for it. Also I rode in a taxi today and New York taxi drivers have nothing on this. But luckily I have faith that God didn't bring me all the way here to die in a taxi cab within the first week!

Well it looks like another night of my new roommate snoring (I hope she doesn't ask for my blog address :/ ) and homeless people and dogs rummaging through the trash 30 ft from my window. Thank goodness for ear plugs, although I can still hear snoring. Oh how I miss Emily and her quieter heavy breathing.

And thanks for the previous comments although I can't really check them regularly. And as always thanks for the prayers.

Love you guys, miss you a ton but I'll be home before you know it.

Vaya con Dios

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20

First Week Update

So I'm writing this blog update while watching the Emperor's New Groove in Spanish (of course) with 4 young kids. I wrote this update in hopes of being able to go to an internet cafe, but now that I'm here at the cafe, I realize that this update probably isn't going to happen often because I can't get the computer to cooperate and it's sweltering in here!

This trip has already been one of growth, and its only been four days. I won't lie and say its been a walk in the park. Its been slight culture shock because in the past 4 days, I've probably only actually spoken english for a couple of hours and that includes orientation. I also miss you all greatly and the common things in life that we all take for granted (like a fan when its 85 degress outside, or a hot shower). But alas, it has gotten much better.

My Spanish is improving daily (seeing as there's no other option) and I've already conquered the one hour bus ride (one-way) from Pavas to San Jose, then San Jose to Carpio and the return, but just once by myself (but that counts). It only costs about 50 cents for each bus ride and that's the only money Ive spent.

My host family is great. They have 3 kids; Jonathon age 12, Manuel age 8, and Emily age 5. They are really sweet and love to rough house and most of the time we are allowed. Where I'm staying and working is by no means the side of Costa Rica that the tourists see, but I'm starting to find beauty in this side of town too.

Carpio, where I work, is the home of the only dump for the whole state of San Jose, and it is actually right across from the refuge where I work. There is only one paved road in Carpio and that is because the dump trucks use it at all times of the day. The Costa Rican and North American missionaries are doing good things in Carpio with their hearts of gold. They are offering girls, that for one reason or another can't go to a real school, a chance to get an education and get something equivalent to a GED. By giving their time selflessly they are showing these impoverished girls the perfect love of God. It is a beautiful thing to see human nature at its finest.

I am supposed to work in Carpio in the morning then take the bus back to Pavas after lunch and work with the kids that can't go to club because of school. I don't really have a supervisor present all the time so I have been a little lost as to what I am supposed to do. Oh well. There's always next week.

My host dad works at Schneider Electric about 12 hours a day then comes home and begins to study his English with Johnathon. The kids are on break until February so I always have something to do. China, the host mom, is a seamstress and works in the house. One thing I really love is fresh fruit juice every meal, squeezed fresh every morning. I can't get enough of it!

There's another lady coming to stay at our house for two weeks but I don't know much more, besides that she is my new roommate. The sun comes up at 6 every morning and I always wake up then. I have never seen such crazy drivers in all my life, it's a wonder there aren't more wrecks.

Sorry this is so scattered but I only have a few minutes seeing as how it took me so long to figure this computer out and Randall and Jonathon should be coming home from school soon and the new lady is getting here. And I want her to know up front that I'm the kids favorite and will continue to be. Ha.

I love you guys tremendously and appreciate your prayers. When life is comfortable, it is easy to be comfortable too. But it is at times when you have no strength that you remember that the power and strength of Christ is enough. I will admit that I have moments of weakness and sometimes am overcome with anxiety. I've never felt so surrounded but so alone because often times I have no idea what is going on around me. But then I remember that God is with me, and I know I am doing his will and this gives me peace. I am truly enjoying my time here so far! So again, thank you for your prayers, and please don't stop praying.

I may not update again until next Saturday. Again I love you all a lot. Don't forget about me while I am gone! Ha ha.

Safe and Sound!

This is actually an update from Lauren's sister.

Lauren has made it safe and sound to Costa Rica. She does not currently have internet service (or the time) to update her blog, but she gave me permission to update everyone.

She arrived yesterday and went to her supervisor's home to do orientation for her job. She then met her host family, whom she described as a very loving family. They don't speak any English, but she is OK with that. Apparently her host dad wants her to help him with his English.

The family has 3 children, and Lauren is rooming with the 5-year old. She went to her first day of work today. She is taking the bus to work tomorrow.

That is all the information I have. Just wanted everyone to know she made it safely!

Almost Ready...

I have been planning for over a year for my last semester of college to consist solely of an international internship. Despite planning and endless emailing over the past 5 months, I received word less than two weeks ago that my trip to Costa Rica was official and the rat race to get all my ducks in a row before flying out began. I can't say with upmost confidence that I have everything but forgetting something at this point isn't a life or death matter, as long as it isn't my passport.

I don't know if it is possible for the anticipation to be any higher because I have been waiting for this journey to begin for some time. Although I am slightly nervous, I know as soon as I settle in the anxiousness will be disappear. I will without a doubt miss my loving family, awesome boyfriend, and fun friends (and they better miss me) but I know the experience will be once in a lifetime and one I won't soon forget.

Maybe just maybe this will help give me the answer to the age old question "So what do you want to do with your life?"; because trust me people, this question never gets old. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me in Costa Rica and in the future, after graduation; I'm just along for the ride.