Costa Rica STT

 Kachowdy friends!! (wow, haven't said that in a while lol)  Sunday was a designated rest day for this week so we each did our own thing. I think Matthew went to go workout with Diego (the guy that got baptized!!), Sheryl, Sam and I mostly slept in. Well I had woken up earlier and then ate some breakfast but then pretty immediately napped on the couch 😆 listening to some worship music. I was also waiting for my friend in Spain to let me know when she was free to catch up and chat! Turns out we were both napping at the same time lol weird. After I woke up I had lunch and then my friend called me, it was so so fun to catch up with her. Small tangent, but my friend in Spain has actually been my Spanish teacher for the majority of my time learning however she got a promotion with the program I use to learn so she is no longer my teacher. We've become great friends and it has been such a delight to know her, thank you Lord for technology and the opportunity to meet new people from...

Ah, what a joy it has been! 😊 Viernes:  We had a slower morning, I listened to worship music, ate breakfast and then we all headed to Casa flores. They hosted a get together at their place where those that have given their life to Christ could be baptized and we could all enjoy a meal together! It was quite lovely! We got there at about 10am and all kind of sat around and talked while Ana and Lagos prepared lunch for all of us. Monse showed me and Aubry a few really good worship songs in Spanish and some of her favorite English ones. I learned an older one called "Alabare a Mi Señor", it was very simple and fun to listen to so it got stuck in my head for a while. All of us then decided to play the game Taboo, Matthew and I accidently got paired up which was not fair for the rest of them especially for those the speak English as their second language. Eventually we switched up the pairs so then it was more even. That was my first time playing it, I think I enjoyed being the h...

Let's gooooo, new blog post coming at ya!!  Miércoles:  I am not sure how to start lol I have lots of things to share so I am all over the place right now 😆 En la mañana we got up a bit later and Sheryl and Mallory made some really good pancakes for everyone! It was a really chill morning and very much needed. After having a day full of many different feelings on Tuesday and many great prayer moments and much needed relief, I was able to spend time with the Lord! This time it didn´t feel hard like I mentioned before, it felt very lighthearted and filled with a bit of peace. None of the other feelings went away, but I was able to sit and actually journal my thoughts and just talk to the Lord more than I have in a long time. So, that feels like an answered prayer! Thank you all who have been praying! One thing I was reflecting on that morning was the comfort that God gives us and the feeling of love. Lately I have been feeling a lot of love for so many people around me, it is v...

Two in one day???? What??? Yuppp, indeed I am attempting to do 2 in one day because today was a really really good day!  This morning I started my blog off with trying to explain how I have been feeling. Feelings of sadness and a few others that I couldn't quite identify. As the day went on I kept feeling a sense of sadness, pre-grief for the inevitable future, and a bit of anxiety. I'll explain a bit more as I go through the day!  Today half of our team had a later start because we were going to campus instead of the CDI. Which I was kind of worried for because I have been feeling anxious about direct ministry or even talking more in depth with people about the Lord and his goodness. With the kids it feels easier because we play with them and can love them through our actions and they feel loved in that way rather than an in depth conversation. So, Alexis, Matthew, Ben and I headed to campus to meet up with whoever was there from the Ohio team and join them with whatever they...

Hiiiii friends! I'm back with another blog for ya!  Yesterday at the CDI we were going through the book of Job with the kids and asked them 3 questions for an activity. One was, what is your favorite emoji, what emoji are you feeling right now, and what was Job feeling in the story. They had to draw each of those emojis and present them to each other. For my emojis I drew the one that's smiling and has stars for eyes because I felt excited (it's also my favorite emoji), but anyways now and when I've sat not doing anything I start feeling something different, I can't really identify it. I feel like crying maybe it's sadness, that feels more general rather than what it actually could be but I'm not sure. I think what's playing into is that I still haven't been able to spend quality time with the Lord. Every time I attempt to, something just feels hard about it so I can't focus or just feel lost. It's not that I don't want to interact with m...

 Hola otra vez!! It's been absolutely increíble these past couple of days, I can´t say enough how good it feels to be back in Costa Rica. I have really missed this place and am just so glad to be here. These past couple of days I have been reflecting on the ministry of this church and how much it has grown since my first time coming here. My first time was summer of 2021 and the CDI had just started up, Dukes was about to open and Hangout was on zoom so I didn´t really get to meet or know anyone. Now everything has really grown and there has been so much fruit, thank you Jesus! Seeing all the kids now that I met that first year all grown up is so sweet and so crazy. It is even amazing to see how the CDI is its own community because you can just tell that these kids are like family to each other, they are so loving and considerate towards each other. With Dukes, I remember digging out dirt and planting new plants in the windows and helping with other things to help get it opened, no...

      It's been a busy past couple of days since we arrived here in Costa Rica! These days have been filled with so many encouraging conversations, joyful interactions, and overall filled with so much love for Jesus.  Nuestro equipo! 😊 Okay, let's get caught up on the past couple of days! As soon as we arrived on Tuesday night we immediately came to the airbnb that we are staying in for the summer. What's cool is that this airbnb is owned by Tannia's family (you might remember her from some of mine or Sam's blogs from last summer), but it's really cool because we have been taken care of so well and feel so welcomed here! After settling in we went to grab food and then talked about our plans for our first full da y!  The next day was wednesday which means we were going to H@ngout with the students at the university! I was super super excited to go to H@ngout to get to reunite with some of the friends I made in my previous trips here. I had been texting them...