Where have the last two years gone....

It's been two years since my last post and I can't believe it! I have been majorly slacking. I am not going to bother with the updates on my life at the this point, all is well with me. That is the truth and I am so grateful for all of the love and blessings that God has given me.

Here are a couple verses for you today from Isaiah 41:

I took you from the ends of the earth,

from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, ‘You are my servant’;

I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Let those words sit in the front of your mind today as you go about your day. God is with you.

Haiti Mission Trip

One month from today a team from Central Church of Christ and I will be on a plane headed to Haiti, where we will be working with Haitian Christian Outreach for a week! This has been over a year in the making, but the time has finally come! We have now started getting all of the smaller details (packing, etc.) in order and getting ready to work on our VBS program. We found out last week that we will have the opportunity to run 2 VBS programs one up in the mountains for 2 days and then another one on the HCO campus for 2 days. There is going to be an estimated 200 kids at each VBS, wow!

Our VBS theme is STAND FIRM. We want kids to know that no matter what happens in life that it is important to STAND FIRM in Lord. There are so many things in life that can pull and push against us, but no matter what we need to stand firm in the Lord. I can't wait to see how God works through us and in us during this time! It is going to be great!

We may also have the opportunity to build a rock wall and do some painting, but all of this work will depend on what the team before us finishes. FLEXIBILITY and PATIENCE are our team's themes. Flexibility because we know that things will change and curve balls will be thrown, but that's life and we have to take things as they come and be flexible.  Patience because we have to be flexible ;)

There are 13 team members all together and we are all so excited to be going! This is going to be one amazing experience!

A huge thank you to all of those who have and are supporting us!

I can't wait to tell you more about our trip when I return, actually I can wait. If I don't come back don't worry, I am right where God has called me to be. Don't question it ;)

Well Hello June....

He graduated from basic training (a.k.a boot camp)! 

This past Friday my family and I were able to go to Chicago and see Trey graduate! It was so great to be able to see his face and hear his voice. We are all so proud of him! I asked him what his favorite part was and he says, "None of it". Then I go, "Okay what was the best part?" and he says, "being done". Haha, it was a struggle for him, but he made it! I spoke to him on the phone yesterday and he is happy to be in Texas for 19 weeks going to school and doing some more training. He says it is like living in a dorm. I am sure he will excel in school and continue to go on and do great things! 

I also wanted to share another praise with you all! After I wrote my blog last week, I was blessed with some donations towards my Haiti trip and I also received two paychecks in mail to go towards my loans! Thank you Lord! I only need $67.00 to reach my goal for Haiti! This made me think of the prayer that I started praying almost two years ago, "Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." Proverbs 30: 7-9. Thank you Lord for my daily bread and for being a constant provider and sustainer!

The End of May

Here we are at the end of May, wow! This has been a crazy, fun, busy month! This month has been a month full of dreams, expectations, changes, and lots of graduations!

I am still working hard and paying off loans. My little happy dance moment this month was when I mapped out a plan to finish paying off all of my loans in 3 years! Woot woot! Okay I just figure it out about a week a go and already it is a challenge, but I am so excited! It's not impossible it's doable with a little, okay a lot, of budgeting, self-control, and prayer! So far this past week was a success! I am broke as a joke, but I tell ya what I am appreciating the value of a penny a whole lot! So if anyone wants me to come and clean out their couches and chairs for them I would be more than happy too ;)

I am also still preparing for Haiti and raising support for that trip. I only need $300.00! If you would like to support me on this journey please click the donate button on the right! I will be leading a team from my home church to Haiti for a week in July to work with Haitian Christian Outreach. Where we will be doing some manual labor and working with kids, more details to come!

Also, this month my dear friend Han the Man (a.k.a. Hannah) graduated from Lincoln Christian University! We had a fun weekend celebrating and hanging out, before she moved up to Wisconsin. Love you Han!

Speaking of graduation...tomorrow I get to go see my brother graduate from boot camp! I am so proud of him! I can't wait to embarrass him and spend time with him!

This month really has been crazy busy, but God has given me great friends and family to make it fun and exciting! 

*You may have noticed the name of this blog and layout has changed. I thought it was time for a new look :)

Matters of the Heart...

When I was in high school, I asked God to help me make a huge change in my life. I asked God to soften my heart. I remember being involved in the children's ministry at my church and I remember watching our children's minister working with the kids and I remember her crying a lot! She would always say that was just the way God made her and at the time I didn't understand why she would cry when someone got baptized or when she would talk about certain topics surrounding God. Showing such an outward display of emotions was foreign to me. I didn't understand it so I asked God to soften my heart so that I could understand and see some of the world as she sees it. I knew she understood something and knew something that I did not yet know.

Since then, God has softened my heart in many ways and He has put people in my life that teach me more and more about God, compassion, selflessness, and love. This softening process is taking a lot of time. This process has been more about moving from my mind to matters of the heart. As one of the ministers at my church said on Sunday, "The heart has reason that the reason of the mind doesn't understand". My rational logical realistic mind often tries to take over the matters of my heart, but my mind can't fully understand the reasons of my heart. It doesn't understand why I feel compassion or love for someone who makes the same mistakes over and over again or why I keep praying for that person. My mind doesn't understand why I long for something or someone I have never seen.

The heart is a mysterious and precious thing.

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it".

Be cautious though not to close your heart off so much that it becomes hard. Soften your heart, allow God to transform it, and He will help you guard it. Remember He has your best interest at heart.

Psalm 37:4-5a, "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn.."

Take A Moment

Last night I was reminded of how important it is for all of us to just take a moment. I was driving home and when I got into the driveway I just shut off the car and sat there. I needed a moment, not some preplanned quiet time or some scheduled church event. I just wanted a moment to unwind, get myself together, and have some peace and quiet, which while I sat there I realized is something I have not heard in a while...complete silence. Oh it was wonderful! (Right until my cat decided to jump on top of my car and scare the living daylights out of me. Anyone interested in a cat? Just kidding I love that ball of fur, most of the time.)

Today I would like to encourage you all to just take a moment and slow down. Sit in your car a little longer before going inside. Take a break at work and go off by yourself. Have one moment today that is completely God's and yours. Shut off the t.v., the cellphone, and just breath. Whatever happens in that moment is between God and you. You don't have to do anything in that moment that you don't want to do. You don't have to do anything at all, just breath.

Take a break and slow down, even if it's just for a moment. Cherish that moment and thank God for that moment.

January Newsletter

   

     Last day of January! I can’t believe it! It feels like it was only a couple of weeks ago that I was getting off of the plane on my way back from Costa Rica and making my way through the O’Hare airport. It is hard to believe that it has been almost 9 months!

     At first, I had a hard time adjusting to the U.S.A. culture and I just wanted to stay home while I was trying to process everything. However, after a week or so I began to branch out and start exploring this land I call my “home”.  It felt great to see my family and friends again and enjoy some of my favorite meals together.

     After a few months of being home, I decided to buy a bike and shortly after that the weather started to get worse and I bought a car. God provided just the right car to meet my needs and my budget! Having that car has been a huge blessing as it has provided transportation to work, church, and everything in-between. Thanks God!

     I am currently working as a substitute teacher for all ages in Streator, IL. and some of the surrounding areas. I have really enjoyed this job and the new experiences it has offered. I have never taught in a public school so it has been interesting as I have had to learn how to teach in a structured environment. All of the teachers and secretaries I have met have been super helpful in this area. I am so grateful for God surrounding me with such nice people and for blessing me with many different job opportunities.

    My goal of paying off my student loans has been going really well. Whenever possible I have been paying ahead on my loans. Each time I make a payment I praise God and do a little happy dance! My financial needs have and continued to be met every step of the way.

     In order to continue paying off my student loans in a timely manner I have started to look into other job opportunities as well. Recently, I have had the chance to interview at a boy’s ranch in Wisconsin. At the end of this month, I will be traveling up to Wisconsin for a face to face interview. Please be praying for me as I visit the ranch on February 27th for a few days.

     Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support! 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:33-34

Life Goes On

Life goes on. For some people those words might be filled with hope and happiness, but for others those words hold a lot of unanswered questions and grief. You see if things are going well and you know that life goes on you feel good about the future and what it holds, but if you have found yourself in a difficult situation this season the future might not look so bright. However, those words whether they are welcomed or not do not become any less true. Life does indeed go on no matter what our current situation might be and some how we have to continue on living.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal,” (2 Corinthians 4:18). All of the pain, sorrow, and hurt in this world are temporary. It will not last forever.  It could last 10 minutes, 10 days, or even 10 years, but it won’t last forever. When we fix our eyes only on the pain, sorrow, and hurt we can be tempted to given into the lie that this will last forever. However, for those who place their hope in the Lord it will end, and in light of eternity we can know that only good is promised to us and only good will come.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  God cannot lie and those words are not a bandage for temporary relief, but a promise spoken out of love and truth…a promise for both you and me. We can have hope in the Lord and in what He says, because He is the way, the truth, and the life. “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life,” John 6:47. Life goes on.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
  he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever."

- Psalm 23

To Lana, With Love

The most beautiful funeral that I have ever attended so full of hope, love, and peace. Lana as always wanted even this moment to be about you and wanted to share God's love with you, thank you Elder family for sharing these precious moments with the world. I would encourage you to take some time and watch this video. Love you Lana, thank you.

Celebrating My Golden Birthday....

  On Saturday, near the end of my birthday celebration with some friends, my friend Han and I went out for coffee and as we were talking and just laughing about the days events and where life has taken us I started to thank God. I started thanking Him for my wonderful friends and family, and for allowing me to live this amazingly unique life. Basically, I was thanking Him for creating me. It always amazes me to look back and to see what God has done and to see Him in everything. The last 25 years of life have sure been great! I am so eagerly looking forward to the future and to see what He has planned ahead. The following day I celebrated with some some great friends at lunch and then with some family at dinner. It was wonderful to be surrounded by the people that I love and respect.

  It sure has been a while since I last wrote and a lot has been taking place, but overall all is well. God has been blessing my time at home and He has been reaffirming that this is where I am suppose to be for now. The sense of peace that I had and still have in being here is incredible. Right when I first came home, I started the debriefing process and adjustment back into American culture and into living at home. This was and has been an interesting time, but God has continued to teach me new things.  I have heard it said that, "learning is a never ending process," well whoever said that couldn't be more right! I am constantly learning new things about almost everything it feels like. This definitely keeps things interesting and keeps me thinking.

   Since I have been back in Illinois, I have been working in order to continue paying off my student loans and becoming a debt-free missionary. This is something that I have prayed about and thought about for a long time and God just continues to place it on my heart that paying off my loans must be done before I head out to serve long-term in cross-cultural ministry in Latin America. I have been working as a substitute teacher, babysitting, and doing a variety of other jobs to achieve this goal. God has been so good to me in this rough economy and He continues to bless me with job opportunities and last month I was even able to get a car that was affordable and reliable and that would not increase my debt. That was just an amazing surprise and answer to prayer. Having a car has allowed me to travel for work and bless others in different ways.

   I won't go on and continue to write, because this post could get really long if I tried to catch you up on everything that has happened these past few months. Although, I am currently working on a Christmas newsletter that will be going out soon highlighting some events from this past year and how God has been working in my life so I hope to have that out sometime within the next couple weeks. If you would like to receive my newsletter, please let me know by e-mailing me at cd_0687@yahoo.com

  Thank you all for reading! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

P.S. I updated the "About Me" page and "Pray" page if you want to check those out and see how you can be praying for me and my family, thanks.

Coming "Home"

This week I have been enjoying some quality time with one of my best friends, miss Emily Gillis (who is currently at a meeting.). I have loved spending time with her and seeing what her new daily routine is like since she started her new job at a children's home. I love seeing people living and working in area that they are passionate about and that is exactly where Emily is. I love it. It is joy to be apart of her life and seeing how God is working in and through her life, what a privilege! Thanks Em, love you.

It has been a little over two weeks since I have come "home". I put the word home in quotations because although this is technically my home, it no longer seems like it. There are three questions that I have been asked over and over again since my arrival back in the States. One is, "So what do you plan on doing next?". The other is, "So how long do you plan on staying here," and the first question that almost everyone asks, "How does it feel to be home"? In the beginning, I kind of shrugged my shoulders at this question or I said the generic, "good," until someone would ask, "really" and I would respond, "not really, it is still bittersweet". Now after a couple weeks, I can honestly say that it really does feel good to be back in the States and be surrounded by familiar places and faces. It has taken me a while to adjust but slowly, but surely I am starting to feel more comfortable. I have felt extremely content and at peace since my arrival, but I am still processing through all of the culture changes and I am still trying to figure out my weekly routine or how I feel about not having one at all.

On the other hand, "my" plans for the future are wide open, as I have said before we will see where God leads me. This is hard for some people to grasp, but I am content with waiting on the Lord and moving forward as He opens the doors and reveals my next steps. We will see what happens after the summer. For the summer, I am volunteering as a youth sponsor at my church and helping out in other areas as needed. I have loved observing the new changes in the church and seeing all of the growth that has and continues to take place. I am so excited to be able to support my church in any way I can. Central Church of Christ has been such a blessing to me and it feels great to be back for however long the Lord allows. I do still plan on looking for a job after the summer is over in order to begin paying off my student loans, but as for now I am also using this time during the summer to pray about what to do next and where to go long-term. You can join me in prayer on on those things (for guidance and direction). The Lord knows my heart is open and willing, but for now I am prayerfully and patiently waiting and serving where I am at.

Final post from Costa Rica

Ever since Sunday, I have been listening to an instrumental version of the song, "You Raise Me Up". My friend posted this mp3 with his weekly sermon that he sends out and I have been listening to this 4 and a half minute piece over and over again. I love it and I love listening to the piano.

As I prepared to write this blog I went back and reread the lyrics to the song. The chorus goes...

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up...to be more that I can be

How appropriate are those words for me and for my time here in Costa Rica. God has raised me up and it is only by His power and grace that I am becoming more and more of the woman He created me to be. Little by little I am starting to see more of that woman in me, that is not to say she wasn't there before but God is constantly molding me into His image. For I was made in His image.

When coming to Costa Rica I had two request: one to learn Spanish in order to serve, minister, and build relationships with Spanish speaking people and two to be trained and prepared for ministry work that is ahead. To me those seemed like simple requests (ha!) but I had no idea what I was asking for. God has given me so much more than what I could have ever have asked for or imagined.

Even now as God continues to lead me to what lies ahead He continues to meet my spoken and unspoken requests and needs. Gotta love His confirmation and gentle guiding hands. I feel like a child that keeps getting nudged out the door by their parent, and I feel that door getting closer and closer. What is on the other side I don't know, but I know that my heavenly Father knows.

Being in Costa Rica has been both a blessing and a privilege. Leaving here is bittersweet. In requesting to learn Spanish in order to serve, minister, and build relationships with Spanish speaking people I had no idea how strong some of those relationships would be or how precious they would be to me. Saying goodbye is never easy. (Thank God for the Internet.) Beyond this request God has also given me some wonderful friendships with some of the missionaries at the language school.

Preparing and training for ministry work has been both amazing and difficult. It has been amazingly difficult! :) in all seriousness, it has been harder than I thought, but it has also been more rewarding and incredible than I could have ever have imagined. Preparing and training for ministry has required everything I have, because God knew that there were some things that I needed to learn and there were some things that needed to be planted firmly in my heart. I am confident that the Lord has been preparing me for what lies ahead.

Even here God led me to work with a children's ministry called Valle del Sol and I have loved seeing God work in that ministry and use the people there to reach out into the surrounding community. I have learned so much from the people, families, and children there. I deeply cherish my memories of them and of the ministry and work that is taking place there.

Unexplainable joy and peace is what fills my heart as God continues to push me out the door and into the unknown. I am so thankful to be in the hands of my all knowing and all powerful Father. I am so thankful to know that I am doing what He wants me to do. For a time that was to be in Costa Rica but now that is to go back to the States. For how long I don't know exactly, a year to two years is what I think, but God knows for sure. When He says, "go" I will go and when He says, "stay" I will stay. For my hope and trust is in Him.

What words can express?

I have been preparing myself for this moment. For the moment when I have to say goodbye to the people and places I love. Well folks, that time is coming and it is coming fast and I still don't feel prepared to say goodbye. Little things throughout the past couple of weeks have been starting to make me cry because I realize that my time here is limited and my departure date is closing in.

I knew that when I arrived here I wouldn't be staying forever because my schooling only last a year but I can tell you that I never planned on losing my heart here or giving it away. I never planned on God transforming my heart and my mind, but all of this has taken place.

Somewhere between going to school, practicing Spanish, doing homework, going to church, making new friends, building relationships, learning about the culture, having coffee dates, working with children in ministry, studying the Bible, and walking until my legs felt like they were going to fall off...I have lost my heart. Pieces of my heart will forever be with the children in Valle del Sol, pieces of my heart will forever be at ILE and with the teachers I love, pieces of my heart will forever be on the beach where I spent time talking with God and the ones I love, pieces of my heart will forever be spread out across the world with my dear friends as they too continue to go where God is leading them, and pieces of my heart will forever be in the white two story house near Parque del Bosque with the Rojas Family.

I am not ready to write a reflection of what all of these people and places mean to me and how very grateful I am for being here because honestly it is just too hard to do right now and I am not even sure where to begin. I have started this blog about 3 times and each time I am at a lost for words. I never feel like anything I can say or do will express to all of you what my time here has meant to me. So please hear me when I say....

"God is good. He has made my time here more than I could have ever have asked for and He has blessed me far beyond what I deserve. He has and continues to break my heart for those who are in Latin America and He makes my heart long to serve Him and share His amazing story of love and grace with others. It has been an incredible privilege to live, minister, and study in Costa Rica. God has done amazing works not only in my life but also in the lives of others.

Thank you all for supporting me, loving me, and encouraging me. No words or actions can expression how truly grateful I am. Thank you for coming along side me in this journey and thank you for doing life together with me. I am deeply sadden to be leaving Costa Rica, but I am also extremely hopeful to see what plans God has next. For those of you in Costa Rica, I will miss you very very much and for those of you in the states, I will see you soon. God bless."

With love,
Chelsea

Weekend Retreat

This past weekend (thanks to my mother) I was able to go on a retreat to the beach. On Saturday, I headed off to Playa Jaco for one night . This retreat came at the perfect time and was a much needed break. I needed a weekend alone with just me and my God, and even after my retreat I can still say that was exactly what I needed. Sometimes there comes a time when you just need a break. Where the things in life start hitting you all at once (school, relationships, family, etc.) and this is where things can get complicated. You can make one decision to stay and let the things around you get the best of you or you can choose to try and combat the things around you on your own. However both of those options don´t sound very pleasant to me and they both can be very emotionally, spiritually, and physically draining, so there is yet another option you can choose to give everything over to the Lord and trust in Him. This is the option I choose.

I am a work in progress and as the things in life start hitting up against me like the waves in the ocean, I am continually looking to the Creator and clinging to His Word. For I know that no temptation has seized me except what is common to man. As I sat on the beach reading and praying, God continued to open my eyes to the ways of my heart and He continued to show me His divine sovereignty in my life. Oh how wide and deep is His is love for us, it is deeper than deepest sea and wider than the widest ocean. God is faithful. What seemed to be a bad week when given the right perspective was actually a blessed week with a blessed ending, while on this weekend retreat God was able to change my perspective and open my eyes to some of the things that often go unseen in the daily routine of life. God continues to amaze me and the more I learn about Him and the more I seek Him, the more my heart is content and at rest in Him. God is so good.

______________________________________________________________

It is hard to believe that there are only 7 weeks left of language school. This trimester has and continues to fly by! On April 27th, I will be on a flight back home, this just seems so crazy! With this in mind, I do need to make one of my prayer requests known, so far for this trimester I have paid 1/3 of my tuition ($500) and 3/4 of my rent for my time here ( $1,125). I am still in need of $1,425 to finish paying off my ILE tuition and my rent for April. If you would like to help answer my prayer and give financially please click the PayPal Donate link on the left hand side of this page or mail a check, made out to Chelsea Davis, to the following address:

Chelsea Davis
1309 South Park St.
Streator, IL 61364

Last but certainly not least thank you all for your continued prayers and support! You have all been such an encouragement to me, thank you for not only your partnership but also for your friendship and love.

Just a glimpse...

Proverbs 30:7-9

“Two things I ask of you, LORD;
   do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
   give me neither poverty nor riches,
   but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
   and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
   and so dishonor the name of my God.

These are the verses that I have been stuck on for some time now. I have been thinking about what this verse means when it says, 'give me only my daily bread'. I have been thinking about how this applies not only to finances and food, but also to other parts of life (love, grace, strength, etc.). I know that God is my portion. So how different would my life look if I intentionally lived only for today and asked God to give me my portion just for today. These are just some of my thoughts, I am not sure I explained them all but this is a glimpse of what is going on in my mind. :)

I also wanted to let you all know that school has been going well. Grammar is getting tough, but each day I am understanding a bit more. We have learned a new rule of subjuntive and now are beginning to practice it, so with more practice I am sure I will understand it (beyond just following the sentence structure).

Ministry with the kids has also been going great! This tri-mester, we have 5 new volunteers (Jennifer, Lisamarie, Mark, Sydney, and Kayla). Thank the Lord! Also, Steve, the director, returned back from the States back in January and brought with him some new lesson books and coloring books for the kids. They have loved the new books! We have also been blessed to have a few new little faces this tri-mester. God is good! Saturday is still my favorite day of the week.

Thanks for reading, I hope you all have a blessed week.

Update on School...

I know I just posted a post last night, but I also wanted to let everyone know that school is going well.  This tri-mester has been somewhat challenging but in different ways from the last two. This tri-mester I am learning to be more disciplined in my studies, because the material that we are covering is more advanced and at times can be really confusing. My vocabulary I have noticed also needs some improvements, as always, so I am trying to widen my vocabulary by talking with more people in Spanish and studying with a group of girls. Instead of passing over the words I don´t know and just getting the general idea of a news article or sermon, I am really trying to memorize new words and use them as often as I can.

This can be exhausting at times but at the same time I love it, because I can see the huge improvements that have taken place over my time here. I came knowing next to nothing and now every day in Lenguaje I have to talk for at least 20 minutes in Spanish and I am able to have conversations with people outside of school. What a blessing my time has been here, God is good. I am excited to see what He has planned for the future as I continue on this language and ministry journey.

Community

Yesterday, the Bible Study group at ILE finished up their study on the book of James. As we came to a close on this book, I was reminded of the importance of community and the Body of Christ. It is important for the Body of Christ to be connected and united as one. Connected in love, speech, and mind. This kind of unity does not come about by itself. This deep connection and unity requires a lot of love, faith, patience, grace, humlity, and vulnerability. It requires that we look not only to our own interest but also to the interest of others. This kind of community and connection should be found in and among believers around the world.

You know the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child". I believe the same is true for our spiritual walk. It takes a community, a village, to help someone mature and grow in their relationship with the Lord. We can encourage or help someone by living in community with one another and being obedient to God's will in our lives. We need to be open and honest with one another and always holding firm to God's Truth. Praying for one another and carrying one another's burdens.

I constantly thank the Lord for my friends and family, who have poured themselves into my life and have taken the time to connect with me. They have not only encouraged me over the years but they have also reminded me of God's Word and Truth. God has used each of them in different stages of my life to point me back to His Word, and for that I am thankful not only for them but also for God's faithfulness and grace. Through their love and obedience to God I have seen a glimpse of God's love and have drawn closer to Him.

As I sat in the Bible study group on Sunday and listened to everyone talk about the sinner and what would they would do to help that person. I felt incredibly humbled because I know that I am the sinner. It was not too long ago that I needed some encouragement in my life and was struggling and God used those around me to teach me the importance of community and being honest and open with one another about our struggles, fears, and victories in our lives.

It is a lie to think that we are alone in our struggles. If you are not willing to share your life with others then how can you expect to find help or feel whole? Yes, there are people who can be discouraging and can leave you feeling worse than you did before. Believe me I know I have met a few of those people, but if you know of someone who is grounded in God's Word and loves the Lord with all their heart (preferably someone who is older and who you respect) go to that person and be honest and you will see that we are never alone. We have all sinned and we have all fallen short.

If you are the person that is grounded in God's Word and knows someone who is struggling or has had someone come to you with a problem. Love that person and show them the same grace and kindness that God has shown you. At the same time be honest and willing to ask and answer the hard questions that may arise. Always keep God at the center of your conversations and pray together.

Live in community with one another as the Body of Christ always focusing on the Lord and being full of love and grace.

Blessings...

This past week I have been trying to find my new groove. Basically, I have been trying to find a new balance between homework, activities, ministry, and friends. I am not sure I have found that balance yet, but God has definitely given me the grace and energy to be able to do many things. For example, the other night I was exhausted and not in the mood to play volleyball, but I went and waited 30 minutes for people to show up. As I sat there I talked to God and then decided to leave, which of course I was happy about because then I could go home and sleep. Just then a family showed up to play, I was bummed because that meant I had to stay but God used a little boy that night to teach me a lesson about courage and strength and in the end I left not only energized but also full of joy, now that was definitely the Lord. Thanks God for the wonderful night.

On Saturday, I was able to go to Valle del Sol and see all of my kiddos. It was a blast! All of the kids were there and I got to see them for the first time since I arrived back to Costa Rica. We had a party because a group from Oklahoma was visiting and we got to watch a video for the first time with the kids about the Kingdom of Heaven. It was an animated Bible story based off of the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl (Matthew 13:44-46). It was quite interesting since we do not have the convenience of up-to-date technology, but it worked and the kids had fun. I watched the eyes of one of my boys as he sat with his ear close to the speaker so that he could hear over the sounds of the other children and it was such a blessing to be able to see him learning and asking questions. Seeing a child's eyes light up as they learn new information and learn about God is such an incredible blessing.

God has reminded me this past week of the importance of having a childlike faith and the value of the kingdom of Heaven. Giving up everything and following God is something we all must do, He should be our focus and our source of life. God calls all of us to give up somethings for our own good in order to live in obedience to Him. However, then He calls us to give up somethings for His glory and His purposes in our lives. Anything that we give up does not compare to knowing and being in a relationship with the Lord of the Universe. As Paul said, "what is more, I count everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith".

I would also like to let you know that I am currently in the process of finding ways to become a full-time missionary. As many of you know, I have been praying about joining a missions organization, but as much as I would love to join an organization I have not felt called to any one particular organization. Now things may change over time, but as I begin taking these next steps towards full-time missions work I would like to ask you to join me in prayer. Pray for me as a seek for ways to continue in full-time cross-cultural ministry as either an independent missionary or for an opportunity to serve full-time with an organization. I am also currently trying to find a job in the States or overseas for at least 2 years in order to pay off some of my student loan debt from college so that I may go into full-time missions work. I would like to begin working as a full-time missionary somewhere in Latin America, but first I need to be debt-free so please pray for me as I look for jobs to pay off this debt. Thank you all for joining me and coming along side me in my walk with the Lord.

Processing changes...

Everything has changed.

My friends who were once at ILE have moved forward in their walks with the Lord and are continuing to go where the Spirit leads, and it is encouraging and exciting to see how God is working in their lives. At the same time though I miss them dearly. My Tico home is also different because this is no longer a home filled with strangers but rather a family, whom I love dearly and who has accepted me as one of their own. San Josè is no longer this giant city that I know nothing about, but now it is a city that I have grown to love and know. As with every tri-mester, my teachers at ILE have also changed and I am learning knew things about the Spanish language and meeting new people.

Many changes have taken place over the past several months. I can see these changes not only in my surroundings and in others, but also within myself. I have come to appreciate change and accept change no matter how hard it may be because one thing is always constant and stays the same...God and His love for us. All of the changes in our lives no matter how big or how small can glorify God and can be used by God to transform our minds and hearts. I am so thankful for the changes that have taken place within in my life these past several months because they are a testimony of God's love and grace.

This past week was my first week back at school and it was wonderful. It was crazy busy but I enjoyed it. I am really looking forward to this tri and seeing everything that God has in store. My time here in Costa Rica has been more than I could have ever have imagined and I can't imagine what God is going to do over the next 3 months. What a blessing it is to be here. God is good.

Please be praying for me as enter into my last tri at language school. Pray that my heart would continue to be softened and that my time here would glorify God. Please pray for the ministry that I work with on Saturdays called Valle del Sol and for the children that attend. If you could be praying over these things I would greatly appreciate it, thank you.

Returning "Home"

One of my friends said it best, "When you are here it is like that other world doesn't exist and you expect everything to stay the same as when you left". However thanks to the Internet you never really think that the other world doesn't exist when you are away because you have constant reminders popping up showing you that life does go on without you and things are changing.

Well many things have changed here in Costa Rica and this week I will begin to process those changes. Please pray for me as begin this new journey and as I spend sometime thinking about the changes that have taken place. I know very well that change is necessary on our walk with God and if you are being guided by the Spirit things may change faster than you expect, but we know that God is control of everything and He is good.

Unspeakable, unexplainable joy. That is what fills my heart and brings a smile to my face. Thank you Lord. I knew I would be excited to come back and happy, but I didn't expect this. God has made me so at peace with being here and so full of joy. I love being back and I so grateful to be here. The moment I saw Mami and Papi I just wanted to run to them and hug them, which I did. I just could not contain my joy and excitement any longer. I was so happy to see them and to finally be "home".

My home is no longer one specific location, but rather a mix of many places. Someone once said, "home is where the heart is". Well my heart is currently in Costa Rica and it stretches out to my friends and family in the States. For now, Costa Rica is my home and it feels good to be home.