Hello Family and Friends!
It’s been such a journey already, and hard to believe we’ve been here almost 2 months, and that our kids are already back in school. Here’s a rundown of life here, and what God’s teaching us.
LIFE HERE:
We are adjusting, and it’s really different here, but the confidence of God’s purpose for us here grows every day. Our children seem to be walking testimonies of our answered prayer of peace, and joy and confidence in who they are in Christ through such a big transition. Some hard conversations with our kids, and some tears from grieving the loss of our incredible community, but we have more laugher than tears, and deeper joy in the trusting of his provision for us here.
We live at Finca Alzahar, what used to be a strawberry farm only 5 minutes from the kids’ school, and only 10 minutes from the nearest grocery store. We are getting settled and are driving, grocery shopping and cooking almost every meal. We experienced our first consistently hot shower last Sunday since arriving, and have experienced 4-5 power outages, have cooked dinner by candlelight, and actually been wakened at night by 2 earthquakes. We are even becoming experts at sharing the road with giant trucks and many cars on tiny roads that are filled with people, bikes, dogs, cows, horses and many potholes. 🙂
We begin language school August 26th! Kids started school and like it so far, and have made a few friends after the awkward first day. Each of our kids have one other American in their class, and then a mix of other nationalities. Our kids notice that they are stared at when we are in public and they are adjusting to that. We’ve been super blessed to attend a small church in Guadalupe Park. It’s in Spanish, mostly Ticos, and they interpret to English, too. We have met other new friends there, which live just 5 -10 minutes down the mountain from us. I’ve been invited into 2 different women’s bible studies, one in English and one in Spanish. While language school will limit my ability to join these, there’s friendships forming outside of those, and our language school year will fly by. Jim has planned a regular prayer time with some of YL men and they will begin meeting for lunch, and pray for direction and vision for camp and sustainable business.
Pictures from first day of school, and the halls of their School! Go Wildcats!
MISSION:
We arrived here with many unknowns and it’s been good to begin peeling back the layers of all that exists here currently, and pray about what God will do next. We’ve been meeting with former interns and staff, current staff, moms and kids here to ask them to share their experience, their heart for this community and it’s been really great to learn so much. The transparency of the staff here and common mission is encouraging, and we all get the sense that God wants to do something new here.
We’ve visited possible camp properties, prayed at the peak with others asking God to show us and provide a way. We’ve had many people to dinner and prayed for common vision, and continue to discuss and dream about possible business opportunities that would provide and sustain the Vida Joven | Young Life ministries here long term.
Interns have arrived! There are three new interns and they each live with a Tico family. Our hope is that we can bless them by providing space and devotional time on a regular basis, and play a role in their growth and development as well as the kids they will serve here.
We attended our first Reunión de misioneros last Friday where all staff gathered for time in worship, learning, prayer, and lunch. We are excited to continue getting to know everyone on this team.
What’s very clear is that this is a time to focus on learning Spanish, carry on the great work the staff has begun and seek God in providing vision, intentionality, and the boldness it takes to change course. Our prayer is to be able to build a team of local leaders that can support the many needs of the many International schools here. We are praying specific prayers to God for favor, for wisdom, for his divine intervention in this all to create a way to see His plans come to life. John 15:16 has been on our hearts since arriving.
“You did not choose me, I chose you and appointed you that you should go bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
Join us in praying that his hand be in our new friendships as we join in and love the community here, as Jesus changes lives for generations to come.
FAMILY:
We gather each morning with the kids before school and pray and share what God is teaching us personally and it’s amazing how God weaves a family together when he’s all we seek. Our sense of humor is still in tact and we laugh often, and all agree that this place is feeling more like home even as we feel loss and miss all of you. After school, we usually gather around the kitchen table and do homework together. I join them with my Spanish book and we enjoy ‘studying’ together.
YOU:
We miss you and pray for you. Thank you for sending us! We pray over our senders, as each of your names sit in a glass bowl in our main room. It’s humbling and again gives us a sense of unity with you, as the church, and that we are doing this together. Anything specific we can pray for you, just let us know.
All our love,
Jimmy, Jeannie, Libby, Ella and Beck