Change.
Very few people actually embrace that word.
As this journey continues, we are realizing that we have signed up for a life of
constant change.
Whether it is changing everything we have ever known about every day life or battling our ever-changing emotions ... change is a huge part of
every single day here.
Some of the definitions of the word change:
to make radically different to give a different position, course, or direction toto replace with another to make a shift from one to anotherto undergo a modification of
I think that it is easy to say that our lives have been under each of these definitions of change since leaving in December.
Abandoning all we have ever known has made everything
radically different
Our dreams, hopes, and plans have all taken a
different course & direction.
We have
replaced all that was comfortable and familiar with the unknown.
We have
shifted our desires to His desires.
And with all of that, we are
undergoing a modification as we are made to be more like Him.
To be transparent & honest, there are days when the change is just
too much.
We go through waves of discouragement and frustration.
But thankfully, the good outweighs the bad and we are reminded of God's great purpose for our lives.
And we are reminded that we are
not alone. He is so faithful to comfort us!
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Our first trimester is winding down. We are off this week to celebrate Semana Santa. We will return to class next week for our final days of school before having 2 weeks of in between trimesters!
With that comes a lot of emotions ... and you guessed it ...
more change.
We are
encouraged by how much we have learned this trimester.
Our 4 teachers have been such a blessing to our lives this trimester. We can see God's hand in our class placements. It is amazing to look back over the last 4 months and see how much we have learned. Not just Spanish but also how much we have learned about The Lord & ourselves!
We both have done great in our classes ... both received an A+ on our end of the trimester cumulative exams! We are really doing this, y'all!
We were able to celebrate our teachers this month & all that they do for us during Teacher Appreciation Week. It was such a blessing to be able to give in small ways for all of the huge ways that they give and sacrifice for us during this language learning process!
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Chapel Service between classes
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We are
sad to say "see you laters" to some of the families that we have met!
We have had a few friends that have left to head back to life in the States or begin their placements on the field in another country in Latin America. It is amazing how quickly you become attached to people that you have only known for a short amount of time. These are some of the hardest changes we are facing ... saying goodbye is never easy!
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| Olivia is back in SC & ready to take on Clemson in the Fall! |
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| Josie's sweet friends from school that are now back in PA! |
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We are
excited for new beginnings!
We will begin our second trimester on May 8th along with new students that will arrive soon to Costa Rica. We look forward to getting to know the new families!
We are also really excited to spend the rest of our time in Costa Rica in a new (to us) home. The space we were living in was just big enough for us to function in as a family. We did not have any room to get away from the noise for studying or quiet time. It was a very small space that we could have made it in the rest of the time here but we had an offer that we could not refuse!
We were given the opportunity to move into a home that better fits our family for the remainder of our time here in Costa Rica. It was truly a blessing from the Lord and minimally increased our monthly cost of living by only $40. We now have space to host our visitors when they come to visit, a full sized refrigerator WITH a freezer (YAY for ice cream!) & room to relax as a family. It has already been such a blessing for us to have space to enjoy dinner & fun with friends in our home!
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Overall, we are thankful. Thankful for the progress & also for the pain.
We have realized that our circumstances here, whether it is frustrations, personality conflicts, disappointments, or discouragements, all serve a huge purpose in our process here this year.
We are not who we were 4 months ago when we left SC. Gracias a Dios!
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Here are some pictures of the last few weeks!
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| Even Macie is worn out from all of this change! |
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| PE day at school :) |
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| Bear sighting at the mall |
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| Feria in our neighborhood |
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| Daniel on the hunt for some fruit! |
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| Beautiful Sunset |
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| Countdown to Ms. Carla & Papaw & Nana! |
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| Josie's School Performance |
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| Beautiful trees |
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| Macie Girl :) |
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| Our iguana friend |
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| Sunset on the coast |
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| Our monkey friend |
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| Beautiful park in downtown San Jose |
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| Teaching her babies Spanish :) |
Please join us as we pray ...
- Monthly ministry partners so that we can reach 100% of our goal before December
- Progress & funds needed for our home at the camp in Honduras
- Two mission teams from the States we are leading in Honduras this summer (June & August)
- Visits with friends & family this month
We are so thankful for all of your love, support & encouragement as we embrace this adventure with The Lord!
If you feel led to partner with us & God's ministry in Honduras, please visit our secure giving site:
https://yfc.givingfuel.com/32216
