Thankful!

Ah, Thanksgiving week. One of my favorite times of the year! Although I usually am enjoying the cooler temperatures and spending time with my family, this year I am thankful for the (less) rainy days and my long-distance, supportive, amazing family! I really do have so much to be thankful for!

I am grateful for the opportunity to teach in Costa Rica. I am even more grateful that I got the BEST (really) group of students to teach. It is hard to believe that we are in the "home-stretch" of the school year here in Costa Rica. Exams are next week! The kids are more than ready for their "summer vacation," and the teachers are ready for a break, but I am sad (mostly at how fast the time has gone!) I have decided to start another adventure and not return to Costa Rica next school year - it was a hard decision to come to, but I need to keep pushing myself. (I also know that God's got a few things up His sleeve!) So, in our last weeks together we are making "dream boards" so my kiddos will always be able to look back at what they "wanted" in fourth grade. We are able to do a few extra things in these last weeks...we have a bake sale, pool party, and trip to the amusement park planned! This past Friday, my dear friend and fellow teacher, Mabel & I took our students out on "dates" to dinner and the movies. The kids were soo happy and had a great time. Who doesn't love hanging out with their teacher?! ;) Mabel and I were exhausted after - but those are memories I will cherish forever. And for these memories, I am thankful.

So many memories! I am also thankful for memories that are being made with my friends here - I know that the people I have met here have made this experience what it's been. I also know that I have made lifelong friends. I am excited to see how each of them will continue to grow and move (and give me new places to visit!!) I am thankful for these things. I am thankful for the thrill and love of traveling that I have as I grow up. (Thanks mom and papa!) And I am thankful for the opportunity TO travel!

Although there are so many good things (and I try to focus on these) there have been some harder things. Personal things that I've had to come face-to-face with. My heart still aches for the loss of my aunt. But, I am thankful for the ability to grieve. I am thankful for the grace that our Father offers to us. And for me, grace is not always easy to accept. Because to accept grace and come to be at peace, you have to open your heart to the truth. The truth. Something, in this case, that I don't understand. I have come to know one thing: It is NOT in my hands. It is in His. And I try to let this bring me some sort of peace, but it doesn't always work that way. I am thankful for love. To love. And to be loved. I am thankful for healing time.

I am also thankful for family. I was pretty bummed out a few weekends back when my relatives all visited Texas. But there were so many great things happening that I couldn't be too sad! I am thankful that hard work pays off. And so happy for my aunt and uncle who were able to open a New York style pizza place. From what I hear it's BOMB - the pizza, wings & subs! I am excited to go when I get home - not only for the food and company, but for some good Texas beer!! I am glad my relatives were able to be there. I am also thankful for technology. I got to skype everyone and see some of my relatives that I haven't been able to keep in touch with! I am also thankful that they are all so supportive of me. I am also thankful for my friends - near and far, who are like family to me. The constant joy that you guys bring into my life... I am forever grateful!

These are just a few of the many things I am thankful for. I am most grateful for the opportunities. God is so good to me. And I trust in Him for what's next. And even though it is Thanksgiving time, we should always practice being thankful. Because look around : you too have so much to be thankful for. <3 So wherever you are today, whatever you are doing, STOP! And talk to Him. And then, when your done talking, quiet your thoughts - and listen to His.

I hope wherever you are, you have a great Thanksgiving.

Grace under pressure: that is the definition of guts!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. A mix of beauty and grace, passion and reality. I am constantly reminded to have faith.

And I am trying. My students fill my heart with a joy that is simple. It is pure and innocent. It is real. We learn. And we laugh. And we love. I have made the joke that I have the "perfect 90s boy band" (and I do!) We grow every day, in a new way. Today I broke the news that I would not be their teacher next year. I tried to show my excitement that the fifth grade teacher is a man and they'll love him. But that brought no comfort. There were tears. And there was anger. "Why?" was asked a lot. We talked, and after I brought up the talent show we will have in a few weeks, the topic was dropped. However, I know it is not settled. But we push on.

We have four more weeks left of school. And then I'll head back to Texas to celebrate the holidays with my family and friends. I want time to hurry up and stand still all at the same time.

My patience is tested. I KNOW that part of Gods plan is having faith in His timing. HOWEVER. This is something that I battle with every day. I like to have a plan. I like to know "what's next." But for now, I do not know. Slowly but surely, I am learning to trust God in a way like never before. I am learning to just allow Him to carry me, to take me where He wants me... NEEDS me. And I know that in His arms I am safe. To follow Him, is worth any cost or sacrifice. And so I will enjoy this last month with my boys.

"She is clothed in strength and dignity. And she laughs without fear of the future." - Proverbs 31:25

And that is that. Life is still simple - exactly how I like it! I hope this blog finds you all well and full. <3

PS!!!!! Everyone should check out the new "Shake the Nation" CD that was just released on iTunes! It is the worship band from the church I attended throughout college! GREAT music and GREAT people!!

It is good.

Hello out there!!

I hope this blog finds you all well and full! Life in Costa is crazy. But who doesn't need/love/want a little crazy?! Speaking of crazy....

Some days I look at my students and I can't believe how far we've come. All of us, together. We are constantly growing and learning and doing.. I often have to take a step back to really appreciate how lucky I am to have a class full of students who want to learn. A typical day with us includes lots of English, lot's of reading and writing (creativity!!) math, math and math - The boys LOVE math. And science or science experiments. Their theory is that everything should either explode or burn or smell or produce something to eat! And we keep learning. They help me with my spanish, I help them with "girl problems" (This is humerous as half my class still thinks girls have cooties [with the exception of mom and teacher!] and the other half of my class thinks that girls are angels that have fallen from heaven.) We talk about futbol, football, and baseball. They learn sarcasm. We learn hard lessons. We learn life lessons. Most importantly, we are constantly laughing. And it is good. Our school recently participated in the Independence Day parade - all of my students were a part of the band or the whistle blower to keep the rest of the school on step. It was a hot, fun day for us. We were a motley crew, but we appreciated our differences. We appreciated culture. Right now, we are working on our culture day project. Each grade gets to choose a country to represent. Your class researches the culture and customs, the language and government, the food, the people, etc... And then on culture day - you get to dress up/decorate/feed and teach the rest of the school about your country. Fourth grade will be representing Greece!! I am excited. The boys are more excited. We have been researching. We added a "Greek Mythology" unit. I now have a classroom full of "Greek Gods." When I look at my classroom I see something new: I see active imaginations at work. This is such an "American idea" but I am proud of them. They have taken it on fully. (My classroom also now looks like a tornado has blown through - but I greet it with open arms!)

Life is simple. I get to wake up and do what I love every day. I get to teach. And even better, I get to teach eager students. And when I'm not teaching, I get to explore. There is always a new beach to enjoy, a new mountain to climb. I get to read all the time. And boy, do I love a good book.

In September we had a week off from school. I decided to make a trip back to the states. I had several reasons for wanting to do so (more than just being homesick, but mostly because I was homesick.) And so, I made my way to New York City. My parents decided to surprise me for the weekend. Or it would have been a surprise if my mom didn't cave in and tell me. (I was so happy that she did tell me - it made what were a long few weeks a whole lot better.) And then my brother decided to come. And that would have been a surprise - if he was better at not putting stuff all over facebook. And then my best friend, Lesli decided to come. And that would have been a surprise - but she wanted to make a bad day better. And then, my sister and Payden decided to come. And THAT was a surprise. She tricked me! And it was good. :) We had a great weekend with my cousin, Kevin and Vinnie. It was so nice for my family to all be together. Since we've gotten older, the family trips have been fewer with longer time in between. But the weekend together, and getting to "love on" all of them, made my heart full and happy. After they left, I spent the week relaxinggggggggg. I got to help Vinnie celebrate his birthday which was fun. Every time I go to the city I see more and more and fall in love with it more and more. It was exactly the kind of week I needed. It was so hard to leave, but knowing that I would see everyone again soon for the holidays made it a little easier. (Barely. I am terrible at goodbyes. I need more hellos.)

And so I am back. I welcome the routine. I'm doing my best to make the most of my time here. I look around me and I feel blessed. There are so many good things. And some days are hard. But they are still good. And some things are bad, but it is so good. He is so good to me.

Always remember....greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. Xo.

Eyes Wide Open

And I am back.

This day is no different than any other. I have gone through the same motions, through the same routine. I'm barely awake through my shower, I run to catch the bus, and I greet my students. We dance, we sing to get our morning started right. I teach a room full of eager faces. I'm starting to wake up - starting to see again...why I'm doing all of this. I'm doing this to serve Him.

And the truth is, sometimes I forget. I get caught up in small things. I forget to look around. I have tunnel vision. But then, on my bus ride home - I sit next to a man whose hand is wrapped in a towel, blood soaking through. And my vision starts to clear. We don't exchange words, but I pray for him. I look out the window and I see poverty all around, and I pray. Walking from the bus to my house, I see kids looking through trash for something to eat. I invite them to my house and offer them what I can. And when they run off, I pray.

And I ask myself where is God in all of this mess? And I know. My heart knows the answer - God is right here. God is right here with us. And He knows. This pain is not comparable to the pain that He must have felt when He gave his Son for us. But that love is the love we live on every day. His love. His love is what clears my vision. He is using me. And that is enough.

Today, I have my face in the dirt. I am bending down at the feet of Jesus. Thank you Father, for the reminders, the opportunities you offer to me.

Praying for you, as you bend today for whoever and whatever is in front of you. He will meet you there.

August Already?!

Time has slipped away from me, once again! It's hard to believe that we are already half way through August. I guess time flies when you are having fun. ;) And that is exactly what I have been having!

At the end of July, my friend Meghan and I decided to rent a house together. So my last few days of July and first few weeks of August were filled with moving, organizing, cleaning & painting. We have comfortably moved into the house, and made it ours. It's a cute little casita...very Costa Rican. We have a great outdoor patio and dreams of having all of our friends over for dinner...there just hasn't been time yet.

Things at the school have been moving along smoothly. My students make me laugh every day. I have come to realize how big of a blessing it is to be able to say that - "I enjoy my work, every day." Sure, some days I feel like my room is filled with aliens (9 and 10 year old boys are pretty much aliens), and some days my patience is tested - but we are LEARNING. And we are GROWING. And the most beautiful part of it all is that we are doing it all TOGETHER. For as many things as I teach them, they turn around and teach me something new. We recently had our "Science Fair" at school. The boys were bursting with ideas for experiments that they wanted to do. First, we tried to make rock candy. Unfortunately, with no success. So we decided it was time to find something even better...which led us to "Elephants Toothpaste." It ended up working out perfectly with what we were learning in science (Chemical and Physical changes) - and the boys had a blast. When we presented out experiment to the parents and other grades, everyone was impressed...I was the most impressed. I enjoyed watching the boys research and try adding different things to get different reactions... It was a fun time in our classroom. All those little moments are what make this worth it. In our classroom, it is well known that we are a team - We will win together, and lose together. I am happy to see we win a lot more than we lose <3

Other news? Let's see. I have been battling sickness for almost two weeks - I pray the end is in sight. I will spare any and all details...but I will just say being sick away from home is probably the biggest challenge I've faced so far. I am so thankful to have friends who have been helping me through it.

On a much happier note! I am so excited to share exciting news about my dear friend Ryan Wedell! When I met "Weedle" my first day of college, I never would have guessed that we would become best friends...but it happened! Besides being so intelligent (nerdy, I say), funny, relaxed, and a smart-ass (excuse the language), he's caring and passionate. Weedle & I have a theory about "being uncomfortable" and how when we are most uncomfortable, we usually learn the most and have the best experiences. Well IS HE testing this THEORY! He left this week for the Peace Corps. He will be spending the next two years in Cameroon! Excitement doesn't even begin to describe what I feel for him. I know he's going to have the experience of a lifetime and learn so much. The people he will meet will forever be changed. I ask for prayers that he is kept safe and healthy. I am anxiously awaiting his first message to hear about everything!

How great is our God to give us these experiences? To guide us around the world, to use us. And He is USING US! And this makes our lives so full. I know that He loves us and I do not pretend to know why. I am not questioning the endless thoughts that race through my head. I am just thankful that He is using me now, for these moments. And that is more then enough. I can trust in that.

My heart is FULL!

My heart is FILLED! And it is because my life is so FULL! The past month has been busy, but so exciting and fun.

The first few days of vacation, I spent in Manuel Antonio with my friends Meghan and Dennis, and Megs brother Drew. We spent our days on the beach relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather. It was a nice way to start vacation. My sweet friend Lesli flew in on Tuesday and we spent a few days in Jaco. It was nice to really "explore" Jaco - we had some great beach days, went ATVing in the mountains, hiked up to some beautiful lookout points. I felt like a had a huge part of home with me for ten days...which was one of the best feelings in the world. :) A few days later we went to San Jose to meet Kevin and Vinnie! It started off as an adventure. The four of us traveled to Arenal Volcano which is in the northern part of Costa Rica. It was awesome to see a new part of the country, while sharing it with my friends. We went ATVing (again!) and Ziplining around the Volcano. Because it was "cloudy" the whole time we didn't get to see any "lavaaaa" but it was still a lot of fun. On the way back to Jaco, we stopped in San Jose for Lesli to catch her plane. I was sad to see her go, but I have a feeling it won't be long until she's back. ;) Kevin, Vinnie & I hung out in Jaco for a few more days - beaching it up, and ATVing (for the third time!)They got to jump off waterfalls which Kevin claims is "WHAT COSTA RICA IS REALLY ALL ABOUT!" They loved body surfing the waves, and didn't love real surfing. We went out with my friends to celebrate birthdays and vacations, and then the boys both surprised me and decided to stay for another week! The only way that I can describe that feeling is going from the top of the world happiness, to an even higher happiness. My friend Corrine came into town so we were back to being four. Unfortunately the beginning of her trip started with a little bit of craziness, but nobody was hurt and everything turned out to be ok. Thank you God, for granting patience in a time when I was feeling anything but. While Corrine was here we went to Manuel Antonio and to the National Park with Meghan and her family! It is a beautifullll park and we would have loved to enjoy the white sand beaches, but the afternoon rainstorms had other plans for us. It was great to spend the afternoon with Meghans family though! We went ATVing AGAIN and had a great time. On Thursday we headed to San Jose again this time for Kevin to catch his flight. I am NO GOOD at goodbyes - and I don't know that I will ever be. Saying goodbye to your favorite cousin is especially hard! I also feel like it won't be too long until he comes back. ;) Vinnie decided he wasn't ready to go home, and decided to stay another week. (Again, the happiness thing!) Vinnie, Corrine & I explored San Jose for the day and went shopping in a MALL. I don't think this was exciting for anyone but me.....butttttttttt it was so lovely! We even got to go to the movies!! I was again sad to see my friend leave, but feeling so blessed to have had so many loving people come visit me and be able to share this part of my life with me. Vinnie and I had a relaxing weekend at the beach before I started school again on Monday.

And so I was back. Three weeks vacation is just long enough to get out of your routines - but I was excited to see my students! Walking into a classroom full of boys who yell TEACHERRRRRRRR and hug you, and can't wait to share their vacation stories with you makes it pretty easy to be back. While I went to work, Vin got to relax and beach it up. Meghan, Dennis, Vinnie & I had some fun nights together. It was so nice to spend time with someone who is special to me. :) And then it was time for Vin to go. Saying goodbye is always hard, but especially after spending a straight month of loving on my friends and family! HOWEVER I feel so blessed to have had them with me to love on and enjoy my vacation so I tried to not let myself be too sad. (Who am I trying to fool? ha)

We had a long weekend which was the perfect way to end my long vacation. I took a road trip to Panama with my friend Kayla. We had a good time exploring and shopping! We spent the night in Pavones which is a cute COSTA RICAN town with not a thing in it. It was a great way to unwind. Now, another week has started (or is halfway through!) and I am happy to be back and I can say I almost back into the routine of things!

There are some EXCITING things happening over here in Costa Rica - but things that I am not ready to share publically yet! I see how God is using me. And I know that He will continue to use me as long as I am open. I have come to learn that I may not always end up where I thought I would, but I always end up where I need to be. How great is our God? I pray that He will continue to guide me on these new adventures.

I would alao like to give a HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to my sweet brother. I can't believe that he turns 20 today! My parents no longer have teenagers!! (MOM! Does that make you feel old?!?! Don't worry...you aren't!) I am so proud of the person he has become - I see him leading a life by having faith in our Father and I know that God has amazing plans for him.. I love you buck and I hope your day is filled with laughter and love. We will have to celebrate you being an adult next time I'm home ;)

My heart is full. So full that somedays I feel like it may burst. And it is all because of the God I serve. I am blessed. I am happy. Life is good.

Love!

Ten days have passed since I last posted? Oh Costa Rica, you are playing games with time!

It was exam week for the kids. What SCHOLARS my boys are. They were diligent in their studies and worked so hard! Their hard work paid off and everyone excelled. Today we got to CELEBRATE the end of exams and the three week vacation we are about to have. There were games, clowns, shows & LOTS of junk food. I'm not sure I've ever been so happy to eat oreos. :) haha.

I'm getting my things packed to go to Quepos for a few days with my friends Meghan and Dennis, and Meghans brother! I am looking forward to relaxing on the beach and seeing more of beautiful Costa Rica.. and then when I get back I get to head to San Jose to pick up Lesli!! I do not have words to describe the excitement within me!!

Even though this is not a long post - I imagine that the next three weeks are going to be a WHIRLWIND and I won't be around my computer very much. There isn't really anything else to update on right now but I WILL say this:

This week, I spent a lot of time looking at numbers. I'm not normally a numbers person.. Growing up I never LOVED math. But I have always appreciated that no matter WHERE in this world you go, numbers are the same in every language. With that being said, statistics interest me. Like the statistic that there are 147 million orphans in the world. And when I think about that, my heart hurts. I want so badly to care for all of them and tell them all that I love them and GOD loves them. In a discussion I had this week about this statistic, and statistics like it, someone asked me how I could possibly believe their is a God when there are so many orphans and people hurting and dying in this world. My answer was simple. God created every single one of those orphans in HIS image and HE holds them ALL. Just like He holds you and I. And He ALSO put us on this Earth to take care of each other. James 1:27 says that "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans" To me, it's right there - black and white. My heart weighs heavy with this statistic. I want to love them all. I ask that we all take a minute out of our days to pray for the orphans around the world. I pray that they will know humanly love, and the love of our Father. I also am praying for some hearts to be moved in the direction of adoption.

So much for my post not being long. :)

I better throw some clothes in my bag and get going - Happy Friday everyone!