A day at the Precario

I spent the day at the precario today. We went early this morning for our walk through. That consists of handing out suckers to the kids and talking to the people. We delivered two more baby baskets this morning and I had already delivered two the day before. While we were walking around I found three more for next Friday! We also ran into a family whose 15 year old daughter just left home and got married! I just can't imagine that. They don't even know where she is. Crazy! We went and had lunch and came back to open up the rancho so some of the ladies could use it. They have been getting together to work on crafts that they can sell. They are really pretty cool. We're hoping that this can be a weekly event for them to learn new things and then to finish the work at their own homes. Maybe they'll even be able to make a little money too. That would be awesome.

Downtown San Jose

I just got back from downtown San Jose. I have been going down there on Friday nights with another group to give out coffee and cookies to the kids that live on the streets and the prostitutes. We met a young woman tonight that seemed a little out of place. At first glance you could see that there was still a brightness in her eyes. After a while of working on the streets you lose that light. She has only been out working for about 2 months. She is 23 years old and has 3 children. We also met a group of boys. I think one was probably living on the street and the others were just downtown for the evening. The neighborhood that they live in is a much more dangerous place to be on a Friday night. I also almost got a dog while I was downtown. If we had a yard at this new place it would have been coming home with me. I gave it a cookie and it gently took it from me and then lay down beside me to eat it. It put the cookies between it's paws and ate it very slowly. He followed us around the rest of the night. It broke my heart to leave him there on the street. It breaks my heart to leave the kids and the women we meet out on the street too. I guess I need to open a shelter for people and animals.

Getting Ready for Christmas

I started the process of sorting the presents that we will be giving away in the precario. I had three giant bags of gifts but that isn't even a tenth of what we will be giving away. It was so exciting to wonder what the gift was inside and to think about each child as I read the names on the tags. I can't wait to see their faces when we give them their gift. It is so amazing the excess we have in the states. Many of you will be buying multiple gifts for your families but these kids are getting the one and only present they will get. They are so grateful and excited! It is awesome to be part of that.

The Sunset

Have you ever been to a structure fire? Watched the fire mix with the clouds of smoke? I never really had the chance to just watch a fire, too busy trying to put it out I guess. Tonight I watched the sun set and the colors were just so amazing. I couldn't figure out how to explain the colors but a fire is exactly how they looked. There are dark, gray clouds but they glow with this red fire. It's like they are burning and the clouds are just the smoke. It only lasted a few minutes but it was breathtaking. Sorry I don't have my camera handy. I hope you can picture it in your mind.

A New Roof

I got a call Monday morning to come to the precario so Edwin could start work on the new roof for the rancho. I was under the impression that he would need to look and see what he needed to do the job, so I went expecting to be there for about an hour or two. NO! He started right away. He completely took the old roof off! I was there for about 10 hours and it finally got too dark to work and it was raining. I had to leave the rancho with no roof. Needless to say I had to say a prayer over everything. I decided that it was just stuff and it did really belong to the Lord so if he wanted us to still have it he would protect it. As I was leaving I almost drowned! Literally. The roof in the front has lots of holes and to lock up you have to look up. While I was doing that water just poured into my face! Where was America's Funniest Home Videos?! Tuesday was more of the same. I was a little more prepared. I did bring a snack but I still had no where to use the bathroom. I think I was there for 11 hours on Tuesday. Wednesday was a little less time because I had to leave for the beca students. I just got there at 6 in the morning instead of 7. The roof was pretty much on by this time. My plan was to leave there, go take care of the my friend's cats and take a shower. I didn't get to do that. One of the guys that was helping with the roof was on his bike and it was pouring rain. I gave him a ride to his house, so that put me closer to my house in Santo Domingo. Change of plans, I ordered a pizza from a place right around the corner. Ran and bought some drinks went back to get the pizza and got on the road. I was really wet but happy that I was still on time. I figured that I got my shower from all of the rain. While I was driving I noticed that I didn't have plates, cups, or napkins. Of course not!!! There is a small store on the way to the beca. I stopped there to pick up what I needed. While I was getting those things I noticed that they had baby baskets. I have been looking for more baskets for a couple of weeks. Well, I grabbed one and I couldn't find the price so I grabbed the second one down from the top shelf and tipped it over to look inside. It was FULL of water!!! I was not just wet I was soaked! I finally made it to the beca. While we were eating out pizza the light started to go on and off. First of all this makes in difficult for the kids to study, but the school that we use has put in an electric gate. Which means if there is no power I'm trapped! I told the girls to get in the van. I took them home. That was a crazy day to say the least. Thursday was another long day at the precario. I was able to get some help from our friends from Boy with a Ball. They came and helped me clean up the rancho so it would be ready for ladies' bible study. The new roof looks great and I also had them fix the front part too so no more drowning when I'm trying to lock up. I've spent the last 6 days in the precario. It really hasn't been that bad. I've really enjoyed being able to visit with everyone that would stop by. It's definitely helped my Spanish!

A Truly blessed day

Two great things happened today. First of all, I am happy to report that we had SUNSHINE this morning!!! Of course it is raining right now but it did shine for a little while. Second thing was a healing in the precario. One of our ladies recently had a baby and has been experiencing black outs that just are vision related, not passing out, just losing vision. So I called our doctor and he suggested that she have her blood pressure taken right away because he was worried it was related to the birth of the baby. It was fine so his next suggestion was a visit to an opthamologist. As we left last week we of course prayed for her. When we were getting ready to leave today she came out and told us that her vision is completely back to normal! Her eyes are burning a little but nothing major. Yeah God!

Sunless

Where is the sun?! I haven't seen it in over a week! Yes. I know it's rainy season here in Costa Rica, but come on already!!! The usual is beautiful sunny weather in the morning until at least 1 or 2 in the afternoon. We haven't gotten that in a long time. I'm ready for some sunny weather. It doesn't help either that it's dark by 5:30 every night. It's only 7 and I feel like I should be getting ready to go to sleep. The one good thing is everything sure is green!

Babies

One thing never changes. There will always be babies. I recently went to the states. I was gone for a little over two weeks. In that time we had 5 new babies born in the precario! Those are just the ones I know about. There could possible be more. I love delivering baskets to the new moms, or the moms that this is the 5th addition to their family. Babies always remind you of hope. We all need a little hope in our lives. They have it right there in their little faces as they look at you. They don't know that they've been born into a family that is struggling to have food each day, they just know that they are loved and cherished. As poor as most of our families are, giving a baby away is not an option. They will do everything in their power to make sure they have enough to eat, and clothes to wear. They may do without for themselves, but they try their best to have what their children need. No X-boxes or Gameboys here, just flat soccer balls and lots of love.

Just ask

I learned a very valuable lesson today. You have to ask....

We have been having lots and lots of rain the past few days. Keep in mind that it is the rainy season but this is extra rain from the hurricane that hit Nicaragua. So that means A LOT more rain than usual. With this extra rain people have become even more insane on the road! I know that doesn't seem possible but it is. Because of this I have had to try to find new ways to get around. There is a second way out of Santo Domingo but for some reason every time I have tried it in the past I get lost. Not lost like I have no idea where I am but lost in that I come out in a place that I didn't mean to and it's usually out of the way. The whole point is this. Today traffic was again crazy so I took the second way. There was still lots of traffic so it was a little crazy. While I was driving I asked God to help me find my turn so that I would come out exactly where I needed to. Of course you know what happened right?! He did!!! Now I know the way exactly. I know it's a little thing but He's interested in every part of our lives he just is waiting to be asked.

Christmas in August

We are preparing for our annual Christmas gift giveaway. We are preparing a census to have a list of all the children 10 and below that live in the precario. We are also revising our map. All of the houses have new numbers. It's been a lot of work, but I hope that it will mean less work when Christmas comes and it's time to give out the gifts. We gave away about 750 gifts last year. I'm sure we will exceed the 1000 mark this year. Part of why it's taking so long is each house has 5 or 6 kids. That's a lot of writing. Juliana has been helping me each Saturday. I don't even think I'm 1/2 way through and we already have over 400 names. There are lots and lots of kids, and those are only the ones that are 10 and under. I'm very tired today but I know this will make a difference when December comes.

Guatemala

The first part of August I was able to take a trip to Guatemala. It was beautiful! The people were very friendly and most spoke English which was very good for me. (My Spanish still stinks!) I went there to meet up with a group from True North Church. They are partnering with a church in Guatemala. So that's where we spent most of our time. The church has started a new church out in a much poorer community and they also provide a health clinic there as well. That was one of the purposes for this trip. The team came to assist with a health clinic. The clinic was for 3 days. Two of them were at the church in the small town, but one day we went on the road to a refugee village and saw patients there as well. That was pretty cool. It reminded me some of the precario but the houses were definitely in better shape and not so many people crowded into one small area. I have a few pictures, not many because I am terrible at taking pictures. I'm usually busy doing other things. So anyway here are a few and some of them are of here too. I will have more of just Guatemala later. The team is compiling a CD with everyone's photos so as soon as I get that I will post it.
http://joyncostarica.shutterfly.com/action/?a=8AYtnLly1buGIn

Ladies Bible Study

First I want to update everyone on Arlene. She had another God moment when she went to get the medication she needed. First of all the medication is very expensive. She knew that, so she borrowed money to get it. (I'm sure with a ridiculous amount of interest) She found out that 80% of the money was for the clinic and %20 was for the actual medication. When she got there the people at the clinic told her that she didn't owe them anything just to pay for the pills. She had that much money of her own so she was able to take the borrowed money back right away and avoid the interest. God is amazing! Oh yeah and the medication is already working. She is feeling much better. The depression is gone and she has had much more energy.

The second thing is our ladies surprise me every week. This past week they made me stand in awe of how far they have come. When they came to bible study the each had a bag of something. One person had a bag of rice, one beans, one sugar, and the list goes on. That in itself was not so unusual, but then they put all their things together. That was something new. I finally had to ask, my curiosity got the better of me. They told me that there was a lady in the precario who has been very sick and is very poor and hasn't had any food, so they decided to take some to her and to pray for her. OK, maybe it doesn't sound like a big deal to you but to me it was HUGE! Here's why. At some point in timewe have had to deliver food to every one of the ladies because they haven't had any food. So I am very surprised that they didn't just tell us so we could take food to her. They didn't even ask us for anything, no money, no food, nothing. We were invited to go and deliver the food and to pray for her. They said they all had been blessed and they just wanted to pass it on. They had to have lots of faith to give away food. They had to know that they would be provided for when the time came that it was them without anything. They have all been there too. They all were so excited that they decided to do it again the next week. This time I was invited to participate. I was not able to because of my trip to Guatemala. They told me not to worry about it, that I could do it with them the next time. They have grown so much. I am so proud of them!

The Diagnosis

Remember the lady that we took to have a test run? Her name is Arlene. She was not feeling well and had been to her doctor who referred her to a specialist who had done an xray. This is were they found a growth in her brain. She needed another test that was very costly. Because God is so good he provided that money for her and we were able to be part of that. We took her for the test and she was very nervous. She was very excited though to be able to share her testimony about God providing the money she needed for this test. The test did not take long and we were back on our way to the precario. She picked her results up and made her appointment with her doctor. I am so happy to report that it was NOT cancer! It's a cyst that is in the middle of her brain and it is treatable with medication. She has already started the treatments and is beginning to feel much better. The feelings of severe depression are lifting and she has more energy. Needless to say she is praising God! I am just so thankful that I got to be part of this whole thing. Pretty cool!

A trip to the dentist

I went to the dentist today. I know that sounds a little scary considering I'm in Costa Rica. The dentists here only go to school for 4 years. Actually it was a very good trip. My dentist speaks English which is very helpful when someone is working on your mouth and you can't think of the Spanish word for-- ow that hurts! Just kidding! There was no pain involved, either during the process or when I was paying. I had my teeth cleaned, a tooth repaired and a cavity filled. All of this only took 30 minutes! That in itself was pretty amazing. Also I didn't get a shot of any kind. No need for one. She uses a water drill that doesn't hurt one bit. When it was time to go and pay it only cost me $50 for everything! Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard of?! Even with dental insurance in the states I had to pay at least $100 just to have my teeth cleaned not to mention the other procedures I had done. So if you need any dental work done you would save money even with the plane ticket to have it done down here in beautiful Costa Rica. Just thought you might like to know.

God's Gift

Just wanted to share a God story with you. On Thursday I received my support check from the church. It was for a lot more than I was expecting. So much so that I was able to pay off all of my credit card debt! I felt sick to my stomach though. I couldn't decide if it was because I thought it was a mistake or I felt unworthy or what it was. I couldn't sleep so I decided to read my bible. I opened to the verse that says: "It is better to give than to receive". So now the good part....
There is a woman in our ladies bible study at the precario who has been having some health issues. The doctors have recently found a tumor in her brain. She needed another test. The amount of money needed for that test is the exact amount of my tithe for my church check and my last check from work! I was able to tell her at bible study on Friday to make the appointment for the test. I made sure that she knew that the money was a gift from God and not from me. She made the appointment and called last night to tell us. I couldn't sleep at all last night. I was worried about her and about what we would do next once the results came in. I finally fell asleep and when I woke up I heard from the Lord not to worry about it; I wouldn't do anything, HE would do it all! We went to the hospital today for the test. The results should be in and she should be able to meet with her doctor in the next day or two. Another awesome part of this story is that she has been able to share her faith. When they told her how much the test would cost they figured they would never see her again. She told them she would be back. She said the Lord had told her everything was going to be fine. She had faith that God would provide a way. When she went to make her appointment yesterday they were VERY surprised to see her. She was able to tell them about her gift from GOD!

The Door of Hope

I wrote briefly about our new ministry in my last newsletter but I wanted to add to that. It is called the Door of Hope because that is what we want to provide for these girls, hope. Our first girl in this program is Juliana. Phil Jones, one of the founders of Blood N Fire Costa Rica, has known Juliana for 10 years. When he met her she was living in a precario. She is now 17 and lives in a better situation. They were able to buy a VERY small house that has running water. She lives with her Mom, three of her sisters and one brother. It is only a 2 bedroom house. She has other sisters that don't even live with them. They live in extreme poverty and she has seen many men come and go out of her house. Most of her siblings all have different fathers.

She recently has become involved with a married man that is 40. He was taking her out to dinner buying her alcohol and paying attention to her. Of course he said he cared about her, then he said he didn't want anything to do with her. Which is just a head game these men play so they can get the girls to do whatever he wants to get him back. He has been back in contact with her but she hasn't really had the time to spend with him since she has been coming to stay with us on the week ends. That was part of our plan all along. We are also hoping to teach her that she is better than that.

We read the bible with her daily while she is here and encourage her to read at home as well. We talk to her as best as our Spanish will allow. We want to show her God's love is enough. HE is all she needs.

She really looks forward to coming. She is teaching us new games. She cooked dinner for us last night. It was very good. She also has started acting like a teenage girl again. She really enjoyed our trip to the precario. She talked to the kids and handed out suckers. It was really a nice day.

The picture at the top is Juliana with LCI team member Caroline before she came to stay with us.

Feria

Jennifer, Juliana, and I went to the feria today. The feria is an open air market. It's very Costa Rican. People go every Saturday morning to buy all of their fruits and vegetables for the week. I drank from a coconut while I was there. I wouldn't say it's my favorite but it was ok and it was definitely an experience to watch them chop the top off with a machete! I also ate a fruit I've never seen before. Juli said it was a manzana agua. Water apple is how it translates. It was very good. It was sour which is something I like. We also bought a few other things I have never tried before and Juliana is preparing dinner with them. I'll have to let you know how that goes. So far it smells wonderful!

Pictures

While the team from Life Connections International were here there were lots of pictures taken. I have put a few in an album and would like to share them.
http://joyncostarica.shutterfly.com/action/?a=8AYtnLly1buGIn

LCI Team

The team from LA came to visit. They were with Life Connections International. We have a very excited time with them. They were here for a little over a week. They helped us of course with our "Beca" program. We worked in the precario, had a cook out and all that fun stuff. They also helped us move our things from our storage into our new place. While we were there the van got filled with bees! It was a little crazy. We drove with the back door open for a little ways but they refused to leave. Phil had to get out and use a branch to swat them away. Then on Friday that week we had a flood in the house! We had gone to ladies bible study in the precario and when we got home there was at least 3 inches of water everywhere! Shoes were floating, everything was wet and had to be washed. Luckily we have ceramic floors throughout the house so everything got really clean by the time we were done. To finish up the time the team had here we went to the beach. It was beautiful of course. I actually got to see monkeys in the wild. It was pretty amazing.

So the ministry is already beginning to change. One of our beca students is at a huge crossroads at her life and needs a place to stay. We are praying about this situation right now. Our heart is that we have her move in here with us. It will be a big change for her as well as us. We are looking forward to the learning process that we will go through with this new program.

Our first team arrived this afternoon. We are on our way to the beca program. I can't wait to see the kids! I have missed them terribly. We got a report that they are doing very well. For the most part everyone's grades are up. That is great!

Back in Costa Rica

I made it! I am traveling with another girl from Stevens Creek. We had our flight to Miami cancelled before we go to the airport in Atlanta. We found out we would be routed through Dallas which meant there was a possiblity of meeting up with Phil who is the founder of our ministry. Anyway that did happen and we were going to be on his flight. While we were waiting they asked for volunteers to take a later flight. They gave us $500 flight vouchers, hotel accommodations, and food vouchers. Isn't God great! Now I will have enough to make another flight back and forth to the states. Yeah!!! But it gets better. They also bumped us up to business class. I've never flown this before. The seats are much larger, they serve you a drink as soon as you sit down. Dinner was a three course meal with real glass ware and real linens. Unbelievable! I felt a little bad for the people in the back. So we got in late Thursday instead of Wednesday which means we lost a work day.

We made up for that yesterday though. We have lots of work to get ready for our first team that's coming from LA. They get here Monday. I was able to get to the precario yesterday. The ladies were having bible study. They were all very excited to see me and even more so when I told them I was here to stay not just for a visit this time. The babies are not babies anymore. Well speaking of lots of work, I need to get started on some.