October 4

Hi friends!

Every time I go to write one of these blogs I don’t even know how to start and all I can say is “wow!”

First, to answer all your questions… Yes. I am feeling better! I’m not sure why my body has not really adjusted to being here. I’m getting used to Costa Rican germs I think, finally. To give you a run-down: The first day I got here I had a sore throat. I went to the hospital the first time 2 weekends ago with an inflamed colon & colitis. Then, after taking all the medication from that, I started feeling better but my sore throat started getting worse. I went to the pharmacy (because in CR you can see a doctor and they can give you medicine at the pharmacy) and they gave me a few days worth of pain killers/ anti-inflammatories. Those worked for the two days they were for, but then my throat got a lot worse. So…. My mom came down to Costa Rica and took me to the hospital. I had/have an infection in both my tonsils, an inflamed uvula, throat infection and double ear infection. I was given 2 shots and a bunch of medication. Then we came to find out after a few days of me taking these medicines but not getting better, I was given medicine for urinary tract infections. So NOW I am just taking a bunch of vitamins, probiotics, and a regular Augmentin prescription I brought from home. I am so much better!!!!! It took a few weeks, a lot longer than I expected but THANK YOU so much from the bottom of my heart for your support, messages, encouragement and prayers!

I really wish that all of you could just come down here and be a “fly on the wall”. There is just so much that I am learning and experiencing, it is overwhelming.

I am just going to ramble off a few super cool things/praises:

-  I love love love the friends that I am making here. It’s so cool how I have not even known these people for a month, and it feels like I have known them forever! Being able to talk, pray, worship and serve at any time with any of the other students, interns or staff is awesome.

-  I was given the opportunity to be on the worship team at my Sunday morning Spanish church! I played the piano with the team then we did a special music song that I was able to play and sing! God is so good and allowing me to make new friendships through this. Please pray for endurance, strength and energy for me on the weekends. I will be going from my week of classes, to worship practice Friday night, ministry Saturday morning, youth group Saturday afternoon, Worship practice, Sunday school and Spanish church, then English church. Weekends are crazy busy but they are SO awesome!

-  Monday we went to the beach for our free day! It was beautiful!

-  We leave on the 14^th to go to Panama! So please pray for that: 1. for safety 2. That there are no problems at the borders, going into and coming back, with our visas.

*-   Yesterday our Bible teacher received a call from a ministry down here in Costa Rica called “Light Forest”; (they are missionaries who are here ministering to prostitutes, doing different trafficking ministries and going out into the streets of San Jose).The call informed us about a prostitute who fled from where she was living and is here living in a hostel. So last night a few of us got together and went to the grocery store to buy her food for the week. She will be receiving it today. So I beg you to join us in praying for her, for restoration, her salvation, that she would run into the arms of Jesus and that she would allow Light Forest to help her and minister to her. We are praying that she stays here and comes to our church on Sunday! 

I am learning so much. I am growing in so many different ways, God is stretching me; weather it be in my Spanish, knowledge of the Bible, challenging my beliefs, making friends, living with 35 other people, Costa Rican culture and lots more!

I just want to talk this time and encourage/challenge you to seek God, read His Word, talk to Him, serve Him and not be SATISFIED. We have become so content and complacent as Christians. I really encourage you to read, study, dissect and devour the book of 1st John. There is so much in there about Salvation and testing your Salvation. I pray that if you are reading this, you know without a shadow of a doubt where you are going to spend eternity. There is nothing more that I would want in all the world than for you to spend eternity in Heaven with the one who created you, loves you more than you can imagine and bore your sins on the cross so that you CAN have LIFE! 

1 John 1:5-10 "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."

For me, it was always the little things that held me back from fully surrendering to God, giving Him ALL of me and my plans for His kingdom! Sometimes we set up our own obstacles, label ourselves, compartmentalize things, believe the lies that Satan puts into our minds and idolize the things of this world; all of these things, hold us back from surrender or even true salvation. Serving and living for Jesus is worth everything. When we get to heaven, the fleeting things of this world will pass away and we will be with Jesus! In paradise! Perfect! Holy! Pure! Sinless! Surrender is like signing a blank contract and letting God fill out the page! SO awesome! Worth it ALL!

Challenge:
If you could ask God one question, your biggest prayer request, struggle or the foothold that the devil has on your life.... Got it?.... That's your burden, the struggle that is holding you back, maybe it's just what needs work or what is holding you from full surrender or even salvation. Focus on that. Surrender it. Cover it in prayer. Seek out scripture. And although I might not know who even does this, I am praying for you.

I love you all so much. My heart is overflowing with gratitude. I am so blessed.
May God bless you for your prayers and support! 

Some pictures of my awesome friends and expierences :

La playa

Room 7: We finally got out shower door taken out!

La playa

Cosechas on my birthday with some of the coolest people I've ever met.