It has been a few days since I've done an update so I am going to give an overview of the past few days. On Thursday, we didn't do much. We just hung around the condo...JD still wasn't feeling great so after grocery shopping, Joel and I went to the pharmacy and got him some of the "magic pills" that I had taken. They helped a bunch with the pressure in his head. He is still fighting a bit of a headache...we all kind of are, but I think that that has more to do with the change is air pressure here than actually being sick. The headaches come and go as the clouds roll in off of the nearby mountains. I have been told by numerous people that the first year of being here, you can expect to be sick on and off the whole time until your body adjusts to the atmosphere....yuck! On an exciting note, the boys have made a friend here in the condo complex. His name is Joshua :) and he has a sister named Gabby. They are from Ohio and have lived here in Jaco for about 3 years. Joshua is 13 years old and Gabby is 15. They both surf, so the boys have been surfing with them and just hanging out with Joshua. He and our Josh seem to have a lot in common :) Thank God for providing friends!!!

On Friday, Joel went surfing in the morning and when he came home, I met with April. I am working on some promo material for them that they are going to use to do a fundraiser in the states to help raise money to pay off the loan on the property. After our meeting, the family all went to the Farmer's Market. It was the first time Joel and the boys have been. We did very good this week...we got a ton of veggies & fruits for about $15. The best purchase was 10 starfruit for $1!!! Our Friday trips to the Farmer's Market are becoming a highlight of my week....you never quite know what veggies and fruits they will have. There are some Amish that come down off of the mountain to sell their breads....I was not expecting to see the Amish here in Costa Rica :) In the early evening, Joel, Josh, Bella, and I took a ride to the nearby town of Hereduda. Joel was interested in getting a boat ride to a remote surf spot so we drove down to the beach to check out the town and the prices. While we were there, we saw the prettiest Macaw up in the tree above us. He was eating the nuts and dropping them right down on our heads!!! It is so amazing to see the different kinds of lizards and birds here! Our God is so creative :) The rest of the day we just hung around the complex.

On Saturday, Joel and some of the guys took their boat ride out of Herradura to surf for the morning. They had a great time...Joel said that it was one of the best waves he has surfed ever :) After lunch, we all went back to Hermosa and spent the day on the beach and playing in the water. One of the annoying things here are the stray dogs...they are everywhere!!! Joel isn't fond of dogs since he was bit by one a few months ago, so he spent the time on the beach with a big stick...protecting us :) On Saturday night, there was a huge concert in the park right near our house that was so loud. We were all tired and tried to get to bed early and just when the concert ended at 10pm....our neighbors started a party of their own :) These Ticans know how to have a fiesta!!! They were playing loud music, and yelling and banging on pots...poor Josh, he had a hard time falling asleep and just kept yelling "COME ON!!!" from his bed :) Eventually we all fell asleep and I was happy to see that those neighbors checked out this morning :)

Today we went to Calvary Chapel here in Jaco. It is a nondenominational bilingual church. Joel and I had visited Calvary the last time we were here. They have grown so much! They meet in the covered soccer field here in town. There is at least one soccer field in every town here....no matter how poor the town! It was so nice to be fellowshipping and worshipping with believers! We didn't get to go last week since three of us were still sick so it had been two weeks since we had been to church.....it is amazing how refreshing it was to my soul!!! We are going to have dinner sometime this week with the assistant pastor and his family. They have been in Jaco for about two years now. After lunch, we just went out the beach here in Jaco so the boys could surf with Joshua and Gabby. I was supposed to be taking pictures but I didn't have my glasses on so I ended up taking pictures of other random surfers :( Needless to say, Joel will take the surfing pictures next time :) The sun is so hot and draining here...it is amazing how tired we become after just being out and about for a few hours. Everyone says it takes a few months to get used to the heat so that it doesn't exhaust you. Tonight we finally were able to go into town after dinner and get some ice cream at the Heladeria :) This town triples in size on the weekends as everyone from inland comes down to spend the weekend by the beach. A lot of people just pitch tents on the beach and spend the weekend camping. So we try not to go into town on the weekends as it becomes a mad house! This weekend happened to be "Biker weekend" too so there was the added craziness of hundreds of bikers to the mix.

Well, that is our last few days in a nutshell. Tomorrow the girls and I are going to go to Hannah's office to help her get some filing done. She is very shorthanded right now and could use the help. Joel and I will also go to bible study tomorrow night. Please pray for me as I will be teaching the ladies' study. I am looking forward to sharing with them what God has revealed to me over the past week of studying :) Please continue to pray for the kids' adjustment and for their hearts to be open to moving here, if that is what we feel we are being called to do. Also, please pray for continued good health. Please pray also that God would bring people into our path that we can share Him with while we are here. Lastly, please continue to pray that Joel and I will know God's will concerning this move.

A Dios sea la gloria!!!

Kelley (& Joel :)

Here are some pictures of the past few days.

The Farmer's Market

This is a carrot not a sweet potato!!!

The girls and I with our purchases

Beautiful Macaw in Herradura

Our fearless protectors!!!!!

A day in the sun

Today, after school work was done, we packed up the kiddos and headed to Playa Hermosa. It is only about a 10 minute drive around the mountain. The kids had a blast in the water and we had the whole beach to ourselves :) It was the first time the girls and I had been in the water since we got here a week ago. It is crazy to think that a week has gone by already. Jaco is becoming a little more familiar each day yet it still feels like a totally different world! It was a very nice relaxing day!

Here are some pictures of our beach day.

Bella and Josh playing in the surf.

Joel and JD hanging out. This "lean to" was already on the beach when we got there....so we borrowed it for a while :)

The kiddos digging for hermit crabs.

Makayla and I.....I thought I should include a picture of me every now and then just so that people know I am actually on this trip :)

After our beach trip, Makayla started not feeling great again and didn't really eat dinner. She did perk up after eating a little and getting some medicine. Please pray that she is not relapsing and the fever will not come back. JD is still battling a stuffy head but I am sure after a few more surf sessions, that will wash right out :) I am feeling much better...those wonder pills did their job!

Tomorrow is grocery shopping day...not my favorite activity...and it is more so here because we have to shop twice a week because we don't have any room for more food than a few days worth :) Our meals are pretty much the same...food is very expensive here! We have been told that in San Jose food is cheaper because they have more than 2 grocery stores so the prices are a bit more competitive. We'll have to look into that....or just cut down to 2 meals a day :) Yeah right with a teenager and a pre-teen...I think not!!

Well, that's it for today. We have friends that we met here two years ago flying in in a few days. They live in Moorhead City but we never get to see them so we are looking forward to seeing them for a few weeks while they are here :) It cracks me up that we live 2 hours apart but have to meet in Jaco to hang out!

I was asked to lead the Ladies' Bible Study next Monday night. I will be teaching on Romans 13:8-14. I am excited about having this opportunity to share with these ladies :) Please pray that I will be able to clearly share what God has laid on my heart.

A Dios sea la gloria!

Kelley (& Joel)

Our first fiesta....

Today was a great day! Makayla woke up very weak but after getting some liquids and some food in her, she was a completely new person! It was amazing and I was so thankful because I didn't feel so great today. I've been battling this head cold and have had a throbbing headache for the past 6 days. Finally I went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist gave me something...I am not sure what it is and I am certain I overpaid, but after the first dose, I felt 110% better! It was a wonder drug and I am so glad she gave it to me :) I felt so much better just after 30 minutes.

And it is a good thing too because the girls and I had a baby shower to go to this afternoon. We all had an awesome time and I was able to meet some new people and reconnect with some people I had met on our last trip two years ago. I think the girls really enjoyed getting out of the condo and being out in the open air :) The shower was on the roof of a restaurant right on the beach...absolutely beautiful!

While we were at the shower, the boys and Joel went to the property and met the old property manager, Doug. He took Joel all around the property and explained how things work and the best way to take care of things. I know that Joel appreciated the insight :) Then they got some surfing in while they waiting for us to finish.

After the shower, we all went to dinner in town at a little restaurant called Jaco Rustico. It is a great little place with awesome Tican food and the best fruit drinks in town! It was a favorite of mine and Joel's the last time we were here....we ate there every day :) The more we ate there, the cheaper the plates became :) That's the way things work around here. We had told the kids about it so many times so it was neat to finally take them to eat there.

We are all pretty tired tonight and I am hoping we can turn in early. We are getting much more used to our little condo and sleeping in such close quarters but we still haven't had a good, uninterrupted night's sleep.....so I am praying for one tonight, I know we can all use it.

Here are some pics of the shower :)

Hannah is due in March.

Bella played one of the games...and won!

All of the ladies...everything was beautiful!

All of the gifts.

The adorable quilt that April made for baby Mikayla.

A Dios sea la gloria!

Kelley (& Joel :)

Small Blessings

I woke up this morning not knowing what to expect. I was very tired from being up during the night with Makayla. She was very sick and I spent most of the night praying over her and asking God to heal her. Specifically I asked God to break her fever. Miraculously, everyone slept in later this morning....we all needed it! Praise God, when Makayla woke up this morning, she still had a headache and was really weak, but her fever had broken sometime during the night. I know that God doesn't always answer in that way, but He did last night and I am so grateful for it. She still spent most of the day on the couch sleeping, but I was able to get her to eat a boiled egg, a clementine, and a small bowl of cereal. Little by little during the day, she has regained her strength and tonight she is smiling and laughing (the first time in 3 days!) Thank you all for bathing our family in prayer over the past few days. I know that it is only because of your prayers that I have been able to handle being sick and taking care of two sick kids away from home. I know that for some it may not have even been an issue, but it was definitely taxing for me. I think that we are actually on the upswing and on our way to feeling normal :)

I took the opportunity (since I was here with Makayla all day again) to do so me laundry. We didn't plan on having a washer and dryer at the condo. We were planning on having a service do the laundry but when we arrived, there was a washer and dryer here and we were told that we could use them when we needed. Well, after Makayla threw up all over her and Bella's bed at 3am last night and we had to strip the bed and all of her clothes, it was such a blessing to have access to a washer and dryer this morning to get everything cleaned up (including pillows :) I told Joel that this washer and dryer work better than the pair we have at home :) I was able to do three loads in just a few hours! It's the little things that made me smile today :) I am so grateful that God knew we'd need to be able to wash all of the sheets and I so glad that He took care of this seemingly insignificant provision for us!

Joel and the boys got our rental car today and it was so nice to be able to drive to the grocery store, instead of walk. The grocery stores here are not air conditioned and it gets very hot so it was another small blessing to be able to get into an air conditioned car after shopping. They also went to the property and started working on repairing some of the surf boards that are there for the kids to use and rent. Most of them are in pretty bad condition. Fixing them up will allow the kids to be able to use them again. This past year Joel has had the opportunity to work with a shaper in Wilmington and he has learned a lot about shaping and repairing boards. It is amazing to see how God uses all of the everyday details of our lives to be able to used for His glory. I know that it has been a vision of Joel's to be able to teach the kids to be able to repair their own boards, as it can be very expensive. He and JD even got some surfing in today...the first real session they've had since we've been here :)

Joel and I also went to our Bible studies tonight. I had a wonderful time getting to know some of the other Christ followers here in Jaco :) They are a bunch of wonderful women and God knew that I needed some "girl time" tonight. I was so blessed by their company. Joel enjoyed his time with the men too...of course I had much more to say about my night than he did :) I

am going to a baby shower tomorrow afternoon for one of the girls here who is having a baby in two months. I will take the girls with me if Makayla is feeling up to it :) They are excited to be getting out...they love all things baby...just like their mom :)

Well, that's what we did today....not very exciting, but every day this place becomes a bit more familiar and not so challenging. Even this little condo doesn't seem as confining as it did when we first arrived. We are looking forward to being able to get out a bit more this week and see more of this place.

Here are some pictures of the boys and Joel working on the surf boards at the property. The other guys in the pictures are Paul & Brad. They are visiting from the States and are staying on the property for a few weeks.

A Dios sea la gloria!

Kelley (& Joel :)

Day 5

Well, we've been here for 5 days. The past few days we haven't really done much. We've been battling coughs, headaches, & fevers :( I, personally, have been battling a bad attitude!!!! I know that so many of our friends and family have been praying for us and we are so grateful for each and every one of you!!! Despite all of the "yuckies" we've had some great family time playing games, just sitting out on the front porch talking, and watching movies. It has been nice to just spend this time together....even if we have been forced to because of not feeling well:)

I know my last post wasn't exactly the pinnacle of joy and contentment, but I was really beginning to feel down and very much like I wanted to pack up and go home. I know that sounds very drastic but it is just the truth. Joel and I were both very discouraged and struggling to keep our focus. This morning, as I was praying and getting ready for the day, I was listening to KLove (yay! for internet :) and a song came on with the words "With all my heart and with all my soul, with all I am, LORD I will follow you". I am not sure who sings it but I was completely convicted of my heart attitude in that moment. Who are we to act like we deserve comforts? Who are we to think that God should only ask us to do things that will be easy for us? Who are we to assume that someone else will do it?

We had a meeting today with some of the members of the Board that oversees the CSCR property. We were not sure what to expect but tried to have open hearts and minds. At the end of the meeting, Joel and I both came away feeling much more positive about things. It was a much needed breath of fresh air after a few days of struggling to breathe!!! Again, I know that sounds dramatic, but it is how we have been feeling. Joel and I will be going to Bible Study tomorrow night (there is a ladies' and a men's study that meet separately that we will be attending) and there is also a lady here in the condo complex that gives language lessons for free that I am going to check out on Tuesday morning. This will help to introduce us to more people that are ministering here in this city.

We are still not sure what God has for us here or even if this is where He wants us. We will spend the next few weeks making contacts and submerging ourselves into this culture as much as we can. Please pray for the kids as the past few days have been hard on them as well and it seems to have put a sour taste for living here in their mouths. Things are a lot different than what they are used to. Please pray that God will place the call on their hearts too if this is where He wants us to be.

A Dios sea la gloria!

Kelley (& Joel)

Here are some pictures of our condo...enjoy!!!!

Joel and the boys hanging out on the front porch.

The pool in the condo complex.

Bella doing dishes in the teeny tiny kitchen :)

Our "stove"!!!!

The kids watching a movie....this room is

about 15' long & 10' wide :) Very cozy!!!

Isaiah 26:3

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you"

I am leaning very heavily on this verse today. We have been here for 4 days now and I have felt sick on and off since Wednesday morning, JD has had headaches for 3 days, and now this morning, Makayla woke up with a headache and a fever. I really wish that I could say that despite all of this, I am doing well...but that is not the case today :( I am feeling very worn down and worn out. I didn't expect that this trip wouldn't have it's "hiccups", but I guess I didn't think they'd come so soon :( I know I sound like I am complaining.....and I am....I just need prayer today for my nerves and for healing for the kids and myself. Thankfully Joel, Joshua, and Bella don't seem to be sick and I pray that it stays that way.

I know that God has a perfectly good reason for things being this way and I know that there are lessons to be learned in even this. Please pray with me today that Joel and I will be able to look beyond all of the stresses of this moment and try to see the big picture.

I will give a better update later when I am not feeling so blah...

A Dios sea la gloria!

Kelley

We made it!!!!!

Well, after a very long day of traveling, that began at 1am on Wednesday morning, we made it safely to Costa Rica yesterday around 1pm. I was amazed at how smooth everything went. I had shared with a few of you how anxious I was about the traveling part, but I know you must have been praying because it went seamlessly :) The only thing that was a bummer is that Tuesday night I started getting a head cold and my head and ears felt like they were going to burst during the take off and landing. The second plane ride was so bad that I probably spent most of the ride crying....my ears stayed closed until last night around 7 when they suddenly popped open as we were buying some groceries at Mas y Menos (the local grocery store).

I knew I would experience a "what-the-heck-are-we-thinking" moment...but I didn't think it would come as soon as I opened the door to the condo we are renting. To say it is small would be an understatement. I was prepared for small, but this is teeny tiny :) Just to give you an idea, when all of our luggage was brought in, there was literally no room to walk. But, after unloading and shoving all of the suitcases under beds, miraculously, everything had a place and we were able to walk around again. After walking to Mas y Menos and getting some food for dinner and this morning, I pulled out the 2-burner electric range (it is portable :) I had another quick "moment" but in the end, 1 & 1/2 hrs later, dinner was ready....and it was good!!!! I learned a very valuable lesson about cooking here, start a few hours earlier than you actually want to eat :) We all showered and literally fell into bed. All in all it was an awesome day and the kids did amazing with all of the traveling and the extreme change in temperature. It is the middle of the Dry Season here in Costa Rica so the temperature ranges anywhere from the mid 80's to the mid 90's. Quite a change from the snow we left on the ground in Wilmington!!!

This morning, Joel, I and the kids (minus JD who was sleeping off his migraine) walked down to the Christian Surfer's property and we had a meeting with some of the staff here in Costa Rica as well as Cal Fisher, who runs all of Central & South America. It was great to touch base with them and hear their vision for the ministry here in Jaco as well as share with them what God has been putting on our hearts. These are exciting times here in Jaco with lots of awesome stuff happening! We will be meeting with some of the board members here in Jaco who run the ministry on Sunday afternoon. These are the people that we would be working closely with. Please pray for that meeting and that some of our questions will be answered. We are going to April's (she is the Mission's Coordinator that has been here for the past 1 & 1/2 years) for dinner tonight. She is very nice and has gone out of her way to make us feel welcomed.

I will post some pictures of our condo and our little "stove" either tonight or tomorrow. I am going to go and try to get some rest before going for dinner tonight. Thank you for all of your prayers so far, they have been felt! Please continue praying for us as we settle in here and meet with people who are working hard to share the gospel with this dark city. Also, please pray for continued good health for us while we are away.

A Dios sea la gloria!

Kelley (& Joel)

7 Days!!! Are we ready?????

Well, I can't believe that the time for our family trip is almost here! On one hand it seems like we have been waiting forever to take the kids to Costa Rica....as it has been two years....but on the other hand it seems like just yesterday. Do you ever feel like that? It's an odd feeling.

Many have asked if I am "ready" to go. "Weeelllllll....." is usually my reply. Being "ready" can be a complicated concept. I am "ready" to get back to the place that has kept a small piece of my heart for the past 2 years and see and experience all that God has been doing there. I am "ready" for the kids to be able to experience it all too. I guess you could even say that I am "ready" as far as packing goes. I have about a million lists going to make sure we don't forget anything that can't be purchased there (like the kids' math work...they are thrilled about that! :) The suitcases have been up in the bonus room for weeks and the girls are completely packed. It is harder to pack the boys since they still wear all of their summer clothes....even though we have a few inches of snow on the ground as I type this! Crazy boys!!!

But am I really "ready"? I don't know. This journey has been like nothing that I have been through in my life before. When Joel and I reflect back over the last years, we can see how God began this process more than 5 years ago. We know we weren't ready for it then and had no idea what God was doing. All we knew is that there were a lot of changes (too many it seemed at times) going on. I am glad that I didn't know because I probably would have gone running in the other direction....we both would have! But that's why God is so awesome. He knows that the whole picture would just be too much!

I think the hardest part of this journey for our family has been learning about God's perfect timing. When people have asked us over the past 2 years when we would be leaving, it has been awkward to say that we didn't quite know. Walking through life with out knowing exactly what the next step will be has been an awesome and humbling experience for our family. It goes against everything that society tells us....we always feel like we have to have a "5 year plan". I will be the first to admit that it has frustrated me at times. I keep reminding myself of Psalm 31:14-15a which says "But I trust in you, LORD; I say, 'you are my God.' My times are in your hands."

So, ready or not next week we will begin another leg of this journey that we have been on. I am eager to see what God has been doing and to hear what He has to tell us as a family. So much has changed over the past 2 years that we feel like we are starting all over again, but that's okay because that was all in His perfect plan too! I will be updating this blog often while we are in Costa Rica so check back to keep us with us.

Please be praying with us now and while we are gone that God will speak clearly about what His plans are for our family and Jaco.

A Dios sea la gloria!!!!