Maria Paula

I have enjoyed hanging out with my younger host siblings here in Costa Rica. Over the last couple of weeks my host siblings have warmed up to me even more, coming into my bedroom to see what I am doing and hanging out with me there. One evening last week all three of us were on my bed: Maria Paula playing games on my laptop, Emanuel drawing colorful pictures in my journal, and me reading. This weekend as I cleared my bed of my Bible and journal, Maria Paula asked me if I read my Bible every day. I said "Si, casi" and she asked me why. I told her that I wanted to learn more about God. Last night as we were painting our toenails on my bedroom floor she asked me why I didn't go around in short shorts and low cut or spaghetti strap shirts. I told her that guys have a harder time thinking pure thoughts if you wear those kind of clothes.

Please pray for my dear sister, Maria Paula

I am amazed at the impression that my habits can make without me being aware of the fact that anyone notices. I don't think of being an example when I am reading my Bible. I do it because it is vital for my relationship with God. I praise God for using those things to provoke Maria Paula's curiosity and that these questions came at a time when I had sufficient Spanish to answer them, though I feel that I could have answered them better. I crave your prayers for Maria Paula, that God would draw her to Him. I feel that her  current trajectory is heading towards looking to boys for happiness. She doesn't care much about God, though her parents love Him. I would also appreciate prayers for myself, that I would continue to faithfully love God, and that He would give me the right words for her.

The last 3 weeks

It has been a while since I’ve written. We interns had to leave the country for three days to renew our visas. Visas only last for 2 months, so you have to renew them if you want to stay longer. We took this opportunity to visit Panama. We didn’t go to the Panama canal as it is on the opposite end of the country. Instead we went to a group of Caribbean islands off the coast of Panama. We got to go snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking, and I was amazed at the variety of God’s creation. Amidst the diverse lush foliage surrounded by blue ocean it was hard to imagine the brown and gold hills of eastern Washington. Yet God in His limitless creativity made those also, with a beauty all their own.

We would appreciate prayer for the completion of our project. We only have about six weeks left here in Costa Rica and some of the volunteers on our trip are about a month behind schedule on getting their work to us. Thus, it will be difficult to finish the project on time. Pray that our volunteers would spend the time it takes to get their portions of the project to us very quickly and that we could compile it and refine it before we leave so that the EMI office here doesn’t have to work on it next term in addition to their new projects.

Recently I have been dealing with some homesickness, as well as anticipation for starting grad school. I am excited to start studying math again, to be teaching, and to be living in a new town with new roommates. There is a lot to look forward to, however, I don’t want that anticipation ruin my appetite for right now: enjoying my host family, working with EMI, living in a different country, and learning what God is teaching me. So I would appreciate prayer for focus to finish well and savor my time here.