The 4th week of language school is about to begin. I don't know whether to laugh or cry!!! However, things are beginning to make more sense. I didn't go to the feria yesterday to buy fruits and veggies. I needed a day to just stay home, and get my brain together, if that's possible. School goes very fast with a lot to learn and do, and it seems there is no time to just think about what you are trying to learn and understand. Plus take care of all the normal life stuff like laundry, buying groceries, etc. But when you're in the military, you go and do whatever you're assigned, period. And this is what it feels like, but then I am in God's army, so that takes care of that.
Today Leticia and I went with Ritchie to the church he attends. We had to take 2 different buses each way, and that was good. It gave Leticia and I a chance to start learning the bus system. It cost us each about $.75 total. The taxi, one way, is about $6. So the bus is definitely the way to go. I didn't understand the pastor's speech very well, but I knew what he was talking about. Pray, pray, pray, and more than just those 5 minute prayers.
I do pray, a lot. I don't like Costa Rica at all, or maybe I should say San Jose. It's always overcast, so I rejoice when I can get some sun. It's not cold, but it's not so warm either. The food is ok, not as good as Honduran or the states. But then you can buy what you want at the store, so that solves that problem. You are not suppose to go walking by yourself, because it's suppose to be too dangerous. That really stinks. I'm so used to walking. And I think I'm homesick for HN. Isn't that a little strange? But then someone reminded me the other day that I had lived there for 2 years. Missionaries are strange people! They love their own country, their flesh and blood families, and miss them, but their hearts are in the countries where God has sent them to minister. When they say the country they were born in is not home, people look at them like the just committed treason or something. And that's not the case. I wouldn't trade my citizenship for any other other country in the world, not even Honduras. But at the same time, it (the U.S.) isn't my home anymore. But then God tells us that this world isn't our home either. So we just have to put it in perspective. When my daughter-in-law was in the army, she said home was where her feet were. I think of that often when I'm not wanting to be here. I know I need this year here to learn, but...and it's those buts that get us into trouble!! So I just have to pray, because I know God sent me here for a good purpose, for his glory, and not to die, so...get over it, Beverly.
Thursday, Deya took Corey and I downtown on the train. We could not sit together or with her. We had to sit with others and speak Spanish. That was ok. When we got off the train, we went to the Mercado, market. Wow, it was big. You can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, spices, and a lot more. One of the meat venders was hollering "hey, hey," and when we turned around, he was holding a pig's head! (Of course, we had to film everything because Deya used it in our class for discussion). I'm telling you, some people in the U.S. would think that was just terrible, but you buy FRESH meat and veggies here, not something that has been frozen for however long. So I want to go back there when I need meat. I did buy an once of paprika for $.15, and I need some bay leaves, but didn't about it while I was there. Oh well, another day. We walked all over, took a bus to the other side of town, I think-I was so lost-and then we decided to walk the rest of the way home, which was about a mile or so. What a class!
It's amazing the things (attitudes) that are in us that we aren't even aware of sometimes. But God has a way of bringing them to the surface in order to help us change them. I was told by one of the teachers that I was fixing lunch for her and Ritchie in 3 weeks. I said, "Really?" She's going to combine our class that day. Supposedly it was Ritchie's idea. He says not!! That really ruffled my feathers! I like to be asked! Oh, well, so be it. I was praying, " Dear Lord, what am I suppose to fix?" He gave me an idea, so it will be ok. Then another teacher said that you're not suppose to answer your door barefooted. What?? No, it's not showing respect. My house, my friend, and I'm not suppose to go barefooted! Amazing! AND you're not suppose to put your book bag, purse, or Bible on the floor in the church. That too, is disrespectful. But, you should not leave them on your chair behind you when you are singing and praying because of thieves. Oh, yes, thieves do go to church. So I have decided to check this out with others. And to smooth the feathers.
I guess I've rambled long enough. I will overcome, because I refuse to be overcame by stuff. Because "when we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus we will sing and shout the victory."
Love and blessings to all of you. And thank you so much for your prayers. As you can see, I need them.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Isaiah. 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear and your soul shall live...
Great news! I have a new great-grandson. Jaden Alexander born yesterday(01/22/11), five weeks early, but is doing fine and will go home this week. Thank you Lord for answered prayer. His mama was also early, and "they" said she would be in the hospital 3-4 months, but she went home in a week too. How great is our God.
I have survived the first two weeks of language school! I don't know that I speak it any better at this point, but at least some missing components are being learned, and that's definitely good. I understand most of what my instructor says, but not all. So when I'm in total confusion, she slows down and goes a different direction, which helps a lot. I'm glad I have a year. I bombed the first test in the area of making a question from answers already given. It's like after the question word, then what goes where? I can ask questions, but this really threw me. But not to worry. I have a year, and I'm not getting a degree. And at this point in my life, I'm really not too worried. I just want to learn the language. I'm more concerned about quality, not quantity. I don't know if the teachers feel that way, but...
'
So what have I done? Yesterday a friend and I went to PriceSmart to buy a card. It's like Sam's. We could split the cost and each have our own card. We took a cab there and back. She is from Chile and speaks Spanish, but she is new here, too. So even though she speaks the language, she is a little nervous at doing things on her own also. The money is different for her just like it is for me. So we both have to figure out how much something cost in order to know if we want to pay the price. Even in Honduras, I always asked myself if I would pay that in the states. If the answer was yes, then I bought it. If not, then I wouldn't. So we were very proud of ourselves and thanking God for taking care of this and getting back home. We do have cards to carry with us in case we don't know how to say where we live or the cab driver doesn't know the area. Thank you CINCEL for those. She and I decided today that we are going to be brave and start taking the bus. It's much cheaper, and it is safe. We just have to remember to look and see where we get on and off!!
A bunch of us went to the mall Friday night to eat in the food court and walk around. Some of us stayed to watch a movie. It's in English and has Spanish subtitles. That's interesting especially when they make a big deal of stating that it isn't pirated. The only way I know that is because one of the students here explained it when I couldn't figure out what was happening. And yes, you can buy all the goodies before you go in just like in the states.
We went into one of the stores in the mall which is suppose to be something like Wal-Mart. Ha! One of the guys wanted to buy a backpack, and they were $70. Yeah, $70.00. In the states maybe $15. Crazy. We have to go to Panama in March because of our visas. Everyone has said to stock up on shampoos etc. because they are much cheaper there. Will definitely be looking at that.
Every Saturday morning some of us go to the feria. That's the farmer's market here. Definitely cheaper than in the grocery stores. There are two that are open on Saturdays and Sundays. We usually are there about an hour. Some of the apples come from the states, but they are usually from Chile. And yes, they are just as good. Maybe Johnny Appleseed went there too, you think?? No, I think God just spread his goodies everywhere that the climate he made was agreeable for them.
Ministry? Aw, yes, ministry. Well, my ministry appears to be to help those along the way with their faith in what God's word says. And I'm not for sure if that's the way to say it. However, one young fellow(he's 24) told me the other day that he was my mission. Really? It seems I'm always correcting, preaching or whatever to him. Bless his heart. And when I have prayed for him, God answered that night or the next day. This young man has a wonderful calling on his life to help the kids in El Salvador. He has been there 2 years already. He can speak very well, but he doesn't have all the other stuff that comes with learning language. So here he is. And me. God definitely has a sense of humor. So next week Leticia and I are going with him to his church. It's an arm of the one he attends and works with in El Salvador.
What else? I miss my family. I miss Honduras, and I don't think I'll ever get use to all the bars on my windows and doors. Locked gates going in and out of the driveway. We in the U.S. do not realize the freedom we really have. Oh, to hold on to it.
I'm thankful everyday for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is so awesome. Never did I think I would be doing what I'm doing, let alone at the age I'm doing it. Now I understand Abraham and Moses much better than before. God doesn't stop using people when they reach a certain age. If we are his children, we serve him until the day he takes us home. It isn't just the "young" that he calls. He has a plan for all of us. It's the world that says, "You have worked long enough, and now it's time to retire." And do what? Serve ourselves? Die? No. And God doesn't call everyone to leave their families, homes, etc. and go to a foreign country. But he does call us to serve him, and be a light in the place he has put us. I pray that God's kids will read his word everyday in order to really know who this great God is. He will reveal himself to anyone that truly desires to know him. And when he does that, you'll never be the same.
Thanks to all of you that help support me in offerings and prayers. May God bless you abundantly.
I have survived the first two weeks of language school! I don't know that I speak it any better at this point, but at least some missing components are being learned, and that's definitely good. I understand most of what my instructor says, but not all. So when I'm in total confusion, she slows down and goes a different direction, which helps a lot. I'm glad I have a year. I bombed the first test in the area of making a question from answers already given. It's like after the question word, then what goes where? I can ask questions, but this really threw me. But not to worry. I have a year, and I'm not getting a degree. And at this point in my life, I'm really not too worried. I just want to learn the language. I'm more concerned about quality, not quantity. I don't know if the teachers feel that way, but...
'
So what have I done? Yesterday a friend and I went to PriceSmart to buy a card. It's like Sam's. We could split the cost and each have our own card. We took a cab there and back. She is from Chile and speaks Spanish, but she is new here, too. So even though she speaks the language, she is a little nervous at doing things on her own also. The money is different for her just like it is for me. So we both have to figure out how much something cost in order to know if we want to pay the price. Even in Honduras, I always asked myself if I would pay that in the states. If the answer was yes, then I bought it. If not, then I wouldn't. So we were very proud of ourselves and thanking God for taking care of this and getting back home. We do have cards to carry with us in case we don't know how to say where we live or the cab driver doesn't know the area. Thank you CINCEL for those. She and I decided today that we are going to be brave and start taking the bus. It's much cheaper, and it is safe. We just have to remember to look and see where we get on and off!!
A bunch of us went to the mall Friday night to eat in the food court and walk around. Some of us stayed to watch a movie. It's in English and has Spanish subtitles. That's interesting especially when they make a big deal of stating that it isn't pirated. The only way I know that is because one of the students here explained it when I couldn't figure out what was happening. And yes, you can buy all the goodies before you go in just like in the states.
We went into one of the stores in the mall which is suppose to be something like Wal-Mart. Ha! One of the guys wanted to buy a backpack, and they were $70. Yeah, $70.00. In the states maybe $15. Crazy. We have to go to Panama in March because of our visas. Everyone has said to stock up on shampoos etc. because they are much cheaper there. Will definitely be looking at that.
Every Saturday morning some of us go to the feria. That's the farmer's market here. Definitely cheaper than in the grocery stores. There are two that are open on Saturdays and Sundays. We usually are there about an hour. Some of the apples come from the states, but they are usually from Chile. And yes, they are just as good. Maybe Johnny Appleseed went there too, you think?? No, I think God just spread his goodies everywhere that the climate he made was agreeable for them.
Ministry? Aw, yes, ministry. Well, my ministry appears to be to help those along the way with their faith in what God's word says. And I'm not for sure if that's the way to say it. However, one young fellow(he's 24) told me the other day that he was my mission. Really? It seems I'm always correcting, preaching or whatever to him. Bless his heart. And when I have prayed for him, God answered that night or the next day. This young man has a wonderful calling on his life to help the kids in El Salvador. He has been there 2 years already. He can speak very well, but he doesn't have all the other stuff that comes with learning language. So here he is. And me. God definitely has a sense of humor. So next week Leticia and I are going with him to his church. It's an arm of the one he attends and works with in El Salvador.
What else? I miss my family. I miss Honduras, and I don't think I'll ever get use to all the bars on my windows and doors. Locked gates going in and out of the driveway. We in the U.S. do not realize the freedom we really have. Oh, to hold on to it.
I'm thankful everyday for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is so awesome. Never did I think I would be doing what I'm doing, let alone at the age I'm doing it. Now I understand Abraham and Moses much better than before. God doesn't stop using people when they reach a certain age. If we are his children, we serve him until the day he takes us home. It isn't just the "young" that he calls. He has a plan for all of us. It's the world that says, "You have worked long enough, and now it's time to retire." And do what? Serve ourselves? Die? No. And God doesn't call everyone to leave their families, homes, etc. and go to a foreign country. But he does call us to serve him, and be a light in the place he has put us. I pray that God's kids will read his word everyday in order to really know who this great God is. He will reveal himself to anyone that truly desires to know him. And when he does that, you'll never be the same.
Thanks to all of you that help support me in offerings and prayers. May God bless you abundantly.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Ps.68:19 Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits...
Here it is, a new year. As a child I never thought the year 2000 would be a reality. It was like a sci-fi movie that just wasn't true. I just couldn't think that far ahead. So now it is eleven years after! Many people make new year resolutions and I probably did to in my younger years, but no more. It just doesn't make sense to me to do that. I have goals, but it's one day at a time.
Christmas time was good. I spent time with my family and friends. And I loved seeing the changes in my grand-kids. They are growing up so fast.
And now I'm in Costa Rica at CINCEL, the language school for the missionaries that are going to Spanish speaking countries. It's a close knit bunch already. God's people connect with each other, and they grow into families. And the family just keeps growing! It's amazing to think that I have brothers and sisters all over the world. It is interesting to hear everyone's story of how the Lord moved in their lives to get them on the mission field. Every story is unique, but then so is each one of us. God has a plan for each of us, whether we're on the mission field or not, and he uses everything in our past one way or another to bring us to where we are today and to use it for his glory. I shudder to think where I would be today if God was not active in my life. It's a scary thought.
I have been here for 4 days and it has been busy. My apartment is 2 big rooms with 2 baths. They made 1 big apartment from 2 one room apartments. I'm so glad because I need space. Perhaps that's why I like to live in the country. God is so good, and he takes care of little things. For example, my rooms are shades of my favorite colors, green and brown. The coffee cups are like mugs that I like to use to drink coffee. I have a large closet and a queen size bed that is very comfortable. I have cable and the internet. I'm right across the driveway from the entrance to the school. It can't get much better than that.
This morning we went to the fruit market. It was very big. We share things when there are too many for one or two people. Ritchie (who is 25 , single, and stationed in El Salvador) and I split avocados and limes. Too many carrots in a bag? Share them. I just bought one huge carrot which will last me all week, whether I cook it or use it raw. There is nothing like fresh vegetables and fruits. Right now I'm cooking 3 beets, and in a few minutes 3 of us are going down the street to buy eggs. So we went, and now we're back. Great little store down around the corner. We also found a nursery, so I want to buy a couple of live plants next week so my nest will really feel like home. Just gotta have plants in the house!
There are many AG churches in San Jose, but tomorrow we will go to the one around the corner. I think it has 2 morning services. So it has to be really big. Will see.
Well, today we didn't go to the one around the corner! We went to another, and the pastor is the Superintendent over the AG churches here in CR. Some things I understood, and some I did not. However he likened Gen.1 with our lives. The world was created by God and then God brought order into it. Our lives are not in order when God calls us. He brings order by bringing light which of course is Christ. And then somewhere in his message he said that we have to live God's word and culture and not the culture in which we live. Ritchie nudged me and said that he felt like he was sitting in my living room, because I had just "preached" that culture message to him before we left for church. He had said,"oh, my God." When I said you ought not say that he responded that it was the culture here. Well, that was an open door and I walked right through it! They say it in Honduras, too. When I asked why he said it, he said he didn't know. We ought not be using God's name in vain. The culture of the kingdom of God is different than the culture here, in the U.S., and Honduras. Jesus went against his culture many times, and was loved or hated by those around him. We have to follow in his path. This is the second time that this culture theme has been confirmed for me. The last Sun. in the states, I went to church with my youngest son, and his pastor also made the same statement. I love it when God confirms something that he has given me. Oh happy day...
One missionary is here from Chile and is going to India. She is here to learn English and then Indi (?)when she arrives there. I will be helping her with English while she helps me with Spanish. Grandma used to say "turn around is fair play".
So tomorrow classes begin. I am so ready!!
Many thanks Lord for your peace, and for your daily care of us, and you truly do load us daily with benefits: family, friends, everything that we need and desire even when we aren't sure what those things are. And thank you for remembering my family always.
Christmas time was good. I spent time with my family and friends. And I loved seeing the changes in my grand-kids. They are growing up so fast.
And now I'm in Costa Rica at CINCEL, the language school for the missionaries that are going to Spanish speaking countries. It's a close knit bunch already. God's people connect with each other, and they grow into families. And the family just keeps growing! It's amazing to think that I have brothers and sisters all over the world. It is interesting to hear everyone's story of how the Lord moved in their lives to get them on the mission field. Every story is unique, but then so is each one of us. God has a plan for each of us, whether we're on the mission field or not, and he uses everything in our past one way or another to bring us to where we are today and to use it for his glory. I shudder to think where I would be today if God was not active in my life. It's a scary thought.
I have been here for 4 days and it has been busy. My apartment is 2 big rooms with 2 baths. They made 1 big apartment from 2 one room apartments. I'm so glad because I need space. Perhaps that's why I like to live in the country. God is so good, and he takes care of little things. For example, my rooms are shades of my favorite colors, green and brown. The coffee cups are like mugs that I like to use to drink coffee. I have a large closet and a queen size bed that is very comfortable. I have cable and the internet. I'm right across the driveway from the entrance to the school. It can't get much better than that.
This morning we went to the fruit market. It was very big. We share things when there are too many for one or two people. Ritchie (who is 25 , single, and stationed in El Salvador) and I split avocados and limes. Too many carrots in a bag? Share them. I just bought one huge carrot which will last me all week, whether I cook it or use it raw. There is nothing like fresh vegetables and fruits. Right now I'm cooking 3 beets, and in a few minutes 3 of us are going down the street to buy eggs. So we went, and now we're back. Great little store down around the corner. We also found a nursery, so I want to buy a couple of live plants next week so my nest will really feel like home. Just gotta have plants in the house!
There are many AG churches in San Jose, but tomorrow we will go to the one around the corner. I think it has 2 morning services. So it has to be really big. Will see.
Well, today we didn't go to the one around the corner! We went to another, and the pastor is the Superintendent over the AG churches here in CR. Some things I understood, and some I did not. However he likened Gen.1 with our lives. The world was created by God and then God brought order into it. Our lives are not in order when God calls us. He brings order by bringing light which of course is Christ. And then somewhere in his message he said that we have to live God's word and culture and not the culture in which we live. Ritchie nudged me and said that he felt like he was sitting in my living room, because I had just "preached" that culture message to him before we left for church. He had said,"oh, my God." When I said you ought not say that he responded that it was the culture here. Well, that was an open door and I walked right through it! They say it in Honduras, too. When I asked why he said it, he said he didn't know. We ought not be using God's name in vain. The culture of the kingdom of God is different than the culture here, in the U.S., and Honduras. Jesus went against his culture many times, and was loved or hated by those around him. We have to follow in his path. This is the second time that this culture theme has been confirmed for me. The last Sun. in the states, I went to church with my youngest son, and his pastor also made the same statement. I love it when God confirms something that he has given me. Oh happy day...
One missionary is here from Chile and is going to India. She is here to learn English and then Indi (?)when she arrives there. I will be helping her with English while she helps me with Spanish. Grandma used to say "turn around is fair play".
So tomorrow classes begin. I am so ready!!
Many thanks Lord for your peace, and for your daily care of us, and you truly do load us daily with benefits: family, friends, everything that we need and desire even when we aren't sure what those things are. And thank you for remembering my family always.
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