1 Month Anniversary

I survived my first month in Costa Rica (which isn't as easy as it sounds when you have to brave downtown San Jose every day)! This week provided me with several reasons and ways to celebrate being in the country for a full month. Allow me to re-cap what I've learned this month and share some of this past week with you.

Before I came here, I was confident that the Lord called me to be in Costa Rica and, now that I'm here, that has continued to be affirmed in what He has begun teaching me. Here are a few of those things:

1) Patience- This has always been, by far, one of my greatest weaknesses so, of course, this is where He has noticeably begun to work. Patience here is necessary for sanity...probably another solid reason why He knew Costa Rica is right where I need to be. Lessons in patience have come in all forms. On a larger scale, I am no longer in fast-pace America. This country operates on what we gringos like to call "tico time". Adjusting to a much slower and much less prompt lifestyle has been huge. Another more trivial example of an every day lesson in patience is the process of doing laundry. Laundry has moved from one of my favorite things to do to my least favorite simply with the absence of the great American dryer. Great patience needs to be exercised if  I want clean clothes here...the weather is absolutely beyond my control.    

This is patience in action (kind of a joke, but kind of not):

I know I should be patient because, after all, Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians that "love is patient". If patience was worthy of listing as of one the first characteristics of love and our greatest commandment is to first love God then others, then I want to continue to learn to be patient so I can love better. See the connection there? 

2) Faithfulness- God is teaching me that effective ministry does not come without faithfulness. Faithfulness means being consistent, so in order to be a "good and faithful servant" I need to be consistent. The Lord has been witnessing to me on being faithfully consistent through the people I do ministry alongside. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; living in a different country is not easy. Because of this, it's also not easy to be consistent. One dear friend here specifically is currently removed from hardship and heartache at home that makes it so tempting to want to pack up and go home to make things better. She has been such a strong testament to being faithful to what we are called to do. She's here doing the best that she can with the opportunity that God's given her. Through her, God has shown me what it looks like to be consistent, and I know He blesses those that are faithful. 

3) The 3rd thing I've learned has not been a lesson from God, but rather a basic observation. Alabama football is rolling right along. Since my arrival, the Tide has gone 3-0...If our football season continues to look anything like it has this first month, I hope my Christmas vacation allows me to be in New Orleans on January the 9th. Roll Tide!   

Now for this past week...! Several events this week made it the best one yet: 

1) We had another YoungLife club on Wednesday night- Twin Club. It was a great time! 

Here are some pictures to prove it:

2) In language class on Wednesday we watched Forest Gump in Spanish. It doesn't get much better than watching your favorite movie in another language. I can now translate many of my favorite quotes. "Lt. Dan, icceee cream."   

3) Thursday, September 15th, was Dia de Independencia (the Costa Rican 4th of July). This meant parades, firework-ish things (no sparks, just noise- much more like bombs than anything?), festive costumes, great food, and NO CLASS! 

4) Nicki and I took a trip to Alajuela, Costa Rica to see Volcan Poas. It was awesome! Part of the reason it was so interesting is because it's still an active volcano. You can't see any lava in the daylight, but you can see smoke billowing from the crater. If you ever saw Dante's Peak growing up you can relate to my excitement of experiencing my first volcano. 

Looks exactly like what you would expect a volcano to look like (I think): 

Please be praying with me that the next 9 months are as wonderful as the first! May He continue to mold and teach me how to be patient and faithful among many other things and may all the glory be His.

"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." -Hebrews 6:12