Una Visión para Costa Rica

yes, you're right . . .

2008-03-15T15:13:00.005-04:00

. . . I am terrible at blogging :) My apologies!!

Let's see, where to begin?? The last few months have been wonderful, exciting, and FULL!!

In December, we made our much anticipated trip home to Ohio & PA. We spent about 2 weeks in Ohio with Bryan's family and our friends, and 1 week in PA with my family. We got to meet our newest nephew, Isaac (Bear) & celebrate his 1st birthday with him. We played lots of trains & cars with Jeremiah. Krystal & I got in loads of shopping & baking!! We spent Christmas with family, instead of on webcam. We had a fun New Year's celebration with friends. We had a nice time visiting some of the churches that have supported us through our time here in CR. It was so refreshing to be home & so great to see everyone . . . in some ways, it felt like we had never left!

In January, we joined 11 students from Palabra de Vida in Chicago for a 3 week student exchange with College Church & Wheaton Academy. It was one of the busiest times of our lives, but also a very rewarding experience!! We were parents to 11 teenagers . . .yikes!! We got to help them teach a Spanish conversational class. We also got to see many parts of Chicago & head up to Wisconsin to ski!! Phew :) It had never felt better to arrive in CR than it did after all those weeks of cold and busyness. We arrived, settled in, and welcomed Bryan's parents & Denny (a member of their church) to CR the next day!! They came to help out at the school with various projects, mainly building cabinets for our High School principal's office. We were also able to enjoy a nice trip to Arenal Volcano!

Well, they went back to the cold, and it was time for us to get back to real life!! We spent a few days at a staff retreat and then the rest of our time preparing for classes to begin. We have now been in classes for 5 weeks!! Bryan is teaching 7th grade English, 7th grade Science, 10th/11th grade English, and helping out every Thursday with 3rd/4th grade English classes. I am teaching 9th grade English, 10th grade English, and doing some sort of group tutoring with three 8th grade students & six 7th grade students! We also continue to help in other ministries with the school - worship for chapel & teacher devotional, basketball, guitar lessons, & girls' Bible study. It's been a good start to the school year & we look forward to what God has to bring in the next few months!

As we continue to put down roots here in CR, we see another season of change on the horizon. We are nearing the end of our committment with the school. It's hard to believe that it's been almost two years since we arrived, not knowing how God was going to use us. It's been amazing to see how He has provided for us and given us purpose here. We've developed fulfilling relationships with the people here. We've seen God at work with the students of Palabra de Vida. And as difficult as it is going to be, we feel that God is giving us the go ahead to move on . . . we're planning on finishing teaching in July and heading back to Ohio, where Bryan will return to East Canton to teach & coach and I will . . . who knows :) We are of course having mixed feelings of sadness, excitement, guilt, hope, uncertainty, and peace.

We ask that you would be praying for us during yet another time of transition. We also ask that you would pray for the future of La Palabra de Vida Christian School. Our friend Kristin, who is also teaching English, plans on leaving right around the same time as us. At this point, they do not have teachers to fill our spots. Please pray that God would complete His direction by providing qualified, excited, Christian teachers that would be able to pick up with the students where we leave off.

Thanks for supporting us with your prayers, gifts, and encouragement! We are forever grateful to all of you! See you soon!!

9th grade!!

2007-11-29T22:24:00.000-05:00

Monday was my last class with my 9th graders, so we had to take some pictures!! And you all know that whenever I have pictures, I love to share them!! Anyways, they've been a fun class. Their English levels are really pretty good - 3 of them got 100% on the government exam that they had to take this year!! So since their level is so high, we've been able to do lots of different things this year, like read novels, debate issues, evaluate movies, etc.

The next picture might not allow you to believe what I just finished telling you. We did spend some class time making turkeys . . . but it was partly because it was something totally new to them, and partly because it went along with the Thanksgiving lesson we were doing. So here they are with their colorful turkeys (it's not easy to find fall colored construction paper here)!!

Here's a nice normal picture of them :)This was as close as they got to a pyramid - pretty good for the only one chance I gave them!!

Having fun with the camera!

Hope you enjoyed seeing some faces I had the pleasure of seeing every weekday this year!!

PS - We can't wait to see everyone this Christmas!!!!

video :)

2007-10-07T02:07:00.000-04:00

Friday was my last class with 10th & 11th graders together. Next week, they take exams. The 10th graders will join Bryan's 10th grade class, while the 11th graders (Seniors) will spend a couple of weeks studying for the government exams that decide whether or not they graduate. It's kind of a crazy time for everyone, but I wanted to make sure I got some videos of them before they're gone!!

This class has been quite a blessing for me this year. Even though their English level is quite a bit lower than the 9th grade class that I have, they have been enthusiastic, respectful, and just lots of fun. I've always looked forward to teaching them, and I will REALLY miss them!!

A couple of notes about the video: I hope it's not too hard to understand (it might help to use headphones if you have them). Sometimes when they say "college", they really mean high school (not all, but some) because high school in Spanish is "colegio", and it's hard for them to get past. I'm also missing a couple of students, but I plan to get them later and eventually add them in as well. I guess that's all . . . Enjoy!!

PIJAMADA!!

2007-09-22T17:14:00.000-04:00

Keeping up with the blog is so much easier when I have fun pictures to share :)

Last night we (Kristin & I) had our second pijamada (sleepover) with girls that have been attending bible study. This time it was the older girls' turn. We actually had a lot show up that had never come to the bible study before, so that was kinda neat!

Last night did, however, reinforce one Costa Rican stereotype . . . let me explain . . . the girls went from saying, "we'll be there after school", to "we'll be there at 4:30", to "we'll be there at 6:00", to actually arriving around 7:30!! We were glad when they did arrive & it was a great night!!

We had 11 Seniors with us and they were a lot of fun. We ordered pizza, made collage frames, made soft pretzels, watched "Fever Pitch" and "The Notebook" (classic sleepover movie here). Kristin & I "went to bed" around 4:30 and most of the girls stayed up til 5ish and took advantage of other sleepers by writing on their faces with eyeliner (oops!). We got up around 8 and made pancakes, eggs, and sausage for the girls. Then they helped us clean up and were on their way. I'm glad it turned out as wonderfully as it did & thank God for the opportunity to have met these girls. They always bring a smile to my face and will be sorely missed next year at Palabra de Vida!! Here are the pictures - enjoy!

Mmmm pizza!

Making Frames

yikes!!

The group between movies -

this is the picture I'll put in the frames they made :)

independence week!

2007-09-17T22:56:00.001-04:00

We sure had a busy week/weekend!! Saturday the 15th was Costa Rican Independence Day, so there were a ton of activities going on at the school and all around town! Costa Ricans sure are patriotic!! We thought you might like to see some of the cool things that we witnessed . . .

(You can click the pictures to see them larger)

acto civico (assembly) led by the 10th & 8th graders -

just thought you might like to see the colors!

"yo soy el sol naciente" - everyone say AWWW!

11th grade girls dancing it up!!

the bailes tipicos (traditional dance) group exiting after their performance

us English teachers waiting patiently for the parade to begin . . .

the school banner

josue, are you behind there somewhere??

cheerleaders??

baton group

the band (drums and liras) about to start

lots of Costa Rican flags!!

all done!! (these are 3 of my amazing senior girls!!)

After the parade on Saturday, we stayed for Natalia's (Matt & Lisa's baby) 1 year old birthday party. It was a lot of fun to watch her as she enjoyed every minute of it . . . plus, good food never hurt anyone!!

lunch with the Befus family - Mrs. Befus, Kristin, us, Uncle Chuck and Aunt Joy & family, and Matt & Lisa's girls

mmmm cake!

i finished! can i have some more??

of course she loved our present the most!!

crazy girls trying to hide from the pouring rain!!

Well, if you made it through all the pictures, I hope you enjoyed them! Things are going well here . . . just trying to finish the school year strong. Thank you so much for your support and please continue to pray for us as we strive to teach our students not only about English, but also about God's unfailing love!!

fun times

2007-08-16T22:12:00.000-04:00

we've been pretty busy ever since school started back up . . . but i thought i'd share a few pictures from two recent events . . .

first up, the "pijamada" (sleepover/pj party) that kristin & i had with our 7th/8th grade bible study girls. . . it was a lot of fun . . . tiring, but fun :) . . . we went swimming, ate dinner, had bible study, watched two movies that we projected onto the wall, slept a little, and had a pancake breakfast in the morning . . . the girls were really great & we're planning on doing another one with the 9th/10th/11th grade girls at the end of this month!! here are some pictures:

then, last friday the 10th, we had a mother's day banquet . . . i know what you're thinking . . . "mother's day is in may, weirdos!" well, in CR, as well as in lots of other countries, mother's day is in august. it is like a national holiday here, too! anyways, it was a very nice event - we got to lead some worship, fellowship with some of the moms, and enjoy some good food! check it out:

that's all for now . . . we hope you are all doing well . . . again, thank you so much for supporting our work here at Palabra de Vida High School!!

i know . . .

2007-07-28T12:03:00.001-04:00

so, i realize that it's been a while since i've updated. i had kinda figured that our email update would save us. however, i realized that it's not fair for me to get sad when people go a week without updating when i go more than two months! so, here's my attempt . . .

i don't think there's a lot to say about june . . . it was a busy month of teaching, coaching, bible studies, etc. we finished reading the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe in my english class, and a lot of the kids really liked it. some even went on to finish the whole series of Narnia, which we have in the school library! i was very proud. we have so far studied eve and sarah in our 11th grade bible study, and are moving on to rahab on monday. we have a small group, but they really enjoy it, and talk lots!! the 7th and 8th grade study has been going strong, still talking about who Christ says we are vs. what the world tries to tell us. we are going to be having a sleepover with that group on aug 3rd, please pray for our sanity! no really, pray that it would be a time of fellowship and getting to know the girls better.

(me with two of my girls at a school event!)

(basketball game)

july has been a very nice month so far! we started the month with two weeks of vacation (comparable to Christmas vacation without Christmas . . .) it was so nice not to do anything that first week. we were actually able to catch up on sleep and school work. the second week, we had bryan's mom and dad as visitors! it was so great to see them! we were able to show them our life here (minus the students) and then take a nice trip to the beach. it was absolutely beautiful!!

we are now back in school, although we have a lot of random holidays and days off! please pray that we would finish this trimester strong (end of august) and that we would be constant witnesses of God's love. thanks for your support - we miss you all!!

is it truly possible . . .

2007-05-21T22:16:00.000-04:00

to sum up these last two months? Doubtful, very doubtful . . . but I will give you my best attempt!

LOTS has happened in this time between posts . . . let's start with early April . . . my good friend Lisa Troyer came down to visit us during Semana Santa (Holy Week/Easter Week). It was so excellent to see her and just to spend time hanging out. She was an easy guest, because she's familiar with Latin America and so easy going!! We showed her our life here and also got to take a couple of short trips to see some new places. We checked out . . .

Arenal Volcano

& Jaco Beach

After that week, it was back to school . . . the month of April is kind of a blur, but I can say that classes have been going well. We're continuing to learn about our students and are trying to make English class as fun and helpful as possible (minus the tests that we kinda have to give). We finished the first trimester in early May. It's hard to believe we're already into the second trimester - I think this year is just going to fly by.

Here are some of Bryan's students doing a Mock Trial (it was free uniform day, so some are in uniform and some aren't).

Bryan & I are continuing to find our niche at the school. In addition to the chapel services we've been helping with, we're finding that God is leading us to new areas. I think I've mentioned that Bryan is working on establishing a basketball team. It is of course a little difficult just because of the de-emphasis on school sports here and the lack of commitment because other things become more important. But if I can say, I think he is enjoying the time with the small groups of high school guys. I've also been given an excellent opportunity to spend time with some of our high school girls. Another English teacher, Kristin, and I are leading a bible study now once a week for the girls. We are divided into 2 groups . . . 7th & 8th grade on Fridays and then 9th, 10th, & 11th grade on Mondays. Kristin normally leads the younger group and I take on the older girls. It has truly been a blessing. To be honest, we often arrive after classes tired and not in the mood to lead anything else, but the girls make it all worthwhile. I think they'll be teaching us more than we end up teaching them. Nevertheless, it is a really great time of sharing and learning. As per the girls' requests, we are going to start studying women of the Bible next week. They have also decided that they will do their part by bringing a song to share at the beginning of the study. Please pray that the Lord will continue to provide opportunities to share with the girls and also that He will lead us as we discuss different themes.

I feel like we've grown a lot since we've gotten here. Other than the obvious like learning how to teach English, learning how to live in CR, making new friends, etc, it's kind of hard to describe. Personally, I can tell you that God continues to work on me in areas of sacrifice, patience, and contentment. I'm learning to trust Him with my whole life and not just little parts at a time. I, however, am a very slow and stubborn learner. I've always thought that trust was easy until I began this new lifestyle. Sometimes I think about the possibility of Him asking us to stay here forever. It can be kinda scary but at the same time I'm learning to live for each day . . . instead of worrying or planning for the future. In the meantime, we have lots of exciting things to look forward to in the near future, like . . .

Seeing family & friends this December (especially these two guys)

(How could you not miss them??)

Helping out with an international exchange trip to Chicago in January (very excited about this!)

Well, I could probably write a lot more, but I'll spare you. We pray that you are all doing well and enjoying your nice warm weather that you've been waiting for!! Thanks for everything!

home again!!

2007-03-21T19:57:00.000-04:00

i'm realizing that it's been a long time since i've posted anything! that is probably a good indicator of how incredibly busy we have been! we are now halfway through the first trimester at Palabra de Vida, and that is hard to believe! time has gone so fast!! a lot, though, has happened! let's see . . . we have gotten pretty accustomed to the teaching life and all that comes with it (still learning new things every day, but we feel pretty comfortable in what we are doing), we got to attend the LAM retreat at the very beginning of March (bryan already wrote about it ages ago in his blog, but it was an encouraging, refreshing experience), bryan has begun coaching basketball for high school and elementary school (and somehow i got recruited to help with the latter), and we continue to help out at Guizaros (the mission for the underprivileged kids) and at church (bryan in the praise band). we are also getting to know our students better every day and look forward to opportunities to minister to them . . .

just this Sunday, we returned home from a retreat we went on with our 10th & 11th graders. it was a lot of fun & surprisingly very cold! here are some pictures so you can see some of the faces we see every day:

the whole group!
getting some food on the way there!

playing with ropes (the 4 girls in the middle are my students!!)

this was the most popular place all weekend!

praising God!

the girls serenading the boys (a big tradition here)

we all did lots of crazy, scary challenges, see bryan's blog for more!

brrrr!

me too, me too!!

one of my students cheering up Natalia with songs!
it was really foggy as we were driving out of the valley the camp was in!!

yes, it really was this bad!!

please continue to pray for:

- our relationships with the Lord and with each other

- our effectiveness as teachers and mentors

- the basketball program

- a possibility of a girls' bible study

- our hearts that miss family very much

thanks so much for your love and support!!

phew!!!

2007-02-17T18:46:00.000-05:00

it's the weekend! things here have really changed - before, when we weren't teaching, we weren't sure which days were which . . . now, we are learning to look forward to weekends again! it has been a busy (to say the least) 3 weeks!!!

let's start with the staff retreat . . . it was a really great experience for us, because even though we had been around the school since november, we didn't know many people. we got to know a lot of the teachers and other staff members, played lots of initiative/team-building games, listened to lots of talks, and ate some excellent food. it was a fun time, but it's also safe to say we were exhausted by the time we were finished! here are some pictures from our time there:

(our first group skit/cheer . . . somehow I ended up in the air!)

(I haven't laughed so hard in a long, long time! we were trying to get a ball to come to the top of this tube with holes in it . . . the pressure was so much that inevitably a finger would move a little bit and the girl on my left, Vivi, would get squirted right in the face and I couldn't do anything about it!!! and I didn't even think about being on the bottom . . . I was soaked at the end of it . . .but it was a good time.)

(Bryan's group playing some balloon game - trying not to drop it, I assume?)

(trying so hard to listen & not fall asleep . . . it's even easier to space out when it's your second language!!!)

(playing some goofy game on Saturday night . . . Bryan's left arm, me, Kristin, Isaac, Alfredo, Ligia, and Eduardo)

last wednesday, the 7th, we started the school year. I of course, was pretty nervous to begin, but things have gone pretty well so far. the kids are a lot of fun, and we have been able to do some different activities in class that have allowed me to get to know them a little bit. bryan is A LOT busier than me, I don't even know how he's doing it . . . he's pretty much in class from 7:30 til 3:10 most days with a lunch and one period for a break . . .for some reason, that doesn't sound like a lot of work, but believe me, we are both wiped out by the end of the day (the HOTTTT weather might also have something to do with that). he is enjoying his classes though, too. here's a picture of us on the first day with two other english teachers, ashley & kristin:

we are also excited because we both have 10th & 11th graders, so we get to go with them for their annual retreat to Savegre, an adventure camp. they are a really great group of kids, so we are looking forward to another opportunity to get to know them better. here's a cute story: on valentine's day, the 11th graders (seniors here) were selling serenades, and they convinced bryan to buy me one. it was a really neat experience, the kids sang/played so well and were so cute . . . I wish I would've had a camera even though I know it's something I'll never forget!

so other than that, we haven't been doing much . . . somehow though, we have gotten involved in practically every music ministry there is available here . . . at church, at the Guizaros mission, now at school for chapel, and we've also been recruited to help out at the LAM retreat in March. it's a lot of fun, and we're excited about the opportunity, but we covet your prayers so that we don't get worn out from all of the practices added on to our already busy school schedule!!

(this is us playing in chapel last wednesday with gilberto on keyboard and johann on the drums)

bryan is also about to start up a basketball program in the high school. surprisingly, he has about 40 kids interested, so hopefully it turns out to be a success! some of my 11th grade girls also found out that I had been a cheerleader way back in the day and are trying to convince me to start a squad . . . i told them we'll have to see (it's been such a long time)!!

well, i should go, i'm actually thinking about making dinner for once . . . but thank you so much for your prayers & please continue to pray for us, specifically for:
- energy for planning, teaching, and other activities
- good health as we were both fighting little sicknesses for a while
- our students/classes, that they would grow in their english abilities & also in their faith
- our car, which has been having some small stalling issues
- our relationships with God & with each other, especially now that we are so busy
- our safety in all that we do
- our hearts that are still longing for home at times
- our nephew Jeremiah's 2nd birthday on Feb 24th!

goodnight!

is it really almost february??

2007-01-28T15:04:00.000-05:00

i can't believe how quickly the time has gone! i feel like we were just celebrating Christmas, and now here we are, about to start the school year!! let's get y'all up to date:

we had a really nice Christmas here. it was of course hard to be away from family, but we enjoyed a simple holiday, got to talk to our families on our internet phone, spent some time with the Befus family, and watched fireworks go off all around us. what a difference in traditions . . .

a couple of mission teams came down from the states to help out with some projects on campus here. among the things they've done . . . torn down/rebuilt walls in the library, painted classrooms and desks, built shelves for the classrooms, painted a beautiful mural of the creation story down by the science rooms, and painted the tennis court and gym floor!! what a blessing they were! the school looks great and we had fun getting to know them a bit!

we started teaching an english intro class in january (for students whose english levels were not up to par). we met 5 days a week for 4 hours in the morning (for about 3 weeks). and did you know, it's really hard for seventh graders to pay attention for 4 hours, even with games and breaks?? haha, it was a good experience though, and the kids told us that they feel like they learned a lot. we just finished last wednesday & hope the students will be better prepared to start this new year.

speaking of the new school year, it begins next week, on february 7th. all teachers began on thursday with staff meetings. there are a lot of new teachers this year, and so far we have just been getting to know each other and listening to different talks on all different aspects of the school. tomorrow we are going on an overnight staff retreat, and then we're back on wednesday to really get into planning for the year. we also found out which classes we'll be teaching. we both managed to stay in the high school & are very excited about that . . . bryan will be teaching three level 2 classes & a level 5 class, while i will teach two level 4 classes. our friend kristin, who is another english teacher, will be taking levels 1 & 3. it should be a fun year! i of course am a little nervous to begin, but i am happy to have the classes that i do, and i know that God will help me get through it!! it's also a blessing for the school to know that the kids will have the same english teacher for at least a full year (many years, they've had 2-4 teacher changes). so all in all, it's shaping up to be an exciting year!

we've also had fun getting involved with the church that we've been attending. bryan joined one of the praise teams, and we've been meeting some other young couples from the area. i'm hoping that those will develop into some friendships for us :) on saturdays, we've also been helping out with the ministry across town that feeds and does a bible lesson for disadvantaged children. it's been a good experience, altogether humbling and enriching!

well, that's about all i have for now! we hope everyone has been enjoying this new year! thanks again for your support and prayers, they mean so much to us!! (check out our latest prayer requests using the link on the left of this page.) take care & God bless!

the cutest nephews ever . . .

2007-01-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

Dios Ha Sido Bueno

2006-12-23T00:29:00.000-05:00

This Christmas season has given us a chance to do a lot of reflecting & if we have learned one thing, it's that God has been good. He's been faithful. He's blessed us beyond imagination. And He's only just begun . . .

Sometimes, especially during this time of year when we are used to being with family (& also now that we have a new baby nephew), we begin to long for "home." We are tempted to wonder why we are here & if we might be better off back in Ohio . . . and then we start to think about our journey thus far. And it hits us that, wow, God has guided and provided so much in our lives. He has been so good, what reason do we have not to trust Him??

Its an amazing feeling to look back on the last year and see God's goodness in action. To begin with, God has given us this unique opportunity to serve His people in Costa Rica. Leaving in September, we were not entirely sure what life would look like here. And while it has of course been a transition, we can now see the many blessings that He has poured out on us . . . He has kept us safe and healthy. He has given us brothers and sisters in Christ who have encouraged us and kept us laughing. He granted us an enriching experience at the Spanish Language Institute. He helped us adjust to a new town & community. He blessed us with a home and even a car to help us get around. He led us to some fulfilling assignments at LPDV and gave us a vision for next year. He has blessed us with a vibrant church to attend. He has given us ways to stay in touch with our families (and within those families, a love that knows no borders). Through all of it, His hand has been on us.

For this reason, we trust that God will continue to be faithful in our lives as we strive to serve him here in Costa Rica. We're so excited to see where next year leads us!!!

Thanks so much to everyone for your prayers, encouragement, & support. May God richly bless you this Christmas and also give you a chance to reflect on His goodness.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Prov 3:5-6

more mail info . . .

2006-11-30T22:01:00.000-05:00

I got some advice from an official Post Office employee, Denise Bardash. Here's some additional information that might help if you're looking to mail something to us (Thanks, Denise!) . . .

"Certified mail is a service only for within the states and not foreign mail. Best way to send in a secure manner and with recorded delivery is by using Registered mail with return-receipt request. Registering requires you. the addressees, to sign for the mailpiece and sign the return receipt, which is then mailed to sender as proof of delivery. Mail piece needs to be secured with tamper-proof paper tape which the window clerk should be able to do for sender or can be purchased at local stores. Any other type of tape is not acceptable as it can be resealed with no evidence of being opened...only paper tape is secure."

Address & Phone Number :)

2006-11-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

We finally have an address & phone number! How exciting, huh?
I don't want to post it on the blog here for security reasons, but if for some reason you did not get our email with all of the information, just send us an email at brkandel@hotmail.com & we will be glad to share! Goodnight :)

The view from here!

2006-11-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that everyone is doing well, with full stomachs & full hearts . . .

I am happy to share with you all that we have settled into our new apartment & it's beginning to feel a little like home. We are getting to know San Antonio de Belen, the bus routes, and the good places to buy pinapple (very important). We have been involved in a few different areas at the school (many many English placement interviews, some staff meetings, and some other miscellaneous work). We also had a neat experience serving with a bible school/food ministry for poor children in a city close to here. . . Overall this month has been an amazing opportunity to meet new people and to see God at work in the lives of many.

Thought we'd share some pictures with you so you can get an idea of life here . . .

Our apartment:
(the view from our bedroom on a clear morning)
(the view from our bedroom on a rainy afternoon - where did the mountains go??)

The bus stop (about a 5 minute walk from our house) & the surrounding neighborhood:

A street in downtown Belen:
The beautiful Catholic Church in Belen:

Our Thanksgiving Celebration:

(Robin with another missionary teacher, Kristin)

Thanks to everyone for your support through all of this! We wouldn't be here without you!!

Moved again!!

2006-11-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we are pretty much settled into our new apartment in San Antonio de Belen. We managed to find some furniture, washer-dryer, fridge, stove, and a couple of other things. Still far to go to make it a home . . . We also have been working on getting internet and phone and whatnot, and it´s been a little frustrating, but now we can proudly say we are owners of a cell phone line! It was too difficult to try to get a land line here. . .
Anyways, we have been doing some things at the school so far this week, mainly observing and helping out with classes. This weekend we are going to help out with some entrance testing and interviewing, which should be fun. They have several other projects that they´d like us to help out with, so we will definitely be busy over their break, which is a good thing!
We really think we are going to like it here, and praise God for his provision. Please continue to pray for us as we seek God´s guidance for our work here. Thanks to everyone for all of the encouragement with comments, emails, and prayer. We really appreciate it & miss you all!!

Moving on . . .

2006-10-26T23:06:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is our last day of classes at the Spanish Language Institute. In many ways, we are excited and in other ways, it's difficult . . .
It's taken us longer than we expected to feel comfortable where we are, but I'd have to say that we have somewhat settled into San Francisco de Dos Rios. We have really been blessed with a loving host family and have had some wonderful opportunities to get to know them. They say that they are sad to see us go, and we can honestly say the same. We've also had a neat experience at the language school, with some fun classmates and excellent professors. We've marveled at the beauty of the mountains in the morning. We've figured out where we can go to get notebooks, shampoo, and some great coffee. And its all flown by. . .
Monday we leave this area & with some help from some missionaries close to LPDV school, we should be into our condo by Wednesday. We're still working out some minor details, such as: how do we get electricity, where should we get a fridge, and when can we get our keys?? We know though, that God has it all under control. We're so thrilled to be on our own, and to begin our work at LPDV, but we know that its going to be another transition. We'll need to learn all about San Antonio de Belen and how life flows over there. We'll need to learn how to be somewhat self-sufficient in our own home. We'll need to learn where and how God wants to use us at LPDV. But we are excited because we know God has called us to this life and that He is faithful. There have been a couple instances which have prompted me to think about going home this week (the fact that many of the students are going home now that they're done with language school, and also the fact that we had a return flight that we weren't able to exchange that flew out today). A part of me thought, how awesome would it be to go home where I am comfortable and see all of the people that I love??? But much of me thought, I don't think I would feel fulfilled going home now. Our journey is just beginning.

Please continue to pray for us as we take this next step in our mission. Please pray specifically for:
- Our individual relationships with the Lord (We want to be fully equipped for our mission.)
- Our relationship with each other (I don't think we've ever spent this much time together & while it's great, it's something new for us.)
- Our daily safety (There have been a couple of incidents in our neighborhood here and we don't know exactly what the area we are moving to will be like.)
- Our move to the condo (That we would find all that we need to make a home.)
- Our move to Belen (That we would get to know the area and also make new friendships within the community.)
- God's guidance in our roles at LPDV

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement, we deeply value all of it.
God's peace be with you . . . goodnight

We´re still here!

2006-10-11T19:06:00.000-04:00

In case anyone was wondering, we are still alive and well! We have been getting used to the area and school, and are beginning to feel a bit more at home here (about the time we have to move again). We have been plenty busy with schoolwork, but we´ve been enjoying our time at the institute. We got our first test back today and it wasn´t too bad! Well, I wish I had more time, but my hour at the cafe is running out. . .for a more detailed and exciting blog, check out Bryan´s Blog. He´s way better at this thing than me!
We miss you all. Please continue to pray for us as we continue at the spanish language institute and also look for a house on the other side of town. Thanks & ¡Que Dios Los Bendiga!

Stopping by to say hi . . .

2006-10-03T20:19:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I'm too lazy right now to email all of our groups, so I hope you continue checking this blog and Bryan's for updates . . .

Let's see, where to begin??

We can start with our host family. It has been nice getting to know them and talk with them. Like Bryan said, we are living with a nice woman and her daughter of 17 yrs. They are Christians and very very faithful. They have taken us around San Jose and have been willing to help us out however they can. They have also continued to feed us WAY more food than we (I) need, which is nice, but can get to be overwhelming after a while. I think I've finally communicated that I don't need as much as Bryan!

We live about 5-10 minutes from the school. It's nice to walk around. We've also managed to make it to a few stores, this internet cafe, a mall, and other places. The neighborhood is very close to downtown, but kind of suburban (though not like the suburbs you would think of in the US, still very busy).

We started language school on Monday. I was happy to make it into the same level as Bryan, as he has been teaching and knows more than me. We are alone in our grammar class, which is nice, but also intense. We are in a conversation class with another man named Rob, who is here with his wife. They took us out tonight for coffee. I guess you could consider them like parents because of the age difference, but we always seem to identify with people older than us. Anyways, the classes are what they are called - "intensive." Our conversation teacher has already given us way more assignments than I needed to know we were going to be doing. However, I think it is going to be a good experience for us. I am just mentally exhausted when we get out at 3:15. Bryan however, gets excited about the assignments - he may be just a little bit too much of an overachiever for me!! haha

I'm not sure what else to say, since we really haven't been here for too long yet. Please please continue to pray for us (thanks for the prayers thus far) - we are still missing home and family quite a bit, we've had bouts with cockroaches that we're not too thrilled about, and I have been getting very tired by the end of the day (which by the way is at like 5:30 when the sun sets here!! it also rises around 5:30 am . . .weird, i know). Please also pray for our safety, while out walking or on buses, and also while at home. We know that God has called us to this place, and want to fulfill that call with joyful hearts. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement through email, blog comments, and prayer, please keep it coming!! We love you much . . .goodnight!

ps - I was able to watch Monday Night Football to see the Eagles beat the Packers, so that was nice. I didn't think that would happen (capacity to watch real football in CR, not the fact that the Eagles won!)

We are here!

2006-09-28T19:16:00.000-04:00

Hey all! This blog is going to be pretty short, as we are using internet cafes for internet right now. Just wanted to let everyone know that we are here and doing well. We´re living with a very nice host family, and start language school on Monday. Please continue to pray for us as we get to know the area, start school, and begin looking for a more permanent place to live. Thanks & God Bless!!

PS - Bryan also posted on his blog, if you click on his link below (to the right). I have no idea what he wrote, but check in there to see if he gave you more info than me!!

This is it!!!

2006-09-19T13:20:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from all of the craziness to let everyone know that we are leaving for Costa Rica in less than a week!!! Wow, when did that happen?? It's actually funny because we've been planning this for oh, 4 years, and somehow I still feel like this snuck up on me!!

But yes, it's official, we will be leaving for Miami at 7:15 on Monday, Sept 25th and finally arriving in beautiful Costa Rica at 12:35 on Wednesday, Sept 27th (we have to stop in the LAM office before leaving). So, this week for us looks to be full of packing, moving, gathering up all of the important stuff that we need, last minute things, anxious anticipation, enjoying the rest of our time here, and of course some very difficult goodbyes. We just want to say thanks to our friends and family who have been incredibly supportive of us through all of this. Please continue to pray for us, especially during this time of transition. We believe that God has an amazing plan for us in Costa Rica, and can't wait to see it begin to unfold.

Please keep in touch with us & we promise to do the same - we should be able to email and post updates fairly often. Also, if anyone would like to say goodbye, there will be a party on Saturday evening. . . . let us know if you are interested.

3 weeks away!!

2006-09-04T23:34:00.000-04:00

Hello again! Well, so now that Bryan has discovered the wonderful world of blogging (check it out - you can use the new link on this page), he has been severely showing me up in the frequency category. So here is my attempt to update you all, to let you know how we are coming along!

Yes, it's true, we only have 3 weeks until we will be in Miami, getting ready to leave for Costa Rica on the 27th. Our plane tickets are booked and we are now running all over the place trying to get things set. We're making our lists, and checking them 20 times. It seems like every day something new pops up. Right now we are just trying to make sure that our first month of language school is set, and that we will have all of the important things that we need. Being the procrastinator that I am, it's really hard for me to think about packing right now, but I know that I need to get things done because the time that we have here is just going to fly.

Other than getting ready to leave, Bryan's played a few shows, I've been on the loooooong road of wisdom teeth recovery, we've been babysitting our nephew Jeremiah (now that we're "unemployed"), and honestly, I don't even know what else we've been doing!!! We've been plenty busy though, and ask that you continue to pray for us.

Here are a couple of prayer points:
- That we would be aware of all of the things that we need to take care of before leaving.
- That we will be fully supported by the time we leave (we are really close!).
- That Bryan has a happy birthday (26 on the 6th)!
- That I would fully recover from the wisdom teeth/throat pain ASAP.
- That all remaining tests and health insurance will work out.
- That God would prepare us for Costa Rica & Costa Rica for us!! :)

Thanks & Have a Blessed Week!!!

News!

2006-07-31T09:22:00.000-04:00

Hello again :) I know we are really bad at keeping this updated, we have just been soo busy . . . we are thinking that things may be starting to slow down just a bit for us before they get crazy again! Here's what's been happening in our lives:
Bryan has been busy talking with LAM to get some things worked out, babysitting our cute little nephew Jeremiah, and going on long long bike rides trying to outdo himself!! I (Robin) just worked my last day at Nationwide on Friday (phew) and am thinking about all of the things I need to do now that I have my days free! Before I can do any of that, we're leaving this Saturday for a family vacation to Florida (woohoo!) just relaxing in Ft. Myers. We are very excited :) Once we come back from that, we have weddings galore, doctors appts (including me getting my wisdom teeth out - scary!), and really starting to get ready to leave!

So how are we doing with support & when are we leaving?? Like I said above, Bryan has been working hard with LAM to try to get things figured out.
As far as support goes, we were able to actually lower our required support level, and we are a LOT closer than we thought!! In order to leave, we only need about $210 a month more (about $5,000 total). We are confident that God will be faithful to provide as he has done already.
We were also able to set a goal date for leaving - we need to be settled in down in Costa Rica by October 2nd (so we will probably leave about a week ahead of time). For the first 4 weeks, we will be going through an intensive language class just to brush up on our skills & to learn any dialects or culture that we don't yet know. After that, we will be able to begin work at the school!!
We are so excited & almost can't believe that this is finally happening. We've been talking about this for probably about 4 years, and God is now saying, yes, the timing is right, you are ready. It's thrilling and scary at the same time! Please continue to pray for us as we get down to crunch time. :)

I'll leave you with another tidbit of news: We just found out that we are going to be getting another little nephew in December (I got to watch the ultrasound last Thursday - pretty amazing!).

We hope you all have a great week & we'll be back in another week or so to update you . . .peace

We're back!!

2006-05-26T20:09:00.000-04:00

Please forgive us for not updating this blog more often . . .we promise to get better at this!!! I just wanted to share this latest update email that Bryan sent out to some people. We are still working on getting our email list together, so if you didn't receive this one, we haven't forgotten about you. We hope all is well with everyone & that you have a great Memorial Day weekend. Anyways, here it is:

Dear family and friends,
Greetings in the love of Christ. We hope this email finds you well. We are very busy at this time of year, and we imagine that many of you are too. Robin is finishing up a training class at work and is working up to twelve hours a day. Bryan is finishing up school and baseball and is also working long days. We are writing for a couple reasons.
First of all, we want to let you know about an upcoming fundraising dinner at our church. Our Sunday School class is hosting a dinner to raise support for our ministry in Costa Rica. The dinner will be at 5:00 on Saturday June 3rd at Christ United Methodist Church in Louisville, OH. The church is located at 600 E. Gorgas St. in Louisville. Feel free to write and request detailed directions. A meal of hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salads and desserts will be served. We will not be selling tickets, but we will take donations at the door. All the money earned will go towards our trip. Along with the dinner, entertainment will be provided. Bryan along with two friends Tony and Andy Wolfe will be playing music from the cd that they recently released. We will also be selling the cds that evening. Half of the profits from sales of the cd will go towards our trip as well. For more information about the cd, check out: www.wolfeandkandel.com We will also be available to talk about our trip and answer any questions you have that evening. If you have any questions about the dinner, please let us know. We realize that this is a busy time of year, but we hope to see many of you there.
The second purpose of this email is to update you on our support raising. We have been working to raise support for our trip for nearly a year now. The process has not been easy, but it has given us the opportunity to travel to many places and tell others about the ministry God has set before us. We've been blessed by many financial donations, prayers and encouraging letters. Currently, we have nearly 50% of our financial support collected or pledged. We are excited to have nearly half our support raised, but we realize there is much work left to do. We are still working hard to raise the 100% of support that Latin America Mission requires before we can depart for Costa Rica. We hope to leave at the end of August of this year. If you have any questions about our trip or our support raising efforts, please don't hesitate to ask. You can email us, write to us or call us. We would be glad to hear from you and answer any questions you may have. If you are interested in making a donation, checks can be made to "Latin America Mission" and sent to: Latin America Mission PO Box 52-7900 Miami, FL 33152 If you send in a check, please include a note that states that the money is for us, but do not write our names on the check (for tax purposes). If you prefer, you can send the check to us and we will send it to LAM. Also, if you are interested in receiving a pledge card from us, let us know. Pledge cards can be used to pledge an amount of money each month. Thank you and God Bless you. We hope to see many of you on June 3rd. For those of you who can't be at the dinner, we would love to hear from you.

We're getting there!

2006-03-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted so I thought I'd leave you with a little update. . .
The title of this blog is in reference to a couple different things:
1 being that this website is slowly evolving. I'm still working on a couple of other things, like adding in our slideshow of pictures from Costa Rica. Hopefully it'll be there soon, so keep checking in!
2 being that we're getting closer and closer to leaving for Costa Rica. Although we don't have a real date firmed up yet, we're confident that the Lord will provide for us to leave by early September.
Other than that, both of us remain insanely busy at this time of year. I've been working very long days and Bryan is starting baseball, along with playing coffee houses & whatnot for his new CD. It's been fun!!

All in all, we're ready for this craziness that we call life right now to calm down so that it can get crazy again (but maybe in a better way?).

We're glad you stopped by our site & hope you find it helpful & interesting. Let me know if there's something else you feel that it's missing. Otherwise, just leave us some love here!!!

New Link!!

2006-01-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we haven't been quite as quick as I'd hoped in getting this thing up and running. But, if you look, you'll notice that I did add something new tonight. On the right, there is a link for Prayer Requests. If you click on it, you can read some of the joys & concerns we currently have. Enjoy! & thanks . . .

Welcome!

2005-10-29T15:32:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to welcome you to our new blogsite about God's plans for us in Costa Rica. Over the next couple of weeks, look for some general information, updates, and helpful links. Hopefully this helps everyone to understand what this crazy passion is all about!!