Friends...Forever Friends

Lilí, Charles and Salvador

New friends, Charles and Lilí, invited us to lunch at their home yesterday. They also invited, Salvador (the youth pastor at church) and his fiance Verónica, and Steve and Diane (from Maine and in language school with us, headed to Ecuador). We had a wonderful time together enjoying both a delicious meal and wonderful fellowship.

Charles' father was orginally from England and came to Costa Rica when he was 14. He was priviledged to work on the 1960 updated Versión Reina-Valera, similiar to the KJV Bible. He also completed the Spanish Concordance for the same version. We were able to hold copies of each.

The grandmother of Lilí searched for the truth. She purchased a copy of the Bible and began to read it. She told the priest, who ordered her to bring it to him and to do penance for reading it. This ocurred twice more before she was able to read enough and understand the Gospel and accept Christ as Savior. This time when the priest ordered her to give it to him, she told him that she had already given him three and he just needed to read one of them for himself. She and Lilí's family became leaders to help bring the Gospel, and ultimately a church, to their community. They married 9 years ago, following the death of their spouses.

What a priviledge to share fellowship with second generation believers who love the Lord and have served Him for many years...new forever friends.

David and Charles

Did she really mean that?

You remember David's telling the story of Jesus eating the 5,000? Well, today was Glynis' day. We were at our Nicaraguan Bible Study. They asked us about our work in Guatemala and the dangers there. Glynis told them that the greatest danger in Guatemala right now is --- she meant to say "pandillas" but instead she said "pañales." Our Nicaraguan friend looked at her with the strangest face. Glynis meant to say, "The greatest threat in Guatemala are the gangs" but instead she said, "The greatest threat in Guatemala are the diapers!!!" Yep, recalling some past diaper experiences when our kids were young, she just might be right!

One of our fellow students recently meant to say that the baby Jesus was "envuelto en paños" or wrapped in cloths. Instead, he said that Jesus was "envuelto en empanadas," meaning that Jesus was wrapped in a turnover-type pie, usually made with beans and/or meat. A little twist of the Biblical narrative, we would say!

Oh the challenges of language learning! This should give you cause to pray! We have just two more months to get it right.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This week I received a special gift in the mail. Every year we send our kids special valentine cards. Last year I included in Stephen's card and little "special" visual. Well this week in the mail I received a surprise from him...a very note with the same visual attached. I wore it proudly today letting everyone know that...I am loved.
Thanks Stephen, I smiled all day and thought of you. Happy valentine's to our other children...Miriam and Mike, Rebecca and David, and Deborah and Chris. We love each of you!



Tonight we pulled a little "gringo" memory maker and celebrated at Outback. Steak and a real baked potato...how delicious! You go make some special memories this weekend as well.

No, we haven't forgotten how to write

We really haven't forgotten how to write. We have just been working on our February prayer letter (which if you did not receive one and would like a copy, please post a comment with your address and we'll send it promptly). We have, of course, been doing our usual studying, studying, oh yeah, studying some more. Thanks so much for your prayers because sometimes I think, "I've got that." But please keep those prayers flying because that feeling doesn't come as often nor as strongly as I would like or need it to come.

Tomorrow is another big Friday. I remember those days from when I was teaching but I was on the other side back then. Tomorrow I have to present a Bible study in lenguaje and then we both have another grammar test which includes an oral section as well as the written section. I don't know what it is when that sweet young teacher calls my name...the fear factor grabs hold of my tongue and mind. Pray for victory tomorrow!

Next week is Spiritual Emphasis Week. Our special speaker is a missionary colleague from Guatemala. We are looking forward to receiving the Word from Jeff Thomas and to spending some time with him and his family. There will be no homework nor tests next week...but you know what that means the next week. But that week is a short week, only four days, and then there will be a special long weekend.

As you celebrate love with your special ones, remember the One who is the source of true love. There are so many who have never heard of the Ultimate Gift of Love from the Father which provides forgiveness for our sins. Pray they will hear and receive. Pray for those who share the message, those who water, and those who reap the harvest.

Happy celebration of love!

Are we there yet? Not yet!

In class, the teacher was talking about the New Testament. She asked me to give the name of "un milagro de Jesús" (a miracle of Jesus). One quickly came to mind-- the feeding of the 5,000, so I responded, "Cuando Jesús..." I had to reach into my bag of words and pull out my verb related to food. The verb I needed was alimentar, to feed. Did it come to mind? Nope! The other verb did. So I said, "Cuando Jesús comió a los cinco mil personas" translated "When Jesús ATE the 5000." The sideways look on my maestra's face let me know that there is work yet to be done! Verdad!

You know it's third tri...

Yep, you know it's third trimester when you get these kinds of tests:

This past Friday, we had a lenguaje test - 10 dictated questions (that to me was enough of a test!) each which we had to answer in essay form.
1. Explain 5 acts of crimes committed in Central America.
2. What are the causes of crime and violence?(5 things)
3. Discuss 3 counsels you would give for the prevention of assaults.
4. What are the effects of crime and violence? (5 things)
5. What laws would help prevent crime?
6. What does the Bible say about what we should see?
7. What happened to the restrictions that were on movies?
8. What would you recommend to youth when they want to watch a movie?
9. How do movies and television influence the conduct of people in general?
10. What did you like most about the movie The Ultimate Gift?

Just wondering, how would you respond in English? Now, add in all Spanish grammar rules and verb conjugations. Yes, it was a quite a test - two hours of writing!

Then today, we had a grammar test on rules 6 and 7 in the use of subjunctivos. It was only 4 sections, a total of about 35 questions but then the added joy of being called, one at a time, to answer 5 questions orally.

Ok, maybe by the end of the trimester that won't seem so difficult but somehow I really doubt it.

So now you know how to pray for us - pray for ability to reason and transpose that reasoning into Spanish using correct grammar and vocabulary. And for us to not lose sight of the fact that the purpose of learning all this is to be able to share the Gospel and to speak in defence of the faith.

Well, back to this week's study...contamination.

It's a Party...Why?

A. It's my birthday!
B. It is Friday!!!
C. It's somebody else's birthday!

Well, it is Friday and that is reason to celebrate, but really it was Anthony and Kimberly's birthdays. They are the grandchildren of Daisy and Rodolfo and they both celebrated their birthdays on Wednesday - he turned 14 and she turned 12. Yep, they are not the children in the first pictures, are they? These were some precious little ones who came to visit.

So what else do you do on a birthday but eat cake and ice cream?! By the way, if your birthday has been this week...we hope you had a special day too.







Jimena, Daisy and Rodolfo's youngest grandchild, loves her cousin, Kimberly, very much.



For whatever reason you celebrated this week, I hope you enjoyed the cake and ice cream (or chocolate or pizza or ???) that accompanied your celebration!

You know, these are great celebrations down here, but one day...WOW! what a CELEBRATION that will be when we gather around the throne of God and bow in adoration and praise to the King of all the Ages. Will we see you there?