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I was scheduled to leave for Nicaragua on the 27th but I received an email from my mother asking me if I would like to come home and watch the Colt's play. I took her up on the offer and I came home. I am about to leave to head back to my current home in Costa Rica. I am ready to get back there into the warm weather and work along side my friends. I feel like I have been super busy since I have been home. I am pretty much tired of shopping right now. I had fun finding things for a couple of the kids down there. It is more fun buying things for others than for myself. God has really blessed me with awesome friends here and in CR. Currently we are hoping to find some transportation so we can get back and forth to the sawmill. If anyone is interested in helping there is a motorcycle for sale. $1000.00 US. It is an important ministry tool that we really need.

This week has gone by really fast. My friends Laura and Kim Stilwell are holding a children's bible school that lasts two weeks. I helped out the other day as my friend Jimmy taught on David and Goliath. I played Goliath and a young kid played David. My role was short, but fun. I charged at the kid with a fake sword, yelled something in spanish, and he pretended like he hit me with a stone. I had fun participating. The center is going very well. We currently have 5 men in the program. One of our men, named Alejandro has one more month left in the program. He has expressed the desire to stick around and serve. He does an awesome job cooking for the house. From time to time he teaches me how to cook Tico style dishes. I have been cooking quite a bit as well. The other night I made fried coconut chicken, plaintains, and tomato slices which are a staple in most dishes down here. The fruits and veggies are so good. I go through about 30 bananas a week, dozen apples, a couple mangoes, 2-3 papayas, and an occasional pinapple.

On another note, being a follower of Jesus has been challenging in my relationships lately. My neighbor asked me to borrow 4 bucks about 3 days ago and he told me he would pay me the next day. Well, he never did, then when I saw him last night he gave me the runaround and said that he had to go to the bank and he would give it to me later on. Well, he never did. This is not the first time this has happened. Maybe, shame on me for doing it again. It is only 4 bucks, but more of the problem is the shuck and jive that I recognize all too well. Another "friend" on the beach that comes to church has wanted my watch for awhile. He had a watch on a couple weeks ago and wanted to trade. I would have just given him my watch, but he wanted to trade so I did. I felt like it was a nice way to bless someone. Well, I found out after wearing the watch for a week that it was fake. Beyond the fake watch I am trying to make a friend and I feel pretty used up. Maybe God is trying to teach me something. The challenging part is not doing something about it physically, just to be perfectly honest. Pride, anger, wrath, and all different sorts of emotions come up when I am wronged and feel manipulated. I know I have done my share in the past, so maybe this is how it feels. I try to practice the teaching's of Jesus, as far as give and it will be given to you...if someone wants to borrow let them borrow not expecting anything in return. The generous man will be prosperous......hopefully prosperity will come in heaven when I get there.

Jaco

I went to Jaco, Costa Rica the other day by bus. I had to go there in order to buy a bus ticket to go to Granada, Nicaragua. I have to leave here every 90 days for 3 days, then I can come back for another 90. I am looking forward to this trip. I will first go to San Jose and stay with my friend Jimmy´s sister and boyfriend. I love being around them and they want me to come and stay with them. I stayed with them over the summer and had a good time. Please pray for this trip as I will be traveling alone. I hear that food and shopping is about half of what it costs here! yay.

I have taught the past 3 weeks at church and I am ready for a break. It is fun and good to prepare to teach, but I am just ready for a break. Last week at church a lady who came for her first time came to Christ. She heard God´s word and something made sense to her. This was super encouraging to all of us. We have a nice location on the beach and one of our main objectives there is to befriend, encourage, teach, and hopefully train up some of the local surfers. We have been having quite a few more come lately, which is awesome. I like having them around.

Christmas

I spent Christmas with friends that live about15 minutes away from Quepos. They prepared a whole bunch of food...most of which were desserts. It was a long day because after this we headed to backpackers to eat again. I was stuffed and felt like I had to eat. I typically never turn away food, but this time I wanted to. I ate anyways and had a good time. We took the leftovers to the homeless that hang around in the park. The program men enjoy giving to the less fortunate. I am glad that they get the opportunity to do so. Church yesterday on the beach was a blast. The weather here is absolutely perfect. High season has just hit and the beach is packed with tourists and locals who are on vacation. From what I have been told, just about everything shuts down for the last 2 weeks of the year. Stores are still open from what I have seen, but there is a ton more traffic and people walking the streets. For New Years we are going down to the water to watch the fireworks and bands walk the streets performing there routines they have been practicing. I am super tanned right now. Even when I wear spf 30 or 5o I get dark. I spent the majority of Saturday and Sunday on the beach reading, church, and trying to surf. I want to be able to surf, but I haven´t had much luck yet. Hopefully in time I will get better.

Update

We currently have 4 men in the program. Two men left today, one yesterday, and one the day before. I guess it is not unusual this time of the year. There are Christmas parties and a lot more work available. 4 men is fine, it will make it a bit easier on everyone for the meantime. I think being in a new place was stressful for the guys, whom I believe need some stability and change seems to bring some fear, worry, and discomfort that is tough for them to deal with. On another note. I am riding a bike and running to and from the program. It is about a 4k run with a couple beasty hills. I am enjoying it a ton. It is not so bad looking at palm trees and mountains while running. Jared and Eileen, my best friends down here are back in the states for Christmas. I will be spending the holidays with a couple other families and also with a group of people from New Zealand who run a Backpackers, which is a really nice hostel. They are going to serve our program men dinner and entertain us. It should be a great week. Please pray for our 4 men that are still in the program and also for my friend Jimmy who's daughter has chronic kidney infections and will need to have surgery on a hernia when she turns 4...she is not even 2 yet.

Moving the Program

We are currently moving the program to another location. I think that it is going to work-out better than our last location. It is a challenging move for us. We only have a small pick-up truck available to us to move our things, so it has taken awhile and is going to continue to a "process", as are many things down here in Costa Rica. We currently have 8 men in the program and I think that this move is going to give us more room to allow another man or two to come into the program. I just met one of our new neighbors who is a fisherman from Rhode Island. He brings back fresh fish almost daily and is going to be hooking us up...and me:) as well. It is nice to have a connection like this. Fresh mahi mahi, red snapper, yellowfin tuna....oh oh oh. I was pretty excited to develop this connection. The program currently survives on donations, so it is a blessing anytime anyone offers us food. Thanks God.

Wood Mizer

The Wood Mizer just showed up a few days ago. It cuts lumber into boards. It was donated to us by Wood Mizer. This is going to create the opportunity for us to be self-sufficient and also for guys in the program to learn a trade. Teak wood is plentiful, durable, and good looking, so there is plenty that can be done down here. There is a lot of exotic wood that gets pretty expensive. As long as the wood is on your land you can cut it, if not you have to go through quite the process. Jared and I went out on his motorcycle today to level the ground and assemble the rest that needed to be put together. Jared is gifted when it comes to these sorts of things and myself on the other hand not so gifted. Able, but not gifted. So I did most of the lifting and grunt work. It looks great. It is on a gentlemen's property named Larry who is letting us use his property. He is being quite generous by letting us use his land and store out things there. I will be going to Jaco to buy a bus ticket either this week or the next. I have to leave every three months for my passport. I will have to be gone for 3 days, then I will be able to return for 90 more. I am still trying to decide on whether I should go to Panama or Nicaragua.