Creativity

Maybe it's because I'm a teacher, but I value creativity in kids. I believe kids should be allowed to be creative. (Well, okay. I say that, and I do believe it, but I do have to give myself a pep-talk if big messes will be involved. . . ). Anyhoo. I love it when Olivia and Sawyer use their creativity, and I give myself little mommy-gold-stars when they do, especially if they initiated it on their own. . . and especially if there won't be a huge mess to clean up afterwards.

Playing train. They were into this for a looonnnngg time.

From 5 and 7

Then there is Lynnea. Her creativity centers around getting herself anywhere that is UP, and also around getting anything small and dangerous INTO her mouth. I'm hoping to channel that somehow. But for now, at least she's cute. . . and creative--in a determined sort of way.

From 5 and 7

5 and 7

Sawyer recently turned 5 and Olivia 7, and I think the arrival of these two birthdays for me has been the most shocking! 5 and 7 just seem so old. Saying them makes me feel old. How did this happen right before my eyes? Maybe having the third baby just sort of accentuates how much time has passed since they were her size. So much happens and then I look back and can't sort out the details in the blur; I'm trying to cherish each moment of their development. . . Anyway, I am so thankful for my kiddos, and so delighted with who they are (most of the time!). They are such precious gifts from God. This year, what with the busyness and scheduling of teams, we told Olivia and Sawyer we were going to do small family things for their birthdays. So for Sawyer's special day, we went to see Cars 2, and Olivia's birthday fell on a team beach trip that we were scheduled to go on, so she got to go to the beach and then have pizza with part of the group afterwards.

Sawyer's All Chocolate Heart-Cars Cake

From 5 and 7

Olivia's Strawberry/Vanilla/Chocolate Cake

From 5 and 7

English Class

I know it was probably a crazy idea, but I agreed to it anyway. And, I am REALLY glad I did, because I'm enjoying it very much! A few weeks ago we started an English class for the ladies of the micro-finance site, that is led by Cindy and Maria. The ladies heard Maria speaking in English awhile back and started insisting that she teach them! With their businesses, English would be a helpful skill, especially for those who plan to sell things to tourists. Maria and Cindy were already swamped with their 3 little groups and all those details, so they asked me if I'd be interested in helping them out. I thought about it, prayed about it, and said yes. We agreed to do 10 classes on Friday mornings. The ladies pay a nominal fee for the class to cover supplies, and we do it in the office. It's a 2 hour class, with cafecito (coffee time) included. Maria, Cindy and the teams help with the class and help watch Lynnea. I give out homework and we have quizzes. It's the real deal! Some of the ladies have never studied English before, so we are starting at the beginning. The first day we got through 1/4 of the lesson plan. But we'll get there. Like I said, it has been really fun for me to teach again, and to teach motivated learners, too! With a 'role' that is so undefined and random sometimes, and a life schedule that is just as much so, it's been nice to have a small thing to plan for, count on, and do well with! We'll see how these 10 weeks go, but if the ladies want to keep going, I just might want to, too.

From English Class

From English Class

From English Class

Around Here

Now that we've been in CR for almost 3 years (Wait! Did I just say 3 years?? How can that be already?!) sometimes I wonder what to write about on this blog. It isn't that things aren't happening. Actually, a lot is happening; there are constant challenges and victories going on with our kids, ministry sites, the communities, our staff, etc. But we've run out of all the incidental things that are easy to write about but used to be novelties--things like riding the buses, buying our groceries, etc. Those are LIFE now. Now we are into the harder things, the deeper levels of culture and culture shock, the harder-to-explain and more-complex issues of ministry, life and spiritual warfare. Sometimes the things I want to write about aren't maybe blog-appropriate. Or, I'm so used to them that I forget they might be interesting to someone else.

So, let me try and fill you in on at least a few things, in no particular order.

In May, we had a staff retreat at the beach. It was wonderful. Our speakers were Nate and Maggie Slabach, from SI-DR. They shared with us about avoiding burn-out in ministry. I'll write another post with more details, but a couple of highlights were the life of Joshua (70 years of effective leadership and virtually no mistakes!) and John 15, the passage about the vine and the branches. Only if we REMAIN connected to the vine will we produce fruit. Cut off, we wither. So simple, yet so easy to forget in the day-to-day. Yep, I definitely want to write more about that later.

We have hosted several groups so far this year, and are actually in the middle of our 'summer' teams season. We're thankful for great groups so far, and pray that they leave changed, with well-watered seeds that will continue growing. We also have 6 amazing interns this summer. They are quite the eclectic little group, but came with hearts to serve and have really jumped in whole-heartedly to their work! I don't think it's far off to say they've been thrown in the fire, but they've really risen to the occasion and had super attitudes in spite of be overwhelmed by culture, language, ministry, etc. We're so thankful for their support during this season!

Our car: our car had been running great, but recently developed a clicking sound and today dumped a lot of anti-freeze on the ceramic-tiled garage floor . . . it's going to the mechanic tomorrow. We're bracing for the worst (replacing/rebuilding the engine) and hoping for the best. Unfortunately, it seems like these things ALWAYS (and, really, I'm not exaggerating) happen at the worst times. We have been trying to raise money for an SI vehicle, but since that hasn't panned out yet, we use our Galloper for transporting students, interns, supplies, etc., not to mention how much we rely on it for daily life. If we don't have a car for awhile it will be a pain in the neck at best. Please pray for some kind of a miracle. . .

This week we hosted Dave Hansen, our SI president, plus Lowell Troyer, director in the DR, and 2 board members, Rod Frese and Tom Babaggian for a few days at our home. It was a good time with lots of laughter; they were able to see what is going on at the sites, and share with and encourage us and our staff. We are so thankful for those guys and all the work they do so that we can be here. It is amazing to have an extended family through SI.

Olivia and Sawyer recently got their 1st trimester grades. Both of them are doing very well in school, thankfully! Olivia's reading in both Spanish and English is really taking off, and that is fun for this teacher to watch!! Sawyer has had a few, ahem, behavior issues (bothering other kids, impulsivity) that led to us meeting with his teacher and the school psych, and now seems to have shaped up-- again, thankfully! While talking with another teacher there about her son w/ similar issues, we joked about how ironic it was to be the moms of those kids! :) Since he is a child with high activity levels, they suggested he be involved in active things after school (agreed). So, in addition to soccer, he recently started tae kwon do. We'll see how it goes. Olivia also added tae kwon do to her extra-curricular activities. She decided basketball wasn't for her, even after sticking it out for the 2 months Mom and Dad insisted on. But tae kwon do seems to be right up her alley, and she was excited that she got to break a board on the first day. Please pray for us as parents to really SEE our kids and KNOW them so that we can parent them as God requires. Pray that their hearts would be soft towards the Lord, and that we would be effective in teaching them about their Father's heart towards them and his desires for them.

Lynnea continues to be a sweet little peanut. She's 8 1/2 months, not quite 17 pounds, and about 28 inches long. She crawls like a sprinter, puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, pulls herself up on anything she can, and is starting to scare us by climbing the steps. She is a sweet-spirited baby, but we have to watch her vigilantly!

Jeff is finishing up his MA program in Intercultural Studies at Fuller Seminary as I write. His final classwork needs to be emailed off tomorrow by midnight!! This will be a HUGE load off his shoulders (and mine, too!). It will enable him to teach in our semester program that starts next January with Fresno Pacific. I don't think either one of us remembers what it was like before he started this program 10 years ago. . . may he finish well!

We are on the hunt for more/new staff members to add to our CR team. We'd like to bolster each site with at least one more staff member, and there are a couple of site ideas we're open to launch if we have the right people to pioneer them. Our staff typically make 2 year commitments and so that means that some of our staff will be deciding whether to go or stay SOON. Plus, we need some administrative and leadership help. So, we're praying for just the right people in all of these roles. There are several North Americans, and even a few Latinos interested, so we'll see. Pray that we'll (and they'll) have wisdom as to whether God is calling them here or not. Also, the process can be lengthy for North Americans to raise support, do language school, etc., so pray for stamina on our part as we wait for God's timing!

Our house/SI office. Any of you who have visited know we love our beautiful house. It has been the perfect home for the SI office, hosting people, etc. However, we're starting to think about whether or not we should stay in it. Our lease will be up in December, and we're assuming that we'd have the option to renew the contract. But rent could rise, or the owner could decide she really wants to sell. Also, the one thing our house lacks is a yard. This is actually not uncommon. Most of the houses in the city have little to no yard. I find it a bit ironic that we are in one of the most beautiful countries in the world yet have to search a bit to enjoy that natural beauty. Anyway, we would REALLY love to have a yard for the kids to play in, and for us to enjoy as well. BUT, there aren't many options around. As leaders/directors, we need to be centrally located, close to main roads, easily accessible, etc., which means we need to stay close to where we are. We've been 'keeping our eyes open' for any houses that might have yards AND still serve SI's needs, too. Not really any leads. There are actually 2 in our neighborhood with potential, but as far as we know, neither are for rent or sale. We've seen a couple of lots, but don't really know if we want to pursue a building project/look for a loan. (Though we do have some good ideas!) Obviously buying a house/lot would have implications for how long we plan to stay in CR, too. Basically, we are coming to a crossroads and want to be prepared to make a good decision. Please pray for us in this!! We are content to be where God wants us. If that means staying in our current home, great. If there is something else out there, we need the Lord to show us. And, if this house isn't even an option come December, well, then we'll really need another plan!

Spiritual Warfare. Since this stuff happens in a realm we can't usually see with our eyes, and there's a lot of mystery surrounding it all anyway, it's hard to know how to write about it. We know there is an enemy out to devour us (1Pet.5:8), but we also know that we serve the GOD who is soooo much bigger and who has already WON this great war we are in, though we are still playing out the details. There have been things going on from time to time that indicate spiritual attacks--and now seems to be one of those times for many of our staff, and the communities we work in. We realize that we have placed ourselves as targets by taking a stand and attempting to push back darkness and bring hope to the communities and students we serve, so it doesn't really surprise us. Please pray for deep spiritual insight into what is going on and how we should be praying/counter-attacking. Pray for protection over our staff, sites, families, students, etc.

And, now I realize how long this is!! Kudos if you made it this far--it's much appreciated, and a bit admired. :) More later!
--Tracey

Church

Church is a topic that comes up often, so I thought I'd write about it. We are not church-planting missionaries, but instead seek an established church to be involved in. In Costa Rica we have that luxury. So you would think, with all the options, that it would be easy to find a spiritual community of believers with whom to share life. But, it hasn't. And it's been one of the hardest things about trying to plant new roots here. A shared sentiment among our staff is that we miss knowing people and being known. I think it's caused all of us to re-examine the meaning of 'church' as well. But I'm not taking that path in this post.

At first, with limited Spanish, it was obvious that making relationships would be tough, but even still it is hard at times to really connect with people in Spanish. I still wonder if I'm REALLY communicating what I mean to say, and if I'm REALLY understanding the other person. Costa Rica is outwardly a very friendly and hospitable place. But when push comes to shove, it's been really hard to get close to people. People work late, we work crazy schedules, everyone has their family and extended families (which is a good thing, except for us who don't have our families here), and the social circles have been drawn for years--hard to break in. Plus, a lot of outsiders come here for vacations, visits, language school, and then LEAVE. Why would people want to invest in us if they think we're leaving? I think we've finally convinced a few that we're staying. . . but we heavily feel the burden of making the first (and subsequent) moves to get to know others. And, frankly, it can be exhausting; it has made us wonder if it's worth the effort. Then there are the actual churches themselves. Will there be Sunday School (or something) for our kids so that we can listen to a sermon? How long are services? What are expectations for involvement (many churches here are legalistic about coming to every event/prayer meeting scheduled), membership (some are very tied to their denominational roots, and we are not), etc.? Are there anything akin to home groups that we could be involved in? (So far, not really.) And, we don't want people to expect us (as 'gringos' and 'missionaries') to be willing to run everything, either. If 'sabbath' is about rest, sometimes it's more restful, and less stressful, to just stay home.

We have been attending a church for about 2 years that we call "our church." It's a smallish Baptist church a few blocks from our house. It's full of great, very capable people--one reason we liked it; there was no pastor when we first started there, but all the programs were functioning well and they didn't need our help (!). They have a praise band that leads us in a mix of hymns and contemporary worship songs, there is a Sunday School for kids and adults, and prayer meetings during the week. It is very traditional in some things (order of service, "Baptist" governing traditions), progressive in others (women are allowed to preach, they recently started a holistic minsitry, care of the Earth is preached from the pulpit on occasion). There are things we really like and appreciate about the church, and things it lacks that we miss. No such thing as a perfect church, right?

So, while it's been a struggle, we decided to stick it out, hopeful that it'll be worth it in the long run. We know that we need to be connected to the larger body of Christ, that church isn't all about meeting our needs, and that we need to somehow form relationships outside of SI. (We LOVE our staff, and have community there, but we also know the danger exists of becoming ingrown and that outside perspective will help keep us healthy.) I keep thinking, "if they would just start small groups. . ." and someone asked me why we don't start one. The thought has crossed my mind, but leading one more thing seems too big to take on right now. And, maybe small groups don't work here, I don't know. Maybe someday we'll try it and find out. For now, though, we're still hoping for friendships and to find the community we desire through the current available means. Jeff went on the men's retreat, I on the women's retreat. . . we have actually been invited over to a couple of homes for meals, and had a few people to ours. . . I've been trying to get a few phone numbers. . . Lynnea is a natural ice-breaker. . . maybe, just maybe, we are starting to break in. So, please pray for us (and our staff who also struggle with this) that we would have the energy and time to persevere in relationships, and that God would provide the authentic communities we all crave and need.

Spring Newsletter

No excuses here, but it has been too long since our last post. Here's a start, though I realize most of you have probably seen this already: our spring newsletter. Just click on the title of this post!

Lynnea's Latest Tricks

Lynnea is now 4 1/2 months, and we are afraid to blink because she is changing so quickly! She rolls from her back to her tummy, but gets frustrated b/c it's hard to get back over. She just learned to grab her feet and put them in her mouth, along with everything else! We are thankful that Lynnea continues to be a fairly mellow little girl and loves to be with people. She's also pretty communicative and lets us know how she feels about things! At her last checkup she weighed about 14.5 pounds and was 26.5 inches--long and lean!

From First Day Tio Conejo PreK 2011

From First Day Tio Conejo PreK 2011

From First Day of First Grade 2011