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American food...Yummy!

Posted on 5:29 PM

It's Thursday and a good morning to an all american breakfast....No not bacon, eggs and potatoes, but how about pancakes and bananas drenched in syrup.....yummy. I had enough beans and rice for one day...so when I saw pancake mix...I bought it right away and price didn't matter!

I thought it was funny that the syrup said, "for export only"...I guess they were thinking of us 'homesick americans'...haha

Oh, i forgot to tell you that when we came home last night, we found this friend waiting for us on our window by our front door... It's a 'locust'

We used Erika's hand as a measuring tool. Don't worry, she was on the inside of the window...we couldn't get anyone to volunteer for an outside measurement...Anyway, it was HUGE and I know it was closely watching us with its very BIG eyes!

After breakfast, we headed to the hall for service at 8am. We setup at table with literature at the bus depot and it was very busy. We placed a couple of Bible teach books and had several great conversations with interested ones. With one lady...she thought that only 144,000 were going to be saved and she knew that there were more Jehovah witnesses than that, so what would happen to the rest? ...A great question...I was able to share Rev 14:1-3; Rev 5:9,10 and Isaiah 45:18 . After a wonderful conversation...she said, "that makes sense" and I invited her to the hall on Sunday, so we will see if she comes. Nate also invited another man who was very nice and wanted a book too. It's exciting to see such interested ones here and almost everyone has been sooo nice and willing to talk about spiritual things.

Here are some people that we met today and I took their pictures

This was one of our invites to this Sunday's meeting

( I'm almost as dark as the tica's here.... thanks to the almost 100 degree weather)

So there is a great story behind this picture! Tuesday was my breakdown day....(I cried all afternoon and wanted to go home) Just when I had seen enough poverty for the rest of my life and knew that only JEHOVAH could take care of their situation I had this stray dog approach me limping and I called it over to see what was wrong...when it turned around, I saw that it had a huge hole in its back leg(aprox 5 inches long and an inch wide) and I could see the bone...that was it for me....I got sick in the curb and didn't understand how people could just let an animal walk around town sooo injured. No one even blinked an eye at him, as if it was normal .

That's when 'Venessio' approached me and said, "It be OK, mi amiga". Apparently when I was crying in front of his house, he heard me and came out to comfort me. Later he told me he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and shared Mark 12:30 with me (You must love Jehovah your God with your whole, heart, and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength) and He told me "to be strong" (I forgot to tell you that He didn't speak very much English either...just enough for me to understand the compassion he had for me)

I knew immediately that Jehovah used him to comfort me and it worked. The last two days have been very different for me. My focus has been back on the ministry and to encourage my brothers and sisters here that are working so hard in the ministry and not on myself and my problems...which are so minor compared to many people. So that's my new friend and a wonderful brother.

This is Luis and we are studying the Bible with him and his whole family(even his sister and her 6 kids) Today his eye's teared up after our study and he said..."So, I need to taste and see that Jehovah is good" He got it!!! Put Jehovah first and see how He will bless us....I love his family...wonderful people. Here is his niece dancing for us..

She was sooo cute and not shy at all. She learned God's name today, "Jehovah"

We'll, we just got done eating and Elesia and Logan are happy campers...sitting in their bean bag chair

while Erika chuggs more water and works on homework..."ughhhh", she say's

Gotta go for now....luv u all!!!!

Tues Meeting and Bathroom Remodel

Posted on 5:38 PM

Hi everyone!
Tuesday nights meeting was sooo encouraging. We got to hear all the friends comment and then meet some wonderful people from a lot of different places...like Canada, Texas, Florida, California, Virginia, Tennessee and more... I'm still just amazed that I went to the Kingdom Hall with my study material from Portland, OR and was able to jump right into the meeting here in Quepos, Costa Rica with no problem. I'm really apppreciating how Jehovah is an organized God .(cause I know I'm not!!! haha) and His people are united even if we speak different languages. I've met some wonderful Spanish people that I could only communicate a little with, but the Hugs and kisses said it all and I knew that we had the best thing in common and that was we all love Jehovah and I can't wait till the day that we can all speak one language again.
Here is a couple of pics from last nights meeting and my new amiga, Carmen.

She is a great sister and sooo encouraging to me. She was my householder for my part, which went very well and the friends even applauded. They were sooo happy to have us here to help out with some of the parts and they are all making us feel at home.
There has been a remodel of the bathrooms the last couple of days...I guess they were having sewer issues and needed to raise the floors. Here are a few shots I took while they were doing the concrete work and tile... These brothers are amazing! They started at 7am and worked all thru the night...eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the hall (thanks to the wonderful sisters her prepared all the meals.

Since they raised the floor, they had to put a ramp and step in and had to raise the windows

Nate wanted me to include this junction box....Only an electrician or handyman would appreciate this!!! :-)

This is Daniel and Vinny with Nate

Working into the night, but glad this part is over.....looks good!

and the tile is coming along nice....

Everyone has been sooo busy helping out and we can't wait tell its finished.

Oh yeah, so today was a great day in service. 8 hours to be exact! Nate setup a table at the beach with the kiddos and another bropther full of literature and talked to several people and Erika and I got to help out in the mountains in finding English speaking people...which we found several and had some great conversations and shared encouraging scriptures with. A long hot day (98 degrees to be exact with high humidity) and some very bumpy roads. We even has to drive across two creeks cause the bridges were broken and walk up several hills because our SUV couldn't make it.

Some people were amazed that we were all the way in Costa Rica to preach....(but God says that...The good news will be preached in all the inhabited earth). How exciting to be part of this prophecy!!!

After a long day we headed to the cafe for icetea and icecream. A great combo and to check our e-mails... I guess its off to our casa to wind down and get ready for another great day!

We send our luvs and hope everyone is doing well.

Hugs and kisses xoxo

Beach Trips

Posted on 4:24 PM

We finally made it to the local beach...I know that might sound funny but where we are located there is only a pier with rocks and no sand. Our bus ride takes about 15 mins...not to bad.
We'll its still very hot and we are slowly trying to adjust and make our place "home". Today we went to a few stores and bought a fan and some kitchen stuff that we needed. (I sure miss the dollar tree!) Things are not as cheap as I thought they would be, but Nate now has the ATM down and thanks to Justin for making our deposits for us, we should be A OK!
We are getting ready to go to the Kingdom Hall for meeting at 7pm and I'm sooo excited to be giving a talk here in Costa Rica. What a privledge and blessing. We sure are experiencing a small part of Jehovah's united worship. Amazing!!!
So, here are a few beach pics that I took

The beach at Parrita....beautiful! and the water...Hot

Erika and Cindy jumping waves (another sister in our hall)

All the kids digging and having a blast with their new friends..the Barrow's

This pelican decided to pose for me and let me get 10 feet from him....

The sun was starting to set here.

We'll I better get going. Need to meet up with the rest of the fam before meeting. We miss and luv you all. Hugs, Ang

More of Weds...and Thurs.

Posted on 4:25 PM

Got back from store and started cooking. We had a spill with the substance that kept Erika sane (Limon Tang)...then it happened, tears started welling up:( But all is well due to Elesia and her bamboo stick that she had to bring.

Nate got it all cleaned up and we had one more packet of juice.

(Had to go get more)

For dinner we had noodles with celery, carrots and tomatoes...How refreshing, just like stir fry.

Then a walk around the neighborhood.

The sewer just drains to the gully in the street, leaving a wonderful aroma.)Erika says..."Gross"

The kids are learning realquick that people don't all live the same and we are so grateful for what we do have (which is too much!)

This morning we got up and met at the kingdom hall for service. We walked the pier to a park where we met a few people along the way and had great conversations, placing a few pieces of literature. We came back into town and met wonderful sisters, some local and some from other areas that had a table set up at the bus debot full of literature. After visiting we took over the table and talked to a few people while placed four mags. and approx. ten tracts... she has the "Pioneer Spirit". It was really hot out and we were hungry. We heard of a brother in the spanish congregation that owned "Pollo Frito"so we got fried chicken and it was yum yum. On our way back in we stopped for ice cream to help cool down where we found the internet cafe. Here we are now. The kids just had a snack and now we are getting ready to head back to our room to do some things for the evening. Heres a few pics we just took of us and the cafe

Not sure if we will post tomorrow or not, we will be in service all morning and then off to the beach to play. But will talk to you soon. Miss everybody but feels great to be helping out where the need is greater and learning more about ourselves.

Love you all, XOXO

We're here!

Posted on 3:50 PM

Ok, so we finally have contact with the world, but its short. We don't have wifi in our place and we have to go to an ice cream shop to communicate. Alot different than at home! This has been a real eye opening experience for the whole fam....but everyone is doing fine. We arrived in Quepos Tuesday afternoon. We had quite a first day, it was extremly HOT and very HUMID. The kids were tired and it Erika said, "It feels like the end of the world, as we know it" (haha) We were dropped off at our 2 bdrm upstairs apt with our tons of luggage.

I started cleaning right away and making it home for us. The kids hung out in one bedroom, cause it had the air conditioner in it....when it works. Just then the Electric Company paid us a visit and turned off our electricity. (I guess someone forgot to pay the bill.... and so I hear, that's common here) Don't worry, it was taking care of within about 10 mins, but I'm sure you can imagine how I felt. (3 kids and no lights or air). We have a fridge and stove in our unit, but no microwave, so thats a change for me. We went to the market to purchase some food...I mean staples like rice,beans, onions, mangos...Nothing like a Winco here. (No meat) The stores are hot and have no air, but everyone here is use to it. I hear that it takes about 3 days to get into the swing of it. (Erika though, is still waiting for her 5star hotel experience).

Trying to decide on staples that we need and just don't want....while Erika keeps track of our spending with her excellent math skills...:)

(It's me, Im typing now!)

Logan and Elesia are doing fine also too. Elesia adapted real quick and Logan is taking a little longer, He asked me, "Why is the sun sooo hot?...he's too cute.