Saturday, December 25, 2010

Feliz Navidad!

Here's a second "Merry Christmas" video and a bonus snapshot of what it looks like to work with international school kids!

This first video is of our Wyldlife crew at our last club of the semester.  Wyldlife kids are so fun because they LOVE to dress to the theme--this one being Christmas, of course!  We played candy cane hockey, dressed kids as Christmas trees, and had 12 small groups act out the 12 Days of Christmas!  And then at the end my co-worker Jessie invited kids to open the greatest gift ever given--the gift of freedom in a relationship with Jesus.  Here's them telling you "Merry Christmas!"


This second video was at one of my favorite Wyldlife kid, Rylie's, birthday party.  She had one of the coolest middle school birthday parties I've seen, well for a girl anyway :)  She's an awesome dancer and her mom rented out their dance warehouse studio and all her friends got a private lesson then performed the dance.  It was so fun and a great opportunity to get to know some Wyldlife girls a little better and meet some new girls to invite to Wyldlife!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Merry Christmas from Costa Rica Young Life!

Combine a bunch of crazy Costa Rica international school kids and a random White Elephant gift exchange and this is what you get:



They are telling you first, all at once, what they received in the gift exchange and then a very fragmented "Merry Christmas"!  If you know me well, Christmas is my favorite time of year!  We had so much fun with these kids wrapping up the first semester with their renditions of holiday classic movies in 1 minute then 30 seconds then 15 seconds, some Christmas carols and a message about how Jesus loves them SO He's knocking on the doors of their hearts to be with them!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Praying for the least of these...

Sex-trafficking.  It's not a fun subject to talk about.  It's uncomfortable, tragic, and very very real.  I have a friend here at language school who has a heart for sex-trafficking and modern-day slavery. She will be serving with Youth With a Mission with indigenous peoples in a remote jungle area of Costa Rica after language school, but while she is here in San Jose she  is using her time to help raise awareness about this difficult topic.

Did you know?

  • There are more than 27 million people enslaved in the world today...more than at the height of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade (Free the Slaves)
  • The highly organized sex trade industry brings in an estimated $32 billion annually...that's more that Wal-Mart, Coke and McDonalds...combined! (UN)
  • Costa Rica is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat sex slavery (U.S. State Department)
  • Costa Rica is quickly gaining a reputation for being the sex tourism capital of the world
  • In San Jose alone, there are more than 300 brothels with an average of 10 women and children working in each 
The statistics are staggering.  Even more of a shock to me was seeing the reality of the statistics with my own eyes.  Along with Brooke and some other friends we have gone downtown twice in the past month to pray in front of the Del Rey hotel, a well-known adults-only hotel.  The first time as part of an all-night prayer vigil and the second time on a week-night.  Each experience was shocking and numbing at the same time.  Here are a few stories/observations:

  • "Are there girls who have been sex-trafficked in this hotel?"  Brooke asked one man who stopped and talked with us for a long time.  The man, Marlon, came over saying, "They all sent me over (looking to the people on the other three corners of the street crossing) to see what you are doing here?" Brooke told him we were there to pray for hope.  He proceeded to give us a run-down of each group of people surrounding the hotel--the low-end and high-end drug hustlers, the addicts, the 'sex hustlers,' and the people who 'keep the peace' through force if necessary.  When Brooke asked him if sex-trafficking occured at the hotel, he said, "No."  But later described how many of the women working there were from other Central American countries and had come under the promise of other jobs then told when they arrived they had a $6,000 debt to pay off and needed to work as a prostitute to pay it off.  THAT is sex-trafficking.
  • Gilbert.  I met Gilbert the first night and got to speak with again when we came back.  Gilbert spent a considerable amount of time in the U.S. where he actually became a Christian and attended the Brooklyn Tabernacle church.  Fallen on hard times, he now works as a coordinator for transportation and escorts women from the hotel and to the cars which will take them to their next 'job'.  We got the opportunity to pray with Gilbert both times we saw him and encourage him that he can be a light in a dark place.  But as it seems in most cases, the darkness is so powerful, so seductive and without a strong supportive community around him, Gilbert is struggling to maintain his faith.
  • "Praying for all those old gringos going in and sinning?"  Was the response of one man who questioned us about why we were there.  What began with a sarcastic comment ended with, "I want to change."  We may never know if this man decided to change his life that night and open his heart to a different source of pleasure, power and identity.  But we were encouraged that God's presence there with us was able to soften his heart in that very moment. 
  • Looking for _____ in all the wrong places.  Brooke's Tico roommate joined us the second time.  She comes from a very poor community with a mother who worked as a prostitute for years, even at the hotel.  Another great source of information, she actually has some friends and cousins who currently work there.  She shared with us about how women who worked there would bring girls in from the poorer communities who wanted to make money and then they would go into a room with a double-paned glass mirror so that the hotel owner and crew could pick out the ones they wanted unbeknownst to the girls on the other side of the mirror.  She said the girls would come to make money to buy things, to buy a better life.  
  • Fishing trip.  Brooke shared with us before we went downtown the first time to pray that many international tourists purchase and come on "all-inclusive" vacations which include sex.  Sure enough, we saw several vans marked "Tourism" stop in front of the hotel and several international men apparently from countries all over the world get out and walk into the hotel then the van would return a few hours later.  One man walked by us and asked us if we needed a hotel room for the night as we were in a "dangerous place."  We explained to him what we were doing there and that we live here and we were being careful.  Brooke asked him what he was doing there and he replied, "Well, I came for a fishing trip and we were supposed to go to the beach but the roads are closed because of the rain, so we came here instead."  Lightbulb.
  • Cinthia.  Many people came up to us both nights asking for money or food.  As the spirit led, we would give food or just pray with them.  Cinthia came up to us asking for money and then saying how cold she was.  I offered her my scarf I had in my bag.  (The first night we went I have NEVER been so cold standing in the rain all night, so I came better prepared the second time!)  She said no and walked away.  WHEW!  I really love that scarf and didn't want to give it away.  I felt God tugging on my heart to offer it, but was relieved this was one of those times where all I had to do was obey, but I would get to keep my scarf.  Not so fast....Cinthia came back 10 minutes later.  "Do you still have that scarf?"  I gave it to her and prayed she would keep it to help keep her warm and not sell it for money.  
  • A police officer.  The second night we went there were more police officers in the street than before.  There is a security camera over one of the street corners and we had been told the police watched the camera and if something started happening they would arrive.  That story seemed to be true as we watched this happen the first night when there was a scuffle on the 'low-end drug hustler' corner.  But the weeknight we went we saw several cops on foot and several pass by in trucks or motorcycles.  I mentioned to our group that I was hoping one would come over to our corner so I could ask them some questions.  My stepdad being a police officer, I was disgusted at how the police could just sit back and watch this all happen before their very eyes.  
They never did come over.  As we got in the taxi to head home, Brooke started talking to the taxi driver, who proceeded to tell us that he used to be a police officer.  I was tired and not fully concentrating, so Brooke nudged me in the side.  And I got the chance to ask him several questions.  He explained to us his views on the problem of illegal immigration and the mafia and how that all played into the sex tourism here in Costa Rica.  It was a fascinating discussion and an answer to prayer!

So, what?  What did we learn, what did this accomplish?  

"Everyone wants a revolution, but no one wants to do the dishes."  -Shane Claiborne

"...Prayer is spiritual defiance of what is in the name of what God has promised."  -Walter Wink

Not many people want to get their hands dirty with topics such as these in places such as these with people such as these.  But if we want a revolution, if we want to see this city block, this hotel, these people come to know a better life, the One who has created a beautiful story for them waiting for them to step into it...then we must get our hands dirty.  We must know these people and this dark place, we must arm ourselves for battle....which leads me to....

Prayer.  I have never in my life more fully understood the power, the strength, the hope of prayer as I have since moving here.  We pray because God tells us to, tells us He wants to hear our requests, hear our deepest longings.  And when we pray we remind God of what He has promised.  He has promised beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, freedom for the captives, sight for the blind, and life...more and better than we ever dreamed of.  

Brooke has challenged us to pray every Friday night for the end of sex-trafficking and slavery.  Would you join me?  Prayer is a powerful weapon bringing light to dark places.  Consequently a recent Friday night God very carefully, but very firmly brought me down from a place of self-dependence and into a place where I could pray from my heart for this issue.  He used my attitude of wanting to be strong and independent to humble me to see (and even experience, though with his protective arm around me the entire time) what these women experience...the fear they have, the sense of violation and being trapped.  

We know and love a God that has created such a better life, a better future, a bigger hope!  And He wants to work through you and me to bring this Reality into the lives of the least of these here and around the world.  

Sunday, November 21, 2010

WyldLife Camp Post-game

Post-game?  Where did that come from?  Guess I'm excited about the Colts v. Patriots game today!  WyldLife Camp...where to start?  It was an awesome, overwhelming, challenging, tiring, ridiculously fun weekend!  From the moment the kids stepped on the buses til we dropped them off back at the school, it was sheer energy...the kind that makes you feel like you are just keeping your head above water while secretly wondering if you shouldn't just let the waves wash over you and give in to the madness.

I was blessed to be paired with an awesome former Vida Joven-er who now volunteers with international schools Wyldlife as my co-cabin leader.  She has a few more years experience with this age group and brought a lot of insights and fun to our cabin.  I knew about half the kids in our cabin at least on some level and by the end of the weekend felt like I knew them all even better.

Here are a few highlights and some pictures.  Be looking for some more in December's newsletter coming to your in-box in a couple weeks!

Larissa and Dani:  These two girls are from one of 5 schools where we don't actually have a presence on campus, but have heard about Wyldlife through the grapevine--in their case through one of our high school student Wyldlife leaders!  These two girls have stolen my heart!  They are so sweet and so smart and I'm so excited to be friends with them the entire time I'm here.  In a break before dinner, after taking a shower I found them laying in bed talking.  I asked them what they were talking about and they said their futures and what they wanted to be.  After pausing, Dani added--and when we have boyfriends how we really want to know them well and know what they are about.  Smart girls!  These two are in 7th grade, and 8th grade is a turning point here for kids' involvement in Wyldlife...sometimes we lose kids to partying or thinking that Wyldlife is for "babies."  And the transition to Young Life is even harder.  I'm hoping and praying for the faith and wisdom God has given these girls at such a young age to stay strong!  They could be huge leaders in their schools!!


Middle school boys:  WOW.  Not sure what else to say.  WOW.  I have a confession to make.  I'm an awful Wyldlife leader :)  Here's why...  Scene:  Gym time with guided games.  Perpetrator:  Harry  (description:  typical middle school boy--loveable one minute, want to wring his neck the next!)  Incident:  I'm walking away from a game of scooter hockey and suddenly from four feet away Harry kicks a ball RIGHT IN MY FACE.  2 seconds of stinging shock then Harry:  "Oh, I'm SO sorry.  I'm SO sorry.  Are you okay?  I'm SOOOO sorry!"  Me:  "Don't worry, Harry!  It's fine.  It was an accident."  Gotta love middle school boys and pink cheeks!


Middle school girls:  WOW.  Not sure what else to say.  WOW.  Haha.  We have a handful of middle school girls who are just difficult to love.  And they are EXACTLY the kind of kids we want at Wyldlife.  They don't want to listen to instructions, they leave the cabin in the middle of the night to play in the bathroom, they ask you 5,000 questions, they talk during the Club talk, they love you one minute and hate you the next.  And God broke my heart for them this weekend.  Broke my heart for the 7th graders who are already partying like college students.  Broke my heart for the ones who didn't want to eat because they think they are fat.  Broke my heart for the ones who don't have a mom and sometimes not a dad.  Broke my heart for the ones who are so desperate for attention they'll look for it anywhere.  Broke my heart for the ones who had NEVER heard before in their lives that they are TOV MEOD--the best of the best of the very, very best.  It's the Hebrew word God uses to describe the creation of humans in Genesis.


It was a whirlwind weekend and at some moments I questioned my ability to love these middle school kids well then at the very next moment I would remember something and get really excited.  I got really excited because Wyldlife gives us a chance to meet kids where they are EARLIER and walk with them LONGER and give kids a chance to know SOONER they are LOVED by a big God, a God who thinks they are the best of the best of the very, very best!

Friday, November 12, 2010

WYLDLIFE CAMP starts TODAY!!!

Wow, I can't believe it is here already.  Today is the first day of a three-day camp for our Wyldlife kids, middle schoolers in grades 6-8th.  And what am I doing you ask?  Hole-punching nametags.

We have had 10 kids sign up in the last two days bringing our total for the weekend to nearly 60 kids!  WOW!  And I think it is just hitting me that we have 60 kids or so at Wyldlife each week and we have nearly 60 kids coming to camp...that's AMAZING.  That's more kids than I have EVER taken to camp before and they are all under the age of 14 :)

And we run the camp!  With some help from a few friends who flew in from the States to lead the programs/activities, music and the camp speaker.  But still...it's impressive what God is doing here through Wyldlife.  And I'm so excited to experience my first camp!

But I am also exhausted, dealing with my seemingly never-ending stomach issues (which pre-dated coming here), and a little overwhelmed.  But can I just tell you two cool things that God has done for me this week:

(1)  I had a bad evening.  It happens, it's life.  But I really didn't want to have a bad evening the night before camp.  And as I was sitting on a bench waiting for my bus and yelling at God, telling Him that I was tired of my stomach hurting, tired of getting to the bus stop just in time to MISS the bus, tired of catcalls on the streets and being nervous walking home/being on the bus at night (I AM being safe!), and just plain TIRED thinking of all I had left to do tonite.... and guess what God did?  A friend called me right then from the language school looking for another friend, but in the midst of our conversation he shared how he had had the WORST day.  A test went bad so he skipped the rest of his classes went home and took a long nap then contemplated packing up and leaving the country without telling anyone because learning Spanish is just too hard.

WHEW!  Thanks God.  Thanks for reminding me I'm not alone.  Thanks for reminding me my day could be worse.  Thanks for IMMEDIATELY answering my cry out to You---even in the midst of me yelling at You.  Thanks for being faithful beyond belief.  I love you for that God!

(2)  This song.  I don't know why but I always seem to have to lead our powerpoint for chapel (which is at language school twice a week) the day after Club.  And I'm always up at 11/12 p.m. typing up the song lyrics because there is literally no other time to do it.  This week I typed up the lyrics to the song below almost falling asleep, thinking, "Shannon...she loves her hymns!" Shannon leads worship for the group that I do PPT for (we have four groups that rotate doing music for chapel).

And then in chapel, I heard the song.  And I cried the entire way through it.  This song is AMAZING, there just are no words.  Now the music to this version of the song isn't as good as when we sang it in chapel, but you get the idea.  I encourage you to listen to it in a quiet place and meditate on the lyrics.  They are simply beautiful and TRUTH just pours out of them.  This is my prayer for this weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiRK2gu-KQQ&feature=related

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Mud slides and national emergency



As I get ready to leave to meet two Vida Joven staff friends, Carolina and Sharon, for our Thursday night dance class, I am aware of the tension that's followed me from the United States here.  It doesn't matter if the crisis is across town or around the world, it is very easy to stay enveloped in safety and security and forget the immense pain, suffering, and fear others are enduring.

Escazu is a suburb of San Jose on the west side of the city.  I live on the near east side of the city in a place called San Francisco de Dos Rios.  The majority of the kids I work with here live in Escazu and neighboring areas--in what some call "Gringo land"--because of the high concentration of expats living there.  But as in many big cities, the wealthy and the poor live side by side.  And last night there was a major mudslide (the second in a month) in one of the poorer areas killing 20 with 10 still missing and more than 1,000 people displaced.  A woman in my host mom's University class and her family were killed in one of the mudslides.  (Read more here:  http://www.ticotimes.net/News/Daily-News/Escazu-Landslide-Leaves-at-Least-20-Dead-10-Missing-C.R.-on-Red-Alert_Thursday-November-04-2010)

I was JUST in Escazu for Young Life Club last night and the rain was torrential.  I prayed the entire way home that we would arrive safely.  Costa Rica has declared a national emergency and all schools were shut down today.  The water supply is uncertain in many areas of the city (either not available or undrinkable).  I'm safe where I live--there is no threat of a mudslide here and very little threat of flash flooding.  But so many are mourning the loss of loved ones and their homes tonite.

Please be praying for all who have been affected and for relief from the rain.  November begins the end of the rainy season, but the country is still very vulnerable at this time.  Thanks for your prayers!

P.S.  I would ask you to also pray for the border conflict between Nicaragua and Costa Rica concerning the San Juan river.  There has long been debate over ownership and use of this border river and it has escalated recently with the involvement of Nicaraguan military.  Please pray for wisdom for both countries' leaders and for a peaceful and swift resolution.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

On a Bus

I'm a terrible blogger!  I have a list 10 long of things I want to blog about, but I just never get around to it.  Perhaps the working nearly 70 hours this week didn't help much :)

But here's a quick one and more to come this next week hopefully.  The following picture was snapped by a nice girl who while tightly clinging to the bar on the bus used her other hand to get the picture.  Behind her was a guy standing on the bus reading a book while holding it with both hands.  How was he able to do that you ask?  Because this was the most full I've EVER seen a bus!  He was held up by the shear amount of people around him, though I thought it might be interesting if he had fallen causing a domino effect...hehe.

Coming back from our Thursday night dance class, Sharon (Tica who works for Vida Joven running Capernaum, our outreach to kids with disabilities) and I ran quickly across the street when we got to the bus stop and saw our bus was there.  Running up to the bus, Sharon said, "It might be too full, we might have to wait for the next bus."  It was the second to last bus of the night and I had never before seen THIS bus that full.  (I've seen other buses really full, but not usually this one--I had never had to stand on this bus before.)

As we skidded to a stop outside the door, the bus driver motioned for us to come on and I was thinking, "Where?!" Every seat was taken and it seemed ever bit of standing room as well.  Sharon hopped on first and paid the bus driver who then motioned toward the windsheild and  so Sharon sat down IN THE WINDSHIELD, basically.  I paid him and sat down beside her and we were off.  Seriously?  Seriously.

A couple stops after that when the bus driver stopped and opened the door, I heard, "Hey Ali, a little full in there?"  One of my language school friends, Hannah, was trying to catch the bus as well, but seeming as Sharon and I were taking up the literal last two spots on the bus, she had to wait for the next one.

Oh, the joys of living in Costa Rica!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Pura Vida October Newsletter!

My first in-country Pura Vida newsletter!  I hope you enjoy reading about the happenings since I arrived in August.  If you are NOT receiving this newsletter via email, and would like to, please let me know!  I will not be posting all newsletters on this blog.



Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Rainy season is in full swing!

Folks, let me just tell you that they don't call it the tropics for nothing.  Want to know how it gets so "tropical" here in Costa Rica?  RAINY SEASON.  And what does rainy season look like?  Hours upon hours of rain!

A new friend of mine here recently posted the following list on her blog, and I have adapted it slightly and thought you might enjoy reading it :)

Tips for Commuting by Bus 
(in Rainy Season)
1.  Don't sit in seats with standing room in front of them...unless you want to look at butts.


2.  Always have exact, or as close as possibly to exact, change out of your wallet and in your hand if you don't want to get a dirty look from the bus driver and all the people standing in the rain behind you waiting to get on the bus.


3.  Always ask the driver if he's passing by your routine stop.  You never know when he might change his route.  (And just because he passes by your desired location EVERY SINGLE DAY doesn't mean he won't still tell you he knows where it is and then drop you 10 blocks away...in the rain.)


4.  In the event of pouring rain, take a deep breath before entering the bus...and don't exhale until you get off.  Unless, of course, you like wet-dog smell.


5.  Wash your hands immediately after exiting.


6.  Rainboots are suggested for the 1.5 kilometer walk between bus stops and your house on rainy days, which in rainy season, is everyday!


7.  It WILL take 30 min. longer than anticipated to get anywhere by bus.  Plan accordingly!


8.  Ask a minimum of 3 Ticos for directions and go with what the majority says.  (And then stop once or twice along the way and ask to confirm you are walking in the right direction.)  Ticos like to be helpful--even if they don't know how to get where you want to go--they will give you directions anyway.  All directions are approximate and given by landmarks, not addresses--i.e.  walk straight for 250 meters (or 2.5 blocks) and turn right at the pulperia (little corner store--note: no name); cross the main street and walk across the bridge; turn left and it will be there (or somewhere in a 5-10 block radius).


9.  Don't ever take a car ride for granted again.  

10.  NEVER EVER leave home without your umbrella!


Sunday, September 26, 2010

Costa Rican Independence Day and Freedom

I am so excited that I arrived here before Costa Rican Independence Day this year--September 15th!  It was great learning about some of the Costa Rican history and traditions at language school and I got to go to the Sojourn Academy children's festivities!  Sojourn is the K-12 school that my language school also runs.  I've included some pictures below :)

I don't want to write too much here about the last Wyldlife Club, because I'm getting ready to send out a newsletter about it--but suffice it to say, it was AWESOME and God showed up in a big way.  It was just one of those times where you are completely overwhelmed by His palpable presence.

The next day (last Saturday) I went to a Vida Joven event.  (Vida Joven, again, is the Costa Rican Young Life run by Costa Ricans for Costa Rican in local neighborhoods/public schools.  I am a part of Vida Joven, but our programming in international schools looks very different than what they do.)  The event was a concert, which was also used as a fundraiser for Vida Joven camp, which will be in January.  There were 4-5 awesome Christian bands and I knew about half of the songs, which was super fun for me.

God brought the weekend full circle as we sang about how awesome He is, how good He is and how faithful He is.  I turned to Jessie with tears in my eyes and just told her how overwhelmed I felt to know that God has brought me here for a purpose, to be seeing Him fulfilling that purpose, to have such peace that I am exactly where He wants me and to feel His immense love and goodness in accomplishing all of this in spite of me.  Months of trying to discern what God's next step for me was, and then months of fundraising that seemed like it would never end, and finally I'm here!

I think right now, more than ever, I feel the power of this verse:  "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1).  I spoke with a friend just this week and was describing to her how over the last few years I've felt "trapped" is several situations--completely powerless to change the situation and fairly miserable in it.  And all along, God wasn't calling me out of those situations because He wants me (and YOU!) to experience and know this:


"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  -Phillipians 4:11-13


Live in freedom today!





Thursday, September 16, 2010

SWITCHFOOT in Costa Rica!!!

Yes, I did indeed see Switchfoot in Costa Rica and in a parking garage no less.  The venue, Torre Gekko, was the 5th floor of a parking garage.  Sounds crazy, but it totally worked!  So, what is different you ask about seeing a concert in Costa Rica?

1)  THERE IS NO LINE FOR THE BATHROOM!  Yes, ladies, walk right in!  In fact, one time, I was in the bathroom ALL BY MYSELF!  Crazy!

2)  They sell churros at the concession stand.

3)  You can buy a band t-shirt for $14, which I did!

4)  Ticos know every word to every song in ENGLISH.

5)  The English-speaking band tries to say something in Spanish, not always convincingly.

What's the same?  It's so much fun!!!  Check out Switchfoot pics (and other pics) on my Facebook page.


Thursday, September 9, 2010

Moments in Spanish and Beach Club!

So, I just have to share with you the source of great fun in language class for the last few days!  To give you a picture of what my classes are like, I have one hour of language/speaking and one hour of phonetics with four other students.  Then the last two hours are grammar and we join with another small group to make 10 total.  A few days ago in our phonetics class, one of the other students, a man my dad's age, wanted to tell our teacher that the homework would be a piece of cake.  Here in Costa Rica they say "cake" but pronounce it using Spanish phonetics, so it sounds like, "k-k".  Instead of saying that though, he said "ca-ca" which means poop in Spanish!!!  My teacher could NOT stop laughing!  It was pretty hilarious!

Last night we had Young Life Beach Club in this beautiful open-air covered space (kinda like a picnic area at a park) in one of the kid's housing editions.  It's high on a hill and gives a beautiful view of the city at night!  Boo, my Costa Rican co-worker, was sick and two other volunteers had conflicts, so it was just me and Jessie, my American co-worker, running club.  I was pretty worried.  We had some small numbers as well--about 15 kids.  But boy did we have fun!  The kids just jumped right in and it was awesome.  We played beach volleyball sitting down on cement trying to hit the ball over a sheet, limbo-ed till we dropped, and made sand castles out of pate (the Costa Rican equivalent of Spam).

After that, I got the chance to share with the kids a bit about me, my friends, and how Jesus wants to be our best friend.  It struck a cord with the kids who have had friends move in and out of their lives all the time.  I loved sharing with them that they have one friend who will never move away, betray them or steal their boyfriend :)  What a great night!


This is Maya with her group's beautiful sandcastle!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Un dia malo y my new address!

It was bound to happen :(  The excitement/stress of moving has caught up with my stomach.  My stomach had a bad day today :(  But I am determined to have fun at my first Wyldlife (middle school version of Young Life) tonite!  It´s Backwards Club and some of our high school student leaders are performing a one-minute version of Toy Story 3 backwards...should be entertaining!

More later, but for those of you who have been asking for my new address, I believe this will get me mail :)  Email me if you send something and I will let you know if I receive it!  PLEASE NO PACKAGES!! As packages cost a lot of money to receive.

Ali Campbell
Spanish Language Institute
SJO-8609
P.O. Box 025240
Miami, FL  33102*

*This address may only be good through December!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Mi primer semana en Costa Rica!

...or my first week in Costa Rica!  WOW!  What a journey it has been to get here and now I'm here!  My first week has been wonderful...a bump or two along the way...but I did not cry myself to sleep every night, so that's a good sign.

I've been keeping a list of things to blog about so I am just going to run through them!

Church:  I arrived at 5:30 a.m. in Costa Rica last Sunday and went straight to my host family's house.  I met my host mom, who I am growing to love more and more each day, and she showed me to my room (see pictures below).  I was thinking--time for a nap.  But she asked me if I would like to go to church to which I replied sure!  It was 7 a.m.--plenty of time to get in a quick nap before church.  I asked her when church starts--8 a.m. she said.  There went my nap!  After showering and eating a quick breakfast, we left for a TWO HOUR church service.  I thought I would die!  Haha.  As it turns out, though, I really like the church and feel blessed to be excited about going to church each week with my host family!

Cultural mistake #1:  Single ladies do not live in the same house as single men.  So, there was another language school student who was supposed to be staying with us--a single guy.  And over a two day period we were so concerned because he hadn't arrived yet!  He was supposed to arrive on Monday, but we found out Wednesday that he had arrived but had been moved to another family.  Grettel, the person at the language school who organizes host family placements, said to me hands waving, concerned look on her face, quite aghast, "This is completely inappropriate!  A single woman and man cannot live in the same place." The thought had not even crossed my mind!  The room he would have been staying in is semi-detached from the house with it's own entrance!  Gringa moment #1!

Rosti Pollos:  My FAVORITE Costa Rican restaurant so far!  I went to eat there Sunday night with Jessie (my co-worker in Young Life) and the people she is living with--a family whose daughter goes to an international school here and Young Life.

Rain:  It has rained everyday since my arrival.  But mostly in the afternoons and evenings and the mornings are sunny and warm!  But Costa Ricans take their rain very seriously and we are smack in the middle of "winter" here.

Lizard v. lizard and cucarachas:  I had two bad nights this week--one you will read about in a minute--but the other one was mostly a "I'm a bit lonely and tired of thinking in Spanish" night, plus upon arriving home my host dad explained that I had accidentally set off the house alarm--oops!  I had gone to bed, but realized I needed a glass of water, so got up and went to the kitchen.  I turned on the lights to find a GIANT cockroach in the middle of the kitchen floor.  To kill or not to kill, that was the question.  I opted for NOT killing and went back to my room (without my water :( only to find a LIZARD on my wall!  Well, I didn't want to bother my host parents, but this time the unwanted creature was IN my room.  I knocked softly on my door and my host mom came out and I tried to explain to her what was on my wall.  Missing the word for lizard, I looked it up in my handy Spanish dictionary.  "Hay un largato en mi cuarto!"  She BURST out laughing and followed me into my room.  What I had said, I found out the next day was that there was an alligator in my room!!  Haha.  Some coaxing later I was able to convince the lizard to exit my room via the window.

9,000 Locks and an Alarm:  So, I realize it is important to be safe here and I for sure don't want to be robbed, but seriously no one can get in the house because even I can't get in the house!  Before I leave the house I potentially have 8 locks to lock and an alarm to set!  Not so fun in the rain, but I'm safe!

$60 fans at Hiper Mas:  Hiper Mas is the equivalent of Walmart here (in fact, it is owned by Walmart and looks exactly like Walmart).  And I love it!  What I didn't love was when I went looking for a small fan for my room the cheapest one they had was $60!  Some things are cheaper here (like 6 avocados for $2 at the Farmer's Market), others like fans, are WAY overpriced.

Squim:  My host family's dog who I am absolutely in LOVE with!  (It's also the code for the security company when they call when I set off the alarm, which I've done 3 times this week!)

I saved the worst two for last :)

Breaking my toe:  I ran into the couch which used to be in my room on Monday and broke my little toe (see picture below)--NOT fun!  The next day, I ran into it again!  SO not fun.  So the empleada (maid) here, Zaydya, made the following sign for me to help me remember to watch my toes!  When I retold this story to one of our Costa Rican volunteers with Young Life, who is a well-educated lawyer in Costa Rica, he recounted to me a story of breaking his finger (in English), but he kept look at his toes.  I asked did he break his finger or his toe because he was pointing at his toe, and he said, "Well, my finger in my foot."  He explained that he wasn't sure if your big toe had a special name like your thumb!

Lost my wallet:  For all those who may be worried about my safety--no worries--I am fully capable of losing my wallet WITHOUT being robbed!  So, I either left it in the taxi or it fell out as I got out.  Either way, it's gone.  But I am so thankful that God has made the process of replacing my things very easy and I didn't lose more than $5!  Gracias a Dios!

Pues, yo necesito ir a dormir!  Well, I need to go to sleep.  But I hope to update you of all of my adventures this week very soon.  Please enjoy the pictures below and hope you have a wonderful week!


Young Life kids enjoying a pinata at "It's Your Birthday" Club on Wednesday, the first club of the year!



My broken toe.  The picture really doesn't do it justice!  It was bruised all the way around.  Poor toe :(



Orientation at language school.  There are nearly 60 of us I believe, many families.  There are some families with 5-6 kids!  And at least two pregnant women and a couple with babies less than 3 months old.  And I thought moving to Costa Rica was complicated!


I forgot to put this with my toe.  This is the note that Zaydya left for me so I wouldn't injure it further! 



This is the beautiful view from languages school--again, the picture doesn't do it justice!  My host family's house is just two blocks from school--so convenient!  The mountains around here are gorgeous.



This is my room!  It's pretty simple, but I love it!



Another picture of my room.  The stuff on the floor will hopefully be going into a desk soon!


This is my own private bathroom, which I also love!  I have a tear off desk calendar with Bible verses on it.  The verse for the day I left the U.S. was:  Love never fails.  It is stuck in the corner of the mirror in my bathroom to remind me that God's love NEVER fails, no matter how long we wait on His timing!



My shower!  For those of you unfamiliar with them, the white cylinder above the shower with cables running up from it is called a widow maker.  We don't have a hot water heater (like many homes in Costa Rica and throughout Central America) so the water runs through this which provides an electrical current to heat the water.  It sounds dangerous, but it is mostly safe and produces a hot shower!


This is Xinia, my host mom, with Squim!  I'll post my host dad another day.  



Monday, August 30, 2010

I'm here in Costa Rica!

And it's great!  I know I owe everyone who might possibly read this blog a really long, juicy blog post.  And trust me, I've been saving up the stories from this last week!  But that will have to wait until tomorrow because it is very late.  But I wanted to at least get on here and say that I'm here safe and sound.  I've had a very busy first week here full of language school orientation, my first YL club in Costa Rica, a full day of training for this semester and one or two bumps along the way.

One thing I can say for sure, though, is that I have clearly seen God's hand in this first week--providing an awesome host family, protecting me and helping me feel as settled as I can be after one week in Costa Rica.  So, more tomorrow I PROMISE!   I can't wait to share all of the stories I've been saving up with you...and a few pictures as well :)

Hasta manana (We'll talk tomorrow!)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Today.Was.A.Fairytale

Leave it to Taylor Swift to write the perfect lyrics for today.  Most people who read this blog (if anyone actually does :) know by now that I leave for Costa Rica in less than a week.  Eek!

I've been waiting for this moment for so long, it feels almost surreal.  It all began 2.5 years ago when I first applied to Peace Corps and since then God has taken me on a crazy adventure trying to discern where my next step in this big journey of life would take me and how exactly to get there (a.k.a. 15 months of fundraising!)

Today.Was.A.Fairytale....it all started last night with my final shift at Kona Grill.  Please don't get me wrong, I am thankful for that job.  I'm thankful God provided financially over the past three years through it and thankful for how every single day God showed me places in my life and heart that weren't fully surrendered to Him through it, where ugliness took the place where humility, peacemaking and grace should have been.  So, I am thankful for the past 3 years at Kona.  And I am also IMMENSELY JOYFUL that I never have to work there again!

My fairytale day ended with a beautiful sunset on a long drive home from Lafayette with some old school Jars of Clay bringing tears to my eyes:

"...someday she'll understand the meaning of it all...someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him, someday He'll call her and she will come running and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray--'I want to fall in love with you!' "

This song that has such a special place in my heart, so much sentimental value, became fresh for me tonite.  I pray that every single day I'll come running to Jesus saying, "I want to fall in love with you!"  I can't claim to trust Him perfectly, or to see Him truly, or to understand the meaning of it all--but I can come running to fall in His arms with tears running down my face praying to love Him more and more each day.

Because this is IT!  The Great Adventure isn't traveling to Costa Rica, living overseas for three years, or even sharing God's love and grace with teenagers...it's falling more in love with God and His heart and purposes here on earth each day.  It's surrendering my will to something so much bigger than me.

Tonite as I lay down to sleep this is my prayer:  His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth (and in my heart and life) as it is in Heaven.  Amen.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Fundraising Update--the final 7 days!

Hi friends!  I just wanted to give you one last update before I **hopefully** announce I am fully funded next week!  I am currently at 98% of my budget with $255/month ($3,000/year) left to raise in ongoing pledges over the three years I will be in Costa Rica.

God is SO good.  I feel so blessed.  And I can't wait to see how this last bit of fundraising will come together!!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sprint to the FINISH LINE!

The fundraising finish line, that is!  I wanted to give you an update since it's been about a week since I announced that I am at 92% of my budget and *hoping, praying* to be leaving for Costa Rica on a jet plane next month.

So, what's happened over the last week or so--lots of great conversations with potential supporters, a new $100/month pledge and then some, a new $1,200 one-time gift and lots of prayer!  I've said it once, I've said it a million times--THANK YOU!!!  It's because of YOU that I am sitting here, hopefully one month from leaving for a three-year adventure with God and teenagers in Costa Rica.  YOU who are sacrificing financially and sacrificing of your time to walk alongside me and God to minister to teens in Costa Rica who desperately need to hear of a God who loves them unconditionally and has a BIG plan for their lives.

I still have $380/month or $4,500/annually left to raise in pledges over the next three years.  And I have exactly 16 days to do it--yes, 16 days--until August 10th, the deadline for going on staff if August.  Could you join me in one of the following ways?


(1)  PRAY!  Pray for God to move boldly over the next two weeks to help me raise the remaining funds.


(2)  Increase your monthly gift by $5, $10, or even $20!  Could you join the 25% of my current supporters who have prayerfully considered increasing their support and heard God's response as yes?  


(3)  Ask your friend, neighbor, co-worker or fellow church member to consider supporting me with a monthly or annual gift--I only need 10 more new supporters!  You're inviting them to join you on the greatest journey God has called us to--sharing His life, His love, His hope with those most precious to Him.  

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."            -Matthew 10:42


"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."  -Matthew 18:12-14


I thank God for each of you, dear friends!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Exciting Fundraising Update!

I am happy to share that I have reached 92% of my budget!  In the past couple of days, I've had some current supporters step up their giving and some new major supporters join the team!

I also made a very tough decision.  I decreased my salary by 1/3.  This was a difficult decision, but I feel as if God has been moving in the last couple of weeks and really wants me in Costa Rica in August!  I know that all of my supporters make a financial sacrifice to be a part of my team and support Young Life in Costa Rica.  I stand with you doing the same!

The new salary level will be sufficient (tight! but sufficient) while I am in language school and living with a host family.  After I finish language school, though, I will need to increase my salary to meet the increased cost of living by myself (or hopefully with a roommate).  I hope you will be able to join me then in helping meet the increased need!

I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you have provided financial support, encouragement and prayers.  There is no way I would have gotten through the past 1.5 years without you--and I consider each of you angels sent by God!

THAT SAID, I still have $425/month ($5,100/year) left to raise in monthly pledges over three years in the next 15 days (yes, 15 days!) to be able to go on staff in August and leave for Costa Rica for the start of the school year and my language school semester.  Please let me know if you know of anyone who might be interested in joining my support team with a monthly gift of $25, 50, 100 or more!  And as always, I appreciate your prayers in helping me leap this last hurdle to cross the finish line August 1st!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Passports, friends, visas and urgency

What do these four words have in common, you ask?  Well, I'm about to tell you!  If I haven't shared with you yet my latest obsession, please indulge me.  A friend shared with me the following blog about a young woman who is a missionary in Africa shortly after I returned from my two-week trip to Costa Rica in early April.  While I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Costa Rica, it was somewhere between trying to communicate with the taxi driver the location I desired in Spanish by myself and the silent stares of girls in cabin time (small group) following Club each night of the service trip as they processed what a personal, loving God might look like--it was somewhere in the midst of this that I started to get a bit nervous.  God, are you REALLY calling me for THREE YEARS in Costa Rica?  Do I REALLY have what it takes to effectively and passionately live and communicate your Gospel each day with high schoolers from around the world?  Do I REALLY love you enough to do this?

God's resounding reply--YES, WITH MY HELP!  And His first bit of help came in the form of an email from a friend with this blog address:  http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/.  I pray that you find time in your busy life to read every single entry Katie has written.  Her words are honest, biting, challenging, uplifting, heartbreaking and utterly FULL of faith.  God used these words to speak these Truths to me:

-It will be harder than you can ever imagine, and yet I will be there, I will guide you and I alone will bring you JOY in the midst of the struggle
-The work you will join Me in is not glamorous--it is thankless, dirty, never-ending
-I am more than enough for you, your every need and every desire and the adventure I wish to invite you to join me in is going to change you forever
-My children, every child in Costa Rica, is waiting for you--waiting to hear what you will tell them about Me, waiting to see what a life with Me looks like
-YOU ARE MINE, YOU ARE LOVED

Man, did I need to hear that!  And it was the swiftness with which He brought that message that confirmed to me, and all the many other ways He continues to confirm to me, that I am called to love kids who desperately need to hear of God's love.  And that while God can and would use any extreme measure to communicate this to these kids, He's chosen ME.  How unbelievably humbling!

So, back to those four words.  I really encourage you to read Katie's blog post from today (June 28th).  I've missed her...weird, because I don't even know her.  But she hasn't posted recently, and I've missed her.  This post blew me away.  I sit here struggling to attack the fundraising process with the passion with which I love God and love lost kids and here He challenges me:  Do you approach the process leading up to your time in Costa Rica with the same sense of URGENCY with which Katie sought to bring Patricia home with her?  You see, loved one, said God, I love you with that urgency, I love the kids you will work with in Costa Rica with that urgency, and you must have that same urgency!

So, I fall before God and you, my dear friends, family and supporters who have faithfully walked alongside me in this journey over the past year and I URGENTLY ask you to help me fulfill the remaining 25% of my budget so that I can join Jessie and Boo in Costa Rica for the start of the school year in August.  With a heaven perspective, I am URGENT because there are kids in Costa Rica who have never hear the name Jesus, never heard that He loves them, and have never had the opportunity to join Him on the greatest adventure!  With an earthly perspective, I am URGENT because international schools in Costa Rica lost two interns and a full-time staff in June (they returned to the US) and that leaves just two staff for kids who attend Young Life from four schools--not NEARLY enough when we have 12 dedicated, loving volunteers at Westfield High School alone!  And also because we moved Wyldlife camp (camp for middle schoolers) to the Fall, which means we begin the day that school starts building relationships with new kids to invite them to the best weekend of their life to hear the greatest love story ever told!

So I ask you with URGENCY, please join me by:

(1)  Sharing with me the names/contact info. of 3-5 friends who would like to hear the amazing ways God is working through Young Life in Costa Rica and invite them to be a part of it!
(2)  Host a dessert event to invite your friends, family, neighbors to hear in person more about Young Life Costa Rica
(3)  If you already support me and Young Life in Costa Rica, prayerfully consider increasing that gift by $10, 20, 30/month or even doubling your gift!  God is blessing you so that you can bless others.  Is He calling you to be a bigger part of what He's doing in Costa Rica?
(4)  Prayerfully consider asking your church to partner with Young Life Costa Rica and then call your Pastor and call me!
(5)  PRAY.  Pray for God to intercede, to lead me to those who He has prepared to be a part of this support team, and to provide for the rest of the funding by August!
(6)  Got another (even better!) idea?  Send it my way...I would love to hear it!


Thank you, thank you a million times over for your love, support and friendship.  And thank you for your sacrifice.  


P.S.  I was just looking up the word "urgent" in the Bible and found it in a really cool place.

"The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace." -Daniel 3:22-23


As the story goes, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all of the people to bow down and worship him.  But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (or Rack, Shack and Benny from VeggieTales) refused to worship anyone but God.  So, the King had them thrown into a fiery furnace, but when the King looks in he sees four people walking around and then Rack, Shack and Benny are removed from the fire without one hair on their head burned! What's even cooler is what they said before the King threw them in the fire:  


"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."  -Daniel 3:17-18


Wow!  Talk about guts!  Moral of the story:  There will always be "Kings" in our lives calling us to bow down something other than God--in the lives of international school kids it is wealth, success, need for attention, partying, etc.  And this King was URGET, so God calls us to be URGENT as well--URGENT to share His story, His hope, His life and the life He is offering each one of us.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Young Life Costa Rica Service Project Video!

Well, friends, it has taken me FOREVER to finish this project!  Part procrastination, part stumbling through learning how to use iMovie :)  But here it is--captured in video, pictures and song--10 minutes for a snapshot of what the Young Life Service Project looks like in Costa Rica.  I hope you enjoy it!  Please feel free to pass the link on to friends, family and co-workers who might be interested in supporting Young Life in Costa Rica!                                  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nipCeq7H6GQ

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Pura Vida Newsletter: April 2010

Hi friends!  After much thought, I've decided to make a change in how I share with you my newsletters.  To protect the privacy of those included in stories in my newsletters, I will no longer be publishing them on my blog.  However, each time I put out a newsletter I'll put up a post like this announcing I've completed a newsletter and inviting you to email me to receive a copy and/or be added to my newsletter email list!

I would love to continue posting my newsletters, but since I work with youth and online security is at a premium these days, I want to be sure I am being both respectful and safe in what I share over the Internet. If you would like to have a copy of my latest newsletter, please email me at ali.c.campbell@gmail.com and I'd be happy to send one your way!  This newsletter includes updates on my fundraising goals, stories from my recent trip to Costa Rica to help lead the annual high school service trip and much more!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Pictures from the YL Costa Rica Service Project!
















On the bus on the way to Isla Cocal!
















One of my groups with the family who will live in the house we just built--before it was just scrap metal and black plastic.  Now they have actual walls--pink walls!--and later in the week we were able to give them a roof, as well.  In all, the kids and leaders built several houses, put walls in some already constructed houses, painted houses and a local elementary school, cleaned up trash and painted trees to protect them from bugs/rotting and held a carnival for all the local kids on the island!  5 days of hard work...and 29 kids and leaders who got the chance to see Jesus in the families/kids we served and hear about His life every night in Club.
















Club in a tent!  Each night we had club in a tent with light bulbs strung across the ceiling.  We played games, sang songs and heard from Tank, our speaker for the week from Colorado, about Life.  God.  and Life with God.  Kids also got a chance to debrief what they were seeing and experiencing at the start of club and in cabin times after club.














One of the coolest parts of the week was playing with the kids on the island.  And watching our students, who often have to grow up way too fast because of the lives they lead and their family circumstances, be kids.  "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."  -Matthew 18:5














Our whole crew!  It was a great week.  We were able to serve nearly 20 families...a bunch of international school kids from wealthy families got a chance to see real poverty and Jesus in it...and we heard about the amazing adventure God is inviting us to walk with Him.  Life.  God.  and Life with God.  


I'm so excited to get back this summer...start langauge school (desperately needed!)...and next school year to continue the relationships with students started on this trip.  These kids blew me away--their stories, what they've seen and experienced in their short lives, and the amazing things God is doing in their lives!  


Won't you join me in praying for these kids and the families we served?  And I invite you to partner with me in bringing the hope of God and His invitation to join Him in the GREAT ADVENTURE to kids from all over the world who will one day be leaders all over the world.  Want to know more about how you can partner with me?  See the sidebar to the right and email me at ali.c.campbell@gmail.com!  I look forward to hearing from you!!

Monday, April 5, 2010

29 kids and leaders, one island, and lots of memories!

Friends, I write this from my friend (and future supervisor's) living room with a gentle breeze blowing through the trees outside the window and bright sunshine streaming in.  It's an almost perfect morning following an awesome week doing service work with kids.  All 29 of us leaders and kids boarded a bus last Saturday and headed off to a small beach town called Quepos where we stayed for 8 days working every day on a small island called Isla Cocal.  We worked every day for 6-7 hours building homes, constructing walls in existing homes, painting houses and a school and playing with the kids on the island.  The last day we spent at the beach, relaxing and soaking up the sun and reflecting on the week.  (And maybe getting a little sunburnt :)

It was a very long, but very rewarding week!  The families on the island had next to nothing...some with only black plastic for a roof and walls, others with scraps of tin.  They ate a diet consisting mostly of fruits grown in their yard (coconuts, mangos, water apples, etc.) and rice, beans, and fish caught in the ocean.  And the stories, oh the stories, of struggle, hardship, lack of housing and food, and pain/heartache.  But they were so thankful, and they thanked God for sending us!  It was so awesome to watch a kid listen to these stories and their gratitude and watch it pierce their heart.

Each night we had Club after dinner--playing games, singing songs, and listening to Tank (our speaker from the US) share about us, God and life with God.  It was for sure different than camp in the US.  We had no sophisticated sound and light system, not a beautiful room to host us, but rather a tent with mosquitos.  We didn't have a professional musician, but two kids who played guitar unplugged.  It wasn't dramatic, but God was there.  He filled Tank's talks with truth and beauty and wonder, and the kids responded with questions and thoughts and amazing insights from their lives.

As I sit here reflecting on this past week, I'm amazed at how God provided and showed up in really different ways than I've experienced before.  I'm amazed at these kids who both at once are just like any other kid in the US (struggling with friendships, family issues, and school) and yet are also dealing with these things in a completely different social and cultural context that seems so foreign to me.  And I'm more certain than ever that Young Life's vision of reaching every kid, everywhere for eternity is being realized here in Costa Rica among international school kids in both big and small ways.

I leave Wednesday to return to Indiana where I continue the marathon of fundraising reaching the last leg where I'm both tired, weary and yet hopeful as I catch a glimpse of the finish line.  I've been accepted to langauage school here in Costa Rica that begins the first week in May and I'd love to be here to start then!  But it will take an additional $1,200 in monthly commitments to get me here.  I'm trusting God to provide, trusting His timing and His plan.  Thanks for walking this long road with me...thanks for your prayers and encouragement...I wouldn't have made it this far without you!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

It's Camp Time...er, Service Project Time

As we in Westfield are gearing up for the busy season leading up to Young Life camp in June, the Costa Rica staff is preparing to take high school kids on the equivalent of camp there--the Service Project.  Here in Westfield we are promoting camp as "the best week of your life" (which it is!), signing kids up, getting them started on fundraising and hoping to pack out TWO buses this year.  In Costa Rica, the scene isn't that different, but there the team is asking kids to forfeit Semana Santa at the beach (equivalent of Spring Break) to travel to a remote island in Costa Rica to serve getting their hands dirty doing the work of Christ who calls us to serve the least of these.

And why would kids in Costa Rica pass up a holiday with friends and family to volunteer you might ask?  Well, because they get to do it with all their friends from school and Young Life, with the leaders who have poured countless hours into their lives this school year, and because they're promised a life changing experience--and that's certainly what it is.

Will you read the following email from one of my soon-to-be teammates in Costa Rica?  I would love you to partner with me and them in prayer this month!




"This is the first day of the rest of my life and I'll never be the same."  That is what we are longing to hear from high school students' lips after they have experienced the love of Christ during the Service Project (March 27 - April 3).  Would you join me this month, in praying each day for God to strengthen me and the rest of the Young Life team?  If we are filled with God's love, aware of who we are in Him, and confident in His love - we will watch kids respond to God's love.  Thanks for being our prayer warriors! 

"We pray that out of Jesus' glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints [all Jesus followers], to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations [in my neighborhood, in my city, and everywhere in the world], for ever and ever! Amen."

- Ephesians 3:16-21

Jessie and the Young Life team in Costa Rica

Saturday, February 27, 2010

70% and counting!

Hi friends!  Just wanted to share with you that I am at 70% and counting!  The goal is Costa Rica by May and I need to be at 100%. Praise God for helping me get to 70%!!!

Wanna help me reach 100% by May?

(1)  PRAY!
(2)  Tell your friends who might be interested in joining my support team and being a partner in Young Life Costa Rica and put me in contact with them.
(3)  Host an evening or weekend dessert meeting.  You provide the place and invite your friends, I bring everything else!
(4)  Ask your church, youth group, business or club if they would be interested in coming together to partner with me and Young Life Costa Rica.

How might God want to use YOU to impact kids in Costa Rica for eternity?

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Something borrowed

This blog may not always be on point.  Like now.  It occurs to me that I know some pretty amazing people and I'd like to borrow some amazing-ness from them now.

From Lisa, a YL intern in Costa Rica this year, I borrow her blog punctuation style.  Today.was.HARD.  Sometimes I think it will be easier in Costa Rica, that all the hard parts are coming before not after.  And then I get really scared.  What if it's harder?

From my beautiful, eccentric, eclectic, wise friend Eileen, her wisdom shared from South Korea and a character named the Dane.

"When all was manic mayhem and I wanted to give up and go home, I saw two fingers fly up. It was the Dane’s. 

“You see these two fingers?” 
“No,” I grumble. (Silence, while he waits patiently.) “YES, I see them.” 
“They were soft once. Feel it.” It felt like rock sandpaper. 
“Yech.” 
“To play the bass, they need to be hard. For them to become hard, they need to be disciplined. To get them disciplined, they first need to bleed. It bleeds, because you’re playing on them over, and over, and over again. So it’s simple. You’re going through the bleeding process, in order to play your life well.” 
“And those that forgo the bleeding process?” 
“...will never know what it’s like to play life in beautiful harmony. They will always be the spectator of those that were willing to bleed.” 
“That’s deep.” 
“Yeah.” 

When I think about it being harder than today because Today.was.HARD, I will remember this.  If I want to play my life well, I'll have to bleed.  And something else from her:   

"I am not who I thought I was. Charisma, warmth, dressing up... meaningless, meaningless utterly meaningless. It seems that my eyes have been opened and I suddenly feel the urgency of eternity. I feel the brevity of our existence and I am humbled that I am now gravely aware of my narrow-mindedness and self-centeredness."

Gravely aware.  Preach it sister!

And finally, I'll return, as I frequently do, to the wise words of Oswald Chambers.  If you haven't read him, go out now and pick up My Utmost for His Highest.  It will change your life.  

"Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into "the shadow of His hand" until we learn to hear Him."

Teach me, God, to be thankful for the darkness, patient in its uncertainty until I hear You.  

Today.was.HARD.  I'm bleeding in the darkness.  May I stay here until I hear Him because if I don't I might miss the beautiful symphony that waits ahead.   (Hebrews 12:2-3)