Merry Christmas!

This Christmas I'm reminded of just what JOY and LIFE we have because God stepped down from Heaven, humbled Himself in ways we will never fully understand, put on flesh and walked this earth to show what great, awesome lengths He would go to to reach us with His love!

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of helping out with the Vidas Jovenes' (Young Lives, an outreach to pregnant and parenting teen moms) Christmas party!  I love that Christmas parties in Costa Rica are called "fiestas de alegria" = parties of happiness!  What happiness this season brings!  Below are some pictures from that event.  These are all teenage moms with 1 or more kids (or one on the way) and most are living in poverty.  They are not much unlike Mary that very first Christmas--underprepared, overwhelmed, scared, often feeling very alone, and worried about the future for them and their babies.  The Young Lives' staff, volunteers, and older women mentors come alongside to walk with these young women offering practical help and other-worldly hope!

May you and yours experience the HOPE and JOY of Christmas this year.  May it overwhelm your hearts and fill you to overflowing.  May you rest tonite in the wonderful news that we don't have a God who is far away, but one called Immanuel (God came near) who longs to know us and be known.

P.S.  For a copy of my Christmas newsletter, email me at ali.c.campbell@gmail.com!

These two twin girls stole my heart right from the start.  They and their mom were there early and I was immediately taken in by them.  Aren't they precious!  People from all over have donated pack 'n' plays for the littlest ones to rest in during clubs.

A clown came to paint all the kids faces!  She was a huge hit!

This is me and Genesis after she got her face painted--

she's such a ham and loved getting her picture taken!

This is Samara and Jonathan, two of the four Suwyn kids.  The Suwyns (Kevin and Michelle and their four kids) have lived in Costa Rica for almost 12 years.  Kevin is the Regional Director for Central America and Michelle started Vidas Jovenes a little over a year ago.  All four of their children were born in Costa Rica!  Samara was very sick and they spent a year at Los Angeles Children's Hospital with her when she was a baby--but miraculously she is doing great now and such a joy to be around.  

Jonathan came around as a surprise and right when Michelle wanted to start Vidas Jovenes--with her social work background and heart for teen moms--it had been a dream of hers for a long time.  While obviously excited about the new addition to the family, Michelle was a bit discouraged thinking this would just prolong the launch of this ministry.  However, Jonathan has turned out to be one of the ministry's greatest assets as he steals the heart of each girl he meets with his bright blonde hair and blue eyes, and Michelle can share "in real time" the struggles and joys of motherhood alongside the girls.  Reminding me once again that God's timing is always perfect, and almost always not our own!

Wyldlife Camp Wrap Up and Christmas Plans!

Wow!  I can't believe it's been 2 months again since I've posted!  Please forgive me--those of you who follow my blog :)

I just got back from Wyldlife Camp a little over a week ago and it was AWESOME as it always is!  Wyldlife Camp is when we get to take our 6-8th grade friends to an all-star camp for a weekend of fun, adventure, and learning more about what a life of faith looks like.  The kids are always SUPER excited for it and this year was no different.

If you would like to read my latest newsletter including highlights from camp, please send me an email and I'll send it over:  ali.c.campbell@gmail.com.

Below are some overviews from surveys that kids fill out after camp and some photo highlights as well!  But I also want to mention first that I will be back in Indiana for Christmas Wednesday, December 21st-Tuesday, January 3rd and would love to see you and catch up on life!  If you will be around the Indy area, please let me know!

Highlights from kids' feedback on camp:

• 20 kids wrote that they began a relationship with God through Wyldlife either this weekend or previously.
• The most frequent thing kids mentioned for the most meaningful part of camp was:  Cabin time and Club talks.

Some quotes from kids:

"He didn't make any mistakes when He made us."
"No matter what happens to us we still have value."

"A life with Him is a better life."

"He wants us to have an exciting life."

Above:  Prisinnia after a balloon full of shaving cream popped over her head!  In Wyldlife we use humor to invite kids into a very fun and adventurous life with God!

Above:  Kids and leaders sing Waves of Mercy during Club

 "Your love has captured me, oh my God, this love...how can it be?" 

Above:  Erin tries to protect herself while Ollala pushes her on a cart playing Plunger Hockey!  

I was so privileged to have these two awesome girls in my cabin this year.  

Erin met Jesus through Wyldlife and while Ollala is still considering her faith.

Above:  Middle school teacher, Will, hangs out with three of our most energetic guys--Harry, Andrew and Max.  These boys commented at the end of camp that they learned how much God loves us and that He doesn't want us to have a boring life!

Above:  Me with my awesome friends Kaitlyn and Andrea.  Andrea just moved here from Argentina a few months ago and doesn't speak English.  While clubs were all in English, hangout time and cabin times (where we get a chance to sit down and discuss with the girls what they heard in the club talk) were in Spanglish for Andrea's sake.  I love that my hard work (and God's grace!) in learning Spanish has paid off so I feel 100% confident developing a friendship with Andrea and sharing God's love with her in Spanish :)

Above:  Larissa, me and Daniela.  These two girls were in my cabin last year and while we were in different cabins this year, I loved hanging out with them during meal times and free time.  These two girls have a special place in my heart.  Both girls said that Wyldlife has had a huge impact on their relationship with God!

Above:  One of the coolest parts of Wyldlife here is that we get to train high school friends to be leaders for middle schoolers.  Here's a picture with Laura (center) with girls from her cabin.  This girl loves sharing with kids younger than her about her faith and what it means to be a teenager who makes great choices!

Above:  Another awesome leader (left) is Laramie.  Laramie is one of our younger leaders but he totally "gets it".  He's always looking out for the kid who doesn't quite "fit in" or feels left out, and is quick to make friends and include them!  He truly is Christ's hands and feet to his middle school friends!

Above:  Dania and Moni took a weekend away from their friends and activities to be on our Work Crew.  Work Crew are kids who volunteer at camp to help out behind the scenes--they work really hard but learn the value of humble serving so that others can experience an amazing weekend!

And finally here's the whole team--adult leaders, student leaders, and our camp speaker, David Morgan, who flew in from Texas just for the weekend to use his amazing gift of communicating the GREAT news that kids are loved unconditionally with us.  

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT AND PRAYERS THAT MADE THIS WEEKEND POSSIBLE FOR 65 KIDS AND LEADERS!!!

Starting off the year with KIDS DAY!

Wow, I've been a very delinquent blogger, but it's not for lack of being REALLY busy!  And I'm so happy to be REALLY busy because I'm really busy spending time with kids and it's what I love to do :)  We had our first Wyldlife of the school year on KIDS DAY a little over a week ago.  It's a national holiday here in Costa Rica and it's so awesome to see the whole country come together to promote the well-being of our future--kids!

One of the things I love the most about Young Life and Wyldlife is that we are all about kids being kids.  In this day when kids are asked to grow up WAY too fast--exposed to so many things WAY too early--and have seemingly forgotten how to just play, YL and WL are there to remind them that it's great being a kid.  In fact, it's CHILD-like faith that Jesus asks of us.  And how sweet is it to be able to provide a space where kids can just be kids and learn about what's really important in life.

Here are some pictures from our Wyldlife SNOWSTORM, yes it did snow in Costa Rica--it's snowed flour bombs, marshmallows, and shaving cream!  What fun!  And Jessie topped the night off with an introduction to what Wyldlife is and how God wants to fill us with abundant, overflowing life!

Simple.

So, I got a lot of flack on Facebook from my good friends Lauren and Graham about eating Froot Loops and listening to Taylor Swift while doing some Spanish homework.  It's okay, I can take the heat :)  But as I tuned into the Taylor Swift Pandora station here tonite I couldn't help but get caught up in this song.  (And for those of you wondering how I can get Pandora in another country, shoot me an email because I've become a mastermind at accessing content not available outside the US!)

So, the song is Never Grow Up.  Now you may not think much of Taylor--she's not the best singer out there, not the best songwriter out there, can be cheesy in interviews, etc.  BUT, I like how honest she is.  She really does sing from her heart (whatever you think of what's going on in her heart :)  And these lines caught me:

"Oh, I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up, I could still be little.  Oh, I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up, it could still be simple."

Simple.

Does anyone know what that is anymore?  As I look for a car and an apartment here in Costa Rica because I'll be moving to the other side of the city in the next month or two after finishing language school, I'm reminded of just how complicated being a "grown up" really is.  I have to consider safety, negotiate with savvy male car dealers, manage my budget, oh and still do everything else in my life at the same time.  Simple?  No.

My friend posted this dialogue on Facebook a few days ago:

Linus:  If you have some problem in your life, do you believe you should try to solve it right away or think about it for awhile?


Charlie Brown:  Oh, think about it, by all means!  I believe you should think about it for awhile.


Linus:  To give yourself time to do the right thing about the problem?


Charlie Brown:  No, to give it time to go away!

Hahahaha!  I just LOVE that.  Who doesn't want to give time for our problems to go away.  How many of us think that will actually work?  If I just walk away from this leaking sink and leave it be for some time, the leak might go away.  If I just leave my computer for awhile, the translation paper might just write itself.  Or better yet, if I just give my heart some time, I bet I can love this hard to love person.

Nope.  Doesn't work that way does it?  It's not simple.  It's complicated.  Very, very complicated.

I read this book awhile back called Big Girls Don't Whine.  I thought it might help with the whiny, complainy, I don't want to deal with it--side of me.  It really didn't.  Haha. But I've been struck ever since by the title.  Little girls (and boys) whine and cry when they don't get what they want, when someone won't share with them, when life gives them lemons, when they are tired or hungry or cold or angry.

I wish I had the luxury sometimes!  Wouldn't it be great?!  But what's even greater is what I see God doing in my heart.  How He's changing me from the inside out.  Drawing out that whiny, compainy, I don't want to deal with it--side of me through some really hard, tough, not fun, just plain complicated stuff in my life.  And each day He's showing me more that it's not Big Girls that don't whine, but HIS girls.  Because I'm HIS I can have joy and peace in the midst of the craziness of life.  It's right there, I just have to decide that being HIS girl is more important.

So while some days I still want to scream along with Taylor at the top of my lungs:  "Oh, I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up, I could still be little.  Oh, I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up, it could still be simple."--I try to hand that part of me over to the One who desires for me to really "grow up" in Him.  Here's to "growing up"!

May Newsletter and FLASH FLOOD!

Yep, folks, it's newsletter time.  If you didn't get it in your in-box and would like a copy, email me ali.c.campbell@gmail.com!

In other news, we recently had a flash flood at my house.  Thankfully nothing was really damaged, just some mild water damage on some things that were being stored in the covered garage area outside my house.  But the water rose so quickly (within 15 minutes!) we were afraid it wasn't going to stop!

After seeing a flash of lightning that seemed to fall right beside my bedroom window, I went out in the living room to find my host mom peering out the door...just then she exclaimed, "Ali!  Mire, mire!"  Ali, look, look!  We watched anxiously as the water rose and rose.  Then realized that as cars crazily continued to pass by our street, they created a near tidal wave of water that splashed up into the garage and was soaking some items stored behind the car.  So we hurriedly moved several boxes, two wood columns, and a chaise lounge into the house.

And then it was over as quick as it began and the water receded.  But take a look at some of these crazy pictures!

The water as it began to rise....

The water at its highest. The gate in the upper left-hand side of the picture 

is where the entrance to the garage is.  

A look down my street.  Notice the tree on the right that is half under water.  

The park on the left flooded as well.  There was probably five feet of water in 15 mins.

And the cars just kept coming, even with water over their headlights 

and up to the windows.

But this car just couldn't make it.

Evidence of poor judgement on the part of drivers.  One man came

back to claim his license plate, which are apparently incredibly hard to replace!

Superar

Superar = to overcome.  I don't know that I've shared much about being robbed a few months ago and almost being robbed again a second time a month after that.  And even if I had shared, I've been doing some more processing lately and it's been super (pun intended--superar) helpful in reaching a healthier perspective on some aspects of my life here in Costa Rica.  (If you have heard this all before, skip down to--"And tonite...")

At first, I was determined to not let these things affect me.  I'm strong, it wasn't that big of a deal, it really is a safe country--not like I live in the Middle East, other people have far bigger problems, etc.  And they are all lies!  Lies and arrows (for more on this read my soon-to-be-written blog on the book, The Sacred Romance.)  But one thing that a counselor I have been talking to about this has helped me to realize is that when women are robbed it effects them on a different level than men.  Women experience the assault as a violation, something that was taken away from them.  Not the material thing, but perhaps a sense of vulnerability and loss of security.  One thing I've loved about the Spanish language here is that when you talk of being robbed, you say, "Fui asaltada," or "I was assaulted."  Now, in English this may have a stronger physical connotation meaning you weren't just pick-pocketed or a material item taken from your personal possession, but that there was a level of violence associated with the robbery.  The Spanish translation of this, however, has allowed me to feel a deeper sense of communicating how this affected, and continues to affect, me.

So what has been hard is I still struggle with my desire to be a strong, independent woman who has now been robbed (or asaltada) not once, but almost twice in the last four months.  (The second being the more "violent" of the two with a knife involved, though I was not hurt and nothing was stolen, gracias a Dios...thanks be to God!)  How do you reconcile the desire to be independent with the fear, anxiety, paranoia, and yes, let's be honest, anger, that I now carry with me most days?  Cindy, the counselor, has helped me to see that a lot of it comes from facing the problem head on, talking myself through emotions and situations, leaning on the hope and security I have in God, and finally time.  Just time.

And tonite, I was blessed to feel a new sense of superando, overcoming!  Because God has blessed me financially and has been teaching me about good stewardship of money, I was able to dip into my savings a bit to replace my phone that was stolen.  When a good girlfriend here was robbed recently, God laid it on my heart to help her replace a higher cost item that was stolen from her.  I knew that it would take her a very long time to replace this item, and because God had blessed me, I wanted to be able to bless her.  She actually was the first person I talked to right after I was robbed and was an amazing friend in that moment, as she continues to be!

And guess what she shared with me tonite?  She was able to use the item as she shared her faith story (testimony) today.  SOBERANDO...overcoming!  What an amazing testimony to God's goodness and how He uses bad, ugly, hard, hurtful things for good, making beauty from ashes!

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  So then, don't be afraid, I will provide for you!"  -Genesis 50:20-21 (Joseph speaking through God's strength)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose...What then shall we say in response to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?"  -Romans 8:28, 31

And if God can take these hurtful, violating experiences both I and my friend endured, and turn them into something that blesses others and speaks of His faithfulness and goodness, then what more can He do IN ME?!

"He has sent me to...comfort all those who mourn...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor."  -Isaiah 61:1b, 3b

He can take my ashes, my brokenness and failures and turn them into something beautiful.  He can give me joy and uplift my heart to praise Him, even when I mourn the loss of a sense of security and independence.  And even when I despair that the frustration, fear and anger will always be with me as I continue to face men on the street daily, He wants to make me like an oak tree, strong and solid.

God, and only God, will redeem these things even as "He tears me down on every side till I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree," and likewise as I am "hard-pressed, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."  No, God is doing a new thing, creating new life!  And however much it stinks to be broken down, uprooted, hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down....si, voy a superar...yes, I will overcome by His grace and power.  Gracias a Dios!  And until that day when I experience that freedom in full, I'll keep my eye on the prize and bask in the very good and healing things He is doing in my life and the lives of the ones both He and I love!

What's for dinner?

I had a very Costa Rican dinner last night, so I thought I would share!  It's a black bean soup with ham and boiled egg....and of course, rice...yummy!  Actually, it was pretty good.  My host mom is wonderful with spices, and although the mixture is a little different, the flavor was great :)