summer...college...getting old...

I guess it's been awhile since I've been on here, so let me catch you up on my life.

The last week of June was KOSMOS (that big mission conference in Costa Rica). My fellow GAPpers and I were translators for the groups and it was awesome! Thursday night of that week we had the GAP Year 08 graduation. It was so sad to see it all end. Saying goodbye to my Costa Rican family was quite possibly one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. My time in Costa Rica was absolutely wonderful and I learned so much. I just thank God for the opportunity to go there.

I got home to beautiful SD on July 1st. It was so good to see my family again! I

worked alot at Arby's and Rondee's Campground but also got to spend some quality time with my family. My sister from NC came out for the rodeo so we had a small family reunion that weekend. It was alot of fun! The first week of August was our church's Bible school. I think about 100 kids were registered. Praise the LORD! The missionary story this year was CT Studd. It was fun to act out and the kids loved it!

That brings us up to... SEPTEMBER: (well actually August 25th lol) Natalie, Nehemiah, and I drove out to college from SD on Aug 25th. We got to go to our friends' ranch in NE the first night out and ride horses for several hours. Talk about fun! Then we met up with some friends in Arizona and drove the rest of the way to school and got here Thurs around 2:30AM. It was a wonderful trip...with no vehicle problems at all! Avon (my future sis-in-law) and I stayed with Nicole at her apartment until Monday Sept 1st when the dorms opened. The first official week of school was registration and settling into the dorms. The preaching that week was absolutely phenomenal! But my favorite part of the week tho was definitely when the WHOLE college (all 920 students + faculty) went to the LA Dodgers game. It was so awesome!!!Life is settling down now...classes are good. and I get to take Piano lessons! yeah!!! and I'm in the choir which I just LOVE! My weekend ministry is working in a 5yr Spanish Sunday School class. The kids are just absolutely adorable :) God is still working in my life and I'm excited to see what all He has in store for me.
Jeremiah 29:11

Father's Day

I love you, dad ~ Happy Father's Day!

Goodly Heritage

I may not have riches as some others may

But I have a mother who knows how to pray

And maybe there's some things I've missed in my youth

But I have a father who stands for the truth

Chorus:

I have a goodly heritage

I'm blessed with things you can't see

I have a goodly heritage

And that is worth far more to me

And if in the future, my parents pass on,

To dwell in that City we've come to call Home

They may not leave me the goods of this world

But I have accepted their God and His Word

quick blessing...

Remember I told you about the talent show and how we raised $475 to buy Bibles and food for Los Guidos? Well tonight, we received word that someone is very generously donating another $500 for the fund!!!!! Praise the LORD!

**coming soon to a theater near you**

Tonight was the second and final performance of the GAP Talent Show... and it was even better than the first one :) But I am so excited - total money raised (from both nights) to buy Bibles and help Los Guidos : $475!!!!! We just want to give God all the glory. It goes to show that God can use anything ... even just a simple talent show ... for His glory. PRAISE the LORD!!!!!

cameras, lights, action!

we (GAPers) decided it would be fun to have a talent show, and that it would also be good because we could raise money for los guidos. what is los guidos you may ask? well. its a really really poor place here in costa rica. people here refer to it as "el hueco" or..the hole. because literally...its a huuuuuge hole in the ground...full of tin houses with a filthy sewage creek running through it and ya...you get the picture. so we are having a talent show tonight and also friday night. tonight Ron Bishop (founder and pres. of SCORE) will be coming along with several american groups that are here on missions trips, and then friday everyone from our churches here will be coming. we are charging about two dollars to get in so hopefully we will be able to raise a lot of money for los guidos!!!! :] one blessing is that one church, el impacto, already took up an offering for our talent show...70 dollars!! :] so ya. just pray tho that tonight goes well and that this whole thing will just be a huge success and a blessing for the people of this country! :]
- Sarah Kinsey blog

I copied that from my friend's blog cuz I'm lazy and didn't feel like typing all that out :)
But here's the deal - last night we had our Talent Show for the American groups and Ron Bishop. My "talents" were playing the piano and then Paul & I sang "Defying Gravity" from the Broadway musical "Wicked". At first I was so extremely nervous because I'm not really fond of getting in front of a bunch of people and performing. But once we got on stage, I was fine. We had 14 acts: some funny, some more serious; all in all it lasted around an hour and a half. During intermission we played a video about Los Guidos. We served snacks and put a donation jar on the table and at the end of the evening when we counted the money...are you ready for this? We had raised $350 for Los Guidos!!!!!! And that was just one night - we're doing the show again on Friday night for our churches. God is so amazing!!! We know that it definately wasn't because we're so talented - we want to give God all the credit :)

*Pictures coming soon!*

a challenge...

Tonight we went to the Villa and had dinner with Ron Bishop (founder and president of SCORE International). Afterwards he led us in a devotional and what he said really challenged me:

*No matter what you do with your life, do something significant for Christ.*

I don't really know what all my future holds, whether it's being a missionary in some foreign land or just working in the ministry somewhere, but I want my life to count for Christ.

confession and prayer...

OK, I'll be the first to admit that lately I haven't had the greatest attitude about certain things - like school and going to youth group on Saturdays when I'd rather stay home and sleep/hang out/or watch TV. And I'm embarrassed to say it, but I've been kind of slacking off in my school work - my projects have been shoved aside till the last possible minute so that I could go downtown or something...but it hit me this weekend. I only have ONE month left to learn this beautiful language and to do what God wants me to accomplish down here. He had reason for bring me down here, and I want to fulfill it and not be held back by my lazy, selfish self.

"Dear Father, forgive my terrible attitude and for being so selfish. I ask that You'll help me to make the most of this last month here in Costa Rica and to continue to grow closer to You. Thank you for still loving me when I don't deserve it and for picking me up when I fall down. In the precious name of Jesus - Amen"

stuck in the middle

Here it is, June 1st. That means only 30 more days and I get to go home! I look forward to this with mixed emotions. Part of me wants to just be done with this and go home, see my family, get a job, and move on to the next chapter in my life. This is the side of me that misses the little things I normally would take advantage of:
1) driving a car - just being able to jump in a car and drive wherever I want and not have to worry about walking up that ginormous hill (especially in the rain!) and waiting for a bus...not having to worry if I have enough change for the bus...
2) shopping at WALMART!
3) going to church and being able to listen to a sermon without having to translate it in my head from Spanish to English :)
4) even tho this might make me sound lazy - not having to do my own laundry
5) eating good homemade food...what I would give for some of my mom's cooking!!!
6) late night movies or going to I90 with family and friends
7) doing the bundles at 3AM with Nick and then eating McD's breakfast croisant or some good Daylight Donuts

But then the other side of me wants to stay here in Costa Rica forever. This group has become my family the past 9 months. We've had fun, studied, laughed, cried, shopped, lived with each other, missed home together...I am very blessed to have them as friends/family. Our teachers are so nice - they seriously are putting aside their personal life to help us here and I appreciate that so much! My church family here is wonderful. I've learned so much from them and grown so much in my Spiritual Life and closer to God. And the mountains are so beautiful! They never look the same - I just love them! I wouldn't trade my experience here for anything.

So even tho I kind of feel like Paul in Philippians 1:23-24, I want to make the most of this last month here. It's not everybody who has a chance to spend a year in Costa Rica learning Spanish. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I don't want to waste it pining away for home. So forgive my complaining...sometimes it's just good to write down thoughts, go back and read them, realize how spoiled I am and have a change of heart.

*picture fun*

my new favorite verse...

When I worry about what I'm going to do about the future, I turn to this verse and it encourages me:

"FOR I know the plans I have for YOU," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper YOU and not to harm you, PLANS to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

How Deep the Father's Love

How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no pow’rs, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds paid my ransom

"Oh heart of mine, why must you stray...?"

We sang this song the other day and it hit me hard - I have strayed from my Heavenly Father in the past few weeks. Why do I do it again and again? I don't know, but I'm thankful that God forgives me and takes me back into His arms again. "Lord, I'm coming home!"

Come Home Running

Oh heart of mine, why must you stray?
From one so fair you’ve run away
And one more time you had to pay
The heaviness of needless shame

Oh heart of mine, come back home
You’ve been away too long out on your own
And He’s been there all along
Watching for you down the road

Chorus:
So come home running
His arms are open wide
His name is Jesus
He understands
He is the answer
You are looking for
So come home running
Just as you are

Oh child of God so dearly loved
And ransomed by the Savior’s blood
And called by name, daughter and son
Wrapped in the robe of righteousness

What a beautiful day!!!

You know those days when everything is just amazing? Well today is one of those days for me...I woke up this morning and went for a walk. It was so beautiful ... crisp and cool. Just wonderful. And everything else today has just been perfect. I thank God for the opportunity to be able to enjoy this time down here...He is teaching me so much and I just love Him more everyday!

Psalms

"For he satisfieth the longing soul..." Ps 107:9

I just came across this verse during devotions this morning and it encouraged me so much! God is all I need and in HIM I am satisfied. Isn't He awesome?

beautiful Nicaragua

beatiful Nicaragua

the camp we worked at
at the orphanage
door to door witnessing


Last week we had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua on a missions trip. It was SO beautiful and we had a wonderful time. We took a bus from San Jose to Managua on Tues...Wed, we split up into groups and went door to door witnessing. It was an amazing opportunity to practice Spanish and 5 people got saved! It was so awesome! Then that afternoon we went to an orphanage and sang songs, did a few dramas, and played with the kids. Thurs was our free day - we took a 4hr boat tour of the Granada islands and went shopping. Fri we went to a camp to work - painting, cleaning ditches, gathering firewood, cleaning...all that fun stuff. And Sat we came home. It only took 5hrs to cross the border =] All in all tho it was a wonderful trip.

My wonderful family!

I am very blessed. God gave me a wonderful family! I am proud to say that my brothers and sisters are my best friends...I don't know what I would do without them.

All in All

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking you as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your name
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless your name
You are my all in all

When I am down you lift me up
When I am dry you fill my cup
You are my all in all

God's Amazing Love

This is one of my favorite hymns...especially the last verse. God is the Creator of the Universe and still He loves us!

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell

The guilty pair bowed down with care
God sent His Son to die
His erring child, He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin

Chorus:
Oh love of God, how rich and pure
How measureless and strong
It shall forever more endure
The saints’ and angels’ song

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the sky of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above
Would drain the oceans dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky