August 7th ... our last day

Last week was an enjoyable time at the Villas Rio Mar with just the 4 of us. For it being rainy season, we have not had the weather stop us from enjoying many activities. We spent a lot of time at the pool, tried surfing in the ocean again but those waves were a little too intense for us, tried out some new eating spots, played some games, & simply enjoyed the beauty around us.

This weekend we are back with Aimee & Abner at the YFC center. Micha is also here with his brother from Germany. Yesterday was a very laid back day. I think everyone was happy to not do anything. We watched a couple of movies, read, & went back to a little hidden away spot for chicken wings.

This morning we visited a weekend market & purchased some amazing fruit which Alej & Aimee made a salad from. Niko spent some time playing lego with Daniel while Aimee & I created a budget which will give us a very good idea of what it would cost us to live here.

This has been an amazing experience. Steve & I are ready to begin the next step when we get home. We are both excited about the ways that we can be involved in supporting & building what has been started here in Costa Rica. There are many steps to go through & we will continue to earnestly pray as we walk towards this opportunity.

For now, 3 out of 4 of us are sad to leave this beautiful country. However, I do think all 4 of us are ready to be back in our own space. It will be with mixed emotions that we board our plane & begin our journey home tomorrow.

Thank you so much for all your prayers, encouragement, & support. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you in person :)

Sunday Night ... Day # 6

Today I really missed my PAC family and the amazing church we call home. We appreciate the depth in the teaching, the worship times, & the connections we make on a Sunday morning. You guys are amazing!

Friday was as much fun as we anticipated. Micha was an amazing surfing instructor ... all four of us got up :) We had perfect weather and the chance to connect even further with Cali on the 2 hr drive was good.

That evening was their first official board meeting as an "association". At the end of their meeting they called us down to meet the remaining board members & to officially ask us to join their team. Cali shared with us some of the areas they feel we as a couple could be a good fit with the ministry they are building. All this will still need to go through the National Office in Canada & we have not given an answer yet ... we continue to seriously pray for God's will. This coming week we will go on a "retreat" (just the 4 of us). Here we hope to seriously think & pray trough this decision. We are also hoping to have a chance to really talk to Alej & Niko to hear what their thoughts are.

Saturday was a fun day. We went to a swimming spot only known by the "Tico's" & enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Aimee & Abner were so gracious & drove us everywhere ... we drove through many different neighborhoods. Just checking stuff out.

This morning we went to church in a place where several Christian Missionary Alliance missionaries attend. It was a rainy afternoon so we enjoyed some quiet time at home then joined a group at the movies. For supper we went to another little "hole in the wall" & enjoyed the most amazing wings. Yummy.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for us. This already has been an amazing experience. The people & youth we have met already hold a very special spot in our hearts. It is fun to watch this team in action & to see the passion they have for impacting their youth in Costa Rica.