Tonight Matthew and I got in the biggest tickle fight we have ever had. I was genuinely laughing-not just the fake mom laugh. And earlier I had been tickling Andrew and he was giggling back at me. My heart was so full in these moments.
Now I am sitting upstairs in Andrews dark room holding him in my arms as he sleeps. I don't want to put him in his bed just yet. With Matthew I was so worried about getting the mom thing right that I missed a lot of these moments with him. I am soaking them up with Andrew. There is something so perfect about his completely relaxed sleeping body in my arms. A trust that I never want to betray.
Downstairs I hear Matthew playing with Adam, Nate, and Laura. (our intern-family this summer). I am blessed to have people that spend time with my children and love them well.
Recently I have been overwhelming grateful for the health of my sweet boys. I know this is not something I am promised and it is not something everyone gets to experience. I do not want to take it for granted. Thank you Jesus for these 2 blessings. On days when my job is more than I think I can handle-thank you that their smiles, giggles, and hugs can turn everything around so quickly!!
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Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
I forgot!
Here are the pictures! Oops! :)
Before...
Dedication Time...
After!!
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Before...
Dedication Time...
After!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Last full day in CR
The team had a great time at church today. Right after church they helped with the thrift store. Then the team went straight over to the house for the dedication.
Adam said that the family the house was for is an elderly lady with Alzheimer's and her son who cares for her. The lady wore a dress and put in lipstick for the occasion. And the son brushed her hair for her to make sure she looked her best. He said it made him cry. I stole some picture from Jill, a friend from Jacksonville that is down there studying Spanish and spent a few days with the team.
The team used the extra money that was raised for the trip to buy the family new mattresses which was a huge blessing because otherwise they would not have had any at all.
The time of prayer and dedication for the house went great.
The team went into town after that. They prayed outside of a brothel there first. This is a huge "nicer" one in town. I don't remember if I've said this before but prostitution is legal in Costa Rica. So heartbreaking.
After that the team did some shopping in the market and was on there way home when Adam called, around 8 tonight. Another long day for the team.
Tomorrow they come home! :) Pray for safety in travel and a good nights rest tonight before what will be another long day tomorrow.
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Adam said that the family the house was for is an elderly lady with Alzheimer's and her son who cares for her. The lady wore a dress and put in lipstick for the occasion. And the son brushed her hair for her to make sure she looked her best. He said it made him cry. I stole some picture from Jill, a friend from Jacksonville that is down there studying Spanish and spent a few days with the team.
The team used the extra money that was raised for the trip to buy the family new mattresses which was a huge blessing because otherwise they would not have had any at all.
The time of prayer and dedication for the house went great.
The team went into town after that. They prayed outside of a brothel there first. This is a huge "nicer" one in town. I don't remember if I've said this before but prostitution is legal in Costa Rica. So heartbreaking.
After that the team did some shopping in the market and was on there way home when Adam called, around 8 tonight. Another long day for the team.
Tomorrow they come home! :) Pray for safety in travel and a good nights rest tonight before what will be another long day tomorrow.
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Costa Rica Saturday/Sunday
Yesterday the team finished the house! Today they are going to church and then going over to dedicate the house. All the students on the trip decided to give $1 each to give the family some rice and beans to stock their home. I'm so proud of how the students are loving the poor.
Today they are also helping after church with a thrift store the church has of items that teams leave when they are done with their trips. The money goes to help support things the church does for the community.
After all of that is done the team is going to a little market to do some shopping and then heading home for their debrief.
Tomorrow the team will clean up the team house and head out to be at the airport around noon. The team gets back to Orlando around 5:30 I think. I'm guessing they will be back to The Shop around 8:30 or 9. Make sure you're there on time to pick them up for 2 reasons. 1. They will be tired and ready to get home. And most importantly 2. I WANT ADAM HOME! :)
Continue to pray for health, safety, and team unity as the trip is almost over and it would be easy to fall apart now!
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Today they are also helping after church with a thrift store the church has of items that teams leave when they are done with their trips. The money goes to help support things the church does for the community.
After all of that is done the team is going to a little market to do some shopping and then heading home for their debrief.
Tomorrow the team will clean up the team house and head out to be at the airport around noon. The team gets back to Orlando around 5:30 I think. I'm guessing they will be back to The Shop around 8:30 or 9. Make sure you're there on time to pick them up for 2 reasons. 1. They will be tired and ready to get home. And most importantly 2. I WANT ADAM HOME! :)
Continue to pray for health, safety, and team unity as the trip is almost over and it would be easy to fall apart now!
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Saturday, July 14, 2012
Costa Rica Friday
The team had a good free day. They swam, rode horses, and zip lined. The trip to the ranch didn't get to happen.
Today the team is trying to finish the house so it can be dedicated. They also will do the feeding center and some painting of some local school classrooms. At night they are going to be doing something for the local church youth group.
The thing Adam really wants to happen today is that the house be finished. Pray for strength, energy, and good weather to get this accomplished.
He says that everyone is healthy and doing great. Hope you all enjoy your weekend! :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today the team is trying to finish the house so it can be dedicated. They also will do the feeding center and some painting of some local school classrooms. At night they are going to be doing something for the local church youth group.
The thing Adam really wants to happen today is that the house be finished. Pray for strength, energy, and good weather to get this accomplished.
He says that everyone is healthy and doing great. Hope you all enjoy your weekend! :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, July 13, 2012
Costa Rica Thursday
I talked to Adam as I was falling asleep last night and planned to write on here when I woke up in the middle of the night to feed Andrew but he slept all the way until this morning! :) So sorry (only a little) that this didn't come sooner. Haha
Adam said yesterday they did the frame and roof for the house. They also did kids clubs which went much better than the day before. While they were sharing the gospel they decided to do a prayer wall behind the kids to sandwich them in between the person presenting. Adam said that was good. The kids got to have a bunch of good conversations with people. They also took the rest of the team that hadn't been yet to the coffee field.
Today is the teams free day. They are waking up early and going to a resort somewhere to swim and ride horses. Hopefully they have a great day of rest before their last few days of work. They have been working really hard! 6:8 is planning on opening a ranch type place for kids that need homes. This land that was recently purchased is right near the resort so they will ride over to that and pray for the land and and the work that will happen there.
Pray today that the team will have fun together and get to relax. Pray that they would be sensitive to the Costa Ricans around them and take opportunities to share the truth with them even though it is their day "off".
Only a few more days until they get back. Crazy!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Adam said yesterday they did the frame and roof for the house. They also did kids clubs which went much better than the day before. While they were sharing the gospel they decided to do a prayer wall behind the kids to sandwich them in between the person presenting. Adam said that was good. The kids got to have a bunch of good conversations with people. They also took the rest of the team that hadn't been yet to the coffee field.
Today is the teams free day. They are waking up early and going to a resort somewhere to swim and ride horses. Hopefully they have a great day of rest before their last few days of work. They have been working really hard! 6:8 is planning on opening a ranch type place for kids that need homes. This land that was recently purchased is right near the resort so they will ride over to that and pray for the land and and the work that will happen there.
Pray today that the team will have fun together and get to relax. Pray that they would be sensitive to the Costa Ricans around them and take opportunities to share the truth with them even though it is their day "off".
Only a few more days until they get back. Crazy!
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Costa Rica Wednesday
Adam called tonight. He said it was another long day. Today they taught English, did Kids Clubs, and cleaned up in what he described as "the worst place he's ever been."
The English Camps went great he said. It was the first time 6:8 had tried to do a mobile English Camp. That made for some challenges and flexibility but Adam said Amy did a great job leading it. There was a mixture of kids and adults that came.
The Kids Clubs were harder today. They went to one club that seemed to show some opposition. The team was great through the whole thing though. It is comforting to know that we are promised that things will not be easy for the sake of Jesus' name. Adam says the kids are doing SO amazing and he is very proud of them. Working hard to get whatever task that is laid before them accomplished.
A group of students went to an abandoned coffee field that is the worst place Adam has ever been. He visited this place when he went down a few months ago and said the same thing about it then. This coffee field is the most evil place he has ever experienced. His exact words were that he "hates Satan." This was with tears in his eyes and disgust in his voice. Satan has such a hold on the people that live and interact in this field. It is a breeding ground for prostitution, drug use, and brokeness. It is filthy in all uses of the word.
The team went in to clean up trash and pray for the people and redemption of the land for Jesus' name. Adam said that the students were broken and weeping over it. I have to add a little of my heart here. I cry as I type this because I want the students that we work with, more than anything, to be all about the name of Jesus. I want them to see the true brokeness of the world. I want them stretched so far out of their comfort zones that their lives will be completely disrupted for the causes of the Kingdom! I'm sure as a parent this is a scary thing to read. I have two very little boys of my own, but pray every single day that these two boys that God has entrusted to me would be released at the right time to turn the world upside down for HIS glory. Once again- this is not said without tears. I realize that a life lived for ourselves is wasted. A life lived for Jesus (even if it is uncomfortable) will be eternally rewarded. Each day of the trip, and many leading up to it I have prayed for the team that they would never be the same because of what they encounter.
When Adam told me of the trip to the coffee field I felt that this was exactly the thing I was praying in advance for them about. All through out the Bible, from beginning to end, God is about ONE thing. HIS GLORY spreading through out the earth. From the description Adam gives me of this abandoned field- this place needs a radical heavenly disruption. God's presence is not void in this field, but it is suppressed. In the end of Romans 1 we see that God is evident in the hearts of men and the creation around them. They are without excuse. We need to pray urgently for the people living in sin in this abandoned field. We need to beg God to shine HIS light into this dark dark place. May the students on this trip be that light during this week there, but also for us to think past just the time we have children invested in the setting. This place will still be dark and in desperate need of Jesus long after the students return home, settle back into school, and Christmas comes. We must never forget those in places unreached that need Jesus. Please don't be involved in such things only because your kids are there, or you supported someone that went. Be involved because these are things that God's heart breaks for, no matter what time of day, month or year. This is always on the heart of God.
I feel like somehow I got off track from just the things that Adam told me about but I am not sorry for that. :) The unreached people that have never heard the name or love of Jesus are at the center of my heart and the thing that gets my blood boiling, my heart racing, tears flowing and my adrenaline pumping. When I see prayers being answered, or needs being revealed I just can't help myself! I don't know what it is that God has laid on your heart that HE can't stand and wants you to not be able to stand either- but I urge you to search your heart for that and put action to the holy discontents that God has given you. We are just empty vessels to be used by Him. A life lived for any other purpose is a waste.
I think that prayer is needed for the team tonight. Be fervent and urgent in the things you request of the Lord. Make HIS glory the center of your pleas.
The English Camps went great he said. It was the first time 6:8 had tried to do a mobile English Camp. That made for some challenges and flexibility but Adam said Amy did a great job leading it. There was a mixture of kids and adults that came.
The Kids Clubs were harder today. They went to one club that seemed to show some opposition. The team was great through the whole thing though. It is comforting to know that we are promised that things will not be easy for the sake of Jesus' name. Adam says the kids are doing SO amazing and he is very proud of them. Working hard to get whatever task that is laid before them accomplished.
A group of students went to an abandoned coffee field that is the worst place Adam has ever been. He visited this place when he went down a few months ago and said the same thing about it then. This coffee field is the most evil place he has ever experienced. His exact words were that he "hates Satan." This was with tears in his eyes and disgust in his voice. Satan has such a hold on the people that live and interact in this field. It is a breeding ground for prostitution, drug use, and brokeness. It is filthy in all uses of the word.
The team went in to clean up trash and pray for the people and redemption of the land for Jesus' name. Adam said that the students were broken and weeping over it. I have to add a little of my heart here. I cry as I type this because I want the students that we work with, more than anything, to be all about the name of Jesus. I want them to see the true brokeness of the world. I want them stretched so far out of their comfort zones that their lives will be completely disrupted for the causes of the Kingdom! I'm sure as a parent this is a scary thing to read. I have two very little boys of my own, but pray every single day that these two boys that God has entrusted to me would be released at the right time to turn the world upside down for HIS glory. Once again- this is not said without tears. I realize that a life lived for ourselves is wasted. A life lived for Jesus (even if it is uncomfortable) will be eternally rewarded. Each day of the trip, and many leading up to it I have prayed for the team that they would never be the same because of what they encounter.
When Adam told me of the trip to the coffee field I felt that this was exactly the thing I was praying in advance for them about. All through out the Bible, from beginning to end, God is about ONE thing. HIS GLORY spreading through out the earth. From the description Adam gives me of this abandoned field- this place needs a radical heavenly disruption. God's presence is not void in this field, but it is suppressed. In the end of Romans 1 we see that God is evident in the hearts of men and the creation around them. They are without excuse. We need to pray urgently for the people living in sin in this abandoned field. We need to beg God to shine HIS light into this dark dark place. May the students on this trip be that light during this week there, but also for us to think past just the time we have children invested in the setting. This place will still be dark and in desperate need of Jesus long after the students return home, settle back into school, and Christmas comes. We must never forget those in places unreached that need Jesus. Please don't be involved in such things only because your kids are there, or you supported someone that went. Be involved because these are things that God's heart breaks for, no matter what time of day, month or year. This is always on the heart of God.
I feel like somehow I got off track from just the things that Adam told me about but I am not sorry for that. :) The unreached people that have never heard the name or love of Jesus are at the center of my heart and the thing that gets my blood boiling, my heart racing, tears flowing and my adrenaline pumping. When I see prayers being answered, or needs being revealed I just can't help myself! I don't know what it is that God has laid on your heart that HE can't stand and wants you to not be able to stand either- but I urge you to search your heart for that and put action to the holy discontents that God has given you. We are just empty vessels to be used by Him. A life lived for any other purpose is a waste.
I think that prayer is needed for the team tonight. Be fervent and urgent in the things you request of the Lord. Make HIS glory the center of your pleas.
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