Sin Descanso

I realize that I am a little bit behind, but I can't wait for you guys to see all the amazing things that have happened over the past two weeks.  The groups that have been working here have been amazing!!  They have worked very hard and really know what they are doing...not that the past groups didn't know what they were doing, but the last two groups that I worked with had people who did these types of things for a living, and so it made work go much more quickly, and the progress has been amazing!  I am learning so much about what it truly means to use your gifts and talents to serve the Lord, and I have just been blown away by the people I have met this summer!
Last week we had a group from Douglasville, GA here!!  They were so much fun.  Plus it gave me a little taste of home!  We worked on the church...painting, sanding,demolition, MORE digging and beginning the third story floor for the new kitchen/youth building.

Inside - before the madness

Outside - before the madness

Outside - releasing stress :)

What wall?

Cleaning up the wall off of the floor! :)

Third story floor beginnings

Digging, digging and more digging

Hector and Les using their expert skills

These guys really took care of us this week!  Les even got me some Dial soup and icecream...I think it was because he felt sorry for me because I got so excited about Dial soup, but really, I have been looking for it since I arrived and you would have thought it was gold or diamonds or something when I saw it!! I guess he thought that anyone who got that excited about soup really needed it! haha! This group was so much fun!  They really knew how to have a good time while working super hard.  Even though I was the brunt of many jokes, I had a great week with these guys!

This week we had a group from South Carolina come, and man, I just couldn't believe how much work this team accomplished!  There were even two men, Junior and Luis, who stayed back in Alajuela on the group's free day to finish more work.  They opted out of going zip lining so that they could work more at the house.  They were one of the most hard working, knowledgeable, organized groups I have ever seen!  I have a few pictures, but I did a lot of store and food runs this week, so I didn't get much down time to take pictures.  I also do not have pictures from the end of the week, so I will add those when I go back to the house in the next couple of days!  Here is what I have though:

Pam cheesin' and making sure Chris is putting everything together right! haha

The garden ladies...wow! Erin and Molly made this place look amazing!  I will get a picture soon!  You won't believe the transformation!

Christy working hard on her birthday!

 

I know you don't believe this, but I dug dirt this week! :D

They even made Daniela work...haha kinda!

Luis and Junior leaving for their "free day" work at the house

God continues to teach me and guide me as I am here.  These last two weeks God has really been pressing in and teaching me what it means to really surrender to His will even when I don't know exactly what it is.  It is hard taking each step without seeing what is in front of you, but right now that is what God is calling me to do and in order to be the best witness and vessel I can be for Him I have to do it...no matter how hard.  Please continue to pray that God would give affirmation and direction, but more than that, that He would give peace and faith in following Him without reservation.

I have also learned how important it is to rest!  This is something that our Costa Rican brothers and sisters really understand...but we Americans have a hard time believing that it is necessary.  This week Dougy (brother), Danny (brother), Ariel (friend of the family) and Gary (friend of the family) worked at the house with us one day.  After lots of hard work, the boys were sitting outside on the sidewalk, so I decided to join them.  Our conversation turned into a rock throwing match...Danny and I against Ariel and Dougy.  It was such a nice little break during the day and we even got some of the people from the team to join in!

Me, Danny, Dougy, and Ariel

I also had the amazing opportunity to spend some time with a friend of the family, Beja Turner, this week.  She was here with a program through Duke University and decided to stay an extra week and do some mission work!  She was such a blessing!  We ate, worked, slept and played together for a whole week.  She also made me slow down for siesta time and just time to fellowship.  The people on the teams fell in love with her, and she really just made the week so much more enjoyable.  We don't have any pictures except for the last day of us running to the hotel to catch the bus so they wouldn't leave us....again...really! haha!  I love you Beja.  Thank you for all you did this week! Thank you also to Patrick and Angelea for allowing your daughter to have such an amazing experience and allowing me to share in it!  I love you guys!

Man, we look goofy!  I promise I am laughing...not in pain!

Thank you again for all of your prayers and encouragement as I continue to seek the face of God in this journey.  Please continue to pray both for me and my family.  We are all learning how to let go and let God take control, and sometimes it is not very easy, but God continues to bring blessings and guidance thanks to the many people who are praying and supporting this call.  I love you all so much and am so thankful that God has blessed me with such AMAZING friends and family!

Mi Hermanita

So, I'm getting better at taking pictures, but not really better at updating my blog...sorry guys!  I am reaching the point in my stay here in Costa Rica where I am in the routine of not having a routine...and I kinda like it! I'm not going to lie, it stresses me out sometimes, but more often than not I am learning how to truly allow God to take control and lead, and it has been amazing...truly amazing!
This week I had no clue where I would be working or who I would be working with.  It was a little hard for me warming up to the new group because I was still so sad about Lawrenceville UMC leaving, but God truly touched my heart through this group.  Again, we worked at the parsonage.  The house is coming along so well.  Pictures can't really do justice to what is going on there, but I will show you a few just so you can see!
First the upstairs:

Me "translating" directions...trying anyway! :)

More diggin!

Stairs with cement...way safer!

Walls!...kinda

Upstairs hallway

View from the street

On the inside we are tearing down the wall connecting the pastor's old bedroom and the kitchen.  This will be a dinning room....what a mess this was!  I have never cleaned the inside of a house with a hose, nor have I ever swept walls, but I guess there is a first time for everything.  We stayed pretty late this day, but at the end of the day it looked great...well as great as possible with a motorcycle in the dinning room and torn up walls and floors!

In the beginning

Little hole

Big hole

No wall!...what a mess!

Look at all that mud!

Sweeping the walls

Watering the walls? haha!

I was so exhausted this week...emotionally and physically exhausted, but again, God knew exactly what I needed when I needed it.  The group that came in this week was from North Carolina.  This was the first group since my family groups from Georgia, and like I said, it was difficult making connections in the beginning, but I have learned quickly that UNO is a great icebreaker no matter what language you speak or where you are from!  So after a night of card games and cookies, I gained a little sister and many super friends!  I truly think that God intervened and sent Brianne (my new little sis...Logan I'm not replacing you just adding to the fam!) at the perfect time...I love you sweet girl!  She and I were practically inseparable for the second half of the week.  It was a love that I was missing since my family left, and I truly feel so blessed to have met her and her family.  Here are some pictures of the group!

UNO!

Me and Brianne

Me and Brianne again

Angela, Me and Brianne

Me, Hannah and Kelsey

What a great week!

This is totally off subject, but I also had my first experience with a real Costa Rican Hamburger...not McDonalds...I don't even have words....I'm just going to have to show you!

This is really a HAMburger...I mean for real...that is a big slab of ham...wow!

Finally, I want to thank everyone from The Grove in Alabama!  You guys are awesome.  Everyone really enjoyed the package you sent.  Here is a picture of your gift in action!

Jonathan loving his welding mask!

You guys are truly such a blessing!  We miss you all!

Thank you to everyone for all of your support and love.  I could never be doing all of this if it weren't for your support and prayers.  I love you all so much!!

Gracias a Dios

Wow!  I don't really know what else to say but wow!!
This past week I experiences some of the best and definitely the hardest times of the trip so far.  I'm telling you what, God is molding me and refining my spirit and preparing me for some amazing things.
This week Lawrenceville UMC came.  For those of you who do not know, Lawrenceville is the group that I have been coming to Costa Rica with for the past 4 years, so this was very exciting for me.  If there was something I needed after having to say goodbye to my family it was my "mission mom" and "mission dad".  Barry and Cindy Blakley have come on every trip with me and have kind of adopted me as their mission daughter.  Cindy and I have been meeting once a month for dinner since last year's trip and our relationship has grown even closer.  She has been such an amazing mentor, mom and friend, and she was exactly what I needed this week!  God knew what I needed before I did!
Anyway, so I was a little part of the planning for their trip and felt very excited about all of the exciting things we were going to do during the week.  We started each day with Vacation Bible School for the children and women in a nearby community.  I spent most of my time with the ladies because our hope is to begin a monthly women's ministry in this community, and the ladies of the church want me to be in charge of getting that together, so I wanted the women to get to know me and feel comfortable with me.  It was an amazing week, and I saw God move is some really powerful ways.  We painted fingernails, did crafts, sang songs, watched some video clips, and at the end of the week we were able to pray over each woman that was there.   It was a powerful week to say the least.  I really can't even put into words what went on in that building.  Here are some pictures of the fun we had with the kids and adults....and for those of you who have been to Costa Rica with me or seen videos you know we had to do a little Boom Chicka Boom, so I have a few pictures of that as well!

 First Day of VBS

This precious baby fell asleep in my arms!  awww!

Painting Nails

Sand Art Craft

Karla and I after I finished painting her nails

Our prayer day

All the women praying and worshiping 

Owen and me :)

Lawrenceville UMC

Boom Chicka Boom

Garrison stealing the show

More Boom Chicka Boom

Boom Chicka Boom Model Style! :)  I'm really good....I think I should consider modeling if this whole missionary thing doesn't work out!  haha!

On Wednesday this week the group had a free day.  Cindy and I stayed back and took a day to relax while the rest of the group went zip lining and traveling.  Little did we know that our day of relaxing would turn out to be an 8 mile hike!  haha!  We walked from the church to the pastor's house and back.  It was exactly what I needed though.  We were able to talk and pray and she really knew exactly what to say to lift my spirit and give me the kind of encouragement that kicked me in the butt! Only Cindy could have been so honest and loving all at the same time.  I realized through this day of "relaxing" that I had started to become a little selfish needing "Taylor time" and "Taylor space" and "Taylor things".  I had left all of my sacrificing in Georgia and had become a needy recipient instead of a joyful giver.  What I really needed was God time.  Thank you Cindy!  I love you!  After Wednesday I was a different person!  I was able to build relationships that I had neglected in the beginning of the week, and I had a new and fresh focus.  God is an amazing provider and knows exactly what we need when we need it!  Here is a picture of Cindy and I after our 8 mile hike about to go get ice cream to cool down! 

After Wednesday I also found a new place for my quiet time.  There is really no quiet place in Costa Rica, so I haven't been having a set time to sit and reflect and pray, but after Wednesday, Cindy really reminded me how important it was to find a place, so here is my quiet place:

 Yay! Quiet!

Isn't it beautiful

Ok, so don't look at the face (I just woke up), but look at the big smile!!

I also have some really exciting news about my mission here in Costa Rica. On Thursday Douglas, Barry, Kay and I went to a location where they are wanting to remodel a church.  Right now the church is not in operating condition.  They also would like to build bathroom facilities, a kitchen and a dining hall for those in the community to feel like they have a safe place to go and fellowship.  Douglas told me that he would like for this to be my project for the upcoming year.  We still need to get a couple of approvals before beginning anything, but I will keep you all updating on the progress and any needs that we may have in this process. For now, here are some pictures of the existing building, and the surrounding community.  It is on a beautiful property and has so much potential.  I can't wait to get started!!

In addition, I worked with a group at the church to finish a couple of projects in the afternoon.  Here are some pictures of all of the work that has been completed at the church!

This is the building that Lawrenceville UMC was working on last year! Wow!! This year they were able to eat all their meals here!

The entrance

Future Kitchen

Where once there was only Logan dancing....we now have a whole room...

Same building 2 years ago...wow!

This week, I am back at the parsonage working on the house.  I can't wait to catch you all up on all the progress there!  We finally have stairs and don't have to climb a ladder to get to the second floor!  I love you all so much and I am so blessed to have such encouraging and prayerful friends and family.  I wouldn't be where I am today without each of you!