Muchas Gracias a Todos

Before I begin telling you about my first week back to Costa Rica I just want to say thank you to everyone back home!  I love you guys so much!  There is a love that just can't be experienced any place other than home and I have miss it!  I got my fix for the next three months at least, and now I am back in Costa Rica beginning the next leg of the mission here, and I am getting really excited about God's plans!  Here are some pictures from my trip to Georgia first!

 My sister Logan telling me and mom what to do...me following directions and mom gettin super skinny and always looking for a reason to take pictures!! haha!

Again, me working...mom and Logan taking pictures :)  I made empanadas for the family!

I was also able to be a part of the annual fish fry at our church.  I don't know that I have missed one since I was born, so it was really special that I was able to be a part of this one too.  This is Mom and Kim Bertram (one of my favorite people in the whole wide world!) making hush puppies...well really just posing for pictures again!

I also was able to have a bonfire with my friends from school.  This is Adrienne, Melissa, Me, Shannon and Mollie.  Sandy, Kristy and Cooper were also there, but we took the picture after they left.  I miss my school family lots, but I really enjoyed our time together catching up and eating smoritos! :)

Chip and I were also able to spend some time catching up.  Chip is my old youth pastor and close family friend.  He, along with many of my other friends that I was able to meet up with for lunch or dinner or just hanging out, was very encouraging and really reminded me how much support I really do have back home!

I don't know if you are able to see what is in these pictures, but I went back to Bethesda Elementary School (where I was teaching before I moved to Costa Rica) a couple of days and was actually able to speak to 2 classes that were learning about Costa Rica.  I took a picture with the kids too, but I'm not sure if I can put that picture on the internet, so I think it is better to be safe and let you see their hallway displays.  It was so much fun!  The classes already knew a lot about Costa Rica, but I was able to show them some of the pictures of what I had been doing and give them real stories and answer questions!  I loved it, and I think they did too!

I was also able to go to the park with my friend Cary Beth!  This is just a picture of the walking trail, but for those of you who don't know I went here almost everyday when I lived in GA to run after school!  It is such a peaceful place and I loved being back.

I also got to spend some great time with my 3 favorite boys!  Tyler, Alex and Riley are my cousins. Staci and Shea (their parents) aren't in this picture, but I love them lots too.  Mom, Dad, Logan and I spend as much time as we can with these boys.  They are super special and one of the things that I miss the most about Georgia.

My Meme's famous carrot cake made by my aunt Janie....YUM!  Janie gave it to me at my cousins' baseball games and I couldn't even wait til we got home to eat it!  I know that people in the cars next to ours probably thought I was crazy, but that is because they haven't tried this cake! :)

I also was able to spend time with some other friends and family that I haven't been able to see in a while!   It was great to have a home and a bed and a hot shower, but more than that it was just great to have my family and church family and friends to spend time with, BUT even with all of these blessing and luxuries, after two weeks I was ready to come back!  Although I wasn't sure where I was going to live or what I was going to do I knew that God called me to Costa Rica for a purpose and that He would fulfill that purpose.

For the past week I have been praying and reading and seeking counsel and just trying to truly listen to what God's plan is for my time here.  When I first came back I was living back in the house with the pastor's family, but there is still construction going on and two of the three livable bedrooms do not have doors, so we decided it would be better for me look for other options.  As we were doing that, a friend from church said that there was a small room and bathroom in a building behind her home that I could stay in, so four days after I arrived back in Costa Rica I moved my things out of the church and into Leccy's house.  Leccy lives with her parents and brother who are a wonderful and caring family.  They have been so kind and generous.  They even bought me a bed, so I am no longer sleeping on the floor!! :)  They also helped to clean and paint my new room.  It has been such a place of refuge when I need time to pray, think, read, or just be.  I love it and am sooo super appreciative for Leccy's family and for the way that God works things out!  Although of course not without a few glitches!  I don't have any pictures of my first night with all of my stuff moved in the room, but it is probably for the better.  It was this past Sunday, so after 2 hours of church we moved everything I own here in Costa Rica...ok so it was only two suitcases and a dresser, but still it was a heavy dresser! haha!  Anyway, it took a couple of hours to move everything and then we had a soccer game with some people from the church.  Then Jonathan and I cooked dinner for one of the families in the church.  Then Leccy, Jonathan and I came back to the house to work on hanging somethings on the walls and unpacking my suitcases.  Needless to say, it was kind of an exhausting day, so after we dropped Jonathan back off at his house Leccy and I were talking about how tired we were and how excited I was to sleep in my own bed.  She walked me down to my room, and my floor (which is a beautiful white tile floor) had turned black while we were gone for that hour or 30 minutes because it was covered with hundreds of ants! :0  We sprayed the whole room with raid which meant I slept on the floor again inside the house! haha!  What an adventure!

My life-saving spray!

My room the day after the ant infestation.  This is as much as I could get of the room.  It is kinda small and I was zoomed out as much as possible, but you get the idea!

On top of being my new Costa Rican sister (my family is getting bigger and bigger!), Leccy is also my Spanish teacher and co-English teacher.  Every morning we wake up and have an hour long Spanish class. Then I have about an hour of homework...she is a pretty hard teacher! haha!  It has been helping so much because I am not only learning Spanish, I am learning Costa Rican Spanish, and with her family I am learning a lot about the culture here.  Everyday we eat breakfast together.  Then everyone goes to work and comes back home for lunch, so we eat lunch together too.  I love the way that this family is so close and the way that they all enjoy spending time with each other.  I think God knew exactly what I needed and put me in the exact right spot! :)

I also mentioned that Leccy is my co-English teacher.  We have started our first English classes this week, but only with a couple of students.  This week at the Tuesday night service we passed out information sheets for anyone else who might be interested.  This is a smaller service, but almost every sheet was gone by the end of the night.  It seemed like the youth are especially interested!  I am so excited and amazed at how God really does prepare us to do exactly what He calls us to do even before we know what it is.

Psalm 139

13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book 

before one of them came to be.

Even though it has been a struggle at times and I didn't know what exactly I was doing, God knew exactly what He was doing.  He had a purpose and a plan, and He knew that it would be fulfilled.

I think I will also be going to San Ramon one day a week, but my mom and sister are coming next week, so that will not start until the following week.  I will give you more information about that as I begin!

Thank you to everyone who helped with the books!  Mom and Logan are bringing the last books on Monday when they come!  The ones I have so far have been a great help!  Once the larger classes start I will take some pictures for you all to see, but here is me and Ileana...my first student :)

Thank you all for everything!  I love you very much and appreciate your prayers and support more than you will ever know!  I know that is a really cliche thing to say, but I haven't ever truly had that feeling until now and there really are no words to express a gratitude like that.  I love you all!

Una Sorpresa :)

Ok, so I know it has been a while, but I am a really bad liar, and I couldn't post a blog without telling you the plans for the following week...this week, so first I'll fill you in on the last two weeks and then I will tell you the plan for this week!
We started off two weeks ago with a Mother's Day celebration.  We had lots of yummy food...of course...and then a little program and singing done by some of the youth!  Everyone had a great time, and I missed my mommy! :)  After the celebration, we relaxed a little and then we made coffee and empanadas for the few people that were still hanging out around the church.  It was my first time, and I had lots of fun learning.  I made them everyday after that for the whole week just because I knew how! hahaha!  Here are some pictures of all the fun:

I also did a little shopping with Esperanza this week.  We had our second Women's Ministry gathering with the group from La Amistad where the Lawrenceville Group did their VBS, so we had to go out and buy the materials for the crafts and food that we made with the women.  We also had lots of fun making samples for the ladies to see.  Here are some of the ladies from El Mesias making our samples!

Esperanza <3

We had a great turn out at La Amistad.  I am not sure about a final count, but there were well over 50 people in the building, and the message really had an impact on many of them...including me!  We talked about following the will of God and how hard that can be sometimes when God's will and your plan differ.  It means dying to your plan and knowing that God's will is bigger and better than anything that you can do or make on your own.  Do you see how that might be something we all need to hear?!  The women had a great time, and we were able to use yarn and scissors that some of the groups left for us this summer!  Thank you to all of you who made this possible...Lawrenceville, for getting this started, Bethesda, for your financial support, and for all of you who have been praying for this ministry and the hearts that it will touch!

Kids' Corner :)  

You don't invite women to something in Costa Rica without expecting to have lots of children there!  Luckily the ladies at El Mesias were prepared!

Craft Time

I also started my Spanish classes two weeks ago. 

This is my Spanish teacher Leccy!  

We started off two days a week for an hour, but we both think that it would be best for my ministry here if I spend more time taking classes and getting over my fear of making mistakes and remember that all my mistakes are for God's glory.  Please continue to pray for my letting go of pride and clinging to a humble spirit so that I am better able to serve the Lord in this place!


I also am going to start teaching English classes to some of the people from the church.  Knowing English is a huge asset when it comes to finding a job in Costa Rica, and English classes are generally very expensive, so it is my hope that this free service in the church will open opportunities for some of the people in the community and maybe even draw some people into the church.  I already have a few people that will be starting classes in two weeks!


I also wanted to let you know that I have met the man of my dreams!  He is a little young, but I just fell in love with his smile! :)

The second week Jonathan and I worked on the pastor's house a little finishing up some of the welding.  I am sure you guys know this, but I am not much of a welder, so I left that part up to Jonathan while I measured the pieces and organized them so that the piece that he needed would be easier to find! haha!  I take after my momma!  The house is coming along.  We are moving a little slower now that there are no more groups coming in, but it is still looking great!  The family has already moved back in to the bottom floor even though two of the rooms have no walls!

Jonathan welding

 Me measuring

My super organization! :)

This week I also did my first haircut!  While the Bethesda Group was here my cousin Jessica taught me how to cut hair...well boys' hair at least, and we bought a hair cutting kit so that I could cut hair for some of the people of the church for free, so here are some pictures of me with my first victim!  He was a trooper, and it actually looked pretty good for my first time! Thanks Jessica!!

 Jonathan looking like he has little confidence in my abilities

I asked Michael to take the picture this way so you couldn't see Jonathan's face anymore!! haha!

We also celebrated Logan's birthday.  Even though she couldn't be with us we thought the least we could do would be eat a cake for her!  So we went to the bakery and ordered a cake and even put candles on it!  We sang Happy Birthday and made a wish for her and everything!  Happy Birthday Logan! I love you!

On Friday of this week I was able to go to San Ramon and meet with a couple of the girls that are working there.  What they are doing is amazing, and I was so excited to hear all about the ministry and how it is growing and how God is moving!  We talked about the possibility of me coming to help one day a week, and I really feel like this is something God is leading me to do.  We might even start some English classes out there.  We will also be going to visit families in the community and pray for them and for what God is doing in their lives and see if there are any specific needs that we can pray for or help with!  I am SO excited about this and about what God is doing through this ministry!  Please pray for this opportunity and that God would make clear the path that He wants me to follow.  I didn't take any pictures of this trip because I was so excited about everything that we were talking about that I completely forgot, but I promise to take some on my next trip!


Right after my trip to San Ramon I got on a bus and headed to Limon for the weekend.  This was such a relaxing trip...like a little mini-vacation!  Jonathan's parents are pastors of the Methodist church in Limon, so we went to visit them and see what all is going on at their church.  This might be another area where I am able to serve on the weekends.  They have some really great things happening in the church and the children and youth groups are really doing some great things. 
While we were there we were able to go to the beach for a few hours...my first beach trip since I have been here this summer!  It was BEAUTIFUL!  We were the only ones on the beach almost the entire day.  We cooked out and swam and sat around and talked.  It was amazing!

The next day we went to the river and had a picnic lunch and then did a little exploring down the river.  Again...beautiful!  Then we got back to the house just in time for the Sunday afternoon service.  The people were super friendly and were so welcoming!  There was such a Spirit filled peace in that place that I can't explain!  Thanks to God for little blessings like this!

Rachel, me and Pastor Jose (Jonathan's Dad)

This week's plan is to do a little relaxing by the pool, go to the Yellow Daisy Festival, and to the Fish Fry at Bethesda United Methodist Church, and catch up with some friends!  In case that doesn't give it away here are some pictures:

Mom and I at the airport...she was the only one that knew!

Mom and I surprising Logan at work! 

Surprising Dad at home

Sitting on my sofa!!

I am home!!! Surprise Daddy and Logan (Mom already knew)!  I have to leave Costa Rica every 90 days because that is when my tourist visa expires, so I thought...what better place to come than home! :) I will be home for the next 2 weeks hanging out with my family.  I am speaking about everything that is going on in Costa Rica at the 4:00 service at Bethesda on Sunday if anyone wants to come have a listen! 
I love you all very much, and I want to, from the bottom of my heart, say thank you for all of your prayers lately.  I have needed them for sure, and God has answered them for sure!  Pray that these two weeks would be weeks of rest and reflection for me and that God would continue to make clear His path and that I wouldn't get it confused with mine.  Pray also that as I return God would continue His process of making me bold and humble even though it may not be fun for me! :)  I love you all so very much!


Also, there are a few books that I would love in order to help teach English classes in Costa Rica.  If you are interested in purchasing a book and sending it back with me or sending it with my mom and sister when they come visit in a few weeks let me know!  There are about 15 or so books on the list, and I really think that they would help a lot with all of the different levels of learners that will be coming to the classes.  You can email me or send me a message on facebook for a list of titles.  My email address is taylor_brooks09@yahoo.com.  Thanks so much! :)