February has been an amazing month!  The Lord has really just been pouring into me like never before...or maybe I've never opened myself up to it like I have lately.  Whatever the reason, it has just been an encouraging and (I hate to be redundant but....)amazing journey.  Last month I really felt like God's focus and purpose during my quiet time was to bring me back to the basics of my faith and what it means to be a Christian and follow the Lord.  I feel like those of us who have grown up in the church kind of take all of those lessons for granted because we have heard them over and over, so sometimes we just ignore them or think that we don't need to hear them, and last month God was showing me that I definitely do need to hear them and not just hear them but learn and apply them.  This month I feel like God has gotten a little more personal in His teaching.  He has been revealing to me the things that are separating me from His perfect will for my life...areas where I am not trusting in Him to take care of me and not keeping my hope in Him alone.  Also, He is teaching me to be joyful in all circumstances and never stop praying for my own faith and for others.  He is showing me areas in my life where I need to have more patience and where I am being selfish and putting my needs before the needs of the others.  I am just laying all my junk out there for you all to see, but maybe this is part of what God is doing in my life.  I have always felt like I had to be perfect, or at least make others think that I am, but God is teaching me that it really doesn't matter if others think that I am perfect or not because He knows every move that I make, so even if I am fooling others they are not the ones that I have to answer to in the end!  WOW!  Do you see what I mean.....just amazing! God is so good!  Sometimes the lessons that He is teaching are not the easiest to hear or admit to, but He has truly been walking me through them step by step with amazing support from my Momma and Daddy and sister and some great people here and some super friends back home. It is like everyday He puts someone in my path to confirm what He is teaching me that day.  I feel like a little protege walking and following and listening.  I know that I am probably not a super good one, but I'm trying! :)
Anyways, so along with all that God has been bringing amazing blessings over the last month!  A friend that I met in one of the groups that came over the summer came back to visit Costa Rica and the people that he had met here.  While he was here, he came to one of my English classes (and actually recruited a couple of new students for me!) and Jonathan and I were able to steal him away for a couple of days.  We took him to Limon where he was able to see my students there take a test :).  We also went to a river nearby, learned how to make pati and bread and went to the amusement park in San Jose with family and friends on the Sunday that he was here!  It was a blessing to see the way that Ray interacted with the people here and how he tried so hard to communicate every chance he could even though he didn't speak Spanish!  What a blessing you are Ray! :)  Here are some pictures from our crazy week with Ray! :)

English class in Alajuela - Ray, Manuel and Jonathan

English class in Limon studying for the test! :)

Ray helping Catherine with her test....that's called cheating Ray! haha jk!

Ray hanging out with Jonathan's family watching tv while we learn to make Pati...YUM!

Issac, Me and Ray at the amusement park watching while Jonathan and Manuel rode the crazy ride where you drop like a mile from the sky at death-defying speeds :)

Here are some pictures of our Pati making and bread making and the beautiful river that we were able to go to!  God is amazing for sure!

My first Pati!

Jonathan's mom and I making super yummy bread!

The beautiful river that we went to

I also was able to meet an amazing group of people who came here on a mission trip.  One night when I was having English class and the band was practicing in the church the group walked by to go to POPS to get some ice-cream and walked in the church to listen to the music.  After class was over I was able to talk to them a little and what a blessing they were!  The following day Ray and I met them at the church that they were working at and worked with them to paint and build!  I was also able to attend one of their devotionals where I was able to listen to more about their story and how they got here and what God was doing in each of their lives.  I wasn't able to have individual conversations with each of them, but the conversations that I did have were exactly what I needed.  God used each of the conversations to really confirm a lot of what He has been teaching me about my own journey and to hear from all of these retired men and women about the important things in life and God's timing really just gave me more insight into what God had been teaching me!  I know that God didn't necessarily send this group to Costa Rica for me, but it sure did feel like it.  I made a great group of friends and they reminded me of home! :)

God's group of angels just for me! 

"Working" :) ....they caught us

God also sent me on an amazing weekend trip to a place called Talamanca.  I don't have a ton of pictures because my camera died while I was there, and there is no electrical outlets their, so I was not able to charge it...bad planning on my part...sorry guys!  Anyways, before I tell you about the trip I want to tell you a story about how God continues to confirm the lessons that He is teaching me.  Out trip for Talamanca was made in order to help the locals in this community with uniforms and school supplies as the school year kicked-off (here school starts at the beginning of February).  The church in Limon along with some people from Alajuela had been gathering supplies for a couple of months and were about ready to go.  They were still short a little bit, and I felt like God was really calling me to help.  In January I had recalculated my budget, and if I continued spending the same amount on food, transportation, and teaching supplies as I did in June - December I would not be able to stay past April in Costa Rica.  Like I said earlier, God has really been teaching me that I need to think in the present and follow in the present each step that He calls me to make and that He will protect and provide for the future. So, knowing all of this about my finances I still followed what I felt like God was calling me to do.  I bought 35 notebooks, about 10 pairs of uniform socks, 4 uniforms and about 100 pencils.  That day when I got to the church and checked my email I had an email from my mom saying that she had deposited a check for the exact amount into my account that someone had given her at church!  God not only provided, but he provided exactly what I needed, but there is more to the story!  About 5 days later I received an amazing donation for almost exactly what I needed to cover the months of May and June, and I know that God will fill in the gaps as He already has begun doing!  What an amazing God we serve! :)

Luke 6:38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

So thank you to all that have contributed...financially, in prayer, in support, and in encouragement.  Know that your gift will be returned in full and not only that but pressed down and shaken together to make room for MORE!!! :)

So back to the actual trip to Talamanca....Talamanca is a community in the mountains that has no electricity, no modern plumbing, none of the things that we consider so necessary in today's culture.  It is located in the mountains and is about 3 to 4 hours walking from the closest grocery store.  Many of the people living in this community have never seen a car or a grocery store or a paved road.  Their main form of transportation is their feet and second to that are horses.  The church where I am serving in Limon has helped to built churches in this community and teach pastors and build communities of believers and now they go occasionally to help and fellowship with the people there.  Here are some of the pictures of this beautiful place!

Our team minus Jonathan who was taking the picture

Shower - Day 1

One of the 3 churches that they have helped to build

Shower - Day 2

One of the houses

It is hard to see in this picture, but we had about 10 kids walking with us...right now we were on a break but each of the kids was helping to carry the supplies and clothes and boots that we brought.  Each bag weighed somewhere close to 30 pounds.  The girl that is second in this line of kids has one of the bags tied around her head with a piece of a shirt, so that all the weight was on her head!  This was one of the smaller bags.

Then my camera died...:(, but I promise next time I will take lots of pictures for you all to see! :)

We were also able to help in some of the construction on the church in Limon.  We are only taking small steps in this project because we are only able to do what each month's budget allows, but every month we are able to do a little more!  Here are some pictures from this month's steps.

Our pulley system to get the materials upstairs

My super powerful drilling stance! haha

Things have also been going great with the English classes both in Alajuela and in Limon.  God has really been teaching me what I can do to better meet each groups needs!  We have added an advanced group in Alajuela one day a week, and we have added 30 minutes a lesson to the classes in Limon just for English homework help.  All the students in Limon are in middle and high school, so they had English classes at school too.  This insight that God has provided has really encouraged the students in both groups and me as well! :)  I love it when God shows me exactly how to do my job! :)  Here are some pictures of the classes (with lots of new faces!!)

Alajuela group work

Alajuela partner work :D

Alajuela class

Limon one-on-one practice

This month has really been a Spirit-filled month of growth and stretching.  God has been doing so many wonderful things in my life, and I am so honored and blessed to have this time where I am able to really set my focus on Him and learn to put in first in all situations and turn to Him first in all circumstances!  He has been teaching, testing, and rewarding/correcting (depending on what grade I get on the tests! :)), and I have just felt entirely unworthy of all the attention that He has been spending on me over the last couple of months, but loving every minute of it.  He teaches us to rejoice in all circumstances and pray continually, and I am learning this and learning what it truly means.  All circumstances are to teach us and grow us, so we should rejoice with each step because it means that we are closer to the place that He wants us to be and closer to Him!  As always, there is no way I would be here right now if it weren't for each of you, so thank you so much for your prayers, support, encouragement and love!  You all are amazing and will be rewarded in full for all that you have given so that God could have me exactly where He wants me!  I love you all very much and pray that God would bless you, mold you and protect you along your own journey! :)