After we were up and going this morning we went to the downstairs house to see Marielos (or ‘Ma’). She is the lead tia of the downtstairs house and has a special place in our hearts from our previous visits. It was such a blessing to see her again and reconnect.

After many hugs and kisses from Ma we played with the kids before Kris and I met with Dena to outline our plans and schedule for this trip. We caught up with Dena on the happenings in the home since we were here last year. Barb, one of the missionaries who teaches the preschoolers here at the home, is back in the US until the beginning of October. So, Kris will spend some time each morning teaching and playing with the preschoolers to help out until Barb returns. Eliana and Elijah will join Mommy in the classes with the other kids. This is perfect for them because they keep asking to play with the children. Kris also has grand plans to make treats for the houses to use as snacks for the children. I will spend time a few mornings a week doing physical therapy with several different children in the home. I will spend the other days working alongside the men (ticos) doing different projects around the home. We are all excited to help out in each of these areas. As with any missions trip, these give us an outline but there will be many daily adjustments as different needs arise around the Home.

When we finished meeting with Dena we returned to the downstairs house for an awesome meal of arroz con pollo, frijoles negros y pina (rice with chicken, beans and fresh pineapple) compliments of Ma, Yorleni and Denia.

When we were praying with Eliana and Elijah last night before bed, the thing they most wanted to do today was play in the park. There are several swingsets, slides and other equipment here at the home. We all prayed that God would provide clear weather without rain so they could play. God loves the prayers of a child! We have had beautiful weather today so the kids were able to go play in ‘the park’ after lunch! Kris and I did our best to restrain ourselves as they slid through the mud at the bottom of the slide and climbed over the equipment. Eliana and Elijah even met a new friend Kerry. She is the daughter of Vanessa one of the tias in the upstairs house. I’m not exactly how it worked out this way, but when they finished playing our two were coated with dirt but somehow Kerry was still clean! Ah well, the kids had a great time and with a quick wipedown with a wet washcloth and some clean socks they were ready to go shopping!

We then made an excursion into Atenas to stock the cabin with groceries. The kids had their first ride in a taxi and were able to see mountains for the first time. Grandmas and Grandpas can think back to the days of kids riding on their laps with no carseats. Shopping was uneventful though a test for our Spanish translation skills.

I will try to post more pictures soon. God Bless

Matt