I spent this morning clearing out sticks and then mowing the grass around the home. They have a lot of space to maintain and hot, wet weather so mowing is a continual need. Kris and the kids were outside most of the morning. Kris helped hang up laundry and Eliana and Elijah had fun playing all around the park and the rancho with the kids. I think the kids will not know what to do when we get home and there are no longer 30 friends around to play at all times! Elijah is really starting to open up and interact with the kids the last day or two. In the beginning he stayed more to himself playing beside the kids, now he is playing more with them.

After the morning we had lunch in casa arriba (the upstairs house) with Noemy and Connie, two of the tias in that home. Our Spanish is improving and we were able to have a very good talk, joking about soccer teams (Saprissa vs. Alejuela) and how Elijah must have gotten his gray eyes from me because of my gray hair. As Kris said later, you can only ask someone how they are so many times a day with any real meaning to the conversation. We have really enjoyed being able to get past ‘How are you? Good.’ with the tias and ticos the past few days.

Right now Kris is making chocolate chip cookies and I am listening to the Huskers on the computer. Praise God for laptops and wireless internet. It continually amazes me the dichotomy of how some areas seem so behind and others are technologically up to speed. I can sit in our cabin, post blogs and listen to the Huskers but I can’t flush the toilet paper.

Tim and Dena left today for Omaha so please bless them while they are there. We are praying for restoration, refreshment and new vision for them while they are away. They will be returning on Monday October 6th so we have a new stage living here without their help.

Tomorrow we will go to la Iglesia Biblica, Pastor Oldemar’s church. Another test to see how our Spanish is progressing. Next Sunday will be a nice blessing because the service will be translated into English. Iglesia Biblica translates it the first Sunday of every month.

We have planned a field trip with the older class of kids from the school this coming Monday morning. We will be going with a couple of the tias to Zoo Ave (the Bird Zoo) in Alejuela, about 45 minutes from Atenas. We pray that the rain will hold off until we return and that we will not lose any of the kids at the zoo! Eliana has been praying regularly that we will be able to go to the zoo, so she is very excited.

Thank you so much for your prayers.