Today was our last day here at Hogar de Vida, and it was one of my favorites. We returned from our trip to the beach Monday afternoon and promptly took naps. Sun and sand, curvy mountain roads, and good food in combination are always exhausting. We had a lovely evening at Tim and Dena’s for dinner. Tuesday/yesterday, I felt as if I should be packing, even though the weather here had breaks in the rain (unusual for the last few days) and I was tempted to go out and play with the kids. I had fun sorting our dirty laundry and rolling up our clean clothes all into big ziplocks. Yes, I actually enjoyed it, call it a personality flaw if you will.  Did I mention I also packed more than fifty pounds of coffee? We love to share the local blend with our fellow gringos back home. I was following the Spirit, but I thought it was curious to pack up most of our stuff a day ahead of necessity. Now I understand what the Lord had in mind.

Today was gorgeous. Not in the weather, because it rained all day straight in varying intensity, but in the time we were able to spend with the people here. It was my turn to share at devotions this morning, and the Lord gave me a good common ground story and a teaching from John Bevere’s Heart Ablaze book to share, wrapped up with a solid application to our lives. Then we handed out simple stretchy bead bracelets to everyone here old enough to wear one, excluding the dog. Eliana had been making them for two days straight so that people could remember our family as they wore them. Barb, a North American missionary here, quipped that they would certainly remember us as they pick up beads everywhere! Hopefully our knots will hold! Then the kids and I spent the morning going back and forth under our umbrellas making deliveries to the houses of things we had borrowed, food that we had bought but didn’t use up, etc. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to everyone and spend time with them.

We finished off the afternoon with a coffee break with Oscar and Nancy, a newly married couple who invited us to their home two Sundays ago. As we labored in conversation, we felt the Lord connect us in the Spirit, and begin a good work in the marriage relationships here in Atenas. We had hoped to directly accomplish more in that area, but the Lord worked in the background and planted good seed by our example of just being here together as a family.

The Lord is wrapping up this time beautifully. We wanted to leave them with a blessing, and we are finding ourselves blessed. The spirit of the people here is so rich, and I can’t wait until the next time the Lord sends us into their arms.

Please be praying for us as we travel from 5:30 am to approximately 11:00 pm (Central Time) tomorrow, returning to the loved ones and the work the Lord has for us in the states. Dios le bendiga! (God bless you!)