We are winning the battle.  The 8 days since our move to Atenas have been filled with sortie after sortie on boxes, dirt,  and clutter.  In a climate with windows open most of the day, even the stuff we are regularly using gets coated with grime.  So, of course the things we had in storage all needed a good scrub.  Add to that the “conquering instinct” within me that wants to clean each nook, corner, and shelf before any of our stuff touches down, and you have an idea of our busy week.  The opposition’s one last stronghold is the office/school room.  Today I will launch an offensive to neutralize the area.  Every day, we take more ground, and liberate more of the floor in our house.  Freedom feels good.  Our nest is becoming cozy.

We’ve stormed some beaches in the ministry arena, too.  Matt has led (and driven) his first two teams on their beach outing, and gotten up to speed on the children’s therapy needs in the Home this week.  With three heaping carts between the two of us, we bought the groceries for the team arriving today, and packed out the car with farmer’s market produce.  We laughed about me practicing yoga in the car because the sack of pineapples filled up the passenger foot room.  I spent some quality time sorting the pantry in the team cabin, and got all sorts of inspiration for shopping lists organized by store aisle and price comparison expeditions.  Things are going well and we are making a difference here.

We still have bumps, though.  While we’ve been living in Costa Rica for over 10 months now, changing houses, cities, and assignments —all at the same time—is its own brand of culture shock.  This morning, when my glasses got bent out of shape, I did, too.  What was a 5 minute drive and a 5 minute fix in Omaha, is an unknown undertaking here in our new home.  We got a lead on a place to try and scouted it out, but they were closed.  Without a schedule posted on the door, or a phone number to call, we’ll try again next week.  Hopefully, my gaze can get straightened out before our visit home in August.

We’ve come a long way.  We are settling into a rhythm of where things go around the house, and how to pitch in around Hogar de Vida.  The smell of baking bread has christened our kitchen.   Seeing the curtains from our Nebraska house flutter in the Costa Rican breezes does something sweet in my heart.   Our footsteps are beating some paths to familiar ground, but our toes are still nudging around in many areas.  We treasure your friendship and prayers as we walk through this transition.  There is still more floor to find.