Nov. 12 update

Hello friends,
I think it has been a while since I’ve written…It’s not that I haven’t thought about you. I know you have been praying for me and I do ask that you continue doing that. The past few weeks have been a time of adjustment and a time of realization. I, along with other students, have realized that we aren’t here just for a short time we are for the long term in order to learn Spanish. You might be thinking I could have told Carol that before she left. You’re right. Sometimes it just takes being in the situation for it to really sink in.

Overall things are going good. The other week we hit the halfway point of the trimester. We had evaluation reports. The common theme was that my schoolwork and attendance is great, I just need more confidence. Since I received those reports God has provided a Costa Rican lady who I have been visiting. I met her through a friend who was here for the month’s intensive studies. The Costa Rican ladies name is Dora. She told me that I have a friend in her. I would ask that you would pray for Dora and our friendship.

I did have the opportunity a couple of times to go to another area of town called La Carpio. It is a really poor area of town. Each Thursday students from the language institute go there and have a ministry with the children there. I was able to go there one week and also I was able to go with the children on a Saturday to the park and to enjoy McDonalds. If you want to see a few pictures you can look on the website.

I would ask that you would pray that I would finish well these last few weeks. My sister will be visiting over the Christmas holidays. God has worked it out so that I will be house sitting during the time she is here so that will be fun.

Giving directions here and receiving directions is definitely a challenge. For the most part road names are nonexistent. To tell someone where you live you might say 300 meters south of the Shell station, in the yellow house with white fence. Or go east out of the school for 2 blocks then go west 3 blocks and then go south 2 blocks and you’ll be there. Well if you know me you know that north, south, east, west and directions like that are not my forte. The other day my Tica mom had told me that a new shopping mall had opened not too far away from here. Saturday morning I woke up with the desire to go walking and exploring areas that I hadn’t been yet. So I started walking. I thought I should see if I can find the mall. I followed the vague directions which she had given me. But I found it! I was so happy when I found it. When I returned home and told the Tica mom that I had found the mall she was very surprised and happy that I had been able to follow her directions. I would ask that you would continue to pray for the relationship with the Costa Rican family who I live with. Thank you Lord that it is a good situation.

In the early part of December I will have an oral proficiency exam, I would ask that you would pray for this. This is a test which the IMB gives to see where we are in the language.

I am sure that there is a lot more that I could write but at this moment I am not sure what that is. Thank you for your continuing prayers and support. Thank you for those who have sent cards and notes. The mail is arriving usually in about 7 or 8 days.

Instead of my writing a verse for you to read I encourage you to take a minute and find the verse that God has for you….For me today it was a section out of Colossians namely Colossians 3:2.
Love, Carol