pictures.

home sweet home.

very strange.

here is a glimpse at about 200 picture i took on my trip :)

copy and paste it in your browser and enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050624&id=1393680174&l=9f1d0fcad1

love.

futbol consumed.

sorry that i havent really updated everyone on what i have been up to the past 2 weeks. i can be honest and say not too too interesting. i said a while ago that conexion bought an indoor soccer place and that has consumed my life literally. i wake up, breakfast, go to the futbol 5 then get home for dinner and thats about it. but we have completely transformed this place from a dumpy kind of place to an exciting hangout spot for people to come and of course play / watch a little futbol. i have painted anything and everything here, cleaned the grossest, dustiest and dirtiest things, swept at least a room the size of a football stadium, put egg cartons on a wall for sound stuff or something like that, taken pictures of it all, and you know just enjoyed life. its been fun and exhausting, but so exciting to see this place become what it is and to be apart of something that is going to help this ministry in more ways than anyone could ever imagine. i dont really have a whole lot to say about anything else, its been incredible, but im very tired from working a lot! the lord is soooooo good!

sleeping in tomorrow morning :)

pictures soon, hopefully!

love.

power of prayer.

exactly one week from today i will be ready to board my plane back home to the states. its insane how quickly this summer has flown by. i remember getting out of classes in may, and thinking can i just get to costa rica already, and then how quickly my time came. you can even ask my mom, i had no idea i was going to costa rica when i was sitting in the airport back in june. i kept saying "i just dont believe that i am here to go to costa rica." and 6 weeks later i am in awe of the idea of approaching my final week.

it has been interesting being here all by myself as the only american in the house. i have more alone time than i think anyone could dream of. we finish projects and i get back to the house sometimes around 6 or 7 and just kind of hangout alone. its hard, because as awesome as this family is, when we get home at night, i have dinner, then everyone goes in their rooms. i guess for them its hard to have alone time with their spouses, so you know here i am, just sitting. with that being said, i have been reading a lot and am a good ways into my second journal after being here. i write so freaking much.

and i will be completely honest, it has been extremely hard these past 2 weeks, but at the same time humbling and such a growing process. i have learned so much by being here and its so incredible to see how the lord uses these times to show you what he wants to show you.

so the other day i was with pastors family...always an adventure there, but this time we picked up 2 women from his church and went to this other lady's house. ill go ahead and share that the places smelled awful, the walls of the house were pieces of tin with holes all over the place (like a lot of places) and they did not meet the roof, letting anything and everything in the house. it was tiny, and windows did not exist, only blankets to "cover" what was inside. but we went to her house to pray for her, her family and their home. her son, 24, was accidentally hit by a bus down here and has been in the hospital basically as a vegetable. i didnt follow along with the spanish well enough to know if he was going to be able to "come back" or remain in the state, but i think i heard that he opened his eyes and looked around. with that being said, the doctor does not believe there is anything left to do, so the woman wants to bring her son home, but her living conditions would not support that. we prayed for her for a while and it was one of the most incredible things to experience.

prayer. with people you dont know, with people you do, in other languages, its so simple, yet fascinating to see and hear how unimaginably powerful prayer can be. it is speaking with the lord of the universe, who not only is this huge creator of the entire world, but also a best friend who knows every single thing about you. but so awesome, literally leaving you in awe, that he cares to hear what you have to say to him, and listens, and responds in powerful ways. i dont know what is going to happen with this women and her son, nor will i ever most likely, but i know that god was so present that day, that i dont doubt what he is capable of.

so long blog post short: prayer is incredible. never underestimate its power and the lord you are speaking to when you do.

love.

when you bring a camera to school...

so today i went to a new school and taught a few english classes and really just hungout with the kids. they love having someone that is willing ot give them attention that they so badly crave. and with me to the school, came nigel (my camera for those of you who dont know).

and when nigel comes to play, you get every type of kid in the world ready for a picture. for instance, you get kids doing handstands.

kids who like to pretend they are hard core and fight for the camera.

you get kids who like to blow bubbles with their gum for you.

kids who think they are graduating from high school in the US and need a senior picture.

kids who like to throw up gang signs for the camera and act tough.

kids who think it is raining outside, when the sun is shining.

and more :)

but please dont get me wrong, i LOVED today. and i loved taking pictures of these kids. i simply thought it was hilarious and i just wanted to share with you some of the funny pictures and kids i met today. hope that you enjoy them...

however, i saved my favorite for last. something we girls always do in the states i made girls do here.

ONE

TWO

THREE

JUMMPPPPP!

love.

paints trains & automobiles.

hello dear friends. update on my life:

today began the day of painting the newly purchased indoor soccer place. the "arena" is currently all grey and black which is far from what Jherson would like in this place. So we went to the paint store and i actually got to pick out the colors used. there are offices upstairs that will eventually being the offices for conexion that all need repainted, the actually room where the field is, and another very large room that will hopefully be used for parties and such.

day one: first coat in party room.

many many many days later: mission complete

the place is going to be incredible and has such great potential, but holy crap it is going to take some work to get the vision out of jherson's head and onto those walls. im excited to be apart of the starting team and cant wait to see how it all ends (or course that will be via pictures since its going to take a while). so in all honesty i think that is what i am going to be doing the rest of my time here, plus a few trips to quepos and cocal.

some exciting news on my end is the new meal selection i have been given since i am not the only gringo left in the house. they were constantly asking me what i eat for meals in the states, and i just thought they were curious, but ohh boy, i was so wrong. just this morning i had a pancake and scrambled eggs. now let me tell you about that pancake, when you first looked at it, you would think this is going to be great, but in reality, the bottom was completely black and that thing was a dry as any pancake could ever be. but dont you know i ate every last bit of that thing, because i was so excited and grateful that they cared to try and make me feel more at home. i had a ham and cheese sandwich for dinner tonight and tomorrow jherson said i would have carrots at lunch (in case you dont know, i love eating just the big carrots plain and simple as that). he said they are trying out new things with me. and i love it! this family is so great and hospitable and im so gracious for their kindness to me.

also, i updated my background in 4th of july theme, because i miss my country and familiarity, therefore i wanted to see that when i clicked on my blog. i hope you like it.

conrado fun facts of the day: he LOVES trains. our project at the soccer place has train tracks that run right beside it, and i kid you not, EVERY train that went by, he would run outside like a 5 year old to see this thing go by, and would drag me out paint rollers dripping with paint and all to see the trains. i told mama that they could never live by a train station because even in the middle of the night he would most likely get out of bed to go see the train.

also, he knows 3 english words. 1: chicken 2: (a phrase) shut up. needless to say, conrado tells me to shut up at the most random times and i crack up.

thats about it for now. promise to do a better update soon, just a tad bit tired now though.

love.

ciao tiff.

literally right now, tiffany, you are sitting in the plane about to take off from SJO. its crazy that for the first time since i got to costa rica that i am the only american in the house. im sitting in the room, by myself (still on the top bunk of course) and just in awe of this idea of being alone. i dont have anyone to watch dr house with, or go to the puparia (spell ?) and now i especially cannot go anywhere alone, no one to laugh ridiculously hard with at the pjs lis gives us, nor play uno with. no one to eat chikys with, or share mangos since i cant eat the whole thing. tiff this is WEIRD!

but you, my friend, where such a blessing to have. im so glad i got to have this experience with you and so thankful for how you challenged me in ways you never knew. hope being home is the greatest thing and cannot wait to skype with you!

chapas forever :)

love.

crocs!

After a day of translating lots of articles for the website we headed out on an adventure with pastor’s fam, which also turned into a surprise sleepover. Love them. They are great. Just so you can get a picture in mind, this is Tiffany with the fam: Bryan, Pastor and Lis.

Today was another bright and early start to head to Quepos. We also have to leave early to get to projects and get them done before the rain comes since its rainy season here. This go round we had a group of middle school girls, all girl scouts, and I loved it. Made me miss my little wyldlife girls form blowing rock. Kylie: I swear there was a girl here from california that was an exact replica of you (but since I know you would as, you are cooler im sure). Miss you girls a lot though, and seeing this other middle schoolers made me want to be sitting on the parkway bright and early eating chickfila breakfast.

Anywho, in Quepos we did more of the painting project in the church, trying to add extra coats to what the group did on Monday. It wasnt nearly as hot today which was pleasant and the girls were all really hard workers. We got most of the rooms a second coat and that puts us one step closer to finishing the church up. Im excited to be here another 3ish weeks and hope to see the final. I know all the local kids have been stopping by to see what we have been doing. I love knowing how excited they are for this, which is always great encouragement to make things look well.

On the way how we stopped at this bridge over the river to see the infamous crocodiles that Jherson and Conrado and Jossel have been telling me about. Those things were huge! So these are some of the pictures from them.

For other news, Conexión just made a huge purchase that is truly going to advance their ministry here! No, it wasnt a church or anything like that, but an indoor soccer field! In reality, its the turf under a tin roof, but this is going to be incredible. Soccer is such a big part of their lives here in Costa Rica and this is going to be a great ministry tool. They want to allow schools to host P.E. Times here and to use it as a Christian evangelistic sports camp area too. So something to be praying about is that funds will be provided to reemburse the organization after such a big purchase.

Its been awesome seeing the faith conexión has. I think one of my favorite things about being here is getting to hear different testimonies from around the world. Jherson is a man of HUGE faith and it has been so encouraging to hear what he has to say. Like with the soccer field thing, he just said I know God wanted us to have it, therefore I know he will provide the funds. That is how Jherson works. They always start with nothing and simply watch how incredible the Lord is and how He provides all that is needed for each project. Ive been learning a lot just by listening here.

And I suppose I will end tonight with fun times with Conrado:

Today we were working on the project, and since Conrado is close to 80 he kind of just hangs out, which is good, so occasionally I will go and sit with him. Today we danced. Which was hilarious. And he growled at the middle school girls. I also discovered he is ticklish. OHHHHH BOY. Love him.

Thats all for now.

Love.