Fighting with the Washing Machine...and Our Address!!!

So..today's been pretty uneventful but yesterday...oh gosh. Let's just say..if you know anyone over the age of 65 they will probably find the following story absolutely HILARIOUS.

I left school early to go home and wash clothes. I put my clothes in the washer and everything's fine and then I turn it on and nothing....Ok-I'm educated. I can figure this out. Yep...uh huh it's not plugged in. So now the washer is making a strange noise but no water came out. So I pull out the instructions...nada. Finally (20 minutes later) I see a faucet so I turn it and TA DAH water comes into the washer. I was so nervous about how everything worked that I sat on the floor beside the washer for the next hour. When the clothes finished I felt SOOO accomplished. Now the fun part...hanging them on the line. It's harder than you think. Clothespins can be quite fickle. The whole experience was just hilarious. We're Hoods in the Rica alright. Hay Dios Mio

Oh yeah....here's our address...let me know if you send something so I can go look because it's a post office box in town:

Apartado 2287, 3000
Heredia, Heredia
Costa Rica, Central America

So this is the way security works in Costa Rica and most Latin America countries as I understand. It looks strange but it's effective. From the road there's a gate that you lock so people can't come in. Down the path is our house so it's nice because it's not directly on the road.

Becoming domestic. After I showed the washing machine who was boss!

Our clothes on the line. Any suggestions on how to make them not so stiff?Sunday's sunset from our front porch. I know...words escaped me when I saw it too.

Mondays in Paradise

Sooo....I can't believe it's Monday. Time seems to be going by very quickly here which I'm not sure if that's good or bad. The kids start school a week from today so that's pretty scary. Emilio and I are lesson planning...he's working on Science which is just precious. They're going to be learning about invertebrates :) Yesterday my friend Katie came over and helped me cook a Costa Rican dish that turned out actually really well so be excited for my return at Christmas! Yesterday we saw the most beautiful sunset but I forgot my camera cord so I'll show it to you tomorrow. I will say this: God is moving and shaking in Costa Rica and Emilio and I feel his presence stronger here than ever. We are so excited to be a part of whatever is going to happen here and I'm so excited to get to share it with you!

I'll leave you with this...this is the view from our back door. At night the lights from the houses cover the mountains.

pura vida...july 26

So as I'm typing I'm also killing ants at the same time. The ants here don't bite...they are just annoying. BUT that has been the only downer in an otherwise awesome new life.

Yesterday was our only day off thus far, and we spent it like any normal couple would...shopping. We went to a store called "Price Smart" aka the Sam's Club of Costa Rica. We bought a lot...and I mean A LOT of rice and beans and a new fan! When we got home, we watched "The Dark Knight"(just as awesome to watch here in Costa Rica as it is in the US) and then took a deserved nap. Who knew lesson planning, painting, and cutting down a tree could be so exhausting?

Later that day Hope and I cooked our first home cooked meal...rice and chicken with beans. We decided that I would be in charge of cooking meat (duh) and Hope would do the rice and beans. Needless to say we had quite an adventure. Hope used a pressure cooker to do the beans which almost blew up in her face...luckily I was there to save the day. Ok, so that might be a stretch...but I did move it from the stove to the sink. Despite our battle, the food was actually pretty good. It wasn't like mama cooks it, but we'll get there.

Today we woke up, ate breakfast, and went to church. I don't know why I was surpised, but the worship, despite the language barrier, was just as good here as it is in the States. Pastor Rene spoke today and it was awesome! He spoke about sickness, and how the Lord doesn't bring that sickness on us, but He does want to see us well! Afterword Hope and I continued to meet new people. I know it's been said before, but the people here are so good to us! God has been good to us! Thats enough for now...Hope needs to check facebook. But We love y'all!

Pura Vida!

Hope and I in front of the school!

More Pics and a slight allergy attack...

I think that everyday the weather gets more and more beautiful. There is such an incredible breeze. This morning we got to work and then did devotion which was awesome. Pastor decided me and Katie (my new best friend who is from Pennsylvania and speaks no spanish) needed a Spanish lesson. After 2 grueling and very frustrating hours I think I would have been fine if I never heard Spanish again. We went to eat lunch and my eyes started hurting really bad. Soon they were so swollen that I could barely see and I was in a lot of pain. We are not sure what caused it...perhaps the ant spray or the cat but I'll be wearing my glasses for a while. The good news is I'm feeling much better. Here are some more pictures of our new home.

Here's the spare room but it's currently full of our clothes and unpacked suitcase. We ran out of hangers so I just left them in the suitcase. This room is totally open for any potential visitors.

Here's our cute little dining room. Notice that every wall in the house is a different color.

The bathroom. Probably nicer than you expected...my favorite part is the blue toilet...and of course the hot water! Thank you Jesus!

Our little kitchen. I haven't used it too much yet but I should be learning how to make rice and beans soon so that's exciting.

Our little wash room. Notice that it's close to a back door. The back door leads to the clothes line complete with a beautiful view which I will post tomorrow.

Hasta luego!

By Popular Demand

Here are some pictures! Today I did lots of lesson planning and Emilio cut down a tree. Too bad I didn't get a picture of that

Here is our precious "casa." It's not a far walk at all from school and it's just the perfect size. I'll show you a little of what's inside.

This is our living room....but you probably figured that out already. We leave the doors and windows open when we're home to get a nice breeze.

Here is our room complete with very comfy mattress and of course...EJ. I have lots more but we have church soon so I have to run. Stay tuned!!

We're Here

So after a long day of travel yesterday we finally made it. When we got here we were welcomed by familar faces and then taken to an incredible lunch. What did we eat you ask?? Well...grilled chicken, rice, beans, and the most amazing plantanes (spelling?). During lunch a huge rain storm came up and it was so peaceful. The rain was over by the time we finished eating and we rode to our new home. I forgot how cute it was and I am so happy! We took the short walk to our new work to use the wireless internet. I had to ensure my family I made it safe. We walked home in the pitch black even though it was only 6:30 and tried to unpack and of course I tried to get Emilio to move the furniture around. We were asleep by 9:30 and so glad to finally be home.

Last minute preparations

So Emilio and I have our plane tickets. We are leaving at 10:30am on July 21st. My dad was so wonderful and cashed in some sky miles so not only do we have tickets to Costa Rica, but back home for Christmas on December 18th. Please pray for us as we are moving out of 2 apartments, writing thank you notes, paying bills, and trying desperately to trust God as we say our goodbyes. Also, if you could pray that our cars would sell or that we would find the money to cover our payments while we are gone. We are completely walking by faith when it comes to this but time is running out! We love you so much and promise to update as often as possible.