Settling In

We are all moved into our new house!  We are very thankful for our gracious family and friends who have hosted us this summer but it's nice to actually have clothes in a closet and not be living out of a duffle bag.  I'm not sure how to describe what living here is like - different I guess???  There's lots to learn.  Mark and I had our first excursion to the grocery store without any help - which resulted in a long and very WET walk home carrying all of our groceries because we couldn't find an unoccupied taxi.  They weren't kidding about rainy season here!  I've struggled with loneliness at times and feeling a little cooped up since it's generally not safe for me to be out alone but now we have internet and phone lines and official classes start tomorrow!  The kids are adjusting very well and loving the fact that there is an adventure around every corner!  Here is my new dishwasher:

And the laundry help:

And this sweet one got a date with Daddy:

I look forward to hearing how all of you are doing back home!

D-Day!

Hard to believe that 4 years of planning have gone by and we have now started a new leg of this journey! I'm about to fall asleep typing so I'll give you the quick version of today. We started at the Atlanta airport at 6:30 this morning with 4 happy kids and a mound of luggage. Check in and Security could not have gone any smoother thanks to many prayers!

Hank waiting patiently Abe on the airplane (he calls it "hairpane")

And Eli napping on the floor of the Costa Rican airport in the middle of a very long day!

So we're glad to report that we're here safe and sound. We had our first meal out on the town tonight - ridiculously yummy burritos. Looks like we will be able to move into our house on Saturday morning but most of our bags are there already and we will be able to go there tomorrow and do some unpacking. The kids are excited but exhausted. We kept them up late tonight to start adjusting to the time change (CR is 2 hours behind GA). It's awesome to watch them grow and adapt through this process. On a side note, Eli lost his 1st 2 teeth last week and Abe is sleeping in a big boy bed for the first time tonight - let's hope we don't hear a thud:)

Purpose

Disclaimer: I actually wrote this last week but never got around to posting it. Still relevant though...hate to waste it:)

So Mark's great aunt died last week and we attended the funeral today. Funerals have a way of making you ponder deep questions - what is this life all about? what am I doing? where am I going? what legacy am I leaving behind? It's good for me to think through these things and remind myself of what God has shown us during this transition season. I think the most unasked question we get (or don't get, at least outside of church circles) is, "WHY???" And frankly I've been asking myself that lately as my sarcastic inner self tries to argue that this was clearly a terrible idea, it's never going to happen, and we have totally lost our minds! WHY are we leaving ______ (family, friends, church, community, ministry, job, life) that we know and love so well? WHY are we reducing our lives to 14 duffel bags and whatever we can store in a coat closet? WHY are we moving to a third world country where we're likely to have spotty electricity, really big flying roaches, and lots of diarrhea? WHY are we uprooting 4 young children and giving them every vaccination under the sun? And then I remember that Christ died on a cross for a lousy sinner like me. And I remember that life does have a purpose - to know Him and to make Him known - and if I miss that and if I miss teaching that to my children then I have missed it all. What a sad legacy that would be - to live a life that was safe and comfortable and happy but to never run hard after the one thing that brings true joy and satisfaction. So we press on and we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And we consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:2-3) I encourage you to run hard wherever God has placed you.