Costa Rica or the Trip that Almost didn't happen

So two weeks ago, Matt and I went to Costa Rica for a church mission trip.  The week before was VBS and packed with last minute to-do's.  In addition, my parents made a last minute trip to see my Uncle Jim in Ohio.  Their plan was to be back Saturday afternoon (our flight was scheduled for Saturday morning but with most of my family in Denver, the kids were covered).  Sadly, my great Aunt Shirley passed away from a massive stroke while they were in Ohio.  It was such an emotional week and I was conflicted about traveling to Ohio and going forward with plans.  She was a sweet woman, never forgot a birthday, taught me how to be a good hostess as she was wonderful, laughed lots, told stories about my Grandmother, shared her love of antiquing with me, and I will miss our phone calls.  I'll miss her. 

So Mom and Dad were in Ohio, I had a CT scan Wednesday to determine if I had kidney stones or a tumor (how many of you have prayed that you have kidney stones?) and then was stressed about passing what turned out to be kidney stones (praise GOD) in Costa Rica, VBS was in full swing, Matalley came down with a fever Thursday and was super clingy about us leaving, and a whole host of other small things (speeding ticket on drive to Denver, packing 5 people for 10 days, hitting/killing a bird with a truck, figuring out child care if Mom and Dad didn't return from Ohio).  It was crazy and I kept thinking, maybe God doesn't want us to go.  Then a friend knocked some sense into me...she said if God didn't want me to go, then He would make it clear...like shut down the airport.  But if it was the devil, he'd create angst and worry and fear which is exactly what had happened.  Matt and I had been planning the trip for over a year and if we didn't go then, the mission trip would happen without us...we couldn't go the following week.  So we went..."For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

I gave a small talk at church this morning to describe our experience and I so could have used 4 or 5 hours instead of the 5 minutes I had.  It was a life changing experience and furthered my testimony.  The Ticos had so little but gave so freely, they ministered to us as we were ministering to them.  I taught a woman to sew without her understanding any English and my very, very limited ability to speak Spanish and then she taught another woman how to sew a purse.  The last night, the head of the facility said that one blessing had created a multitude of blessings.  She pointed to a woman that had started off with no sewing skills and because of her attendance at the community center, she had a job so her children had food and would grow up contributing to the success of others.  I wish everyone could go on a Mission Trip and I hope to go on many more. 

Below is a slide show.  I took over 400 pictures and lots of people you'll never know, so I slimmed them down some.  I'll have a book if you ever want to see them, but I promise not to invite you over for dinner under the pretext that you will view them all at once and hear every detail. 

We drove to Denver Friday, left Denver Saturday morning, arrived in Costa Rica Saturday night, spent Sunday preparing for the arrival of the other mission trip members, spent Monday clearing a garden and creating a slanted road (slanted away from the church for rain drainage...used my Daddy's lessons on grating dirt all day!). Tuesday I taught women to sew (using skills my Mother taught me) and Matt worked more on the road.  We also went to church and they were SO JOYFUL...there were flags waving and people dancing.  Wednesday I taught women to sew and Matt worked on the roof of the church.  Thursday we went on a prayer walk (can you imagine 24 people entering your one tin covered room with dirt floor slanted on a hill all at once to pray with you?  I have no pictures of the prayer walk because we didn't take anything, not even my wedding ring, with us). And then Friday, the rest of the group went down to the beach while Matt and I visited a coffee plantation, volcano, rain forest, and had a nice dinner.  We left Saturday afternoon and arrived to Denver Sunday afternoon.  The rest of the group arrived in Amarillo Monday.  It was a REALLY great trip!