Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

This is one of my favorite hymns. I know it is a song that is used a lot at funerals, but for me it brings such great peace and reminds me that my Heavenly Father knows me and loves me and that He is at work on His children's behalf...He doesn't rest and He doesn't sleep, but we can rest, and we can "be still" knowing He will take care of us no matter where we are and no matter the situation.
Today, I was reading in Genesis 16 about Hagar running away from her mistress, Sarai (later Sarah) because she was being mistreated. An angel of the Lord found her in the desert and asked where she was coming from and where she was going. She was also informed that she would have a son, Ishmael, and that she would have many descendants. The verse that I love the most and really want to share is verse 13. She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." I share this because like the above hymn, knowing that God sees me...that He knows my pain, my fear, what makes me laugh, my joy, my doubt, my gifts, my weaknesses; brings me great peace. I know that He cares for me, that He "sees" me in my day to day life and because of this He knows exactly what I need and exactly how to take care of me and I can find peace and rest in Him. And that is exactly what He wants.
One of the biggest things that I am learning right now is to trust in Him. To trust and believe that He sees me and that He has not forgotten about me and to know that He has a plan for me and that He is with me always.

It is so hard to believe that I have been down here in Tapachula now for over 2 weeks. It is so weird how time flies and yet at the same time the days here are so full (I will fill you in on what a day looks like here later...). I traveled down here August 3 with the Mission Team from Isle of Hope UMC. I enjoyed serving with old friends and making new ones as well! Their time here was amazing! Hope is working on a cookbook with recipes made in the homes and also to share the children and Mission on the Move's stories. Once finished this book will be sold to help raise awareness and support for the work of Mission on the Move here. I tell you this because they were testing recipes and preparing them for the cookbook, so we ate very, very well! The kids especially enjoyed it. Time was also spent at the Water park, playing games, and loving on these kids with the love of Jesus! Two of the older boys Uli and Dany started college and just this past week we received two new boys. I also had the opportunity to venture in to La Frontera with Tio Tino and my friends Stanford and Robert. I can officially say that I have been to Guatemala and not only that but that I have had one foot in Mexico and one foot in Guatemala. It was sad to see the team leave, but I knew that was when my time here would really begin...
Since then I have celebrated my first birthday in Mexico(25!!!), complete with "the whole smashing of the face in the cake" tradition. It was a great fiesta! I have been learning how to drive in Mexico, teaching English and helping prepare the students to go back to school on the 23rd. A typical day starts for me at 5:30 am when Tia Teri, Chelsea, some of the kids, and I go to the neighborhood park to walk and exercise. Then after that begins a full day of teaching, helping, loving, and serving. The past couple of days I have been helping lead the morning and evening devotion. This is something that I love to do, but at the same time it is huge challenge for me to teach in Spanish. I know that within in time it will be easier though. I am not going to lie...it is tiring, but I love the feeling of my head hitting the pillow after a day well spent.
I love being here with these children and serving alongside these devoted house parents, but at times it has also been really hard for me. I think the biggest thing is of course, the language barrier and really finding my place here. Yes, I know I spent 2 months in language school, but it is still hard because Spanish is spoken differently here than in Costa Rica. I also at times lack confidence in my abilities to communicate. I just feel as if I am not able to express and be myself. So, I've had so many moments of feeling weak and useless, but it is amazing how the Lord works in these moments through the hugs and encouraging words of a sweet child, through encouragement and wisdom from a friend who has been there, through words read in a book, or words of scripture. The title of this blog was actually taken from some of those encouraging words I was talking about. They are from Brennan Manning's "Patched Together: A Story of My Story." I have also found encouragement in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I know that God has a plan for me in all of this! I also know that I can do nothing without Him. He is my provider, my strength, and my joy. He is the reason I am here an He is the one I see looking back at me in the face of these precious children.

"Go back and live out your name; live like the beloved of Abba. Some may ask you, but most others will simply observe the way you live. Some will call you crazy, some may even try to silence your voice, but some will stop and wonder. Your courage in living as Abba's beloved can give others the strength to do the same. For in the end one thing remains-Abba's love. ...Define yourself as one beloved by God." Brennan Manning

I hope these words offer encouragement to you in your own journeys of faith.

Recently I was home visiting my mom. That morning I came into the kitchen and she had made coffee and told me that she had set out a coffee cup for me to use. She said she thought it was appropriate for me. So I went over to grab the cup and some coffee and as I picked up and read the cup, I laughed. It was a "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" cup. I used to love watching that show as a kid and then eventually playing the games that came out. Anyways, it made me smile and I told her it was definitely appropriate. Good one mom :).
Since returning home from Costa Rica at the end of May, it seems like I have been here, there, and everywhere. I have had the opportunity to do some traveling with my family. I was a part of my church mission team (Wilmington Island UMC) that went down to Tapachula for a week in June, which was amazing. It was great to be with the children again, see the Lord use the team to love and minister to the girls, and to meet some new friends. I have been in Savannah and Valdosta, and places in between. Let's just say I have gotten really good at packing a suitcase.
Right now, I am back in Savannah and I am packing up my apartment and moving out since I leave on August 3 to return to Tapachula to begin my time there. I will be there for 3 months to begin with and then I will return to Tapachula in January for about 6 months. I am so excited that I will be able to travel with and be a part of the Isle of Hope Mission team going to Tapachula.
I am ready to get back down there! Although, the longer I am here, the harder it is to leave. I am just so blessed with a loving family and with amazing friends. I am so thankful to have such a great support system. I know that this is what the Lord has prepared me for though and I know that leaving is a part of it, the act of stepping out in faith. When I do have times of fear and anxiety, the Lord reminds me with His peace that He has provided for me in the past and to entrust my future with Him because He is faithful and He is always with me, no matter where I am in in this world.
During my time in Mexico, I will be updating this blog and posting pictures. Please remember the children in Tapachula, Mission on the Move, and me in your prayers. Muchas Gracias!

"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare."
--Psalm 40:5

Well, it is raining so hard outside. The rainy season is definitely in full swing here. I actually got caught out in it on my way home from church this afternoon. Que lastima, verdad! I forgot to take my umbrella with me. I was one soaked little pelirroja!My mama tica told me that down here the umbrella is an everyday necessity, an accessory, even if when you leave the house it is clear and sunny. Anyways, I came home and decided since it was flooding outside I would update my blog. I am very sorry I haven't done so in awhile. Well, this is my last week here in Costa Rica. I truly can't believe how quickly the time has passed. I can honestly say this has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have learned and experienced so much (including my first earthquake/temblor) and I have truly been blessed by this opportunity to learn. I really believe that every experience and every person that has crossed my path up to this point, has had some sort of impact on my life and that the Lord uses these to make me the person that I am. Each day I am changing and learning as God presents me with new opportunities and new lessons. "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go,for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8 Gracias a Dios! I am really sad to leave this place, but I am also really excited to see my family and friends. I am also excited about what the Lord has for me coming up around the bend. I ask that you would continue to pray for me during this last week and also for safe travel for me this Saturday (May 29). I also ask that you would pray for the Tapachula, Mexico mission team from Wilmington Island UMC. We are leaving on June 10 to go to Tapachula to work with Mission on the Move for a week. This will be the first test of my new Spanish language...I hope I pass! I am really looking forward to this trip. I am excited about seeing the little niños and also seeing how the Lord is going to use our team.
I have included some Spanish terms in this post...it is your homework to figure out what they mean :)
Dios te bendiga!

P.S. This is a picture from Manuel Antonio National Park. Un mono cariblanca

Where to even begin...This will be my third week of language school here in Costa Rica and everything is going quite well. For the next couple of weeks I will be the only student at Forester Instituto Internacional, but at least I am at the head of my class :). I have a wonderful, patient professor, thank goodness! I am really learning a lot though, which is very good news considering that is why I am here. I have a long way to go as far as speaking Spanish fluently, but I am getting there, but when it comes to understanding what people are saying to me in Spanish, I would have to say I am doing pretty well. I am really interested to see my total progress at the end of May.
During these past couple weeks I have had the opportunity to put all my lessons to work with my Costa Rican family and at different cultural events including The Parade of Horses and The Orchid Exposition.
I am still amazed at the peace the Lord has given me through all of this. Yes, I miss my friends and family, but I have peace. I am not sad or homesick, which I am sort of surprised at because when I moved into my apartment in Savannah I cried for nights. Don’t get me wrong I was excited to be there, but I was in a new city, living by myself for the first time in my life. I know that is a pitiful example, but in some ways I expected it to be the same here, at least initially and then I would get over it like before, but it is the complete opposite. I have the peace that passes all understanding. I tell you this only to show the power, strength, and peace that the Lord has given me here in Costa Rica. He is here with me always and He is constantly providing for me. So, I am just here and relying on Him.
This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to go to church here for the first time. I found a Methodist church in downtown San Jose, Templo Evangelico Metodista “El Redentor”. I was a little nervous about going because it is tough enough to visit a church by yourself in America, much less being a foreigner in another country visiting a church. It was so great though, the people were so friendly and welcoming and I even met some other Americans there who are missionaries here working at a Methodist School near where I live. Just another blessing from God! I am so excited about returning this Sunday.
I have one last thing I want to share because I know this is getting kind of long and you are probably tired of reading this (if anyone is reading this). I wanted to share a verse that I had in my devotion last week. It is Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving.” The reason I share this is because I began wondering, “How am I serving the Lord here in Costa Rica?” Sure, I am learning Spanish so I can go and serve in Mexico, but what am I doing to glorify Him here. After reading this verse, I realized I am serving Him through my diligence in studying, through the opportunity to share with those I meet about the work that the Lord is doing in my life (for instance why I am here learning Spanish and what I plan to do with it.) As long as I am working to give Him the glory in all things that I do, even here...I am serving Him.

“In my life: be lifted high
In my world; be lifted high
In my love; be lifted high...”
- “Came to My Rescue” by Hillsong










The first picture is of Forester Instituto Internacional, my language school. The second is of my house here in Costa Rica and the third is of my family here in Costa Rica. In our home, there are two girls from Switzerland, one girl from Germany, two Costa Ricans and me representing for the USA. The other guy is also from the USA, Miami, but he was only here for a week. The next two images are from The Parade of Horses. The last is from The Expostion of Orchids and this particular one is the National Flower.























































To view more photos click on this link:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2188326&id=46201418&l=26d3bddc4e

First of all, I would like to say I am sorry I have not posted sooner, but my computer has been having some issues and I am having to use the computer when I can at school or go to an internet cafe. With that said, I have been here in San Jose, Costa Rica for a little over a week now and I am really enjoying it. Sure, classes are tough, so much information at such a rapid pace, but I love this place, the people, and the culture. During the week, I go to Spanish class from 8:00 am-12:00 pm, Monday through Friday. In the afternoons, I explore the city with other students and then work on homework and I study, study, study. I have the weekends off to "rest". This weekend I had the opportunity to go to Jaco Beach and also to a parade of horses downtown, it was definitely a fun, cultural experience. The days are full, but in a good way. It has been very interesting because there are not that many students here at this time. So, sometimes it does get a little lonely, but I know that I am never alone. Speaking of that, the Lord is already using this adventure to teach me so much. One of the biggest things I am learning is to rely and trust completely in Him, knowing that He loves me and that He is faithful. I have also learned to look and be aware of the blessings that the Lord gives me throughout each day. Being thankful draws me closer to Him and it is much better than worrying or complaining because what good is it to do the latter two, neither change your circumstances. As soon as I can I will post pictures from the weekend and of my house and school here. I hope you all are well!

Wow, I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks I will be heading down to San Jose, Costa Rica for language school. It is unbelievable how quickly time flies. I have enjoyed the past few weeks and the time that I have gotten to spend with my family and friends before I leave. I will be in school for 2 months and then I will be back in the good ol' USA in June and July. I will try to be disciplined in updating this blog so you can keep up with all the goings on. I look forward to sharing this adventure with you!

I am so excited that I have the opportunity to share with you about how the Lord is directing my path, where it’s going and where it has been. As many of you know 2009 was a tough year for my family dealing with and trying to understand the unexpected loss of my father. That experience left me with an even deeper need to seek the Lord for not only His comfort, but for His direction as well. The Lord has used and is continuing to use that painful experience to teach me.One of the biggest lessons I have learned; not to take one day for granted and to seek out and do what the Lord has for me and what He has created me for. This seeking led me to Mission on the Move directed by Steve and Hope Shearouse.

After returning from a mission trip to Costa Rica this past summer the Lord placed a huge desire on my heart for the children of Latin America. After sharing with several people this desire, my path would soon meet up with the Shearouse’s. Without going into great detail, it was truly a God-guided journey with everything seemingly falling into place. The Shearouse’s offered me the position of Education Coordinator at their Children’s homes in Tapachula, Mexico. Mission on the Move has three children’s homes in Mexico with about forty children living there. Many of these children’s parents are in prison and many of the children have even grown-up in prison and some were even born there. In Mexico, the families of inmates are allowed to live with them in prison. So many of these children have suffered from all sorts of abuse and neglect, but through Mission on the Move, with the consent of the children’s parents, they are taken out of the prison and placed in the Christ-centered homes of Mission on the Move, where they are loved with the love Christ, where they grow spiritually, physically, and mentally, as they have the opportunity to go to school. These children share amazing testimonies and are spiritually mature beyond their years. They have hope now because of the Lord and His work through Mission on the Move.

As I stated before, I will be working as the Education Coordinator because they have a great need for tutorial help. Many of the children are excelling in school, but there are those who are behind because of being in the prison where they had no education whatsoever, so there is a huge task for catching them up and helping them be in a position to excel. I will also have the opportunity to help with their daily Bible studies. I will also be there to love these children with the love of Christ. Through the ministry in these homes the Lord is repairing and restoring His children.

In April, I will be going for two months of Spanish language school in San Jose, Costa Rica, so I can better communicate with the children. I will be going down to Tapachula, Mexico at the beginning of August and I am planning to serve there for 9-10 months.

I ask for your support in both prayers and finances. I know that it has been a tough year financially, but I am believing that the Lord will provide for me, He has brought me this far. I am looking to raise $12,000 total in support. As of right now, I have about $4,000 left to raise. This is for everything, flights, language school, and my time in Mexico. I know that money is important in our world today, but I also know the power of prayer, so I ask for that knowing that you cannot put a dollar amount on prayer. Please pray for Mission on the Move, the children of Tapachula, and for me in my journey. I really appreciate your support in whatever way it is shown.

I wanted to share this verse for it is one that I feel like describes what the Lord is doing through Mission on the Move in Tapachula in the lives of these children, their families and in the community.
“Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”
Isaiah 58:12

The Lord is “repairing and restoring” lives in Tapachula and I am excited to be apart of His ministry.

For more information on Mission on the Move, please go to: www.missiononthemove.org

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: he will make righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Wow, this is my first blog post...ever. I decided to start this blog to share my journey with you. The Lord placed a desire on my heart to serve the children in Latin America after returning from a mission trip to Costa Rica. This desire grew and things began falling in place, including the opportunity to go and serve with Mission on the Move in Tapachula, Mexico. Right now, my plans are to go to immersion language school in Costa Rica in April and May. Then, on to Tapachula in August. I will post more details later...this is kind of a trial post, bear with me I am learning. Unfortuantely, for the generation I am a part of I am not as tech-savvy as I should be :).