Life update

So since I'm not sure that I'll get to a newsletter before I leave town this weekend, I thought I'd give a good life and heart update on my time here in Costa Rica. Its long, I'm not offended if you don't read it :)

I cannot believe that I've been here almost 8 weeks! But its true. I'm wrapping up my first intensive course here and will have two weeks off school before I start the fall trimester. The Lord has done so much in me during these eight weeks, I'll try to give you a sum up.

1. I've learned some Spanish! Always a plus. Its been great to realize recently just how much I have learned. Today my host mom told me I have learned "bastante", a lot. She doesn't give compliments often, so that was really encouraging. I'm still not able to speak well in past tense, but that's only like the last 2000 years, so its not all that important anyway. Just think of me as a progressive thinker only speaking about the present and future :) But its coming... slowly but surely. And my confidence is growing for sure, which helps.

2. I've made some great friends. The people in my class have been amazing. Melissa (a friend in the trimester program) calls us the Intensive Unit AM, IUAM. There is an IUPM as well and we've adopted some of them. I'm so thankful for these people. They have pushed me to Jesus, encouraged me to learn Spanish, been patient with me, traveled with me, helped me figure out Costa Rica, and now they are leaving.

This is a hard reality of the next two years of my life. There will be a lot of making friends and saying goodbye. I don't like it at all. I just said goodbye to people two months ago, I don't want to do it again. But life overseas is very transitive with people coming and going. And it is pointing me back to where my identity lies, not in a community of friends and family, but only in the Lord. Its a lesson that I never seem to fully grasp and yet He is patient with me drawing me back to Himself to know that He is "El Shaddai - the All-Sufficient One" for me. And thankfully, He even provided as a couple of the girls are coming back and will be here 'till the winter. We're going to try to do a Bible study together and I'm so excited about that!

3. The Lord has provided a great church and Bible study in Spanish. Still two of the highlights of my week and I understand more and more every week. What a blessing! One of these days I'm going to get brave and volunteer to lead Bible study. Thankfully they are very patient!

4. I'm getting to know my host family, slowly but surely. Speaking some Spanish definitely helps! I'm looking forward to four more months with them. I really want to keep getting to know them and having conversations with them, especially with my host mom. Today she was so patient with me over lunch as I tried to explain "swat team" in Spanish. Yeah, I don't know any of those words. But I managed to say... "The detectives figure out where the bad men are and then this group of people goes in with bullet impenetrable clothes and finds the bad people." I think she got the idea :)

5. The Lord has provided rest. I have needed it immensely. I am realizing that my last four to six months in the states were more chaotic on my heart than I knew. I was doing so much and not processing anything and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I arrived in Costa Rica. So I've spent a lot of really good time just enjoying the Lord here, enjoying His Word, His creation, His people, but mostly, His rest. And I'm so thankful for it.

Its a hard season for my heart. As always when we are spending time in the Word we find that it is transforming. The Gospel always brings about change and I am seeing this in my life. I am seeing the Lord reteach me old lessons and teach me new lessons. He is doing a huge overhaul on my heart and slowly I am opening clenched fists as He takes away sin and replaces it with love for His name and His glory and His Gospel. I am learning to trust Him and His love for me as I have to depend on Him in a whole new way in this new season of life. It is hard to be honest, but exciting as I see the Lord really doing a new thing.

Acts 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it spring up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland!"

There is so much more that I can say about where I am and where my heart is and what I'm learning and how transforming it has been to rest in the Lord. But I'm sure you're tired of reading this. So for now, one last praise. My family is coming in 2 weeks and I could not be more excited! Its such great timing. I am ready for a glimpse of home. Seeing the Hawkes was better than I thought it would be to hug the neck of someone who has known me for so long and I know to see my family is going to be even better. I'm so thankful for the Lord's provision. It hasn't even been that long and already I'm getting tastes of home! (Oh, that and the Lucky charms that Kristi sent me in the mail... LOVE THEM! Great taste of home :))