Good Memories

As we head back to Costa Rica today, I take a heart full of wonderful memories and encouragement for the year ahead.
We arrived in Huntington Beach in mid-December and were invited to see a youth ballet production of The Nutcracker. The girls were enthralled! Then, Grandma (Tom’s mother) hosted an Ice Cream Social for 8 of her granddaughters. She told them the story of the Three Trees, dressed them up in party dresses, and served them Dippin’ Dots! Christmas Day was a quiet day shared with Tom’s brothers and family, and a powerful reminder to me of God’s provision for us (see earlier post). Next, in true Marcus fashion, we had a Plaid Party! We all dressed in plaid, Tom’s Mom shared about the family history, and we were entertained by a bagpiper!
For New Year’s, we were invited to the mountains by Tom’s brother. We celebrated his wife’s birthday and our girls played for three fun days in snow –their first time ever! It was my first time back in snow after 11 years, so it was quite surreal for me. It seemed so new! It made me miss Canada!
In between all of these events, we had many visits to the library and local parks, days at the beach, playtimes with cousins, sleepovers, Target!, and donuts. We had slurpees and visits to Grandma and Grandpa's "candy store" - it's really a very classy country store!  We met friends who have been faithful friends to us for the 6 years we have been in Costa Rica. Our girls enjoyed a couple of visits with their “dog cousins” June and Ruth, and got to walk them and dress them up. We attended our old church, NewSong, and visited with former mission team members. They were a great encouragement to us to stay faithful to the ministry God has called us to.
We also met with a former student who is now studying in Southern California. She has a heart for the Muslim world and is hoping to serve there after she finishes school. God used my Missions class to open her eyes to the need. Praise Him! I am excited to see what God does in her life. She will be a blessing wherever she goes.
I say a public “thank you” to everyone who made our time so wonderful. It was great to be back! We will miss you, until we meet again. Continue to be a blessing!

I’m glad it’s 2010!

Happy New Year to you, dear friend!  I hope and pray for you that this will be a blessed year for you, for all it has in store.

I am happy that 2009 is over.  It was, to be honest, a trying year for me.  I saw progress in my walk with the Lord, and He helped me find my way through some struggles and strongholds.  But it was not fun!  I also saw many friends and family suffer with job losses, sick children, and family problems.  I saw friends move on to something new and exciting in their lives and thought, “What about my family?”

But for 2010, I see a fresh palette, “Fresh with no mistakes,” as Anne says in Anne of Green Gables.  I took the girls to the beach yesterday (Newport Beach) and sat marveling at God’s creation and the beauty of the ocean view.  I don’t want to leave California and go back to Costa Rica!  But as I sat praying, I committed this to God, and I told Him that I want to be a blessing to others this year.  I want it to be a blessed year for those around me, and if He can use me to fulfill that, I want that.  I want to spend this year looking up at Him in praise and thankfulness, not looking around in anxiety.

On my next blog post I will tell you a bit about our trip to California, and the joy we had in spending time with friends and family.  But for now, I end with this verse that brings hope to my soul, for all that 2010 will hold, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever.” Ps. 136:1