Esterones, to San Jose, to Denver, to Home!!!!

We left behind a life style and comforts to which we were accustomed. In return we had the joy of seeing ones respond to the kingdom good news and experience the strong bond of brotherly love. This we will never forget and we now have a better understanding and greater appreciation for our brotherhood and the true meaning of Psalms 133:1. The love that we received from our brothers this last week was overwhelming. The letters and the long hugs brought us many tears. It was very hard to leave. Especially leaving behind friends who we now consider family.
Kevin, Laura, Brian our beloved kids! Oh yes we have 6, I am a young mom.

Raul and David on there last study!
We felt like we were blessed by Jehovah in our last week of service here. Amber and I both were able to find our studies home. This in itself can be very challenging since people in Costa Rica seem to be unaware of the importance of keeping a schedule and time. We really wanted to find them home and let them know we were leaving the country in a few days and tell them how much we've enjoyed our studies and how we hope they can continue there progress in learning more about the bible.

One study I had this week was with Luis a young man from Nicaragua who lives in the bodega (workshop) of the hotel he works at. Luis works 7 days a week so I have to come after work around 6 or 7 pm in order to have our study. So last Wednesday during our study I had planned on giving him a new copy of the bible, so when we started our study I first asked if he owned a bible. He said yes and went to his room and came back with an old beat up new world translation and asked me "will this work". Of course I said yes and I was surprised because when I first called on him several months back he said he never really spoke to witnesses before and so I asked him if he had received it from a witness and he said no but that his roommate had given it to him in Nicaragua. So I guess that illustrates that when you place a bible you never know where its going to end up. I was also able to find Raul one last time and hand him over to one of the need graters in our hall Josh Potvin.
Josh and Nina, our late night card playing amigos.

We took turns going to meeting our last week staying home with sick kids, David went to Thursday night to do the bible highlights his last time in Costa Rica, between the sound of the rain pounding on the tin roof and the dog in the audience I think all was good, laid back Costa Rican Style. Then I went to Sunday morning Spanish and David switched off and went to afternoon English. We wanted to make sure to say bye to all the ones in the congregation. It was a very tearful goodbye.


We are now home, recovering from a bad case of the varicella virus (chicken pox) and of course everything including chicken pox is bigger and stronger in Costa Rica. This has hit us hard, we hope to get back in the swing of things soon. We already miss Costa Rica very much. We were nervous they weren't going to let us on the plane.



We made it Through customs not sure how, people were staring at the kids and whispering about what kind of flesh eating disease they could have. "Hello I can hear you" and yes it did look bad (those pics I will spare you) but it got way worse we can only hope it doesn't leave scar's.





So now back to life here in Portland Oregon.

We have lots of goals that are keenly in focus, and we are now more than ever determined to keep our lives simple and our family happy in service for Jehovah where ever he needs us to be. We know our lives will be rich(prov 10:22)!

Food!!!

So everyone always is asking me what is the food like in Costa Rica. So I have been collecting some photos to show everyone back home and let you take a look and see what it is we eat! So exciting I know, this for me was a big adjustment because of not having all the ingreance at my finger tips. The things we buy at home like peanut butter are so spendy here too, so we have to adjust the things we like!


Ok everyone back home, here is a sneak peek...


Our Fridge!






Our Pantry!



We had just got back from the store, love a full fridge, doesn't last long...



So is it just Beans and Rice?

Typical dish


No, we also have Rice and Beans!

This is were I get our fruit and veggies. On one of the main streets in town.












Check out these mango's in comparison to Ruby's arm look at the top. They are huge. I love the small ones too. We will find the trees out in service and eat and take home quite a bit. So yummy, con sal y limon muy rico!





So all in all we eat pretty good!!! Cant wait to cook everyone a good Costa Ricen Dinner!



Its really green here now cause the rain and things grow like crazy, so lush just from a few weeks of rain, Here is a photo of our view now.

Beautiful!!! Huh?





oh and we do have to buy Noah's fav. this is like 5/6 bucks...


Ahhh it hurts to say that.

The week of the C.O. Visit

What a great last couple of weeks we have had! Irene was here from the states as I mentioned before. She is so wonderful, and her ability to slip right into our schedule here with service, walking a ton, and being very busy was no problem for her. We miss her already and cant wait to see her again back in the states!

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We did a lot in just a short time..

We had a spacial week with it being c.o. visit while she was here. Brother and Sister David and Jennifer Nelson, from Canada. They have been here in Costa Rica for 6 yrs. This is their 1st circuit assignment here.
I was able to spend some time talking with sister Nelson about my goals and returning home. She had lots of questions for me and lots of advice. Her knowledge and perspective on things was very insightful. Brother Nelson was able to go in service with David in the afternoon, he was very kind and encouraging. They both mentioned how the 4 months that we have spent here is a stepping stone for us spiritually and how now we have tasted just a little of the missionary life. Our pioneer meeting here was awesome, it was about conducting bible studies and their progress. He stressed the importance of understanding what is a progressive study and what is not. After meeting on Sunday we left in tears, we are so sad to think of the day coming so soon that we will have to say goodbye. His visit was all in Spanish of course but at the end of his public talk on Sunday he thanked all the English bros & sis for being here and it sent me straight into tears, to hear from the brothers what help you have been and how they understand and see all we have to go thru and give up to be here. It was very sweet, and a great end to the visit.


We wanted to make sure Irene had a good time and lots of fun but with c.o. here and low on funds, we needed to stick around town so we had a congregation dance party for her to be able to meet all in our congregation. The ticos love to dance. It was a blast!
Marcos and Gretal, a sweet young couple in our hall were so excited to come. They love love love to dance and are really good, they always work on Sundays so they were happy to come Saturday night. They work full time but took vacation all week for the c.o. visit to be able to have a share in service, what a great way to spend your vacation. they are such a good example. They brought their bible study a family with a young boy. They had a lot of fun and were all at meeting the next day.

Marcos and Gretal.



Kevin, Jair, David and Aldo, oh and Ruby

Amber, Claudia, Marylin and Karina.
Only in Costa Rica would I have a dance party and forget about my laundry hanging, and it not be a big deal.

We had a lot going on the last couple of weeks, nearing the end of our trip. We have been stressed about bills, life, and leaving our calls and studies here and all our friends and the new spiritual family we have made. Last week were able to sell our car so that was a huge relief even though I have to say selling a car in a foreign country is a huge ordeal.
However Saturday in service was an amazing day. We wanted to try and reach some of our studies and calls since we only have one more week left in service here. So David had a study with Raul, it was amazing. He shows his appreciation so much for what he is learning. They just got done studying the chapter on what happens to us when we die. At the end of their study Raul said being Catholic all his life he has always looked up to the Pope as someone who is supposed to be the closest person to God, and yet never has he (the Pope) or the Catholic church been able to teach him this basic bible teaching from the scriptures. He was so relieved to see what Jehovah really says about what happens to us. Everyone that has gone with David on this call says that they can really see Raul's genuine desire to learn the truth and on two different occasions ones have come back to the car after the study and said how they could just see him in the truth someday. One more thing that was amazing and very cool to see was, when we pulled up to his house he was working on someones moto and he told them they would have to come back because now he has to study the bible! It was awesome to see.
Just a few houses down the street I had a call on Marie a study that works and goes to school all the time and is very hard to get home, but she was there and we had a great study she gives all the right answers and is very friendly. It was great to get her cause I had to other studies fizzle out, I was really let down. However, to have the morning we had was amazing. We left crying because its hard to see the light come on for ones, to see them get bible truths and then to have to leave, and make sure they get there questions answered, but we know Jehovah is the one that makes them grow, we just would like to see the progress of them learning about all the truth. Who knows maybe we'll see these ones here in the truth one day. The sisters with us were telling us how great it was for us to be here and how we were a blessing for them... we made them stop talking it was just opening the flood gates! We have learned so much from the brothers and sisters here. We are the ones blessed for sure.

We also got to work a territory we had mapped that had a territory card, It was really neat to see it thru from the little note book paper to a card with all of the houses numbered. And a week before this we did house to house records for the first time here! Let me tell you, that's hard to do with out address's and st names! But it needs to be done.
-Ok until next time-

David, Jair, and David Nelson