2 Very Busy Weeks!!

It's hard to believe that as of tomorrow, I've been home for 2 weeks! Honestly part of it seems like I've been here a lot longer, but other times I fill like I just stepped off the plane. It's been so great seeing family and friends. Getting to spend time with people that I have such deep relationships with and have supported me throughout all of this. I'm still looking forward to seeing everyone, since I've only been here for two weeks it's hard to see everyone in that time frame.

Since being home, I've attended a funeral and a wedding. Both were equally as beautiful, and both gave me a chance to think about how beautiful our lives are. What a blessing it is to live each day, but such a bigger blessing it will be when we get to join Christ in Heaven! Having these reminders are good for us. It's a moment for us to see that everyday is precious, that God gifts us so much, and that He plans out every single detail before we even can see a single glimpse of what He is doing.

During these busy couple of weeks, I've also been starting on some fundraising. Every missionary with our organization must be fully funded by churches and people who prayerfully and financially support our work. This week I was overwhelmingly blessed by people wanting to make donations to put in the garage sale my parents and I put together in just 4 days!!! Unfortunately with the time frame we couldnt get all of the stuff, but I am extremely thankful to everyone who donated and tried to donate! I made about $160. We just didn't have a ton of people come, but those that did heard all about what's going on in Costa Rica! Everything left over from the garage sale is going to donations tomorrow morning! 

I have also decided to substitute teach in one of our inner city elementary schools here to help lift the financial burden. I love working with children, and this will be a great way to love on some kids who truly need it right here in Oklahoma City! This is just one of the ways I'm hoping to make an impact here while being home. My parents are heavily involved with Hope Chest Ministries. They provide beds and bedding to families who literally do not have them and most likely sleep on the floor. If you have a bed or bedding you would like to donate please contact me! We would love to pick it up for you! 

I will be hosting lots of little Fundraisers here and there over the next couple of months. I would truly appreciate your participation, prayers, donations, and people to volunteer to help out! Check out my Facebook page for updates on what Fundraisers are going on! I'll be having Pampered Chef, Scentsy, and Thirty-One parties just in time for everyone to get Christmas gifts! One of my closest friends is also doing mini holiday photography sessions on November 10th! If you need a photographer I would highly highly recommend her! I'm also having a 2nd Annual Pancake Breakfast on November 17th! And I'm still working on having a Johnnies night at Johnnie's Charcoal Broiler the last Thursday of the month for the next couple months! So stay updated!!

God knits our hearts together

Wow. That's really all I can say. Tomorrow is the end of my 6 month stay in Costa Rica. I've spent 6 months living here, loving on people, serving, growing closer to God, and trying to adapt to a new culture. It has been a roller coaster at times, but worth every second of it! I have enjoyed my time here so much that I can't stay away for too long!! What a blessing it is to be a part of what God is doing here! I have to give Him all the glory!! He doesn't need me here, I'm just thankful He has invited me to be a part of it.

Tomorrow I will be flying home to visit my amazing family and great friends!! 6 months away has been a really long time not to see the people you care about the most! I have so much to look forward to the next couple months as I get to spend time with everyone through the holidays! My best friend Katie and her husband Matt are expecting their first child, my precious Godson Easton!! I am beyond excited to finally get to hold him in my arms! I will also be home for some big celebrations! This year is my parents 25th wedding anniversary, and in December my little Sister will be 21 years old! What exciting milestones! I will also be getting to visit a few new places in the states and am hoping to get to visit some friends as well! While doing all of this, I will also be fundraising and gathering support for my next stay. I have committed to working with 6:8 Ministries for at least a couple more years. I will be staying here until God tells me to go elsewhere!

The crazy thing about getting to go home is that you have to say goodbye to all of the people God has placed in your life while you've been away. This week has been challenging to say see you later to the people I have gotten to share this amazing experience with. I have made amazing friends with both Ticos (Costa Ricans) and Gringos (that's us!). God has blessed me with so many great people and I am truly going to miss each and every one of them! My good friend Danny had a positive outlook on it, he told me this time away is an investment. He's letting me go for a few months, to get a few years! I guess it sounded good to him!

For me it's difficult to always be saying goodbye or see you later. But that's one thing I have learnt comes hand in hand with being a missionary. God places awesome people in your life for seasons. He needs you to love on them, encourage them, help them grow, do life together, but then sometimes He needs you to move on to someone else. I really like this quote from Kisses From Katie:

"The number of days or weeks we are together isn't important; what really matters is the way God knits our hearts together during the time He chooses for us to be in one another's lives."

What a great way to view it. This will continue to be a great reminder for me as I deal with missing my Costa friends, and then in a few months saying goodbye, yet again to my family and friends back home.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this entire journey! Please continue to pray and look for updates on how God is leading me for my return!

August 31st, 2011

As of yesterday the last year of my life has been consumed with God and His calling for me to be in Costa Rica. On Aug. 31 last year I was headed to the airport to fly to Costa Rica for the first time. I remember thinking about how excited I was, how I hoped I loved it, how I thought God was calling me here long term, but secretly a small part of me was hoping He wasn't. It's pretty scary when you think about possibly living in a different country. You're away from everything you have ever known. None of your family is here, you don't know anyone, the culture is totally different, most people only eat rice and beans, you don't have a car, you pay your bills at the grocery store, you get yelled at pretty much everyday but some random guy while walking down the street. It's different, and sometimes very challenging, but mostly it's awesome. I'm in no way saying everyone would love it here, but I do. I've prayed and prayed that if God wants me to be here long term then I need to have those desires in my heart. And oh has He ever delivered! 

This last year of my life has been a roller coaster! Spending the first 6 weeks here was awesome, but then going home and breaking the news was a struggle. Fundraising and preparing for 5 months was awesome time spent with family and friends, but also a struggle, because I was ready to get back to where I felt God was calling me. When I finally made it back I knew all the whispers God had poured down on me calling me here were true. The last 6 months have been amazing! God has stretched me and used me in ways I never thought were possible. Every week I get to pray for families, help feed starving children, love on people when we don't even speak the same language, lead teams of people who are trying to take this all in in less thank week! I'm hosting a bible study at my house, serving at FUSE (youth group from Celebracion Church), I'm speaking during our chapel times with the teams, and Ive also spoken at FUSE. God has given me so many opportunities here that I never imagined myself doing. I love how He has such a perfect plan for each of us! 

As I look back on the last year of my life, I can't help but look forward to the next coming years. I'm so excited to see what God has planned for me. I cannot wait to serve Him, be stretched by Him, and to be a part of this great plan He has. I do feel God has called me to Costa Rica for a longer period of time. I have dedicated to coming back and spending at least 2 additional years here. I will be here until God tells me not to be, until He calls me somewhere else.

I ask that each of you pray for me. Pray the Holy Spirit continues to guide me in His perfect plan. Pray that He stretches me in ways none of us ever imagined. Pray God continues to give me peace throughout the difficulties that this brings. Pray that God continues to soften my heart so that He may break my heart for what breaks His.

I want to thank each of you for the support you have given me over the last year. I have been so encouraged and felt so loved by how many people are being a part of Gods plan! Thank you to everyone who has ever prayed for me, written an encouraging note, financially supported me, personally told me they knew I was making an impact. You guys are making a difference. You are the ones God is using to get me through this! Thank you for all of your love! 

Impossible Description

So the past couple of weeks I've been trying to figure out what to blog about. Its not that I don't have anything to talk about, or that I've just been sitting around not doing anything. It's actually the opposite. So much has been going on, I've experienced so much, and God has done so many miracles, that I have no idea how to express them.

It's difficult to explain the impact of watching a little girl who was hit by a bus last August make an entire turn around. A girl who was never supposed to live, not only survive, but is now walking, talking, smiling, playing, and worshiping God!

It's hard to express the joy I have when seeing families here give their lives to Christ. See families who we have built relationships with who are in sever need, turn around and give to others who are in need also.

It's painful to share the stories of so many people who we pour Christ love into, we pray over them, we invest time into, we open our hearts to, and they turn away from God, from us, and go back to drugs, alcohol abuse, and living on the streets.

It's a privilege to express the love I have for this community, for these precious people God has gifted me, but how do I decide whose story to share? This staff is amazing, and has totally excepted me for who I am and for the person God has created me to be. They have opened up their hearts and welcomed me into their families. I get to do life with them everyday, and I am so thankful God has allowed me to be a part of their lives. I have made several friends here with different locals. Most of which thankfully speak enough english for me to actually talk to, or am able to have someone translate. I could honestly write a whole blog about my awesome bible study. The person God has provided to lead it, the change we have seen in the people who attend, the growth in all of our relationships with each other. It has been a tremendous blessing.

It's impossible to describe the impact our local church is having on this community. Celebration Church Costa Rica has made a huge difference in this community, and in all of our lives. Pastor Miguel has been a total blessing. He and his family pour their entire hearts into this church and we have all been blessed to see the impact of that. The community is growing and serving and loving. I have seen so many lives changed, so many hearts softened and walls broken down. So many people who are dedicated to the Lord. It is indescribable what God is doing here.

So many things have happened, so many lives are being changed. My heart has been changed. My outlook on life has grown and matured. I have changed. I have grown in ways I could never express. Words literally can not describe what is happening here, how God is moving, how people are changing, how beautiful our God is.

This may seem like a bunch of unorganized rambling. But I pray that each of you reading this will one day experience the feels I am experiencing. To have such a deep desire for something that you literally can not form the right words to say to express how God is moving in and around your life.

Welcome to Costa Rica!

So I'm sure most of you have heard or seen me use the phrase "welcome to Costa Rica" to describe many of the seemingly crazy things that happen here in Costa Rica. Some of these are for silly things like getting to buy a coconut to drink from for about $0.50, or more serious things like almost getting hit by a bus. This week I was able to use this when I noticed a mushroom growing in my shower. Before you freak out about how gross I must be, let me just say I am always cleaning this apartment, but my shower holds water and after a quick google search I found out that when water is trapped in your grout it can cause this. There are several things that leave me ridiculously confused or asking why, like why does the outer wall of my apartment not reach the ground? Or why does a small plastic bin cost $30? Or why is it the same here that grocery stores think 1 cashier is enough when you have 20 people in line in front of you? Or why don't they just get it? Can't they see God moving in their lives? Even though I find myself asking why a lot, I am so grateful I'm not asking God why I'm here, why are You not doing more, why are you not using us and the teams to be your hands nd feet. These are questions I do not need to ask God. I've been here for over 3 months now and I know why I'm here. I know God has called me here to love on these people, to love on a culture I don't always understand or agree with, and to be a light into this dark place. I have been very blessed to be able to grow strong relationships with several locals. I'm being able to love on seriously the cutest kids ever, and to be a light into so many evil infested barrios (neighborhoods). I'm getting to participate in an amazing church and pour into the youth group. I'm even hosting a bible study for young adults in my tiny apartment! I totally love being here as a servant for God! I know God has more plans to reveal to me in His timing, but even the small glimpse of His plans that I am able to see, I know He has called me here for a reason. In these few short months my eyes have been open to seeing God move more than ever before! I think when we aren't really looking for it, we are never really going to notice it in all of its glory. I have seen miracle after miracle happen here! I saw a little girl who was crushed by a bus, who was supposed to never live longer than a few hours or days, who was declared a veggetable, walk on her own!! The church as a whole has been praying for her for months and months and she is now walking, talking, smiling, praising God, and laughing! If that isn't a true miracle I do not know what is. I have seen multiple people give their lives to Christ and be saved from their lifestyles of drug and alcohol abuse. I have witnessed God providing time and time again for families who are truly in need. Our God is truly amazing and is doing so much to bring His glory into this dark place! Working with 6:8 Ministries and Celebration Church is a total blessing. God is really using both ministries to do amazing things. Every week the church and 6:8 are feeding hundreds of people! We are a part of at least 1 feeding center everyday of the week, except Tuesdays. (We had one today though!) We are not only going into schools to teach English but God has opened the doors for us to pour out His love onto these children. The schools are open to us sharing the love of Jesus, something that would never happen at the public schools back home. God has opened doors for us to build homes for several people! In the last few weeks we have already built 3 homes and this week we are building not only a home, but adding a bathroom to a home that had never had one, and adding a bedroom to a third home! It's great that we are getting to show Christ love in a very practical way! I love how even throughout all the craziness and confusion that life so often brings, He always shows us how amazing He is! God is constantly moving and working in our lives! If you haven't been seeing His works, I pray your eyes are opened up and you see how beautiful His work is! I also want to thank everyone yet again who has helped make this happen! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement through all of this. Thank you for financially supporting me, so that I could answer Gods call and for you to be invested in this ministry! God is using you all in this ministry and using you to impact my life! Thank you all so much!

Wish list for care packages and some financial needs

Hey guys! I've had a few people ask about sending me a care package here in Costa Rica. I finally have all the information and thought I would share it with everyone! I would love to receive letters, words of encouragement, pictures, and prayer request!  6:8 Ministries c/o Steve Gill att. Whitlee Shrum APTDO 1400-116 Alajuelita, San Jose Costa Rica As some of you have heard its really difficult to find American things here. Most of the things are food related. I really miss good cheese and ranch dressing. These are 2 of my favorite things that are hard to come by and very expensive when you can find it. I've also realized I am way low on shoes. I have huge feet to begin with, plus shoes are very cheaply made here and again very expensive. I wear sandals and flip flops 99.9% of the time and could really use a few more pairs. All of these things are just on my wish list. I am not dying without these, but it would be nice to have a taste of home.  Also many of you know I moved into a new apartment! It is very exciting having my own place and being able to make it feel like home. However in doing so I have had to furnish it. I have been very blessed to have found great deals, have had people give me things, and have borrowed other necessities. I have so far been able to budget these things, but I still need to buy a stove. These are more expensive than I had expected and I am needing to raise $300-$500 to buy a used one.  Please consider helping to support me buying this. Besides using this to cook for myself, it will also be used to make dinner as my payment for Spanish classes. You can send a check to my parents house or Paypal which you can find on my blog. I really appreciate your willingness to help! Thank you all who have prayed and supported me! Love you all!  Wish List Velveta Parmesan cheese  Knorr creamy pesto season packet Swedish meatball season packet Alfredo sauce/mix Wheat thins Peanut butter M&Ms Granola bars (special K vanilla yogurt, chocolate chip, peanut butter)  Oreo pudding mix Bacon bits Ranch dressing/dip mix Any dip mix Frozen ice Popsicles  Canned Cream of chicken  Hershey's cocoa powder Black acrylic paint Regular envelopes Bath and body foam hand soap Room spray Flip flops size 11 Sanuks sandals size 10 - flip flops size 11 Full size sheets Full size mattress pad Throw blanket Bathroom/kitchen hand towels Target v-neck pocket tees XL Any lifechurch/celebration tshirt

Loving Others

Looking at the calendar today, it completely shocks me that I have been here for almost 7 weeks. That is a week longer than the first time I was here. I feel like last time every moment was packed with me running around visiting families, meeting new people, working with teams. It was a time of growth, a time of stretching, and a time for God to really pour into me and show me that this is what He has planned for me. This time around it has been the same, yet different. Many things are the same, we still work with many of the same families, I am still meeting new people, working with many of the same missionaries, being stretched, growing, seeking God. But it's not the same. This time I'm here a lot longer, and looking for that feeling of home. I have more time to myself and to spend time just me and God. I feel like I'm actually settling into this new place, and the people around me. I'm seeking God on how to accept living in a different country away from my closest friends and my dear family. Trying to find a balance on how to be completely here, yet staying involved in the states. This is not an easy thing to do. And I'm not saying I've perfected it, but after the initial struggles I am seeking God and I have His peace.

Some of you may know that my Great Grandmother past away this week. Her funeral was yesterday. I was concerned this may happen and had been praying about this very thing before I left Oklahoma. Of course it was hard not to be there to see her, to kiss her soft cheek, or whisper that I love her one last time, but most of all it was hard for me not to be there for my family. When thinking about this I realized that my role in my family is to love on everyone. I believe that is one of the greatest spiritual gifts God has blessed me with. Wanting to love on people. I so badly wished I could be there to hug everyones necks, and to tell them all that I love them. Just to show them a smile and remind them how much I care about them. While I was struggling with this I felt God tugging at my heart. I could feel Him telling me that this is one of my roles here. He has sent me here to love on His people who do not get the loving that they need.

So many of the families here need someone to show them that they are worth something. They need reminding that God loves them, and that is the main reason we are all here, to show them God's love. Last Saturday night the youth group at Celebration Church held a concert hoping to reach more of the youth here in Alajuelita. Several of the families from the church attended as well. One of them has a sweet little girl, Rosa. She's about 3 I think. I've seen and played with this little girl several times before, but Saturday night was different. As soon as I walked into the church and was greeting everyone, Rosa ran up to me and wouldn't let go. We danced to the music as she held my hand. Eventually we sat down to watch one of the skits and she jumped up onto my lap. All this little girl wanted was for me to hold her. She laid back against me and continued to hold my hand. I was playing with her hair as I was praying for her. She comes from a family with 4 other brothers and sisters. She is the next to youngest and has all older brothers who usually get all of the attention when we bring teams into her neighborhood to play. As I was talking to God about her I could just tell she needed to be loved on. She wanted to cuddle and then wanted to turn around and play with my face. I know that sounds silly but it was one of the sweetest moments I have experienced while being here.

God is constantly showing me why He has sent me here. Every missionary here has told stories of questioning why they are here or not really feeling like they are making a difference at times. The enemy is always trying to pull us down and make us feel useless. I have been very blessed to not go through this yet. But God has provided me in advance with weapons to push back into Satan's face when he tries to clam such lies. A couple weeks ago a new team arrived and Laine and I took them to the park to do a scavenger hunt. We made a list of about 10 things for each group to do like- pray for families, pick up trash, pass out fliers for the church, do a random good deed. After breaking into the different groups I passed out the list to someone in each group. This is something I did without even thinking about it. I hadn't prayed who I should give the list too, or really ever thought it would make a difference. God had a plan though. After the groups completed their list I had asked what they had thought about it and if they felt out of their comfort zone. Of course talking to people who do not speak your language is very uncomfortable, asking a complete stranger if you can pray over them or their child is even further from being comfortable. The team shared their stories and how awesome it had been to see how open people here are to having God be poured into them and how patient everyone was with us trying to talk to them. After this we started walking to a near by neighborhood to visit some families and play with some kids. On the way there I was walking in the back of the group, where I tend to enjoy being so I can see that everyone is still together. One of the Dad's in the group started walking with me. He started telling me how he's usually a follower and doesn't tend to lead very well. That he had planned on just going along with the scavenger hunt but not really participating in talking to people and letting everyone else experience it. This was his plan until I handed him the sheet and decided he would be the their team leader. It amazed me while he was talking to me that God used something so little, thoughtless, seemingly unimportant to really speak to someone. God using this to push him out of his comfort zone and really using this man in ways he was never expecting to be used. He and I had several conversations during his time here and he confided in me how much of a difference he thought I had made in him during this trip. He believes God really used me to open him up and that it had brought him closer to God. I am not sharing this story to brag upon myself. This was non of my doing. I wanted to share it to show how amazing God is. That he uses us in seemingly small ways to impact people for His glory. This is an experience that will always be close to my heart. Anytime the enemy tries to pursued me that I'm not impacting peoples lives, I am sure God will whisper this reminder to me.

Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for my time here. Thank you for allowing me to be used for Your glory. Thank you for sharing the hearts of Your people, for changing lives, and loving us all so much. Thank you for Your spiritual gifts You have personally picked out for each of us. Thank you for blessing me with so many amazing people to share this experience with. Thank you for Your love, mercy and grace. Lord I pray for the people here, that their hearts are opened to Your word and Your love. I pray that you continue to send teams down who want to serve in Your name and have Your love flowed out to others through them. I pray for the children here who do not have the love they need. I pray You continue to put people in their lives to show them how precious they are to You. I pray for my family God, as they continue through life without me there. I pray they are constantly seeking You through their struggles. I pray You continue to push me out of my comfort zone, and continue to stretch me into the person You need me to be. I pray Lord, that You continue to break my heart for what breaks Yours. Amen.

My Favorite Things

Costa Rica is one of my favorite places. It houses some of my favorite people, contains one of my favorite views I have ever seen, it distributes many of my favorite foods and beverages also. Finishing up my first week here, I have realized how many of my favorite things I have packed into just 1 week. This morning I had a delicious smoothy from Juice House, my favorite soda (little tico restaurants). I've been blessed to see most of my favorite people, eat my weight in bread, drinks Fresca (which is WAY better here than in the states), eat an entire pineapple by myself, went to San Jose, drank Te Blanco, rode the bus, went to Celebracion Church on Sunday, was ran up to and greeted by some of my favorite children, and looked out my favorite window in possibly the entire world. All of these things might seem silly and not very important. But just because they are simple and not extravagant doesn't mean they don't bring a smile to my face.

After realizing I was filling as many of my favorite things into these first few days, it occurred to me that possibly I was filling to much of my time with this and not giving God His chances to add new experiences or new favorite things into me. After praying and meditating on this thought, it has came clear that I'm still a little nervous. I'm still afraid of what God has in store for me. I'm still holding onto what I want and doing the things that are only in my control. Moving here is a risk. It's me taking a big step of faith and saying God have all of me, do with me what You wish, I trust Your plan. But even as I make this step of faith I am still holding back. This frustrates me and reminds me of how human I really am. How no matter how much I seek to be more like Jesus, I have to seek God. I think God wants us to remember how human we are. It reminded me that I still need more of Him.

This afternoon I read from one of my favorite books, Jesus Calling. If you haven't heard of it I beg you to run to your local christian book store and pick one up TODAY! It's daily food for my soul. SO GOOD!! I felt God leading me to read January 1st. This is what it says- "Come to me with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed. A close walk with Me is a life of continued newness. Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year. Instead, seek My face with an open mind knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind. As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you. I see you with a steady eye, because My attention span is infinite. I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting Love. I also know the plans I have for you: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence." References- Romans 12:2; Jeremiah 29:11.

Please tell me God just shook your world?? I am completely in awe of how God moves. How truly amazing He is. I am so blessed to have a God who cares this much about me. Praise Him for all He has done and what He is continuing to do in my life!!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you Lord for your provision. Thank you for providing me with an amazing opportunity to do Your work. Thank you for opening my eyes to so much beauty in such a dark place. Thank you for providing me with an amazing support group back in the states and here in Costa Rica. Thank you Father for your never ending love, and for the constant reminder you bring me. Lord I pray you continue to watch over me and the staff here. I pray you continue to use us for you Glory. I pray we touch many people here and are being a witness to people back home. I pray you continue to open my eyes on how much I truly need You. I pray you throw me out of my comfort zone, so that I may cling more to You. Lord I love you and thank You for all that You do. Please Lord, continue to break my heart for what breaks Yours. Amen.

Today is the day!

For the last 5 months, I have been prepared to return to Costa Rica to be a missionary. Today is the day. This journey has not been easy. There have been times of struggle, times of heartache and confusion. But every moment has been filled with Gods Glory, His Grace, His Presence, and His never ending Faithfulness.

It's interesting for me to think about how some people view my soon to be new home. Alajuelita is a place Ticos either have never heard of or want nothing to do with it. It's not a quiet little town, with cute little houses, and great school systems. It's a place filled with darkness, crime, sin, and need. I can understand how some people would see it for only the negative. Nothing should really be that appealing about it. But I see it as an amazing place. Beautiful, filled with very loving people, adorable children, great churches, Gods mercy. It's so crazy how I love this poverity filled place that so many people do not ever want to visit  or even knows exist. 


I am completely overjoyed by God's calling and His desire for me to be passionate about this suburb outside of San Jose. I am so thankful God has provided me this desire and yearning to fill this town with praises for Him. This journey is not going to be easy. It is going to be absolutely amazing though. 


I was recently reminded during a very selfish conversation I was having with the Lord, how faithful God truly is. I have been so blessed by the people God has FLOODED me with. Not that He provides me with a great support system and people to love on me, but He has overflowed me with friends and family that mean so much to me. As I am sure you can understand being given these amazing gifts, it can be hard lending them back to God. Saying goodbye to my friends and family have been more difficult and more heartbreaking than possibly anything else I've had to go through during the planning of my return. It is hard to give God your most precious possessions. My relationships are the things I hold dearest to my heart. My relationship with God. My relationship with my family. My relationship with friends. These are the most important things in my life. So giving these treasures up are difficult to say the least. But, God is faithful. He reminded me that these gifts are from Him, and that he has ALWAYS provided me with the people I have needed in my life. Every season has been filled with a great group of friends, mentors, role models, and people to keep me accountable. This time it isn't different. God has already provided me with an amazing Costa Rican family and I can not wait to greet them tomorrow! 


Our God is an amazing God who constantly takes care of us. He has provided for all of my needs in ways I never could have imagined. He is the greatest and most powerful, the highest of highs, the most loving and caring presence ever. He is taking care of me even when I don't realize I am in need. I am blessed. I am His beloved. 


Heavenly Father, I want to thank You for all of Your provision in my life. Thank you Lord for the purpose you have called me to. Thank you for providing for my every need. Thank you for an amazing support system and friends and family who have surrounded me during all of the struggles and all of the amazing blessings. Thank you Lord for everything. I can never express how much I love you and how blessed I am to have Your favor. Lord please watch over me and all of my loved ones. Please give my family and friends peace. I ask that you continue to guide me in my journey and show me exactly what I can do for Your glory. Please God, continue to break my heart for what breaks Yours. Amen.  

Step by Step

This past week has been amazing. God has been showing me so much and working through so many of the people in my life. I have been blessed to spend much needed time with my family, visit with friends, and reconnect with lost friends. It has been such a blessing. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has committed to pray for me and my work, and for sponsoring me financially. I wouldn't be able to return to Costa Rica without you!

As of right now I am about 1/4 of the way funded! Praise God! And thank you all so much for donating and partnering with me! I am still fundraising and hoping to leave late Feb. or early March. It's all in God's timing!! If you would like to donate you can subscribe monthly, or give a one time donation here on my blog!

God has been doing so much in Costa Rica with 6:8 Ministries. I can not wait to be there and be apart of God's work there! We are now working in 4 different feeding centers, finishing up Child Sponsorship, and still in the early stages of raising funding for the Childrens Ranch! So many great things happening!

Thank you again for all of your prayers, support, and encouragement!

Hopeful

I have been home from Costa Rica for 3 months now. This time has been a blessing, a burden, wonderful, stressful, fun, adventurous, prayerful, difficult, God filled, and a much needed time with my family and friends. As I prepare to return to Costa Rica I have several fears, but above all the worries I am so joyful to be fulfilling God's plan for me! I will again be working with 6:8 Ministries caring and loving on the people of Alajuelita, San Jose, Costa Rica. I will continue to be a light for God's people and know that I am living out His will for my life.

Making the decision to leave again is difficult. I will be leaving my family for long periods of time and all of my friends. God has blessed me with a ridiculously awesome family. I have parents that I know love me and want what is best for my life. A sister who is always so caring and loving and wants me to live my life for God. I have an awesome set of grandparents, who even though they don't always understand why I would want this, they are still supporting me and just want me to be happy. All of my friends, members of church, other family members, and coworkers have been so encouraging! They are keeping me accountable on what God is calling me to do, always praying for me, and keeping me in God's word. I am tremendously blessed. God has placed so many awesome people in my life. I pray and strive to be as much of an impact in their lives as they are in mine. Even though this is difficult, I know God has an awesome plan for me and I am so happy and blessed to answer His calling!

6:8 Ministries is welcoming me back and has been praying for my speedy return. I am not sure of my departure date yet. I am still in the early stages of fundraising, but will be returning as soon as I have the funds. Throughout all of this process, I have said I will be leaving on God's timing, not mine. When my funds are raised, that is when I know God wants me to be there. Please be in prayer for me. I invite all of you to take a moment and talk with God about how He may be calling you to help. If that is through prayer, words of encouragement, or financial support. God will provide. He does this by having His people support those in need. Thank you for being apart of God's awesome plan!



Thank you Lord, for all of your blessings. For calling me, sending me to Costa Rica, and showing me one of my purposes in life. Thank you Lord for my amazing family that loves me unconditionally and for all of the people you have purposefully placed in my life. Thank you for my friends who have been such a blessing and for their encouragement. Thank you for providing me with so many great role models and mentors who continue to show me how much you are taking care of me. Thank you for reconnecting me with some lost friends. Lord, I pray for my friends and family who might be effected by my absence. I pray you give them peace and the knowledge that this is of You! I pray for the 6:8 ministry staff who may be going through difficult times as we prepare for the wonderful things you have planned for the ministry. I pray for the community of Alajuelita, that they are open to your word God, that they see us as a source from you and that we can show them that Your love is never ending. Thank you Lord for your love and mercy. I pray Lord that you break our hearts for what breaks yours. Amen.