back to the real world...

well, here i am back in the states where the showers are hot, the rain is falling, the fruit is not fresh and way overpriced, taxis are practically nonexistent, spanish is hard to find, and my house is surprisingly calm without my crazy 19 nicaraguan sisters running around, screaming and singing. let me tell you, i felt more overwhelmed in fred meyer than i did in the biggest market in central america... i am still in awe and overwhelmed thinking of all that happened over the last three months, but this verse comes to mind, when people ask how my time was:

"I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me." Romans 15:18

even though i can't see it all right now and might never be able to, i am convinced that the Lord had his way in and through me while i was down in nicaragua, through my relationships, interactions, and conversations with people that i met, worked with, and lived alongside.

my mom and i had a wonderful trip to costa rica, where we were able to celebrate christmas and the week after with volcanoes, tropical weather, exotic birds, pesky monkeys, active volcanoes (Poas and Arenal), waterfalls, dolphins, snorkeling, surfing lessons, ziplines, and hot springs. the country, even though it is the direct neighbor to nicaragua, couldn't have been any different. the ticos and nicas are obviously different, but manage to convey the same friendly, warm Central American feel. costa rica has figured out the whole tourism thing and are benefiting from it in a big way, while people in nicaragua are struggling to live just barely at the poverty line.

here are some pictures from our trip:

me attempting to surf the pacific!

enjoying a mai tai w/ my mom at the tabacon hot springs

a stunning monarch butterfly

the poas volcano

taking a dip in the hot springs of the arenal volcano

the oxcart factory in sarchi where they paint the colorful wheels

before our snorkeling adventure w/ our new friends

a white faced monkey

sunset our first night in costa rica

before the 12 cable zip line that we did!

and now that i'm back from my trip, real life calls. i will be living at home in vancouver w/ my family as i am attending 2 classes at Portland State University (PSU) about spanish lit and history of central america. i will be finding a job and hopefully volunteering in several places to fill my time. it will be quite the change from being at school in bellingham and definitely different from life the last few months, but i'm looking forward to being w/ my family and seeing what God's going to do! i have a feeling that 2008's going to be a good one...