Big Sorry, but Bigger News

Hi Friends!

So I'm really sorry it's been forever since I've written. I kept planning on it, but felt like I was in a waiting place (still really am) and wanted to wait until something was certain before I wrote. So many of you have heard different thoughts and updates, but I'm finally writing to let everyone know.

Most of you have heard that I applied to grad school for this coming fall. I was really excited about the possibility. I got accepted to some great programs. Unfortunately grad school is expensive and the programs I love are even more expensive. So through lots of prayer and feeling like God turned me around about 180 degrees, I've decided to start applying for jobs instead. Crazy...I know. I still feel very confident that now is the time to move back to the US. My experience here has been incredible and I've learned so much. I've learned a lot about myself as well...including that I am much more of a home-body than anyone thought. I'm excited to move back and get to be a more everyday part of life of my close friends and family there. I feel really at peace about this decision and God has really given me all the confirmation I need to know that this is the right decision.

I'll be moving back to the United States of America mid/late July...just under 2 months away.

I've started applying to some jobs (all located east coast) and working in international development nonprofits. If anyone has a job for me, let me know! Though I have nothing set (other than moving back), I feel confident that the Lord is working and has great plans for me each step of the way. Thanks for always being such great encouragements to me.


Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
Psalm 16:5

Main reasons I'm moving back  :)

2011 in Review

Together we (the ADE staff) put together a list month by month of the amazing things God did this past year. If you want to be encouraged, check it out here:  2011. The year God did nothing...

A Few Life Updates

Hi friends! I've got just a few life updates to share with you all. Things here have been overall uneventful as our main focus has really been on the school and our students. They have national exams that they have to take in order to pass their grade in that subject. So English and Spanish were last weekend and now the rest of the subjects (math, science, social studies, civics) are this weekend. Potentially all of our students passed the English exam, which was really exciting! If you think of our students tomorrow or Sunday, keep them in your prayers. Because of these exams, I've been doing lots and lots of tutoring mostly for math. I've enjoyed working with them, though I'm a little worried for most of this year's new students in math as so many came to us so far behind in math and have learned a lot but I don't know if they've really caught up. We'll see though.

Students: At least pretending like they're studying hard

What else is new with me? Some of you may know (and some of you may not yet know) that I'm working on applying to grad school for next fall. I'm looking at schools all on the east coast between VA and NYC for either an MA or MPA in International Development (or something similar as they all have slightly different names). So on my own time, I've been researching and contacting schools, working on my application material, and praying a lot for guidance throughout this whole process. So (si Dios quiere) I'll be back in the US for grad school in August 2012. (Don't worry...my dog will be coming with me). I'll be back for a few weeks in December due to some great gifts from some great friends and family, which is when I'll hopefully get to visit the places I'm applying to. Please keep me in your prayers in all of this and if you have any connections or suggestions definitely let me know!

My sis and I when I was back visiting her at VT.
I love this picture and it reminds me of moving back!

Psalm 118:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."

I think it's important to get away sometimes and just be with the Lord reflecting on who He is and what He has done. I'm getting a chance to get away for a few days at the end of this month. It'll be sort of a solo vacation (which I've never done) but really just me and God and a time to reflect and praise. I'm excited and will report on how it goes  :D

Poor Puppy

While I was down at language school, my puppy was staying with a neighbor. When I got back, I found out that her leg got cut up pretty badly. She had a really deep cut - so deep that I could see her muscle and tendons. I decided to take her to the vet. When I took her there she was so obedient and friendly, all the people at the office loved her. I had to leave her at the vet that day so they could take care of her. I was unexpectedly emotional about leaving my hurt puppy in a place she didn't know. (Don't worry...no tears and I got over it quickly). They cleaned her up and bandaged her leg (as you can see in this picture above). I got medicine I had to give her every day and a spray to keep it healing after we took off the bandage. It was sad (and a little funny) seeing my poor puppy drugged up and not eating and sleeping all the time. It was also sad as she still tries to hide away from me when I have the spray in my hand, but I feel a little like a parent knowing that it's for her good though it hurts now and she doesn't like it. Aw...I so love my puppy!

Ashes is doing a lot better now. She's so tough! My jungle dog  :)

Special Things & More Studying

I just wanted to fill you all in on my past week. Mostly it's been the same, filled with studying, going to class, studying more, and working. There have been a few special things and lots of things I've been learning that I'll share with you here.

Last Wednesday after classes and today, some of us from the intensive course have decided to get together to do a Bible study. It's been really good just to get to know some of the other people during this time on a different and deeper level. We've shared a lot personally and we all come from so many different places but the Lord has brought us all together in this place at this time. It's really cool to see and be encouraged by the other students.

This past Friday evening (after giving an 11 minute presentation telling the story of Zacchaeus in Spanish for my conversation class), I took a couple buses to meet up with my team in Alajuela, a city by the airport, and then go up the mountain with them. I got to spend Friday night in my own room in my own bed, which was really great. Then Saturday we had a great meeting for potential board members for our ADE Costa Rica board. It's something we've been working on for a long time (getting Costa Rican nonprofit status with that comes a board) and it was really exciting to see this big step forward. It was a really diverse group of people and amazing to see how God brought all of us together with an interest in caring for the people and educational needs of the area. **Click here to read more about the meeting on the ADE blog**  After the meeting, I traveled back to San Jose with a few of the people who were up just for the meeting. We stopped on the way down the mountain for coffee and chorreadas (sort of like pancakes but not at all). So good!

Sunday I went to church and then spent the afternoon with Kim Chavarria! Kim and I used to work together and live together in Vara Blanca, but then she needed to spend more time focusing on her studies down here in the city. It was so good to catch up with her and talk to her and just be with her. We spoke both English and Spanish, which was good. It was crazy, because Kim knew me here when I didn't speak a word of Spanish and I've definitely come a long way. So, it was a little weird for us to be speaking Spanish together, but great! We definitely laughed a lot.

This week I've been back to study and class and work, however, there's a special treat this week at the Institute. This week is what they call "Spiritual Emphasis Week", which really just means that there's a special team here to minister and encourage us. The Institute is mostly made up of people heading out to the mission field and it's a great encouragement to be surrounded by people who are also seeking to serve the Lord. It's be really good this week to get to know them better through the extra activities led by the visiting team. Every morning there's a time of singing and hearing from the Bible and then every afternoon there's another time of singing and more of a discussion time. Monday in the afternoon we split up into guys and girls. It was really good for me to get to meet each of the other women here and hear a little of their stories as well as their struggles. What an encouragement to me! It's easy to sometimes feel alone here, but I've been greatly encouraged this week by the team and the other students.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement to me! I hope you each know what a blessing you and your friendship with me are in my life!

Blessings, Lindsey
**John 15:9**

P.S. Check out the pictures of our new kittens up at my house in the mountains!

How cute are they?! (And I don't even like cats.)

Meet Elefante

Meet Pirata

I got a PUPPY!

I would like to introduce you to my puppy: Ash Esperanza (or I call her Ashes)!

My Exciting News

So here's the first update on me and the plans for why I made this blog:

I'm going to Costa Rica! I'll be headed down at the beginning of December to work helping to start a Christian nonprofit in the mountain village of Vara Blanca and will be there for at least 3 years. The nonprofit is called ADE (Association for Development and Education) and that is exactly what we will be doing, development through education. It's an exciting thing to get to be a part of, but with that there are a lot of unknowns and a lot of having to trust God. I'm excited to see the ways that God is going to stretch and challenge me and ultimately draw me closer to Himself during these next few years (as I've already seen simply through the decision making process).

Thank you, friends, for sticking with me through the process of getting here and I'll definitely need your prayers and encouragement as I don't expect the next few years to be easy; however, I am excited for the adventure that I'm embarking on knowing that I could never last by myself.

Blessings,

Lindsey

**Read Mark 10:13-31 (and take special note of verses 29+30)