Ten Days Ago

     Ten days ago I asked myself what kind of a mess was I getting myself into, as I packed my bags and headed off to a world unknown. Now, I have an answer. I got myself into one, stinkin amazing mess that has forever impacted my life!

     I knew when I stepped off that plane, I wouldn't be stepping back on as the same person. I feel that I grew up some while here. Of course, I still have plenty of growing up left to do; I'm still sixteen years old. But this week was an eye-openeer. I was able to see what I needed to change in my life in order to continue to grow and mature into the woman that God created me to be.
     We had a nice debrieg time last night, getting to share with each other our favorite memories and how God is changing us. I keep marveling at everything the Lord has done during this trip.

     For me, when I first felt God telling me to go to Costa Rica, my initial reaction was, "You've gotta be kiddin' me! Me, Costa Rica?? Cold showers, early mornings, big bugs, beans and rice, sharing the Gospel with a complete stranger whom I don't even speak the same language as? No way, Jose! That is not for me! Besides, God, I'm into theatre and I want to do another play this summer. If I went to Costa Rica, that's the exact dates of the production! I can't do this."

    Then to top it off, not only does God ask me to go; but he convicted me of needing to be baptized. Wasn't going to CR enough? Must He really ask more of me? Yes. I realized while reading my Bible one night that if I was going to be evangelizing and telling others of how to be a follower of Christ Jesus, then I couldn't be a hypocrite. I needed to obey God, and follow Christ's footsteps in getting baptized. ( Matthew 28:19 ) But of course, I had to compromise. "God, how do I even bring this up to my Pastor? I was saved 8 years ago, when I was 8. I feel too old to make this decision now, I should have done this years ago. But, if this is really what you want me to do, then open up a door." After I finished praying, I got on facebook. I saw I had a message from my youth pastor, sent just a few minutes before. It read, "Hey Kaitlin! I just wanted to let you know I hope you will take time to pray and consider going on the mission trip this summer...if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask me. I'm here to help!"

     Wow. God was already answering my prayers. Two months later, on May 30th, 2010; I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And what a magnificent moment it was! As I came up out of the water, I felt at total peace, with an abundance of joy builting up within me; God had great plans for my life and this was just the begining of it all!

A week and a half later, I was boarding a plane, bound for Costa Rica! And I was a nervous, anxious mess. But little did I know, this was going to be the best week of my life. This trip has been such a blessing, not only was I bless- but I was able to use the gifts God gave me to bless others. And what an amazing feeling that is! There has been so many things that God has opened my eyes up to, one being how stinkin blessed I really am...Some of the homes we went into, my goodness- the walls were made out of rotten planks, the floors were dirt, the couch ( if they even had one ) was usually rotten and their clothes were threadbear, lucky enough to even have a bar of soap. Whereas ,I on the otherhand, freak out if Walmart doesn't have my favorite type of shampoo in my favorite brand.

Another thing God has taught me is have a servant's heart, willing to serve others and always put others before myself. Willing to step out of my comfort and do what God has called me to do. The Lord has taught me that there is no such thing as "my time", it's really God's time and how God wants me to use it is should give me even more joy.

Now that was a real adventure!

     This adventure is coming to an end as I sit here in the Atlanta airport. I wish I've hard more time to write down everything that has happened...I keep saving the best stories for when I can actually have time to write it, without rushing.

     I was just thinking, I won't have to hand wash my dishes anymore after dinner. Not that I minded, I really kind of enjoyed it. After everything meal we'd all line up at the sinks and wash all the dishes. We had to use the strangest soap I've ever seen. It was in a tuberware box, and the substance was that of slightly wet cement. Strange.

    I'm dreading "PMS" ( Post-Mission-Syndrome ). Mark warned us that it will seriously just suck. Apparently, once we arrive home, we will most likely be irritated at our family, friends and even our American lifestyle. Life will most likely seem dull and shallow. We might feel lonely, maybe even a bit depressed for a short time. We'll even miss the cold showers. I suppose maybe it's slightly similiar to the feeling you get when a play, show or movie ends. When I finish a production, the first few weeks after seem awfully lonely and pointless, after working so hard on something. I just hope that once I return home, that somehow God can once again fill my life with something worthwhile and meaningful, for this has been a worthwhile adventure!

Now we're twenty minutes from arriving at the Charlotte airport. I'm feeling a mixture of emotions. I know the tears will probably come on the car ride home or as I lay in bed...alll alone. With no one to giggle at, or get mad at for snoring. Reality will hit me face on in less than half an hour. I think that was part of the reason why I loved the trip so much. I was able to escape my reality as I've always known it. Not that my life is awful, for I live quite a lovely life- especially after seeing al the poverty there. But there were no distractions there...no cell phone, no facebook...and it was amazing.

    I'm going to miss our translators too. We all became really close to them. I became closest to David and Carlos. Carlos was like my protector on the trip. Whenever he saw a man on the street talking to me, he would always come over and make sure everything was okay; usually giving the man one of his threatening looks. It made me feel better, knowing that he had my back. It was terrible sad to say goodbye...Which is why we refused to tell them bye, but instead, "Hasta Luego!"

Well, the plane is about to land. I gues it really is time to say hasta luego to the trip, the country and the incredible experiences. Now that was a real adventure!

Pacific Ocean

We went to Cocoa Beach and got to shop around in the market. I bought some handmade bracelets there for some of my friends back home, and Costa Rican coffee and cookies for my family. I kept noticing bowls of these colorful plastic looking balls, some were sparkly and pink, others had cartoons on them. I asked Carlos what they were, he laughed and said they're used for smoking pot. I was astonished! They were right out on display, and even looked child friendly! Another interesting thing about the bigger stores here is that you put your purse or bag in a locker before you're allowed to shop.

Then I had the opportunity to do something I've always dreamed of doing! Step foot in the Pacific Ocean!

The Pacific is very different than the Atlantic, or Gulf. There's more rocks, and the sand is darker.

Ziplining was awesome today! Standing on the shaky platforms was kind of nerve-wracking, especially as some of the boys tried to shake it to scare all the girls. But once I was zipping through the forest...Wow, I felt like a superhero, soaring through the canopy on a mission! There was this one point that I was higher than all the trees, and I could see the mountains below me... I felt like I was flying! I was trying to soak up every moment, and that's when I God took my breath away! This is what He can see everyday, He has a birdseye view of every country, town, forest and desert! Incredible!

I'm not ready to leave this country tomorrow, I've fallen in love with it. More importantly, I've fallen more in love with the Lord while I've been here.

Tomorrow we have to be in the bus by 5am. It will be a long day of traveling, 31 hours of traveling by bus, plane and car. Well, I suppose this is my last entry I will be writing here in Costa Rica- for awhile at least. If given the chance, I will come back here in a heartbeat. As I write this, I'm listening to frogs croack, birds chirp and monkeys howl outside my window. I'm going to miss this like crazy.

Sisters in Christ

 June 18th, 2010.

      This has been a very bittersweet day. Tomorrow we are going to Cocoa Beach, and we will Zipline through the jungle! All of us girls are laying in our bunks right now talking about how we feel about leaving. I know nothing can ever compare to this place and it's memories. Costa Rica is 100% unforgettable.
     I had a wonderful, wonderful time at the soccer tournament last night. I saw my little friend Alisa again, she gave me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. She stayed by my side the entire night, she is an absolute sweetheart! Soon, all the little girls were hugging and hanging on me, speaking a mile a minute in spanish. I had the most fun painting their nails ( just imagine those precious little faces lighting up as they chose the color! ). Then they demanded that they should paint my nails... which uh..turned out.."bonita"? Now my nails have about ten coats of mismatched colors and sparkles. Ha-ha! They're so cute.

      When I told them my name is Kaitlin in english and Catalina in Spanish they thought that was the coolest thing ever. Apparently, Catalina is the name of their favorite, popular, sitcom tv show. I think getting to know the little girls, playing and interacting with them this week has been my favorite thing so far. I can tell they really love me. Everytime they see me, they bring me the sweetest gifts.

     When Matiyata, one of the little girls, heard that I was leaving in a couple days, she took off running down the street and returned carrying a bag of fresh limes for me. Although I didn't understand a word she said when I took the limes from her, I knew this was her way of saying she loved me. She gave me a huge hug after that. Matiyata became very attatched towards the end of the night, dreading our departure. She and I both knew that we would most likely never see each other again, and that's such a hard thing to realize, especially for a young child like her.

     Other little girls brought me more gifts, whatever they could offer, for they're all very poor... Maria gave me several home-made cards, writing in Spanish of course, but I did pick out 'Te amo, Catalina" many times. One girl gave me an old Hello Kitty valentines day card. I know they don't have much to offer- but those simple little gifts meant the world to me. It showed me that God was using me to touch the children's hearts there!

      Over the week, I've become very close to Dale'. If I were to even begin to describe this unique bond of friendship we share, some would call me crazy. Neither of us speak the same language, she knows as much English as I know Spanish; which is about ten phrases. It was as if the moment we met, there was this connection between us...it's not often you meet someone that you feel you share an immediate connection with, especially not someone who lives on another continent and speaks another language!

     Dale' and I always had the best time though, I think our laughter and love for the Lord is what connected us. We were able to communicate through something stronger than words, the Holy Spirit. Even my team and others around us noticed that we were very close by the end of the week. I think is it so amazing how the Holy Spirit can bring two friends together, in the most unlikely of ways!

      Dale' made me a bracelet tonight, and painted me a picture. I've already decided that I will keep this bracelet on until it breaks, to always remind me of the amazing times God blessed me with in Costa Rica, and the people that He allowed me to bless as well. It was so difficult to say goodbye, her little sister Alisa began crying so hard when it came time. Dale' and I both stood there hugging for a long time, and with the help of Carlos, she reminded me that we would meet again in heaven, for we are sisters in Christ.

    

June 18th, 2010

 I stinkin' love it here. I never want to leave. This trip has been incredible. I'd rather be here in the field than anywhere on earth right now. It is going to be a difficult adjustment to being back in the States... funny how just a week in another world can really change a person...

I had the chance to eat a fresh coconut. We went to this couple's house while we were out evangelizing, and while talking with the man, Jim, ( he was Canadian, so imagine our surprise when he opened his mouth and began speaking english, ha-ha! ) we learned that he was agnostic. Thank God Mark was with us. He is great at talking with people like that.

Mark later told us on the way back to Rio Naranjo that people like that, who believe so strongly, are not going to be convicted and convinced that Christ is the only way. He said that typically, it takes several years; if not longer, while building a steady relationship, allowing God to work in their heart overtime, not just a matter of an hour or two. While Mark was talking with Jim though, his wife took us to the backyard and had their son cut coconuts from the tree for us. It was very good!

It's really neat, while we're out evangelizing; if we get hungry- there are fruit trees everywhere! Mango, papaya, coconut, bananas! It's all delicious!

Today was our last day Evangelizing, so we traveled to a village about an hour away from Rio Naranjo. One house we went to, the entire family accepted Christ! Wow! It was incredible!

There was a big tree in the village, that had overgrown an ancient, stone chimney- so naturally; I couldn't resist the urge to climb the huge limbs. While climbing, I heard a child's laughter from above. I looked up, and there was a little boy whom I had already met at one of the homes, hanging from a branch a good ten feet above me pointing and laughing. I had to stop and take a picture, it was too funny.

I'm not sure why, but I always find myself procrastinating to write the most important stories. Instead, I just tend to write the little things.

Worth Every Penny

     

      I wish I had a few more weeks here. I know for certain that if I get the chance, I will be coming back. I'm certain of it. Sure, the showers are cold, the bugs bite, the food can be bland, and it can be emotional at times- but when I think of the children's exuberant faces as I tell them a Bible story, or running into kids I've met on the street, or when we pray with a nonbeliever to accept Christ and the joy on the faces..it's all worth it. Every dollar I've had to spend, worth it. Every miserable cold shower, worth it.

     I often wonder what my family and friends are doing as I'm writing in this journal. Last night, Emily and I became a tiny bit homesick for the first time. I miss my family and friends, but I'd rather be here right now. As Emily says, "I miss them, but I don't need them. It'd be nice to see them, but I want to be here more." That's exactly how I feel. I keep a letter from my mom and a letter from Nathan under my pillow, along with a picture of my family and a picture of him and I. I look at the pictures every morning when I wake up and pray for them.

    

     I am looking forward to telling my family and friends of all these adventures and experiences! But I know they won't fully be able to understand until they're able to experience something like this, too. I can't put into words how God is changing me, but I know it's great.

     Costa Rican icecream is delicious, I had it three times today! The first at small cafe we found while we were out evangelizing. Then we traveled to Bijagua, to pick up trash on the streets. The Kirby boys kept us entertained, singing classic Disney songs as we trekked through ditches and filled our trash bags up. Afterwards, our team began a spontaneous game of soccer with some of the locals in the village.

      Meanwhile, it wasn't too too fun sitting in the wet grass, so Carlos offered to take Emily and I to a local grocery store around the corner, so we could see what a typical store looked like there. I must say, it was very different than an American grocery store. Mayonaise was in a bag, and there were brands of food that I hadn't seen in at least ten years! And soap had dust on it. Weird. Carlos was so nice and bought me a traditional, Spanish popsicle. Carlos and I always have a great time. He is has a great sense of humor. We have some rather hilarious memories together, but if I were to write them down; they wouldn't even make sense..

    Sami's 18th birthday is today. We celebrated with cake, icecream, party hats and maks. It was great fun.

June 17th?, 2010

            I am beginning to feel emotionally drained. Mark, my youth pastor, warned us of this. Everything here is emotional in some way or another. Usually in a good emotional way, though. I can feel the tears building up, just because of everything that's been happening. It's been a rather emotional week- but I love it! I don't want to cry. I want to stay emotionally strong during this trip. I almost feel like this is an extremely long dream...surely I'm not in Costa Rica, in Central America?!? That's loco!

       My team is so...strange! :) We got home from visiting a local high and up at the guy's camp a terribly loud ruckus is heard. All the guys are standing outside screaming and chanting, "Andy! Andy! Andy!" Soon, all the girls join in the fun- not real sure of what exactly is happening though. When suddently, Mr. Cliff runs out of the room chanting, "He poops! He poops!" Apparently, he's been constipated ever since we got here. So now our team throws a fiesta in his honor, for his uh, accomplishment. Oh, I love my team. We can rejoice together in the smallest of things...even Andy's digestive problems, Ha-ha!

     Scorpions! The entire camp has gone into complete brouhaha ever since Ben found a four inch scorpion in his bed. Everyone is refusing to fall asleep for fear of these little monsters.

    Last night, Lucila ( another one of our translators ) and some of the other girls were sitting at the table after dinner and she began to tell us about her love life. I promise you, Lucila has got to be one of the funniest women I have ever met! All the girls and I were seriously falling off our chairs, gagging and wheezing from laughing so hard! Ohh, the stories she has to tell!

   It's nice to just be able to relax and talk with the people on my team. We are really getting to know each other well, people I never thought I'd get to know at church. Sometimes though, I feel that with a few, God is really testing my patience..

       This afternoon, Emily, Dana and I just could not take the horrible stench of our clothes anymore! We were all running low on clean shirts and underwear so we decided to be resourceful, and use a bottle of "Suave Bottle Wash" in the sink to wash all our clothes in. It was a fun time, as we sang and danced around, splashing each other with cold, soapy water while trying to urge the smell to release its cling on our clothes. We then hung up all our clothes with clothespin on a string.

    

     I was certain that with the help of some Febreeze, our clothes could be smelling like an "Ocean Breeze". I couldn't have been more wrong. The next day, the clothes were rock-hard ( I guess air drying will do that ) and reeked like a wet dog! Oh, it's awful! I can smell myself right now, and it's not pleasant! So much for our afternoon of hand washing clothes.