. . . Livin' life on the edge . . .

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." Isaiah 40:28

We are here in beautiful Costa Rica "Livin' life on the edge!" - or at least that is how it feels most days. Just to illustrate how literally I mean, this is a picture we took on a bus Sunday. We were taking the bus home from a town called Manuel Antonio. The picture is taken from the bus window looking down at the bridge we are crossing. Yes, we are crossing a bridge and yes, the bus is about 6 inches from the edge. Let me just tell you - riding a public bus in Costa Rica is definitely not for the faint of heart!

Yes, this is me - Suffering for Jesus in Costa Rica!

This weekend, we had to opportunity to take a road trip to beautiful Manuel Antonio. We spent two fun filled days relaxing on the beach, playing in the water, and spotting monkey's in the trees. It was an awesome time of fellowship with friends and a time to enjoy God's beautiful creation.

Our time spent enjoying God's creation was wonderful. We praise God for allowing us to enjoy his creation! Since we have been here we have definitely had some hard times but there is a perk to being a missionary - We LIVE in a paradise that most people only come to for vacation. Granted, this is not our typical life. We do not live near the beach and see monkeys on a daily basis - our claim to fame is the gum factory down the street as part of our address! Yet, we had the opportunity to drive just a few hours away to enjoy the beauty of God's creation including rain forests, beaches, birds, and monkeys.

Did someone say "Monkeys"? Yes, those are our little friends, running around in the trees across the street from our hotel. It was a highlight for me to see some of these little ones in real life - and out in the wide open! I asked Travis if I could have one as a pet and he said "No" - Maybe some of you could plead on my behalf? I love the monkeys in Costa Rica!

Another thing I absolutely love about Costa Rica - the FOOD! Wandering up and down the beach were ladies with coolers on their heads selling fresh cut watermelon, pineapple, and mango. On the side of the beach, ladies were making homemade tortillas and grilled chicken skewers served with a homemade sauce that was simply DIVINE. Panaderia's practically line every corner of every city selling fresh bread, pastries, and empanadas. However, one of the most interesting food items I have come across so far in Costa Rica, was introduced to us after dinner tonight.

I know it looks like I have a dead rat in my hand, but trust me - I do not. Our Tica mom came to us with a rather interesting looking bowl of what we though were leaves this evening. She opened up the leaves to reveal some different looking seeds and then proceeded to tell us to put them in our mouths. Well, after one taste - we were hooked. These little seeds, called "Tamarindos" taste very similar to one of my favorite candies, "Sour Patch Kids". I don't

know if we are just deprived or if they actually taste like the candy but we have renamed these little fellows. We would like to call them: "Costa Rican Sour Patch Kids."

An update on the little lady we pass as we cross to school each day - Thursday, we passed her walking down the street instead of at the bridge where we usually meet. We were walking on the same side she was and she crossed across the street to avoid us and my "Buenos Dias!" However, Friday was different. We "cornered" her ( I use the term loosely - we just happened to be walking across the bridge but it is so narrow we had to wait for her to pass) on the bridge and I think I actually saw the corner's of her mouth turn up in a teeny tiny smile as we passed. God works miracles . . .

Please pray for us this week - that we would continue to build relationships and have spiritual encounters with nationals. Pray that we would continue to learn the language and that God would use us to further His kingdom.

Thank you Lord for your beautiful creation . . . .