Blood Letting

Like everywhere, the Christmas season brings with it great joy but also the need for blood. (Blood banks, I mean!) Accidents are always on the rise this time of year, and trauma patients find themselves in desperate need of life-giving blood.

Whenever we can, Charlie and I try to give. It's something that cost us very little (just a tiny bit of fear and a little fatigue - for me, that is ;-). Once given, our bodies begin to replenish the blood, and we have joy knowing that we are helping those in critical need.

So, when our school had a blood drive, we were excited. Thankfully I had been taking my vitamins and my iron level was high enough for me to give. It was wonderful knowing that I was helping people right here in Costa Rica.

This Christmas may we remember that Jesus came for the very purpose of giving us the ultimate blood transfusion, so that we may truly be called "the sons of God." There's enough for everyone, and it's always the right type!

Merry Christmas to all!

Our Turkeyless Thanksgiving

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving away from home this Thursday. It was a unique experience. For one thing, much to my surprise, the rest of the world does not celebrate our Thanksgiving. Imagine that! We had classes on Thursday, but our break time was cancelled so that we could get out an hour earlier. It was also warm for the first time in weeks. My version of warm, that is. It was 81 F. and the sun came out in all its glory for about 2 hours. I really enjoyed that, even if it doesn't seem to go with Thanksgiving.

We gathered for a Thanksgiving "Lupper" at the house of friends (Chris and Laura) with 4 other families. We had a wonderful time relaxing, socializing, being grateful for the little things, and of course, eating. We had quite the feast even though there was no turkey or ham. Chris carved the chickens and I made a roast the way Carla Tyndall taught me (in the crock pot with a whole jar of pepperoncini). We had casseroles, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni & cheese, Texas torte, bread, and lots of desserts. It was great!

We all shared things that we were grateful for, but could not state the obvious of God, family, and friends. I was thankful for our hot shower with good water pressure and the ultra soft sheets that we brought with us. Both of these are truly blessings.

Even though we couldn't say "friends", we are very grateful for our friends and family in the States that haven't forgotten us, and for the new friends that God has given us here in Costa Rica. We feel like we have known them forever. It reminds me of the the Girl Scout song: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." I love all my silver and gold friends. Thank you for your friendship; you are shining treasures.

Happy Thanksgiving or Feliz Dia de Acciones de Gracias

3 Weeks to Go!

It 's hard to believe, but there is only 3 weeks left in the first trimester. I'm not sure if the work is getting hard or we're just tired, OR BOTH! We've had a lot going on for several weeks now. Three weeks ago our family went to a beach resort so that Charlie could attend a continuing medical education course. The course covered how to conduct an exam in Spanish. While we enjoyed the time at the beach, we've had to pay for it in catch-up with school; although, I did teach the children every afternoon at the terrazzo by the pool.

Last weekend Charlie and Devon went a father-son retreat up in the mountains with the same organization with which I teach English. They had a good time except that Charlie came home very sick. (Horrible body aches and 103 fever).

While they were gone I began shopping for 23 presents for orphans for whom our school is throwing a Christmas party next week. Shepherd's Fold Church in Lumberton, MS and our Sunday school class (Brent McBride's class) at FBC, Tupelo, MS donated the money for the presents. Thanks! I didn't realize, however, how hard it would be to go from shop to shop, carrying what was purchased at each one, without a car. I've never cared before that we didn't have a car (I like to walk), but this was one situation were I could have used it. After 4 trips over three days, all the presents are purchased, wrapped, and ready to hand out to some beautiful children.

This week, Charlie missed 3 days of school because he remained so sick, and then on Thursday, we had to go downtown to immigration to apply for visa extensions because our student visa information has not arrived from D.C. yet. That was close to a nightmare. Mary-Esther was threatening to be sick, so we decided to take her with us. I didn't want to leave her at school when we wouldn't be near her. (We don't have a cell phone) Well, when we arrived at immigration, the waiting room looked like a giant doctor's office waiting room crawling with "sick germs". I began to think that I had made the wrong decision to bring Mary-Esther. She began to cough continuously, so Charlie took her outside while I waited for hours for my number to be called. Everything turned out alright, and we now have our extensions.

Charlie and Mary-Esther are doing better. Charlie, however, doesn't get to rest this weekend. He signed up Devon for a scuba course, and this weekend is the time that they go to the ocean to do the certification dives. Charlie was looking forward to diving as well, but now he's just trying to be a good chaperon.

Our classes end on Dec. 11 and we don't return until Jan. 11. We plan to enjoy the break and nail down all the grammar that we've crammed into our heads this tri!

Here's to three more weeks!

Funeral Experience

Today, Colleen and I received a stark reminder of the pain and suffering in this world. We were walking to the store, when we saw a large group of people slowly walking down the street. At first I thought they might be a tour group, but they appeared to be all nationals. They were wearing steet clothes, but in somber colors, mostly black. There were young people and elderly people. The whole scene really captured our attention; and then, we saw it. In front of the group was a hurst. It nearly took my breath away. I've seen many funeral processions in my lifetime, but this was different. Somehow it seemed more real, more painful. The mourners were not hidden away in dark tinted cars. They carried their grief out in the open for everyone to witness.

I'm not sure what I am suppose to learn from this experience. As Christians we know that this life is only temporary with all its diseases, death, and decay. Certainly it is a reminder that we should make the most of the time we have here to love one another and share the love of Christ with a dying world. We must hold dearly to the knowledge that this earth will pass away, and God will create a new heaven and a new earth where all things will be good and where we will forever rejoice in the presence of Christ, the King.

May all who read this find fresh hope in Jesus, today.

Mid-term!

I can hardly believe it. We have made it through half of the first trimester! So far Charlie and I are still making A's, but it is getting harder and harder. We're moving through Spanish grammar at a neck-breaking pace. I am so grateful to God that our family has remained well; only a minor cold here or there. Up to now, we haven't missed any school. However, next week we travel to Guanacaste, Costa Rica for a medical conference. We'll be there a week. The object of this conference is for Charlie to learn medical Spanish. While this is truly a good objective for Charlie, I'm afraid to miss a whole week of school. Please pray that we won't fall behind in our studies at the institute.

In other news, teaching English as a Second Language is going very well. The people that attend are precious and eager to learn. They are always so grateful and are making good progress. I also attend a Spanish Bible study on Tuesday afternoons. It is a small group of Ticas (Costa Ricans) and Gringas (foreigners). I am enjoying the fellowship with this sweet group of believers. They have so little in terms of material possessions, but their hearts for God are filled to overflowing. I hope to learn a lot more than Spanish from them.

Pictures:

Colleen turned 9 on October 3rd. We celebrated with a homemade cake, popcorn, and fruit juice in her class, and then she had a sleep over with two of her Tica friends.

Colleen, Scarlett, & Mary-Esther with Karis relaxing on campus after school.

One Sunday, we got rained out from the pool, so we played in the rain at a nearby park.

Devon with some friends at school. They look pretty good for it being 7:15 in the morning! Note that Devon is sporting his Global Outreach t-shirt. (our sending agency)

As I said in an earlier post, we go swimming most Sundays. Can you tell from the picture that Mary-Esther enjoys it?

Broadening Horizons

Since we've started school, I have been amazed daily about something. It seems that for every new word I learn, I suddenly see and hear it in use everywhere. Now the question is, did everyone and every printed sign wait until I learned some new word to use it, or was it already there? Of course, it was already there, and I just didn't notice it!

To digress a bit, I remember the countless car trips (around town and longer) before our children could read. What did the see when they looked out the window? Yes, they saw the same things we did, but they didn't comprehend it all. They noted colors and shapes at first, then patterns and individual letters. When they started to read, they would notice familiar words and the light would actually look like it was turned on in their eyes when they realized that those words meant something specific! Car trips were a lot more pleasant as well when they could share in the information around them.!

I wonder if our spiritual lives are like that too? Have you ever read a verse or passage from the Bible, and then needed or used that new knowledge that very day? Or noticed something going on in your life or someone elses that you didn't before? Spiritual warfare is constantly going on around us. I think the more we spend time with God and study our Bibles, the better equipped we'll be to stand against the devil, but also just to see what we couldn't see before. I remember the saying, "Forewarned is forearmed." Have a great day!

Did You Know That Charlie is an Angel?

A couple of nights ago about 2:30 in the morning, I was awakened by two very annoying dogs barking like it was their sole responsibility to wake the dead. It went on and on and on. I finally prayed that God would send an angel to shut their mouths, after all, I had Daniel in the Lions Den for a precedent! Well, wouldn't you know, as soon as I had prayed that, Charlie got out of bed (without a word) and went outside to investigate. Nothing usually wakes him up. Apparently the dogs were barking at a cat. Anyway, when Charlie arrived it broke things up, and they've been quiet ever since. So you see, Charlie must be an angel! (At least mine :-) )

I'm writing this at 12:50 in the morning because I've been up making preparations for Colleen's 9th birthday. This will be our first birthday celebration in Costa Rica.

My apologies for not posting sooner, but we were without internet for a couple of days. We weren't sure why, and then we found out that the company had cut our service because we hadn't paid the bill. You may ask, "Why did you not pay the bill?" Well, I'll tell you. You don't get a lot of bills here. You just know when you're suppose to pay them, and go to the local supermarket or bank and pay it, of course, you find out how much you owe once you get there. And if you don't, the company reminds you by cutting your service! Then you pay a late charge and wait until you get an authorization code to get your service back. Needless to say, we will put a date due chart on our refrigerator so we won't be late again. ;-)

We're still doing well in school, but some days I fell like I didn't understand a word my teachers have said. I did,however, catch that yesterday we learned all of the North America, Central American, and South American countries and their nationalites. And then, our homework was to learn all of Europe. I didn't even know all of those in English!

If you can, let me know how you are. We love news from home. You can either post a comment or e-mail us at audreygleckie@hotmail.com. Love to you all.

Fin de Semana

Weekends! At this moment, it is 6:12 Saturday morning so it is officially the weekend. I thought everyone might like to know how a typical weekend is for us. First, it's trash day, so I took that out first thing. Then, this is sheet and towel washing day. We are thankful to have both a washer and a dryer, but because of size, it takes 7 loads to wash both sheets and towels. During the week we hang clothes on the line to save money. (Electricity is very expensive here, along with everything else.) However, we do use the dryer for the Saturday loads. After the 1st load is started I read my Bible, get dressed, check my e-mail, update my blog, and fix breakfast.



Now it's time for the 2nd load. During it I wake everyone up and we eat breakfast. Then they get dressed for the day. Time to wash dishes and put on load 3. It should be about 9:00 to 9:30 now and time to go to the Open Air Market. Everyone wears a backpack to be filled and we walk to the park. Charlie watches the children who want to play and any that want to shop with me, do. (usually Colleen). We have had great fun finding out what things are and trying new things. One lady at a booth, always gives each of us a slice of watermelon to prove that they are ripe. We enjoy the treat, but it makes it a little difficult to shop with sticky hands! The first time Colleen didn't know what to do with the seeds, and the lady motioned for her to spit them on the ground, so Colleen obliged happily.



(Pause to put on load 2)



With bags loaded we walk home to bleach the produce and put it away, and of course put on washing loads 4, 5, and 6. By this time we are ready to have lunch. After dishes are washed, (we must wash and sweep immediately because of ants and bugs) the children usually like to go back to the park to play. This makes a good time for Charlie to stay home and work on bills and other computer stuff I don't know much about.



Usually in the afternoons, there is T.V. watching (mostly in Spanish), studying for Charlie and me and finishing the laundry. After dinner we get together with friends to talk and play games. God has blessed us with wonderful neighbors and fellow students.



We end Saturday with showers and bedtime stories. However, this weekend we are puppysitting for a couple who is puppysitting for another family. We are enjoying taking care of Preciosa because we miss our puppies greatly. Also Devon had a friend spend the night, and Mary-Esther and Scarlett spent the night with some of their friends. Things are a little different this weekend.



Sunday, after our morning routine, we head to church, El Lugar, it's a wonderful church with good teaching. It's all in Spanish, but the pastor gives us outlines so it's easier to follow, plus we can study it later when we have time to go through it slowly! After church we eat a snack and take a bus to the public pool in downtown San Jose. The water is so cold that I don't get in, and Scarlett and Mary-Esther swim for a while and then play at the adjacent playground. Don't worry, though, I keep a sharp eye on them. We swim until about 3:00 and then walk to McDonald's or Burger King (they are in the direction of home). After eating we walk the rest of the way home, take showers, prepare for the next week, eat a snack and go to bed.



I'm sure there will be many things to alter this routine, but these are the basics.

I'm just now posting this (I first wrote it two or three weeks ago) because I thought I had lost it. I didn't know that the computer had saved it as a draft - I just found it!

A Typical School Day

First, I (Audrey) get a wake-up call at 4:30 from a neighbor that has a really loud motorcycle that sounds sick. He must need a new muffler. (Do motorcycles have mufflers?) This may sound like complaining, but it isn't. I never liked waking up to an alarm clock anyway! So then, I read my Bible in both Spanish and English. If I'm feeling alert, I read in Spanish first and then check myself with the English. If I'm feeling sluggish, I read the English first and then read the Spanish. After that, I put one load of clothes on to wash, check my e-mail and facebook, get dressed, and make breakfast.

Next, I wake up everyone else. They get dressed, make their beds and come to the table. We eat and pack our backpacks and lunches.

We leave after we have locked all the doors and gates that protect our house. This is a feat in and of itself! Our school is only 1 1/2 blocks away, so we walk. School, for everyone, starts at 7:30AM. The children go from 7:30-2:30, and Charlie and I go from 7:30-1:00.

Charlie and I have 1 hour of language, 2 hours of grammar, and 1 hour of phonics all conducted in Spanish with lots of homework. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have chapel around 9:30. It's great to hear the testimonies and sermons by our fellow students that are ahead of us in classes.

After Charlie and I are done with classes, we try to get as much homework done before the children get out. On Mondays & Wednesdays, they have gymnastics, and on Tuesday & Thursday they have soccer. Then it's time for their homework. So far all is well.

To wrap it up, we eat around 5:00, take our showers, play or read, and then go to bed by 8:00 -8:30.

I'll do another post later about our weekends. Ciao!

Happy Mother's Day Costa Rican style

Well, we had an uneventful flight here, and Charlie and Colleen were at the airport to greet us. Since then we have seen a volcano (Poas), hiked to the base of beautiful waterfalls, played with toucans and butterflies, and had close-up views of many hummingbirds.

We spent 2 days walking for hours to go to stores to get supplies we need. I've discovered that I definitely need a list, because once I'm in the store, I forget everything that I needed!

We had, what I consider, our first Spanish lesson. It was going to church. The children went to Sunday school as well as we, and we did our best to catch some of the meaning. We followed along in our Bibles, and thank goodness the preacher gave an outline of the sermon. That made it to where we knew what he was talking about. Everyone was very pleasant, and to top it off, they were celebrating Mother's Day today. It was actually last Saturday, but they waited for their pastor to be back in town to honor the mothers. Mary-Esther actually stood on the alter with her SS class and waved a heart that said, "Te amo, mamacita!." (I love you, little mama!) I had to go up to recieve a present, a pretty ceramic box. I like the idea of having two Mother's Day in a year. I think we should keep it up!

Our near neighbors have just arrived, and they have 4 children, also. Two boys close to Devon's age and two girls within the my girls' ages. They are very nice and are an answer to my prayers.

We took a bus to the swimming pool in San Jose. The water temp. was about 75, needless to say, I didn't get in. Everyone had a great time. Afterward, we walked to McDonalds, and then walked home. Tonight, we are going to our neighbor's house to watch a movie and eat popcorn. I miss my friends at home, but thank God for new friends.

Wrapping It Up

Well, it has been almost 3 months since I started this blog. We have been busy selling our possessions, saying good-bye (for now) to precious friends and family, and making preparations to leave for Costa Rica.

As I write, Charlie and Colleen are flying to San Jose. Charlie is going to pave the way for the rest of us, and Colleen is going to set up our new home! (Which is affectionately called Casa Verde because of its very "unique" green color. The rest of us fly out Tuesday, Aug. 18.

I just want to take a moment to thank Global Outreach, Tupelo First Baptist, Shepherd's Flock Church, and our family and friends for your prayers and support. We are still raising support and are waiting for our house to sell. Humanly speaking, it would have been nice if the house had sold before we left, but God's timing is always better. And besides, this is just another obstacle to strengthen our faith and trust in God's providence.

We are also having trouble with my (Audrey's) birth certificate being authenticated. Buracracy is always most facinating!

We are still very excited and are ready to get going. Please continue to pray for us as we go. We are so blessed to be surrounded by "so great a cloud of witnesses." You are truly part of our ministry.

Audrey

The Process

The process has begun. We began talking formally with Global Outreach in January, 09. After submitting our application for a short term mission trip of two years, we were "invited" to missionary traning, or MOT at Global Outreach. We received the invite on May 9th. Last night, May 13, Charlie and I filled out school applications for the whole family. We'll send those to Costa Rica early next week. We still need to get passports, visas, and a few more shots. Nobody wants yellow fever!

Our house is on the market and our praying that someone will buy it soon. We want to start language school at the end of August.

I went into shock in January when I realized that we would really go, but PTL, I'm just excited now!