Por Supuesto- For sure

Life lately has been like this old man running... POR SUPUESTO- FOR SURE :)

No, I have not grown a bushy mustache, my hair has not turned gray, but I have been running- physically and emotionally- and I've felt like I've been leaving things behind as the pace gets busier and busier.

Example #1. My blog posting got pushed back to today, despite the fact that I have a lot to write :) But part of this is due to the fact that I misplaced/lost my camera. That is definitely a prayer request. 

Before I keep on running right through this blog let me stop, slow down and catch you up on what has been captivating all of my time these past two weeks.

 School

Thankfully I do not believe my students saw me looking like this during this week, but at times I definitely felt like pulling out this face.

School is the #1 reason why I am here so it makes sense that it is the #1 consumer of my time, but that doesn't make it any easier. 

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the school's Pancake breakfast. It was a great time to eat delicious pancakes, interact with parents, and see the special community of my school. Somehow I was even drafted into the parent/student vs. teacher softball game. Thankfully my church softball skills kicked in and I made it to 2nd base each time I hit. My students were very proud of their "Teacher Rachel," as they proudly let everyone know by screaming "RUN TEACHER RACHEL!!!" and cheering me on throughout the game, which my team won :)

Unfortunately all of my other candid game shots were on my camera, which is missing :( But this is a pre-game shot with the 5th grade teacher. She has been a great encouragement to me and her classroom is right across the hall from me.

 
INBIO Parque: 2nd-5th grade field trip

This was a special field trip my 2nd graders (along with the 5th graders) took this week. INBIO stands for Institutio Nacional de Biodiversidad: National Institute of Biodiversity. It is an institute dedicated to scientific research and promoting the importance of conserving the country’s rich biological diversity. We were able to go on a tour of the four different types of Costa Rican forest: Rainforest, Pre-Mountainous Forest, Wetlands and Dry Forest. 

My students and I were able to see sloths just chillin' in their habitats, iguana's crossing our paths (and almost falling on our heads...two times I almost had an iguana land on my head!), poison dart frogs sleeping in their safely enclosed areas, turtles sleeping on the rocks in the lagoon, Caimans taking little siesta's in the sun (alligators), and some snakes, which were also safely enclosed in their cases. *I became like a magnet to the 2nd grade girls when we entered the snake exhibit*


These pictures do not do the trip justice, but sadly I lost my camera after we got back from the field trip. I managed to have it the whole field trip and then lost it when we got back!


Next we move on to my time spent outside of school:   Social

 This past weekend was a lot of fun, as I had gelato with one of my Costa Rican friends. *I forgot to take a picture at the restaurant, but there was a huge fake penguin inside with a giant ice cream cone*  


I also got to have my first sleepover with my friend Lisa! Funny story because she is from the U.S, but I met her here in Costa Rica. She came here to study Spanish at Veritas, which just so happens to be the university that Mani and Majo also attend. She is a friend of a friend in the states, so we were able to connect and form a friendship. 


And save the best for last: Spiritual

 The reason I chose "por supuesto" as my Spanish for this week's blog is because that means "for sure." It is a phrase that often gets thrown out in conversations for 100% agreement: "of coure" or "for sure." 

Well, this week I have not been "for sure." In fact, I have been the exact opposite. I had the opportunity in January to apply for a teaching job in Indonesia. I was not sure if that was where God was calling me, but the doors seemed to be opening, so I proceeded. And they kept proceeding. This week I had an hour long Skype interview with the head supervisor of the school in Indonesia. It was a great 1st interview. Talking about my passion for teaching, God's role in my life and my growth in Him, and my Christian worldview, made for a great conversation. But the next few days I felt confused and excited about if this is where God wants me for the next two years. 
 
I spent a great deal of time in prayer, along with counsel from family and friends and last night I finally had a great peace about my decision. Strangely enough it partly came from all the white stuff that the US has been hit with recently :) As I was laying in bed, talking to God, I thought about how much I missed snow and that I would really miss another winter away from snow. I also realized that being there to see my brother and sister graduate from high school is very important and I don't want to miss these special events, as well as friends getting married and other events that are important to me. God also reminded me that I will be fresh out of college. Yes, I will have fresh, new ideas, but I will also struggle with the actual life of a 1st year teacher and learning many new things. Being overseas during this 1st year of teaching would be extra hard. I don't believe God is calling me to start off teaching overseas, but someday He may open this door. And my last Google search may have been for teaching positions in Colorado :)


"Por supuesto"- for sure God is the only one in my life who can say this and whom I can reassuringly look up to and know that "por supuesto"-of  course He has everything under control. 
I was reminded of this as I read Jeremiah 29:11 this morning "For I know the plans I have for you Rachel. They are not plans to harm you but plans to give you hope and a future." (RRV-Revised Rachel Version)

And this all ties into my next adventure, which is my travel to Nicaragua this next week. 


In order to say in Costa Rica 4 months I have to leave the country for 3 days and then return. My two options were Panama or Nicaragua. However, everything worked out for Nicaragua, so Tuesday morning, 6 AM I'll be heading off on a bus to Nicaragua for 3 days. I really do not have any idea what the trip will entail. It is a huge leap of faith, so your prayers would be greatly appreciated. (I'd love to have my camera back before I leave too, else I'll be taking pics with my camera phone, which are decent but nothing like the quality of my camera) 


I'll look forward to blogging those adventures next! And I will conclude with this word from God (which I was encouraged by from my mom): "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 

2 Corinthians 1:2-7