When On Mission - Just roll with it!

When serving on a mission team, one knows that the comforts of home will not be there. You miss your family, friends, and today hot water.
Just a little bit ago, I had my first experience with what the locals call "the widowmaker". It is the way to shower in civilization in San Jose Costa Rica. Basically an electric shower head. Don't touch it! The water runs over the pipes and the electricity heats the water.
NOT FOR ME!
OHH!
Dirty from travel and too tired to try my hand at a foreign way to shower last night, I embarked upon this journey this morning a little after 6am. Turning the handle, I remembered our host, Franco explaining this process to me. if you want hot water don't turn the water on high, let it trickle out. Okay, so I thought.
Picture yourself standing well, as God made ya, in flip flops alone in a little tiny shower, the fabric curtain is pulled behind you, and you go for it.
Turning the knob I let the water trickle..barely running off the top of the showerhead, warm..awesome. okay now to get it on my body. Strategy 1 being developed...soap up first. okay done.  next attempt to find a way to get this warm trickle onto body. Step 2: unsuccessful. So I upped the water pressure! POP! COLD, ICE cold cubes in liquid form hit my semi warm body. Since it is 6ish and quiet except for the birds and church bells outside...I squelch the natural instint to share my trauma with my fellow mission friends. The verse I can do all things rolls through my head..I tell God that's not funny! and suck it up and rinse super fast! Kinda like the boys do on a normal day in the states.
Step 3. Since Im cold, Im truly wondering if my hair really needs washing..taking a deep breath, I recite the verse aloud, I don't care if a sleeping Chad hears me..REALLY...
Step 4. lather up, can't have a stinking mission friend visiting from the states, right? Keeping my body away from the liquid ice, I rinse out my hair.. so the final prognosis.. I will not condition my hair until I figure a way to mix it ahead of time.

Ya know how you get out of the shower and its cool? HA! I warmed up! Wrapping myself in a towel, I thankfully praised the Lord for having clean running water, and for the opportunity to serve Him here in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Day 1 It's a GOD Thing!

Today at 4am 27 of my fellow church friends met at the Nashville airport and embarked on a journey to Costa Rica. We left behind, friends, family, and snow. Our plane was de-iced twice before we could leave. Thankfully we got through all the customs, and scanning ect... well, and without issue! God is good! Coming out of the airport in San Jose.. we were greated by 78 degree temperatures, and blueTom skies! WOW!
Riding through the streets in this town..everyone gets so close to each other, we could touch if we wanted to, and its amazing that we don't.
The homes are small, made of stucco/concrete blocks, and aluminum roofing for the most part. There were many American names on businesses that I recognized such as Bridgestone, Dunkin Donuts, and Subway.
The trees have flowers in them! I will photograph these over the week, and many of them are so fragrant!
We are staying at a charming bed and breakfast callled Casa del Franco. He can host 60 people at a time. The rooms are small, but cozy. There are personal touches everywhere. I read where it was the home on a coffee plantation back in the 1920's.
We already love Franco. He is a charming man, will post pics soon of him also! He works very hard to make sure everyone is comfortable.
Tomorrow we get to play with the orphans and go to church, and do some prayerwalking. We had devotion tonight reminding us all that God has blessed each o

Costa Rica Mission Journey

A new year, a clean slate ahead of us. This month is already shaping up to be a full one!
Sweetie and I leave for Costa Rica on the 8th and come back on the 15th. We will be working with the a group called "The Abraham Project".   http://www.abrahamproject.org/  We will help with construction of a church, work with some orphans, and share Christ with the town through feeding the hungry, evangelism, and lots of prayerwalking.

After many months of meetings and paperwork, fundraising, ect. we are ready to go! Since this is the first trip to Costa Rica from our church, there will be a lot of groundwork laid this time for future mission journeys.
We will all come back a changed people, and hopefully leave Costa Rica a positively changed area.

There are several on this trip that have never left the state of TN/KY, never been on an airplane, much less experienced a different culture. The stories will be humorous, touching, and a blessing. I look forward to sharing them with you when we return.