One Month In (from Costa Rica)

 10/26/26

Another long one….
It’s officially been a month. It has been so incredible. First, I’m so sorry this has been so delayed. You deserve more consistent updates, especially in this first exciting month! I did start writing after the first week and then never completed it. So, here’s that first and then below will be the current update!

 

10/5/26

We have been in Costa Rica for a full week now. A full week of life here, a full week of language classes, a full week of heat and rain. Turns out Tuis, Turrialba, Cartago, the province 2hrs outside San Jose that we currently live in is a tropical jungle area. Tuis is very civilized, we have clean running water, a warm shower, wifi, and enough to be quite content. There is a produce store here in this town of 3000. There’s also a small supermarket, which is more like a secondhand market.

Language classes are a lot of fun and exhausting at the same time. We love our teacher! She is brilliant, loves Jesus with her whole life, and hilarious. We are in class 4hours each day, plus extra classes 3 days a week. This first month those extra classes are cross cultural missions, Costa Rica cooking, & a fitness class. In the second month we will have medical terminology. Many times, I have to shake myself because it’s hard to believe we are truly here.

There are so many things that happened in the last month in Muncie. Much of it has swirled together. I’m grateful for the intentional time with our sons and our friends before saying goodbye.

It has been very encouraging feeling/sensing/hearing God move in these days. One example is on our first day of classes, we stopped into the coffee roaster on the same property. This is the coffee farm that we visited when we were here earlier this year. This school and coffee business are affiliated with Inca Link (our sending org) and truly family in Jesus. So, we stopped in to get some coffee for Chaz. As we are buying it from Daniel the owner and roaster of Piyi coffee, I ask Chaz if he’s going to ask Daniel about roasting with him. Chaz indicates he will do it later and I have a sense he needs to say something now. Daniel overhears and inquires what it is, so Chaz tells him about wanting to roast. Daniel is thrilled because he is going to be out of town for a week in mid-October and it will be good to have someone to fill in!! He says something about perfect timing and inside I am giddy! I love when Jesus does that thing he does! I love that he makes himself known to me. I love that he has taught us his voice. I’m grateful that he has given us a heart with a quick yes and full obedience.

I miss hugging my sons. I miss dinner and walks with friends.

We walk to and from school every day, twice on the days we have an extra class in the afternoon. The incline to our house is about a 175’ elevation. Two sections are pretty steep and we continue to struggle only a week in. The exercise is so good though. Looking forward to our stamina and strength building in the coming months. (Still a struggle at 4 weeks lol)

We’ve been looking for the place God has for us to live when we return to San Jose with our team. Please be praying with us for his perfect will and provision. We’ve also found out that my job will not be extending the contract they have with me beyond December. We will need to cover 13% of the difference before the end of this year and the final 20% by June. Please let us know if you are interested in investing in what God is doing to reach the youth of Costa Rica. Also, feel free to connect us with anyone interested in hearing what we are doing here and why God invited us.

We have so many exciting plans that we have begun dreaming with Jesus! I am waiting with expectation of what he will do with those.

 

10/26/26

It has been an incredible time. We completed a month of language classes. We celebrated 32 yrs of marriage with an ATV tour and dinner - such a blast. I believe Chaz will share the link to the video montage he made. I turned 61. We are in fitness classes that have been a real benefit! We knew we needed to get in shape and have really embraced the opportunity a new culture presents for changing old habits.

This past weekend we took the bus into San Jose, 2 ½ hr ride in a very uncomfortable seating situation. Lots of people and very tiny seat space. Chaz’ back did not appreciate it, but he seems to be recovering okay. We got to see some of our team, but had to miss the Sunday gathering because we had class today. There will be time for many gatherings in the future. We also had the chance to tour a house we have been praying about renting. And oh my word was the yes from Jesus LOUD!!

First the downsides, it is located a half hour (in the best traffic) south of our team in Higuito. We will have to purchase a refrigerator and our bed.

The upsides: this place is two floors, two patios, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, furnished, within our budget and includes water, electricity, & wifi! The furnishings he is leaving behind (they are moving into a smaller house they purchased when their kids moved out): couches, chairs, recliner set, 4 screens, oven, table and chairs for 6, washer & dryer, full patio seating and table, a twin and a full bed with mattresses. He is fine with Chaz using the upper patio as a roasting room. With the extra bedroom and bed we can host guests and an intern. With the extra space we can host gatherings. It is also walking distance to the Alliance church in that town that Inca Link CR is affiliated. Possibly the absolute frosting on the cake is the temps in that area are a bit cooler because it’s higher in the mountain. Not going to complain about needing a light blanket for cool, breezy evenings.

Do you see Jesus showing off? I do❤️

We wouldn’t be considering it if it wasn’t within the budget. We are grateful for confirmation of our desire to host and disciple by receiving the space to do so. Another woohoo Jesus is that it will be available when we need to move in. We finish language school November 20, we move out of the apt and leave Tuis ☹️ November 21, we drop our luggage at the Higuito house and stay two nights in an Airbnb near our team, then we go on our staff retreat for that week (23rd-28th). When we return, we will move into our house!!

We continue to lay our requests before him and wait to see what he will do and where he will lead. Thank you for praying with us! Thank you for all your support! It means so much!

Pray with us for the provision of that 1/3 of our budget that will fall off and need to be replaced to be allowed to stay on the field.

Pray with us for provision of a vehicle that can transport coffee things, short term teams, ministry needs, and however else Jesus wants to use it.

Pray with us for the perfect fulfillment of God’s intention for the coffee business here and for wisdom, revelation, and unity in how we do that.

Pray with us for a reliable car for another couple on our team.

Pray with us for housing for another couple on our team – their landlord is raising their rent $500 in January!

Pray with us for the way all of us connect and disciple the youth of Costa Rica. May God receive all the glory as he deserves!