Barnes and Noble Life Experiences

I was suppose to go back to Costa Rica in June of 2013, however it got canceled. I know it is all apart of God's plans. I do miss Mariana. Please pray for her, and the barrios she works in. I know she is hitting some obstacles there. The people are so amazing, and I would love to go help her.

 I am going to Charleston over my Spring Break to do Habitat for Humanity. I'm going with my school, and not BCM. It's not technically called a mission trip. However, the student leader is a believer, so she and I will be making it a mission trip. :) I am excited to do that. I will be put out of my comfort zone, and I am looking forward to that.

I am torn at this moment. I want to do missions, and I want to be a business major. I finished Go+Do by Jay Milbrandt. It was amazing, and all about missions. So I needed a new book to read, and this is how amazing our wonderful God works:
 I went to Barnes & Noble with a list of books from my BCM Advisor. She gave it to me over the summer, and I am picking books that I may find neat on it. I went looking for any kind of book that would be a good read. I took several off the shelf, and sat on the floor. I prayed asking God to help me decide which book I needed to read. I also prayed that if I was suppose to talk to anyone in that bookstore, that He open the right doors. Eventually a couple came onto the aisle, and I apologized for the 7 books I had scattered on the floor. They didn't seem to pleased by my actions, but I meant no harm and could see that maybe I didn't need to talk to them. Concentrating on my books, I soon realized that about 4 other people were on this same aisle. I got this stirring in my heart as this lady went past me. Mentally I started talking to God, saying is this her? What do I say? She picked up a book, Kisses from Katie, and I recognized the book. I hadn't read it, but the lady walked away before I could speak to her. So I prayed that God bring her back. I looked to see if there was another Kisses from Katie, but there wasn't anything but an empty spot. A little bummed, I looked across the store to see who I thought was the lady. I went searching for her, but could not find her. I ended up stopping at a table filled with books, and remarkably a stack of Kisses from Katie sat on that table. I realize now, that God sent me searching so I could find that book. At the checkout, I did get to speak to a girl about missions. She has been to many places, and I pray that she can go back to Southeast Asia.

God works in many ways, and if we just stop and listen we can see how He works in our own lives.

I have gotten to read a part of the foreward in Kisses from Katie. It has already captured my heart. I am doing a speech in a couple of hours on Katie. Which is another way God has worked in my life tonight. I have changed my speech topic multiple times because the topic never felt right. But talking about missions, and Amazima feels right. I am thankful that He has shown me so much about missions tonight. I feel my heart changing. I realize that I could be happy with so much less. I just cannot wait to see how He uses that for my future.

Ciao
Pura Vida
Sarah

Some Videos from Costa Rica Summer 2012

This is the short version video of  my mission trip.

http://vimeo.com/45086850

This is my missionary! I love her! She is an amazing servant of God.

http://vimeo.com/45086851

Looking Back

I had so much fun in Costa Rica. It was a humbling, wonderful, surprising, and perfect mission trip. I learned more about God, myself, and everyone around me. I proved to myself even more that I'd rather speak Spanish than English. Ever since I am saying randomness in Spanish, yet I would have it no other way. God willing I hope to go back next summer. My heart is with those who speak Spanish. I have always found Latinos or Hispanics fun to be around, but I am beginning to think that it is my niche. :) Thank you for all your prayers!  I miss Costa Rica and all my ticos everyday. When people ask how the mission trip went I find it hard what not to tell them. Or what to choose to tell them in a couple of brief sentences. Spanish is a passion of mine, and I hope it is always a talent I get blessed to have and to cherish.

Pura Vida

~Sarah

Adventure Day

Poas Volcano

Today we went to Volcano Poas. It was epic. No lava though. We then drove to Ms. Cherry's house or Sherry in English. She is in the process of making her home a Children's Home. Her house will house seven children who have parents, but will no longer live with their parents. She has been getting her house ready for over a year and a half now. Paper work is a big part along with waiting time. Her house is smaller than others, but those kids will have a great person as their guardian and a nice place to put their heads at night. We helped her plant a garden, and had a time limit to beat the rain. We planted a variety of plants like cucumbers, cantaloupes, peppers, squash, radishes, and more. Just as we all got back in the van, it started to rain. It was epic. God has great timing. :) Then we were West Coast bound to la playa!!! We got here & the Pacific is amazing! We all were still sweaty from the gardening, and all jumped in the pool. It felt great. We then had supper of grilled steak & chicken, and sang Happy birthday to Nathan. It's been a long day. I didn't get to share a POW & WOW with my team, so I'll do it here.

POW [or low of the day]- getting frustrated with everyone's attitude. Everyone is getting cranky because lack of sleep and amount of work.

WOW- finally realizing I'm in the middle of living my testimony at the moment. & seeing Pacific ocean for the 1st time & alligators in the river & the Poas Volcano

really big alligators. counted over 18 in the water at one point

Mariana Melo y Yo

Ciao mis amigos!

-Sarah

Sad Day

Today we went to the church to do some laying concrete. We also had lunch and breakfast at the church as well. IT WAS AMAZING!!! I love fried plantains. :) However after almuerzo [lunch] it rained. So I threw my raincoat on and danced in the rain. It was a lot of fun. After everyone settled with lunch, it was time for us to leave. It was really hard. I wish we could stay longer. After we got Carolina away from her mom's house, we went and put a new bunk bed in her new room. She had already moved her stuff in and everything. I was really happy we could give her and her children new beds to sleep on. She was really happy too. She was away with Mariana and a few others getting ice cream to go deeper in conversation about some of her text messages. She did admit that she knows she is a sinner. This is a big step for her. Mariana wants her to pray some more. Hopefully real soon she will accept Christ. [Pray real hard!!!] We then headed to downtown San Jose. We went to a market. I got some rings and stuff. One of the vendors even made me a copper ring with no charge. It is an abstract P and V for Pura Vida!!! :) We were suppose to go to a nice place to eat, but we ended up eating McDonalds back at the house. But french fries are french fries to me! :) Big day tomorrow. We are going 2 be on the road about 6am to go see a Volcano. Then we head off to the orphange to help out and plant a garden. Then we head in the bus for about a 3hour ride to the beach. :) CIAO!

~Sarah

I Hit the Wall

:

Today, 3 words...WHAT A DAY!!! I hit a wall when it came to my patience. This kid knew how to push buttons. Yet, that is not a downer on my day. I also can smell my feet from my seat...it's a tad bit gross. :D

Today we had Pentecost Sunday at a local church in one of the barrios. Pastor Alejandro wanted Nathan to preach the sermon. We also had a guest music leader. His name was Daniel or Dani. We danced in church today too!! It was awesome. God was in that church this morning. It was a blast. Nathan talked about how everyone has a gift from God. A special talent to call our own. I've been thinking about that all week. :)

After we had church, we ate lunch there too. I ate a pork rine without knowing....I thought it was a Hispanic Funyon Chip kinda thing. I am still a little weirded out. We also had Chicken & Rice, but it had other meet in it as well...so I ate pork. I don't like pork. :/

Fun Fact: Costa Rica doesn't have an Army

In the afternoon, we had kids camp at the church. Three young girls accepted Christ. It was a blessing. :) I helped in the rec part. The older group [teenagers] loved Ultimate Frisbee. It was so much fun playing with them. The younger age [4-7] loved playing with the parachute. It was cute. But the preteens, had some attitudes when it came to sports. But that group had some progress on the Bible lessons. One kid always said Que? every time I said something in Spanish. OR they said No when I said escucha! I should have handled it better, but I was frustrated that I could not get my point through.

It finally hit me today that I am in Costa Rica. We were driving to church with a CD in blasting Chris Tomlin's Awesome God. The whole bus was singing, and it hit me. We serve a God who is so great. He blesses each day. When things seem bad, a rainbow always comes after the rain. :)

We went to a place like Costco or Sam's Club to get some stuff to make bags of food to take to the houses when we go tomorrow. We laughed and ran around that place. It was so much fun. We sang on the bus & danced. It was so much fun. :) A great day!

I love talking to the girl on this trip. We can laugh and talk about everything under the sun. It is fun just to talk, and see how people deal with situations. It also helps to just talk about life with people. I have missed moments like this.



Babies, Bumps in the Road, & God's Will

Each day has something new. Something new to see or learn. I am still at awe that Sarah Williams esta en Costa Rica! It's is so natural feeling, that I don't feel thousands of miles away. Each day, I fall more in love. A Spanish Environment is comfortable for me. Maybe more than English. I know I am not fluent, but I can talk to the kids with ease. When I am speaking Spanish, the rest of the world fades away. An amazing moment was when I told this group of little ones, who Mariana promised I would give them candy the day before, met me at 7:30ish this morning to ask where the candy was. After I handed them each a peppermint I told them the man in the sunglasses had candy too. [El hombre con las gafas del sol tiene confites tambien] Now I know that there are suppose to be accents, but idk how to put those on there. It is a rewarding feeling to turn around and see people with the "Did that just come from her?" look on their faces. I am happy God gave me a talent for learning Spanish. Today I got to hold several babies at an Underage Teen Mom meeting. It was so much fun. The place we went to was oriented with Young Life. I regret not getting involved with that while I was in high school.

So I helped with the kids who were mostly from a couple of months to 6ish, but mostly were just walking good & not a lot of speech in any language.  I know my mom would be proud of this moment: There was a little boy, Joshua, he was tiny and probably came up to my knee. He walked around a lot, so I walked towards him & crouched a little while doing a jazz hands kinda thing to do Tick Spiders.....well he did not like that all...he started to back away with a look of terror and started to cry.....so I stopped said LO SIENTO!!! and let one of the ladies we were helping to get him, so the scary gringa wouldn't go near him. He was cranky for most of the morning. So I then grabbed Rachell. She was learning how to walk, but not by herself yet. She would NOT smile for me, and I was determined to get one of those children to like me because Mariana told ALL the ladies I was the Baby Master.....so no pressure. Eventually Rachell warmed up to me, and I helped her slide down the slides. She like it, and wanted to keep sliding. After a bunch of clapping, smiles, and yelling weeeeeeeeee!!!! or YAAAAYYYYYY!!!! She finally gave me a 8 or so teeth grin. She was precious.

Rachell (Mi corazon)

We also had a minor bump in the road, but the results from it were very rewarding. Coming back from the place with the teen mom meeting, we stopped at a grocery store to pick up our supper from a friend of Mariana. He is a super duper good cook! Like I have a clean plate each time. YUM! I was asleep on the back row of our passenger van, and woke up to us parked. I sat up because our van is for 15 people, so one row can be used as a bed if no one is sitting on it. I sat up to find that we had ran into a car while backing up. Apparently we were backing up & this lady thought she could zip into a parking spot on the other side of the van. She went diagonally into the spots, and we dented her back right corner of her car. Everyone was in the same shape they had woke up this morning. SO we were okay. But Costa Rica traffic police had to come & both drivers have to go to traffic court because both are in the wrong. However, that is a low of the day.... a high came out of it. We were delayed for about 2 hours because of the accident. This gave half of the team who were at Carolina's house to do the Wordless Book lesson to the kids in the barrio. Some even immediately went and told their families about what they had just heard. Some parents even wanted a copy of the story. I don't know if all the families were believers or not, but many of the kids were eager to listen. Without a delay, those kids may not have heard the Wordless Book and that through accepting Jesus Christ in your heart that you cannot get to Heaven. Even Carolina's family came to listen in on parts of it. A common response to Mariana from Carolina was, "Oh, you and your Jesus." We finished her room today. Well half of the team finished it. They did a remarkable job, and I am super proud of them. I am thankful that God has put so many different talents in one team to get many different jobs done. While concrete is not my talent, it is others.

The Finished Product of the room

There is still a lot to be done, but we don't know if we will be the team to help make it to the truly finished project. Yesterday that room had no skylight. It had dirt floors, no dry wall, it was merely cinder blocks forming a small rectangle. Three people will sleep in this room. Carolina, Suri, & Evan.

I am also thankful that I could talk to some of the girls on the trip about stuff. It was reassuring to hear advice and encouragement on things that I see as downfalls or something I wasn't quite sure on.

But a big day tomorrow. We are going to a church of Pastor Alejandro. We will be helping with the service, then we will be working with kids for like a Bible Camp. I am on the sports/rec part. It will be lots of fun. :) Pues, CIAO MIS AMIGOS!!!! 

Candy, Cement, & 60 Years of Missions

Up top: Ms. Ruth & Bottom: Pura Vida

Day Two has been AMAZING! There are no words to compare the amount of awesome experiences. I met Pastor Alberto today. He is a really cool guy. He spoke no English, but I got to pull out my Spanish. I cannot describe my passion for the Spanish language. I tried to use it with whoever I could. Some of the barrio kids got bribed by me with candy. They now think I'm cool. We went to Carolina's mothers house and mixed cement old fashion way. I did some, but Mark, Robin, Rebekah, & Doug were beasts! But Pastor Alberto called us SUPER GRINGOS! (Super Whites) We all want that on a t-shirt now. It's the bomb diggity! Carolina is a 20 year old with 2 children who are precious. There names are Suri, 3, and Evan who will be 2 on Tuesday.  I got to walk to the store with Carolina, Doug, Evan, & Suri. We saw a snake. Bought some cookies & cola. I gave Suri a piggy back ride back because her feet hurt. Her mom said she likes to tell stories. We also got to meet a missionary who has been in missions for 60 years. Her name is Ms. Ruth. She reminds me of my great grandmother, and she is an inspiration because she recently lost her husband. Her children wish for her to move back to the States, but she wishes to stay on top of a mountain in Costa Rica. She is precious. Tomorrow I get to help Mariana with her Teen Mom group. We are going to have a princess party. I read a part in my Bible today about not worrying in the book of Matthew. It was a very calming way to start my day. I am just thankful for all of these amazing experiences. Thank you if you helped get me here financially. Thank you for praying for my team and myself. God is working amazing ways here. God is showed me today that I am perfectly comfortable with speaking Spanish. I could live in a country like this and be perfectly happy. I still don't feel like I am in Costa Rica. Ciao Mis Amigos! :D

Finally arrived

This is the town where we are at, but all the towns are super close.

Just got out of the San Jose Airport

Our BEAUTIFUL house we are able to stay at

After many months of waiting....I can officially say PURA VIDA!!! Costa Rica is beautiful! This way of life is so different. I feel like this is an unreal experience. But I am currently hearing the thunder and rain drops of Costa Rica. I just got back from a walk around the area of where we are staying. This house is SO pretty. It has no AC but all the windows are open, but once you get still the cool breeze drifts in. I am so happy that God is letting me have this awesome ride. :) Tomorrow is going to be a big day! I'll post! :) TE AMO!

=Sarah

Nerves are coming

 I haven't been nervous until right now. I know I have a lot of support, and I am happy that I do. I am just nervous about other personal issues, I guess. I am just glad to have this opportunity to take a break from my everyday routine to just serve God, and help others. I am stoked about that part. I just am nervous about what to say. However, I am just going to trust God. So when the time comes he will provide me with the words.

In Four Days

Four days from now, I will board that plane with 9 other college students with two adults to meet an and work with the one and only Mariana Melo. Then another student will meet us there who is not from South Carolina in Costa Rica. We are extremely excited! Please pray for my team, the people in Costa Rica, & for safe travels.

I am still in the process of writing my testimony. Yet, I know God will help me write it down on paper. I definitely need to pack! :) I have a couple more days to do that.

Have a great Sunday afternoon!!!

Sarah

Senior Luncheon

Today I helped our team with a Senior Luncheon at Morning Side Baptist Church in Spartanburg. We just served drinks, food, and smiled. We raised around $800. It lasted only a couple hours. The people we served were so sweet! They enjoyed their food, and had dessert. I think one of their favorites was the jello with I assume whip cream & mandarin oranges. I am not a fan of jello, but all that matters is that they like it. :) The next time I see my team will be on May 24th, our departure for Costa Rica :) We are all excited! (I say that all the time, but we are pumped!) Talk to you soon!!

~Sarah

May is Here!!

Hey Everyone!

No video, & sorry I am just now updating. I've been to several meetings about planning, & we all know what we are doing. We are all happy to know what we are doing. :) I am going to be in the group that does soccer or other sports in the rotation groups. It is subject to change, but we are teaching the Creation of Earth and The Christmas Story. Along with the wordless book on the back of frisbees. I a super excited and counting down the days!!!

Thanks! Keep praying for us!

Sarah

URGENT Prayers Needed

This is the link to the article. http://inicio.telenoticias7.com/detalle.php?id=127147&idp=1

Thank you so much for your prayers in this time of need for these families! Pray for Mariana Melo as well! Thanks! :)

This Week 4/4/12

Post Office Experience & Prayers

Two Posts this Week!!! Yay! :) Please continuing your prayers for this trip. God is moving in this trip! :) We are all really excited!!! Thanks! ~Sarah

This Week

We are doing a lot of things to help raise money for summer missions. Car Wash, Yard Sale, Applebee's Breakfast, basically you name it, we are doing it.

Tomorrow I am going to go through the passport process. So that will be one less stress.

Please Pray for funds for some people, passport, stress, and surgeries. Just lift those in need up to God.

Thanks! :)

Preparation, Preparation, Prayer, Prayer

Mariana Melo's Blog: www.discoveringpuravida.blogspot.com.

We have a definite team of twelve missionaries. Five college students from the Spartanburg area, five from Morningside Baptist Church, as well as two leaders. Suzanne Bachelor, the Spartanburg BCM leader, and Nathan Neighbors, the Associate Pastor to Youth at Morningside Baptist Church.

Please continue praying for financial situtations for some, spiritual preparation for all, and getting in the mind set of serving.

Thanks!

Video Post-Poned

Hello Everyone!

I am on Spring Break at the moment, so no video. Sorry! However, I am going to get one up next week sometime. I want to meet with my BCM leader, and get some more information. Hope you have an amazing rest of the week!

--Sarah

The Beginnings of Costa Rica

Hello!! This blog is to inform you about my Mission Trip to Coast Rica in May! I know it is a bunch of ramblings, but I hope I have provided you with information about the beginning process. Just leave a comment if you want to know more! Thanks!