Praises

God always answers my prayers.

I struggle with why bad things happen to good people. This life is unfair. Why do good men die young? Why do bad men live longer to abuse their families? Why do good families suffer so much loss from tragedy and cancer? All these questions and more leave my heart aching daily. It takes every ounce of my strength to keep from crying on Sunday mornings when there are new announcements about the Cotham family. Young Jeremy with leukemia and mom with breast cancer. How is this ok?

I miss Kenny today. My heart is still broken for those young children.

In spite of all of this, God answers prayers. He is present and listening. He does not promise life to be easy or pain free. He does promise to be faithful. I spend a lot of time praying for certain things. Sometimes it rakes a while to get an answer. Sometimes it's immediate. This certain prayer was answered yesterday. I have been praying for this thing for over a year now. Praise God for yesterday. I am praying another prayer now. I know God us taking his time with this one. His timing is more perfect than mine. I have complete trust and faith. My God loves and adores me. He wants my life to be extraordinary. The patience and pain are what make it that.

My brother sat by me in church yesterday

Homecoming

There are rare times in my life that I am truly happy to just get home. Just in the last year have I acquired this desire to be home. I like my bed. I like my little house. It's my own. Decorated and my things. I dont' love the farm, but I'm adjusting.

I was gone for a little over a month, and I was truly just ready to be back in a routine. I enjoy being with my friends. I have always been blessed with great great friends. I have a love for being with people. I finally have a few friends here that I absolutely love being around. We laugh so much, and just have a great time being together. The quality time is magnificent.

I am so incredibly blessed. My friends took me out for a birthday dinner friday night. It was marvelous. Chinese buffet, and Books-a-Million. My favorites. It was absolutely fantastic. I am so blessed to have friends who do things for me. They did all this without question. Katya even got me gifts. totally awesome. :) I am loving 2011.

Funny Story: Standing in line at the chinese place, this lady stops and comments on my tan. She asked if I was tanning. I said no, I had just gotten back from a trip. She asked where I had been. I told her Costa Rica... she cooed and then hugged me. Hmm.... I did not know her. I love hugs from people, but I did not know her.

Get out of that Funk

Well... like I said. I had been in a funk all day today. I know part of it had to do with the guests I have here. There is a such thing as common curtesy. What do you think entitles you to be rude to me? I am a human being. I have feelings...

Anyways.. total funk. I know what it had to do with mostly, but I'm not that girl. I never thought I would be the type to get in a funk because of such a silly reason. When did I become this girl? When did I start to think about these things? silly.

So.. tonight Mrs. Ruth and I went to Flamingo Beach to watch the sunset and get some boogie boarding in. We took a few pics, and then I headed out with the board. The waves were coming in stages of large and then a break for a while. I finally get past the break, and we have a lull in waves. I started to paddle in because there was a big one to catch. Well, it ended up being huge, and not only did it catch me, but it flipped me in every direction possible. First, it head slammed me into the sand flooring. Mostly had a hurt jaw, but now my neck and body are sore. Then it tossed me to and fro. I could not find the surface for air. I was also struggling to find my swimsuit bottoms at my ankles. I finally broke the surface, and was trying to pull my swimsuit on, and look for the boogie board. Some guy was coming to see if i was ok, and i was still trying to get my swimsuit on. So.. the big waves just kept on coming. Hardest workout of my life to get the board and get back to shore. I went back out without the board and it was a little easier, but still large scary waves. I was caughing up salt water all evening. My whole body got exfoliated. So.. I almost drown. yup. it was awesome. i love boogie boarding.

My near death experience, along with the most incredible sunset I have ever experienced, brought me out of my funk. Reminded me of what I do have right here in front of me. To appreciate everything that God gives me. He will give me the desires of my heart. Right now, my heart is desiring some incredible things, and I'm being patient waiting for them to be given to me. My God is truly an incredible, powerful, magnificent God. I love to worship and praise him.

Throughout this tough day, I have had the song Amazing Love stuck in my head. Not sure why, but I have always loved this song. It means so much, and speaks exactly what I think I was thinking about today.

Amazing Love
How can it be
That, you, my God
would die for me?

This just kept playing over and over in my head today. That is an incredible love that I get to experience everday. My pray is that my friends and family feel this love as well. I can not wait for our day in Heaven, and the Love we will be filled with in His presence. I am truly blessed, and out of my funk.

Attitude Adjustment

For some reason, today I'm feelingrather... uneasy? out of whack? Just kind of having an off day. I'm not sure if it's because I'm homesick, or weather, or just discontentment. I am letting the outside world effect me right now. I'm letting other people determine my mood and how I'm approaching things today. Honestly... I need a good hug.

I don't get enough good hugs anymore. That's what I miss about college. Everytime I see/saw my friends, they hugged me. I mean great strong, healthy hugs. A hug can completely help turn a day around. It makes all the difference to feel the love and support from a true hug.

The weather today is cloudy. This never happens. It's dry season.. it's dry until May. Today it's rainy and cool. I enjoy the nice cool 78 degrees. It's refreshing. I just wonder if this is the reason I am feeling weird.

Ruth has been amazing. We have found so much cool stuff. We have definitely been adventurous and crazy. We have enjoyed every bit of our time together. Tomorrow morning will be church and then to pick up my parents from the aeropuerto. Then Monday is my last day. I have the day planned. Paradise with a picnic and then nice dinner. I'm rather excited about paradise for the day. I guess i should pack at some point, and also make sure I have everyone's souveniers. I'll check into that today. Make a list and organize. I love organizing.

I'm ready to be back in Texas.

Work of Art

Last night one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever gotten to experience. The sun was radiant, and shining through the clouds above. It reminded me of this book my mom used to read me. It was something about a man going to Heaven and painting the sunrise and sunsets everyday.



God truly is an artist. He paints the most magnificent wonders for us to see everyday. I might complain sometimes because I'm in Longview. I might not be as content as I think I would be living on the Ocean, but I am going to watch for God's amazing artwork. I see it in the people around me in Longview. I am completely blessed to have happy, peaceful souls to create the same in me.

Today I found my place on earth. I found a place that is beautiful, quiet, and take your breath away amazing. The water was strong, and just showed God's great power. The rocks were a reminder of the interruptions in life, but how perfect they make everything. The waves were perfect for surfing, but only because of the way the rocks interrupted the tide. This is a perfect example of life. The rocks in life might be hard to get over or through, but the outcome is perfect in all God's ways. They create the perfect adventures in life.

I am in awe of my God today. I am grateful for Mrs. Ruth, and her encouragement. I am blessed to have her here when I needed some company the most. Not only company, but reassurance. She has given me this at the perfect time in my life. She has just spoken words of kindness and wisdom since getting here. I am truly truly blessed. She has been a blast because she is just as adventurous as I am. She loves to explore, get lost, and find God's magnificent creation. This is exactly the adventure I love. It's a great last few days in paradise.

I am ready to get home. I miss a puppy, my house, and a few special people. :) I will not complain about the cold. I will be incredibly content, and I will see God's work of art daily in my life.

Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Passport

My passport expires March of 2014. This happens to be 2 months after I turn 30. I got it a couple months after my 20th birthday. It's kind of a cool thing to get an entire decade in one passport. I have had new pages sewn in, and am hoping to fill those up. I have covered Asia, Australia, and a lot of Central America.

What I have left is Europe, Africa, and South America. I have particular cities I want to see... and here's my list. My travels are not limited to these cities, but they are the certain places that I want to visit.

1. Fiji
2. Maritius
3. The Seychelles
4. Santorini Greece
5. The Cinque Terre Italy
6. Venice
7. European Alps (hiking the ridge)
8. Rio De Janero Brazil
9. Easter Island
10. Cape Horn
11. Antarctica
12. Vancouver
13. British Virgin Islands
14. Bali
15. Spain
16. Ireland
17. Chang Mai Thailand
18. I want to take the Transiberian Train

These are places I have yet to see, and desire to visit. There are lots of places between all of these that I will get to see along the way. I know a lot of these I won't get to see before I'm 30, but to get to go to each continent before I'm 30 is a priority.

I just need a travel buddy.. or a couple. so I'm taking apps now. :)

Bounce Back Person

Romans 8:28 and we KNOW that in ALL things God works for the good of all those who LOVE him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I want to be a bounce back person. When bad things happen around me or to me, I want to let them roll right off my back. I want to see how God is using it for GOOD in my life.

I want to be a palm tree. The palm tree was made to bend accordingly, but it won't break. When a storm comes it doesn't think... this is it. This is the one that will break me. Nope. He knows that God has designed him to bounce back up when the winds stop trying to blow him over. The "palm tree" has power behind it. The root system actually grows stronger during those rough times. When it bounces back, it comes back even stronger than before. I want to be a palm tree.

Psalm 92:12 " The righteous will flourish like a palm tree..."

The key is to stay in agreement with God. If you will stay in his favor and look to him through the hard times and the attacks from the devil.. then you will become a bouce back person.

I think I'm a pretty good bounce back person already, but I think I need to work harder on seeing the positive through the troubles. I need to grow stronger through the trials, instead of just getting through them. I want to GROW in God, knowing without a doubt that he will carry me through.

Costa Rican Fiesta

Well, tonight I got out of the hotel and found some culture. I have been feeling a little couped up, and Tanya called to see if i wanted to go to the Potrero Fiesta. This was a definite yes for me. I needed to get out, and especially experience some Costa Rican culture. So... here's my story.

We got there just after 6 pm. Apparently this is early. It's set up like an American carnival would be, except with a make-shift rodeo ring in the middle. So since there aren't many people, we mill about a little.

We see Mr. and the 2 Ms. Fiestas. They are dressed in Cowboy???? girl??? gear? The boy looked like a cowboy. The girls.. well, one did. Jean shorts, belt, red sports bra, leather vest with fringe, and cowboy boots. She looked good. The other girl was wearing the same thing, except she had a pair of the biggest fake boobs I've ever seen poking out of her waaay too small sports bra, and was wearing fishnets that came all the way up to the bra. ???? what?

There is a mechanical bull. We watch the "Cowgirls" ride it. Slowly, boring. Then we walk around to see what food and rides there were. The only ride anyone over the age of 4 could ride were some legit bumper cars. We definitely put that on the "to do when more people are here" list.

At this point we go sit down so Michael can eat a little. This is when they start playing American Rap music and the Mr and Ms. Fiestas are "line dancing". Just because you stand in a line... does not make it a line dance. They of course were doing their own booty shaking, and it was not appropriate for the 8 year old twins to be seeing. Once the Ludacris song started.. explicit.. we had to get up and walk away.

Finally enough people are around to ride the bumper cars!!! I am just going to say.. I am going to have massive bruises. Ouch. We hit on car head on, and broke the headlight because the bumper didn't work well enough. We were going that fast. Legit.

Now they start announcing the bull show. I didn't take any pictures, but I should have. We walk over and everyone is crowded around and on top of this flimsy wooden fence thing. There were 5 bars with about 1'5 between each. It stood about 8 feet tall. I stood back about 10 feet from it and the crowd. I should start now with telling you what my dad said. "Heidi, you need to go to the fiesta because the bulls chase the guys around and kill them."

I did not believe him. First bull comes running out with rider on top. There are about 15 other guys in the ring who want the bull to chase them around. The bull runs straight for my fence area. I step back a little, and watch as the crowd barely moves away from the unsturdy fence. The people on top are jumping to this side, but staying on top. There is a young girl. 13ish who is on top, and as the bull hits the fence, she flies off and down into the ring. She is laying there unconscious as the bull is running back towards her. The men are able to distract him, and a group of men come and carry her off to the ambulance. She didn't wake up.

Another thing. After the man falls off the bull I heard a band playing. A marching band and sure enough, in the stands, is a marching band playing "half-time music". Then during actual half time, they came out and played in the arena with a legit drumline, and dancers.

The rest of the night was not this eventful, but there was a whole lot of stupidity in that ring. Men just laying on the grass... looking bored. Even one of the church members, father of 5, got out there to have the bull chases him. His wife Kerrie was next to me, and not OK with the situation.

After watching this and visiting for a while, we decided to get some dinner and head out. At this point, more and more people have shown up. If the kid is under 5, their parents have dressed them in their finest clothing, bathed them, and put bows in their hair. The young ones are to show off. Some of the women are in heels. We are in a dirt, very uneven, field. Needless to say... there were a few twisted ankles.

For dinner there was chinese street food. meat on a stick, chow mien, dan chow fan, and double friend chicken. There were Churros, and Churro Rellenos, and candy apples. Then there was corn on the cob, and some corn pancake with sour cream. hmmm... not exactly what I call Fiesta food, but to each his own.

All in all.. a good cultural experience. Michael, Tanya, and the kids have quickly become one of my favorite families down here. Tonight getting to know Dave and his family was great. Their 5 kids are all awesome and cool. Intimidatingly cool. To recap: legit, painful bumper cars; greasy food; slutty cowgirls; mechanical bull that only went slow; bad music; marching band; and girl hurt badly by bull 10 feet from me. Costa Rica.

Sunsets Are My Favorite

Psalm 113:3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Christian Family

Something that never ceases to amaze me in ALL of my travels, is the small Christian world we live in. I am continually running into people that I'm connected to through other Christians. Even if we don't have anyone in common, it's amazing to see how quickly they all accept me and we become family.

When we were in Vietnam, 2 years ago, we went to church at an English school. The missionaries that were living there and working were a couple from Oklahoma. They had worked with my uncle for years in NE OK. It was so random. There was also a girl there that I went to college with. I had no idea she was there.

Things like this happen all the time to me. Being in Costa Rica right now.. that has not happened, but something extraordinary has. I have found a family. There are a few couples and families here who have just taken me in, and made me apart of their family. They take me to lunch, dinners, beaches, and even leave their kids with me. It's such a blessing.

This trip has been a little different. I'm not here for travels really. I can't leave the house much since I"m here to work. I'm here to watch the house, the maids, and take care of things around the hotel. So... I've been rather bored. Other than great friends skyping me for hours... and saving me.. i've been really bored. Today was no exception. I even got bored after only about an hour in the pool. Thankfully, as soon as I got out of the pool, Tanya called and came to pick me up. She took me to lunch, and for a great drive and visit. It's so interesting to learn about people and their histories.

I am so incredibly blessed to be part of this "family". My travels are far from over. I know that I have so much ahead of me... and I hope that all of my travels are as blessed as my past ones, with meeting and running into "family". It's an incredible world we live in. Dangerous and scary, but mostly incredible.