Love is the Air

Recently, DeLynn and I have started a dating couples group in our church. We have enjoyed investing in people's lives in this way. God has taught us a lot in our marriage and we want to pass on what we can to these young couples (pictures shown below, except for one couple). This is a small group that will be offered in our church for several weeks, several times a year. We look forward to meeting many new couples and helping them get off to a good start! 

Pete and Paola are a very special couple since we were able to do premarital counseling with them at the end of last year. They are the host couple for our small group. They are expecting their first child at the end of the summer. 

Special couples night that included.....

Romantic Songs!

More romantic songs!

We decided to have a little fun and had a fondue party. For some of the couples it was their  first time ! 

The fondue was a hit! 

One Sunday Morning....

About two weeks ago, DeLynn was talking to one of our neighbors and he found out that we could catch   the train very close to our house and take a ride to San Jose! We had so often heard the train go past our house, but we didn't know where or when it went. So we decided it was time to take an adventure! The train ride itself took 45 minutes, one way. We spent two hours in in San Jose hanging out and then rode the train back home! 

Probably the biggest surprise for us was how much more of the culture we saw and how much more there is  to learn. We saw things such as, beautiful, huge houses (we even saw a castle), we saw several slums that were terribly poor, because it was Sunday, we saw families hanging out together, lots of children, stray dogs, went over some very scary bridges and almost hit someone crossing the railroad tracks! 

All in all, it was incredible, perfect family day!  

We saw a lot of cute children waving at the train. 

Choosing

After meeting with the social worker at the children's services here, and taking two weeks to pray and process what we heard, Yesterday, DeLynn and I started filling out the adoption papers. It asked questions such as: "What ages, minimum, maximum." All kinds of questions about what we would be willing to take as far as emotional status, intellectual status, medical status, whether we would be willing to take a child who's parents were alcoholics, drug addicts etc. and so many more questions.

Carmelinda asked DeLynn and I the other day why we wanted to adopt. We have wanted another child for SO long, but now that the process has started, I guess I take that question more seriously. So the question has stuck with me. I've really thought and prayed about that, asking God to reveal the answer to me. Wanting another child is a good answer but I felt like I needed something deeper than that. Suddenly God spoke to me, "You want to adopt because you want to show someone else the love of God. I certainly don't know everything about the love of God, but I know a little. I want him or her to experience the love of their Heavely Father." Like DeLynn said, after I shared this with him, "It's called discipleship." That's what our family is all about! We are all in this discipleship walk together as a family.

As I've been filling out the paper work, God has given me joy and peace, something I didn't have before in this area. DeLynn and I are both excited and like to talk about it, another thing that hadn't really happened before. We also have a peace about the timing. We don't know when this will happen, but God is good and He knows. I am excited about the priveledge of choosing our child. Something that happened to me 40 + years ago.

I wish mom was here. I'm sure she could identify with me a lot in this experience. There are a whole new set of emotions and feelings in this part of the journey. But I'm SO glad my dad is here to share this experience with us. We ask that you continue to pray for our family and our future child.

T'was the Night Before Christmas by Carmelinda Hoover

T’was the night before Christmas and all through heaven

All the angels where sleeping except for seven

T’was almost Christmas but the houses were quiet

Some were left silent but the others a riot

When they looked down they saw good, old, jolly Saint Nick

But then they realized it was an old cheap trick

They saw kids tossing and turning in their beds

You could tell there were thoughts of Christmas in their heads

They started getting loud and woke up the whole town

They saw an angel come out, he looked like a clown

The lights of the town started going off and on

Then all the angels some looked down and saw a nice fawn

Then they remembered it was almost Christmas day

They remembered the manger in which Jesus lay

The birth of Jesus Christ is very important to them

Why Jesus came as a baby to save all men

After that thought some angels went back to their house

Most angels saw an angel wearing a blue blouse

The angels that stayed up started to sing and sing

The angels sang and then some bells started to ring

They sang beautiful classics like joy to the world

The kids in heaven were having fun and they twirled

"Nobody should be sad or mad on Christmas Eve"

Said the choir director named Mr. Joe Steve

Christmas day was only a few hours away

All the angels stopped singing and started to pray

Out of nowhere graceful snowflakes started to fall

They heard a voice say, "Merry Christmas one and all!"

　

　

　

A Costa Rican Holiday Celebration

One of my favorite things to eat in Costa Rica over the holidays are tamales. This year I decided I wanted to learn how to make them. My friend, Esmeralda from Talamanca, my other friend, Kimi and I, along with our families, decided to have fun making them together. Here is how you make them!

The fire is set. Esmeralda is adding chicken broth, salt to the boiling water.





The pork is cooking.





Our men making sure the fire keeps going and talking about the next soccer championships!



Chop, chop, chop!



Put cilantro and garlic in the blender.

And of course rice!

 

Cutting and cleaning the banana leaves.







Mixing the dough.



It smelled SO good!






Keren and Margarita









Boiling the tamales.





 





Banana/Plantain leaves.



The ingredients; potato, pepper, pork, rice and the dough.



The finished product. Now to eat them!



Sweet Daugher of Ours

Dear Carmelinda,
You are growin up SO fast! Your're 10 1/2 years old now. I can hardly believe you're almost as tall as I am (I know that doesn't take much) and have bigger hands and feet than I do (and that doesn't take much either)!
Your dad and I are so proud of you. You're our favorite girl in the whole world!
We love when you want to try things out on your own, like difficult Math problems.
I love to hear you sing to Jesus. I can tell you love music in general.
You are also a social butterfly, much like your dad. That's good because you're able to fit in anywhere and make friends anywhere. You're very adaptable to your surroundings.
You love going to church, not only to see your friends, but to worship and learn about God.
We believe there is a call on your life that we're waiting for and that will be revealved in God's timing.
You love to bake and are very creative.
You have a sensitive spirit, especially when you know you've done wrong and are quit to ask for forgiveness.
You love animals and have a compassionate heart.
You love to pray for others in need and continue to pray for them until God releases you of the request.
You love living in Costa Rica! This is home for you.  
I love acting crazy and laughing with you and, of course, going shopping!
You take on your dad's side when it comes to soccer and football teams! 
You love when your dad takes you out on dates. We can tell your little love tank fills up!
I love when you kiss me on the forhead just because you love me.
Your dad and I LOVE when we hear you say, "I love my family!"
We love you honey and ALWAYS will!
Love,
Mom (written for dad too)

Baking apple pie!



Baking apple pies with her friends for a school project.





This is what happens to pre-adolescent girls when they spend too much time in the kitchen!



The End and the Beginning

Shortly after we arrived in Costa Rica, we took our national staff on a well deserved trip, after a long summer, to Barcelo Tambor Resort. It was a wonderful time to re-connect with them and end our eight month sabbatical.



Samuel and Margot



Raul and Kimi



Francisco, Esmeralda, Leo, Keren, and Margarita



We are starting a new era, a new beginning, and back to a routine. It has been a good change.
Carmelinda has enjoyed getting back into school. She is now in the 6th grade. Here is one of her first projects. It's called the WID (Washing Iron Dryer) sold for $199+ tax (if anyone is interested!).

At the beginning of October, we moved! Up until that time, we were traveling everyday taking Carmelinda back and forth to school, which took us 50 minutes to 1 hr times four! Also, on the  weekends, we were traveling the same route to go to our church. We decided to make our lives a little simpler, so we moved closer to school and church. Now it only takes us about 15 minutes to get to both places! It has been a wonderful change! So now we live in San Rafael de Alajuela instead of San Rafael de Heredia!

Here are some pictures of our move and our "new" house!

Our kitchen

Up stairs balcony



Living room





Our little yard. Since we're now city residents, we walk our dogs twice a day! It's actually been a fun thing to get into as a family. And the dogs love all the attention!




Carmelinda's Room