new year update

i must fill in the blanks... for they are many. dylia and i are engaged! we both officially graduated a couple of weeks ago and we will be getting married on june 14th. i bought a plane ticket for costa rica, so i am officially committed to the ministry with theos place.

i have spent the last two weeks at home with my family. though it is nice to see them, i must admit that it has been incredibly lonely. consistent friends in colorado seem rare right now. i guess there comes a point at which we part ways, even if this is only on a social level. i suppose this parting took place several years ago, it just seems to be more dramatic now.

as i look forward to costa rica, i have had a lot on my mind. my parents refer to these things as "stressors", i call them "intimidators". perhaps this brief list will give you a bit of insight as to what has been taking place in my mind:

1. i will be living on my own for the first time of my life.
2. i will be living in a completely different country, having to adjust and adapt to this different way of life.
3. my spanish really isn't where i would like it to be as i step into this spanish-speaking country.
4. i will be embarking on an adventure in ministry- i have no idea how to go about recruiting students, leaders or how to train them. (for this i am incredibly thankful to have Don Benjamin overseeing my work). on this matter, i want to be incredibly sensitive to develop a youth program that truly reflects the costa rican culture. i don't want to start an american youth program with costa rican people... i don't exactly know where to draw the lines.
5. my financial debt is significantly more than i had expected- i have been struggling with trusting that this is what God's "good provision" looks like.
6. the economy is different- the cost of living is lower, so i will be payed less. i'm wondering how this might effect the payments that i will have to make on my loans that are in american money- dylia has had difficulty finding jobs for more than $4 an hour. this is INTIMIDATING to me because my spanish is rough, i don't have much of a history in CR and i don't have a full time job currently. i just hope i don't get stuck in a rough situation.
7. i have struggled with thoughts that i am going to be giving dylia a life that is less than par after we marry. i must say that she has been so incredibly encouraging, empowering, supportive through our conversations. therefore- on a positive note- i am not really intimidated by the thought of marriage, but i am eagerly anticipating being married to her- at this time, i truly believe that she is one of god's greatest blessings in my life.
8. at the same time, marriage is a time in which i will have to learn how to love dylia more than myself on a day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute basis. i understand that this will be quite an adjustment as i learn how truly sinful and marred i am. one of our friends referred to marriage as a "sanctification machine". though it will have its' difficulties, i praise the lord for the opportunity of marriage to such an incredible human being (and yes, i understand the sanctification process will be mutual).
9. i've been told by reliable and experienced sources that the best way to get a job in costa rica is just to show up and get one. i have a hard time believing that there will not be legal issues at some point. also, i am going on a tourist visa. (this is what I have been told) essentially, this means that every three months i will have to leave the country for 48 hours. this just seems sketchy to me, but... i REALLY trust my sources.

now... i said the list would be brief. really- that is. i know it was a lot, but for some reason, my brain never quite stops thinking (obnoxious). i have two and a half weeks left. pray that my spanish comes quickly, and that god's peace will flood my mind. please praise god for dylia and his work in our lives!