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Well it's 11pm Sunday night. We just had a great debrief time with Dena and Barb (directors heres). It was a massively encouraging time and was filled with Thanksgiving and praise to God for all He did.
One of the sweetest things was the missionaries response to our team. They said over and over that this was the best team that they ever had. It was one of our goals to not be a burden to them but to be a blessing. The Lord was good and used us as a huge encouragement in their lives. We laughed together a ton and everyone's hearts have been filled with joy.
The culture here has been so generous and good to us. We can't wait to see everyone. Pray travels are safe and smooth.
See you soon.

Sunday

Pictured are team members playing, hiking to the waterfall, and Priscilla with her "war wound". She's been hoping for one all trip and really hoping for a scar. I don't think it will happen.

Well the last day is finally here. I'm sure it will be a bitter sweet. One last day with the kids and the missionaries, but also the reality of coming home. This morning I'll be preaching at the church service. While this is always an honor, I'm always a bit nervous of what might be lost in translation. But God is good and will work as He wishes.
This afternoon we'll be doing some souvenier shopping and later tonight having our team debrief. Of course in between we can wonder in and out of the homes and play with kids and encourage the tias. So here we go for one more day...

Saturday

We've got a day and a half left and while we are all looking forward to coming home we all want to finish strong. So keep praying for us to love the children and encourage the tias and missionaries to the best of our abilities.
This morning Ali and Warren shared at Devo's and both did an incredible job. I know our team's testimonies have really been a blessing to the tias and the missionaries. Praise God.
It's the usual hot and humid and we were glad to finish up our last day of work projects this morning. That's the last set of clothes we'll soak with our sweat from at least the work projects. However, as Warren says it, "you'll break out in a sweat just picking your nose here." So more sweat will surely come but at least it will be from playing with children and not hauling branches. I will say though, we've made quite a difference in the look of this place. When we arrived there were branches everywhere and now it's been all cleaned up. In addition lots of painting has been done and a bunch of walk ways have been well cleaned.
Pictured you'll see Johanna chilling (literally trying to cool down) in the pool, some of us guys working, Brandon holding kids at devotionals, and a group of tias.
Today we found the largest toad any of us had ever seen. Brandon caught it and got peed on. And then we were promptly told, "don't let it pee on you, a dog grabbed it, got peed on and had seizers for 8 hours. Needless to say Brandon got washed off pretty quickly.
All in all, we are all doing well. Keep praying and keep posting encouragements.

Guess the team member

Life hasn't been the same since we ate the fuzzy fruit...

Friday

Pictured here are Brandon and I working with the cement mixer today. We finished one side of the drive way. Brody, Brandon, and I took on the Costa Ricans again in soccer, but this time it was in the pouring rain with massive puddles and lots of slipping and sliding. Ali is pictured doing toe nails of the little girls, Diane is enjoying a little one, and Johanna is checking out some bags in town.
Today Johanna and Brody shared with everyone at devotions and then we were off again to work projects and helping with the kids. In actuality most of the ladies spent time in the pool with the kids during the morning. During our break time a group went to town (watch out for all the coffee this team is bringing back, there are bags everywhere) and others of us walked to a local waterfall. It's a 60 foot water fall with an exhausting and dangerous hike in and out. We're about to head out to play with kids all afternoon and then more of the same...thanks for all your prayers and all your comments.

Wednesday and Thursday

Our day off was wonderful and much needed. You can see we met a nice sized lizard that would come up and eat droppings from the table at the restaurant (it was probably 4 feet long). We got to go the Ocean (which was a first for Ali) and enjoyed swimming in the surf, body boarding, and walking the beach.
While it was relaxing, it was also stretching for some as we soared from great heights at our rain forest zip line canopy tour. It was amazing and quite a rush. Not only was the activity exciting, it was entertaining as well listening to Ali scream from the moment she left each platform till she arrived at the next. (We started taking bets on how many screams she could get in between platforms)
We also got to stop at a bridge on the way and check out some local crocs. They were enormous with some easily being 25 feet long.
We ended the afternoon with some shopping in town and some much needed ice cream. On the way home we spent much time in prayer as we came back through the mountains in the middle of a horrible thunderstorm. (don't worry we only encountered 3 mud slides across the road) Let's just say we were thrilled to finally be back at the orphanage at the end of the day.
This morning Diane and I (Josh) shared during the morning devotional time. Although Diane had been fearing it all week, she did great.
They continue to work us hard as some of us mixed and poured concrete this morning (I have a whole new appreciation for these young men who do this all the time), while others continued painting, cleaning up brush, and or course watching kids.
Most the team took their brief afternoon break to run into town and now they are all back in the homes playing with kids during the afternoon rain.
We love your comments and definitely need your prayers. We're just over the halfway point now and it's gut check time as we ask God for more of Him and expect Him to use us in great ways.

Just a few pics

Just wanted to put up a few pics. Brody is pictured here with one of the many girls who calls him their future husband. Lisa is loving carrying babies everywhere. Warren and Julio have really taken to each other (Julio is the only physically and mentally handicapped child here). And the other is just the boys dressing up like superheros.