Could some one tell me where April is?

This month has been such an action packed ride. I have been home, directed my first play, finished my second semester, traveled through Costa Rica with a good friend from the states and I am now a short term missionary with EBM. Yes!! I just received news that I am now with Evangelical Baptist Mission (www.ebm.org). I still have a lot ahead of me, but this is a huge step that I am so excited to be apart of. EBM is an amazing organization with a biblical approach to missions and great people to help you in your ministry. I still need to finish some paper work and finalize my mission plan. Then I will begin raising support to be here for another year. I am on my way now to a men's retreat with my church here and have already begun a head start of some of the ministries I will be doing for that year. English ministries and discipleship being some of the more major, but I am working my way towards my first sermon in spanish by the end of the summer. At the beginning of the services for the next few months I will be doing short lessons on church history. There are great things ahead and great things behind. I hope to have pictures and stories from the play up in a few day, plus some from my travels these past few days. Thanks for all the prayers and I look forward to here from each of you.

'Play'ing around

Sorry that it has been a while since my last post. I have been a little busy for the past few weeks. After I made my surprise visit back to the states for my mom's birthday, I came back with two weeks till the play that I have been directing. Now, tonight we have our full dress rehearsal and performances are Friday and Saturday. This has been such an amazing journey full of fun, excitement and of course stress. I hope to have some pictures up in the next few days to let you see my students and all that I have been up to. I know it will be mixed emotions when its all done, but right now I am just enjoying every moment.

The End of My 23rd Year of Life

I remember when I graduated from High School I received the quintessential gift, Dr. Suess's "Oh the places you will go!" Its so true, especially when God's turning the pages. This was my second birthday celebrated out of the US while serving God. He has taken me places unimaginable and humbling. This year I celebrated with classmates at Wendy's conversing in a new language and my students for the play I am directing threw me a little party before practice with a gluten free cake. Then my english students wanted to learn the Happy Birthday song so they could sing it to me, so I taught them and then they sang it to me. So many little joys that make distance from family and friends bearable. God always gives me what I need to get through what He leads me to. I can't wait to see Oh the places He will take me in this 24th year.

In the midst of it all

Friday was the half way point of my official spanish education. At my school you sit down with each of your teachers and they tell you what you are doing good and what you need to work on. I was a bit concerned about this, because I have been on a plateau of learning recently. However, it ended up being a big encouragement and what I need to start climbing up the mountain of spanish once again. Many people say, "it's not how much you know, but how well you say what you know." It's not worth knowing a lot of spanish words if you pronounce them so bad they can't even understand you, so my goal has always been to speak spanish with out an accent. One of my teachers told me that when I am speaking with words I am really familiar with I speak like a native, the goal my teachers have placed in front of me, is to increase my vocabulary. So here I go, eating words, hoping they will stick in my brain.

Update: I am in the second stage of application with EBM, the mission I hope to go with. Also, starting to look around Paraiso, the town my church is in, for possible places to live. On top of all that, had a great sunday with the guy who is leading the youth group, discussing the philosophy of ministry for the group. Then we had a great turn out for youth group with good interaction from the students. Praise the Lord for small steps of growth.