Update 4 on Doula-hood and Costa Rica

Doula-hood

Over the weekend, I had the priviledge of attending the final birth for my doula certificate.  It was a 3 day process and a great experience for me on this road to doula-hood.  This past week I had a name contest going on facebook.  I will update you soon on the outcome of this and when my certificate arrives!  Very excited to have this complete!!

As always, birth is an amazing process and experience.  Each time I head to the hosptial, I am reminded of my own birth experiences.  Watching a new mom and dad to be and their excitement and emotions, brings me closer to my own husband.  Seeing a baby be born, draws me closer to my own children as well.  It is such a neat experience that I can't even describe it.

Costa Rica

In order to save me some time, I am just going to copy the email update that I sent to some friends and family this moring on Costa Rica.  You may have recieved the email already but I didn't have everyone's email address.  In addition to this info, on Sunday June 5th during the first service, our Costa Rica team will have it's commissioning.  Not sure exactly what this means, but am guessing it will be some prayer and discussion around our upcoming trip. 

I wanted to give you an update on Costa as we prepare to leave in a little over 2 weeks! I want to thank you all for your encouraging words, prayers, offer of help, and contributions towards the trip! They mean so much to me and are very much needed! I was able to raise almost $3000 (including my own contribution) - praise the Lord! This covers my expenses and the surplus of funds will go to the wall building project and other team members who were finding it difficult to raise funds. I am thankful that there doesn't seem to be alot of preparing left so now I can spend my time mentally and prayerfully preparing, getting things ready around home, and spending good quality time with my family!


What will I be doing on the trip? First off, I will be helping with the eye care clinic. We will be heading into a couple of schools and pulling classrooms of children out at a time to have their eyes checked (probably for the first time ever). During their time waiting in line, we will be sharing the gospel with these little children via salvation bracelets that they will construct while in line (with the help of an interpreter). During these days, we are providing a buffet style lunch for the teachers that work there and sharing the gospel with them. We have prepared tote bags for them which will contain some supplies they need to do their jobs better!

Secondly, I am planning the ladies luncheon which will take place that Thursday afternoon (the 16th). It is predicted that around 100 ladies will be there with 3/4's of them being unsaved! We are currently working on a devotion and believe it or not, I am singing a duet which will hopefully minister to the ladies! (Hopefully after hearing me they won't decide to leave!) The song we are singing is Glorious Day (Living He loved Me) by Casting Crowns (see lyrics and listen to song here: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/casting-crowns-lyrics/glorious-day-(living-he-loved-me)-lyrics.html). I just found out last night that we are also singing the song at church this summer (not sure on the date but possibly July 10th)...and by the way, sweating and feeling sick as I write this (terrified of singing in public).

Lastly, I will be helping with some other things like the teen dinner (serving food mainly) and other items like that. We do have a free day in which I was told we are going zip lining and white water rafting (another terrifying thing for me! - see, the Lord is at work in me).

If I could just ask for some prayers surrounding the trip. They are as follows:

• Safety - for travels and while there

• Order and detailed the next couple of weeks as we prepare and while there

• My emotions as I leave and while gone. I know that I will miss my family terribly. This is the longest I will have been away from my kids and husband at the same time. Give me peace that they are well taken care of and they aren't too sad. Make the time go fast for me so that I don't think about it too much.

• Courage and a good singing voice. I'll tell you that when I decided to go on this trip, the last thing I thought I would be doing is singing. I use to sing a lot on stage and in competition type settings but I let my fear of it overtake me and I stopped doing it. Over the past couple of years, I felt the Lord calling me back to it but I have been very hesitant and disobedient, because of fear. I know the Lord is asking me to trust Him during this time, but still feeling like "why me?" since honestly there are way better singers out there than I! I am seriously crying as I write this because I am petrified!!!  We have been practicing and it was been going very well.  I am finally believing that I am not tone deaf.  My biggest fear is that I am tone deaf and no one has told me yet!!  But I am thinking in this case since I am singing with someone, she would want me to know!  As we practice and my parter is giving me encouragement, I am feeling more confident.

• That we will see many come to know the Lord and that He will be glorified through all of it. We know that this is the most important thing out of all these bullets, even if that means I totally destroy the song!

I continue to welcome your thoughts, advice, prayers and encouraging words! I need them more than any monetary contribution! I will try to update the blog while I am away but just not sure how accessible the internet will be.