ILE graduation!

After eight months, today I graduated from language school!  It's hard to believe I've been going to school for 20 hours a week since January, commuting to the other side of San Jose every day.  I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to learn the language and to grow, as a speaker, as a student, and as a missionary.

Langauge teaches you a lot of things, most of which have nothing to do with language.  Humility.  Determination.  Grace.  Time management.  Patience.  Persistence.  These are just a few of the things I learned.  I am so grateful for the friends in my classes -- laughing and crying together as we tried to master our second language.  I am grateful for my sweet teachers who loved and encouraged me.  Who believed in me.  And who invested in me because they believed it was their mission to equip me with the skills of Spanish language and grammar.

Class selfie on the last day

So the popular question is, "How's your Spanish?"  And that's always a hard question to answer.  I mean, I graduated, so one could argue pretty good.  But, there is always so much more you could know when it comes to language.  I definitely know more than when I started and I definitely feel more confident speaking, which is huge.  People always want to know about fluency, and that is not something I am willing to claim until I sound native, accent and all!  Haha.  So highly conversational, yes.  Fluent, no.  But I am excited to have two more years to learn and communicate in this wonderful language!

My host-mom, Mayra, came to my graduation along with the Area Director, Jessie.  Thanks for your support, ladies!  Also, this graduation day marks 364 days in Costa Rica!  Hard to believe it's been almost a year already!  Looking forward to two more, but first, a quick trip to the USA!!

Classmates Laura (L) and Amy (R)

Jessie (Area Director) and I

she's back!

One of my dear high school friends spent the month of July serving at Lake Champion, one of the YL camps in NY.  She got home August first and reported that she had a GREAT month!!

It's been fun to see all of her pictures and new friends via various forms of social media.  All with big smiles, bright eyes, and joy-filled hearts.  You can sense the presence of Jesus and the significance of the months at just a quick glance.  The Lord was present.  He moved.  He changed hearts.  And now campers, volunteers, and staffers are different because of it.

That's the beauty of YL camp.  Lives are changed by the reality of Jesus.  He comes close.  It's holy ground.  There is noticeable something different there.  The overwhelming presence of the Lord.  And I am so grateful my dear friend was able to experience this!

I met her at school the other day and got to hear her tell me stories about her month.  How she say Jesus.  How her heart has been touched and changed.  And how being back is hard.  She's the only one in Costa Rica that had this intense summer experience in NY.  Her friends, although excited for her, don't fully understand.  And that's hard.  But in her own words she said to me, "I've changed 180 degrees for Jesus," and described her first experience with real and authentic Christian community.  She saw (and was part of) a group of high schoolers serving out of love.  Serving campers, serving each other, and serving Jesus.  And now that's something she's craving in Costa Rica.

It is my hope that as she shares this experience with her friends, they will desire to experience this same community founded in Christ.  It is my hope that her friends will be drawn to her joy, given to her by Christ, and long for it.  It is my hope that she is able to show her friends what living for Christ really looks like.  A life full of adventure, joy, hope, and community.

Two of my favorite people, at one of my favorite places!
Naya (right) with my friend Andy, Area Director of Zionsville, IN (left) where I led in college.

Also, a huge THANK YOU to all who prayed for Naya, sent her care packages (and tshirts!!!), and made her feel loved in the States!  She will NEVER forget this experience and those she has met.  She is already begging me for next year's application!!