Dad and I took a 5mile walk yesterday after missing both of the early buses into town. Oh well. I like to walk so it was good exercise, but boy am I sore today! It was up and down the whole way. The landscape here is beautiful and from where we walked we could look out over miles and miles of lush green hills and jungle. We live in a small town that surrounds a lake and a volcano. We can’t see either from our house, but they aren’t that far of a walk. Really awesome view. These are photos taken by a friend, from her house on the lake, for an example of the beauty:

Wow. Breathtaking, isn’t it?!

On the way we saw a tree that looked like it had oranges on it, so we brought one home and Eric said it tastes like grapefruit. It was green and the size of an orange, so it could be a grapefruit, just not ripe yet. We’ll have to go check back again check again later. What a treat to have fresh grapefruit too!

They have lots of cows here too. I heart cows. None would come up to me though while we were walking. Hmph. Across the road from our house there is a field where a horse grazes, but it is shy too. The other night mother and I went for a short walk and just down the road there is a bus stop and a grassy area big enough for a small park. While we were walking I saw something tall and big next to a palm tree. When we got closer we found it was a momma horse and her colt, just out for a nightly snack. Haha. She was being a good mother and protecting the baby from us so we didn’t very close. People here drive cars, four wheelers, motorcycles, and horses. It is not uncommon to see someone trotting down the road on a horse.

We got caught in the rain in town and my skirt was so soaked and heavy I had to hold it up from dragging. After a soggy bus-ride back home with a bus-full of chatty Ticos I was able to dry off and rest. Sigh. Would I do it again today? Hmm I’ll take a rain-check for tomorrow. Hehe I wouldn’t mind a short-er walk, though.

And, yikes! Where did the week go? Anyone else know? Tomorrow we prepare for the Shabbat, and a week or so after that the Season of Joy begins with the Appointed Times of YHVH! I am looking for to it and to fellowship.

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I love this spot and I miss it. This photo was actually taken a few years ago, before we had goats. They pretty much ate the whole field down. The rustic glimmer of that big red barn surrounded by luscious fields of green…. it is a rather poetic spot. Anne Shirley would have enjoyed it.

I love that shirt. I still have it but it is getting old and worn. I am hoping to find a new one before this one is done for. Oh, I also like my super curly hair. For those who don’t know, my hair is not naturally curly. Its a perm. Yep, fake curls! and they are just about faked out…. sigh.

I love those ducks. I loved how small they were when we got them. I loved they waddled around and quacked. I loved how they made big messes in the little swimming pool we had for them and got mud all over. I pretty much love everything about them.

I love my crocks. Not exactly the most fashionable footwear, but I go for practically and simplicity over fashion so they work out great. I am finding myself wearing these more here because I can just slip them off or go stomp in a rain puddle in them. They are like the ultimate slipper. Haha

I love taking photos, and how have I have survived these past few months without a camera I don’t know. I love my dear friend, Toria, who took that photo, and I miss her. She’s about the cutest and sweetest girl I know!

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Guide my footsteps by your word; don’t let any kind of sin rule me.

Redeem me from human oppression, and I will observe your precepts.

Make your face shine on your servant, and teach me your laws.

Rivers of tears flow down from my eyes, because they don’t observe your Torah.

(Tzadeh) You are righteous, YHVH; and your rulings are upright.

You have commanded your instructions in righteousness and great faithfulness.

Psalms 119: 133-138

Following in the…
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….oooO…….…….
….(….)…..Oooo..
……….(…..(….)….
………_)…..)../…..
…..…………(_/……
footsteps…………
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….oooO……………
….(….)…..Oooo…
……….(…..(….)….
………_)…..)../…..
…..…………(_/……
……………………….
….oooO……………
…(….)…..Oooo…
……….(…..(….)….
………_)…..)../…..
…..…………(_/……
of the Messiah…
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….oooO……………
….(….)…..Oooo…
……….(…..(….).….
………_)…..)../……
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SHABBAT SHALOM!

I’ve been blessed this week to share with several people about the footpath YHVH has made for his children. This footpath not only have nice smooth ground but there are also railing along the side so we won’t fall off the cliff. Of course, because of human carelessness construction workers had to be sent, several times, to restore areas where it had been damaged and destroyed, and the greatest and most important of these is the Messiah. May we also follow in his footsteps and be repairers of YHVH’s footpath for mankind, proclaiming, as Yeshua did, the Kingdom of YHVH.

YHVH will always guide you; he will satisfy your needs in the desert, he will renew the strength in your limbs; so that you will be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.

You will rebuild the ancient ruins, raise foundations from ages past, and be called “Repairer of broken walls, Restorer of streets to live in.”

“If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, YHVH’s holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.

If you do, you will find delight in YHVH – I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya’akov, for the mouth of YHVH has spoken.”

Isaiah 58:12-14

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There’s a big puddle in the yard. I’m tempted to go stomp in it.

Ah, I love the rain.

It is peaceful and refreshing.

One of YHVH’s many songs.

This was taken under the carport.

Some days here are so hot and humid that you don’t feel like doing too much at all, except cooling off. Today, and yesterday, was one of those days…. until the rain came. AH! I decided to share this blessing with you… I know many are needing rain as well. I pray YHVH will send you the rain you need, on your land and on your souls. Being refreshed by YHVH is such an awesome thing. Bring on the rain.

“Hear, oh heavens, as I speak! Listen, earth, to the words from my mouth!

May my teaching fall like rain. May my speech condense like dew, like light rain on blades of grass, or showers on growing plants.

“For I will proclaim the name of YHVH. Come, declare the greatness of our God!

The Rock! His work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A trustworthy God who does no wrong, he is righteous and straight.

“He is not corrupt; the defect is in his children, a crooked and perverted generation.

- Deuteronomy 32:1-5

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This is a papaya tree we found in the city, Heredia. I edited the photo on photoshop

The house here is beautiful with plenty of room for our family and a big yard for running around. There are several things here that are just like what we had at home. For example the counter tops and the kitchen sink faucet are the same as at home. Several of the bedroom walls were the same at home too. Then there are things like the breakfast bar and the fireplace that are not like home, but things I’ve always wanted to have those in my house and now we do. It doesn’t get cold enough here to need a fireplace for heat, but because of the humidity the Ticos use the fireplaces to dry out their homes. Brilliant!

Another thing that we were excited about was all the fruit trees. We have four coconut trees that are full of coconuts and when we first got here were were eating two or three a day, now we usually have coconut in smoothies. The Littles opened a coconut to where they could use the shell (properly called endocarp) as a cup. I found use from them a candle holder. Looking up coconut on wikipedia you find that people use coconut for all kinds of things…. buttons, fibers, rugs. Wouldn’t you like your own coconut cup?

The tangerine tree is by far the most popular tree amongst the Littles. They are usually eating them, and right now they are outside, in the tree, getting the ripe ones down. They will turn yellow, but the citrus here is usually just green, even though they are ripe. They smell wonderful and when you peel them you get oil all over your hands, which is alright with me as citrus oil is great for your skin.

My favourite tree is the avocado tree. There are actually three, I think, but we have only gotten them from one. I love avocado dip with chips, and now we can have it throughout the week. To buy avocados here are quite expensive, believe it or not, so when we got here I was delighted to hear we had our own tree. We don’t just use the avocado for dip, though. We put it in smoothies, sauce, and other inconspicuous ways the Littles will eat it. I’m aiming to make an avocado mask here pretty soon.

We’ve only gotten a few mangoes off the mango tree, but there it is. There is a swing tied on it is also a favourite one for the Littles. You can usually see one of them out there swinging. Everyone loves mangoes and we’ll be happy when more are ripe for the pickin’.

We also discovered we have bananas trees (perdone … banana plant). The family who lived here before us, also Believers, said there were banana plants in the back. We didn’t find them until two or three weeks after we got here because there were no bananas growing yet. Now the bananas are about half the size they should be. On that one plant there has got to be hundreds. Banana plants can produce up to 400 bananas on what is called the ‘heart’. Banana plants only flower once and then two other plants grow up from the root. The bunch of bananas is called a hand and the word ‘banan’ is Arabic for ‘finger’, which is what the actual bananas are called. There are a lot of interesting facts about bananas and the plant and they have a lot of health benefits. Too bad I don’t like bananas….

Oh we’ve also planted some pineapple heads in the back. I always thought pineapples grew on trees, but they don’t. They grow on the bush from the fruit. When you take that off you make sure you twist it, leaving some pineapple on it, and replant it. The bushes only produce one or two pineapples too… weird.

When we get a camera I shall be sure to post some photos of the trees. I am hoping the bananas will still be on the plant then.

“God said, “Let the earth put forth grass, seed-producing plants, and fruit trees, each yielding its own kind of seed-bearing fruit, on the earth”; and that is how it was.”

Genesis 1:11

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