Wow, how time flies!

Wow, how time flies! I can’t believe it’s February already! Today began my 2nd month of teaching and last Tuesday marked 1 month of me being here in Costa Rica! It all still seems so surreal! I am living out my absolute dream, and each of you have made it possible! For that I am forever grateful! You truly have no idea what it means to me to be able to live out my lifelong dream knowing that I have such amazing people supporting me through constant prayer as well as financially every step of the way! Thank you all SO MUCH! You will never know how much it means to me that you have chosen to partner with me in ministry as I continue to share His love with the beautiful people of Costa Rica! 

The past month here in Costa Rica has been so incredibly amazing! My first month of teaching was beyond wonderful! I could not have asked for a more precious group of students! They are each so smart and have such an eagerness to learn. Every morning I walk into my classroom having to remind myself that it truly is reality and not just a dream anymore… that continues to blow me away! I absolutely love every second of it! My precious students and I have successfully conquered our first set of tests of the year together, and I have managed to survive all the grading, lesson planning, and everything else that comes with teaching! Way down, deep inside I really do enjoy all of the grading and planning! :)

Alongside teaching 6th grade I also teach EFL (English as a Foreign Language) during 5th period to three Costa Rican students. I love being able to actually use my TESOL certification (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and help these precious kids learn English. I began 4 weeks ago teaching them basic words and phrases, and we have now moved on to learning all of the states. When I say these are smart students, I mean it! I began teaching them the states last Monday, and by last Wednesday they were able to recognize and read each state and say it correctly as well as locate it on the map. I’m beyond proud of my precious EFL students as well as my precious 6th graders!

So, what does a day in Miss Elmore’s classroom look like? Well, here’s a glimpse at our schedule. I arrive at 6:45 and my students arrive between 7:15 and 7:25. They immediately begin working on their seatwork and journal entries. At 7:45 we get started with our day…

**Mondays from 7:30-8:30 we have our weekly morning assembly**

7:45-8:10 —Spelling

8:10-9:00 —Math

9:00-9:15 —English

9:15-9:30 —Snack

9:30-10:20 —MEP/ESL

(MEP = required courses for my CR students)

(ESL = Spanish course for my North American students)

10:20-11:00 —Reading

11:00-11:30 —History

11:30-12:05 —Science

12:05-12:45 —Lunch

12:45-1:35 —MEP/ESL *This is when I have my EFL class*

1:35-2:30 —Electives (Mon.-PE, Tues.-Bible, Wed.-Chapel, Thurs.-Bible, Fri,-Study Hall)

If you noticed, on Mondays we have our weekly morning assembly and on Wednesdays we have our weekly chapel service. Can I just say, I LOVE Mondays and Wednesdays! All because of our assemblies and chapel services! On Mondays the entire school (PreK-12th grade) gathers in the gym and we begin the morning with prayer, followed by our weekly Acto Cívicos (pledge to the Costa Rica flag and also to the Bible, singing of the Costa Rica national anthem, and a brief discussion of a specific virtue). After our Acto Cívico we all worship our sweet Jesus together through a precious time of praise and worship led by the music teacher, Señora Neomi, then one of us teachers gives a brief devotion expounding upon the day’s virtue. I so enjoy every moment of our Monday morning assemblies. It’s such a sweet, refreshing way to begin the week—all of us together, worshipping our sweet Jesus!

I also love our chapel services on Wednesdays! We have chapel during the last period of the day, and it’s such a perfect ending to the day. All of the secondary classes (6th-12th grade) gather together in the chapel and we begin every service in worship led by some of the secondary students here at Sojourn. It’s just a sweet time of worship. I love to just sit back at times and watch the students as they worship… so pure and hungry for worship. It’s so beautiful to see. After our time of worship either one of us teachers or a guest speaker gives a devotion. Each chapel so far has been absolutely wonderful!  Again, I love to sit back at times and watch how the kids engage during the time of digging into the Word together. It’s so precious to me to see.

I have truly loved every single second here at Sojourn, and I continue to fall more in love with this place and my precious students every day! It’s as if my students are my own little children... they truly are SO precious! I feel like a mommy to 18 sweet babies! I love it!

Outside of teaching I have had some of the most amazing adventures with some incredibly precious people! I had the wonderful opportunity of spending all day one Saturday in Atenas with my precious discipulado (Bible study) group. We spent the day as one big happy family enjoying each other’s fellowship. We played board games and sat around talking about life with each other while we enjoyed the gorgeous weather. The guys so kindly cooked lunch for all of us, and I must say it was quite yummy!

Three weekends ago, myself along with all of the young adults from church came together, and we went to a local park and shared Jesus with the people there. It was amazing to see my precious brothers and sisters share Christ and His love and message with those all around us! To see the Body come together and truly be Jesus to those all around us was so beautiful! My heart was definitely overjoyed!

Two weekends ago we had our first Saturday night college service of the year at church. It was absolutely amazing, as always! The presence of our precious Jesus was there in such a beautifully sweet way! It continues to be so surreal to me, knowing that I am finally able to worship my sweet Jesus here in Costa Rica side by side with those that I love!

Sundays continue to be incredibly amazing! I could not have asked for a more amazing church family! Walking through the church doors after being gone for 5 months, it felt as though I had never left. My church family continues to love me and take care of me as if I had been here all of my life! They are all so incredibly precious and they each mean the absolute world to me!

Again, thank you so much for your continued support during this amazing time in my life! I am forever grateful for each of you, and I will never be able to thank my sweet Jesus enough for each of you! You each mean the world to me, and I pray that our precious Jesus blesses each of you in such a beautifully amazing way!

**Attached is a link to photos of my sweet students.**

**To view the photos click the link below and enter the password: sojourn** 

     http://photobucket.com/sojourn2012

**In the group photo—FROM LEFT TO RIGHT STARTING IN THE BACK: 1st ROW—Janae, Gabe, Joshua, Gabriel, Sungsil, Ariana, Amanda / 2nd ROW—John, Gerald, Coleman, Abby, Camila, Mariana B. / 3rd ROW—Michelle, Mariana G., Melissa / 4th ROW—Betsy, Katie 

classroom.

I apologize for being so late in posting again and uploading the photos of my classroom... I'm on Tico time now which means everything's late! jaja! I have been going non-stop since I arrived, but I have loved every second of it! I began my first day teaching yesterday (Monday), and I absolutely LOVE it! I could not have asked for a more amazing group of students! They are so incredibly wonderful! (I plan to post photos soon of my classroom with my students!) Thank you all SO much for your continued prayers and encouragement! I am beyond grateful! Finally! The photos you've all been waiting for... 

BEFORE

AFTER

home.

Where do I even begin?

3000 miles away. a completely different country. living without my family. for the rest of forever. 

Most would expect me to be completely distraught at the thought of such a thing actually happening. Well, friends... it really did happen. I am 3000 miles away in a completely different country living without my family. It's reality for me, now and forever.  

Am I distraught? 

Nope. Not at all. Instead I am unbelievably happy and overjoyed! 

There is no greater feeling than when you know without a doubt that you are exactly where God has designed for you to be, and for me that's right here in Costa Rica. 

I left the states this past Saturday with a one-way plane ticket in hand. I landed in a country that I was a complete stranger to 7 months ago; a country I now call home. As soon as I arrived I was greeted by tons of love and sweet hugs from my precious friends and family here in CR. It was so wonderful arriving home to my precious house and Tica family from this summer. Oh, how I've missed this place! Here's a quick look at my precious home here in CR... 

 {my bedroom}

  {my bedroom}

  {my bedroom}

 {my bathroom}

  {my bathroom}

  {my bathroom}

 {kitchen}

  {kitchen} 

{Ligia's (my Tica mom) salon} 

 {livingroom}

 {diningroom}

 {diningroom} 

{hallway from livingroom/kitchen to my bedroom}

My arrival here was followed by an amazing time of worship Saturday night with my precious church family as we enjoyed the last hours of 2011 together worshipping our beautiful Jesus. I could not have asked for a more perfect "first day"! 

Sunday was wonderful as well. Some precious friends of mine and I went to el Parque de Diversiones (a local park) and watched a parade followed by fireworks!

The park was wonderful! It has it's own little "village," Pueblo Antiguo. If you know me then you know that I love tiny, real life, antique-y, doll house looking buildings. Needless to say, I thought Pueblo Antiguo was absolutely precious! Once the fireworks were over and everyone around had scattered we all decided it was time for dinner. After driving through the streets of CR and making it our alive we ended up at a little Chinese place, and it was quite delicious! I will definitely be revisiting that little restaurant again!

Monday brought with it rest as well as LOTS of unpacking and organizing. I must say, packing your entire life up in 4 suitcases under 50lbs. and 2 carry-ons is one of the hardest tasks ever, if not the absolute hardest! Praise Jesus it's all unpacked and organized, and I no longer have to think about it!

Today has been beyond amazing! This morning at 7:15AM I began my job as the 6th grade teacher at Sojourn Academy. Today through Friday is orientation along with meetings and much decorating and organizing of my classroom! I can't wait to post before and after photos once it's all put together! I must say, it's quite adorable!

I still cannot believe that I am here in CR living out my lifelong dream. I will never be able to fully put into words just how much my beautiful Jesus has blessed me! Never in a million years would I have dreamed of being here living out my dream---I am beyond happy and overwhelmingly full of joy to be here! Everyone always says, "Home is where the heart is." I have known that to be truer than ever in the few days I have been here. When my plane left on August 7, 2011 I was on it, but my heart clearly was not. Ever since I left that day headed back to the states my heart has been right here in Costa Rica and for good reason. CR is home. 7 months ago. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. CR will forever be home for me. It's something most would find crazy---to consider somewhere home when your family isn't there with you. It's something I will never fully be able to explain. My only answer is, Jesus. He is why CR is home---because He chose and designed for me to be right here in Costa Rica way before the foundations of the earth. That is why CR is home. Jesus.

My time here so far has been nothing short of amazing, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what all my precious Jesus has in store! I long to be a completely broken and open vessel before my King, willing to carry His name and His LOVE all across this country. Regardless of what that may mean and what it may take. I long to be a laid-down lover  for my King. 

Thank you all SO much for your continued prayers and support as I continue on this amazing journey here in Costa Rica! I am forever grateful for each of you! 

I promise to post classroom photos and updates as soon as it's all done! :) 

this is why I blog.

I have a job left undone. 

I have a call not fully completed. 

I have a journey left unwalked. 

I have relationships left undeveloped.

I have seeds still unplanted.

I have nations. people. still untouched.

{This is why I blog.}

I long to see Him exalted.

I long to see His kingdom advanced.

I long to see nations transformed. transformed into His very image.

I long to stand with hands freely opened. giving all that they possibly can.

I long to fulfill His calling. His calling to  go. speak. share. LOVE.

I long to die. die completely. dead. no breath. to my flesh. 

I long to live. constant breathing. transforming. LOVING.

I long to LOVE. love like Him. love as I'm called. 

love completely. wholeheartedly. fully abandoned. 

with my everything. with no boundaries. unconditionally. 

without holding back. love laid-down.

{This is why I blog.}

I blog because I've walked. I've experienced. 

the good. the amazing. 

but even more. 

the hard. the rough. the gut-wrenching.

yet at the end. 

the BEAUTIFUL.

I blog because I want to share. 

share those moments. the sad. the happy. the hard. the beautiful. 

with the hope that at least ONE will know. 

know my GOD. 

know His LOVE. 

know LIFE. 

{This is why I blog.}

"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are 

convinced that one died for all,

 and therefore all died. And he died for all, 

that those who live should no longer live for themselves,

 but for him who died for them and was raised again."

[2 Corinthians 5:14-15]

family.