San Jose baby!

HOLA! from Costa Rica! thats right i'm here now!
We are staying tonight in a hostel. Its very cool. Well the flight was normal, you know the usuall. It was cool that we left at 10 and arrived @10! haha :) I was so excited when we got to the airport. Of course i wasn't suprised by how small it was but it was small! We were stopped in the airport at the Cambio (exchange) because you cannot exchange money unless you are over 18yr. So our leader had to exchange ALL of our money! We're talking like 40 or so students! the final amount was like 2000 US dollars! Anyways, from there we were directed to our Charter like bus and driven to lunch. Guess where we ate for lunch!? MCDONALDS! My first meal in CR was @ Mcdonalds! UGH. Well anyways we're here at the Hostel and I have a top bunk.
I have gained a small infection in my knee which our CR AFS leader is a nurse and squeezed out for me..oww. Everyone was like wow! how does that not hurt??! haha but he is a nurse and he got it all out so I'm good!:)
Everyone is complaining about me typing a really long message so I will let you go. Mckenzie, if you are following I hope to email you soon, but dont have time now, SO SORRY! Daddy and Mommy:thank you so much for letting me come, I'm loving it :) I will get 10 free minutes to call you soon :) Everyone else: keep me in your prayers and all the people mentioned yesterday too. The girl's grandmother is better but still in the hospital. I need and appreciate your parayers!
p.s. played a card game in Spanish today and can't wait to teach it to my Spanish teacher Mrs.Nik :)
More complaining so ADIOS! oh, and guess what, its raining :D
MB

Miami gateway

Well today was interesting! I met so many new friends that I will be doing this program with! It is so encouraging to know that other people have the same views and interests as me! However I was called out on my religious views and told that church was boring and just not for everyone. I wanted to tell him that's fine as long as he's ok with going to Hell..but I held my tongue. He told me he didn't want to talk because he didn't want to be judged. So I have been careful not to judge or treat him different.
I am so excited to leave the country tomorrow! :)
I need everyone to pray for the hearts of those who are in my group. And pray that God will prepare the hearts of the Coata Ricans! Also one of my roommate for tonight- her grandmother was rushed to the hospital after a stroke today so pray for her wellbeing and the girls emotional stress.
Well I'm off tomorrow! After 11 hours without food today and 6 hours worth of orientation let's just say I am ready to HIT THE SACK!
I miss all of you already and know that though I may not have text you all back I have been receiving them and will be until 10 am tomorrow (same time zone right now) that goes for Facebook too!
from my Miami hotel room: Adios para ahora

pre-departure

WOW! I am leaving in the morning..
As I get ready for bed I remember all of the many things that I should have done. Certain assignments assigned to me months ago that I started on and never finished. Will this affect my trip? Will everyone else have completed it and I be the lone irresponsible one? I have taken some medicine that makes me drowsy so I will sleep, but I still fear the tossing and turning and waking nightmares that might emerge..
Moving from the negative to the positive, I was reading the information I received TONIGHT..yes TONIGHT.. and there were instructions in Spanish and English. Before looking at the English I read the entire thing with complete comprehension! What an encouragement (Thank you Lord!)! The only word I was unsure about was accecer (to access) DUH.
Honestly, I am glad it will just be me and my dad tomorrow (my mother and brother are in Florida @ the present). No offense to you, mom, but dad and I just know each other and he helps me be more relaxed. Not tensed wondering constantly if I have forgotten something important. He has traveled so much he knows what answers I need, instead of beating around the bush (Love you mom).
This evening I was brushing my teeth. I just got my suitcase to weigh 47lbs, which is somewhere in between AFS regulations and Airline regulations, hopefully neither matter too much...just kidding. And I looked down on the counter...toothpaste..did I pack that? NO! AH! what else did I not pack!? And then a comb that I might need, and a ....etc. until I remembered my weight. UGH! so I only put my toothpaste in..a sad sad day when I can't take a comb. Now I am laughing again. A verse that I will be using all is:
"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? :)

Here are some photos!

I am so excited! I am leaving in 4 days for this paradise!

Packing..

Wow! My trip is so close now! I am packing and getting ready to leave June 24!
I have spoken to my host family by phone and I have two sisters and a brother. The family was so excited to hear from me:) it was so nice! I'm very nervous about my trip but I really appreciate the support that I have been receiving from my church family and friends. I am counting down the days and will be updating again soon most likely from the airport or my hotel in Miami for my gateway orientation. Keep ya posted!