Hello from Costa Rica! The Holidays have passed and our new trimester of language school and school for the kids have begun. Both Mike and I and the kids are really enjoying school this trimester and settling in more and more to our new lives. Mike and I love our teachers and thank God daily for allowing us to learn Spanish. Only to Him be the glory for everything, language acquisition most especially:). We spent most of our first trimester in survival mode to be honest and it is amazing to be on the other side of it at last. We have both become involved in ministry opportunities and feel as if the various distractions that plagued us last trimester have been put in there appropriate places in order that we may serve Him better. People ask us,"What is the hardest thing about being a missionary?", and from Virginia to Canada to Costa Rica, the answer has not changed. The hardest thing about being a missionary in another country for me, is this; Our sin knows no borders and wherever we go it goes too. To struggle with our sins far away from the support of our families, church bodies and friends is the hardest thing about being a missionary in a foreign country. Trusting that He is sufficient in all our circumstances and trials and that He alone meets all our needs, is transient thing for me. I think learning to trust God in all circumstances is the hardest lesson for any of us to learn, no matter where we are. I know it as truth in scripture and by in the prompting of the Holy Spirit, but I do not always walk it out in my life. Mike has been so good to post prayer needs for our family, for our ministry and for our lives in general and to keep you updated on the goings on with us and in fact I have not written a blog update in almost a year. I honestly have not written because I have been overwhelmed in all senses of the word and felt too vulnerable to put much in print beyond the occasional comment on face book. This year has not been in vain only because we serve a mighty God. He has been faithful to allow us to persevere and that is why I chose to write this update today. I wanted to encourage any one who reads this to realize that our lives are no different from yours. We struggle, we doubt, we get distracted from God and His plan and we fail. Our hope is in this alone; God is unchangeable and his plans cannot be thwarted! Our options are these; to allow our trials and sin to distract us and therefore miss out on willingly and joyfully participating in His plan or laying our sins before him, trusting that He is sufficient and rejoicing and participating in the work he doing all around us. Our prayer request this month and always from you is this; that we would choose the latter more than settling for the former. We love you all and are so thankful for all of your prayers.
Megan
