i'm all here

this past weekend was "vista previa" - "preview weekend". this was a weekend retreat for 30+ ticos (costa ricans) who are interested in being a part of missions to gain a perspective on missions and the different opportunities out there. one of the things that we were a part of was the Greece booth. we set up a little stations where we spoke greek, prepared tzatziki for them to try, told them a little bit about the country and then we also told them about Helping Hands.
it was a really great opportunity to spend time with some more ticos. there is even a man who is interested in spending time working at Helping Hands. he really feels God is calling him to missions and has been praying about it for a long time and then he heard about helping hands (from us!!) and..well, that's it! he says he wants to spend a year there. i think that's pretty cool though! i hope it works out. now along with people from the united states, canadians, irish, english, aussies, albanians, iranians, filipinas, now there might be a tico at the ARC. it would be a first!
aside from that there have been classes. slowly getting more comfortable being a teacher, but i honestly wouldn't make it a profession. i just hope i am helping them.

sandi asked a good question in a comment on my last blog. she asked "what do you miss?"
i miss familiarity. i love new places and new things, and new people, and new foods, and have not regretted even for a minute the decision kendra and i made in leaving home. but..i do miss being able to know what's where and how to get there (yes, even on my own!). i miss knowing the people around me, and not always being a stranger or the new kid. i miss being able to see the sea. i know i'm in costa rica, but i haven't seen any signs of water yet. (yet!) my parents told me they were going for a picnic on the beach and it made me jealous. i do kinda miss home!! i miss my mom and her cooking (she's a a good ma), and i miss my dad and going to the ARC with him. always making him late haha (hey dad, i'm getting better!). i miss maggie. i miss my room!
little things come to my mind so often, and i almost hate to think about it because i don't want to dwell on what i'm missing out on. someone told me "if you're here, be here 100%". i understood exactly her meaning, and i did need to hear it. i am the queen of discontentedness. i've spent half of my life being in one place, wishing i were somewhere else. however, though i do miss a few things, i have not regretted for a minute being on this trip. i am so thankful for my time in austria and the people i met there, and i love being in costa rica.

wow it is 8:45 and i am totally ready for bed. so i will finish up.
time to sleep.
-becky

PS - please pray for my back. it has been hurting me.