Modern Wonders Never Cease

My wife says I'm a nerd, I can't imagine why. So what if I'm sitting in the corner of the airport on the floor and the Internet. So what if I'm a nerd and think it's cool to write the final blog from Costa Rica sitting here waiting for the plane to leave. (My wife is not terrible, she's wonderful) She said she's not going to say anything else because it will end up in here, well she is correct, I think that's why she left.
There's not much to say. We've been here for four months and I have begun to learn Spanish. (Now she is reading but not saying anything) I speaky da Spanish un poco. (LOL) (Aye Travis) See there isn't much to do in the airport except wait for the plane to arrive so that we can load and fly to Miami and then on to Philly, where supposedly we are to arrive in Chambersburg around three in the morning.

Hudson Taylor

I'm currently reading/have been reading on an off for the past three months The Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor. I've been impressed with the fact that Taylor comes across as a normal human being. Many times I'll read an autobiography of a missionary and feel so terrible about my own life. That I don't measure up or have the faith like these people, who seemingly have everything together. I'll find myself thinking do I have what it takes to do what I feel that I'm called to do?
Then I came across the numerous journal entries of Taylor and have been refreshed to see that this giant in the faith of missions struggled mightily with doubt and he freely wrote about his troubles. Yes, he did amazing things in China and yes, God used him incredibly, but he was also a mere man with the same struggles that all of us face. A quick excerpt from his book pg. 134

We have need of patience, and our faithful God brings us into experience which, improved by His blessing, may cultivate in us this grace. Though we seem to be tried at times almost beyond endurance, we never find Him unable or unwilling to help and sustain us; and were our hearts entirely submissive to His will, desiring it and it only to be done, how much fewer and lighter would our afflictions seem.
I have been in much sorrow of late, but the principal cause I find to want of willing submission to, and trustful repose in, God, my Strength. Oh, to desire his will to be done with my whole heart...to seek His glory with a single eye! Oh, to realize more of the fullness of our precious Jesus...to live more in the light of His countenance, to be satisfied with what He bestows...ever looking to Him, following in His footsteps and awaiting His glorious coming! Why do we love Him so little? It is not that He is not lovely. It is not that He does not love us...that was forever proved on Calvary.. Oh, to be sick out of love for Jesus, to be daily, hourly longing, hungering, thirsting for His presence!

Volcan Arenal

This past week, we had off from school because of Semana Santa (holy week). Since there were no classes we took the opportunity to go and see some more of Costa Rica. Our adventures led us up north to the little town of Ciudad Quesada, in search of the volcano know as Arenal. The plan was to spend all day Tuesday and the evening hanging out in the town of Fortuna and sight seeing. Tuesday morning we awoke to heavy rain, that kept coming all day long. Needless to say we weren't able to see the volcano because of the rain and fog. We (Bekii and I and our two friends Joel and Krista) decided to take the advice of a local and leave very early Wednesday morning to see the volcano in the morning. Leaving early meant leaving our house at 5:00am and arriving in La Fortuna the base of the volcano at 6:00am.
When we arrived at 6, I was able to see about 15 feet from the car, the fog was so thick and dense I couldn't see anything. We decided to eat breakfast and see what would happen later. About two hours later it had stopped raining, so we decided to drive and find a place to hike around for a little bit. After finding the perfect spot where signs posted warnings "High Volcanic Activity Enter at own Risk." We thought this would be a good place to hike.
We entered upon the trail and we immediately heard what sounded like a large animal crashing through the woods towards us. We were all pretty uneasy, since it was not a common noise to hear in the woods. As we continued to hike it started to rain and the noises became more frequent. As it turns out the noises that we heard were actually boulders coming from the volcano, crashing down the side of the mountain into the woods below.
As we were leaving the park area, the clouds begin to very quickly lift and we were actually able to see the entire volcano from the bottom to the very top. We were able to see the boulders crashing down the mountain. As they would bounce they would send of a puff of smoke, it was quite a sight. We could see were the flow of lava was coming down the mountain, if it had been dark the lava would have glowed.
The trip up to Arenal was one of the coolest things I have ever seen or heard. Then to finish off the morning we found free hot springs and went and played in them for a little while.