Hola!

This summer Brandon and I will be heading to Costa Rica with a handful of our high school youth. We are so excited about this because it is the first overseas youth trip that this church has done, and we have total confidence in the kids we have going to make it a great experience. Of course Brandon and I have a love for missions work in other countries and feel strongly that something like this will be life-changing for most (hopefully, all) of them. Often short-term trips are less about the people you are going to help and more about how God changes the hearts of those going. I hope that the buildings built and VBS programs done during my missions trips over the years were a help to the people there, but I know that through them, I was able to understand more about God's love and God's people. My first cross-cultural experience was the very thing that tuned me in to the possibility of missions, which before that was off-limits in my mind. Whether it's a readjustment of values, a more thankful heart, a new vision for their next several years- I can't wait to see how our youth are affected by the experience.

The other cool thing about this trip is that if we are assigned to a Spanish speaking country after our home assignment, our language training will be done in Costa Rica. So we could possibly be heading there in a few years to live! This will be a good chance to scope things out. :) I know it will be encouraging for Brandon and I to take a trip like this, as it has been quite a while, and because this is what we have been working so hard at making a permanent thing. Can't wait! I will try to keep the obnoxious count down only in my head, as it is only April 1 and we are leaving June 20.

Here are a few things that if you'd like, you can be praying about for us:
1. Good training sessions and preparation time.
We are going through a general training book together and then preparing our VBS.
2. Group bonding and trust between each other.
There are a couple that I want to make sure feel accepted by the other youth.
3. Details of passports and flights finalized.
Yikes, like mine. I realized my passport says DeRosa and I was a little slow in getting that taken care of.
4. Money :) The trip is $1500 per person
Even Bran and I have to raise it and it's going very slowly. It's hard to sell candy bars in your late twenties. :)

We'd of course love to hear from any of you that would be a part of our personal prayer team. This is our second time leading a youth missions trip, but the first time doing it ALL by ourselves. Father Keith was looking over us last time :)

Yeah, yeah, I do know the sign says South America and we are going to Central America. Be nice, it's cute.