Today, the new 2012 school year began.  Bethany had begrudgingly been counting down the days till vacation was over.  It seems to have flown by!  Luke was pretty excited for his first day to start back up.  He was anxious to see his friends and teachers.  He is now in ninth grade and Bethany will start Jr. High (7^th grade).  Here’s to a great year!

This afternoon we spent the day with friends in Heredia, Costa Rica.  The province of Heredia is known as “The city of flowers.”  It was absolutely beautiful today!  Bolivar and his lovely wife invited us up to their farm for a day of fun.  We picked fruits and veggies in their ample garden, had a delicious lunch, flew kites, played a little soccer, and chatted up a storm.  It was big fun to say the least!

The month of December was super busy for the kids in the children’s homes, as they wrapped up final exams and the school year.  December also marks the beginning of summer vacation!

Our house parents, Esteban & Gabriela, took on the task of making 250 tamales for the kids in the children’s homes.  They invited Jenny (Gabriela’s mother) and Emilia to help clean banana leaves, prepare the food, and mix the masa.  Tamales are a huge part of Christmas tradition in Costa Rica.

The daycare center closed it’s doors on December 15th for a two-week end of year break.  That evening they put on an incredible Christmas program.  Lights!  Camera!  Action!  Every child in the daycare participated in the much anticipated event.  There were over 500 parents/family members present to watch their little ones perform.  The singing, dancing, and celebration of Jesus’ birth, was a joyous occasion.  Afterwards, everyone enjoyed traditional Christmas tamales and agua dulce (sweet sugar cane water).

Several businesses and organizations blessed the children from our homes with Christmas parties.  In fact, the children enjoyed six parties in all!  A pharmaceutical company hosted a get together at McDonalds, some employees from a bank brought Santa out to see the kids, and a call center brought a band & choir out to sing Christmas carols to the children!  The Christmas season was certainly festive!  We all enjoyed the food, gifts, activities, and bags of candy that the different organizations contributed.

Siblings Mainor and Jenny were given some sweet news in December.  The Office of Adoptions informed them that they would soon be adopted by an Italian couple!  The kids have been with us for over two years while the Office of Adoptions actively looked for a family for the brother and sister.  For the longest time, things didn’t look promising, because Adoptions had told us that families are somewhat resistant to adopting pre-adolescent boys (Mainor turned 13 in November).  But their persistence in searching finally paid off!  The Office of Adoptions has been sending a social worker out to talk to the kids and prepare them for an eventual meeting with their new family.  At this time, the date for a hearing with the judge has not been set.  Until that happens, we will not know when the family will arrive in Costa Rica.

At the end of October, we received another pair of siblings to add to our group of kids here at the homes.  Angela is eight years old, while her little brother Jefreson is four.  We received a call in October from PANI, looking to move these kids from another children’s home.  The other place stated that Jefreson was difficult to handle and they wanted him removed immediately.  Our supervisor has told us that she usually calls the Abraham Project when she has “difficult” cases.  Although, she is not a believer, she has seen the difference that Christ makes in the lives of these little ones.  She likes that we offer the “religious” component to our work with the  children.  Pray that Jefreson’s behavioral issues are resolved quickly, and that he and Angela feel the peace and presence of Jesus in this place.

We are eternally grateful for the love that each of you extend to our family and the kids here at the project.  It is greatly appreciated!

Stephen turns  4? today!  Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Grandma made a Tunnel of Fudge cake! *YUM!*

Low & behold ... an immersion blender!

A jaunt to Jaco Beach is always a nice way to escape for the day.  Today we spent the day playing in the waves, eating good food, swimming in the pool, and enjoying the sunset.

Today, Stephen decided to try out his new toy … a meat grinder.  With Caleb’s help, they were able to grind and stuff homemade sausages into their casings.  Before eating them, the sausages were smoked and grilled.

 

Today we took off for some fun in the sun!  We didn’t go to the beach, but we did enjoy a trip to a park overlooking the Valley Of Orosi in Cartago.  We had a picnic lunch, played games, and enjoyed the breathtaking view.

                                     

Psalms 145:5

“I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty…”

This afternoon we said “Good-bye” to Steve, Jr.  But before he left, he and Caleb made some scrumptious sushi for the family to enjoy.  YUM-YUM!

Luke 2:14

“… Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Dad reading the Christmas story.

Mrs. Santa passing out gifts.

Christmas dinner

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house … look who we found rummaging around like a mouse!