Sometimes the most beautiful moments in life are drawn from periods of great pain. Such as the eight year old daughter who embraces the soldier whom she knows as father after he has been away or the cancer patient whom with their final stretch of strength hears they are free. Our hearts are only as strong as our Maker allows them to be and sometimes all though it feels like the clouds cover the path of our prayers to our Father, He listens and in His wisdom sometimes He remains silent. These times are the most difficult because as tears stream down our face and frustration consumes us it is hard to not have immediate answers. However, I believe that when God is silent and our troubles rise against our patience, the joy of the outcome is that much greater. So as we push through one impossible day after the other, it is not that our prayers are in vain but rather our Father is working towards something far greater, something perfect for us. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:1-5). So despite our own lack of understanding, God creates splendour from suffering. In the face of our trials, although the temptation to lose hope is great, it is far better to press on because I know with full faith that His conclusion is perfect

Since I have got home my life has been a whirlwind of catching up with old friends, applying for job after job and lots of driving! There is one thing however that has plagued me since the very moment I arrived in Canada; the cold. The first steps off the plane were met by a brisk wind that blanketed my sun saturated skin and filled my tropically accustomed lungs (Don't worry, I already hear the chorus of people saying "we don't feel sorry for you"). This new and all too easily forgotten feeling of winter was not such an easy thing to adjust to. In fact, I have now found myself stealing housecoats at Costco so that I can wear them around the freezing cold store, situating myself on the edge of the Olive Garden fireplace while I eat my dinner as to simply be comfortable and avoiding eating frozen food so I won’t have to venture to the freezer aisles of Safeway. While to others I may appear slightly insane or dramatic, to myself, I am simply trying to survive in this bitter cold.

Till I See You Again

We all came from vastly different worlds and now, after four months, we watch one another past through the gate of Portantorchas, some for the very last time, and drive down the hill that we often complained about having to climb, wondering if we may never see that person that we have come to love as a brother or sister again in this lifetime. Then, we make our way back into the Salla where we stumbled into every morning, eyes half-shut, PJ’s still on and warm from bed, hair messy and unwashed but hey, it didn’t matter because we were like siblings. I think it is going to be the strangest, perhaps most empty feeling to leave the safety of the Port bubble and wake up in a room that is all my own; not sitting down and eating breakfast with my friends every morning, not playing hours of ping-pong because I guess I will have “better things” to do, not speaking Spanish because no one will know what I am saying and not eating copious amounts of McDonalds. Yes, I will be the first to admit I have complained before about how I “miss home” and how excited I will be to go home with all its comforts. However, there may just be a small part of me that wakes up that first morning, in my own bed, uninterrupted by several alarm clocks and blow-dryers, not having to wait for the bathroom (or finding another one all together because someone neglected to pay heed to the angry sign on the door)... and I will think...man, I really miss that place.

Yes, we all came from immeasurably different worlds, and even though we know each other very well, we do not know what it going to be like for our fellow friends to dive back into the lives they used to call normal, whatever that may be. Therefore, to all of you, I promise you that I will always keep you in my prayers and I love you and will miss you all very much!

As time goes by...

I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. It feels like just yesterday that I arrived at this little bubble of a world down here in Costa Rica so uncertain of what it was going to be like, if I would be able to make any friends and if I could ever possibly learn Spanish. After four months I have learned more than I could have ever bargained for and I have memories that I will not soon forget. I am very excited to go home (11 days!!!). I imagine it is going to be a bit weird at first. Not having to translate things in my head, just being able to get in my car and drive and most of all, not seeing the same lovely thirty faces every day, all day. I will miss you guys more than you could possibly know...
(Note: Tash, if you are creepin this, which you most likely are 1. Please don't kill me and 2. Please do not tell Poka about this photo)

Can someone explain to me how one can wake up feeling like "P-Diddy"?

A few weekends ago we took the amazing trek to the volcano Arenal. The drive was long but in comparison to my other trips it was quite the winner. We spent the day by the pool and at the several different hot springs at the “Springs Resort”. It was utterly captivating.

At night me and some of my favourite people slept on the deck, beneath the stars, overlooking a lake and watching the volcano erupt into the night sky (from a safe distance). All in all, I was completely amazed about how fortunate I was to be there. I not only had a much needed tranquil weekend but I was yet again reminded that our God is incredible in the way that he has shaped our surroundings. A lot of times I find myself impatiently stretching my thoughts through time, past and future, and I forget to be present and delight in the moment that I am experiencing. However, on the drive home through the lush Costariccan terrain that I have come to love so much, I can honestly say that I was content. Although I still miss home, my family, friends and familiar surroundings, I cannot say that I would have liked to be anywhere other than right here in Costa Rica at that moment.

I was simply blow drying my hair when suddenly...


"Put the blow drier down quickly", my friend said with a hint of panic in her voice yet still keeping it together quite well. My first thought was that the blow-dryer had caught on fire because this has happened to me more than once so I put it down and then she instructed me to carefully step away from the counter. In the corner was this...

... huddled in the corner, this posionous spider was curiously cuddling about 2 cm from my exposed feet.

Let's just say that my heart-rate has never increased at such a rapid pace before...