I have. And actually thats a trick question…there is no bottom. It continues to move with your eyes through the sheet of mist near the ground. But I know there’s a freakin leprechaun (I know I just butchered that spelling) chillin near there. We went to Volcano Arenal and the town of La Fortuna this past weekend. It was amazing. The hotel we stayed in was about a half mile from the bottom of the Volcano. The entire place was gorgeous. Lake Arenal is a gorgous place, too. We got to go to this Resort type area called Baldi Springs. It’s natural hot springs. There were like 20 pools, of which the COOLEST was 93 degrees. So we went to a giant jacuzzi for 4 hours, haha.

Sorry I haven’t written in a few days, Becca, Mom and Dad. The past few days I’ve had some of the funky monkey. And being sick I think caused me to have a bout of homesickness for the first time. And not just like a craving for some Chicken Filet, but for real homesickness. I stayed at the campus on Tuesday night cuz I felt worthless and woke up in an empty room in a country where I know nothing ourside of the other 16 people in my group and the 3 people at my homestay. I miss home, Athens, my friends, playin basketball and volleyball. All of it, though, is just continuing to work on my faith. I’m still trying to deal with the whole comfort thing…

So I started to think. If all of my friends/family went away and were not here anymor would I truly be alright only having Christ? I’ve asked this question before, but I think it took a different turn this time. Would I have COMFORT at all if I didn’t have whats comfortable to me? So to a deeper level, where do I find my comfort, in my friends/family/home, or in Christ???

Certain songs just sit with me. I’m just like my sister, music is a huge part of our life and our faith. Starting my senior year in high school, when my faith became authentic for the first time, I began to find little nuggets of His truth inside songs. One song in particular has been close to my heart since the first time I heard it in Spencer Ussery’s room in August ‘03: "Rest for the Weary" by Cool Hand Luke. The whole song is amazing, go listen to it. It’s worth it. But the end lyrics say, ‘You’re the One who comforts me when everyone is gone away. I can’t stand alone. Here I am, waiting for you to take me home.’

And it just sits with me, especially after I went through that period of homestays and then once the homesickness crept in…Who is it that comforts me?Why is it that I can’t be alright just having Him?

I feel like maybe its these questions that truly shape your faith at the present moment. Francis Chan asked it before his congregation, ‘Do I really LOVE God?’ And Bill Hybels in front of Willow Creek, ‘Is the way that we’ve been approaching ministry the past 20 years really working?’ My faith and the comfort I find in my faith has been knocked upside down in the first 18 days. I can’t imagine what the next 7 weeks will be like. But I’m trying to understand what Costa Rica is all about, "La Pura Vida." "Pure Life." Or for you Disney fans of my generation, "Hakuna Matata." Live in the presetn without worry of the future.

RELAX. QUIET YOURSELF. JUST BE.

If only I could understand what it means to ‘just be’ IN HIM…so this is my pursuit for today. And probably for the weekend if I’m honest with myself. Haha, those of you that know me well know that I don’t exactly take my mind off things easily. But this weekend should offer a cool experience. We are going to the Nicoya Peninsula to go spelunking (maybe the most awkward word in our language) in some caves. So that’s where I’ll be starting tomorrow after lunch and through Staurday night. I’ll try to update this more than once a week…stil tyring to figure out how to continuously pursue Him and dive even while it’s not the easiest thing to do.

I miss you all. Stay Strong. Love.

-M@

"Pura Vida"