Living in Costa Rica with new friends.

Dearest all, I'm sending you here another picture showing three of my new "girlfriends" here in CR at the UBL...we have just arrived back "home" to the dorm here after a morning of grocery shopping together where actually I could be their "guide"!  Imagine it!  I have so often been the grateful recipient here of the help of "guides" and now with these new students recently arriving here after their first week of life and studies at UBL, I could help them get to their places of shopping interest!  We had fun together, Eva Corina from Honduras, AlbArtina from Chile, and Sara from Bolivia!  We went by public bus, of course, to check out a kind of "warehouse" store with lower prices but not everything we might need...prices for daily living here in Costa Rica are really QUITE high...food prices almost the same as in the States.  I am amazed how people here with much lower salaries are able to manage their budgets---with great care, I must say, and with a much simpler diet---healthy, fresh fruits and veggies, much rice and beans, and not much meat, chicken, or fish.  After the first store, we rode the bus back to a nearby supermarket where we could buy a few more items (Saturdays they offer specials on some meat and fresh produce).  So, of course, we four friends enjoyed time together to get better acquainted and have not-a-few laughs and smiles together!  Much love to you all, whom I love and miss very much.  Margie
Keep Margie in your prayers as she is beginning to wind down her time at the Latin America Bible University.  She would love our April focus on mission at Valparaiso 1st UMC.   Reaching out and touching others in a unique way is just who Margie is.   Do you think she is plugged in?   We hope that you too will find ways to plug in to the outreach associated with our church.   

 

UPDATE on Kids Against Hunger Packing event... We now have more than 150 volunteers for the day. We need 50 more volunteers for the May 11 event... about an even number for each shift.   Contact bonnie@albertmail.com to get your family signed up.   Don't forget... children under 10 have a great day planned for them as well.   They will be packing snack packs for food pantry kids to take home.   We are collecting these items each Sunday:  cereal bars, small boxes of raisins, fruit roll-ups, and fruit snacks.   Everyone will find a place to participate in addressing the issue of hunger.