July Newsletter

Our Year Concludes It's hard to believe that our year (11 months) is over.  The month of June was filled with finishing up projects as much as possible, preparing to move back to the States, and many tearful goodbyes.  We are now back in Maryland, working on resettling and getting back into life here.  Prayer appreciated for all the details of that!  Thank you to everyone who has so warmly welcomed us home! This year was such a blessing.  Even though it was challenging (downright impossible at times), we are so glad we had this chance.  We learned so much--about ourselves and about another culture--and we met so many wonderful people.  We are so thankful that we got to be a part of La Providencia's ministry for this year, and we hope to continue our relationships with the people and the ministry for many years. La Providencia's theme verse is James 1:27.  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  We are so thankful for the chance to live out this verse with our friends in Honduras.  And we are so thankful for all of you who were also a part of this ministry with your financial support, visits, and prayer for us.  We couldn't have done the work that we did without your support and encouragement.  And it is such a blessing to see the body of Christ united and working together for such an important purpose. You can continue to read about La Providencia and the work being done there by visiting the website (www.providenceworld.org) and the facebook page.  We hope that you will continue to pray for this ministry.  Please pray especially for the new children who will soon be placed into their La Providencia family, and for God to provide three more English teachers for this fall. Thank you again for all of your support!  We wish we could see each of you to thank you in person; we hope every one of you knows the importance of the part you played and that we are so grateful.  May God bless each of you!

June Newsletter

The School Year is Finished! It's hard to believe, but the school year has ended!  I (Erin) had a very challenging year as a classroom teacher, but through all the challenges I also fell in love with these students!  I am going to miss them so much! Academia La Providencia is unique in many ways.  While there are several other bilingual schools in Siguatepeque, none is just like ALP.  ALP provides the opportunity of a Christian bilingual education to children who would normally not be able to get a good education because their parents can't afford it.  ALP teaches children about God's love, models healthy family relationships (by having the orphan family homes on campus), and even provides health and dental care for its students and the community. There is still a need for more English teachers for next year.  The children have half of their day in Spanish and half in English.  The Spanish classes are taught by Honduran teachers, and the English classes by English-speaking missionary-teachers.  There are only a couple of months until the new school year will begin (Preschool through 7th grade next year)!  Please be in prayer that God provides all the needed teachers.  And if you or someone you know might be interested in serving here for a year, please let us know, and we'll get you more information!  (erin.runkles@gmail.com)

Building Progress The third house inauguration took place a few weeks ago.  It was a very special time to welcome the new couple and their biological son into their new home, as well as to celebrate all that God has been doing.  Soon, children in need of a home will be joining this new family, where they will learn about God's love and experience it by feeling the love of a father and a mother, siblings, friends, and extended "family" like you from all over the world! The La Providencia Family will continue to grow, as the fourth house is well underway.  This house too, will become a home and provide family for 6-8 more children in need of parents.  It is so exciting to think about all the lives that are drastically changed through La Providencia's ministry and these couples who are willing to dedicate their lives to children in need. Building has also been progressing on the new classrooms and bathrooms for the school.  Since another grade is added each year, the school is always expanding.  Next year the first ALP class will be in 7th grade, and a new class of preschoolers will be welcomed into the school. Our homeschool year is finished as well!  Ethan completed 6th grade, Jesse 4th, Tabitha 2nd, and Rayanna is our family's final kindergarten graduate! Prayer Requests Please pray for God's provision of teachers for the next school year. Pray for the new children who will soon join the third family home, and for the adjustment of the whole family. Pray for wisdom for all of La Providencia's leadership, as they plan for the future and manage all the day-to-day decisions. Pray for our family as we say goodbye here, and then as we resettle in Maryland, and for all the logistics of this move.  Pray especially for provision as Heath re-establishes his work, and for our children as they transition back to American life. Praise God for His blessings on La Providencia and on our family!  Praise for health and safety, financial provision, and His eternal faithfulness! We praise God for each of you!  We know that many of you are faithfully praying for us, and many of you have contributed to our financial needs this year.  We are so thankful for the part each one of you has played in this ministry and in our family!  Thank you! ********************************************************************************************************* The last month for financial contributions to our account is July.  Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed!  If you are setup for automatic giving, don't forget to cancel your monthly gift . . . or better yet . . . transfer it to another account (child sponsorship, other missionaries' accounts, operating expenses, etc.) to continue helping La Providencia!

The Lasts (Again)

A little less than a year ago I posted about “The Lasts.” It was during the time when excitement about going was mingled with sadness about leaving (and a slight bit of panic about what we were getting ourselves into). Now, we're almost to the other side of it. We've survived the adventure, and there were plenty of things I worried about that never did happen . . . no scorpion or tarantula attacks, no emergency medical evacuations, no kidnappings or muggings. But in other ways this year has been harder than I ever imagined. I've learned a lot about my limitations (I'm NOT cut out to be a classroom teacher, much less a working-and-homeschooling mom!) I've struggled with discouragement, feelings of failing my students and my own husband and children, spiritual drought, lack of faith, and a host of practical day-to-day struggles that come with living somewhere besides your home country. I've been homesick, overwhelmed, and exhausted for much of our time here. I've been longing for the day when I could get back home, back to comfort and familiarity, back to a life where (at least sometimes) I feel like I know what I'm doing. I've been counting down the months, then the weeks; now I could count the days.

But now, here come the mixed emotions again. Once again I'm facing “the lasts.” And as much as I've wanted to go home, I know I'll be leaving a big piece of my heart here, and I know it's going to hurt to say goodbye. This week will be the last five days with my students at school. Some of those little rascals have driven me crazy for the entire past nine months. They've exasperated me and left me feeling completely incompetent. They've brought me anxiety and tears, anger and frustration. And now they're bringing me to tears again . . . but these tears are because I love them and I don't want to leave them. I've managed not to break down in class, but it's tough when some of my precious, exasperating second graders write me notes about how they love me and don't want me to leave, how I'm like another mom to them, how they're going to cry for 100 days when I leave; some of them have already cried in class just thinking about the goodbyes; some of my older kids worry about who will teach them music next year and ask why the teachers leave. I tell them I'll be back to visit, but I know I won't be able to keep relationships with most of them, that I'll be just a memory to them soon. 

There are several grown-ups I'll really miss too. They don't write the same little notes or tell me they're going to cry for 100 days, but we've shared a lot this year and I know there will be some empty places in our hearts when we go. It's been a real blessing to get to know people who speak a different language and have a different culture but who serve the same God. It's been another blessing to have the camaraderie of the other “missionaries” who do share our language and culture and have shared this year with us as well.

In some ways, this move is easier because we're returning to the familiar instead of entering the great unknown. But I'm pretty sure these goodbyes are going to be harder. This time I can't say, “It's only for a year.” This time, we're going home to stay and will probably only see these friends every year or two at best. We're finishing this chapter of our life story, and the characters it's filled with won't be coming along into the next chapter.

So these “lasts” are much more final: The last time I'll enter the classroom and open the window, hoping to find a good breeze that day. The last time I'll write the date on the white board, remembering to do it day-month-year. The last time I'll tell the class it's time to start and have to break up the boys' ruler-fencing tournament. The last time I'll hear the Honduran national anthem sung by 100 children's voices. The last time I'll hear them call me “Mrs. Erin” in their beautiful Spanish accent. The last time they'll try to get me to say “perro,” so they can tease me about not being able to roll my R's. The last time to say goodbye and walk out that door.

Parting really is such sweet sorrow. I hate having to say goodbye, but I love the hugs and the sharing of hearts that come with it. It's a painful yet comforting realization that the kids will miss me and I'll miss them. So sad to leave, but so sweet to think back on all the memories. Most of all, I love and long for the day when there will be no more goodbyes, no more ended relationships, no more tears, no more pain, no more lasts. Just love and joy and celebration. Forever and ever.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

May Newsletter

Construction Continues The third home was finished, and the fourth home is underway!  Heath and Ethan have also been working on other projects:  Heath has been helping to build a system for farming tilapia, which will be used for food and eventually to generate income for La Providencia.  Ethan has been working with the other men on building new bathrooms and another classroom for the school (which will go through 7th grade next year).  Both of them have enjoyed the friendships they've made with some of the guys this year, and the chance to be a part of La Providencia's mission to provide quality care for orphans and at-risk children. Other Things Happening At La Providencia La Providencia has a goal to eventually be self-sustaining.  Working towards that, much of the food served at the school is grown right on the campus.  The picture above is of Jesse helping to shell beans (which are definitely a staple of the Honduran diet). Several times throughout the year, medical and dental teams from the States come to La Providencia.  They provide care for all the students at the school, as well as children in need throughout the community.  This month, our family got to participate as patients in the dental clinic. The students have four more weeks of school before it's finished for the summer.  English teachers are still needed for next year, so please spread the word and pray that God provides!   What's Next For Our Family? We have just under two months left here.  It's hard to believe the year is almost over!  We are eager to get back to our home and friends and families, but it will be difficult to say goodbye to everyone here.  If you are a regular financial supporter, the last month to contribute to our account will be July.  Money given in July will be used to cover our expenses for moving back home.  We thank you SO much for your faithful partnership during this year!  If you are able, why not continue to support La Providencia?  There are many ways (large and small) to continue to help...supporting another missionary here, sponsoring a child who lives at La Providencia, paying for a child's education, and many other options too.  Visit https://providenceworld.com/app/invest/categories/designated-giving for more information. Some prayer requests for our family over the next few months: -Praise the Lord that the car is fixed, after 7 weeks without it!  Pray that we're able to sell it before we go, to help with our re-entry expenses. -The tenants who have been renting our house in Maryland are moving out next week, and we'll be putting our house on the market once more (long story!)  Please pray that it sells before we get home, or that--if God has a better plan--He makes it clear to us! -Pray for wisdom and provision for our careers, as we were both self-employed when we left and will need to reestablish our businesses or find an employer. -Pray for these months of transition:  for finishing our work here well, for the difficult goodbyes, for our children to reconnect easily with their friends when we return, for our emotional and spiritual health as a family. We had a very nice visit from our friend Suzi, whom we've known since our college days!  So great to see her and be encouraged by her visit! Praying for La Providencia -Pray for provision of teachers for the next school year, and for wisdom for the leadership, as plans are made for next year. -Pray for the families of La Providencia:  the thirteen children who already live here, and the ones who will soon come to join their new family here.  Pray for the parents to have strength and joy in their parenting, and the children to grow up to love the Lord and be a blessing to their families, their community, and their country. -Praise the Lord for the people here who have dedicated their lives to sharing His love with children.  Pray for all of the staff of La Providencia and Providence World, as they continue to strive for excellence in orphan care. Thank you all so much for your prayer and financial support.  We couldn't be here without you!  Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in the lives of children and families here in Honduras!

Copyright © 2016 Heath & Erin Runkles, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be on our mailing list.

April Newsletter

Starting the Final Stretch March ended the third quarter of the school year and began the fourth.  It's hard to believe we're 3/4 of the way through the year!  Teaching has certainly been difficult, but I (Erin) am really going to miss these kids!  Some of them have been asking me if I'm coming back next year, and I've started to really think about how hard it's going to be to say goodbye.  As much as they drive me crazy sometimes, I've come to really love them and will miss them a lot next year. The picture above is from the last day before spring break, when the children and teachers spent the day in an Easter celebration, celebrating Jesus' victory and our salvation! The Third House Becomes a Home! The house that Heath and Ethan have been working on with the other men is finished, and this month it became a home!  The newest La Providencia family has moved in and are getting settled.  This couple has one biological son, and before too long their family will be expanding as they welcome children in need of a family.  It is very exciting to be be here during this exciting time and to see the La Providencia family growing.   What are YOU doing next year? Academia La Providencia needs approximately five more English-speaking teachers for next school year!  The school is set up so that the students have half of their day taught in English (by native English speakers) and half in Spanish (by Hondurans).  The school adds one grade each year, and next year it will go through 7th grade.  If you or someone you know might be interested in more information about joining the La Providencia team for a year (or longer), please let me know!  I'll be happy to tell you all about our experiences here and put you in touch with the right people to find out all you want to know.  Teachers do not need to speak Spanish, and they don't need a teaching degree.  They do need to be a Christian, have a love for children, and be willing to be challenged in many ways!   Our Family's Events Rayanna turned six years old in March!  It's hard to believe our baby is getting so grown up! We had to renew our visas again, and had the privilege of visiting Costa Rica this time!  The 2-day bus trip there was quite rough, but once there we enjoyed a few days of relaxing and experiencing a beautiful part of God's creation. In less happy news, our car has been broken for an entire month.  It's a Land Rover, and it's difficult to find parts for those here, but thanks to Amazon and people willing to bring things down here with them, Heath has been able to find the needed parts.  Hopefully it will be working again soon!  Meanwhile, we've learned a lot about the school's bus schedule and the public transportation! Heath's mom came to visit for a few days!  It was great to see her and show her what we've been doing here.  She was very helpful too--especially with the 200+ books she entered into the library computer!  We're also looking forward to a visit from a friend of ours next week.   Thank you all so much for your prayer and financial support.  We couldn't be here without you!  Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in the lives of children and families here in Honduras!

Costa Rica Comfort

Well, we survived the Tica Bus ordeal. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? (Or in my case, just really ticked off.) Our 3 days in Costa Rica were very nice. Almost enough to make up for the four days of torture. Almost.

After we got our rental car, we drove out of San Jose and toward the Poas Volcano National Park. The scenery we saw on the bus on the way to San Jose had been really brown and dry...not at all like you imagine Costa Rica. But now it all changed . . . beautiful green jungle, tall mountains, gorgeous flowers. And clean. So clean! The roads were smooth and nice. They certainly weren't built like our super highways. They flow with the terrain, following the natural curves of the earth. This didn't help with my carsickness, but it made some gorgeous (and terrifying) scenery! There were times we were a few feet from plunging off a cliff, views from thousands of feet up looking down at the clouds, gorgeous farms and forests . . . it was breathtaking!

Our first destination was Poas Volcano. It's a dormant volcano, and we got to go up above the crater and look down at it. You can still see and smell and feel the sulphurous fumes coming from it. The sign even said not to stay too long, especially if you have lung problems. It's usually covered in clouds, and we'd been praying that they'd clear off enough for us to see it, and that's just what happened! We got a perfect crystal-clear view of the crater. Very cool!

After that we drove the rest of the way to our hotel near the Arenal Volcano. Definitely the coolest hotel I've ever stayed at! It's built on the side of the mountain, with over a dozen pools of various sizes and temperatures, filled by the natural springs in the area. There are pools with slides, a pool with a swim-up restaurant, hot tubs of still water, hot tubs with jets, a water volcano. And it's all built to look natural, with rock formations and jungle plants all around. So much fun! We spent most of our time swimming and sliding. Jesse must have done the big slide at least 100 times!

We had two outings as well. One day we got to go horseback riding around the volcano. This volcano last erupted in the 1960's I think, but lava was flowing until about 8 years ago! The top was constantly covered in clouds, but one day we did get a glimpse of the top for less than 10 seconds. Unfortunately we weren't quick enough with the camera, and then it was gone. Anyway, the horseback riding was nothing like other rides we've done before! For one, it was 3 hours long, and this was no “trail ride.” We were actually free to direct the horses as we pleased, rather than them just following the tail in front of them. It was pretty cool! Slightly scary when we went up and down hills though! The guide even took Rayanna away from Heath for one part because it was that intense and he didn't want her to fall. She (very uncharacteristically) ended up staying with the guide for the rest of the ride because he let her hold the reigns more than Daddy did! The kids did really well with the horses, and other than being very saddle sore, we all had a good time. We even got to hear and see some howler monkeys in the wild. Very cool!

The other outing was to the hanging bridges. We took about a 2 ½ -hour hike through the jungle, crossing several very scary hanging bridges! The only snakes we saw were tiny but very dangerous ones. No boas or monkeys. We did get to hear the howler monkeys again, which was cool.

 

The next day it was time to leave. After a delicious breakfast buffet at the hotel, we made sure we had PLENTY of food and water, US Dollars, and stamina, and set out in our rental car for the 3-hour drive back to the bus station. Unfortunately, the beautiful scenery on the curvy mountain roads has its price. Jesse's carsickness got the better of him, and we didn't pull over in time. Enough said. Great way to start the day. Fortunately, we were able to get some Dramamine, so he and I both took some, and the bus ride back was much less terrible than the way down. Not fun, but certainly more tolerable.

So, 4 days of torture for 3 days of beauty and relaxation. Seeing more of God's beautiful creation, and having a few days of refreshment almost makes it worth the bus ride. Almost. But if we ever have the urge to go to Costa Rica again, we're flying!!

Tica Bus Torture

We just completed our final visa-renewal trip, to Costa Rica this time. Oooh....aahh...Costa Rica . . . such luxury, you're thinking. Well. . . yes and no. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and the place we stayed and the things we did were wonderful! BUT....getting there by bus was pretty much the worst travel experience ever!

We traveled for 13 hours the first day. Three of those hours were spent standing in lines for immigration in 100 degree heat. And when I say “lines,” I mean that in the loosest way possible. These “lines” can be cut into at any time, and sometimes lead to nowhere when the person working that window suddenly disappears with no explanation. When we drove to Belize the border crossings were easy, and they never even looked through our stuff. Not so going into Nicaragua. They rummaged through our suitcases, opened the wrapping paper on Rayanna's bday present, and other such invasive procedures. Of course, they need to be careful . . . it's those darn missionary families and their kids always smuggling in drugs and weapons disguised as birthday presents. Despite the humiliation of having our personal items publicly rummaged through, they never even found the apple that I accidentally smuggled across the border. So that reinforces my opinion that the entire thing is a waste of time. Unless someone packed an entire suitcase full of drugs they're not going to find anything.

Anyway, probably a total of 10 hours were spent at the various border crossings: 2 countries each way, an entire bus load of people having to be cleared before we can go on. One station had food and drink to buy; the others did not. And a bathroom for your children while you're waiting? Well, there MIGHT be one, and if there is, you may or may not have to pay to use it. Note to self: As scary as it is to drive through Central America by yourself, it's a heck of a lot easier and less frustrating than going with a bus.

So here's how our first day went:  spend $120 for a two-hour taxi-van ride from our house to the bus station. An hour later, board the Tica Bus. The bus itself was relatively comfortable. However, either the AC didn't work that well or the driver had it turned too low, so it was a bit stuffy. Add to that the boat-like suspension, the view obstructed by seats and window frames and curtains, and the psychotic driving methods on insanely curvy roads, and you get . . . nausea, headache, and all-around feeling horrible. I occasionally get car sick, but never to this extent. While I didn't actually vomit, I pretty much felt like I might for the entire 2 days.

So I should be grateful for the 3-hour immigration break, right? Not so much. First, someone from Tica came down the aisles collecting $5 for the crossing. We did know there was a fee, but nothing official was announced...just this Tica guy asking everyone for money. Um, ok, I guess. What else can we do? Then we had the privilege of exchanging the carsickness for standing in an oven waiting for our passports to be stamped. Here the time was passed by the fun pastime of convincing people that “Yes, these really are our daughters.” A lady who was selling nuts really had trouble wrapping her mind around this. “They don't look like you. Are they your daughters?” “Yes, they're adopted from China.” Stare. Play with their hair. Look confused. “Are they your nieces?” “No, our daughters. They're adopted.” Stare. Look confused. Comment to someone else. Now the someone else starts asking questions. We explain again. Even used google translate to make sure we had the right word for “adopted.” More confused looks of disbelief. “Are you their mom?” I know our Spanish isn't that great, but really people . . . surely you've at least heard of adoption? And if the questioning, staring, and playing with their hair isn't rude enough, shouldn't you at least move on with your life at some point and leave us alone? I'm usually very gracious with adoption questions . . . I do want people to understand and see adoption as a good thing, and I want to be a kind representative of adoptive families, of Christians, of Americans, etc. But when you start making my girls uncomfortable I get ticked. Fortunately, the nut-lady (no pun intended) moved on before I got really irritated. Back to waiting “in line,” people cutting in, officials leaving their desk and not returning, etc, etc. And don't forget it's still 100 degrees.

We finally got our passports stamped for exiting Honduras. We got back on the bus. Then the Tica Bus guy collected $14 per person and everyone's passport. Um, rule one of international travel: Never give your passport to someone you don't know. But again, what to do? We handed them over and hoped he was trustworthy. Turns out he took them all and got them stamped into Nicaragua and gave them back...no problems. By the fourth time this happened, we were “old pros” and even got to offer comfort to an American guy who was really worried that he'd just lost his passport forever. (You know, Tica, just a little warning ahead of time that this was standard procedure would have saved several people a lot of stress.) Even so, the receipts that were in our passport when he gave them back showed $4 (not 5), and $10 (not 14), so I'm fairly certain we were ripped off by the Tica company.

Back on the bus. Oh, did I mention that Tica said the buses had wifi? Well, that's what they said. But it didn't work. Not that I expect wifi all the time...just honesty. They also had plugs for charging phones, but those only worked on one of the four bus rides. And the reading lights above each seat . . . those were turned off so you only had light when the driver decided to turn on the lights...which was usually just after you finally fell asleep and he turned on the lights and made an obnoxiously loud announcement for the next stop.

So we continued on with this delightful day. We'd been on the bus since 10 am, a 3-hour stop for immigration (with no chance to buy food or water there; well, other than from the nut lady), and we still had several hours to drive . . . so surely there would be a stop for food and water happening soon. But guess what . . . no such stop happened. You would think that on the website . . . or during the course of several emails I had in the purchasing process . . . or in information given out with the tickets . . . SOMEWHERE someone would think to mention that there wouldn't be a chance to buy anything. That you needed to bring EVERYTHING you might need. But no one had told us this, and so our meals for the day were chips and cookies and crackers that we had brought in our “snack” bag.

At 7 or 8 pm, we finally arrived at the Tica Terminal and Hotel in Managua, Nicaragua. Ah, finally we can get some real food, more water, and a good night's sleep. We got off the bus (and, still with no help or direction) found out from a taxi driver where the Tica Hotel was. It's right there on the same property, but nothing is labeled and no Tica staff helped us. In the eerie green lighting of the hotel lobby, we were told that they couldn't find our reservation. (We had purchased this reservation two months ago, as part of our bus ticket purchase.) So the man at the desk kept our passports (again with the taking of the passports!) We were shown to a room, and thank-the-Lord it had air condition because by this point I might have really lost it. However, what did it not have? A place to buy food or water! In a country where the tap water is not drinkable, a hotel has nowhere to buy water? Are you kidding me!?! Last time I checked, water was an essential ingredient of life. So, the kids and I went to the hotel room with our half-liter of remaining water. Heath ventured out in this dark, foreign city (and bus stations are never in the good section of town), to find food. He found a little restaurant that only took Nicaraguan currency or US dollars. Having come from Honduras, we had Honduran currency (useless), credit cards (useless), and 10 USD. So Heath bought some chicken and rice dinners, and a bottle of water, and managed to make it back to the room without being mugged. It turned out to be plenty of food, and enough water for the night. In the morning, we planned to exchange money and get water from the snack shop. But as it turns out, the hotel does not exchange money, and there were no ATMs or banks near enough to get to before the bus left. When Heath pointed out to the Tica personnel that this meant no water for our family all day he received a half-hearted “sorry” and a shrug. Fortunately, we had $1 left and bought one more bottle of water. To last 5 people the entire day.

The second day of the journey was pretty much a repeat of the first, except that—thank the Lord—there was food and water available at the immigration stop. Otherwise I'm not sure what we would have done. But still, no information, no help, no apologies, no show of any concern from Tica staff. One new item was that they showed a movie on the bus. Oh good, free entertainment! Well, if you consider watching people get killed in violent sword fights and women having some kind of séance to be entertaining then yes. If, however, you are not into Satan and gory violence, oh....AND YOU HAVE CHILDREN WITH YOU...then you might find this “entertainment” just slightly inappropriate. Especially when this isn't like an airplane where you plug in your headphones if you want to listen; no, the sound was played through the entire bus whether you wanted to hear it or not. It was enough to give me a headache make me sick even if I hadn't felt carsick and had a pounding headache already. But since no one showed any desire to be helpful, and we were too exhausted to try to argue in Spanish, we didn't try to do anything about it. The girls were watching their own movie on our computer, so we let it go. When that movie ended, a child-friendly one started. Ten minutes later they turned it off. Whatever.

Finally, finally, FINALLY we make it to the Costa Rica terminal. The horrors are over, and our vacation can begin! Not so fast. Did I mention we were 3 hours later in arriving than what we had been told? And that no updates were given, no apologies made? And that there was no way to contact anyone from the bus to let them know? Well, this presents a problem when you have a rental car company meeting you at the bus terminal and no way to let them know you will be THREE HOURS late. Needless to say, they weren't there when we arrived. Our phones don't work in Costa Rica, so surely the Tica staff would help us out, right?! Well, they pointed to a phone on the wall that makes collect calls. We tried calling the car rental place, but got no answer. It was a Sunday night, and their office was probably closed anyway. We were supposed to be driving to a nice B&B that evening, but now we had no way to get there. So what to do, but hand over more of our money to Tica and stay at their hotel. Only this time the biggest room they had was for four people. That was a fun night.

After a few major temper tantrums (from me, not the kids), we all went to sleep, despite the bright light outside the window shining through the white sheet hung as a curtain. I woke up thinking it was morning, but no....it was just the giant electric sun outside our room. In the morning, we still had no working phones to call the rental car company, but thanks to the Navmii app Heath was able to find their office and walk there. (Twice. The first time he had to come back and get his passport.) But finally, we had our rental car and were on our way. Let the torture end and the vacation begin!

Stay tuned to read about the happy part of our vacation. . .