SEPTEMBER 10
Got a lot done today!! Thanks Mom and Dad for coming down to help! Time is ticking and we are excited to embark on this new adventure! Thanks to all you great friends and wonderful family who have supported us and trusted in us! We love you all!! For anyone out of the loop... We are moving to Costa Rica!!! Yes, we're crazy, but we are excited and just know it's what we need to do right now! Dannan leaves on the 16th and me and the kids fly out on the 29th!! Yahoooo!
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SEPTEMBER 22
Waiting to hear from them tonight. They had only made it as far as Hermisillo last night but they had to try and fix Jacob's van again today so we don't know where they are but they are going to live chat with us tonight when they get into their hotel. I'll post on my wall what they say!
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SEPTEMBER 23
OK, here's the update! I talked to Dannan last night and they are still in Hermosillo Mexico. They finally got some compentent help to fix Jacob's van. It's only been into 2 other shops who charged them an arm and a leg to "fix it like new" to only break down again an hour later. The boys also spent many hours tring ...to figure out what was wrong with it.
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SEPTEMBER 26
And The Adventure Continues...Heard from the guys this morning and they couldn't even tell us ALL the CRAZY things that have happened to them yesterday. Friday they had a pretty uneventful day, the first one of the trip! They drove from Los Mochis to Tepic, Mexico. They got up this morning and followed the route from Tepic south that the 200 page Gringo Guide that Dannan bought and read before leaving, said to take. Just about everything in the Guide hasn't been right. The guide talked about 15 dollar a night hotels, cheap toll roads, and even cheaper dinning. Well, the hotels have been crazy... expensive, just as much as here in the states, the toll roads were hundreds of dollars and the dinning was cheap. So their adventure has been quite the adventure. They've been following the map of the guide and yesterday the map took them up and up and up crazy mountain roads that were horrible and very steep. They finally gave up and turned around and came back down and drove around in a circle (extra 600 miles of driving) trying to make it as far as Gudalahara. It took them till 3 am to make it there and the adventure stories are endless. Dannan got pulled over in the middle of the night and the officer started haranguing him for a million little things... Dannan supposedly lost it on him and started yelling at him and telling him how horrible and cursed his country is and that it's their fault that he doesn't have all the things they think he should. According to Jacob it was pretty funny and the officer just tried to calm him down and them got into his car and drove away. Scary Gringo! Anyway when they finally got into Guadalahara early this morning they ran into a wreck, the guy that caused it was trying to get out of there fast and he almost ran into Jacob. He was hanging out of his window yelling at Jacob and laughing at him, saying "I got around you, Ha Ha Ha!" Anyway, that was really weird. So they lost Dannan in the wreck and had to find each other again. Then they spent awhile driving around trying to find a hotel that was less then 100 dollars a night, they couldn't find one so they just spent the night in their vans and then got up and kept going this morning. When Rachael was talking to Jacob this morning he was in good spirits and laughing, telling all the stories! So, we are grateful they are keeping their hearts set on the goal and not allowing discouragement to creep in. Rachael and I will definately get there before they do so we are working on a plan for us. We have some friends down there, thanks goodness, and are sure things will work out just right. Excited for OUR adventure, flying with 12 children, so keep the prayers coming, we need them! God's in charge and loves us all! Have a wonderful Sabbath Day! Love you all!
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SEPTEMBER 29
Latest Update...we are in Costa Rica, we made it safe and sound with only a few minor glitches on the airlines part. We had a great trip and the children were amazingly wonderful! They really were so well behaved they had everyone commenting on them! We arrived here at about 9 pm not knowing where we were to stay or how we would get anywhere.
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SEPTEMBER 30
We contacted the bishop here before we left, and he was in the process of helping us figure something out. Rachael and I have been praying for a miracle for the past few days as we've tried to figure out how we would pull this off with no ...husbands to pick us up when we arrived in San Jose. Well, we all know that God always provides for his children, for he loves us so much! And he did this time too...he provided us with a marvelous miracle tonight! I am writing this sitting in a beautiful Costa Rican home of a family of angels that the Lord sent to take care of us tonight! They were on our flight from Houston to San Jose and God just brought them to us. Jeff, the dad, came up to us a couple of times to talk and get to know us and the children. After awhile we started to talk about the plight we were in and that we were in the process of trying to find a way...well, they were the way, he said, and he offered to help taxi us over to his beautiful home in his van and let us stay here "as long as needed." They insisted on helping us so there was no refusing and we felt very much like they were and are the answers to our many prayers. I really can't believe how it has worked out. Sometimes God's miracles are just unbelievable! I was just hoping for any kind of help, any kind of shelter and bed but He sent us the very best!! I want all of you to know that if we put our trust in Him we will never fail, for he will never fail us! I Praise His Holy Name and Thank Him with ALL my heart for His generous blessings! Hope all of you will do the same! Love you all and I'll try to keep you posted as much as I can.....About the boys, we have not heard from them today, except for a text this morning. We feel that they are alright, though, and would ask that you would all keep praying for them to make it to us soon! Thanks for all your prayers and Love!!!:):)
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OCTOBER 1
9:00 a.m.
Sorry everyone, the internet went down at the home we are staying at and I just got it working again. Anyway, we are doing well, we are planing on trying to get transportation tonight to Playa Del Coco in Guanacaste. Rachaels friend, Gary, has a condo for us there and we are just trying to work out the details of get...ting a taxi/shuttle to drive us all the way up there. The roads are in pretty bad shape right now because of all the rain that they've gotten down here in the past week. Many of the highways are shut down and it is pretty crazy trying to find a way to get anywhere. The family that has helped... us out soooo much are Jeff and Caroline Henning and they live in Atenas and have a condo in San Jose because their girls go to school there. So, they let us stay here in Atenas at their home. Their phone numbers are 88-53-31-44 (Caroline's cell phone) and their number at their apartment is 22-90-82-17. They have been our angels and we thank the Lord for sending them. Anyway, we are in good spirits and just saw a small message from our boys when I got online. They are at the border of Guatamala and Mexico and are hoping to finish this morning with customs. Yes, we know the roads are horrible because of all the flooding and so do they. Please keep praying that there will be a way for them to make it to us soon! Thank you for all your prayers and Love! If Dannan gets to see this post will you please post something too!!! I love you!!!!
(later that evening)
7:00 p.m.
OK, so we have found a decent deal on renting 15 passenger vans that we can drive from here to Playa del Coco and then just return to Liberia. We are leaving in the morning and will be staying somewhere up there, in a condo, I think, that our friend Gary Smith has rented for us. We are so grateful for his help and generousity!! It is such an incredible blessing to have good friends who are willing to help you out when you are desperate! Thank you to ALL our good friends that have been so helpful and given us so much--you know who you are! We love you! Anyway, thanks to Tiffany for her help because she is the one who helped me locate a rental company that rents large vans. It is going to cost quite a bit but it is the only way up there. So we will be leaving this wonderful home and the hospitality of such wonderful people. Every time they would come over, they were just great! Caroline would come in and clean up, do the dishes, and just generally help us out--taking care of children and the like! Jeff and Caroline Hennings are their names...they live in Atenas and have 5 beautiful daughters. They are from Canada and moved here because the felt inspired to and knew it would be the kind of atmosphere they wanted for their family....their story is an interesting one and it is good to meet such good Christen people! Love you all and I'll write again soon!!!
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OCTOBER 2
Well, we are in Playa del Coco now. We made it safe and sound after we finally got the vans. I sent Rachael to get them because the very nice neighbor, Jose, that was riding over to Alajuela in the taxi with me only speakes spanish, so we thought it would be better for Rachael to go. Well, after the 40 min. cab ride ...that cost 25 dollars, they got to Alajuela and found out that I had to rent and the 25 dollars to pay for it, Rachael found out that I had to be the one to rent the vans because it was my card it was reserved under. Anyway, her and Jose caught another cab back to Atenas and then I left with Jose in the cab to driv...e back to Alajuela! What an adventure...well, after that we got back and loaded the vans, cleaned the house and were just about on our way when the Hennigs showed up with two boxes of food and lots of love to send us off. Caroline had made 14 individual lunches with lots of snacks for each of us! What a sweetheart! Jose then offered to drive us to Playa del Coco to make sure we didn't get lost and we gratefully excepted. Anyway, the drive was beautiful and easy..not a lot of traffic and pretty fast. So, we are here and staying in a small motel, but we are happy to have somewhere to stay and are praying to find something bigger and more like a condo tomorrow. Anyway, if any of you know of anything like that, let us know. We are waiting to hear something from the boys but haven't yet. I'll let you know if I do! Thanks again for all your love! And Thanks be to our Lord for our safety and the divine help we have received.
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OCTOBER 5
Hello everyone! We are doing well. We haven't figured out how to get on the internet in the house we are in yet. Hopefully I can have a few minutes to myself to figure that out. Anyway, things are good and busy with all these little ones in a very small house, but we are grateful to have it and to be here. Thanks for all your care! Love you all!
We are in Huacas, it's next to Tamarindo. We went to the beach today and played for a little while, the kids loved it! I will wish him a happy birthday tomorrow but we are going to wait to party until Dad is here!
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OCTOBER 6
The last we heard from the guys they were crossing the border into Nicaragua and the border crossing officals wanted them to make lists of everything in their food storage, so they did. We asume they are across the border by now and on their way to the southern border and COSTA RICA!!!! I can't wait till they are here..., I miss my husband sooo much! I am grateful for all my blessings and the great gift of the Spirit
He brings us so much peace when we come unto Christ...I love my Savior and am so thankful for His peace and His love. I couldn't have done this without that great gift, thank all of you for all of your love and prayers! I just can't say th...at enough. I am doing well and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my husband and finding a home, I feel the Lord will lead us and help us to find a good place to live. I am so thankful for the great friends here who have shown us so much love and giving hearts. We are here in Huacas at Linda and David Heathman's home and I am so thankful to have a place to sleep and that it is a good place for my kids (much better than a hotel or condo where there are many opportunities for children to be a nuisance) Anyway, we went to the beach yesterday here in Tamarindo, no we didn't take any pictures, we forgot...it's hard to remember those kind of things when you've got a crew like ours...but we did have a great time and it was sunny and beautiful! The kids just love the beach and can't get enough of it! We went to Coco beach too when we were there but I didn't like it as much because the sand it "coco" colored, but it is a sheltered beach so it's nice for the little kids (the waves are much smaller). Anyway, it's a beautiful place here, it's hot but very pretty..I can't wait to be able to see more of the country when Dannan gets here. It is definitely a culture shock to drive around and see how the people live down here, there is so much poverty, it makes me so thankful and full of praise for my many blessings and the great gift of freedom and prosperity! Let us not forget the great nation we have! Let us not let it turn into a country of socialism and stifled freedom! We are great because of the freedoms our founding fathers came to understand and put down on paper in our Declaration and Constitution! I am so thankful for that freedom! I hope we can keep it! I love you all and am grateful for this chance to write to you!
Well, I never assumed this would be easy so yes this is real but I feel grateful and know that the Lord is with me. I am DEFINATELY homesick, how could you not be. I have always loved America and Utah in particular, I hope that you do not... think we have moved here because we don't like America. I know I will come home again and that when I do it will be just as exciting and joyous as it was when I was a little girl riding home on the airplane from Germany. One of my favorite songs since I was a little girl is from Neil Diamond called, "America"~I'm sure most of you have heard it. Anyway, I know this experience will be for the good of my family and for the good of many others here that we can share what we have with them. I am excited to do that and to come to know these people, their culture and their language! I trust that the Lord will help me to do that and that he wants me to be an instrument in his hands, as he does want all of us to be! May we all focus our lives on the Savior and do his work! I know you all are and that together we will bring in the second coming of our Lord! I love you all and am grateful, so much, for your prayers and concern in my behalf! The boys are in Nicaragua we are so hoping they make it today! LOL:)
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OCTOBER 9
OK, OK, I'm sorry everybody...I just got home, did the dishes, cleaned up a pooppy mess and spot mopped the floor and got my husband put to bed and now I can take a few minutes to update all of you wonderful people on how things are going over here.!!!!
(2 Hours Later...)
or so I thought....maybe later!
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OCTOBER 11
OK, here it goes!!!!! I finally have some time to sit!! Ahhhhh....(well, except that I am sitting here dripping sweat!) Anyway, we are packed and ready to move out of this house. We have been staying at the Heathman's home in Hucas and it has been a VERY big blessing that we have been able to stay here for free for the week!
We are sooooo thankful to their beautiful family for sharing with us! Thank You, Heathman's! So, they are coming home today and we knew we would need to have a place to go by today to be able to give them their home back! Well, the guys ar...rived safely in Costa Rica on Thursday but we didn't get to see them until Friday because the only people they could get a hold of on Thursday when they pulled into Liberia were people who didn't know where we were. They found out we were in Huacas but didn't have directions, a name or an address of the house we are staying at; however, they missed us so much that they decided to just drive down here and try and find us! Well, they drove around until one in the morning, exploring all kinds of streets in this small town and even stopping people and asking about 2 white ladies with 12 kids! Funny huh! Anyway, they finally gave up the search with no luck and returned to Liberia and stayed a night in the Best Western there (a very nice hotel, btw~) Unfortunately, they didn't check the internet that night because if they had they would have been able to find us. So, the next morning, Friday, we woke up around 5:30 or so (normal for around here, you just wake up earlier, it's very nice!) and by about 8:00 we decided to check our facebook again to see if there was any info from the guys or anyone else who knew anything.~for the last week we pretty much tracked their progress on my bank account because they didn't have cell phone service, they were out of money so they were just sleeping in their cars and so they didn't have internet access either!~Anyway, I got on and looked at my facebook and the first post on my home page was from Jacob, saying he was in Costa Rica!!!! I couldn't believe it! I jumped from my seat screaming for joy, I think I gave Rachael a pretty big spook but I was just so excited. We, read that they had gotten into Liberia the night before and that they had driven around looking for us! We sent them a message right away, telling them to get online again if they could and giving them directions again.~we had already sent directions to family but Dannan and Jacob couldn't get a hold of them.~We knew they left to find us about that same time so we expected to see them within an hour, well, they didn't show up after an hour and a half and so we sent them another message that we would meet them at the grocery store in town. So I grabbed a couple of kids and we ran to the grocery store (hot!!!)...we waited about an hour or so and then we took a taxi back to the house. I then sent Rachael back in the taxi to look for them and she showed up not much later with the guys in tow!!! We were so overjoyed and thankful they had found us and were clean and whole!! I am praising the Lord for his incredible blessings upon us! They have a million and one adventure stories that just couldn't be real, but are, and they can still laugh at them and say prayers of thanks! I am so grateful for all they have gone through and all they have endured to make it here!
So, we welcomed them home to the humble abode and we got to work unloading Jacob's trailer into a storage unit and then driving to Liberia and unloading our trailer into Jacob's trailer. The old travel trailer that Dannan drove down here ...was completely and utterly wrecked so badly that he couldn't drive it at all any more. It seriously just made it to Liberia! What a gift! God loves us and he always makes things work out, even if it's only by the hair of our chinny chin chin....So, we drove all of our stuff and our van, leaving the trailer there at the hotel, back to Huacas and unloaded that into the storage unit. (Oh, so another blessing, while we were at the hotel for a couple of hours unloading the hotel people let all of our children swim in their very nice pools!! Isn't that just great! The kids loved it and the Dads were able to get things done without many children at their feet.) So we got that all done and it was about 10:30 at night. David's flight left at 7:00 am from San Jose so we cleaned up and talked for a minute and then Dannan and I left to drive David to the airport. It was quite a night! On the way home we went and looked at a rental home in Guayabal and it was very small, as most tico homes are, but had three bedrooms and a bath with a VERY large covered, tiled porch, 4 acres fenced in, a large seperate laundry room, it's own artiesan spring running through the back yard and many fruit trees...all for 350 a month. Well, we liked it but we were concerned about the size of the house and that it was surrounded by neighbors (the acreage went out from the back but your next door neighbors are literally next to you! Anyway, it was the only option that we had looked at that was clean and livable. So we were excited about it but knew that we would really need more space in the house if possible and it would be ready to move into for a couple of weeks so we would have to find somewhere else to go in the mean time. So, we drove back home and that is when I made my last post, that wasn't much, sorry! Dannan slept the rest of the day and all night long too, besides sleeping while I drove almost the entire night and day! Wow, that guy needed some rest!~well, Rachael and Jacob and I started a fast Saturday night that the Lord would help us find a place to live that we could afford and that would be just in the right place, wherever the Lord wants us. Also, that we would be lead to talk to the right people and be in the right places so it would be possible for us to find whatever he already knew was there. So, Sunday morning came and Rachael and I felt like we shouldn't go to the Santa Cruz branch, which is the one close to here, but that we should drive us to the Liberia ward or the Canas branch. Well, the guys just wanted it to be easy and said, no, we are just going to go here. So we prepared to make it to Church by 9:00.~~~it didn't happen and after getting into the van and driving down the road a little ways Rachael and I were able to convince the guys to turn back, get some lunch and head to Liberia for church.
So, we got to Liberia and still had 2 hours until church started and we didn't know for sure what to do with our time. We all knew and were fasting that we needed to find a house so we thought we could go up to Guayabal and look at that on...e again. We only had just enough time to drive there, look really quick and then drive back for church. So, no sooner had we gotten out of town then we got pulled over by an unmarked customs patrol police car. Well, that took 40 minutes because the people at the customs office wouldn't answer their phone, or so they said. Anyway, everything was ligit and we knew the Lord just wanted us to stay in town and go to church, so we turned around and went to the small building to feed the kids lunch and wait for church to start. While we were eating we meet lots of wonderful people and the story at this point gets very complicated but the small of it goes that someone that Jacob knew on his mission and she is the sister of the mission presidents wife, was talking to us and learning of our plight and gave us the phone number of a man who is LDS and has a farm in Nicoya that he rents out for a vacation renal. They told us that they would call and recommend that they let us rent the place for awhile while we got on our feet again and were making money. Anyway, the place was a nice cabin style home, they said and would be big enough for our two families. Well, Jacob called and talked to one of the owners of the home, there are two different families that own the place, and he said he would talk to his friend and that if we wanted we could go and look at it that day. Well, we all felt pretty good about the idea and we went to Sacrament meeting. It was a wonderful meeting with wonderful, kind people. I was so impressed by their love and kindness towards us. I couldn't understand what they were saying but the Spirit was there and I knew their testimonies were true. Dannan even got up a bore his testimony and had Jacob translate for him. It was an amazing and powerful testimony of faith and trust in the Lord! I love that man!!! I am so thankful to have him with me again!!~Anyway, we got out of Sacrament and had a couple of other ideas from other members of possible places to stay, so we decided to pray about what to do. We did and felt like Nicoya was what we should do, so we got in the van and headed to the house on 12 acres in Nicoya. We got there and it was a beautiful place. It has 3 bedrooms that are surprisingly big with closets, an unusual thing in Costa RIca, one of the rooms is a huge loft upstairs that the kids just loved instantly!! It has 2 bathrooms that are both very nice and a good size kitchen, for a tico house, with a big bar and a small but nice living room. It also has a very large garage and 12 acres fenced with horses and a very nice pool!!!! It is out of town and off the main road and completely on it's own. There is plenty of room to run and play without having to worry about the road and crazy people!!! Rachael and I loved it instantly and really felt that it would work out that we would be able to live there for awhile while we found other homes and started to make some money. So, we sent the owners emails about our situation, about ourselves and who we are, and asked if they would be willing to rent the home for $100 a week, that is all we can afford at the moment. We prayed that night that it would work out if it was God's will and went to bed. We got up this morning and cleaned like crazy ladies, trying to leave the house better than we found it, did all the laundry and packed up our stuff, while the men drove back to Liberia to try and dump the trailer at a junk yard. We had to wait until they got back so Jacob could see if the owner, David, that he hadn't talked to yet, had gotten back with him. We felt like it would just work out, so we got everything ready. When they returned Jacob got online and had an email from David, he called him and after a nice long talk together he agreed to let us stay for however much time we needed at $100 a week. We were so grateful and excited that we jumped for joy and again and thanked the Lord! He has been so merciful to us and has blessed us so much!!! We are now getting everything finished up and ready to move! We will not have internet there so I will have to go into town to contact all of you. I don't know how often I will be able to do that so please be patient with me!!~Oh, let me share another little miracle with you...Dannan found a guy in Liberia, by the grace of God, that wanted the trailer and paid him 300 dollars for it!~ There are many more little miracles and funny adventure stories that the boys have had and I will try and share them with you all soon! Yes, they made it here with everything except our camera that Dannan had in the van and going through the Mexico~Guatamala border he hired a "flee" to help him through and really he just ripped off the camera and 150 dollars for his services that weren't much!! Everything is a learning experience!! Let us all count our blessings and share the knowledge that we have with others!! I love you all and hope you are doing well!!!
Signing off! I will try to write again soon! Love you all!
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