Childhood expression

by Elizabeth Gilroy
Two weeks ago I started a creative writing class with a group of junior and high school students. I absolutely love inspiring kids to write.  It is clearly my passion and one that I want to infect the world with around me. And right now my world is mostly about kids, whether it be my own, other's or the girls and boys that are being sold in to prostitution on the streets here in San Jose.

Well, this morning I decided to do a creative writing project with Gabi and Abi since they are not a part of the older kids creative writing class. While they sat writing their project, I understood the power of legacy and how important it is to pass on such passions to our children. Writing is a tool our children can use to affect the world around them.  As I pass on my passion and skills, they will learn to use it and create with it in ways that are beyond even where I am.

Here is a sample of what we did today. I found this photo on the internet and told them to look at it and write whatever came to their minds. While gentle music played in the background, here is what they wrote.

Little Girl

by Abigail Gilroy

Little girl on green grass soft as feathers

Sweet little girl with white tights and many frights.

She follows her dreams through everything.

Little girl sweet as honey

and shimmering brown hair.

Sunshine

by Gabriella Gilroy

Smell the grass, the dirt, the trees

See the children play, 

All but one,

She sits alone thinking

no one likes her.

The boys play pranks,

the girls gossip.

Poor little girl.

The sun shines down on the fields.

Nobody seems to notice the twinkle in her eye.

Writing is a powerful form of expression. It can touch every aspect of the human condition. If we can teach our kids, now while they are young, to reach into the pain and suffering of others, we have begun our journey of making them true missionaries. Missionaries that pursue the heart of God, to care about what He cares about, to act from His calling and be the hands and feet of healing and hope for others. 

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. 

~ Ben Franklin

A child's divine encounter

Before you take time to read this post, I want to apologize for not keeping this blog very up-to-date. Life over the past three months has been a whirlwind. Even though I have not been able to post regularly, I have collected photos and stories to share. You will see them all as I have time. Thank you for reading them and sharing your comments. This means so much to us even though at times I do not get responses back. God is doing great things in our lives in and through our children. They are a huge part of who we are and what we are doing. I hope you enjoy this one. ~ Elizabeth

This morning I woke up to the overwhelming desire to read the Bible and have time with God. But instead of being able to go off by myself, Abi was awake so I invited her to join me. With Bible in hand, I went to find a place to cuddle up with her. 

While she was brushing her teeth, she asked, "Mom, is there a 41st Psalm?" 

After I affirmed that there was she said, "Let's read Psalms 41." "Alright, that sounds good but why did you choose that one?" I asked, curious at her very specific request. "Did God tell you that one?"

"No, God did not tell me but it was a picture in my head," she said. "Psalms 41 was right there in my head."

"That was God talking to you," I explained. 

"No, mommy, he doesn't say words. He doesn't speak to me,"she spoke with frustration in her tone.

"Well, God does not always speak with words. Sometimes He gives us pictures or ideas," I explained, so grateful for this moment of revelation. 

"Okay, well then this was from God. Let's read it," she said ending the conversation.

We opened the Bible together and opened it to Psalms 41 and what a treat we received! Let me explain.

The girls and I came to the coastal town of Jaco for me to attend a mini-conferenc on human trafficking and working with women in prostitution. A team from Portland, Oregon came to build up and strengthen  local ministries in this beach town known for commercially exploited children and the trafficking of women. Evidently, there are three mafia groups here selling girls and women into prostitution.

(While I was attending the conference our girls are staying with a home schooling family. You can read their blog. Leslie is another missionary mom. www.fivefreemans.wordpress.com)

In the conference, our focus in the sessions has been from Isaiah 1:17. 

Learn to do good.
      Seek justice.
   Help the oppressed.
      Defend the cause of orphans.
      Fight for the rights of widows.

I have been amazed how the fight for justice is clearly dictated throughout all of scripture. It must be very close to the heart of God. I have so much to share about it all, but that is for a different blog or speaking engagement. 

For now, when God told Abi for us the read Psalm 41, I realized it was His way of sharing beautiful words of comfort and encouragement that I needed in particular.  Here are the words of Psalm 41:1-3:

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!
      The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
 The Lord protects them
      and keeps them alive.
   He gives them prosperity in the land
      and rescues them from their enemies.
 The Lord nurses them when they are sick
      and restores them to health.

It was His way of telling me He is going to take care of my family as I move forward in the work with the women and children on the streets. In this passage, He is promising so much, every desire we have for our children. My heart has been moved all morning, once again, at His faithfulness to me, the girls and our family as a whole. 

And even more than this, He chose to speak through my daughter in speaking to me. She shared in moment of sweet communion with God our father. She was oblivious to what He was doing. But as we sat and read the Word, it was so beautiful. 

I believe these moments should be common place in our lives as parents with our children. Our need for communion with God can include our children. It's can be our way to teach them the joy of practicing the presence of God. Let them share in the divine encounter.  Oh, let them taste and see that the Lord is good!!!

Our Abi

Sunday Market

Sunday morning. What comes to your mind as you read these words? Church. Dress up. Family time. Worship.

Before we came to Costa Rica these were the things that made up our Sunday morning. But for our family now, our weekly schedule looks very different.

Instead of going to Sunday morning church we go to Sunday Market.

Let me explain. For weeks we visited churches all across the San Jose region. After 4 attempts at various churches, some friends told us about a Vineyard church in an area of town called Escazu. The unique thing about this church was that the main weekend service is on Saturday nights. So one Saturday night we went. The worship was amazing, the preaching solid.  We had found our church.

But one of the most surprising things about finding this new church was what happened then on Sunday morning. All of a sudden, what was once a stressful time became a peaceful, delightful time of being at home with the girls doing nothing but have devotions, listen to worship music, spend time with friends and go to Sunday market.

Sunday market is amazing!  We have found Sunday market to be very fun and cultural. Here are some photos to show you what it is all about. Enjoy!

Color and design are everywhere.

Papya, pineapple, avocado, oranges and all the typical sorts of vegetables are available at this market. The girls have had cooking assignments where they had to cook a meal from the country they are studying in history.  Abi loves to cook as well as shop at Sunday market. She is a natural and everyone loves her.

Abigail, purchasing 'cas' for her Shephard Pie.

Flowers are very inexpensive so we try to keep some in our house as much as possible.

A banana seller.

Adundance!

 Along with the very common fruits are some that are very new to us. One of our favorites is the "mono chino," a small red fruit with a grape-like inside. It is very good and the girls have grown to like them.

Abi with a 'mono chino,'

Mono Chinos - chinese leeches

 The conversion rate of colones to dollars is 500 colones to 1 dollar. So here one bag of mono chinos is $2.

The squashes here are huge.

Mono chinos are like grapes inside with a big seed. Outside they are soft but prickly. 

Plantains are very popular and available in abundance.

 We are slowly but surely learning to cook the typical food here in Costa Rica. A typical meal always includes a rice dish such as gallo pinto, beans, plantains, a salad of some sort and a meat.

A busy day in the market.

Gabi wanted to buy herself a piggy bank. 

 Gabi is our money saver. She loves to work hard and save money. At the market we found some piggy banks that are traditional. The great thing about them is you have to crack it open to get your money out.

Huevos.

Grace and Abi are picking out onions for their meals.

We love Sunday market. It is so full of flavor, color, patterns and culture. It is truly a beautiful way to spend a Sunday morning. I am so often reminded of the verse, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." At Sunday market we are experiencing just that -  in the life and culture of this beautiful country.

The Beauty in a Day

This week homeschooling has definitely had its highs and its lows. I never could have imagined that one week could contain so much drama. I'll share about the lows from a mother's heart in my next blog. Meanwhile, I want to share with you the highlights.

Our life in Costa Rica is very different than in Alaska, where friends and home schooling activities abound. Well, here, we are having to be very creative in our approach in keeping our children at home. One thing we have decided is that Papa takes the girls on an adventure discovering Costa Rica once a week or so. This gets the girls out of the house and gives Papa the opportunity to explore this beautiful country.

One of the most amazing aspects of the CR is the large number of volcanoes. No matter what road you are on you will see signs to a volcano here or there. So this week Steve took the girls to Vulcan Irazu. Instead of me telling the story I will let them. Enjoy!

Abigail Gilroy - Flying High
One day i went to a Volcano. My Dad took me and my two sisters with him. it was cold but i am use to it. I took Lot's of photo's.I put my arm's out to feel the nice cool air. I felt like i was flying. The journey to get there was beautiful. And we stopped a Lot to take photos. But Graci had a lot of stomach ace's that was to bad. The craeter of the Volcano  was so cool. But there wasn't any green water in the middle of it. The thing i didn't like is i got hurt. But then i got better and then i played a little. And there was a fence so then people wouldn't fall into the craeter well the (cliff) . way behind the fence like one colomitor away there is a cliff and its really high up. Some people are up on top of the cliff.any way all of us walked a long way. then we left and ate lunch at taco bell. the End
(I considered correcting all the mistakes, but then you might not enjoy it as much. I think the rule of capitalization gets lost in Abi's typing effort. I typed in Gabi's below.)

Gabriella Gilroy -  My Volcano Trip
My dad every once in a while takes me and my sisters on a daddy-date. So this time he took us to an volcano! It was really cold so we stopped by a little restaurant and there were lots of humming birds. They were so beautiful. When we were all done taking a rest we headed off to the volcano. We saw a really weird animal.
So after that we started walking down the trail and we saw three craters. It was really cool. Daddy let me take lots of photos with him camera. Abi took lots of photos, too. There were people on the top of the tower upon the mountain. And that is my trip to the volcano.

You can read Grace's posting on her blog. She has more photos as well. Many of these photos were taken by the girls.

http://graciforever.blogspot.com/2010/09/volcan-irazu.html

This was a glorious day for the girls as well as their father. Costa Rica is so very rich in natural beauty and diversity. We feel so blessed that God has called us here. However, beneath all this splendor are some very harsh realities. I will share those in my next post. We count every day a gift! So glad we could share this one with you!

The World - Our Classroom (Part 2)

One of the main reasons why I felt led to start a blog separate from our ministry blog is to share the adventure of educating our girls. We have two main focuses in our life right now: ministry and family. And it is very important that we do not let our family suffer because of our ministry.

You can read historical accounts of well-known missionaries who have saved thousands but lost their own children. I can also tell you very recent stories of missionaries who have accomplished great things in the kingdom but have allowed their children to fall between the cracks and in the end wondering why their grown children have no love for God or ministry. This is not what God intended. He never asks someone to lose their family for the sake of saving others.

With this in mind, Steve and I have committed ourselves to always pursue a balance between our ministry and our family life. The education of our children is a big part of our family life. It is actually our lifestyle.

So when it is time to renew our visas and head out of the country for 72 hours, I see it as an adventure. It is an opportunity for my girls to experience something we would never experience sitting in our living room in San Jose.  Our living room is the place they study language, reading, writing and mathematics. But when it comes to science, geography and social studies, what could be better than taking a trip across the border of two developing nations in Central America and island hopping in the Caribbean Sea?!?!

This is what we did on our recent trip to Panama. And what an adventure it was!

Let me show you our science class for the week. For very little money we caught a car taxi then a water taxi to Starfish Beach.  Living up to its name, there were starfish everywhere!

Gabi thought she was in heaven.

Abi was captivated.

We spent 2 hours just enjoying the crystal clear waters as the starfish moved gently around us.

Awed by the complex, yet simplistic beauty of God's creation.

The perfect science class!

More treasured than the splendor and intricacy of nature is God's most glorious creation - people.  And the people of Central America are so beautiful. Everywhere we go we look forward to meeting people and to see how they live.  On this trip to Starfish Beach, we met Willis. He was our water taxi driver.

After we had hung out with the starfish a while, we were eager to find some reefs.  The waters were so clear and colorful. At just the right time Willis came back around and took us to a very special reef - one right in front of his home. What a privilege it was to see his wife and 1-year-old son sitting on the front deck!

Meet Willis - a rich man

A rich man's boat

A rich man's home

The waters in front of Willis' home were extraordinary in marine life. Coral of all colors shapes and sizes, fish the same, huge sea urchins and sea slugs teamed the waters below our feet.  There was so much down there to see, Abi was a bit afraid at first. But once we got her in the water, it took some effort to get her out. It was a glorious day!

So after we met Willis, saw his home and experienced the wonder of his front yard, I asked the girls, "Do you consider Willis a rich man?" Their initial response was no. They had seen the tarp blowing in the breeze that served as his walls and the flimsy tin roof of his house. Then I asked them about the reef in front of his house, the wife and child he has waiting for him at the end of the day, the boat he owns to make a living and the wealth of food and beauty that surrounds him.

Yes, after a bit of consideration, they realized and heartily agreed that, indeed, Willis is a rich man.  I saw at this moment that my girls will no longer measure wealth by the size of ones home and the number of cars in the driveway, but rather the simple blessings of life.

To know my girls have learned this lesson, is huge for me.  Through it, once again, I was reminded of why I do what I do and why it is so important to take every opportunity to teach my children godly truths and principles.

The World - Our Classroom (Part 1)

One of my favorite aspects of homeschooling and living on the mission field is the freedom we have to make the world our classroom. Because we live an international lifestyle, our children are exposed to all kinds of "schooling" without a lot of effort. Walking out our front door opens a whole new world almost every day.

To live in Costa Rica for an extended amount of time, requires us to "renew" our tourist visa every 90 days. This means that we literally have to leave the country every 3 months. On the 23rd to this month, our 90 days is up, so Gabi, Abi and I were required to exit Costa Rica. Since Grace and Steve had recently gone to Nicaragua they were legal and did not need to go with us.

As a family we had plans to attend a wedding in Puerto Viejo last week. Puerto Viejo is located only 45 minutes from the Costa Rica/Panama border. This was our chance to cross the border and renew our visas with relative ease. Fortunately, we had a couple of friends who needed to do the same thing so we were not alone on our adventure.

The Caribean wedding was lovely. It took place on the beach with everyone wearing white and cream. Puerto Viejo is a beautiful coastal community with lush vegetation full of tropical animals of all kinds. We enjoyed the 'fruits' of it all. Before we knew it, the two days were over and we were on our way to Panama.

After a 45 minute bus ride to the border, we faced the dreaded chore of going through customs and immigration. Much to our surprise, our time at the "frontera" was relatively quick and easy. The most challenging part was the bridge over the river which serves as the border.

Every mother's nightmare. The bridge separating Costa Rica and Panama.

Besides serving foot-traffic as well as an automobiles at the same time, this bridge was riddled with holes and gaps in the surface plenty big for a child to fall through. All I could do was move forward and pray. The girls did amazingly well, as their mother prayed over every step.

Along with the heat, the next most dreaded part of the process was the immigration office. Fortunately, this was much quicker than expected although the heat made it seem like an eternity. The only relief came once we got right up to the window, where the air conditioning from inside was blowing out the small hole in the glass where we handed our papers. I told the girls to gather around me. They were glad they did.

Gathered around the immigration window. Cool air was pouring out. 

The Immigration office.

The girls showing off the 20 stamps they have in their passports.

Lugging our heavy backpacks up and down towers of stairs, the girls and I with our friends Jody and Amy all began our negotiations with the local taxis who were taking us an hour down the road to the small coastal village where we were to catch our water taxi. I was so thankful that we were not alone on this adventure since my spanish is still greatly in need of improvement. Jody and Amy were awesome as they managed to get a taxi without me having to pay for the girls. We hopped in the van.

After about an hour or less, we came up on the water's edge where a man came running into the roadway banging on the hood of our van. He had a water taxi waiting for us and was ready to leave. It was all very crazy and seemed a bit curious but we went with the flow. As it turned out, the water taxi driver was a Godsend as a the evening unfolded.

Aboard our first water taxi of several. 

The cool air and speed of the boat was refreshing and encouraging. As we headed across the bay, we were enjoying the ride until the men in front of us started swearing and drinking. Before I knew it, the girls were crying and upset. Not being around drinking and swearing ever, they were greatly unnerved. I began praying, then politely told the men to please be careful of what they said because of the children. They were kind but were pretty much incapable of talking any other way. Fortunately, the girls got distracted with the scenery and talking with our friends and forgot all about it. After a bit, we moved them to the back away from the men.

One of the happy moments on the water taxi.

We had the option of going to one of several different islands in the area to settle in for a few days. After discussions with others on the boat, we decided to go to the largest, but less developed, island, thinking it would be quiet and a positive environment for the girls. Boy, were we wrong! Upon inspection and a quick walk through the closest coastal community on Bastemante Island, we realized it was neither quiet nor positive. By this time it was dark and the ball in the pit of my stomach was growing.

This is when our water taxi driver came through for us. George, a young local, black man, committed to getting us to the more developed island of Colon and into a place to stay for the night. George not only committed to it, he also carried it through. After a long wait on the pier, a night time water taxi ride and a short walk through Colon, we found a hotel for $38 a night with 3 beds. It was clean and comfortable. We knew that God had sent us George. He knew that 5 women alone in a foreign country needed some extra help.
The next day we found another place to stay that had our own kitchen and complete privacy. What a blessing it was and it was on the water.

The girls with our dear friend and South Dakota sister Amy at breakfast.

Gabi on the back deck of our flat - God's gift to us on this grand adventure.

Once we got settled into our flat,  it felt as though we had just lived out a scene from the movie Plane, Trains and Automobiles. Our modes of transportation were varied and adenturous but God kept us safe and we enjoyed the journey in the process.

The next 2 days were beautiful and relaxing. We have much more to share on the journey so look for the next post within the next day or so.

To close I'll share this photo of Abigail. It reminds me of how we have to face life and all its adventures - look to the horizon before us with a sense of peace and assurance of God's promises, and do it looking as lovely as possible.

Choosing the Best over Good Enough

More than 7 years ago, I stepped into the daunting yet beautiful world of home education. It was daunting in that I did not know anything about it. It was beautiful in that I had my girls home with me - exactly where they belong.

Reading is a part of everyday school and life.

Today we are living in Costa Rica, the part of the world God has placed us in fulfilling the Great Commission.  As I look back over these past 7 years I see that God had it all planned. I just had to hear His voice and obey.

Graci after her last ballet recital before we came to Central America

When Grace, our oldest, was in first grade, we put her in a reputable Christian school in Wasilla, Alaska and Gabriella in a lovely preschool. For that first semester, I spent my days driving around town dropping kids off, picking kids up and running errands while my 3-year-old sat in the back seat wondering if there was more to life than a car seat and gold fish crackers. By 4:30 p.m. on many days, I found myself sitting in my driveway in tears, asking myself, "Is this what being a mom is supposed to be like? Why am I so miserable?"

Life is so full of fun and laughter. We are together.

It was at this point the Holy Spirit began to speak to me. I began asking myself a lot of questions. Here's a few:
1. Why do these teachers get my children for the best part of their day?
2. Why do I have my children for the most stressful parts of the day: dinner time, bed time, wake up.
3. How is it that even in a Christian environment my kids are picking up very ungodly attitudes?
4. How is it that at the age of 6 my daughter's friends are playing girlfriend and boyfriend?
5. Why does it seem that a Christian school is not the BEST option for my children?
6. Why is it that my children are spending more time per week in the care of someone else?
7. What am I doing wrong that my 4-year-old Gabriella is still wetting the bed?

Abigail dressed up for her ballet recital

These questions plagued my mind every day as I scouted my way around the streets of Wasilla making sense of being a parent while sitting in a car. In it all, I kept telling myself that I had choices in how to school my children. Public school. Private school. Christian school. Home school. We were simply making a choice. Then the Holy Spirit whispered, "Yes, Christian school is a good option. But is it the BEST choice?"

It was then I knew that I was meant to bring my children home. So over the next 2 weeks I arranged for my 2 girls to come home for their education. In January of 2004, we began the journey that continues to this day.  Two weeks later my Gabriella quit wetting the bed.  I knew I had made the right decision.

Gabi at the Alaska State Fair 2009

Today I am still convinced that decision was the right one. Yes, there are days I question and wonder. There are days I seriously consider a brick and mortar approach to educating my children. Then, once again, I am reminded of why I do this. Why I continue to make my days so crazy busy. Why I often feel overwhelmed. Why I sacrifice my own agenda. Why I choose the road less traveled.

Most often these reminders come from the mouths of my own children.  One day I was teaching Abigail, age 6, about nouns. We were talking about how a noun is a person, like a policeman or a nurse or fireman. After a bit of dialog I asked her if she could come up with one herself. She paused then said, "Mom, isn't an anthro... anthrop... anthropologist one?" Once I closed my gaping mouth, I told her yes that is one.  It was an amazing moment. One that affirmed the decision I had made years earlier.

Our journey is full of friendships, dear friendships. Highly valued and cherished.

Today I see that God had me bring my children home 7 years ago because He knew our home would not always be in Alaska. He saw and knew that one day we would need to home school out of necessity as we fulfilled the call to missions. And so today, here we are.

We have made our beliefs and ideals a lifestyle. No longer are they just thoughts or dreams. We are answering the commission to go into all the world, while obeying His call to keeping our children at home. And the world is now our classroom.

We have joined hands and walk together.