Wow!!!!! What an exciting month! Some neat findings at the camp, preparations for a construction team, locating a truck for the camp, a local tico company puring the concrete floor in the multipurpose building, working with the construction team and preparing to go to Nicaragua for three days. God is good and able to do far beyond what I can think or imagine. He is my strength and any wisdom I need comes from Him. I've needed much of both this month.

This is a photo of an iguana-like lizard we have here at El Jardin and some eggs that one of them laid in the walkway behind the kitchen. They measure about 18" long.







This is the newest family member. Her name is "Negrita" (Blacky). She is about 75% Sharpe and 25%.....well...Tica. She is about 6 months and very well behaved. A nice addition to the camp.

I don't have any photos of the truck yet, but for you Toyota 4x4 enthusiast, stay tuned.

I spent about a week preparing for the team from Canada - a mixed group of construction, medical and children's ministry - by listing and prioritizing projects around the camp and purchasing all the materials. Then they arrived....

First it was Marvin's company unloading mountains of sand and rock and a mixer to start puring the floor.

While they were just getting started, here came the Canadians! For two weeks now they have been punching out one job after another....

down came the old "portones" or gates and unusable fencing...

...making the new gate taller so that the bus loads of local Ticos can enter right into the camp.

New chain link fencing was installed and secured....

fresh coats of pain, new doors and locks and lots of plumping repairs were done in the dorms...

new picnic tables for the ranchos and dining area were built...

electrical and plumbing lines were installed to the pool (about 80mts).....

new lights and glass pains were installed where needed, drains unclogged, wiring done, and the list goes on. You can be sure that lots of good Tico food was devoured by all....

and today we spent most of our time giving the grounds at El Jardin a good cleaning.....

and on their day off guess what they wanted to do. Yup, climb the nearest mountain (my kind of day off!!!) just to get a better view of the town. Now keep in mind that only 4 of the 20 team members are under 55. A hardy group those Canadians. All this was just the construction end of things. Remember the medical and children's ministries.....but for those exciting stories you can check out Nathan and Amber's blog (see the links). This has been a absolutely great group and a real blessing to El Jardin and the ministry here. The late nights and long days, running into Orosi to the ferreteria (hardware story) on my Mt. bike or on foot up to 4 times a day was all worth it. I'm looking forward to the next team!

So, the truck is still not finished yet but should be (Lord willing) in the very near future. Tonight I am packing for a short trip to Nicaragua to meet some missionaries there. I'll be back in a few days. Oh ya, the team is waiting for us to start a great dinner and celebration, Tico style of course.

I'll write more soon. Until then may you allow Him to light your path and direct your steps.