Panama Pandemonium and Other Related Adventures.

Because we have many students here at Portantorchas that are not from Costa Rica, we are required to leave the country after 90 days to renew our Visas.   So, to Panama we went!  And let me tell you. It was FABULOUS.  Oh, expect for the 12 HOUR DRIVE.   And then the 2 hours waiting at the Panama/Costa Rica border.  After we waited in line for ever, we walked across the most un-sturdy, falling apart bridge I have ever seen, all while Semi Trucks were also driving on the same bridge. There were gaps in the bridge where you could have fallen through.  No big deal.

But, after that, we set out to the la Isla Bocas del Torro, an absolutely gorgeous island, where we stayed in a beautiful hotel.  And we had the chance to go snorkelling, see dolphins and starfish, and explore the island. It. Was. AWESOME.  (See photos below of said awesomeness)

Panama is beautiful.  You should go.  And speaking of going, I'm gonna go play catch phrase.  To my family, I miss and love you more than you know.  To my friends, I cannot wait to see you when I get home.  But I love it here.

To everyone else (and those mentioned above), I hope God is living through you more and more everyday.

Love,

Kelsey

God Isn't Who We Think He Is.

So.  For those of you who have been wondering, "Why the HECK isn't Kelsey posting blogs anymore?" I have your answer.  My other blog account was shut down, for reasons I don't understand.  Thus, I've had to create a new blog.  Please forgive me!  But, if you want to catch up on what was happening before, check out my first blog at www.kelseysadventuresinwonderland.blogspot.com


First of all, I'll just show you some pictures of recent happenings...I'm not sure I could recap it all if I wanted to.

My little Dani :)

Mari Fer! She is the cutest Tica I have ever met.

Gringas (and Canadians.)

Some of the girls in a ministry I work with here called, "Entre Amigas", a girls Bible Study.

Piano!

We went to a circus, thus the fire-breathing.

This is how I get the boys. ;)

It reads, "She was slowly unravelling"

Some more water color fun.

This is a sketch design for the T-shirts we're making for our mission's trip.

This is pretty much how it always is with me and Kat.

Some lovely ladies.

I thought this was a lovely chapter title.

Date night for Tobs and Rachel :)

 Rest assured, I have been having a swell time since my last blog post.  Seriously.


I keep having these moments where I just stop and I think to myself, "Wow.  I am so happy to be here." 


My classes are fantastic.  I can't believe I've come this far in my Christian walk without knowing some of these things.  For example, we just finished a class called, "Biblical Panorama" which essentially pieced all the stories of the Bible together, and connected them.  All the stories we've known since Sunday School days aren't just isolated; they're woven together to form the story of redemption that God has been planning since we first chose sin over Him.  


I also had a lot of time to think and reflect as I continue reading through the Bible.  Something I've always struggled with is understanding, "the God of the Old Testament".  How could the God that I know, the God of unconditional love, suddenly command the Israelites to destroy entire nations of people? 


And then I realized.  Maybe God isn't who I think I He is.  Maybe I've spent my whole life only learning to understand one aspect of His character-love.  And God is love (1 John 4:8).  But how often do we think of a Holy God, one so holy, that sin literally cannot be in His presence?  


When I looked in the Old Testament, and saw God commanding the Israelites to literally wipe out nations completely, I felt conflicted.  Because I only understood part of God.  But through our Genesis class here, our teacher explained that God always gave the nations time to repent, and He withheld his anger for literally hundreds of years sometimes.  And God used the Israelites as a tool to judge the sins of those nations.


So, I wonder what else don't I know about God?  And I know I'll never fully understand how a God who is loving is also a judge, or a God full of mercy also condemns, or even that Jesus was fully God and human.


Our God is a contradiction that, somehow, works. He is inseparable opposites, a Judge and a Saviour, embodied in the same being.


So.  Who are you letting God be in your life?  The God of love that always forgives, or are you also letting Him correct you where you are sinning?


Think about it.

Love, love, love,


Kelsey


P.S. My new URL for my blog is www.kelseysadventuresinwonderland2.blogspot.com  
Let's hope this one doesn't get deleted!