Hard Times...

My Costa Rican mom Carla got robbed on Tuesday. She was walking a few blocks away from our house when five men surrounded her, pushed her around, then held a gun to her. This was at 4 in the afternoon right outside the corner of our neighborhood. My mom has been pretty shook up, she isn’t doing that well. She naturally has a very strong overbearing personality and this has made it worst. They have increased her medicines (I don’t know what she is on) and she is doing therapy. She isn’t supposed to be working for a month, she is just supposed to relax, but she won’t. She isn’t sleeping, doesn’t eat much of anything, and has increased her exercising. She is also drinking more and often is a little tipsy. She is also very depressed and just weird because of the situation. She has come to me several times and just dumped all her problems on me and it is really hard for me to deal with. My siblings aren’t getting as much attention now, so that are misbehaving more just to get attention, and my dad has just become really quiet. I am afraid that things are going to get worse before getting better. Please pray for her and my whole family situation.

I’ve also been feeling a little sick since I got back from Nicaragua. My stomach has been hurting a lot, normally after I eat. I’ve also been getting a lot of headaches and I think I had a fever the other day. I think my headaches are from caffeine withdraw. In Nicaragua I had coffee everyday, sometimes a coke, and 1 or 2 Tiamina (Vitamin b pill with a lot of caffeine that prevents mosquitoes from biting). Since I have been back in Costa Rica I have only had one coke in the past 5 days. I don’t think my body is liking that change very much.

I have a lot of schoolwork to do in the next week. All of our assignments are due and everything is coming to a close. I have a lot of work to get down and turn in. My mom wants a lot of attention from me and that makes it hard for me to do my schoolwork. I’ve been trying to go to other places to study some in the evenings so I have some time to get stuff down.

It is over halfway through the semester and I am missing home. It was hard after my two weeks in Nicaragua to get on the bus and ‘head home’. It almost felt like I should be going back to the states, but I wasn’t. I have been away for 58 days and I only have 50 left. Now time is counting down and it should be getting easier. My mom and sisters are going in about a week and it will be great to see them. I think it will be good to have a glimpse of home here in Costa Rica for awhile.

Keep praying for me, things are going really well, I am enjoying my time. The past few days just have been difficult. Luckily I haven’t gotten very sick this semester and I have been safe, so I don’t really have anything to complain about.

Thanks for all your notes and cards, it is always fun to get those!!