February Newsletter

Hello from beautiful and sunny Costa Rica! We pray that this New Year is starting off well for each of you. One of our personal goals for the New Year is to do a better job at keeping you informed about what God is doing in our lives. Your support and prayers are a vital part of our ministry!

We are enjoying getting to do some “hands on” ministry after graduating from language school. We will remain here in Costa Rica until June and train for our work in Panama.
We are working in a local community called Los Yoses. We are getting to know the families in this community, and are praying that God would open the doors for us to begin a Bible study in one of the homes there.

The kids are all having a fantastic year at school! Trinity is in the school play. Noah is playing basketball on the school team. Gracie Lynn is on the gymnastics team, and Eden is spending lots of time watching plays, basketball games and gymnastics meets.

Our family has been blessed with a special friendship with a local Costa Rican family. The Vaverde family has taken us into their hearts and home. They have 4 kids very close to our kid’s ages, and we are enjoying spending time together. Please pray that this family would know what it means to have a real and growing relationship with Jesus.


Prayer Requests:

· Pray for Tim as he meets with Jason each week to study the Bible.
· Pray for Tina as she meets with Rosie to study the Bible each week.
· Pray for our work in the Los Yoses neighborhood.
· Pray for safety and health for our family

Many of you are aware that Tina has been dealing with significant nerve damage in her leg. Please pray that the doctors would have wisdom in how to treat the situation. Pray for Tina to have joy in the midst of a difficult situation.

The State of the Louderback Union

Last night as I watched our President talk, I had a few thoughts........Not to worry, this is not a political blog. I just thought it was a cute title.

The new year is off and running, and so are we! The kids are all busy with school and various other events. Noah has decided to try his hand at basketball this season. Of course, since it involves a ball, he loves it! Trinity auditioned and got a part in the school play. She is busy learning lines and practicing. Gracie Lynn started gymnastics again yesterday. I tried very hard to get her to switch over to piano. I bribed and begged. She finally looked at me in disgust and told me that playing the piano was not going to help her at all in her quest to be a cheerleader. Good point. :) Eden is as always, a delightful doll. Recently, Noah taught her to throw and catch the football. He says she is the best 5 year old football player around.

Tim and I are enjoying getting into the swing of life without having to go to language school. Tim is doing lots of reading and learning about church planting and Panama. He also is enjoying just hanging out in the community and talking to people. I know, some things never change. I am really enjoying having more time to be a mommy. I am doing some logistics and organizing for our team, so that keeps me busy too. It is really fun to be able to use our gifts, talents, and the things we enjoy to bring glory to God!

We are looking forward to what God has down the road for us in 2010. Stay tuned for more. :)

The Best Pizza in Costa Rica!

Shortly after moving to Costa Rica, we found an amazing pizza restaurant close to our home. We all agreed that it was the best pizza we had every eaten! So, we began going to Paulista's Pizza every Sunday after church. We told all of of friends about it too. The owner and the employees of Paulista's soon became friends. We began hanging out with them outside of the restaurant. They helped us with language and culture.
Each time we went to Paulista's we ordered the same thing. However, the pizza that Tim wanted was not on the menu. So, they made a special pizza for him and joked about naming it the Timoteo pizza. Timoteo is the Spanish word for Timothy.
Christmas eve we went to eat at our favorite pizza place. The owner and the employees presented Tim with a gift. It was a new menu for the upcoming year. On the new menu was a new pizza. The TIMOTEO pizza! As you can imagine, Tim was very excited as well as honored.
So, come down to Costa Rica and enjoy some of the best pizza in the world with us!

Two graduates and a hospital patient

Let's talk about the good news first. Tim and I have officially graduated from language school! Amazing! After a year of full time school and homework, we have now completed our language requirements. It feels so good to look back at how far we have come. God has been so faithful to equip us for what He has called us to do. We can speak in Spanish! Wow, who would have thought!

So, now the more challenging news. Several weeks ago, I had a bone biopsy to remove some cysts that were found in the lower part of my leg. The surgery seemed simple enough. However, a few days after the surgery it became apparent that something was not right with my leg. I spent 6 nights in the hospital trying to get a handle on what was going on. At this point it has been determined that I have significant nerve damage. This is proving to be a challenging situation in many ways. Our new life consists of me going to physical therapy every day. Also, I have to use a wheelchair any time lots of walking is involved. Since we do not have a car and walk everywhere we go, the wheelchair is getting used frequently. The doctors feel that the damage is reversible. I am working really hard in therapy to do my part. We have been told that we have a long road ahead of us, so we are trying to take one day at a time. We appreciate your prayers so much!

I will end on a positive note. :) God has a way of making lemonade when you feel like you have been handed lemons! While I was in the hospital my mom was able to come to Costa Rica and spend time with me. It was so nice to have her here. She stayed with me at the hospital, and helped me get all set up at home once I was dismissed. It was a special treat to have this time with her. The timing of this situation could not be better. If it had to happen, this is the perfect time. Our schooling is complete and we have a few weeks off before we begin our ministry work. Truly, looking back at the past few weeks, I see God's hand in so many things. I am so thankful that none of this is a shock to Him! Daily I am trying to remember that He has a plan and a purpose for all of this.