The Fruit of Your Labor

So this picture is the result of what we do every Saturday morning. We go to something called the Feria, which means fair but is actually a fruit and veggie market--wierd but whatever. It is a lot of fun to talk with all the Tico's in Spanish, well at least try to talk with them, and it's great practice. Take a guess at how much (CAN) all of that fruit cost. Well you wouldn't believe it but for 3 pounds of oranges, 4-5 pounds of bananas, one pineapple, one LARGE papaya, one pound of carrots, 2 big yucas, 2 pounds of cucumbers, 2.5 pounds of star fruit, 1.5 pounds of cheese and 4 pounds of plantain cost just under 8 dollars!!! Incredible---and to think that that lasts us a week. Yah our diet has changed a bit you could say. Oh but it is good.

So I (Nathan) thought the title to this write up is kind of fitting for what has transpired this week in my life. Many of you have been praying that God would give us the gift of learning Spanish. Well as time has gone on I was thinking to myself that I could be challenged a little bit more in my classes than what I was and yet I didn't want to say anything. I asked God that if I should be in some different classes that would challenge me more and go a little quicker then they, the teachers, would need to come to me. Well, this week my grammar teacher pulled me asided and said, "You need to be in a more advanced class, would you like to be?" I said, "Well, I guess I wouldn't mind go a little quicker." I then received a phone call last night from the Director of the Institute and she said that I was moved into 3 more advanced classes. She said that they want to maximize my Spanish learning experience and think that this is the best way to do that. They have been watching me for a couple of weeks now to see how I did and they seem to think that I could be moved. So they have bumped me up in my grammar, phonetics class and language class.

I share this with you for three reasons: The first is so that all of us (you and us) can praise God and give Him all the glory for opening my mind and mouth to learning Spanish. The second is for your benefit--- Be encouraged that God is listening to your earnest prayers for us to learn this language. You are all witnesses to how God works through YOUR prayers. Finally, please continue to pray for me (and Sandra) to acquire this language. I am freakin out now that I have been moved up! The director said not to worry about being behind, we will catch you up and you will be fine. Nice, but in my weakness I am wondering what on earth I have gotten into here. Pray that God would open my mind in ways that I don't even have the capacity to understand.

God is good! He is trustworthy! He is reliable! Be encouraged my dear friends, be encouraged!!!

My reflections of today

I am sharing a poem that I spontaneously wrote after reflecting on Psalm 143:5 today :0 I hope it encourages someone out there!
Psalm 143:5
"I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.

Heavenly Father were I to recount the ways that you have been faithful they would out number the sand on the sea shore. You have not sheltered me from trouble or hardship in my life but I have experienced emptiness and hurting so that I can truly appreciate and recognize true peace and joy that can only come from you...not from your gifts but from your heart. Your plans are full of peace because of you Lord. The peace that surrounds your children is not a peace that the world experiences when all is well in love and war but a peace that cannot be expressed with our mouths. It lives in our hearts. You can see glimpes of it as we truly surrender our lives for you. It is what enables us to take risks inspite of danger. Whereever we go Lord we are sheltered not by temporary peace that comes and goes with changing circumstances of life but by a peace that is so much greater than ourselves, that simply calls us to walk and live by faith not by sight. This peace reminds us that we never walk alone. When we walk by faith it is the spirit that is guiding us strengthening us and compelling us.


love Sandra

Please Pray

I have a small request, we were talking to our guard today and he is concerned because for the past few days the same car with 4 men in it seems to be watching our street. So if you think of us, would you pray that God would protect us from any potential problem, if that is His will!! We prayed that they would see our angels standing guard and flee!!!

thanks for letting my post this, we feel so loved by all our support back home..

love Sandra

A Costa Rican Recipe!

Ok I was just taught today how to make this drink. Most Costa Rican's use the same recipe with all different kinds of fruit. It is delicous and soooo good for you.


5 starfruits Or Carambola in Spanish
cut and purreed in the blender (or your magic bullet)
and add 5 cups of water (more of less depends on your preference)
2 tbs of sugar (more or less on your own taste buds)

YUUUUUMMMMMMMY

The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with Joy!

We have had an amazing few days here, it almost feels surreal! To belive how quickly God has brought oppourtunities to us! We have only been here 3 weeks and we have seen God swing the doors open for us to love and serve Costa Rican's. Nathan has been building a friendship with two of our guards Fransisco and Elijandro. Elijandro's dad has been very sick and he asked Nathan to pray for him, so they did right on our street. Me and the girls went to work and begun earnestly praying for Elijandro and his family to know the true peace that we know from our relationship with Jesus. Next Nathan is invited to come meet Elijandro's Dad and to pray with him. So God definately had planned this appointment. Nathan (only 3 weeks of school) could completley understand him and speak to him! They completely conversed with ease and were able to understand eachother. Elijandro's dad invited Nathan to come back and share some more with him and maybe answer some questions for him. Now if you thought that this story couldn't get better hang on to your socks. We just found out that since yesterday when we all started praying for Elijandro's dad he is already feeling tremendously better! and Elijandro has informed us that he and his girlfriend and their son would like to come to church with us on Sunday.

The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy!!!!

The picture is of Fransisco in front of his guard shack!!


love Sandra

La cucaracha

Well I am totally sure that everyone on our cuadra (block) it sure that (me) the gringa is really loco now!! When I went to get Julia from her playpen this morning I saw a HUGE cucaracha above her on the wall and then I proceeded to scream until of course my valiant husband came to save me. Well first he realized that it was way to big to kill. If you let your imagination run with you you might want to image what kind of a mess that would leave to clean off the wall!



The other picture is of a gecko that was in the laundry area.

Ok so I lied I thought that I was getting used to the bugs in the last blog but I stand corrected!

Hola From Costs Rica!

Its official, three weeks and we finally have internet at home! Its hard to believe that we have been here for almost three weeks already (tomorrow). I feel like we have experiened so much that I have no idea where to start on this blog. Our first week was the hardest, but to be expected I am sure. It felt similar to being hit by a large frieght train! So much to get used to and become familiar with and I don't just mean the Spanish language!! Well to my disbelief I am actually getting used to the bugs! The thunderstorm that very timely starts as we are walking home from school every day I am still working on. We are in full study mode already into our second week. Nathan and I start meeting with our tutor this week which we are very excited about.

One of our highlights so far is all the fresh fruit! The picture is of Julia enjoying a fresh coconut for lunch.
Its hard to believe that in a year we will be speaking spanish. We are very excited about that but at this point it seems very hard to believe.

Our mailing address is

Nathan & Sandra Kliewer

Instituto de Lengua Espanola
apartado 100-2350
San Fransisco de Dos Rios
San Jose, Cost Rica
Central America

This is our school address that we can pick up mail at. ( If you have not heard Costa Rica does not have street address or house numbers???) Another yet interesting thing to get acustome to :) We were told anything the size of a shoe box will be delivered to us at school, hassle free.

Nathan is settling great! He has begun a friendship with two of our guards (they are the street guards on a rotating schedule)
its a great way for Nathan to practice his spanish and really get to know the culture.

Ways you can pray for us:
our safety
for endurance learning spanish: the road feels impossible and long
for all of our continued adjustment to life in Costa Rica
that we would walk humbly with Jesus and open to all that He is teaching us in all curcumstances.

We would love to hear from you!