Thought I'd say a quick hi. It's been an eventful couple of weeks. If you haven't heard our latest NEWS please follow the link on the left to Aldridge Newsletters.

Meanwhile life here carries on. We've had two workgroups here this week. One doing general work--and man did they ever get lots done! New paths, potholes filled, framing of the recreation shed extension, painting a whole house. And they were only here for two days. And we had a gardening crew in who spruced the whole camp up. The chalet looks fabulous with much needed flowers and landscaping. Now the guests there can also enjoy the hummingbirds we are priveleged to watch each day.

Groups in most weekends. We've just had to say goodbye to the Young Life summer staff who were here for two months. We've loved having them and feeding them coffee and brownies. Oh yeah, they did lots of work too and learned lots about the camp and grew in amazing ways individually and as a group. Beautiful to witness. But the best part was the coffee and brownies.

It's good to be home and back at camp. Life is moving along. We've been here for 9 months already. Depending on how you look at it that can be a long or a short time.

I'm mentally re-organizing myself after my solo trip to the States. The kids for some reason aren't pushing me to get back into the school routine.... If I only had some bookshelves for the books I bought. I keep hoping my boys will turn their desire to learn woodworking into a bookshelf. But that will come in time. I've already used up all the bricks and lumber I can find. We try to school quasi year-round so that when situations like this come up when we miss a few days, or when family comes and we take time off, it doesn't matter in the long run. It seems to work for us.

Journeys shared

I (Laurel) just bought a new computer. I am currently in Virginia visiting my parents. Simon and I had decided that it would be a good opportunity to buy a new computer at cheaper prices than in Costa Rica. So we prayed and researched the options and then I bought one. But I still don't have pictures on it--I'll try to borrow some from my mom's computer while I'm here this week. And Simon's having internet problems at our place anyway, so who knows how consistent I can be with writing.

We've had a big work team from the States just spend a few days at camp. They had such wonderful attitudes. They had to do some hard work in even harder rain and didn't complain. So we got our new footbridge almost completed--a good thing because the suspension bridge has fallen out of usability. They also chopped wood, filled ruts and holes in the road with gravel, revarnished buildings, poured concrete to enlarge the kitchen--something that will make the cooks happy and one always wants happy cooks, dug a really big hole for the belay pole (sorry--I don't know what that is except a new idea from the program director who's been in training and has come back with some great ideas. I'm sure it will be a good asset and I will eventually figure out how it works.) This weekend the program director and some climbing buddies are volunteering for a day to finish up this and other climbing building projects. Their "payment" is a day of climbing. We have been encouraged by the fantastic attitude of our work teams. People like them keep us going.

Over the last few months our lives have been enriched by relationships with volunteers who come to work for periods in their lives. We've been able to share brownies and coffee and our lives. It is a great privilege to be allowed to step into another person's life and share in their journey. If you feel an inclination towards joining us for a time, please get in touch with us.

Our network of friends in Costa Rica is growing. We are forming some beautiful beginnings, and Simon is getting to play football more often. The kids too are growing and are becoming more interesting as I get to know them better. Please pray that we will continue to grow "in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man." Our faith in God is being tested daily and our understanding of what it means to trust God is much greater than what it was a year ago and yet so immature compared to many I know and read about. That too you could pray about. This business of "being a missionary" is not necessarily what we expected it to be. A good thing as it leads us closer to God and deeper into His world and knowledge.

God's word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

So we have a computer that still is "being looked at." I managed to borrow one from a volunteer and am putting a lot of minutes on our internet account. But no pictures. Sorry. Hopefully the computer will either come back to life or the files will find their way onto something else to be reloaded onto the computer we'll have to buy. We'll let you know.

In the meantime I thought I'd let you in on my latest accomplishments. I can now drive a car in a foreign country, navigating through strange streets to a new destination while reading a map and talking on a cell phone. Ok, so the guy on the phone was talking me through the streets to make my way back onto the map that he had drawn for me. But still, I didn't even drop the phone while turning corners. And I didn't hit anyone or even veer to far off a straight line. Not that there are many straight lines around here....don't let me mislead you. I made it there and back! Simon obviously wasn't with me. He isn't directionally challenged.

However, he almost didn't make it onto the plane from England due to a passport mixup. He was travelling on his British passport and didn't have his Canadian with him to prove that he doesn't need a tourist visa to get into Canada. They let him on half an hour before his flight left.

The clouds are coming in late today but with a vengeance. If you've been to England in winter you can know what kind of weather we're having here in the mountains. We drink lots of coffee and tea to keep warm.

I don´t remember how to build in a link to a sentence. Anyway, here´s a link to the official web site of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

http://torre.duomo.pisa.it/towersposters/english_version/

Did you enjoy it?

Friday morning. Internet is down at our place. I'm not at our place. Our computer too wouldn't turn on yesterday. Fun. Ha. Ha.

Dress Like a Teacher day at school today. The kids picked their favourite teacher and asked me to help them dress like him/her. One of the kids was easier than the other. Hope they have fun.

I have a class party to prepare for this afternoon. My daughter invited her class and is so excited. I imagine that about half will actually come. It is Friday afternoon after all. Families have things to do and this was a last minute plan. But I know of at least two that are coming so she won't be crying into her juice and brownies.

Have a great weekend!

I´ve been hearing that people are actually reading this blog. I find that rather amusing, but in a surprised, gleeful, pleasant kind of way. And so I will continue.

The kids first few days in school have been fairly good. They enjoy meeting up with some old friends and teachers. It will be a month in which they learn lots--both academically and also how to do things they don´t want to because they have to. As in homework. Also my secret is out in that since Keanan is the third child he still doesn´t have his alphabet down pat. So much for a brilliantly homeschooled child. But at least we can work on it now that Mommy is sufficiently embarrassed into action.

My internet connection is slower than molasses in winter and I have spent far too long this evening moving from one page to another. At least I've been able to multi-task and get some book reading in, laundry, dishes, phone call..... But the end result is that it´s later than I wanted in order to still finish off my day´s chores. I want to read some more in my book L'Abri by Edith Schaeffer. I finished the kid's book I had picked up yesterday to pre-read for my daughter. It is called Wild Geese Flying. Can´t remember the author. Published in the 50's I think. I recommend it. We bought 32 books at the library sale plus a few free ones. Bronwyn´s in heaven but Keanan´s upset that there are only two picture books. What are you reading?