Jovan's Costa Rica Mission Trip

Finally! Tonight I will be picking up Jovan from his mission trip to Costa Rica! I haven't seen him in twelve days— the longest we have ever been apart – and I'm so looking forward to seeing him and hearing all the stories that he has to tell from his trip. 

Off to the airport...

Several kids from his Pathfinders Club were also going on this trip, therefore I felt completely comfortable and "safe" sending him off to a different continent knowing that he'd be surrounded by familiar faces, including my childhood best friend who's like his second mother. Because the missionary group was quite large they divided the group into two. These two groups would be going to two different locations to work on two separate projects, but on their days off they would get together for outings in town and other touristic locations. They would also be together while traveling, of course. I was ecstatic when Jovan was scheduled at the same location as my BFF...until they did some last minute changes. 

Jovan somehow ended up with the other group where he knew no one. 

I went from being totally excited and completely comfortable to being anxious and sort of sad. I managed to keep it together for Jovan's sake, but he was obviously feeling the same way because the night before his trip he started to get teary eyed and was already feeling a little home sick. I tried to cheer him up to the best of my ability but he wasn't really having it 😌. 

Here he is, feeling a little anxious

I, of course, had to go on Facebook to tell the world how hard it was to send off my son, my firstborn, on a trip across the world for 12 days. But later on that morning I got a very expensive call from Mexico City (where they had their overlay) from my best friend...she'd read my FB post and was cracking up—"Stop it!", she said, "He's doing just fiiiine!!! He's happy, joking and enjoying himself with the other teenagers'. He's already made friends with the other teens traveling with us." And she sent me a picture to prove it...

Mexico overlay

IDK y'all, but I think I might just have the best BFF evah! I thank God every day for this woman and her friendship. I'm so blessed :). After that phone call and picture proof, life was good again for me👌🏽!

I didn't hear from Jovan or Celia again for five days. They were staying in villages somewhere in the North of Costa Rica, where no wifi was available. But as soon as they got wifi on one of the outings, Celia texted me and/or posted pictures on FB of Jovan and the rest of the kids in the group. I'm so thankful for all those posts and texts from Celia, because teen boys don't "...go on FB anymore", "don't have good wifi to send pictures" or just "...want to go have fun, I'll text you later" lol. 

He looks perfectly fine for a kid who wasn't feeling this trip a few days before...

His other mother

Baldi Hot Springs

Poas Volcano

Jovan texted me on Saturday while out in the city. He was at a restaurant eating (every teenage boy's favorite past time)...

- "I'm starving!, he said, "I'm eating beef ribs, fries and a soda". 

He told me he'd cried when it was time to leave the village. Because he had formed an amazing friendship...

- "...with a boy and his little sister", he said, "and it was sad saying goodbye and seeing them walk away. I want to come go back to visit them over the summer."

At this point I was bawling my eyes out! And then he finished with...

- "I'll see you Monday. Wish everyone a good night sleep please, and btw....SEND ME ON MORE MISSION TRIPS PLEASE. LOL"

What Jovan didn't tell me and probably hasn't even realized, was how much he has grown spiritually. I know this because Celia texted me to tell me this last night. 

I would be lying if I didn't admit that sending Jovan on this mission trip was financially difficult. Many sacrifices were made to make this trip happen. When we planned for Jovan to go on this trip I thought that it would benefit him going to a different country and helping others in need - to be selfless. My hopes were for him to see how other people live, lacking many of the commodities that he takes for granted on a daily basis. Maybe, I thought, he will learn to appreciate his life and all he has. Little did I know that he would gain all of this and more. He gained spiritual growth--and that is something that no amount of money can buy!

~* Yamilka *~

Sleep is Overrated, Anyways

This baseball/softball season is kicking my butt! It seems that every game is scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday morning at eight o'clock. Why is that a big deal?—well me just put it this way; breakfast in my house, on any given weekend day, would not be ready before ten o'clock, if I didn't have Mommy responsibilities. Yes, I love to sleep in. 

Don't judge me. I've had my share of early morning wake up calls when my kids were little and didn't believe in sleep.  Reluctantly rolling out of bed at 5:00am on a Sunday morning was my norm back then. Than God those days are over! 

Or are they...?

Me this morning: 

- Wake up 

- Look at my phone (with one eye open and one closed, of course). 

- 'What thah...8:00am?!' Aaagh!! (practice for Julissa was scheduled at 8:30).

- I woke up Julissa - fast - and we got ready and out the door, fast!

We made it to the field at 8:34...Julissa, my softball girl, looked like she had been up for hours—rosy cheeks, energetic and a smile on her face—even though she had gotten out of bed thirty four minutes earlier! Yup, I miss those days when I could off that sort of stuff. I looked like death. I was in dire need of coffee if I wanted to look half awake and decent enough to have a conversation with the other Moms. 

I got my DD's coffee and sat in my car sipping it, hoping the other mothers didn't strike a conversation with me before I finished it. 

I sat there watching my girl out in the field, laughing and joking with her friends and putting all her effort into the sport she has gotten to love. Seeing that is what makes all these early mornings worth it. Every bit of them. 

So I guess the answer is no, I will not get to sleep in ever again. Ever. But I prefer looking like a zombie over sleep, than miss moments that make my weekends special. No amount of sleep will ever give me the pleasure and satisfaction that I feel when I'm there.

Plus, sleep is overrated anyways 😉  lol. 

Hope you're all having a blessed Sunday!

~• Yamilka •~

There's no such thing as "shake it off"

Today was Adrián's first game of the season; the first of many, and the first game of his last year in little league. He's been in the same league and with the very same team for so long that it'll be bitter sweet when he moves on next year. 

Baseball has been a part of our family for a long time now, and I was super excited about this game because I was finally going to get to take some action shots on my new DSLR camera! I stood at the sidelines taking pictures and playing with my camera settings, when I was abruptly brought back to reality by a foul ball that made its way out of the gate and in direct contact with my left shin. 

Omygosh...that hurt so flipping baaad!!! To say I saw stars is an understatement!

While I rubbed my throbbing (and now bruised) shin, I thought of the countless times I have told my boys to "shake it off" when they've gotten hit by baseballs. I mean, that's a term that's often used in baseball...but, really? What is the kid supposed to do, shake off what—the pain?! Who can shake off being hit by a fast ball? That s**t flipping hurts! Plus, it doesn't work! I stool there shaking my leg like I was pulling some beak dancing moves and the pain was still there...and 5 hours later, it still is!

My throbbing shin brought me back to last Wednesday night when Jovan, my firstborn, due to leave on a mission trip to Costa Rica on Thursday morning, said he was having a hard time emotionally. As his eyes welled up, he explained to me how he would miss us and how he was afraid of being away from his family in a far away country he didn't know :(. In an effort to calm him down I told him to take a deep breath and think about the amazing life changing experience he was about to have. How many other teens would like to have that experience. 'Time will pass quickly, you'll see, and you'll be back in no time', I told him. Not realizing it at the time, I basically told him to shake it off. That he would be just fine.

I realized how easy it is for those of us who are in the other side of the fence to tell the player who took the ball to the shin to shake it off. It is easy to say those words when you're not the one experiencing the throbbing pain and the bruise that it leaves behind – be it a ball to the shin or letting go of someone you love.

From this moment forward, I will try to not use that quote lightly – because physical and emotional pain doesn't just go away by shaking it off. Pain is one of those things that requires time and love to make it better; like the ice that is helping the swelling and the pain on my shin :).

 ~•* Yamilka *•~