Spring Fever!!!

Beautiful day today in Pensacola, Fl... it just makes you want to get out there and do some gardening or planting or something! We have a big front and back yard which need a LOT of help... The idea of getting out there and plant sounds great, but actually doing it requires a lot of effort in our part. As Spring starts to show its colors I can't help but wonder What is this year going to be like? Many times I find myself thinking about the future and what's in store; however, this year is different, is like I am waiting on something to happen; but, is it going to happen? will it be this year? No secret for anybody the economy in this country is going down hill, gas prices in the rising, the news every morning with bad reports, and to top all that Election Year... don't we ever get a break? These thoughts have been in my head since early last week, and my mind is so busy with some serious non-stop thinking about the future that I forget this is Easter Week (or as called in Latin America: Holy Week).

As I spent my morning at church yesterday I start feeling in my heart what I've known all along but decided to ignore: I have no control over the future. Really, when I say I am leaving something in God's hands... am I really doing it? Or, am I constantly trying to help God? Like he doesn't know what exactly it is that I need. Who am I to think for a second that God can possibly need my help or my guidance on what I need/want? After all, we are talking about the "person" who gave ALL in order to give ME a better future. Does that really make sense? I mean, would you give your ONLY son/daughter to save humanity? HE DID... and yet, we forget... so many times, for so many reasons we forget.

I pray this Easter is different in my life; that I can truly see and understand that GOD IS IN CONTROL. He always has been, even when His Son was hanging on the cross He knew that was what it needed to be done so we would have everlasting life. Like the song "Who Can Satisfy" says :

"Who can satisfy my soul like you
Who on earth can comfort me
And love me like You do
Who could ever be more faithful and true
I will trust in You
I will trust in You my God"

I am done!!! I am done waiting, worrying, thinking, and "helping". I don't want to worry about the future and forget about the present and the wonderful things God is doing in my life. After all, if something great does happen this year it will be because that's how God planned it and surely not because of me.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 (New International Version)

New beginnings...

For those of you who don't know how we became a "two worlds, one family" couple here is a little summary of our lives.

I moved to the US from Costa Rica back in January 2001 to learn English as a Second Language and tutor a 10 year old boy Spanish. The family I lived with attended the same church as Tyler and his family. After a few Sundays going to that big church (you have to understand that in Latin America protestat -Christian- churches are small in size and Catholic churches are big buildings and cathedrals) I was brave enough to try out a Sunday School class. Of course I was very nervous and scared cause I did not speak English and the idea of making new friends whom I could not communicate with simply terrified me. That Sunday I visited the "College Kids Class" "Singles" and whatever else you may call it, you know what I mean. When I got inside the classromm they were a few people there who introduced themselves and tried to make converssation (to the day I have no idea what they were saying or asking) and then was Tyler, who inmediatly shook my hand and realized I was the person he had been waiting for all of his life... ok, maybe that's not exactly what happened but he did introduced himself and asked me where I was from and that was about all the English I knew so the conversation ended there. After that the class agreed on a Friday " midnight bowling" the upcoming weekend; Tyler asked me if I wanted to go and I replied "what does bowling mean?" (insert you own latino accent here). He tried to explained it and I move my head like I knew exactly what he was saying but I had no idea until I got home and looked it up in my Spanish/English dictionary.

Yes, we did go bowling, and we had a good time. After that he kept inviting me out, we met for lunch, he showed up after my English class and we hung out and "talked" as much as we could since I was still learning English. The part I meant to say earlier is that I was only going to be here for that one year and then go home to continue my sophmore year in college and my "normal life." Well, you see that's what happens when you have plans for your life and God has something very different for you and you don't realize it until you move 2000 miles away from home and fall in love with an All American white boy. By then, it was the end of 2001 when I was supposed to go back home but things had changed. I applied to UWF to continue my Bachelor in International Studies and was able to transfer 44 credit hours from the National University of Costa Rica where I had started in 2000. By then Tyler and I had been dating for about 6 months and I had to go back home to tell my daddy that while abroad studying I had found a really nice christian boy who I had been practicing my new language skills with. Of course he was not very happy but didn't think too much of it since it wasn't the first time I had " found someone."

I started school in the summer of 2002 and by then Tyler and I had gotten pretty serious on our conversations, plans for future, had a couple of fights (It's hard to be mad in English!! lol), and lots and lots of time together getting to know each other. We agreed that the best thing was for him to go to CR to meet my family and even asked my dad for my hand in marriage -for whenever that may happen- so we did... In December 2002 Tyler flew down to CR to meet the Mendozas and wans't ready for the culture shock that was! I was very nervous of Tyler meeting my dad; I am the oldest of 3 sisters and if you think for one second my dad was going to be nice to this guys just because I really liked him you're wrong. Thankfully my mom had already prepared my dad with the words no father wants to hear "Frank, I think he might be the one, so please be nice." Tyler and I talked about the trip and I asked him if he had any intention to propose to me while in Costa Rica; he replied -and I quote- "no way I'm going to meet your dad, ask him for your hand in marriage, and propose to you all in ONE week. Your dad would kill me." So I was pleased with his answer, but of course he did the very same thing he said he wouldn't. My dad said yes and after trying to get back to the USA on January ' 03 my visa was denied by the US Embassy in CR (and that's what happens when you try to come to this country legally ha ha ha). We moved the wedding date, which was going to be in April 2004, to April that year. The new date, April 27th 2003, and I had 3 months to plan the wedding of my dreams. Tyler's family (mom, dad, sister & husband, and brother) flew down to CR on Friday for the wedding Sunday and flew back Monday morning. The wedding was perfect and we had a great time in our honeymoon but now, a week later, Tyler had to go back to Pensacola and I stayed in CR to wait for the paperwork to be able to enter the USA as Tyler's wife which did not happen until August 14, 2003.

If you ran the numbers, by now you know that I was in CR and Tyler in Pensacola for the 4 months of our engagement and the first 4 months of marriage. But if you look at the bright side of things, we really have two dates to celebrate every year: anniversary and reunite after 8 months day. After that we've been here in Pensacola and I've been back to CR without a problem about once or twice a year. Last year we spent Christmas with my family and had some time for ourselves at the beach too. It's been a crazy ride our marriage but I truly believe God had his reasons and it has made us a stronger couple. It really helps us not to take each other for granted but to work thru things one a the time as they come our way. My moms always told me since I was a little girl "Pray for your husband, ask God to bless him and his family cause you don't know where he might be." I really think God put this in my mom's heart to get me ready... "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" Gen. 2:24

We have been married for 4 years and 10 months now and can't wait to find out what God has in store for us this year. Tyler is very busy working as an Insurance Agent at KeyInsurance and singing with his sister as "One Accord" and also at church (OBC). As for me, I am the International Sales Director at Oren International. We are both very happy in Pensacola love the fact that we are very close to one of our families. A lot will be said about our families in these posts and you'll get to " know" everyone. For now, this is all I got! Please check our pictures link to check out few of our " kodak moments."


---SU