A Small Health Concern

I live in the Valley of San Jose, where 75% of Costa Rica’s population lives. It sounds like it’s a huge area, but in reality it’s not all that huge, especially when the country is only about 500 miles in length and 200 miles in width. I’m surrounded by gorgeous mountains and am lucky to live just about 10 minutes from the base of the southern mountains of this valley.

However with any large city there are added health risks. Those risks are elevated when the area has little, to no, regulations on vehicles; multiple factories; and the burning of coffee fields. One of the risks are developing asthma.

Unfortunately, over the past several months I have begun noticing that it’s harder to breath out, especially in the evenings when I start settling down. These times have increased and can occur from only sitting down reading a book to exercising. I have begun experiencing a heaviness in my lungs during these episodes.

Today has been the worse. We did a entire chapel of praise and worship and I was one of the leaders, and also had a solo, however I found it hard to even sing because of the breathing issues.

After school, I asked one of my doctor friends at school about it and he said it’s very likely that it could be asthma. But there’s no way to know for sure without getting a breathing test.

Please pray that this will not become serious. (I’m hoping that working up on the mountain 5 days a week will help decrease the symptoms, since the air is fresh up there.) Also pray that if I do need to seek medical attention that the Lord will provide the financial means and the right to doctor to go to. Thanks for your prayers.

One Down and One to Go

Today I took my ECO, the oral exam. I wish I could say I did great and did really showed my ability to speak Spanish, however I feel very opposite of that. I know I’m much harder on myself than I should be and therefore my view of what I did is tainted some. However there were parts that I felt like I did well in.

I just wanted to be able to show my true ability. I felt like I got stuck on easy things that I knew but my nerves got a hold of me and I wanted to say things right so I thought too much about it and then that always causes problems. Oh well. I keep reminding myself that no matter what the paper says I’m able to speak Spanish and communicate with those around me. That is what is important, not if I have an advance low as my level.

Please pray for me that I will just focus on God and not focus on my self-serving and prideful side that can come out in times like this. Today I’m struggling with it. I put too much emphasis on a grade and that’s not what is important here. So as I had asked God to do several days ago, to break down my pride, He’s doing so.

Thank you for your prayers on my tests. One more to go. I’m going to try to give this one completely to the Lord and take my pridefulness out of it.

The Be All and End All Exams

So the time has finally arrived in which I have not been looking forward to for the past year…the ECO and Gramatica tests. The ECO, which is tomorrow, is a 30 minute oral exam to test my oral proficiency level. Then there’s the 3 hour Gramatica test on Friday which covers all of the Spanish grammar that I have learned over the past year! I’m a bit scared.

Please pray that I will trust God to help me recall all that I have studied and learned. Also pray that I won’t allow my nerves to take over me. Well I’m off to studying some more.