It has been way too long
since I sent out an update. I am doing well and blessed. A lot is going on and every day just seems
full and busy. I am seeing the Lord work
on behalf of people one by one. I am
blessed to see how He is allowing me to be a vessel of blessing to others,
primarily one on one.
It has been terribly dry
here. It hasn’t rained since the beginning of November. The heat has gotten pretty intense and even though
right now, we have a “cold front” and it is only windy, but it hasn’t
rained. I am thankful for the wind
because it cools down the air (I felt almost chilly for the first time in
Guanacaste last night at church). The sanctuary is outside and it has a roof and
back wall to the platform but no other walls, so it is like being out in the
open. The wind was so strong that it was
knocking over the empty chairs at church yesterday morning! Tonight, as I write and sit on my bed with
the window open and the fan on me, wearing a tank-top and shorts, I am
comfortable, almost chilly … sorry to all of you in the snow!!! J
I so appreciate your
prayers! I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me to hear from any
one of you and that you all are praying for me. Things have been
spiritually intense as of late and I can definitely hear the Lord speaking to
my heart. Although clarity isn't full yet, I am starting to have an inclination
and potential opened doors.
During the end of December,
the month of January and most of February, we were not having formal PFK
(Potter’s Field Kids) program (Manos del Alfarero). The school year in Costa Rica coincides with
the calendar year, so most of this time was school break for the kids. In December, we had graduations for the kids
that passed from 6th grade to Jr. High (Colegio as it is called
here). They leave the kids program and
are able to attend the youth group instead.
During this time, we worked on special events and activities to invite
and encourage new kids to join the program.
We went around the various communities with invitations, loud speaker
and announcement and talked with kids wherever we would see them. We
would setup game days and meet with the kids to play soccer or plan activities
where we would have Bible classes, worship and snacks. With the graduations and a couple of kids
that had stopped coming, we had smaller numbers toward the end of the year and
we were a bit far from our max of 40 kids for the program (I believe we were
closer to 25 or so). I created a video
in Spanish to share with the church and parents of kids so they would know what
the program is about. I am including it
here, but I don’t have an English version, so sorry to those that can’t
understand it.
Once we completed our
registration, we have been blessed to have 43 kids (in two groups) signed up
and one on a waiting list (since this one and all 3 extras are in the same
group)!!!! It is amazing to see the new
kids blend in with those we know and love, get to know them all and have new
expectations of what the Lord will do in their lives!!! I was blessed and privileged to pray with the
mom of one of the kids to accept the Lord during one of our registration
days!!!! That was so exciting!!!!!
It seems like I haven’t
had as many opportunities to get together with Brandon and Gustavo now that
school started and part of their day is occupied with school and my afternoons
are occupied with PFK again. In any
case, I was so blessed to see Gustavo coming home from school in his school
uniform and a huge smile on his face! I asked
him how he liked school and if he was finding that our time together has helped
him. He said that it has helped him a
lot because now he’s able to understand and finish his papers to hand them in
quickly!! It just warmed my heart!!! Please keep praying for him and his family,
as I see improvements, but I also see some of his old attitudes and difficulty.
In January, Sydnie and
Emily’s visas were expiring, so we went with Corey to Nicaragua for a short
day-trip to renew our visas. With 90
days on our new visas, we are all legal in Costa Rica until April 7, which is
safe since we leave April 1st J. The trip was nice and I
got to see a new country and get a new stamp in my passport for a country I had
never seen. We went to the town of Rivas
and took a stroll in “bike-pushed-taxis”.
Two of us sat in front and a guy sat in back on the bike that was
attached to our carriage and pushed us through town. It was a fun little trip!
During my time here, I
have gone to San Jose/Heredia/Alajuela (the capital and surrounding cities, about
5 hrs away) on three occasions (two by bus), all of which have been a huge
blessing for different reasons. On two
of them, I have been able to spend some time with a wonderful couple that has
known my mom and I since I was a young child.
Miguel Gonzalez (a puertorrican pastor in Costa Rica) and Sarita (his
wife, who is from Costa Rica) have lived lives of faith for many years and they
are missionaries for life. He has been
an evangelist and founded many churches in Latin America. They were
instrumental during my initial calling to missions many years ago on a previous
trip to Costa Rica and also during these couple of encounters lately they have
blessed me more than they could ever know.
The first time I went, I
was also blessed to receive an offering from the Lord to use as He would direct,
with no stipulations on what that would be.
It was challenging and convicting, and I saw it as a huge responsibility
to seek the Lord for what He had in mind for that offering. After I returned, I prayed and sought the
Lord for what He would have me use it for.
As I prayed, one person kept coming to mind, but I didn't know what need
she had. After a couple of weeks of
praying, I consulted with Pastor Phil and he mentioned the same person and that
he had observed that she had a need for new eye glasses! I had no idea, but was blessed that the Lord
had directed my heart toward the same person, so I saw it as confirmation from
the Lord. I later agreed with her to
take her out for a surprise. It wasn't until
we were on our way that she learned where we were going and she was blown away
by how the Lord had worked on her behalf.
She had already gone to get an eye exam, although she didn't have the
money for the glasses. She had been
praying and the Lord had told her to not speak of her need to anyone, but
rather to commit it to prayer. The store
is located on her way to work, so she always carried her prescription with her
and would often (if not every day) stop and ask about more information
regarding the glasses and tell them that she would return with someone to cover
for her glasses, as she felt the confidence from the Lord as she prayed!!! This day was the day that I would take her
and be blessed by hearing of her faith and how the Lord answered her prayer
because He chose to allow me to be a channel of blessing!!!! This whole experience has challenged and
grown my faith!!! It also served as a
testimony to her daughter, who does not yet know the Lord, that God answers
prayers and loves her very much!
The second trip, Sydnie,
Emily and I joined Erika (my new closest friend here) to go to San Jose and
Heredia and we had a refreshing time of going to the mall, eating at Wendy’s,
shopping a little bit and walking around in weather that required a light
jacket!!! I was also immensely blessed
to meet up with someone that the Lord had also put on my heart to use some of
the offering money to bless. I later
learned that she needed to buy school supplies for her kids and it couldn't have been more timely!!
Last week, I went to San
Jose/Heredia Thursday through Saturday with Rebecca (Pastor Phil’s wife) and
Erika. I have been very blessed with the
friendships that the Lord is establishing for me here in that they have been a
comfort, too. The Lord truly filled our
time with amazing blessings. I had a huge desire that I couldn't explain that
Erika would meet Miguel and Sarita. The
Lord opened the doors for Erika, her daughter (Natalia) and I to join Miguel
and Sarita for a day and it was AMAZING!!! This couple is one of the most inspirational
missionaries I have ever met in my life!!!
They walk by faith and share what it’s like to walk by faith in ways
that draw anyone and everyone to desire to do the same. Erika was so blessed and now she can’t wait
for her husband to meet them! It’s crazy
how amazing it was to sit and walk around just fellowshipping in the Lord
hearing of their experiences!!
Potter’s Field just
recently decided to send one of the interns that went through the program in
Montana with us to Costa Rica. She
remained at the ranch when we came down and has been with them for this time. Mariah arrived on Thursday afternoon (the same
day I left for San Jose) and came to an empty apartment. I got back and now we are adjusting to living
together and sharing all the things that have been routine for us here as new
to her, although I feel bad that we can only fit her bed in the living room as
it is such a small apartment. The bed
she is on is a provision from the Lord after the most unbelievable long story,
that I will have to leave for another time, but suffice it to say that the Lord
has been showing Himself faithful provider.
She will be staying here until we leave (April 1) and has already been fully assimilated into Team Costa Rica!!!
On Monday night, after PFK
was over, I was walking home immersed in my own thoughts and almost ran into a
lady from the church that greeted me with “Can you pray for me?”. I was a bit surprised and asked her if right
now, so before praying I started asking her why and seeing if I could minister
to her beyond prayer, as she obviously wanted to talk. I was blessed that she opened up, sometimes
with tears and shared her burden. I didn't immediately have an answer for her, but rather listened. After a while, I shared a few things and the
Lord touched her heart that she needed to see the Lord as her defense and not
try to guard herself and protect her heart, that her defense mechanisms were
actually hurting her. She was very
touched and cried some more, so I prayed for her and we were both super
blessed. I can’t explain it, but lately
it seems that the Lord is bringing to pass Isaiah 50:4 as He reminded me of
this promise a couple of weeks ago.
Tuesday,
Erika and I began partnering in counseling a lady, which she will take over
once I leave. It is amazing that I can’t
even resort to my old habits of saying that I have nothing to offer, because
the Spirit is evidently filling my lips although I don’t feel ready. The Lord has been using the verse in 2
Corinthians 10 to remind me that those thoughts or “imaginations” as it says in
KJV are thoughts that exalt themselves against God’s goodness and character and
that they need to be cast down and my thoughts taken captive to the obedience of
Christ.
I can’t say that I
understand all that the Lord is doing and where we are going, but I am seeing
an amazing pattern that fills me with faith in two ways:
- The Lord is faithfully directing my steps and words to bless people that are hurting and need it deeply, particularly one on one and one by one.
- I may not know where I’m going next or who I will talk to next, but the Lord already has it planned out and I will see it unfold as I am faithful to listen and obey.
I would love to hear
from you via email, facebook, skype, text me, or Viber. If you want the numbers or contact, please
send me a private message as I do not want to list the numbers on the blog for
privacy reasons. Unfortunately, both
texts and Viber require internet connection, which has not been very good in
the apartment. My US number that most of
you have will become active April 1st which is when I return to
Montana.
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