Missions with a Heart for Costa Rica
Mission accomplished in Costa Rica 2008!
Wow! We lived through the whirlwind of spending most of 2 amazing weeks in Costa Rica!
I have to be honest with you, we went to Costa Rica looking for something. And God came through once again for us! He gave us the answers we needed from Him.
We have been confident since January of 2007 that the Lord had called us to move as a family to Costa Rica and do missions work. Through our IGM Missions class that we attended in 2008 the Lord narrowed our focus of ministry somewhat and gave us some idea of what kind of ministry we would like to become involved in.
We needed even more clarification from Him about where we were to live, and who we were to connect and work with in Costa Rica. This He did during our visit this month. We were able to spend time with 7 different groups of people from different missionary and humanitarian organizations, as well as connect with some very special Tico's (native Costa Ricans). Every connection was a divine connection. There were no wastes of time, or unfruitful visits. God showed up everywhere we went!
We were able to ask missionaries and Tico's alike questions about life in Costa Rica, and ministry needs. We wanted to confirm that our vision was in line with what is actually needed in Costa Rica. After all, there is no sense in us going to all of the trouble to move our family only to spin our wheels once we get there. We want to be the most effective for the Lord as we can be, and minister the gospel to those that are ready to hear it!
We cherish every connection that we made while in Costa Rica. As one of our new missionary friends said to us "We believe every connection is a God connection!" I believe it too! We were so blessed by the hospitality and generosity that we were shown while visiting. We left the country feeling so much richer, and fuller than when we arrived. We were full of God's purpose and plans, and rich from His many blessings.
We mainly stayed in the many different areas surrounding San Jose, which is quite large, and also ventured 3 hours south of the capital city to the smaller, but fastest growing city of San Isidro for a few days. Throughout our stay we were able to minister to children in groups through craft activities, Christmas parties, tutoring English, pray for families individually, take part in establishing a mission house in a drug infested neighborhood near a major trash dump, visit several different Spanish church services, and just have coffee and conversation with some Tico families and young adults.
We enjoyed the clouds touching the beautiful mountains every morning, the random waterfalls spraying right out of the side of the mountain along the many winding roads, the awesome variety of birds that came almost to the window sills to eat the bananas left out for them, the many, many dogs that roam the streets, and actually look both ways before crossing, and the many rainbows seen after the "Pelo de gato" rain that fell quite often.
We really enjoyed our short visit, and are very much looking forward to moving our entire family this May to the beautiful land of Costa Rica and it's beautiful people.
We praise God for our successful trip, and thank Him for it. He is our Father and Provider, He directs our steps and guides us along His path. It is for His glory and splendor, that His name may be exalted that we do good works.
I have to be honest with you, we went to Costa Rica looking for something. And God came through once again for us! He gave us the answers we needed from Him.
We have been confident since January of 2007 that the Lord had called us to move as a family to Costa Rica and do missions work. Through our IGM Missions class that we attended in 2008 the Lord narrowed our focus of ministry somewhat and gave us some idea of what kind of ministry we would like to become involved in.
We needed even more clarification from Him about where we were to live, and who we were to connect and work with in Costa Rica. This He did during our visit this month. We were able to spend time with 7 different groups of people from different missionary and humanitarian organizations, as well as connect with some very special Tico's (native Costa Ricans). Every connection was a divine connection. There were no wastes of time, or unfruitful visits. God showed up everywhere we went!
We were able to ask missionaries and Tico's alike questions about life in Costa Rica, and ministry needs. We wanted to confirm that our vision was in line with what is actually needed in Costa Rica. After all, there is no sense in us going to all of the trouble to move our family only to spin our wheels once we get there. We want to be the most effective for the Lord as we can be, and minister the gospel to those that are ready to hear it!
We cherish every connection that we made while in Costa Rica. As one of our new missionary friends said to us "We believe every connection is a God connection!" I believe it too! We were so blessed by the hospitality and generosity that we were shown while visiting. We left the country feeling so much richer, and fuller than when we arrived. We were full of God's purpose and plans, and rich from His many blessings.
We mainly stayed in the many different areas surrounding San Jose, which is quite large, and also ventured 3 hours south of the capital city to the smaller, but fastest growing city of San Isidro for a few days. Throughout our stay we were able to minister to children in groups through craft activities, Christmas parties, tutoring English, pray for families individually, take part in establishing a mission house in a drug infested neighborhood near a major trash dump, visit several different Spanish church services, and just have coffee and conversation with some Tico families and young adults.
We enjoyed the clouds touching the beautiful mountains every morning, the random waterfalls spraying right out of the side of the mountain along the many winding roads, the awesome variety of birds that came almost to the window sills to eat the bananas left out for them, the many, many dogs that roam the streets, and actually look both ways before crossing, and the many rainbows seen after the "Pelo de gato" rain that fell quite often.
We really enjoyed our short visit, and are very much looking forward to moving our entire family this May to the beautiful land of Costa Rica and it's beautiful people.
We praise God for our successful trip, and thank Him for it. He is our Father and Provider, He directs our steps and guides us along His path. It is for His glory and splendor, that His name may be exalted that we do good works.
Missions Trip Costa Rica 2008
Well, we finally made it!!! We are in Costa Rica!
We are staying with 6:8 Ministries in Alajuelita, just outside of San Jose. We have been meeting people, ministering to children through crafts and prayer. We visited a family who has a severely disabled little boy with gifts for him and his 2 sisters from their American sponsors. They were all very excited.
We have been walking through the poorest, most disconcerting makeshift 2 room houses to visit people and to pray for them. The people who live here are the sweetest, most friendliest people I have ever met. They seem to be happy and content despite their needs and tragic circumstances. They live in extremely low living standards compared to even the poorest in the States. Although most have some electricity and running water, several do not even have indoor toilets. It is really an eye opener to make me question what it really takes to make people happy, (including myself), and what the true needs of the people are.
We are looking forward to doing more ministry in the city of San Jose, as well as seeing the beautiful city tomorrow.
We are staying with 6:8 Ministries in Alajuelita, just outside of San Jose. We have been meeting people, ministering to children through crafts and prayer. We visited a family who has a severely disabled little boy with gifts for him and his 2 sisters from their American sponsors. They were all very excited.
We have been walking through the poorest, most disconcerting makeshift 2 room houses to visit people and to pray for them. The people who live here are the sweetest, most friendliest people I have ever met. They seem to be happy and content despite their needs and tragic circumstances. They live in extremely low living standards compared to even the poorest in the States. Although most have some electricity and running water, several do not even have indoor toilets. It is really an eye opener to make me question what it really takes to make people happy, (including myself), and what the true needs of the people are.
We are looking forward to doing more ministry in the city of San Jose, as well as seeing the beautiful city tomorrow.
Blog Changes
Changes - I am moving all Pondering Life entries to my new Pondering Life Blog.
Check it out at Ponderinglifebycr.blogspot.com.
This is blog is now going to be devoted to having a Missions Heart.
Check it out at Ponderinglifebycr.blogspot.com.
This is blog is now going to be devoted to having a Missions Heart.
Pondering Life - Unanswered prayer
Pondering life, what about unanswered prayer?
How does this fit in to the plan of following God and allowing Him to work in our lives? One more famous American "pat" answer is "God always answers prayer!" Does He? I have heard people say that He always answers, either with a yes or a no. I do not know about that. Is it His obligation to keep us happy by giving us what we pray for all the time?
When I was first saved 23 years ago I used to tell people that I witnessed to on the streets that if they come to Jesus their lives would work out for the better, and that their prayers would be answered. I was wrong! Yes our lives do work out for the better, but only after we submit our life and will to Jesus, and surrender to Him by giving Him complete control.
God always hears our prayers, He doesn't always answer them. Sometimes He is silent. If you are a young Christian and have never experienced this than just wait a little while, you will. God never ignores us or forgets about us, but sometimes He is just silent for a little while. We have to be patient, and continue to seek Him through the silence. After all, are we just serving Him because of what we are getting out of the relationship? Or because He is the almighty God who is worthy to be praised and served. This is when we come to the point where we serve the Lord because it is the right thing to do, not because we feel right doing it, although most of the time we do feel right doing it.
I believe God always hears our prayers. Proverbs 15:29 says "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous." Sometimes He does not answer us right away because He wants us to continue to seek Him about it. He wants us to be pro-active in our faith, and in our Christian walk so that it becomes our pleasure to spend time with Him in prayer rather than just our duty.
The more time we spend in prayer, talking with the Lord, the more we will get to know Him and what His will is for us rather than just what we want. 1 John 5:14, and 15 says "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."
God is faithful, and God is just; God is merciful, and God is good. He is good all of the time, even though we might experience some bad things some of the time. What are you reasons for serving the Lord?
How does this fit in to the plan of following God and allowing Him to work in our lives? One more famous American "pat" answer is "God always answers prayer!" Does He? I have heard people say that He always answers, either with a yes or a no. I do not know about that. Is it His obligation to keep us happy by giving us what we pray for all the time?
When I was first saved 23 years ago I used to tell people that I witnessed to on the streets that if they come to Jesus their lives would work out for the better, and that their prayers would be answered. I was wrong! Yes our lives do work out for the better, but only after we submit our life and will to Jesus, and surrender to Him by giving Him complete control.
God always hears our prayers, He doesn't always answer them. Sometimes He is silent. If you are a young Christian and have never experienced this than just wait a little while, you will. God never ignores us or forgets about us, but sometimes He is just silent for a little while. We have to be patient, and continue to seek Him through the silence. After all, are we just serving Him because of what we are getting out of the relationship? Or because He is the almighty God who is worthy to be praised and served. This is when we come to the point where we serve the Lord because it is the right thing to do, not because we feel right doing it, although most of the time we do feel right doing it.
I believe God always hears our prayers. Proverbs 15:29 says "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous." Sometimes He does not answer us right away because He wants us to continue to seek Him about it. He wants us to be pro-active in our faith, and in our Christian walk so that it becomes our pleasure to spend time with Him in prayer rather than just our duty.
The more time we spend in prayer, talking with the Lord, the more we will get to know Him and what His will is for us rather than just what we want. 1 John 5:14, and 15 says "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."
God is faithful, and God is just; God is merciful, and God is good. He is good all of the time, even though we might experience some bad things some of the time. What are you reasons for serving the Lord?
Pondering Life - meaning and purpose
Pondering life, the meaning and purpose of it.
I wonder, I have been thinking about how here in America we just say "God bless you", and "Just have faith, God will work it out". But how do you say these things to children whose parents are digging in someone elses trash bin just to give them a little food to eat? Or what about the Mom who just lost her baby, or just found out that her young child has cancer? It is easy for me to say these things to my friends here in America who may just be having a little financial trouble, but they still have a roof over their heads, and a car to drive. How do you impart taking a leap of faith and trusting in God completely to people who are having much larger hardships than you, yourself have ever had?
What do you say to people who are faced with circumstances that do not look like God's provision? How do you encourage them to keep trusting in God? Because He will work it out? Or because He is God.
These are the things with which I am being challenged. Here in America we are so used to giving each other pat answers, and usually in the end things tend to work out for us. But I am becoming aware of people who live in much worse conditions than I have ever lived in and I am wanting to convey to them that if they just trust in the Lord that things will work out for them.
What does that mean exactly? I believe that each of us has our own personal definition of what it means to have things work out for us. To one it might mean one more day alive, one more meal found to eat, to another it might mean a higher paying job, or going on a nicer vacation this year than we went on last year.
My challenge to you is to find out what your definition of "having things work out" is, and check it against reality. Do you have an inflated definition? One according to how you want your life to be? Or one based on God's provision. What does it really mean to say to someone "Don't worry, just put your trust in God, and things will work out!"
I wonder, I have been thinking about how here in America we just say "God bless you", and "Just have faith, God will work it out". But how do you say these things to children whose parents are digging in someone elses trash bin just to give them a little food to eat? Or what about the Mom who just lost her baby, or just found out that her young child has cancer? It is easy for me to say these things to my friends here in America who may just be having a little financial trouble, but they still have a roof over their heads, and a car to drive. How do you impart taking a leap of faith and trusting in God completely to people who are having much larger hardships than you, yourself have ever had?
What do you say to people who are faced with circumstances that do not look like God's provision? How do you encourage them to keep trusting in God? Because He will work it out? Or because He is God.
These are the things with which I am being challenged. Here in America we are so used to giving each other pat answers, and usually in the end things tend to work out for us. But I am becoming aware of people who live in much worse conditions than I have ever lived in and I am wanting to convey to them that if they just trust in the Lord that things will work out for them.
What does that mean exactly? I believe that each of us has our own personal definition of what it means to have things work out for us. To one it might mean one more day alive, one more meal found to eat, to another it might mean a higher paying job, or going on a nicer vacation this year than we went on last year.
My challenge to you is to find out what your definition of "having things work out" is, and check it against reality. Do you have an inflated definition? One according to how you want your life to be? Or one based on God's provision. What does it really mean to say to someone "Don't worry, just put your trust in God, and things will work out!"
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