Wow! It’s been too long since I have been on the blog. I have been busy trying to finish up the lecture phase of my Discipleship Training(DTS), and it’s been super hard to sit still at night without falling asleep!
We had a long weekend, as we traveled to a wedding about an hour away for 2 of our fellow YWAMer’s on Saturday, then drove another 4 hours to Nicoya. Heidi just completed her DTS, and Isaac is on staff but just finished his Children at Risk School and Outreach. The wedding was so beautiful, and it was really neat to see how God brought these 2 faithful people together. There were about 250 people there, most of whom were YWAMer’s.
Nicoya was wonderful, even though it was considerably warmer than the weather we are used to here in San Jose. We went from wearing beanies and jackets, to tank tops and shorts. It’s been pretty chilly here, and apparently it’s never this cold at this time of the year. One of my teammates mentioned that he believes that God is preparing us for Germany with the weather here in San Jose. Some of the German missionaries went home for several weeks and have returned saying that it is very cold there.
I really enjoyed this weekend in Nicoya which is in the Guanacaste province. It was absolutely beautiful as we were surrounded by huge mountains. We were out in the middle of nowhere, like out in the country, but with hint of jungle. For the first time ever, all 3 YWAM bases here in Costa Rica got together to fellowship for the weekend. There were a ton of kids, and since there were so many of us, some folks camped on the property in tents. We had a BBQ Sunday for lunch where the choice dish was pork smoked to perfection and deliciously seasoned. I rarely eat pork, but I decided to eat some to get full. They bought the pigs from a local farmer and slaughtered them the day before ( gross, I know).
A group of locals came by Sunday morning to take us on an optional hike, so I decided to go to get some good exercise. I was tired, as I had to be up at 6am to help with breakfast prep, I but knew it would be a great experience. I had no idea how hard the hike would be, but discovered later that the mountain was incredibly steep. I have never been on a hike for that long and on a mountain that steep, and I honestly was afraid that I was going to fall and hurt myself. We had an option to not go further at the first lookout point, and the guide told us that he had to go to work and needed to finish with us quickly, so he said we would not be able to stop the next leg of the hike. He warned us that it was really steep, but I wanted to go anyway. Well, I wasn’t prepared to hike fast and steep since I am not an experienced hiker, nor am I in great physical shape. However, I really wanted to take on the challenge, and almost had a heart attack a few times when I slipped, but… I made to the top!!!!!!! (The guides had machetes, and one cut me a good sized stick to give me some leverage. It was super helpful, but your legs are still doing a lot of work.) The view was amazing, and totally worth the trip! As Pedro (teammate) and I reached the top of the mountain, one of our friends said, “Vale la pena!” ( worth the pain!) I took a few pics, but they don’t compare to the live view! What a blessing to see God’s handiwork from the top of a mountain that we climbed!
I was also totally stoked to see monkeys for the first time here on the way to the mountain. They were just sitting on tree branches way up high, and once we started making some noises, they talked to us. They were really cute, but too high up to get good pictures. While we were hooting and hollering at the monkeys one of the ladies on the hike yelled at us from up ahead to be quiet, as the locals heard bees. They told us to walk quietly past the area where they believe they heard African Killer Bees! I immediately got quiet and my heart jumped to my throat!! I have spent way too much time watching Animal Planet, and I knew these bees are extremely dangerous. Thanks to God, we left the area without seeing one bee.
Another group wasn’t so lucky later that day. A large group, including several kids went to see some local waterfalls. I wanted to go, but was wiped out after hiking for over 3.5 hours. We were on our way to eat dinner, when we were informed that the group had encountered a hive ( still not sure if they were bees or wasps), and several people were stung, including a few that were stung over 4 times. I think one little girl got stung 7 times! Evidently it was pretty scary, because the kids were the ones who came upon the hive first and started screaming. Their parents immediately ran ahead, but once they got there, they yelled for the rest of the group them to turn around and run the other way. It was really a dangerous situation, and apparently they group had to split, because they were not able to pass by the hive again since the trail was so narrow. Then, one group got lost, had to cross a river, and finally were able to find the other folks. As far as I know, everyone is ok, but are dealing with some swelling and itching. One of our staff here at the base was telling me today that she has some major swelling, so she may go to the doctor in a few days if the swelling doesn’t go down. Another staff member was going to take her kids, but at the last minute decided not to go. She was so glad that she listened to the Lord when He said not to go because she is highly allergic to bees and wasps.
The weekend was tiring (traveling by car makes me sooo tired!), but worth every minute! We had worship around a bonfire both nights, and the sky was absolutely gorgeous as we could gaze upon all the stars. We even had smores on Sunday night! God seemed to be aware of our songs, as we saw shooting star after shooting star. One of our teammates said she saw 33 shooting stars between the 2 nights! I enjoyed spending time with people, but I was so tired after the hike Sunday, I spent most of the day by myself. In addition, God was dealing with me about something( and loving on me too) , so I just wasn’t in the right mindset to be with people the whole weekend. That is one thing that is really hard about being with people 24/7. I love people, but sometimes, I just don’t have the energy to be with them. It’s hard to choose between God and people, especially here. Please pray that I would have a good balance of time with God and time with people.
More to come…
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Getting ready for outreach
I have been so busy enjoying life here that I haven't blogged in a while...sorry! There is always something going on around here, not to mention all of the awesome people here on the base from all over the world! I am doing great for the most part, and trying to enjoy this season of my life to the fullest measure.
Friday night was really neat because I spent so much time in prayer. We are gearing up for outreach, so each night during dinner (from 6-7pm) we have prayer to cover our trip to Germany. I was so full of joy after praying Thursday and Friday night. We can either fast the nights we pray, or have the kitchen save us a plate and eat later. We have different stations including tables where we can write notes of encouragement to each other, and write down our fears for outreach, and then tear them up at the foot of the cross. There is also a station with a map of Germany and a map of Costa Rica where we can write prayers or scriptures for the perspective nation. We have an Operation World book at the station that gives several facts about the country and also lists some specific ways we can pray for the people there.
I also prayed with my both of my prayer partners, Carol and Ryan. Ryan is praying for me until we go on outreach, and Carol is my new partner until we complete outreach in Germany. She and I share how our day has gone, what we we are struggling with,what our praises are, and then pray. Then I had tea with my South Korean friend, and we prayed for each other. She prayed for me in her native tongue, and it was awesome!
This week is our last full week of classes, and we are learning about Evangelism. We learned today that evangelism starts with places of closeness with God ( i.e. hearing His voice). We have several teachers this week, 2 YWAM German missionaries from our base, one volunteer YWAMer from Switzerland, and and we are Skyping (webcam stream) with John Stenson, a YWAM staff member from Wisconsin.
Please pray for our team to be unified as we head into outreach. The enemy is trying to come between us in small ways, so pray that we see his schemes and talk our frustrations out with each other instead of gossiping, and becoming bitter.
That's all for now...
Friday night was really neat because I spent so much time in prayer. We are gearing up for outreach, so each night during dinner (from 6-7pm) we have prayer to cover our trip to Germany. I was so full of joy after praying Thursday and Friday night. We can either fast the nights we pray, or have the kitchen save us a plate and eat later. We have different stations including tables where we can write notes of encouragement to each other, and write down our fears for outreach, and then tear them up at the foot of the cross. There is also a station with a map of Germany and a map of Costa Rica where we can write prayers or scriptures for the perspective nation. We have an Operation World book at the station that gives several facts about the country and also lists some specific ways we can pray for the people there.
I also prayed with my both of my prayer partners, Carol and Ryan. Ryan is praying for me until we go on outreach, and Carol is my new partner until we complete outreach in Germany. She and I share how our day has gone, what we we are struggling with,what our praises are, and then pray. Then I had tea with my South Korean friend, and we prayed for each other. She prayed for me in her native tongue, and it was awesome!
This week is our last full week of classes, and we are learning about Evangelism. We learned today that evangelism starts with places of closeness with God ( i.e. hearing His voice). We have several teachers this week, 2 YWAM German missionaries from our base, one volunteer YWAMer from Switzerland, and and we are Skyping (webcam stream) with John Stenson, a YWAM staff member from Wisconsin.
Please pray for our team to be unified as we head into outreach. The enemy is trying to come between us in small ways, so pray that we see his schemes and talk our frustrations out with each other instead of gossiping, and becoming bitter.
That's all for now...
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Relationships and kids ministry
Last Sunday 11/21
We had another busy week and weekend, and on top of that, I’ve had a sinus infection for about a week now. I was in bed most of the day today, and by the grace of God I managed to get some good sleep. My 9 roommates were not in the room most of the day, so I was so grateful for them allowing me to rest.
We had a great week on relationships with Marjolein, and really enjoyed the truths she shared even though I was convicted of my lack of humility and patience repeatedly. We discussed ways to cultivate humility, so I can reflect back on my notes and try to walk more humbly before God and people. We also talked about lustful desires, and I’m not just talking about sexual desires. If we do or want something all the time, that’s lust. Lust is a selfish decision, and it is not normal. I was convicted when she said that God takes it personal when we resist sin, or when we don’t. Also, by denying our lustful desires, we express our love to Him. Now, how was I to eat that Snickers candy bar in my room after that? I know that’s funny, but in all honesty I really struggle with food. It’s been hard here because if I’m not happy, chocolate is the best answer, right? Well, I want God to meet my needs, and for Him to be my Portion. This is just one of the many lessons I’m learning here.
We had a great time( my favorite thus far) working with kids last Thursday. We drove about 30 minutes to a school that was turned into a shelter for the last several weeks. You may have heard about the severe flooding and mudslides here about a month ago. People lost their lives and homes, so the Salvation Army is helping these families here in San Jose until the end of the year. I’m not sure where the families will go after that, but they cancelled classes at this particular school until then. Most of the parents were at work when we arrived, so the kids were ready for fun. We did a few skits and played several games with them. We also painted their sweet little faces, and one of my teammates gave the moms hand massages. I was asked to paint a teens nails because Jody was busy with massages. I can’t even remember the last time I painted someone’s nails or even my own for that matter. I didn’t have the option of saying no, and I was glad that I didn’t. It was such a simple thing to do for this sweet girl who had lost her home, and I wanted to make her look pretty. I didn’t want to paint her nails because I wasn’t going to do a perfect job. God told me to get over myself really quickly, and told me that she didn’t care if I didn’t do a perfect job. Both of us walked away smiling, having been blessed by one another.
I was amazed at how affectionate the kids were with us. Kids of all ages were hugging us and held our hands. They didn’t care who we were, they just wanted love. I was so touched by several kids, but one little girl asked if I could be her friend, and I just wanted to melt! She was just too precious! She took me to meet her baby cousin in one of the classrooms where we they were sleeping. I got to hold the baby and meet her mom and aunt. They said they lost everything, and didn’t know where they would go after the shelter closed. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to lose your home and have a 4 month old to care for.
Friday night we were supposed to leave for Jaco, a beach town, but leadership said they felt we not to leave until the morning. Just as our meeting was ending, we heard a loud noise outside, and then a woman started crying. She was on a motorcycle and evidently tried to pass a truck, and he hit her. She broke her leg, and was in immense pain. I will never forget the loud smack, then her crying. Several people from the base went outside to help. We have a nurse on base temporarily and she went out to give aid with another missionary who had been on a mercy ship with YWAM years ago. Our guys ran out and immediately started directing traffic around the accident. We all started praying when we heard her crying. Several students and staff stayed with her until the ambulance came, and even long after that to direct traffic. I went outside and could see her face, but I just couldn’t bare to view her leg. Some of the folks here spoke to her aunt and were able to pray with her. She was leaving her aunt’s house which is across from the base when the accident happened. We don’t know how she is doing at this point, but have a card for her, and a few people on the team are going to give her the card in the next few days. The aunt said she was so grateful for our people being there for her niece and for praying with her.
Our ministry Saturday in Jaco went well too. We had a blast playing with kids again. We went to an area of town where some Nicaraguan folks lived off a little river. We actually had to cross the river in our flip flops to get to the area where the kids were. The homes were just little shacks, but the people we met that lived there were full of smiles.
We got to go to the beach for a few hours after the kids ministry. It was so beautiful and sunny. I really needed this time away from the city and was able to relax in the sun. I rested in the shade too because it got quite warm and read a little of our last book during lecture phase called The Book that Transforms Nations: The Power of the Bible to Change any Country.
We left the beach and went to a small youth service about 4pm. We mingled with the teens who were mainly under 18, and listened to one of them preach for the first time. The pastor and his wife were super nice people, and they were excited for this young guy to give the message that night. We left there and went to a YWAM missionary home for dinner, then drove home.
We had another busy week and weekend, and on top of that, I’ve had a sinus infection for about a week now. I was in bed most of the day today, and by the grace of God I managed to get some good sleep. My 9 roommates were not in the room most of the day, so I was so grateful for them allowing me to rest.
We had a great week on relationships with Marjolein, and really enjoyed the truths she shared even though I was convicted of my lack of humility and patience repeatedly. We discussed ways to cultivate humility, so I can reflect back on my notes and try to walk more humbly before God and people. We also talked about lustful desires, and I’m not just talking about sexual desires. If we do or want something all the time, that’s lust. Lust is a selfish decision, and it is not normal. I was convicted when she said that God takes it personal when we resist sin, or when we don’t. Also, by denying our lustful desires, we express our love to Him. Now, how was I to eat that Snickers candy bar in my room after that? I know that’s funny, but in all honesty I really struggle with food. It’s been hard here because if I’m not happy, chocolate is the best answer, right? Well, I want God to meet my needs, and for Him to be my Portion. This is just one of the many lessons I’m learning here.
We had a great time( my favorite thus far) working with kids last Thursday. We drove about 30 minutes to a school that was turned into a shelter for the last several weeks. You may have heard about the severe flooding and mudslides here about a month ago. People lost their lives and homes, so the Salvation Army is helping these families here in San Jose until the end of the year. I’m not sure where the families will go after that, but they cancelled classes at this particular school until then. Most of the parents were at work when we arrived, so the kids were ready for fun. We did a few skits and played several games with them. We also painted their sweet little faces, and one of my teammates gave the moms hand massages. I was asked to paint a teens nails because Jody was busy with massages. I can’t even remember the last time I painted someone’s nails or even my own for that matter. I didn’t have the option of saying no, and I was glad that I didn’t. It was such a simple thing to do for this sweet girl who had lost her home, and I wanted to make her look pretty. I didn’t want to paint her nails because I wasn’t going to do a perfect job. God told me to get over myself really quickly, and told me that she didn’t care if I didn’t do a perfect job. Both of us walked away smiling, having been blessed by one another.
I was amazed at how affectionate the kids were with us. Kids of all ages were hugging us and held our hands. They didn’t care who we were, they just wanted love. I was so touched by several kids, but one little girl asked if I could be her friend, and I just wanted to melt! She was just too precious! She took me to meet her baby cousin in one of the classrooms where we they were sleeping. I got to hold the baby and meet her mom and aunt. They said they lost everything, and didn’t know where they would go after the shelter closed. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to lose your home and have a 4 month old to care for.
Friday night we were supposed to leave for Jaco, a beach town, but leadership said they felt we not to leave until the morning. Just as our meeting was ending, we heard a loud noise outside, and then a woman started crying. She was on a motorcycle and evidently tried to pass a truck, and he hit her. She broke her leg, and was in immense pain. I will never forget the loud smack, then her crying. Several people from the base went outside to help. We have a nurse on base temporarily and she went out to give aid with another missionary who had been on a mercy ship with YWAM years ago. Our guys ran out and immediately started directing traffic around the accident. We all started praying when we heard her crying. Several students and staff stayed with her until the ambulance came, and even long after that to direct traffic. I went outside and could see her face, but I just couldn’t bare to view her leg. Some of the folks here spoke to her aunt and were able to pray with her. She was leaving her aunt’s house which is across from the base when the accident happened. We don’t know how she is doing at this point, but have a card for her, and a few people on the team are going to give her the card in the next few days. The aunt said she was so grateful for our people being there for her niece and for praying with her.
Our ministry Saturday in Jaco went well too. We had a blast playing with kids again. We went to an area of town where some Nicaraguan folks lived off a little river. We actually had to cross the river in our flip flops to get to the area where the kids were. The homes were just little shacks, but the people we met that lived there were full of smiles.
We got to go to the beach for a few hours after the kids ministry. It was so beautiful and sunny. I really needed this time away from the city and was able to relax in the sun. I rested in the shade too because it got quite warm and read a little of our last book during lecture phase called The Book that Transforms Nations: The Power of the Bible to Change any Country.
We left the beach and went to a small youth service about 4pm. We mingled with the teens who were mainly under 18, and listened to one of them preach for the first time. The pastor and his wife were super nice people, and they were excited for this young guy to give the message that night. We left there and went to a YWAM missionary home for dinner, then drove home.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Radical giving and Germany update
Sunday we went to Heredia (about 45 minutes from the base) to bring our skateboarding ramps and host a mini-skate contest. A new outdoor mini-theater opened that day, and the community had a several acts, including singing, dancing, martial arts. We just chatted with people that came out for the event, and I got to talk to several teens. I had a great and lengthy conversation with 2 girls who were cousins. There were a few Christians passing out tracts, so we talked about a tract they had received. I was able to share that they had to know Jesus personally, the options of heaven and hell, and how God had worked in my life. One of the girls found me on face book before I could request her as a friend, so I was stoked about that yesterday!!! We even met some guys from the USA who were a part of another missions organization called “Pura Vida Missions.” One guy was from Houston, and we found that we lived about 5 minutes away from each other! Small world, huh? We even have a mutual acquaintance in Kingwood, TX. He was trained as a paramedic by one of the science teachers in Humble ISD that was in my science collaborative!
I’m super excited to share about today, which was simply incredible! We had our 2nd day of lectures on relationships with our teacher for the week, Marjolein ( also co-director of our base). I always perk up my ears when someone is talking about relationships because I don’t think you ever arrive at a point in your life where you don’t need wisdom in this area. We will always have to be around people, even if we live alone. We have to work and go to the store, don’t we? I for one have been challenged by living in community here, and sometimes feel like screaming! As most of you know, I love people, and spend a lot of my free time with people, especially teens. I am developing more patience with people than I ever thought I would, but I have also had to ask for forgiveness after I have snapped at some folks here. I really miss my apartment and was so blessed to have a home where I could rest, read, worship, pray, and just recharge in peace. However, God wants to purify me, and in order to get all the junk to bubble out, He has to turn up the heat! Ouch!!!!
This morning we spent a few hours in worship and giving. I have never witnessed such Spirit-led and sacrificial giving. One by one, staff and students in my DTS, gave away items such as chocolate, purses, scarves, t-shirts, cologne, money, and even a laptop and camera!!!! Some folks even offered to do another student’s work duties for the week. I was just amazed at how each person walked in radical obedience.
One our brothers had his camera and iPOD stolen on Sunday. He had a such a great attitude, even though he was bummed about losing 2 of his most valuable possessions. He had been praying with a staff member for the last 2 days for God to provide a way for him to buy another camera. We also had 2 prophetic words, one for him and another for a staff worship leader. Well, the girl said that God was going to give him the money to get a new camera, and the within 30 minutes or so, he was given a camera!! One of girls had a really nice camera like the one he had, but she gave him a second camera she brought. She left the room again, and came back with the professional camera, and said God gave me a dream about giving him that camera instead!! We also had a young gal give her laptop to an older lady on our team. She went up to her room, and as soon as she walked though the door, God said give her the laptop! She was like, what??? Well, she gave our sister the laptop, and of course, a big hug. Our sister was crying, and was so shocked. She told us later that she had a laptop of that same brand, but it was stolen in Spain years ago. She said she actually wanted this which was a little smaller than the one she bought. Several people gave money towards outreach, and within minutes about $6,000 was donated!! We now need just over $13,000 for Europe!!! God just blew us away today and there were a lot of hugs, praises, tears, and shouts of joy!! He continues to out do Himself here, and He is growing our faith by leaps and bounds.
Personally, I received a bag of plantain chips with a little note on it. The giver received a verse from the LORD for me and it was Deuteronomy 28:12-14. It talks about how God will open up the heavens and bless the work of my hands. Look it up, it’s awesome!!! I was also blessed by a sweet guy in our group when he said he wanted to pray with me everyday. He told me “ I know how much you like for people to lay hands on you and pray for you.” He’s the guy who had his camera stolen, and I’m so impressed by this 18 yr. olds heart. My last gift was the best! The married couple on our team said they would give up their room at 7pm once a week so I can go to bed early! I have been so tired here, so just blew me away, and I know that God has heard my cries for more sleep!!! YEAH!!!!!!!! I will get to sleep in their room every Tuesday, except for this week, I’m going to sleep there tomorrow night! ( she will sleep in my bunk, and he will sleep in a bunk with some of the guys who have an extra bunk in their container.) This couple has been such a blessing to our team, and are wonderful young people of service and faith! I had bought a purse from the July DTS fundraiser the first week we were here, and one of the sweet girl here, said it was beautiful. I felt like I was supposed to give it to her at the end of our training, but I was asking God what He wanted me to give todya, and He reminded of the purse. I gave her the purse, but she had also received a purse from another girl right before I handed her mind. She was so overwhelemnd and cried and hugged me tightly. I know this is not the only thing that I am to give while I'm here because the Lord has been speaking to me about being generous despite the fact that I have no job. Now that's living by faith, right??? I know He will provide for me when I run out of funds, or He may just mulitply my bank account so I never run out! He does math a little bit differently than we do, and someone out there can testify to this with me!!!!
We found out today that we are going to Jaco this weekend, probably Friday night to so some ministry there that night and Saturday. We will be leaving for Germany on Dec. 30th and return to the base on 2/7/2011, the day after my 32nd birthday. I am so excited to spend my birthday in Europe! We will spend our first week in Frankfurt, but don’t have set plans for the rest of our time there yet. We may stay in Germany the whole time, or travel to another country if God opens a door.
I am excited to get to travel a little more next month. We will get to go to 3 new places in the country, one of which is NIKO camp in the jungle. I’m excited to go, but heard that it’s a super intense week. I will remind you for more prayer that week!!!
God Bless and thanks for your prayers! I forgot to share the verse God gave me at McCafe last Saturday when He wouldn’t allow me to access the wi-fi. Psalm 57:2 says, I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.
PRAISE HIM, FOR HE HEARS OUR CRIES, AND DESIRES TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSES IN OUR LIVES!!!
May His peace be with you!!
I’m super excited to share about today, which was simply incredible! We had our 2nd day of lectures on relationships with our teacher for the week, Marjolein ( also co-director of our base). I always perk up my ears when someone is talking about relationships because I don’t think you ever arrive at a point in your life where you don’t need wisdom in this area. We will always have to be around people, even if we live alone. We have to work and go to the store, don’t we? I for one have been challenged by living in community here, and sometimes feel like screaming! As most of you know, I love people, and spend a lot of my free time with people, especially teens. I am developing more patience with people than I ever thought I would, but I have also had to ask for forgiveness after I have snapped at some folks here. I really miss my apartment and was so blessed to have a home where I could rest, read, worship, pray, and just recharge in peace. However, God wants to purify me, and in order to get all the junk to bubble out, He has to turn up the heat! Ouch!!!!
This morning we spent a few hours in worship and giving. I have never witnessed such Spirit-led and sacrificial giving. One by one, staff and students in my DTS, gave away items such as chocolate, purses, scarves, t-shirts, cologne, money, and even a laptop and camera!!!! Some folks even offered to do another student’s work duties for the week. I was just amazed at how each person walked in radical obedience.
One our brothers had his camera and iPOD stolen on Sunday. He had a such a great attitude, even though he was bummed about losing 2 of his most valuable possessions. He had been praying with a staff member for the last 2 days for God to provide a way for him to buy another camera. We also had 2 prophetic words, one for him and another for a staff worship leader. Well, the girl said that God was going to give him the money to get a new camera, and the within 30 minutes or so, he was given a camera!! One of girls had a really nice camera like the one he had, but she gave him a second camera she brought. She left the room again, and came back with the professional camera, and said God gave me a dream about giving him that camera instead!! We also had a young gal give her laptop to an older lady on our team. She went up to her room, and as soon as she walked though the door, God said give her the laptop! She was like, what??? Well, she gave our sister the laptop, and of course, a big hug. Our sister was crying, and was so shocked. She told us later that she had a laptop of that same brand, but it was stolen in Spain years ago. She said she actually wanted this which was a little smaller than the one she bought. Several people gave money towards outreach, and within minutes about $6,000 was donated!! We now need just over $13,000 for Europe!!! God just blew us away today and there were a lot of hugs, praises, tears, and shouts of joy!! He continues to out do Himself here, and He is growing our faith by leaps and bounds.
Personally, I received a bag of plantain chips with a little note on it. The giver received a verse from the LORD for me and it was Deuteronomy 28:12-14. It talks about how God will open up the heavens and bless the work of my hands. Look it up, it’s awesome!!! I was also blessed by a sweet guy in our group when he said he wanted to pray with me everyday. He told me “ I know how much you like for people to lay hands on you and pray for you.” He’s the guy who had his camera stolen, and I’m so impressed by this 18 yr. olds heart. My last gift was the best! The married couple on our team said they would give up their room at 7pm once a week so I can go to bed early! I have been so tired here, so just blew me away, and I know that God has heard my cries for more sleep!!! YEAH!!!!!!!! I will get to sleep in their room every Tuesday, except for this week, I’m going to sleep there tomorrow night! ( she will sleep in my bunk, and he will sleep in a bunk with some of the guys who have an extra bunk in their container.) This couple has been such a blessing to our team, and are wonderful young people of service and faith! I had bought a purse from the July DTS fundraiser the first week we were here, and one of the sweet girl here, said it was beautiful. I felt like I was supposed to give it to her at the end of our training, but I was asking God what He wanted me to give todya, and He reminded of the purse. I gave her the purse, but she had also received a purse from another girl right before I handed her mind. She was so overwhelemnd and cried and hugged me tightly. I know this is not the only thing that I am to give while I'm here because the Lord has been speaking to me about being generous despite the fact that I have no job. Now that's living by faith, right??? I know He will provide for me when I run out of funds, or He may just mulitply my bank account so I never run out! He does math a little bit differently than we do, and someone out there can testify to this with me!!!!
We found out today that we are going to Jaco this weekend, probably Friday night to so some ministry there that night and Saturday. We will be leaving for Germany on Dec. 30th and return to the base on 2/7/2011, the day after my 32nd birthday. I am so excited to spend my birthday in Europe! We will spend our first week in Frankfurt, but don’t have set plans for the rest of our time there yet. We may stay in Germany the whole time, or travel to another country if God opens a door.
I am excited to get to travel a little more next month. We will get to go to 3 new places in the country, one of which is NIKO camp in the jungle. I’m excited to go, but heard that it’s a super intense week. I will remind you for more prayer that week!!!
God Bless and thanks for your prayers! I forgot to share the verse God gave me at McCafe last Saturday when He wouldn’t allow me to access the wi-fi. Psalm 57:2 says, I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.
PRAISE HIM, FOR HE HEARS OUR CRIES, AND DESIRES TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSES IN OUR LIVES!!!
May His peace be with you!!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
His Masterpiece
To begin, I want to share my Facebook post from this evening ( sorry for the repeat FB friends, but some of my followers don't have facebook). Go ahead, laugh, it's funny. But really think about how jealous our God is for us. He's jealous for us, not of us.( Oprah is confused on this) Why, you ask? Because He knows nothing else we seek will satisfy, nothing else will do. He alone is our portion. ( Psalm 73)
I went 2 McCafe yesterday 2 use free wi-fi & work on my journal. A group from my team went
there a few hours before me, came back, & said that God was telling them 2
spend time w/Him, so He wouldn't allow them access to wi-fi. They said if u need 2
spend time w/ God, then the wi-fi will not work for u. The wi-fi only worked for 1 of the girls on our team and other random customers. So, u guessed it, wi-fi didn't work for me either, but it worked for other customers? I had a great time with my God, & when I returned, we all laughed. Our God loves us so much that He would mess up our pc's so we would have 2 spend time with Him! You gotta love it!
Destiny by Design
This week we had the privilege of going through the “Destiny by Design” workshop with a very enthusiastic YWAM missionary here in Costa Rica by the name of David Wright. I was super excited to hear what God had to say through David, and was hoping to have a better idea of what God wanted me to do after my training here. The first day was the most eye-opening for me. David gave us time to ask God about what we were inclined to do when we were little. I was able to remember some of my inclinations as a child, and they brought a smile to my face. I remembered that I loved to play with Cabbage Patch Kids, Barbie dolls, and anything I could love on. My mom also reminded me that I loved Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy this weekend. The desire to love deeply is still so much a part of me, and I love to love on people and animals. I was created to nurture and care for people, and want to work with children in some capacity next year.
David said that so many times we make our calling complicated, when we can just look at what we liked to do as kids. Winston Churchill enjoyed developing strategies and playing war games as a child. As we know, he became the Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII, and is known as one the greatest military strategist in history.
Each day, we went through the acronym “DESIGN.”
Dreams
Experience
Soul print (personality)
Identity
Gifts
Networks
What’s next?
I’m praying about working for about 3-4 months( thinking about substitute teaching) when I return in February, then working at an orphanage in Central or S. America for the summer. I would like to return to Costa Rica, or attend a YWAM Bible Core Course in another location in the fall. Then in 2012, I would like to work full-time as a missionary with orphans or children at risk. I will be praying about these plans to see if they are just my dreams or God’s dreams for me. Please keep me in your prayers about this and feel free to ask me any questions.
I will sign off for now, but wanted to leave you with this poem I wrote inspired by Psalm 139 and this week's lectures. God Bless!
I went 2 McCafe yesterday 2 use free wi-fi & work on my journal. A group from my team went
there a few hours before me, came back, & said that God was telling them 2
spend time w/Him, so He wouldn't allow them access to wi-fi. They said if u need 2
spend time w/ God, then the wi-fi will not work for u. The wi-fi only worked for 1 of the girls on our team and other random customers. So, u guessed it, wi-fi didn't work for me either, but it worked for other customers? I had a great time with my God, & when I returned, we all laughed. Our God loves us so much that He would mess up our pc's so we would have 2 spend time with Him! You gotta love it!
Destiny by Design
This week we had the privilege of going through the “Destiny by Design” workshop with a very enthusiastic YWAM missionary here in Costa Rica by the name of David Wright. I was super excited to hear what God had to say through David, and was hoping to have a better idea of what God wanted me to do after my training here. The first day was the most eye-opening for me. David gave us time to ask God about what we were inclined to do when we were little. I was able to remember some of my inclinations as a child, and they brought a smile to my face. I remembered that I loved to play with Cabbage Patch Kids, Barbie dolls, and anything I could love on. My mom also reminded me that I loved Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy this weekend. The desire to love deeply is still so much a part of me, and I love to love on people and animals. I was created to nurture and care for people, and want to work with children in some capacity next year.
David said that so many times we make our calling complicated, when we can just look at what we liked to do as kids. Winston Churchill enjoyed developing strategies and playing war games as a child. As we know, he became the Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII, and is known as one the greatest military strategist in history.
Each day, we went through the acronym “DESIGN.”
Dreams
Experience
Soul print (personality)
Identity
Gifts
Networks
What’s next?
I’m praying about working for about 3-4 months( thinking about substitute teaching) when I return in February, then working at an orphanage in Central or S. America for the summer. I would like to return to Costa Rica, or attend a YWAM Bible Core Course in another location in the fall. Then in 2012, I would like to work full-time as a missionary with orphans or children at risk. I will be praying about these plans to see if they are just my dreams or God’s dreams for me. Please keep me in your prayers about this and feel free to ask me any questions.
I will sign off for now, but wanted to leave you with this poem I wrote inspired by Psalm 139 and this week's lectures. God Bless!
His Treasure
God said, “You were created special by Me.”
I said,“So why can’t I see?”
Then He told me, “You are precious in my eyes.”
I replied,“ Why can’t I see that I’m a prize?”
He said, “You are my beloved, one of a kind.”
I replied, “ Please Lord, help me to understand this in my mind.”
God said, “I loved you before you were born.”
I said, “Even before the first morn’?”
“Yes, my darling,” He replied.
I smiled at Him, then sighed.
I really am a treasure.
Then my Creator replied, “Yes, your worth is beyond measure!”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Destined for great things
Trying to catch you up...
I wanted to share a few things about our week on the Father heart of God which was 3 weeks ago. We had the privilege of being taught by a very godly man with an amazing father’s heart. Jack Kody lives in South Carolina and travels to teach for YWAM mostly in Central America. We got to meet his wife who came with him for a week before our lectures to teach a marriage conference. They have 4 kids and I loved the way he talked about them. He was like a big teddy bear, and was our dad for the week. He not only taught us the Father heart of God, but he demonstrated it. He took our who class bowling and then for ice cream. Yes, he paid for all of us, staff and students. He also had ice cream brought in for us the next day during one of our lectures. He said his goal for the week was to touch our hearts, and he succeeded in my book! It truly is amazing to think about how much our Father loves us. We talked about how we saw God because of image of Him will impact the way we: read the Bible, talk to Him, treat others, treat the devil, etc. One key thought I will always remember is the Bible is a book of relationships, not formulas. He is huge, and he sits on His throne and puts His feet on the Earth! Why is it that we think we can use formulas on God? It’s kind of like us taking orders from an ant. Pretty funny huh?
Local Outreach
I have enjoyed the local outreaches we have done in the last few weeks. We went back to the University of Costa Rica and talked with some students about the Gospel. I went with a girl in our class named Valerie and we met some really sweet girls and had great conversations. I like to start talking to the students by asking them if they are from Costa Rica, what they are studying, how old they are, etc. About 7-10 minutes into the conversation, I ask them if they go to church. Most have said they go to Catholic church. We then talk about salvation and I ask them about the way to heaven. It’s pretty cool to hear some of the students, most of whom were freshman, say they go to church. They actually agree with us on doctrine, but may not have the personal relationship with Christ. The neat thing about talking to people here, is that they are open to talking about spiritual things, but the key is to be relational first, not just start talking about God.
We also did homeless ministry a few times, once with the Salvation Army, and once on our own. We got to serve the homeless breakfast at the Salvation Army, talk with them, and pray with some of them. When we went downtown last Thursday and took bread and coffee. We split up into groups of 3, and went to find a homeless man or woman to invite back to the park for refreshments. My heart just breaks for these people because most of them are so far removed from society. I did speak with some (at the Salvation Army )in English however, and was able to really understand their situation. One man spoke really good English, and he mentioned that he had a job, but was afraid he would lose it. He said he was involved in an accident at a previous job, and has minimal usage of one of his hands. He is in a position where he has to type and works with a lot of young people, and he was afraid that they would replace him with someone who could work faster. He was super nice and I got to pray with him before he left. When we went downtown my group found an older man, and talked with him for about an hour. He was quite the character and told me that I was a good person and said he wanted to marry me. I would love to marry a Costa Rican, but he was old enough to be my grandpa!!! I smiled and thanked him, and we all just laughed! He talked about many interesting things, but I think he was happy to have someone listen. He told us he was an angel too! Wow! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when talking to him.
This week our lectures are on Destiny by Design. I am really excited about receiving insight into my God given purpose here on planet Earth. I have been praying about what to do after this school, and I think this week could give me the guidance I need to take the next step into my destiny. I will share more at the end of the week, but at this point, I feel led to work with children in some capacity. Tonight I’m excited about my small group with our teacher for the week. He is trying to help us process the material and we can ask him questions to get a better understanding of how God designed us.
Prayer requests
* My body needs healing. I think the lack of sleep, change in diet, etc. have finally caught up with me. I’ve been tired, but now all the changes are manifesting themselves in many ways in my body.
*That I would hear God’s voice and have time to seek Him the next several months on His purpose for my life.
* Our team needs over $20,000 for our outreach to Europe. I have all of my training and outreach paid for, but staff and students still need their support. We are working on some fundraiser ideas right now, one of which is with a local restaurant.
Thanks and God Bless!
Please e-mail or FB me your prayer requests!
I wanted to share a few things about our week on the Father heart of God which was 3 weeks ago. We had the privilege of being taught by a very godly man with an amazing father’s heart. Jack Kody lives in South Carolina and travels to teach for YWAM mostly in Central America. We got to meet his wife who came with him for a week before our lectures to teach a marriage conference. They have 4 kids and I loved the way he talked about them. He was like a big teddy bear, and was our dad for the week. He not only taught us the Father heart of God, but he demonstrated it. He took our who class bowling and then for ice cream. Yes, he paid for all of us, staff and students. He also had ice cream brought in for us the next day during one of our lectures. He said his goal for the week was to touch our hearts, and he succeeded in my book! It truly is amazing to think about how much our Father loves us. We talked about how we saw God because of image of Him will impact the way we: read the Bible, talk to Him, treat others, treat the devil, etc. One key thought I will always remember is the Bible is a book of relationships, not formulas. He is huge, and he sits on His throne and puts His feet on the Earth! Why is it that we think we can use formulas on God? It’s kind of like us taking orders from an ant. Pretty funny huh?
Local Outreach
I have enjoyed the local outreaches we have done in the last few weeks. We went back to the University of Costa Rica and talked with some students about the Gospel. I went with a girl in our class named Valerie and we met some really sweet girls and had great conversations. I like to start talking to the students by asking them if they are from Costa Rica, what they are studying, how old they are, etc. About 7-10 minutes into the conversation, I ask them if they go to church. Most have said they go to Catholic church. We then talk about salvation and I ask them about the way to heaven. It’s pretty cool to hear some of the students, most of whom were freshman, say they go to church. They actually agree with us on doctrine, but may not have the personal relationship with Christ. The neat thing about talking to people here, is that they are open to talking about spiritual things, but the key is to be relational first, not just start talking about God.
We also did homeless ministry a few times, once with the Salvation Army, and once on our own. We got to serve the homeless breakfast at the Salvation Army, talk with them, and pray with some of them. When we went downtown last Thursday and took bread and coffee. We split up into groups of 3, and went to find a homeless man or woman to invite back to the park for refreshments. My heart just breaks for these people because most of them are so far removed from society. I did speak with some (at the Salvation Army )in English however, and was able to really understand their situation. One man spoke really good English, and he mentioned that he had a job, but was afraid he would lose it. He said he was involved in an accident at a previous job, and has minimal usage of one of his hands. He is in a position where he has to type and works with a lot of young people, and he was afraid that they would replace him with someone who could work faster. He was super nice and I got to pray with him before he left. When we went downtown my group found an older man, and talked with him for about an hour. He was quite the character and told me that I was a good person and said he wanted to marry me. I would love to marry a Costa Rican, but he was old enough to be my grandpa!!! I smiled and thanked him, and we all just laughed! He talked about many interesting things, but I think he was happy to have someone listen. He told us he was an angel too! Wow! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when talking to him.
This week our lectures are on Destiny by Design. I am really excited about receiving insight into my God given purpose here on planet Earth. I have been praying about what to do after this school, and I think this week could give me the guidance I need to take the next step into my destiny. I will share more at the end of the week, but at this point, I feel led to work with children in some capacity. Tonight I’m excited about my small group with our teacher for the week. He is trying to help us process the material and we can ask him questions to get a better understanding of how God designed us.
Prayer requests
* My body needs healing. I think the lack of sleep, change in diet, etc. have finally caught up with me. I’ve been tired, but now all the changes are manifesting themselves in many ways in my body.
*That I would hear God’s voice and have time to seek Him the next several months on His purpose for my life.
* Our team needs over $20,000 for our outreach to Europe. I have all of my training and outreach paid for, but staff and students still need their support. We are working on some fundraiser ideas right now, one of which is with a local restaurant.
Thanks and God Bless!
Please e-mail or FB me your prayer requests!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
We are in a war.... really!!!
We are learning about spiritual warfare this week. Our teacher for the week, Terry, is from a base here in Costa Rica. He is a really neat man, and actually lived in Texas for several years as a rancher with his wife. I went up to shake his hand today, to give him a nice Texas welcome, and he went to hug me. I told him I wanted to shake his hand first, then received his hug. He is super sweet, and a very godly man. He has done a great job this week, teaching us about the battle that is being waged 24/7 here on earth and in the heavenlies. We discussed the nature of satan today, because he said if we don't know our enemy and how he operates, we can't fight him. We looked at several scriptures that showed just who satan is. He is a deceiver, liar, full of pride, an accuser, a destroyer, a murderer, a thief, and well, you get the picture. I look forward to the last 3 lectures for the week to gain a better understanding of the war we are all in,whether we realize it or not!
I went on a long jog/walk today, and ate lunch later. It always feels so goo to exercise, and I take the opportunity any chance I get.
Today for our small groups, the 2 groups of girls were combined for a fun time at Vanessa's house(full-time missionary here on the base & my favorite teacher so far). It was nice to be in a real house and enjoy some fellowship with my sisters here. It was super relaxing and refreshing to chat and get to know people here better. Vanessa shared that almost all of their furniture was given to them by another missionary couple who had been here about a year, then were called back to the USA. They have a nice little apartment a few minutes from the base.
Prayer requests
*That I would get good sleep here. It's hard to sleep when I have so much to read and do, and then when I want to go to sleep, everyone else wants to chat right outside my room!. I really don't like being old sometimes!
* That I would build deep relationships with my team
*Team unity
I will post more later... sleep calls!!!
I went on a long jog/walk today, and ate lunch later. It always feels so goo to exercise, and I take the opportunity any chance I get.
Today for our small groups, the 2 groups of girls were combined for a fun time at Vanessa's house(full-time missionary here on the base & my favorite teacher so far). It was nice to be in a real house and enjoy some fellowship with my sisters here. It was super relaxing and refreshing to chat and get to know people here better. Vanessa shared that almost all of their furniture was given to them by another missionary couple who had been here about a year, then were called back to the USA. They have a nice little apartment a few minutes from the base.
Prayer requests
*That I would get good sleep here. It's hard to sleep when I have so much to read and do, and then when I want to go to sleep, everyone else wants to chat right outside my room!. I really don't like being old sometimes!
* That I would build deep relationships with my team
*Team unity
I will post more later... sleep calls!!!
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