We've completed the foundation and are hoping to begin construction of the steel supports for the new deck we're building around our storage container. We use the container for a variety of things including the storage of tools and construction materials, short term mission team supplies and most importantly, all of our skate equipment. In the future, this entire area will be a covered wooden deck that will wrap around three sides of the trailer. It will include stadium seating adjacent to the skatepark, a safety railing and full wrap around bar which will provide parents with a great place to work on their computers, talk and watch their kids skate. Everything were doing is centered around relationships, both building them and deepening them. This is one more way that we can encourage the involvement of families both with us and with each other. If you'd like to get involved financially with this project, please contact me through the "comment" section below and I'll tell you how you can specifically get involved. I'll continue to post photos as the work moves forward. We're planning to host a team from Lifechurch in Oklahoma in mid-October and will be trying to complete the installation of the deck with them. Please pray that everything will go according to plan and that the work will be completed within the next couple of months.

Happenings

Computer troubles are getting me down. Fortunately, when I bought my computer two years ago, I purchased the extended warranty which even applies here in Costa Rica. Today I am waiting for a technician to come over from San Jose to repair the monitor. Hopefully, by the end of the day I'll be back in business on my own computer.

In all, things are going well. Maili had her first ballet recital last week at one of the local elementary schools. She has been taking ballet (in the jungle of all places) for about 4 months now and is doing really well. It is a great way for her to get out of the house and make some new friends as well. Homeschooling down here can be very isolating as there are no homeschool groups or co-ops. We have to be very intentional about getting her involved with others. In this picture she is getting ready for the recital with her friends Paulina and Camila.




I am also including a really cool photo from a recent thunderstorm. I took this photo late at night from our porch. It was amazing to sit there and watch the lightning shoot through the air out over the water. This particular night was very dark and the sky just lit up ever time a bolt of lightning was released. It can be hot, sticky, buggy and sometimes downright frustrating living here but God seems to send these types of things along often enough to make us appreciate the opportunity we have been given.

Saying Goodbye and Getting Older

Last week we said goodbye to April Wood (right) who spent her entire summer helping us host short term mission teams, serving and discipling and building relationships with the youth. What an incredible helper she was. We enjoyed having her on our team and she certainly displayed an attitude of humility. Hopefully, she'll come back and work with us again one of these days. Thanks for everything April.


This past Saturday, we celebrated Maili's eighth birthday. We had her party out on the beach, underneath the coconut palms in front of our house. Lots of friends were there and we had a great time together. It's hard to believe she was only five when we first moved here. Man, how time flies. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAILI!!!!

We had an incredible night this past Sunday at our housechurch. For the first time I can remember, the evening was really in the hands of the people that are attending as they encouraged each other and shared and prayed about the things that are going on in their lives. All of this began as we studied Matthew 24 and looked ahead to the future. I left that night with the distinct feeling that "they really are getting it". Right before our eyes we are seeing lives being changed. We're seeing minds being renewed and we're seeing people becoming eager to have an impact for Christ in their own hometown. That is exciting to participate in. I'm including a photo of our friend Jose who is going through a very difficult time at home. The skatepark and our housechurch have become a major source of strength and comfort for Jose as he learns to give his troubles over to Jesus. Please pray for him when you get the chance. He's an awesome guy and God is really working in his life.



In other news, we (me and the family) are in San Jose again. We came in on Monday so that I could go to my last dentist appointment and then we were planning to pick up a new intern this morning and bring her back to Puerto with us. Unfortunately, she missed her plane and was delayed until this evening. I'm actually waiting at the hotel right now and will be leaving for the airport in about a half hour.

San Jose by nature is not a fun, family friendly city. We usually visit the mall when we're here but there aren't too many safe, fun places to hang out while we're waiting for appointments, etc... This time was the same as usual until mid-morning when our new helper called to let us know she was delayed. Once we found out, we had some time to kill so we decided to go and see one of the nearby volcanoes. It turned out to be a great afternoon filled with cool mountain air (including a slight smell of sulfur) and incredible views. We actually got to walk around in the upper portion of the volcano's crater and looked down into a large lake that fills the lower, main crater. The views on the drive up reminded me of scenes from The Lord of the Rings. We were actually up above several large thunderstorms that were soaking the valley below. We ended up having a great time together and got to see some things that we haven't been able to see since we've been here. Unfortunately, we didn't bring our camera on this trip because we had no idea we'd have any free time. I guess this goes to show me two things: first, you never know what to expect when you come to San Jose and second, always bring the camera.

Changes

Earlier this week we said goodbye to the last team of our summer season. It was a whopper of a team...37 people, and most of them were teenagers. We had a great time with them and got quite a bit of work done as well. Since the group was so large, we divided them up into three smaller groups of 12-13 people each. One group went into town each day and worked at the local high school...painting and maintenance. The other two groups worked at the property each day, sanding, varnishing and cleaning the grounds. They also spent quite a bit of time each day with several of the local youth who really enjoyed the interaction.

Speaking of local youth, I have heard a couple of comments recently that really made an impact on me. A couple of days ago, a friend of mine that is the missions pastor of a large church in Florida said that on his last visit, he really saw a huge difference in the spiritual maturity of the youth we have been working with... that he can really tell that they are growing in their faith This means a lot because this was his third visit. He has come to see us each year that we have been here and has witnessed our work grow from nothing to what is happening now with the house churches, skate-park and AWANA's program.



I also had a friend tell me some amazing things. He has lived in Costa Rica since he was 18 and has been visiting Puerto Viejo for over 15 years. He said that he can't remembers a time when he saw so many teenagers' lives being changed and so many of them hungry to learn about God. He went on and on about the changes he is seeing in specific individuals' lives and directly attributed it to the work we are doing. I don't share this to toot my own horn but to let anyone reading this know that God is doing amazing things through your prayers and support. Lives are being changed and God is working in incredible ways and it is happening one life at a time as we live life together with our brothers and sisters here in Puerto. Sometimes all it takes is someone that is willing to say yes to God, to come alongside others...giving them to strength and encouragement to live for Him.

Family Time

Every now and then we get some time to ourselves. This past Saturday was a lot of fun as we took a trip to a waterfall about a half hour drive away. We brought Sebastian, one of the older youth, with us along with a family that lives in the next town. It was beautiful. The waterfall is about 70 feet tall and you have to hike through the jungle to reach it. Here are a few photos from the trip.

The Ripple Effect

Lots of things are happening...too much to keep up with. I wanted to post this note I recently received from our stateside director regarding several people that visited us last month with the mission team from SkateChurch in Steamboat Springs, CO. Good stuff and it goes to show that God is using this location to work in the lives of more than just the people here in Puerto. Vince was one of the oldest members of the team and a really cool guy. It's awesome to see how God used his time here in Puerto to draw him into relationship with Him.

Ok, so here’s the deal….sitting here in the office all the time, I’m rarely able to be witness to the awesome things that are happening in the lives of those you guys are ministering to on a day to day basis. However, being here in the states, I am able to follow up on the lives of those who have participated in a short term outreach and what God is doing in and through them. Well, this last weekend I drove 15 hours north to the BEAUTIFUL town of Steamboat Springs, CO and spent the weekend with Buck and Tara. While I was there I went and shared at Uzoa Church, (Buck and Tara’s church) and also heard the team share about their experiences. After service there was a baptism service and some of the team was getting baptized. Jessie and Ryan got baptized as did Bucks 10 year old son, Hunter, (he was the one who couldn’t make it down this summer because of his mom). It was a great service.

The awesome news was that Vince got baptized too. Vince was the big tall guy who cooked us all lunch that one day. It seems that since the trip, Vince’s life has been radically changed. His girlfriend Gretchen came and thanked me and you guys for the work that is happening in PV and how it has changed Vince’s life. Vince is a HARD CORE believer in prayer. You should hear the guy pray…it’s awesome! He’s charging for Jesus and he attributed his faith to the time he spent in PV. When he spoke at church, he spoke of each of you and the work you guys are doing. He was really blessed by everyone and God really got a hold of him in a major way!

You see, house churches, children’s church, skate ministry, café’s and more are all incredible parts of what we do, but short term missions is another AMAZING way that we partner together in ministry. Yes, these teams are coming down and doing some amazing work, but God is also bringing them down and doing amazing work in them. You guys are doing a great job. Your lives and work are not only affecting change in Puerto Viejo, but lives are being transformed all across the US. Keep charging team…I’m proud of you guys!

Jeremy Dyck
Alternative Missions

Another Baptism

Last week I had the privilege of baptizing two of my friends from house church. Peace, who became a Christian about three months ago, and Dexter, who chose to follow Christ about a year ago, were baptized in the Caribbean Sea that they love so much. It was a really cool evening. After the baptism, we celebrated with a big dinner and then built a huge bonfire on the beach in front of our house and worshipped God together. I love seeing the changes that are taking place in their lives as they follow Jesus, step by step.

Busy Times

Wow! is all I can say. We have been so busy for the past few weeks that I haven't had time to get online other than to respond to necessary emails. Some big things have happened over the past few weeks and although it will be hard to put it all down here, I'll give it a go. Right after Calvary Jupiter left town, we took 15 of the youth and young adults on a retreat up to the mountains outside of San Jose. Nothing like that has ever been done before and we didn't know what to expect. It turned out better than I had imagined it could. We met up with a combined mission team from two churches in the states (Thomasville Road Baptist Church from Tallahassee, FL and 1027 Church from Atlanta, GA). The retreat was held at a friend's goat farm on the side of a volcano named Barva.

Our focus was Christian living and service to others. It was an incredible opportunity to take the youth out of their normal surroundings so that they could focus on their relationship with God and with each other. Over the course of four days, we taught four separate bible study lessons. On the second day, we took the group on a missions trip to San Jose to a really dangerous section of town called Little Hell (one of the biggest crack distribution centers in CR). A local pastor provides several opportunities for the children that live in this area to hear about God and his love for them. We spent several hours with the group of around 50 children. I was so impressed to see how the group from Puerto Viejo reached out to them, sang songs, played games and just spent time with the children. One of our friends even gave his testimony, which is a huge step for him. Here are a few photos (to be added shortly) from the trip. The end result was that the group became much closer in their relationships with God and with each other. It was great!

Plans

Although we have a team arriving this coming Saturday, we are already in the process of planning for the next team which will arrive in early August. If everything runs smoothly, we will begin constructing a 3-sided deck and stadium seating around the metal container that houses all of our skate equipment. Once this project is completed, we will have the perfect venue for parents to watch their children and get to know each other. We will also have a great place for viewing our next annual skate competition which should take place next New Years Eve. Please pray that our permits come through and that everything goes smoothly. We have a lot of pre-work to set up so that it's possible for the August team to complete their portion of the project.

Crazy

Wow, things have gotten busy and crazy. I took the Calvary Jupiter team back to San Jose on Monday of last week but it seems like it was yesterday. There has been so much to do to get ready for the next team that I feel like I haven't had time to turn around. One of our friends on the CalJup team helped us immensly with some of the computer problems we have been having. I had to completely reformat the hard-drive of my laptop and it has taken me the better part of a week to get back online with emails, etc... Now, things seem to be working smoothly and I am able to send and receive emails as well as get online to post new blogs...

This coming Saturday morning we are leaving Puerto Viejo with a group of youth for a 4 day retreat. We'll be meeting a combined team from Thomasville Road Baptist Church (Tallahassee, FL) and 1027 Church (Atlanta, GA) up in the mountains above San Jose. It is going to be an interesting experience to say the least and I am really excited about it. The visiting mission team has been planning all of the bible studies and activities for our time together. We will be focusing on the topic of Christian living...basically what it means to live life for God. We will be hosting four separate sessions as well as games and activities with the group from Puerto.

On the third day, we are going to take the PV youth group into one of the poor neighborhoods in San Jose so that they can experience a mission trip of their own. It will give them a chance to serve others as well as experience the other side of missions first-hand.

Our last day will be spent rafting down the Pacuare river, half-way between San Jose and Puerto. I am really excited about this trip and the opportunity to get these guys out of the day-to-day and let them see what it is really like to focus on your relationship with God without all of the normal distractions. It should be an incredible experience for all of us.

SK8 Church says goodbye

Although this post is a little late, it was too good of a photo op to pass on. Here is a photo of the SK8 Church team on their next to last night in town. The youth have continued to ask about them since they left and are already hoping for a return visit. This team really made an impact on personal levels...

Chaos

The term "chaos theory" describes systems that appear to be random and disordered, but in reality posses an underlying order. Chaos theory also describes a lot of what takes place here in Puerto Viejo. On the surface, things can appear to be quite disordered, especially to someone that is not familiar with the culture and the people. However, whether it’s a session at the skate park or a day in the classroom at the collegio (high school), there is usually an underlying order to things that might not be readily recognizable at first glance.

The past few days, the visiting mission team from Calvary Chapel Jupiter (Jupiter, Florida) has been hosting ESL classes at the local high school. The high school is a one room building with acoustics that seem to magnify even the slightest sound into a roar equivalent to a jet taking off. It can be really difficult for someone that is not used to it to maintain focus, but it’s not as much of a problem for someone that is used to the underlying order.

The first day was got pretty crazy as kids were coming and going throughout the lessons and a few scuffles even broke out. It was quite an experience and I think was a little overwhelming for the team but things worked out and despite the craziness, the kids really enjoyed the interactions. They are used to learning this way as it is often the way things are. Anyway, the second day was much smoother and things really seemed to take on a good flow. The interactions were good and the kids and the team really enjoyed their time together.



At the end of the week, will the high school kids be fluent in English? No, but that’s not really the point. The purpose of these classes is to build relationships in order to gain an opportunity to really pour into the lives of the students over the long run. Visiting teams are only here for a week or two at most, which isn’t really a lot of time, but they add so much to the long-term work we’re doing. Through their sacrifice of time and effort, they help us to build and establish relationships with people and institutions that would be next to impossible for us to do on our own. Missions work truly is a partnership as the different parts of the body come together and work as one to share the hope of Christ to people that are searching. While it might seem like madness at times, there is an underlying order to things… it’s all a matter of perspective.

Cal Jup 2

This is my first day back online since Calvary Jupiter arrived. So far, we have had a great time with a great team. It was also great having Dan, our pastor and friend, down for a few days to see what the church has been supporting and praying for the past few years. We had a chance to go rafting together and yesterday, went looking for howler monkeys which we finally found at the last possible place we could check.

This week is a good but full week. Each morning, the team is hosting ESL classes at the local high school. It is a chaotic but good time and the students really enjoy the interaction. Through outreaches like this, we are able to build more relationships with youth and the visiting mission team really gets a chance to plug into the community in a meaningful way. In the afternoons, the team is doing light construction here at the skatepark. We are working to finish as much of the structural work in the cafe so that in the future, when someone joins our team to open and operate the cafe, all that will remain will be the layout and decorating of the restaurant. It's great having friends in town and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week holds.

Cal Jup

I'm in San Jose tonight getting ready to meet Calvary Chapel Jupiter at the airport tomorrow morning. This is exciting because this is our home church and we have been waiting and hoping that they would be able to come down for a long time. We have some friends on the trip and some others that will become friends. I'm really excited for the opportunity we will have to show them around our new hometown and to introduce them to our friends. During the week, we will be working at the local public high school, hosting ESL classes in the morning and some light construction at our property in the afternoon.

I have really enjoyed seeing how each team that comes down adds more brush strokes to this painting we have been working on. Each team brings their own touch and reaches out to the Puerto Viejo community in different ways. Please pray for this upcoming week as we continue to pour into the lives of those that live here and those that give of themselves to serve a God that is greater than anything we can ask, hope or imagine. Please pray for the safety of Amy and the girls while I am gone.

SK8 Church

The team from SK8 Church (Steamboat Springs, CO) has been a great help this week and they have really connected with the local youth. One of the most interesting things has been getting to know many of the kids that are involved in that ministry. I would say that about half of the kids are not Christians, because this ministry is very much oriented toward reaching those that are not part of a traditional church. The ministry is led by Buck Chavarria and his wife Tara. The other leaders that are helping out are also Christians but many of the kids are not. Buck and Tara really feel called to reach out to these kids that come from such difficult backgrounds. They have even become the legal guardians of one of the girls that is on the trip.

Anyway, it has been awesome to see God working in the lives of these kids as they are completely surrounded by the love of God in action. Not only are they getting a chance to serve others, they are getting the straight truth about God's love and the good news of Jesus and his desire to have a relationship with them. Back home, these kids are surrounded by drugs and a variety of relgious options but here on this trip they are being surrounded by truth. I have also been really proud to see some of our local youth reaching out to build relationships with the kids from this team. It was a really big step yesterday for two of the local guys to take six or seven members of the team surfing. The local guys are often extremely shy when it comes to one on one interactions where they are the focus of attention so to see them step up to the plate and serve the members of this team was awesome.

It is a priveledge to be here seeing lives being changed...both locals and visitors alike. God is really doing some incredible things

Love All, Worship One

Here is a quick look at a bumper sticker that was printed for us by SK8 Church, a visiting mission team that is with us this week.

Makena's special day

Makena turned four yesterday. She was only one and a half when we moved here so she has been living in Costa Rica for well over half of her life. We had a fun day and she was so excited with her presents. She is crazy for Strawberry Shortcake right now and was not disappointed to find two dolls and lots of accessories hidden underneath layers of wrapping paper. Amy did an awesome job with the cake(strawberry cake with strawberry icing), Maili helped bust open the pinata and we had lots of fun celebrating the arrival of our littlest one four years ago. Here are a couple of photos from the day.

Night Monkeys and Showers

One thing I’ve learned after two years here in Puerto… you never know quite what to expect. This past Sunday evening, our house church started out well. We had three new visitors and one other teenager that had only been once before. One thing you should know…preparing for and teaching at house church each week stresses me out. I love it and hate it at the same time. I love it because I totally believe that it’s what God has called me to do and I love to share biblical truth with everyone that has come. I hate it because I have never liked public speaking and I always feel totally inadequate and under-prepared…no matter how prepared I am. On top of that, distractions really throw off my thought processes and tend to get me really flustered.

Anyway, the evening started out fine. We hung out for a while, shared food together, goofed around with the musical instruments and generally enjoyed each others company. TJ played a few worship songs and then we got into our bible study. Again we are working our way through Matthew. We are going through it chapter by chapter so that we don’t miss anything and so that we are able to talk about and study the events as they occurred. From the very beginning, I knew that this night was going to be a little different because when you are dealing with a small group setting, any changes in the people that are present changes the dynamics of the group. That being said, I started out by bringing everyone up to speed and setting the context for our study. The specific passage was the first 14 verses of the 22nd Chapter of Matthew, where Jesus tells the story of a king that invited specific people to the wedding of his son. When the people that were invited rejected the invitation, he sent his servants out to invite anyone that they came across. In some ways, this bible study was more technical than others we have done because there were so many things to explain and define to a group that was not familiar with many of the terms. Then, there’s the application of what we have learned.

Well, about ¾ of the way through the study, at one of the more critical parts, someone yells out, “I think I see a night monkey (which is an animal that looks like a giant bush baby, comes out at night and climbs from tree to tree)!” Everyone jumps out of their seats to see the night monkey which was right outside our living room, and there was totally chaos for the next ten minutes. I finally got everything back under control and we get back into the bible. Right as everyone is re-engaged, liquid starts pouring from the second floor through a crack in the floorboards right onto Jordan’s head. Turns out, one of our new puppies had snuck upstairs, hid in the corner and relieved herself. Jordan jumped up as the pee continued to flow.
Everyone started laughing and there was chaos for the second time in 15 minutes. We finally made it through but it was one of the roughest evenings (in some ways) that we have had in a while. The good thing is that God is working, people are learning and we are doing in less than ideal conditions (which has stretched me a lot more than them).

I am so self-critical. It’s amazing to me that they keep coming back, but they do and they are inviting their friends. We see changes in their lives as they are engaged in church by their own choosing and they love it. It is so cool to see God working in so many different ways, often in spite of our own feeble attempts. It has really shown me that what God wants is people that are willing to say yes… not people that have everything figured out or have the program perfected. In the end, we stand on the saving grace of Jesus Christ and his word. In these are the true power for salvation and change.

Root Canal

Skyway is gone and we are in San Jose for a couple of days. We were able to finish installing the playground on Wednesday, which was great news to the kids at the school. Unfortunately, it feels a little like keeping candy away from a baby because they have to wait a few more days until they can actually use it. We had so much rain that the water table was within a couple of inches of the surface of the soil, so it will take the cement some extra time to dry. Here is a photo of the Skyway team, a few of the kids from the school and the playground set. This has been a great way to simply bless the community in a way that gives something to the little children who can’t do it for themselves.



One of the other projects that Skyway completed was the metamorphosis of a large 55-gallon drum into a huge charcoal grill.

Wednesday afternoon and evening, we turned our regular skate session into a big cookout and invited all of the youth and their families. We ended up having between 50 and 60 people show up and it had a great time with food, music and lots of fun just hanging out. It was great to see some of the local youth helping to host the barbeque…serving the members of the visiting teams. I have a feeling that we will have even more interest in the house churches as we build more and more relationships through events like this.

We’ll be heading back to Puerto later today with Kathy, Amy’s best friend from nursing school, and her husband Mark. We came in to pick them up at the airport and also so that I could finish up phase I of my dental work. We have been to two dentists since we moved down but, just like in the States, not all dentists are created equal. The first two were not very thorough and missed a couple of potential problems that have now become real problems. I am heading in to the dentist in a couple of hours to get my first root canal. Doesn’t sound fun and I wish it could have been avoided but the tooth is cracked and causing a lot of pain. The downside is that I still have at least two more visits to the dentist to finish things out. At least we found a good one.

The Playground

We were blessed with a great day of sun (and heat) and were able to complete much more of the playground. We also found some different ways to help us steady and straighten the posts of the two central portions of the set which really sped things up. The kids from the visiting team worked hard and we were able to get far enough so that we should be able to finish tomorrow.

One of the things I enjoy about these types of projects (and we'll do more as we get closer to finishing construction on the cafe and skate-park) is because people in town get so excited about them. It's really cool to visit with parents that come by to thank us for the work that is being done and it gives us opportunities to share the reason we do these types of things.

Tommorow night we are hosting a huge cookout for our local youth group in conjunction with the visiting team after the evening skate session. Food is always a great way to bring people together and we are expecting around 50 people total. What a great way to celebrate finishing the playground...

Transform

Almost as soon as we started working on the playground, the rain began to fall. It's been mostly dry for the past couple of days but the post holes are still full of water. The other thing that happened as we began to work was that I got sick again. This time, it is a simple chest cold, but it has left me feeling pretty weak and unable to really pitch in and work with the Skyway team. I feel like a wuss. It's really unfortunate because working with the members of the team is such a great way to get to know the people that have sacrificed to help us. The good news is that we have two more full days of construction and a couple of really cool evening outreaches planned. Hopefully, the rain will hold off enough for us to pour cement (which may never dry) into the post-holes to keep the play set steady.

In other news, our house church went well last night. We have been studying and working our way through the book of Matthew. The reason we have been studying Matthew is so that we could really examine the person of Jesus together, outside of what people may have heard or assumed from past experiences. If someone heard in the past and believed that Jesus was just a good teacher, we find out that he actually claimed to be the son of God. We have also been able to study and discuss his parables, the ways he treated and responded to people and what he had to say to those that mis-represented his Father in heaven. Every time we meet, we ask the question, "What should these words that were written 2000 years ago mean for our daily lives right now, here in Puerto Viejo?" We get into some great discussion as we talk about what God's truth means for us as individuals and as a body of believers. It is really cool to begin hearing some of the youth explaining the truths that they are beginning to grasp. Truths that show they are really understanding that living for Jesus is more than following a list of rules or being at a certain place at a specific time on a specific day. Having a relationship with Him is something that should change our lives from the inside out. This was true last night as we talked about the ability of Jesus to change our lives through His power and how much of a struggle it can be at times. Please pray that God will continue to work in all of our lives as we live for him. Please pray that God will continue to reveal his truth and that he will protect the growing faith of our freinds as we walk this road together.

Outside

Here we are in the thick of it. The first of our summer mission teams from Skyway Church in Phoenix, AZ is here. Much of what we do with the teams for the past couple of years has focused on construction and outreach here at the skatepark. That being said, we always want to continue to be a blessing out in the community whenever we have an opportunity. That's where the team Skyway comes in. Several months ago we received a letter from a Children's Association here in town. They were aware that we had installed a couple of sets of playground equipment in the past and asked if we could do it again...this time at a building that is being used as a kindergarten.

Long story short, we said yes, Skyway raised the necessary funds and we are in process. By the middle of next week, this rather empty corner of a school yard will have a brand-new, rather large playground set for the kids to go crazy on. It's a great way to help the community and for us to continue maintaining a visible presence. We also end up meeting many new people and making new relationships during these times where we work "off-site". I'll put up more photos as we get closer to having a final product.

In other news, one of the coolest things so far happened at the youth activities. The visiting mission team brought down instruments and wanted to play a few worship songs. They went through a short set, and as they finished up, three of the youth that attend house church asked if they could get up front with TJ (who leads worship on our team) so that they could play for the Skyway group. Now this may seem like a small thing, but it was actually a huge step. They got up and sang and played their hearts out for a one-song set. It was so exciting to see them stepping out on their own to actually lead in worship. It was also a huge step for them as more and more, they begin to see themselves as a church and as a united body of believers. What a cool thing to be able to enjoy. God is really working in their lives and there are visible proofs.

Retreat

We're back from San Jose where we were poked, prodded and generally appointmented to death visiting doctors and dentists for five days straight. Apparently I have an enlarged aorta. I was also fortunate enough to get a chemical peel on my face and head (basically for free) when we visited the dermatologist last week. I look years younger and have a new spring in my step.

I have also been reading a very interesting book called The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball http://www.vintagefaith.com/the_emerging_church.html. It is a very interesting book about church and the emerging culture (which has really emerged already) and how we as Christians need to be engaging our culture rather than retreating from it. The author then goes on to describe how he is doing this in the ministry he is involved in. It's a really good read and I am enjoying thinking through the application of the various principles he talks about. One of the things I noticed last time we were in the states is how isolated and protected so many Christians have become. Much of the talk centered around subjects like pulling kids out of schools, how to avoid all of the terrible things around them, etc... It makes me afraid that too many Christians are engaged in a retreat. "Let's get into the refuge where we will be safe" rather than "Lets get out there and share the hope that is in us". During a conversation with one of my friends, after asking him some questions, he realized that he doesn't have even one friend that isn't a Christian. His entire social network is inside the Christian bubble. I don't want to get down on him or others because I've been there and I know how easy it is for that to happen without even realizing it. But, how are we ever going to spread the gospel if we have completely separated our selves and retreated from the ones who need it? This keeps me thinking about ways to avoid this in my own life.

visits

This past week was crazy. Due to the somewhat remote nature of Puerto Viejo and our busy schedule, we have put lots of things off for the past couple of years. Chief among these were doctor and dentist appointments. Last week, we paid the piper. We headed into San Jose early Monday morning with the first round of doctor's appoinments on Monday afternoon. For the next four days, we had appointments morning and afternoon. We visited cardiologists (Makena has a heart murmur and I have an enlarged aorta), dentists (three cavities and a crown for me), and dermatologists (chemical peels and liquid nitrogen due to sun damage). It was crazy, expensive and downright exhausting but we're done (at least for two weeks). There is a lot to be said for keeping up on things but it's not easy when you're four hours away from good medical care. Add to all of this, having to stay in a hotel for five days and eating out at all meals and it was quite a trip.

Otherwise, things are good. We have house church in a couple of hours and I am looking forward to that. tonight we'll be talking about one of Jesus' stories about a landowner that entrusted responsibity for his vineyard to people that abused the priviledge. I love the whole comparison of the vineyard to our own lives as Christians. Take a look at Matthew 21:33 for the parallels. When Jesus comes into our lives (the vineyard), he sets us apart and claims ownership (the wall), he comes in to produce fruit/grapes (good works) which are put through the wine press (trials/difficulties) and results in the production of wine (the gospel) for the benefit of others. This can only happen if he lives in us (like manager lives onsite in the watchtower) and continually works in the vineyard (our lives), turning the fruit of our lives (the grapes) into opportunities to share the gospel (the wine). I look forward to talking about this with everyone tonight...

The Return

Last night was a rough one. I woke up about 2:00am feeling very full...usually a pre-cursor to a round of vomiting. I put it off as long as I could and then all hell broke loose. Now it's daytime and I'm sitting at home with zero strength and a bellyache when I had planned on spending the day at the skatepark with the team that just arrived. Flexibility. That's the key.

One of the coolest things about the short term teams is having both churches that return and individuals that return. Yesterday, I was pleasantly suprised to see that one of the members of the visiting team was a guy that had come down last year during May. His name is Danny (on the right) and he is an all-around good guy. Last year, he came down as the result of a last minute decision and ended up being the most critical person on the team. We were hoping to put the roof on the skatepark but didn't really know how we were going to accomplilsh it. Well, Danny was a contractor and was able to put together a plan, divide everyone up into teams and get the whole thing taken care of in a very humble way. He's also a very committed Christian. At the end of that trip, we asked him to seriously consider coming back down at some time in the future to spend more time with us. Now he's back and he says that God has been working on him ever since that life-changing experience of coming down here to serve alongside us. We'll see what happens, but it's incredible to find out that the work we are doing not only has an impact locally, but God also uses it to touch and change lives in the people that come down for such short time frames. It is definitely good to see him again.

Bocas

Back from Bocas del Toro in Panama and all is well. It was good to get away with just Amy and the girls for a few days before the attack of the summer teams. We really got to spend some fun time with each other in a beautiful place. One of the most exciting things we did was spend the better part of a day on a tour of several different islands. We were able to see some dolphins, go snorkling and hang out at one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. I really felt like I was able to connect with the kids in a special way.

It's funny how each year, after several months without a team in town, I start to look forward to the summer season. It is a lot of fun and I really enjoy meeting all of the different people that come down to help us here in Puerto, but by the end of the summer, I am glad the teams are gone and am ready to dive back in to our ongoing work. This summer will be a busy one and will also be very much a transitional period as TJ, the most long-term member of the team, will be departing in September.

In other news, I have been reading a book called "Searching for God Knows What" by Donald Miller, author of "Blue Like Jazz". I really enjoy reading him because he makes me think outside of my normal boundaries. This book is more of an apologetc from a totally different perspective than most apologetics which are more concerned with "proofs" than with process. what I mean by that is that he approaches Jesus, the Gospel and salvation from a much more holistic, relational perspective that often seems to get lost in the facts and bullet points that typically make up my thought processes. It was a great read and really gives me a lot to chew on and think about as I work to teach and display a loving, relational God in a culture that knows him more through such things as hairlength, style of dress and genres of music. Good book...I definately recommend it and believe that he really speaks to a lot of the things we evangelical christians "know" about Jesus and the bible. Read it.

Potential

All's good. We head off to Bocas del Toro tomorrow to renew our visas. It has been quite a while since we visited Bocas and I'm looking forward to it. It is a good opportunity for our family to get away and spend some time together before we enter the summer season. This year is going to be good but full and we won't have much opportunity to have a break once it begins.

Speaking of the coming season, we have been discussing and planning for the various teams that are coming. I'm looking forward to the work that we'll be doing as it will take us further towards the completion of the skate park, but the thing I am most excited about is the opportunities we have to really begin including some of the locals to help us host teams. There are a few of the older youth that are potential candidates and a couple that actually get excited about the possiblity. If everything works out, it will also be a really cool way for the visiting teams to connect with the area in a different way. We are hoping that they can add some local flavor to the orientation process and also help us with some of the logistical functions like getting teams into town for dinner and then back to the hotel safely. This could really challenge some of the older youth to begin serving both God and their community in a very different way from anything they have done in the past. There will probably be goofs, surprises and let downs but if we are really and truly here to start something and pass it off then we have to be willing to take chances. I'm looking foward to it.

Upcoming

Here we are again...just a few weeks away from the summer short term mission season. We're gearing up, getting construction projects and outreaches planned. Ronnie, one of the long-term members of our team, has been doing a great job overseeing continued construction of various aspects of the cafe and skatepark. We are going to be putting a new deck around the metal container we use for a skate and tool shop and are in the process of finishing the office space. One of the things we have needed for the longest time is office space. We need the AC for our computers and it will also be so helpful to have a more distraction free environment to work in. Dear God, please give us high speed internet to go along with the new air-conditioning unit. Amen.

The Baptism - April 3, 2007

Baptism means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. One of the things I have found here in Puerto Viejo is that baptism is very closely associated with salvation. That’s exactly what it should be associated with you might say, but, here in this culture things aren’t always what they seem. Misunderstandings and mis-information abound. Here in Puerto Viejo, there is a commonly held belief that being baptized means you go to heaven and not being baptized means... well, let's just say your future is up in the air...or maybe in the other direction if things don't go so well.

Jesus provided us with an example of baptism as did many of the early apostles. For them, baptism was an outward sign of a change that had taken place within a person as they turned their backs on the way they used to live (read "died to the old self") and began to go in a completely different direction (read "raised again to a new way of life") based on their faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism is also a way for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, to identify with him in a personal, physical way. The bible says it this way "...those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" 2 Cor. 5:17.

This inward change and identification with Jesus was celebrated recently when Johanna and Jetsi were baptized. Both of them had chosen to follow Jesus several years earlier but neither of them had been baptized. They had never marked their decision publicly. During discussions at our house church one night, both of them requested that they be baptized. They are excited about their faith and finally wanted to show friends and family what had taken place in their lives. The event brought together both the Spanish and the English speaking house churches along with an assortment of friends and family.

The evening of the baptism started with some pretty iffy weather. Right as we gathered at the river, the sky clouded up and it began to rain. Fortunately, God had other plans and the rain stopped as fast as it had started. I took some time to explain the meaning of baptism and to read some verses from the sixth chapter of Romans. We prayed and then Jetsi and Johanna were baptized. As you can see from the photos, Makena and our neighbor's dog Panbon got a front row seat so as not to miss any of the action. The smiles say it all as both ladies were excited and proud to share the moment with everyone that gathered.

One really cool thing that happened involved Jetsi's family. Her mother and father have been separated for many years and while they have a good relationship, they don’t get together as a family very often. This event brought them all together to share in the happiness of their daughter, which made Jetsi very happy. Afterwards we got together for food and a celebration which topped off a great event. Please pray for Jetsi and Johanna. Pray that they will continue to be identified with Jesus in every area of their lives and that this public marking of a personal decision will be one more event in two lives that continue to mirror Christ to the world around them.

Change - March 27, 2007

Change seems to be the word that best describes the constant state of things since we arrived here in Puerto Viejo a little over two years ago. Changes in personnel, changes in ministry structure, changes in knowledge and understanding. I'm glad for the change because it always causes me to look at things from a different perspective...sometimes out of sheer survival. Right now, we are moving into a period of major change with our team. In a few more months, the long-term team will consist of myself, my wife Amy and Ronnie and Tammy. Thankfully, we have several people that have committed to being here for the short-term future which is so important because it allows us to continue focusing on long-term goals and objectives. We can't do what we're doing without long-term team members and we can't do it without the short-term members that are so essential to the support roles. That being said, I am really hopeful that God will provide more long-term staff in the coming year. We need someone that is fully committed to the continued development skate-park and youth program. We need someone to take on many administrative tasks for the long haul and we definitely need someone that is committed to everything it takes to plan and host short term teams. Looking ahead, these tasks seem impossible for three people to take on...and they are, if we're to remain sane. But, this is where the change of perspective comes in...plus the realization that we don't have to do it all. God knows and will provide what's needed in His timing. I am really looking at this time as an opportunity to start over in many ways. We are out of the development phase. We have direction and momentum and no longer need pioneers. We now need people that can take the ball that is already in play and run with it. I could (and usually tend to) get really stressed out about all of the unknowns but truthfully, I'm excited about the all of the possiblities as God brings the right people on at the right time. We'll see what happens.

Following - March 12, 2007

We have really enjoyed being back in town and reconnecting with everyone. it is nice to be home. I've also been really happy to see how things are going with the house churches. This past weekend, we celebrated a wedding in the Spanish house church. Ronnie did an awesome job of officiating and it was really cool to see all of the different people there enjoying the fellowship together.

There have been some great things happening at the English speaking house church as well. This past Sunday, after the bible study (which people are really beginning to participate in more and more) we talked about having a special time for baptism in a couple of weeks. One of the girls that has been coming faithfully for a while has been a Christian for a while but has never been baptized. When asked if she would like to be, she immediately answered, "Yes". The cool thing is that her little brother accepted Christ and was baptized in May of last year and now he is going to be involved and will help baptize his sister. During the course of the conversation, one of our next door neighbors spoke out and said that she had never been baptized either, even though she has been a Christian for years. She also said that she didn't think that her husband (one of my surfing buddies) had been baptized either. Immediately following house church, a couple of the guys came to me and we talked for a long time about their faith. Both of them had made decisions to follow Jesus earlier in their lives and as they shared those decisions with me, they told me that they would like to be baptized as well.

It is hard for me to convey what these things mean after the past couple of years of laying groundwork, hoping and praying. we have done a lot of talking about what it really means to follow Jesus and people are really, conciously wanting to do it...whatever that might mean for them. It is so exciting...they are even volunteering to pray before and after church. When most of them first started coming, they could hardly look each other in the eye and now they are beginning to pray for each other, ask for prayer about specific areas of their lives, read aloud and even sing in front of each other. These are huge steps down and exciting path and it makes me so happy to see them really wanting to know God in ways that are genuine. It is just so awesome to have the priviledge to be a part of it all.

The Return - February 27, 2007

Well, after six weeks of living out of suitcases, it's good to be home, although we feel like we're living a country song. Our dog is gone, our phone is broken, our washing machine is leaking and our dryer belt broke...but, we're home and we're getting back on track. It has been good to see the team again as well. We are going through so many personnel changes and so many things about the future are up in the air that it has preoccupied a lot of my thoughts lately. I have been praying for peace and wisdom as I look and plan ahead through this next year...trying to anticipate what the changes will mean. This type of stress can either get me down or cause me to really start looking in different directions for solutions or alternatives. God has really been using this time for the latter...looking in different directions and approaching problems from a different perspective. So much so that I am actually excited about the future. I see new ways of involving locals and ways of reducing the responsibilities of our various ministries as God brings locals into our circle of influence...to assist us and to eventually take over responsibilities. There is even a good chance that we may be able to completely turn over one entire area of ministry to locals with only a little oversight responsiblity on our part, by the end of next year. Hard to say what will happen...only God knows. But, I am thankful that he has given me peace and helped me to trust him with an unknown future. Even when we are faithless, He is faithful because He cannont deny himself.

The Visit - February 5th, 2007

Finally recovered (mostly) from my drug overdose... Why would anyone pay for that? It's beyond me. Anyway, we are now in S. Florida visiting our home church and two others that we are invovled with. It has been a great visit so far but it has also been packed, busy and to fast. On the way down, we stopped and stayed with a friend of mine from years ago when I was in the Navy. It was really great to reconnect with him and to see his family as well.

They are trying to plan a trip down to visit and are really excited about everything that is happening in Puerto. We spent some time with the pastor of our home church today which was great. When the church was small and none of us had kids, we used to go out for Mexican food together. Now, with a total of 9 kids between the two of us, it is better to just get some cheap takeout and hang at the house while the kids go berserk. We had a great visit with him and his wife. The church is planning a trip down in June and people are really excited about it. I spoke on Sunday morning and there is quite a bit of interest both from the congregation and on the staff. It is great to see the church finally in a position where they can get more involved. Tuesday evening, I'll be speaking to a group from the church that includes several potential interns and long-term staff as well as people that want to come on the outreach. Should be good. Just coming home helps me to see how blessed we have been as a family to have so many different people and churches that are all working together to see God's kingdom grow. it is a cool thing.

Overdose - January 29, 2007

I've had a few problems getting connected the past couple of weeks as we have been travelling, but fortunately and able to get online today. We are in North Florida right now staying with my family. I have spoken at Thomasville Road Baptist Church in addition to a group of people from several different churches at a coffee. I'm also planning to speak to the college group at TRBC on Wednesday night and am hoping for a good response and maybe an intern or two from that engagement. I have encountered an unexpected problem since we came home that has really limited my ability to much of anything other than lay around. When we returned home, we went on a short cruise with some friends and I used one of the motion sickness patches to help with my sea-sickness. Unfortunately, I had a really strong and bad reaction to the medication several days after the cruise and ended up with Scopolamine toxicity...I've been poisoned by too much medicine. For the first day, my vision got so blurry that I could hardly see and I've been spinning and so disoriented that I can't even drive, since Thursday. I went to a doctor today and was told that I must be extra sensitive to the meds and will just have to wait and see what happens. It is interfering with just about everything and has pretty much immobilized me. I'd appreciate your prayers on this.

The Return - January 8th, 2007

Here we are getting ready to head back to the States for our furlough. There is so much to do and so many things to wrap up and prepare for, but I am really looking forward to the time with friends and family. Last year, we went like crazy while we were home and were more burned out when we returned than when we left. All that work, numerous speaking engagements and we only netted one new supporter. I know that gaining new supporters is not the only reason we share what's going on down here, but at the time, it was a lot of work for very little visible return. This year, we are planning to take a different route. I'll still be speaking a few different times but will not fill up my schedule like last year. We'll see how it goes as we learn by trial and error. I will sure miss everyone and everything that is taking place down here and will continue to pray for our team and all of the locals we're working with. I hope that our entire family comes back re-charged and ready to go in this new year and I will be praying that God brings the right people onto our team at the right time and that the ministries continue to expand.

The Contest - January 1st 2007

I’m sure that every single person on our team will post on the same thing, but what the heck. Last night we hosted the first annual New Year’s Eve Concrete Jungle Skate Contest. Like so many things that take place here, you can plan, prepare and hope but in the end, you’re simply waiting to see what happens and then adapt to it. We had intended the first half of the evening to be a time geared towards current participants of our house churches and other people that might be interested in coming in the future. I almost had my heart leap into my throat when because when I first arrived all I saw was children running around. My fears were confirmed (or so I thought) when another friend (one that’s not interested in coming to the house church) arrived with his daughter and told me that he had brought her for the children’s party. Uh-oh.

Thankfully, everything settled out and people started arriving for the skate competition. We started a practice session around 8:00 and began the competition close to 9:30. It turned out to be a lot of fun and went amazingly well, especially considering we only came up with the idea a couple of weeks ago. We ended up having a huge audience for Puerto Viejo standards and most of the kids really gave it a go in front of the crowd. I would say that my only disappointment was with the people that didn’t show up. We wanted to provide the competition as an alternative to the crazy partying that we knew would be taking place everywhere else. It worked well and a lot of the kids we have been working with were there but a few were not that I really wanted to see. Oh well. We finished off around midnight, handed out the prizes and everyone made their way home. I hope that this is the first of many and that in the future, some of the kids that we are working with now are in leadership roles…hosting and discipling…at future events. All in all a great event. Everyone on our team really put their all into it and did an incredible job. The visiting team from Flagstaff also brought a lot of enthusiasm and hard work to the event and helped to make everything run smoothly. I’m looking forward to next year.

December 26, 2007 Christmas

Christmas was great. In many ways, I prefer to be here in Puerto Viejo for Christmas rather than being at home in the States. it is such a great opportunity to open up the house and spend time with people, getting to know them better, building deeper relationships, etc... This Christmas was interesting because of the differences in the two gatherings we attended. We hosted a Christmas get together on Christmas Eve that was mostly attended by close friends and people from house church. Most of the people were Christians and we had a great time together in large part because of that bond that we share. Christmas day, we were invited to the house of some friends from town. We also had a great time with them, but it was completely different. Most of the people at the party were Italians that live in the area and are not Christians. We enjoyed a great meal, made some new friends as pot smoke drifted through the house and beer flowed freely. What a difference between the two gatherings. I pray that we will continue to deepen our friendships with some of the people at the second gathering so that maybe next year, they will coming to a Jesus centered Christmas party

God works when we don't feel like we can.

It's a weird place to be in... we've been working for the past year and a half, building a foundation, praying and hoping for things to start and now it's happening. And, it's happening so fast that it's difficult to keep up with. Two Friday nights ago, eight of the kids that have been coming to the skate park gave their lives to the Lord. This past Friday night, after I finished speaking, I asked the ones that had raised their hands and prayed, to stick around for a little while so that we could talk. I wanted to talk to them about starting a new believer's bible study. One of the kids that stuck around was a guy named Nicholas. He's about 17, from Argentina and has been coming to the skatepark for the past few months. After talking about the day and time that would be best for us all to meet, I told him that I didn't know he had raised his hand the previous week. He told me that he hadn't but that he couldn't stop thinking about things all week. He said that he wanted to find out more about God, that he wanted to get to know him and that he had lots of questions. I told him that I would love to sit and talk with him and asked him to stop by my house on Sunday morning.

Well, he came by and we spent two hours talking and sharing. He did have lots of questions but they were sincere questions. He really wanted to know how he could have a relationship with God. It was obvious from the conversation that he has had a lot of new age influence in his life, but it was also obvious that he saw through a lot of it and was really looking for a relationship with a very real God. As we talked, I answered the questions that I could, shared with him what the bible said and shared the gospel with him. At the end, I asked him if he would like to follow Jesus and have a relationship with God through him. We discussed it all...the problem of sin, our need for forgiveness and the price that Jesus paid to free us from the penalty of sin. He is a very bright kid...well educated and very analytical. It was interesting to hear him say that he agreed with what I was explaining but that it sounded too easy. "Maybe that's why so many people have a hard time believing...because it sounds too good to be true," he told me. I agreed with him and asked him what he thought. He said that he believed and that he would like to give his life to God. We prayed and then welcomed another brother into the family. It was pretty incredible and yet another sign of God's power moving in ways that are far beyond me.

My gift is not public speaking. After all this time of leading bible studies, talking in front of people, etc... I still stumble and stutter my way through. I get so nervous even preparing for house church that I feel like puking at times. My point is this...and I say this specifically to encourage others that have a difficult time speaking or sharing in front of others. Just do it and trust God with the results. It is the power of God that does the work...what He wants is people that are faithful and say yes. There's no other explanation for it. Some of the verses that speak the most to me were written by Paul in I Corinthians chapter 2. He says, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not reason on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

One of the things I have wanted most in life was to be one of those pastors that people walk away from talking about "how amazing the message was" or "what a wonderful speaker he is." I often wonder why God called me to do something that almost tortures me. I definitely feel compelled to do it but it's not easy and it doesn't come naturally but, that's ok because God uses people that say yes and lives get changed. Be faithful, push through the doubts and fears, do what God has asked you to do and leave the results up to him. Time after time He amazes me with His faithfulness and it has been exciting to see the results.

Welcome to the family.

I have some great news to pass along and some additional prayer requests for specific people. This past Friday night at the skate-park was an incredible evening. As I wrote in our prayer requests last week, we are planning to start a very structured series of messages for the youth over the next nine weeks. Because of our plans, we wanted to see if we could attract some additional interest by hosting a movie and pizza night this past Friday. Our plans were to let the kids skate for a while, feed them some pizza and then watch a movie together. We decided to show a movie entitled “Something to Sing About” by the Billy Graham Association that my father had brought down earlier this year. Louie, the youth ministry director, asked me to introduce the movie before it started since I had seen it in the past and had recommended that we show it. I introduced the movie by talking about choices. We all have choices in our lives and our choices have consequences. I asked the kids to really pay attention to the characters in the movie and to really think about the choices they were making and the results of those choices.



The movie is about a young guy that gets out of jail after doing time for a crime he didn’t commit. The actors are all African-American, many of whom have been in popular movies and television shows. Anyway, when the guy gets out of prison, he is having a difficult time re-adjusting and finding work. Right away, he is offered an opportunity to make a quick buck by getting involved in the selling of drugs. He ends up meeting an older, Christian woman in a grocery store, who invites him to church. Not long after, he makes a decision to follow Christ. The rest of the movie deals with the consequences of this choice and contrasts it with the choices that were made by his friend who did get involved with the drug trade. The consequences of each decision are clearly portrayed and the gospel is presented a couple of times during the film. I have never seen the kids pay such close attention to anything since we started this program back in July. It was incredible. They were completely silent (a miracle akin to turning water into wine) and every eye was glued to the screen. Many of the kids here in Puerto Viejo are facing the same decisions day after day. Some of them are already playing the part of small time gangsters as they mimic what they see on TV.



Shortly into the film, I started feeling very strongly that we needed to share the gospel and give the kids an opportunity to respond. I asked Louie to share once the movie had ended and I asked him to be very direct with the kids. Louie laid it out for them and tied it in very well with the fact that each of us has to make a choice of whether or not we will follow Jesus. When asked if they wanted to follow Jesus, between eight and ten kids raised their hands and prayed. It was awesome. Afterwards, several of them immediately came and asked me for bibles. We are going to start a new believer’s bible study in the next week or two so that we can help these kids to get off on the right track. They are excited about their decisions and really want to begin learning and growing. Several of them came to our house church tonight. It’s exciting but it is also very challenging. These kids will need a lot of prayer. Everything in the world is stacked against them including the general apathy that seems to permeate the culture.

Getting around in Costa Rica

A long time ago, I wrote about the daily contrasts we run into here in Costa Rica. This past week, I took a short trip up to Guanacaste, the northwestern province of the country, to visit our new neighbors and give Justin, an intern that worked with us this past summer, a look at a very different part of this small country. As we drove through San Jose, everything was fine. Shortly after we began climbing into the mountains, my 4runner started knocking and pinging like the engine was going to fall apart. This really made me sick at my stomach for a couple of reasons…first, it’s not good to be stranded on the highway in CR, and second, I just had to have the entire engine rebuilt earlier this year and it shouldn’t be having problems. Anyway, we had a couple of choices… stop and find a mechanic to look at it (a dicey proposition at best) or keep driving and see what happens. I decided to keep driving and as bad as it was, it didn’t really get any worse.

We made it into Junquiallal around 6:30 that night and were welcomed by Mike and Joanna (who are moving into the house next door to us here in Puerto Viejo tomorrow). Turns out that Mike had to take his car to the mechanic on Monday, so I just planned to go along with him. That being decided, we ate and then hit the sack so that we could get up and surf the next morning. We ended up getting some decent surf and then just hung out with Mike and Joanna the rest of the day, visiting an Indian village with them in the afternoon so that they could buy some pottery for the shop they are opening here in Puerto. Monday was spent at the mechanic’s…from 8:00am until 5:00pm. Tuesday was the reward as we caught some of the best small waves I’ve had in months, not more than 200 yards from Mike’s house.

Now, about the contrasts that I mentioned earlier… First, we had a safe trip to Junquillal but experienced some car trouble (got that fixed), then, we scored some good waves but my car was broken into while we surfed and I lost about $350 worth of stuff. Great surf topped of with a robbery. Par for the course. Anyway, it was a great opportunity to get to know our future neighbors a little better. Turns out that they are Christians and had been praying that they would find a house near another Christian family, specifically one with little kids. They were really excited that God answered their prayers so specifically and we are looking forward to them moving in. They have already come to our house church once, when they were in town looking for a house, and are looking forward to coming on a regular basis. God is really doing some cool things and we appreciate your prayers as doors continue to open.

Why we're here

Well, I wish I was a little more regular at this. It’s hard to imagine being any more irregular but something always seems to come up and I run out of time. Not to mention that it’s a little more difficult to get online down here. Anyway, things have come a long way since I last made time to post. We now have an almost completed skate-park and a regular youth program taking place each Friday night where the kids are getting exposed to biblical truth and are having lots of fun at the same time. At the same time, the kid’s church is going well on Sunday mornings and the house churches (both an English and a Spanish speaking church) are beginning to grow.

Sometimes it is hard to believe that I actually have the opportunity to be a part of what God is doing down here. The more time I spend with the kids of Puerto Viejo, the more time I want to spend with them. They are an incredible group of kids that come from some pretty gnarly home situations. A couple of Friday nights ago, Louie (who heads up the youth program) asked the kids to write down some questions that they had about life, God, church, etc… on index cards that he handed out, so that we could answer the questions from a biblical perspective. I helped one kid write down his question on the card and almost started crying when I read what he wrote. He is only ten years old and he wrote, “Why is it that someone can hit you and God doesn’t come and help you?” That really hit me and gave me a better sense of what these kids deal with on a regular basis. Some of the other questions addressed the existence of God and other questions such as what happens to you if you commit suicide? I was blown away by the depth of the questions but at the same time am very excited about the possibility of answering the questions with the love of Jesus. It is such a privilege to have the opportunity to pour into the lives of these kids when they are at such transition points in their lives. Already, two of them are coming to our house church and a third expressed interest in coming tomorrow. I pray that God speaks to them and works in their lives so that one day soon, they are the ones taking the good news of Jesus to the people of this community.