Week 4 of Spanish Class

Estoy en morada! I am Home!!! I finally made it home on Saturday night at 10pm. I was so good to see Lara and the boys. I have had a couple of good days getting reacclimated to life in the US, family, and cold weather. After waking up sick and cold the past few mornings I realized that I have to move back south, way south.

This last week of school was great! I learned a lot and found that I had made some great friends. We finished a entire semester in just four weeks. The regular 4 month(semester) students said that we were crazy and after doing it I think they are right. My brain really did hurt at the end everyday. I am nowhere near being fluent but I feel that I am much further along than where I began. I feel like I at least have the basics now. In my grammar class I finished with a 90(A) and in conversation I finished with a 98. I think that they grade on a giant curve.

I still believe that this month was more than just a time for me to learn Spanish. It was time for the Lord to speak and move in our lives and ministry. The word became more clear and faith was strengthened daily. After living in the culture and with the people for this time I have to admit that I feel stronger than ever about the Lord leading us to move to Panama. It was like I felt at home. It was comfortable and natural to me. Maybe the Lord wanted to give me a taste of what life might be like for us to help me keep my eyes on the goal or to give me a little more peace about leading my family there. Either way I enjoyed ever bit. I can't wait tho see what the Father has in store for us next!

¡Gracias a todos ustedes por sus oraciones y apoyo para hacer esto posible para mí! Yo alabo a Dios todos los días para usted! Thank you to all of you for your prayers and support in making this happen for me! I praise God every day for you!

Week 3 of Class in Costa Rica

I am finishing am finishing up my 3 week in Costa Rica with a cup of coffee and a good meal made by my Mamá Tica. I have to say I thought that I may loose a few pounds here in Costa Rica but if anything I will probably return home bigger. Good food and a lot of it. This week has been great. I have learned a lot and I believe that everyday I become more familiar with this language. I went to a Catholic mass last night with my Tico family a I think I understood more this week than I have ever. Praise the Lord! Believe me I still have a lot to learn. One month of learning Spanish goes by so fast but I thank God for letting me be here and learning the things that I am learning. I believe that I can get around with no problem, read the majority of a newspaper, and understand the main points in a conversation but I fell that I am still behind in speech. I keep praying daily that God will allow me to have the gift of Spanish in my mind, ears, mouth, and heart and I believe that He will grant it to me over time. Hopefully He will grant me opportunities in my everyday as I return to the States for the next few months before we follow Him to the great place of Panamá.

I was going to say, on the spiritual side of this trip but the Lord stopped me because I believe that the trip in its entirety has been a spiritual journey. The Lord is at work in my heart and life and He is teaching me about Himself, the gospel, and who He wants me to be. I have been reading a book called "The Gospel Primer", that my best friend gave me earlier this year. It has sparked a fire in me for the gospel and a passion for Christ. God is amazingly big, unimaginably perfect, righteous, holy, just in His ways, merciful, forgiven, gracious, and supremely worthy. All that I have in life, every blessing, He put there when I deserve the total opposite. My cup, my life, is overflowing when there should not even be a drop in it. Actually there should not even be a cup. That is what I should get from God but He gives me the privilege to come before Him with confidence and ask anything. ¡Cuán gran es El que sirve! How great is the One that I serve.! That's another point, He calls me and allows me to serve in His work! Hallelujah

I have enjoyed my time and have grown in my walk with the Father but man I miss my family! I was not made to be apart from them for a long period of time. This trip has also made me realize how blessed I am to have a wonderful wife like Lara and two amazing boys like Mac and Grey. I dream of the day that I get to huge and kiss each of them. They have been doing great, because God has had His hand on them and because Lara is an awesome woman. Things have not been easy or smooth sailing but God has been gracious and Lara has been strong. In this month of not being able to actively pursue more funding and support for our ministry needs like I want to or need to be doing, God has provided some new financial partners. How great is He! I am sure that they are ready for me to come home as I am ready to be there. Please keep praying for them and Gods mercy and blessings to cover them over this next week. And please keep praying for me as I learn Spanish for His glory and future Kingdom work. We know that Christ is preparing us to be used in some mighty ways and we are so excited! Dios te bendiga! God bless you!

Week 2 of Spanish in Costa Rica

¡Dios te bendiga! This past week has been great! I have felt a little less stressed with the learning and work load even though it has been greater. I have had 2 different exams and I felt like I did good on both. One was for conversation and even though I was more scared about it I think it went the best. The second one was for grammar. The problem here is that I am not good in English grammar so I am already behind in learning Spanish grammar rules. One cool opportunity the Lord has given me is someone that I can practice with everyday. He is the guard for our road where I live. He loves trying to learn English and he helps me in correcting me as I try to conversate with him. I believe that I have already learned more Spanish in the past 2 weeks than I have learned in the past 5 years. Praise God for the opportunity!

I believe that the missing my family part of this experience has been magnified this week. I believe that I know the meaning behind the saying, time apart brings you closer. I can't believe that I only have 2 more weeks here but I also can't believe that I still have 2 more weeks apart from my beautiful wife and amazing boys! Speaking of my great wife, she is such a blessing to me and gift from God! She has taken the boys to the beach, camping in the mountains, taken care of the house, and managed to keep up with her work and most of my work load too. On top of all of that she had to deal with everything in our lives falling apart like our heating system breaking. As I sit here many, many miles and hours away she tells me on the phone not to worry about it because God is just preparing us fore bigger and better things and He is the one who is holding our hands today. What a gift from heaven and Christ centered heart and mind. "Set your minds and hearts on the things above and not on the things of the earth." Col. 3:2

I believe that I am here in Costa Rica not just for the purpose of learning Spanish. God has bigger things to teach and show me. He has elected and chose me for the purpose of bringing Him glory and doing His work! The Lord is teaching me new and exciting things about the gospel. He has saved me to do good works for His name sake and so that others may know the glories power and love of our Abba Father! Phil. 2:13 "...for God is at work in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure." My satisfaction comes from doing His will and following Him in the paths that He has set before me today. John 4:34 " My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work." I praise God for calling me, choosing me, using me, and providing for me and my family. Glory a Dios!

Primero Semana de Clase de Espanol

¡Glory A Dios! The first week of class is over and I feel completely overwhelmed. I have enjoyed the class and living amongst the Latin culture. I am living with a traditional Tico(Costa Rican) family in a small neighborhood out side of San Jose. I have nothing but Spanish spoken to me and some how I have figured out how to get by. It is suprising how much I have been able to understand after only a week of living here. It really helps that I spend all of my free time conversating with my Tica Mama.

My days consist of getting up early, getting ready and eating breakfast with Mama. I then start my homework of studying words and verbs before I walk to school in the afternoon. It almost feels as though I am reliving my elementry years over. I have a mom that makes all of my meals, washes my clothes, packs my lunch, and makes me snacks(coffee) while I study. I go to school, talk with friends, and have to clean my room daily. The simple life but wierd. When I am finished with my studies if that is possible, I walk around the neighborhood meeting new friends and hanging out until dark. I have made a friend with the local neighborhood gaurd that sits in front of my house daily and with a Greengo from Virginia that lives across the street. Yes he is a Hokie!!!! One of God's gifts to me. :)

I have two classes. One is for grammer and yes I am just as bad in Spanish grammer class as I am in English grammer class. My other class is Conversation. We have to write stories about our families, houses, and life here in Costa Rica and then talk to the class about them. Whats tough about that class is that we have to ask and answer questions about our presentations. Also, none of my teachers speak English. I was shock on the first day when the teachers announced that they "no hablo ingles" but it really is not that bad.

Life is simple, quient, relaxing at times, and fun. I could definitly see my family and I living somewhere like here and enjoying it. "God is using the circumstances in your life to prepare you to accomplish His plan for your life." Andy Stanley, Visioneering. If you could keep praying for Lara and the boys!!! I miss them so much as I know they miss me too! Keep me in your prayers as well as I am learning Spanish for the glory of the Lord and for his Kingdom. Pray for my mind and ears to understand, my mouth to speak it, andmy heart to fill it. Ephesians 6:19 "Pray for me that the utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the goespel."

Begining Spanish

God is so good to us! Upon returning a week and a half ago from Panama the Lord laid on my heart for me to have more trainning in the Spanish language so that I can be more effective in ministry. If we are going to live some where that speaks Spanish then I thought that it might do me some good to have a better handle on the language. Lara and I started praying about what to do. We knew that I did not have much time and that we were going to be traveling a lot over the next 6 months. After googling the internet for an hour I found a Spanish language school in Costa Rica that is tailored for missionaries and it has many short intensive coarses available. It looked like the right fit for me.

After looking at our schedule and money we realized that we had to leave it in the Fathers hand because we were short on both. October was the only month that I could have done this very short intensive coarse so we prayed, Father if it is your will and time then make it clear and provide the resourses." That seems to be the one of many common prayers in this stage of our life. After only telling a very small group of friends about this with no intentions or expectations it all came together.

We needed $1000 for the school, $350 for room and board, and about $300 in other fees and misc. God provided almost all of it in a matter of 2 days!!! Even after that amazing answer to prayer I still was not sure if this was suppose to go or not. I know I can be a bit hard headed. Lara being the most amazing, God fearing, wonderful wife and partner in ministry told me that I had to go because God has provided and that was that. Inspite of us being apart for a month and the sacrifice that was going to have to happen on so many levels for our whole family I left one day before classes started for Costa Rica.

I have only been hear for 2 days but it has been so great! It maybe one of the hardest things that I have ever had to go through mentally but it also one of the most effective things that we have done for our ministry. Praise God for the opportunities and for the people in our lives that believe in us and our ministry! Glory a Dios!/Glory to God!

I Lift My Eyes!

Wow I haven't blogged all summer. Life just overwhelms and concurs you some days or even months.

Psalms 121:1-2 "I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?!?! My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!" We believe that we are in one of those seasons of life where the Father is refining us in our faith, devotion, and finances. It is one of those times that you don't really look forward to it but just about half way through you start to understand why and can appreciate it. I don't know that a valley in life is ever welcomed or enjoyable but I do know and say with confidence that it is needed!

"Why would a loving and caring God let this happen to me,!" I am sure that you have heard that a time or two and probably even from a believer. I am sure that I have even been the one to say that a time or two. The more I learn about the purpose my life has in the kingdom I ask why wouldn't He allow these hard times to take place in our lives.(James 1:2-4) Anyone who has ever been through a valley can look back and see how the Father help you in His hand the entire time.

This is the place where God teaches you the lessons that you wouldn't have normally learned. This is the place where God reveals Him self to you like you have never seen Him.(Glory and Power Psalms 63:2)This is the place where God molds you and shapes you into the person that He wants you to be. This is the place where God prepares you for the task that He has for you. This is the place where God directs your paths and life.

Lets not worry and be anxious (Phil.4:4-7)but rejoice. Lets praise Him and give Him all the Glory! He will uphold and rescue his children. Psalms 23:3-4, "He restores my soul, He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are my rod and staff that comforts me."

What a cool guy!

If you have ever meet Henry you would love him too. Henry is a good friend of mine from Venezuela. I actually like to call him my brother. He has a Christ like heart. He loves to serve, encourage, teach the word, lead others to the Lord, and eat peanut butter.

I had the privilege of spending a week with Henry in the Jungles of Panama this past spring. I know I said that he was Venezuelan but he goes where the Lord leads him. He came to visit and work for a week with our wonderful friends in Panama ,the Vegas, and then realized that God had more for him to do there. We just briefly knew of each other before this week but quickly recognized how much alike we are. It was like I had found a long lost brother. I was able to sit a listen to him teach and disciple some new Christians and leaders for a couple of days and I was amazed. Then I saw Henry give it his all when it came time for us to teach and play with the children. He is a real missionary at heart and Christ follower in life!

Another reason I am so fond on Henry is because he saved my life. I thought I was going to die climbing this mountain but he keep encouraging me. He also gave me some power food, as he called it. We call it Fruit Loops here in the US. It must have some kind of power because I made it to the top. Love you Henry!

Please be praying for Henry!