The Martha Project

This is a story about a woman, her two children, and an opportunity for you to change their lives forever!

I approached the small shack of a house in search of Martha. I was a little concerned because I hadn't seen her, or her two children for over a month. Molly and I had almost decided that she had moved away. I lightly knocked on the door, fearing the rickety structure might collapse if I knocked any harder.

I heard scuffling behind the door and soon the door opened. A broken shell of a woman emerged from the darkness. Was this Martha? Could this be the strong and bright woman that was always seemed to be smiling? I immediately wondered what had happened? I asked "How are you?", she looked away unwilling to look me in the eyes. I slowly placed my arm around her and asked her again..."How are you?". She immediately buried her face in my chest and started to cry. She explained that she didn't know what to do. She was tired, hungry, and afraid. Her neighbors neighborhood were threatening her and her children. They wanted her to leave, and were determined to make her life miserable until she did. Often times she was afraid for any of them to leave the house. She needed work, but didn't feel it was safe to leave her children home alone anymore. She was broken and could not find the strength to hope or dream for anything better.

Not really knowing what to say, I hugged her and explained that God loved her and so did I. She smiled at this and tried to dry her eyes. "You are the only ones." was her reply. We left with promises to return later with some food for her family.

Later as reflected on my encounter with Martha, it was if God was speaking to my heart. He was asking me "Spencer, Do you really love Martha? Do you love her like I do? Do you love her with more than words? What if this was your daughter, Alexis? What would you do then? Martha is my daughter...do you love her like I do?" I felt challenged to do something...but what?

I had an idea...while there isn't much Molly and I can do alone, but what if God used all of us together? What if we all came together to help our sister in need. I'm praying that together we can raise $5,000 for Martha! Molly and I are going to start by giving the first $100. That leaves $4,900 for the rest of our 6:8 Ministries friends and family. If each person receiving this email gives an average of $15 we should meet this goal.

After all it is Christmas, the season of giving! Instead of giving someone something they don't really need...what if we all pulled together to give this family something they will never forget! We can give them hope, peace, joy and love! What if we did something radical to renew Martha's faith in Christ! What if we gave her Jesus for Christmas? Isn't that exactly what we are supposed to be celebrating?

Here's the thought, we use the $5,000 to rent Martha a house for a year, buy her children some food and clothing, and purchase a commercial grade sewing machine. This will allow her to set-up a micro-business out of her home making t-shirts and clothing! While $5,000 is a lot for one person, $15 isn't all that much. That's the beauty of the body of Christ working together.

Would you prayerfully consider making a donation to the Martha Project? It wouldn't take much, and together we can change a life. Can you imagine her testimony if we raise the funds to do this for her? In her darkest hour, the shining light of Christ came to her rescue! I know that is exactly what He did for me.
Love in Christ,

Spencer

Luce's Funeral

A bright yellow sun is shining in a completely blue sky today. It's the first we've seen of either of them in several days due to Tropical Storm Alma.

Yesterday was a different day, because yesterday we attended the funeral service of a dear friend. It was the night before last that we learned of the death of Lucia. She is better known as "Luce" to many of you. She was almost ninety-five years old, and suffered terribly during her last days.

Her death was a blessing for all who had been praying for her suffering to end, but was even a greater blessing for Luce, who is now no longer in pain, but is now experiencing the peace, joy and love that comes from being fully in the presence of God.

The interaction between 6:8 Ministries, including all the "gringos" God sent to pray for Luce over the past few years, has been a blessing to Luce, and her family; and being with them on the day of Luce's funeral strengthened our relationship with them as well.

From ten in the morning to three in the afternoon we visited with about one hundred of Luce's friends and family in the Juan Pablo Community Center. Luce's body was there in the center of the room, but her spirit was in heaven. Pastor Miguel from Mt. Sinai Church in Aurora preached a message of hope found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At three we departed the community center and followed the hearse to a nearby cemetery for Luce's internment. We walked slowly through the city under the pounding rain of tropical storm Alma.

Interestingly, there is a superstition here in Costa Rica. They say they if it rains on the day of a persons funeral, that it means that person didn't want to go just yet. The local news reported that it was the most severe rainfall Costa Rica has experienced in almost a hundred years! This certainly seemed to be a true reflection of Luce tenaciously hanging on to life her last few years. Luce valued life, she loved her family, and wanted to experience it until the end...and so should we.

Our life is not our own, it's a gift given for us to do God's will. Our life should be about serving others, and living for Him. Often Luce made us wonder why she didn't just give up and die. However, sometimes I wonder if God is wondering why we don't live more for Him.

Living today!

Duke

Ramblings - Investing

It's always great to have friends come to visit, and this past week was no exception. We had the privilege of hosting Alex, Chad, and Josh (Chad's nine year old son). They came with no set plans, except to see how they might be able to serve those in need. Thankfully, here in Alajuelita, we are never short on opportunities to serve.




Chad and Alex are both successful businessmen, and like most businessmen they are always looking for a good investment. So it really didn't make much sense for them to travel a thousand miles, to spend their valuable time, and hard earned money on people they had never met. However, I guess it all depends on how you measure the return on your investment. If you measure the return by the amount of hope and love it generates; they had a greater return than any of us could have ever imagined!

We started our week by passing out food, medicine, and prayer to those in need. It was really cool to hear Josh pray for a ninety year old woman with gallstones. When we had finished praying we bought her the medicine she couldn't afford, $14 well spent. We also prayed with Luce, the old woman who is slowly dying a painful death. She has stopped eating, but complains of hunger, she needed some Ensure drink mix. So after we finished praying we bought her the needed Ensure, $22 well spent. Finally we walked though Aurora and visited Jose Antonio, the little boy with a severe heart condition. They needed food, Pedisure, and diapers, $40 well spent.


The next morning while in Juan Pablo we were introduced to Dora and Alehandro. Dora is handicapped and has trouble walking. Her husband, Alehandro, is an auto mechanic when he can find work. We were told that this is family was in greater need than most in Juan Pablo. They live in a small two room house where we saw two immediate needs. The first was the front supporting wall of the house was eaten away by termites, and what wood was left was rotting away. This was incredibly unsafe, as it looked as though the whole house might collapse in the next storm. The second was a need to build a ramp, because of Dora's handicap it was very difficult for her to navigate the climb to leave her house.


We decided to help this couple and it was an amazing experience. Chad and Alex bought all the materials, but it didn't end there. They could have just paid somebody to fix it, but they wanted to put their own time and sweat into the project. They cut and welded the new, stronger metal supports. Josh even got in on some of the welding action! They mixed and poured concrete, they painted and picked up trash. They even put in a window, which was way more than anyone expected. Soon it was one of the nicest looking, two-room houses in Juan Pablo; and Alehandro and Dora's pride and hope had been restored. It was neat to watch them hang curtains and set-up house. Construction project, $550 well spent.

Then there was Christian, the handicapped young man who didn't have a working wheelchair. He used his arms to pull himself around the house. Not only was he physically handicapped, but he was also struggling in his relationship with his father. It was cool to watch God go to work. Alex, who speaks fluent Spanish was able to talk with Christian in a way I never could. Not just the language barrier, but as it turns out Alex and Christian have a lot in common! They have shared some of the same difficulties in life. Alex had even spent some time in a wheelchair after a car wreck that almost killed him. Alex restored hope and encouraged forgiveness. He also bought Christian a new wheelchair, $200 well spent.




I could go on and on, but this "rambling" is already too long. I don't tell these stories to boast about Alex, Chad or Josh. Actually, I'm guessing they are probably a little embarrassed by the attention. However, the reason I wanted to share this is so that it could serve as an encouragement and reminder as well.


While serving others, even what the world would call the least of these, they brought comfort, hope, healing, and love. Their investment will have huge returns for a long time to come, and though they came focused on giving, they are the ones that left with everything. Empty hands, but full hearts! What a way to travel, what a way to live! When you follow Christ and invest in others...you will always have guaranteed return, and that is good new for any investor!

Hope for the Hopeless

We recently had the opportunity to host a mission team from Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida. They came and left a wake of love, joy, peace, and hope, everywhere they went. One of the team members was a gentleman named Johnnie. Johnnie is one of those guys who is really easy to love. He has great stories of his travels around the world, and even greater stories of how God is working in and though him everywhere he goes.

Johnnie and I spent some of our time together looking at various construction projects for future mission trips. I knew of a family that needed to build an addition on their home to provide some much needed space. However, I was a little hesitant to suggest the project because it was the home of Carlos.

Carlos lives in Juan Pablo with his wife, five children, and four grandchildren. They all live together in a small three bedroom house. Carlos is a crack addict, and his addiction is destroying his family, and his faith.

To be honest, I had all but given up on Carlos. Like many of the crack addicts I know, it seems impossible for him to ever escape the death grip of crack addiction. However, as I was about to be reminded, God never gives up, and nothing is impossible for Him.

As we approached the house I explained to Johnnie that this family has fallen onto hard times. They come by the mission house looking for food and clothing from time to time. We have also provided help through the 6:8 Child Sponsorship Program. God has provided sponsors for his youngest son, and two of his grandchildren. Carlos is the primary bread winner, but his crack addiction has left him unemployed. They have no food or money, and not really any means to get them. The only income his family has is a measly government pension they receive for his oldest son, Christian, who was born with a severe handicap.

Shortly after we knocked on the door we were greeted by Carlos. Surprisingly, he appeared sober, and happy to see us. He welcomed us into his home. We explained that we came to look at the project on his house, and he quickly led us to the site where he wanted to build the addition. As we were planning the potential construction project, God was working on a different type of reconstruction. The conversation that started about building an addition slowly became a conversation about how God wanted to rebuild his family and his faith. Soon I was only translating as Johnnie and Carlos, two brothers that had never met, speaking different languages, were united by the life changing power found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Soon Carlos was crying as he explained, "I know God is good, and that God never forgets; but I feel forgotten". He told us about his dream of having all of his children, and grandchildren, living happily together in one house. He had great plans for his daughters, and both are unemployed and have children out of wedlock. He thought God would heal his son, but he is still handicapped.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!" he said as tears rolled down his face.

At one point during our conversation, he used the illustration that he felt like he was drowning in a sea of hopelessness and despair. He laid his index finger along his bottom lip, and explained that waters were rising, and that he was scared. He was scared it would completely swallow him. He admitted that he started using crack to escape reality. It worked for a little while; but now everything is worse than it was before, and now he doesn't have the strength to quit, even though he sincerely wants to.

We explained that we felt God had sent us to try to help rebuild his house, his family, and his life. In the end we prayed for Carlos and his family. We left believing that God had used us to bring a glimmer of hope into his hopeless existence.

The next day Duke, Candy, and I delivered some groceries, a Spanish Bible, and a pair of reading glasses. As we presented the gifts and he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He put on his new reading glasses, opened his new Bible and exclaimed "EXCELLENTE!" We prayed for the family and left full of joy and excitement. Since my encounter I've been thinking of the best ways to help Carlos. I realize these are the first steps on the long, hard road of recovery; but I'm determined not to let him walk it alone. I'm looking into a drug rehab center that is not far from here. I'm going to pay regular visits, and I'm going to continue to pray for Carlos and his family. I'm also going to see that he gets the addition he needs on his house. I can't help but believe that God is going to complete the work He started in Carlos, and that He is calling me to be part of the process. God has not given up on Carlos, so neither should I.

In closing, this experience has taught me something. I realize that I've become calloused by my environment. I see the power and destruction of crack addiction everyday. It's part of the way of life here in Alajuelita. I've started to buy into the lies of the world - there is no hope, they are lost and incapable of change. The truth is that if there is no hope for crack addicts, there is no hope for me. The same gospel that rescued me is powerful enough to rescue them. Ultimately, Carlos needs the same thing we all do. He needs the gospel of Jesus Christ to bring change, hope, peace, and freedom.

Thank you for all the prayers and support. We realize that we couldn't be here doing this if God didn't provide people like you. We are awed by His provision, and in His ability to use us in such a powerful way.

RCC VBS

Ramblings - Death

Juan Carlos is dead. It’s a sad day here, because a precious life has been taken. Some of you may remember working alongside Juan Carlos on mission projects in Juan Pablo. He was a tall, ruggedly handsome guy, with several tattoos. He was a hard worker, and always seemed to be smiling. He was well-liked and will be dearly missed by the families of Juan Pablo.

It was about dinner time last night when the phone rang. I answered and immediately recognized the voice on the other end. It was Cynthia, but her voice sounded shaken and weak. It was easy to tell she was struggling to speak though the tears.

She explained that there had been a death in Juan Pablo, and they needed my help. They didn't have the money for a funeral service, a casket, or a tomb. She went on to explain that Juan Carlos had been arrested again and rather than returning to prison, he chose to take his own life. His life of crime had resulted in previous stints in prison, and he had vowed never to return.

Arriving in Juan Pablo, I found what seemed to be the entire neighborhood in mourning. Many houses had people gathering to mourn the loss together. It’s difficult times like these that I'm at a loss for words, a language barrier of a different kind. As a result, I gave long, deep, hugs, quietly praying for each person embraced.

After a while we left Juan Pablo to go make all the necessary preparations for the funeral in the morning. In Costa Rica, the embalming process is different, so it’s vitally important to act fast. My understanding is that most funerals are conducted within thirty-six hours of the time of death. For this reason most of the morgues and funeral homes are open twenty-four hours.

The funeral was early this morning. The casket was set-up for viewing in the community center. Friends and family gathered to remember Juan Carlos, and comfort each other. It was during the viewing that I was asked to be an honorary pallbearer. Hesitantly accepting, I soon learned it’s a much larger responsibility here in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica they have funeral processionals, and you walk, and carry the body to the cemetery.

So, we all started walking. The most direct route was impassable because all the rain we have had lately has completely washed out the road, so we had to go around the long way. It was a long but beautiful walk. We walked in honor and memory of the dead. We walked contemplating our own mortality, knowing that there would be a similar end for each of us. The processional moved slowly and reverently through the winding streets of Alajuelita. There were small children and elderly adults, mothers carrying babies, and six men carrying a box containing the empty shell of a man.

When we arrived at the cemetery Pastor Miguel delivered a short eulogy. Then we carried the casket and placed it in the tomb. Everyone stayed and watched as they sealed the tomb with bricks and mortar. It seemed to bring an indescribable finality as the last brick was laid in place.

It’s a tragedy because Juan Carlos is dead, and this time there is no victory. I suspect that all there is left for him is an eternity of pain and suffering. While walking and struggling under the weight of death; I thought about how his death was the direct result of a fallen and broken world. I'll never forget my walk from Juan Pablo to the cemetery. Carrying his body on my shoulder, I thought about how horrible it must be for Juan Carlos, how he is no longer wearing that beautiful smile.

My raced to memories of my broken conversations with Juan Carlos. I tried to tell him about Christ, but he would not listen, he wasn't interested. His death somehow feels like a defeat, but I'm reminded that I can't make people listen. Only the Holy Spirit can soften hearts. However, this experience has motivated me all the more to tell others about this precious gift of life.

The walk also reminded me of my own victory over sin and death. My Savior, Jesus Christ, has paid the ultimate price, so that I can look at the grave with confidence. I can smile at death knowing that I'll spend all eternity in an endless love affair with God, my Father.

In closing I ask that you would pray for us ministering here in Costa Rica. Pray for God to soften hearts, and lives will be changed in this life and the next. I'm sure that I'll have the opportunity to walk in more funeral processionals here in Costa Rica, but next time I hope it’s more of a victory march.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
1 Corinthians 15:54-56 NIV

Ramblings - Rain

It’s raining again. It’s a torrential, unrelenting, dark, soaking rain. I hear it beating on the roof with some rolling thunder in the distance. I normally don't mind the rain, which is good since it comes every afternoon almost like clock-work. However, today it feels like a physical manifestation of my soul. It’s as if all of nature is reflecting the despair and brokenness of this fallen world. It’s not just the death, disease, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, hurricanes, that we've heard about, or witnessed first hand since my last “Ramblings”. It’s the spiritual warfare that beats down on your soul. A few days ago I was walking through downtown San Jose, when I noticed one of the young women I know from Juan Pablo. (She is 22 years old, but will remain unnamed as many of you may remember her.) It was not a pleasant encounter like bumping into a friend on the street; this was an awkward heartbreaking reunion. She was downtown for only one reason…she was working as a prostitute (see footnote). The especially, heartbreaking part was that she was raised in the church and claims to know Jesus Christ. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but said she had no choice. No choice! I was filled with all the self-righteous anger and disgust of a Pharisee. She started to get teary-eyed, and almost crying said "please listen to me". I immediately realized that I was not reflecting Christ, and that I was not filled with a compassion or love for her. I realized that I was angry because it offended me, and that I had invested time, resources, and prayer into this young lady; and I wasn't getting the return on my investment that I expected. Then there was the fact that her actions were reflecting a failure on our my part. If I would have prayed harder, or with more faith, or if I would have done something different it would not have come to this. It upset me because things weren't going my way, and I wasn't getting what I wanted. This wasn't a righteous anger but a selfish judgmental anger. All kind of feelings raced through my mind, and in the end they all came back to me! Then it was like Jesus wanted to show me how incredibly selfish and self-righteous I was acting. Some how this wasn't about her anymore, it was about me! “Spencer, stop thinking about yourself; you selfish jerk, and try to love her as Christ would.” So I listened… Through her guilt, shame, and embarrassment she explained that she had been coming downtown looking for “work” for the past week. However, she wasn't able to find any “customers”. I was thanking God that she hadn't found any “customers”, but in her mind this just compounded her feelings of worthlessness; she said “I'm not even pretty enough to be a prostitute.” She continued to explain that before she made the decision to work as a prostitute she had looked for work everywhere. I knew this was probably true, because unemployment is a huge problem here. She said one of the cosmetic factories had offered her work, but they would only allow her to work fourteen hours a week, and only paid $.75 an hour. (They keep it under fifteen hours a week so they don't have to pay the minimum wage or offer benefits). The $11.25 a week would barely make a difference. She explained that they had no food in the house, and many nights her child went to bed crying of hunger, which broke her heart. She explained that her father, who once was a leader in her church, had ruined his life with drugs and alcohol, and was no longer helping support her mother. So in turn her mother, with whom she is currently living, was going to start charging her, and her five year old son, $150 a month, to help with the cost of food, mortgage, and utilities.

Listening to her story, I realized, I could not judge her. I knew what she was doing was wrong, but so did she. I've never been in a situation where I was unable to provide for my family. I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk a mile in her shoes. Granted, sometimes my children complain about not eating the food they want; sometimes when things are a little tight…rice and beans tend to show-up on the menu more frequently than they would like; but we have never gone hungry. I've never been in a position where there just weren't any evident solutions. Back home you can almost always find some type of work. Plus, there is social welfare and other forms of assistance. However, if I were in her shoes…what would I be tempted to do? At that moment, I decided that my only action would be one of love. I prayed with her right there on the street, and she cried. I prayed that God would remind her how much He loves her and provide a solution to her problem. I prayed that she wouldn't find any clients, but would find work and then I prayed that God would help me know how to love and help her.

The cool thing is that through my experience with this young lady God has reminded me, who Christ is, and how I'm supposed to reflect Him in my life. His grace and forgiveness is greater and more powerful than all of my sin and hers! I'm not called to judge or condemn, but to love others with compassion. To love others as myself and to love them unconditionally as He has loved me. To quote an old Christian cliche "Love the sinner hate the sin", there is a lot of wisdom and truth in that statement. It's just really hard to do sometimes. So, I'm sitting here watching the rain wondering and praying what I should do. You know one of the nice things about the rain is it always stops. It’s only temporary. The darkness will subside and the sun will shine again. The birds will sing and the bright blue sky will return. You need the strength, faith, and courage to wait out the rain; and anxiously hope for the return of the sun. However, when you're standing in the rain a friend with an umbrella is a welcome sight.

(For those of you who don't know, prostitution has been legalized in Costa Rica. If you weren't sure it’s a horrible and ugly thing that has ruined the lives of many women. They fall into the trap through the temptation of making big money. Rich gringos come down and are willing to pay $100 - $150 to have sex with a young Latin woman. This is an incredible temptation, as that is about a month’s salary for many of these women. I recently read an article in the local paper about the social effects on legalizing prostitution. The sex tourism industry is a $40 million a year industry, second in the world. The typical client: North American men, between the ages of 38 – 54. Many of these men are married; we know this because now there is a problem with them being black-mailed by locals working with the prostitutes. The article said that a study showed that a large majority of the women working as prostitutes, end up addicted to drugs or alcohol within the first year. They explain that drugs and alcohol are used to mask the guilt and shame of selling their bodies for sex to strangers. It also said that STD’s and Aids are a common problem. Furthermore, 80% of the women had mothered children, and almost a third of the prostitutes were married. Join me in praying that the legislation will change and they will outlaw this horrible industry.)

Ramblings - All Things Work Together

Things here have been crazy busy...and I'm loving every minute of it. We've had four teams and three families visit in the past two months! God has done so many great things this summer it's hard to know what to write about. However, one thing God has revealed to me how He is alive and at work orchestrating his perfect symphony in and through our broken lives.

Isn't that cool! The creator of the universe, the almighty eternal one, works in and through broken people like you and me; and He's not just making it up as He goes along! He has it all worked out, the plan is complete...and it's perfectly perfect.

Let me give you just one example of how God has revealed this truth to me. One of our first teams this summer was a group from my home church Cross Creek Presbyterian. The church really wanted to pour a concrete floor in the back of the Juan Pablo Community Center. They prayed and raised funds to go toward the project. This floor would be used to construct a kitchen that would be used to start a children's feeding center, and a worship service on Sunday mornings. However, when they arrived we still had not received permission from the city and the project was delayed. The team graciously decided to take on some other much needed projects, but did not get to see the floor completed. The cool part is that just a few weeks later God sent a team from Michigan who was able to put the floor in the community center of Juan Pablo, which is a huge step toward planting a feeding center and church in Juan Pablo.

Over the past two months God has brought over a hundred people from at least eight different churches and six different states to accomplish great things here in Alajuelita. All of these people were united in a common purpose of serving God. They were busy ministering to the poor, loving the unlovely and reaching out to "the least of these", and Kingdom of God is alive and well...and growing as a result.

As I reflect on the summer a specific text comes to mind...(bold emphasis mine)

Ephesians 2: 1-10
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. "

What a great passage! We were dead, disobedient ...then brought to life, not just to live selfishly, but to live for Him and to do the good works, which He prepared for us in advance...for which He receives the glory!

Ramblings - Progress Through Adversity

Victor came by the team house the other day and one look into eyes told me something was terribly wrong. There was intense pain in his eyes as he fought back tears. I asked him if he was okay, he lied through a half-hearted nod. I sat down beside him, placed my arm around him, and asked again. “Are you okay?” No sooner than the words left my mouth a second time, he started to tremble and cry and through his shaky voice said “I just got robbed!”

He explained that it all started when I was walking though the park with a mission team passing out prayer, gospel tracts, and empanadas to the drug addicts and alcoholics. Victor came running up to me explaining that he had “found” a bike for my six year old son Seth. My first question was “What do you mean found”? He explained that it wasn’t stolen, but someone he knew was selling it for four dollars. Sounded like a great deal. I gave him six dollars, Four dollars to pay for the bike, and two dollars as sort of a finder’s fee and for him to take the bike to my house.

Someone in the park must have seen me give him the money. They must have been following him and when the opportunity arose, “a big man with a big knife”, robbed little Victor. He had lost the money to purchase the bike. His solution was simple, he quickly ran home and sold one of his prize possessions. A few months ago Victor’s family bought a used Play Station 2. They had two games and two controllers, but now only have one game and one controller. Victor sold one of his games and controllers to get the money to buy the bike for Seth. Wow! I was blown away and encouraged by his integrity and humbled by his sacrifice.

I asked Victor if he was upset because he had to sell his game and controller. He looked at me as only Victor can, with eyes that say you are such a stupid gringo! He then explained “I don’t care about the game! I could have been killed!” Once again I’m amazed at how great I am at missing the point! It never occurred to me that people actually stab or let alone kill each other over six dollars! Furthermore, he had to keep it from his father, “because he didn’t want to cause problems for his dad.” I asked problems? What kind of problems could it cause your dad? He explained that if his dad found out he would go crazy, hunt this man down and probably kill him, and then he would end up in jail! Oh my! All I could think was “note to self…never rob little Victor.”

Anyway, this entire experience led to us having a great discussion about fearing death. I was able to explain that I don’t fear death, but rather embrace and welcome the thought of being in the presence of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I explained that I can’t wait to get to heaven; that being said I hope it’s not anytime soon or by way of a big man with a big knife.

Victor confessed he wasn’t sure if he would go to heaven. He said sometimes he thinks he’s a Christian and other times he’s not sure. He has heard the gospel message so many times that he can recite it frontward and backwards. He’s just not sure if he really believes it. This is great progress! During my time here I’ve challenged Victor to grow in his faith. It’s been frustrating because with Victor it seems to be one step forward and two steps back. It sounds so easy “Go and make disciples” but as I’m learning it’s very hard to do. However, last night he went to a Bible study and this Sunday says he wants to go to church. These are all small steps of progress.

In closing I’m asking for all of you to cry out to God to continue to work in Victor’s life. Pray that God will continue to provide more experiences for me to share the gospel in a real ways with Victor. Pray that we, my family and I, will live out the gospel in such a way Victor will understand what it means to become a follower of Christ. Pray that we believe and live out the great commission everyday here in Costa Rica!

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

Ramblings - Vision

I had a cool experience last week I wanted to share with you. I was walking through Juan Pablo, a very poor barrio here in Alajuelita, when I was approached by a young lady named Maria. Maria is 25 years old, a single mother, and has two sons. She lives in Juan Pablo with her mother who is helping raise her boys. Maria does not have steady work, but finds odd jobs cleaning houses, mending clothes, and such. They are a very sweet family that I have come to love. (Actually, earlier this month God provided a sponsor to provide school uniforms and supplies for the boys.) Now she was asking if I could possibly help her get eyeglasses for her eight year old son named Ericson. The eyeglasses cost $50, which might as well been $50,000 to Maria. She is working hard to clothe and feed the family and there is no money for luxuries such as eyeglasses. So off we went to the local optometrist to get glasses. We found out that Ericson indeed needed eyeglasses! Actually, I think the correct medical term is "Blind as a bat". No wonder he was struggling in school and didn't like playing soccer. Which I've learned if a Costa Rican boy doesn't like playing soccer there is probably something wrong! Anyway, Ericson put on his new glass and opened his eyes to a whole new world. He was seeing clearly for the first time since he could remember. He couldn't stop smiling as his he took in the joy of seeing everything he had been missing. Actually, he looked strangely at me for a long time, as if he didn't know how strange I looked until now?

Watching Ericson got me thinking...I wonder if I need glasses. Not to correct my physical vision, but to enhance my spiritual vision. What if I had a pair of glasses that allowed me see the world as Jesus does? Eyeglasses that helped me to have more compassion for the lost and dying world. A compassion that welcomed a leper's touch or a prostitute's kiss. Or maybe they could help me see the true value of things so I could stop chasing riches, security, and comfort. Perhaps these glasses could help have the perfect joy and peace found in seeing God clearly. The truth is I don't need glasses, because I have Christ Himself inside of me. Not just His eyes, but His heart, and voice. The thing is, I tend to forget this and see the world though the eyes of self. However, since I've been here, I'm slowly learning to see with His eyes, feel with His heart, and listen to His voice. It's a growing process and a journey. Thanks to Ericson, I've been reminded how far I've come, and how much further I still need to go. In closing I just want to challenge you with this thought...what is your vision like?

Ramblings - ChiChi

Chichi prayed! The other night Chichi prayed before dinner! And you are probably wondering who is Chichi and why is this a big deal? Allow me to fill in a few details... Chichi is an amazing young man. Although he is only twenty years old his life has been full of more adversity and hardship than most of us can imagine. He lives with his grandmother in Juan Pablo, which is one of the poorest communities here in Alajuelita. He is not sure who his father is, but his mother thinks he may be one of two men. One of the men died last year in a shooting and the other is a drug addict that lives in a box just outside the neighborhood.

As you can imagine this is a very difficult situation for Chichi. His mother lives with his grandmother and stays at home to take care of his five younger brothers and sister. He also has two older brothers, but both have followed in their father's footsteps and only come home to sober up and then leave again. One of his younger brothers was severely burned and disfigured when their house burnt down about 10 years ago. This leaves Chichi to be the primary bread winner for the family. He doesn't have a steady job and can't get one because he hasn't finished the sixth grade. Therefore, he picks coffee, paints, and does other various jobs to earn what money he can. When I met Chichi a year ago we bonded immediately. He was starting to lose hope and had began to slip into a life of drugs and alcohol to escape reality. I started spending time with Chichi almost everyday, and even though we couldn't understand each other, our friendship grew.

Soon he started coming over to the house from time to time and now it's everyday. I started inviting Chichi to help me in my everyday tasks. Together we would prepare for mission teams, deliver food to poor families, pray with sick people, eat with homeless guys in the park, assist with different church events, shop for the feeding centers, and all the other things that fill up my days. Slowly, he has grown to understand more and more about why we are here and why we are doing what we do. Over the past 8 months the gospel of Jesus Christ has transformed Chichi. It has given him grace and hope to escape his life and sin. He truly is transformed and watching this has been very motivating to me. Lately, he has been going to church regularly, asking spiritual questions, and growing in his faith.

Last week we set-up the projector to show a movie at the church. Chichi watched intently and I could tell his mind was racing as he left for home. The next day he shared with me that he dreamed that he was a pastor of a church. He said it was a nice dream that he hope could come true someday. Well, later that evening he sat with us to eat dinner. Rita, Emily and Angela were over as usual, and I jokingly told Chichi if he wanted to be a pastor he should pray before dinner. I was joking, he was serious and started to pray! For the first time in his life he was praying out loud in front of other people. It was a simple and short prayer, but somehow I think all of heaven was listening.

Ramblings - Laura

I wanted to share something really cool that happened last week. I'll try to retell this story in such a way that you can share in my excitement and joy. First I need to set the stage with some important background information:
The picture above is of a young girl named Laura who I met over a year ago. She is 9 years old, and the oldest of three children. Sadly, her father passed away last year from terminal bone cancer, he was only 33 years old. Her mother, Maria, works in San Jose trying to make ends meet, so the children are cared for by grandma. Grandma is widowed herself, and living off her husbands pension. Their combined incomes are not enough to cover all of the expenses. They all live together in a very poor community called Juan Pablo. The living conditions are almost as sad as the story. Now with that said, it's important to know that I have not seen Laura in over nine months, partly because her grandmother told me that Maria had taken the children and moved in with the her mother after her husband died.

This is where the story starts to get neat. Last month a short-term mission team came to serve in Juan Pablo. While working in Juan Pablo they met Victor, a 13 year old boy that lives in Juan Pablo. He has not attended school for the past three years because his parents couldn't afford the uniforms, registration, books, and other materials. However, he is going to school this upcoming year because of some caring people donated money for Victor's schooling. I shared Victor's story the mission team and shortly after the mission team returned home, a team member emailed stating they were interested in sponsoring a child. They asked if I knew of any children that needed help. The challenge wasn't finding a child, the problem was trying to pick which child with so many in need. I explained that I would pray, and send some photos of different children.

Well, I bet you can guess where this story is going. Last week I was walking through Juan Pablo with Josh and Tim. I was heading to a house that is in serious need of repair, and has the potential for a future project. Well, guess who is living right across the ally way? Yep, you guessed it, Laura! Grandma recognizes me (the goatee helped), and remembered me praying for her dying son on several occasions. She welcomed, or actually insisted, that we come into her home. After offering coffee and show a picture of her dead son, I asked if we could pray for the family, and asked if she had any specific needs. She explained that money was tight, and she didn't know how she was going to buy her granddaughter the needed uniforms for school! I was giddy, Josh prayed for the family and we left.

To finish the story, the team member has agreed to send some money for school uniforms and materials. So now I get the privilege of returning to the house with the good news that God has provided! It's days like this I love my job.
I've been thinking about how all of this transpired. Some could say that this was a series of random events, or what I want to believe is that we have a caring Father in heaven who loves Laura more than I could ever imagine. Maybe I caught a small glimpse of a God, who is constantly working all things together for good and is doing more than I could ever ask or imagine. Be excited that God is working here in Alajuelita.

Ramblings - Alex

It has been an exciting few weeks here in Costa Rica. I've asked Molly to start writing the family updates, as I'm going to focus on the ministry. Rather than just give you a report I've decided to share how God has challenging me to grow in my faith. It's my prayer that you will be encouraged, inspired, and possibly challenged as I have.

I'm awed by the calling and ministry God has given me here in Alajuelita. It's an awesome privilege and responsibility to carry forth the gospel of Jesus Christ to such a dark and dying world, and we realize that without your faithful prayers and support it would be difficult if not impossible! While here, many of the scriptures have a new and exciting application as I'm learning to live them out in new ways. God continues to place me in situations where my spoken faith has been challenged to become faith in action.

This week I would like to share one area in my faith that has been challenged. I've come to realize that I often I take the awesome blessing of God the presence in my life for granted, which causes me to be judgmental or simply uncompassionate. I would like to tell you a person that God brought into my life.

He is a middle aged man named Alex, who lives in a small box on the outskirts of Juan Pablo. (Juan Pablo is a small very poor barrio of Alajuelita.) He is the father of eight children from a couple different women. He is homeless largely due to the fact he addicted to crack cocaine. He has been in and out of Drug Rehabilitation Centers for years, and his addiction prevents him from holding down a job, or providing support to any of his children. He spends most of his day laboring to scrape together enough money for his next fix.

At this point you may be wondering how God could use a person like Alex teach me anything! Well, the first thing God convicted me of is that without the presence, and the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, I'm a lot like Alex. Listen to the words of Romans 3:9-12 "What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jew and Gentiles are alike under sin. As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have become worthless; there in no one who does good, not even one."

It goes on but I think that is enough to get the point. I like to think that I'm somehow a better person than Alex, but the truth is that apart from the presence of Christ in my life I'm just as lost, weak, broken, and deceived.
I've also realized that I've been more like a Pharisee than Christ in my attitude toward the lost and dying. I, like the Pharisees, have found it's much easier to sit in judgement than it is to love the unlovable, plus judging others make me feel better about myself. Part of me would rather stone the adulterous woman, it's a lot easier than loving her, and if I act like I don't see wounded sinner, and cross on the other side of the road I won't have to deal with them. Plus, if I do stop and get involved I might get dirty or worse be associated with sinners.
The good news is that by the grace of God, and the power of Holy Spirit dwelling in me I'm and recovering Pharisee and starting to look a little more like Christ each day. I don't say that to boast or sound super spiritual, I'm simply excited that I think I one the right track. As I come to realize that apart from the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ I'm just like Alex, or worse a self-righteous Pharisee.

So now I try to spend a little time with Alex each week. We sip coffee and talk about family, football, and local politics, we had a conversation about what causes a gringo to decide to hang out with a crackhead in Jaun Pablo. Alex has shared through teary eyes that he is scared, scared of the future and because has started to doubt the existence of God. I've reminded Him that God does exist. Pray that God will open Alex's eyes to the truth and the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that God will continue to use Alex to open my eyes as well!

Thanks for taking time to read this email and listening to my ramblings. I hope that I've painted a small picture of a lesson God is teaching me as I try to live for Him here in Costa Rica. I would love to hear your feedback and I'll try to keep you updated on how God is using your support to make a difference for His kingdom here in Alajuelita. Please continue to pray for us! We need your prayer and support like you can't imagine. I feel as though I'm on the front lines a lot of the time and the only thing holding me up is your prayers. Also, if you know someone that may be interested in supporting the ministry please let me know.
Now to Him who is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine!