Thoughts on Earthquakes

Psalm 8:4 asks, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" At 2:07 Saturday morning we were awakened by an increasingly violent shaking of the bed. Immediately,as we heard the rumbling and felt the side-to-side movement, we recognized what was going on. As we heard articles crashing to the floor and shattering, we realized that it was more than a tremor. This was a fullfledged earthquake. Mitzi uttered calmly, "Lord, take care of us" and turned over. I said, "Wow!" and we layed in bed trying to go back to sleep. The quaking stopped, except for some aftershocks, and we were safe. We could hear some people talking outside after leaving their houses. After a half hour or so, failing to drift off, I got up and walked around the house to assess the damage. Thankfully, a few vases and figurines had fallen off shelves and broken, but otherwise, there was no damage.

6.2 was the rating of the earthquake...one of the strongest in quite a while in this country. It was the talk of the town and the news coverage was extensive. As far as I can learn, the internet accounts of "hundreds of homes were distroyed" were more than slight exagerations. We have only heard of a few homes being damaged, along with some road damage. Six people died as more or less indirect results of the quake...one on a motorcycle after running into a fallen power line pole and several from high blood pressure caused by fear.

Other than the sheer excitement of experiencing an earthquake, what I take from the event is to be reminded just how powerless we are in the face of natural disasters. Our house was shaking. Items were falling and breaking...and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. Some things are just bigger than we are. Invincibility is not one of the attributes of humankind, no matter what we would like to believe.

The next day we were visiting with some friends and one suggested that maybe we all should take vulnerable breakables off of shelves each night. Mitzi replied, appropriately in my opinion, "I'm just not going to live that way. If they break, they break."

Living in fear certainly isn't a good way to live. I have often said that you shouldn't go through life afraid. But there are two extremes in how that philosophy may be adopted. One is to just "eat, drink, and be merry." That's the approach many take. They refuse to think about death...or what comes after...kind of an "if I ignore it, I won't have to deal with it" attitude. Problem with that approach is that it's avoiding the inevitable.

The Bible clearly states what all of us who have a little age on us knows. Life is brief. A better way to avoid living in fear of earthquakes is to have things in order. Sooner or later we are all going to have to stand before the judge. Why not do it sooner and take the grace, the pardon, and the forgiveness (and peace of mind, I might add)? The alternative is to wait...until it's too late...and be taken by surprise in an earthquake.

Pressures of society and truth

I have mentioned this sort of thing previously, but this past Sunday I was again reminded of how strong the pressures of society and culture are. As usual, I went to Llano Grande for our house church meeting, expecting to meet in the home of Gilbert and Fanny and to have basically their family in attendance. To my surprise and pleasure, the family who lives in front of them opened their home for the meeting. (The group used to meet there, but for several Sundays they had various problems, illness, other commitments, and couldn't host the meeting.)

That was encouraging because this family, although having made commitments of faith in Jesus, still are involved in the local Catholic church. Why? Not because they have examined scriptures or doctrine and found that the Latin American Catholic Church is correct or even close...but because the societal and cultural pressures are so strong. This particular church has active children's and youth activities. Most children in the community are involved in them. So, it's hard to not let your children participate in what their friends are doing.

The problem is not that everything isn't done just like we do it...for instance...the young son wanted to say the closing prayer...a good thing. He stood up very straight, made the sign of the cross, said, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," and proceeded to recite a memorized prayer. Now, I'm not being critical of doing something in the name of the Trinity, or for saying a memorized prayer. Most of us learned bedtime or mealtime prayers as children. Ok, let's be honest. Many still say what amounts to memorized prayers, in that we say the same thing nearly every time we pray. I could never be critical of a little boy praying to the Lord, no matter what "form" he uses.

The challenge is that what they learn is not always all the truth. That's why we are here...to somehow bring truth to as many people as we can. (I might mention that truth isn't just "our" truth, but is based on Holy Scriptures...only.) Do they get some truth in the churches of the culture here? Sure, some. But rarely all, and often with enough deviation to cause it to not be truth. Elements of truth with slight alterations can be even more dangerous than total untruth. It is also harder to overcome.

Marco

Have I mentioned Marco? I don't think so. Several weeks ago...I guess a couple of months ago now...we began receiving emails from some people in Michigan who minister in jails. Seems that they had met a fellow who is from Costa Rica but had been in prison in the U. S. for 17 years. Marco found the Lord in prison and the Michigan folks spoke very highly of him.

The reason they were writing us is that Marco was going to get out of prison, but would have to leave the country and come back to Costa Rica. They needed help to meet him at the airport and help him find a place to stay until his parents, whom he hasn't seen in 18 years, can come down and help him get set up.

Well, as you can imagine, we were willing to help, but, having been around the block a few times, were going to proceed with caution. I've seen "jailhouse" conversions before. Anyway, after one failed attempt to leave the country (because the paperwork wasn't processed on time), Marco arrived a couple of weeks ago. As it turned out, we didn't meet him at the airport nor find him a place to live. He has family here and is staying with them.

We did meet him and deliver some money that the Michigan people had sent for him and visit for a while. I believe Marco is genuinely converted. He makes no excuses for his former life and gives God all the credit for his new one. He has found a job and is looking for a church where he can serve and fellowship with other believers. His aunt, with whom he is staying temporarily, is a Christian, which is good. At first they didn't want to let him come there, because they knew how he was before, but God impressed them to let him come.

Pray for Marco and praise God that He can truly change lives and make a person new.

Mitzi's dad.

After several years of illness, and several days of being critical, Mitzi's dad went peacefully yesterday morning to be with our Lord. She has gone to Amarillo to be with her mother and sister and other family. Please pray for them in these days.

God's peace is with them. Mitzi is so full of God's grace that there is more rejoicing that her dad doesn't have to suffer any longer than there is grieving.

Elections

Mitzi finally fell out and went to bed about 12 on election night, but I stayed with it until 3 a.m. Yes, we got lots of coverage down here. People in Latin America (probably all over the world) are very interested in who gets elected president in the U. S. Unlike us in the United States, they care and realize that what happens other places may affect the world.

Costa Ricans, being a very pacifistic people, are not big fans of President Bush and find it hard to understand why he would be elected. They look mostly at the war issue.

They are not the only ones who find it hard to understand. The reaction of the media, and many democrats, was interesting also.
There were a few who actually had the honesty to admit that a really large issue is moral values. The facts were before them. The exit polls indicated as much.

I am delighted that it seems that much of the church spoke. But I am really afraid of something. I am afraid that we cannot, or will not stay the course. Yes, many spoke their minds and hearts. My fear is that now, after having spoken, they will go back to business as usual and, thinking that the task is accomplished, stop speaking. My worry is that we will, having won a victory, think the war is won with one election.

Whatever your politics, (I guess mine are obvious.), let it be understood that the Christian life and Christian values are not the responsibility of government. Oh yes, the nation that forgets God is in big trouble, but not the president, nor the congress, nor the court, can be our morality. Fortunately, in a democratic system, we get to vote. However, the strongest votes we can cast...the loudest voices we can have, are he votes cast by our own personal lives.

We must not wait for the right people to be elected to speak for us. Christians must speak loudly and clearly by what we actually do, how we live, how we treat our neighbor. As important as it who we vote for, more important is who we are. If we wait for Christian politicians, proper values in schools, moral legistation, or favorable court rulings, we will never be a force for changing our country or world.

Here, for instance, people are not won to Christ by U. S. politics, but by the witness of professing believers, empowered by the Holy Spirit. They may not understand, or agree with, the policies of our government, but they can hardly argue with kindness, love, and concern.

Christians need to vote and it's nice when our choices are elected, but our hope must never be in them. Our hope is in Christ...and historically He has prevailed in the midst of corrupt, secular, and antagonistic governments.

If your choices were elected last Tuesday, you are glad. Well enough. But let us never rejoice in what appear to be human victories, but in the fact that Christ has already won the ultimate victory.

Gabriela, Katarin, Sofia, and Diana Marin 

Fanny Marin and Querida 

It's a Girl !

Fanny and Gilberth have a new baby girl...the sixth...Everyone is doing fine as far as we know. We talked to Gilberth on cell phones and both were cutting out pretty bad, so we don't know details. We plan on seeing them today (Wednesday). Thanks to all of you who prayed...now keep on. They sure need some good things to happen.

New Baby coming

Even as I write Fanny and Gilberth are getting a new baby. Remember? I have written about them a couple of times. Gilberth called me tonight to say that the baby was coming. We were in a prayer meeting with the Costa Rica team members, but afterwards Mitzi and I went to the hospital in Cartago, about 30 minutes away from where we were. We found the hospital and checked at the door with the guard. That's how they do it there. You don't just walk into the hospital. The guard checks for your patient and gives you a pass, then you go in. Cuts down on people in the hospital. Well...he checked and told us that she wasn't there. I'm sure she is, but there's some sort of miscommunication or something.

Anyway....check back for an update tomorrow. Oh....did I mention that this is their 7th?