Golden Notes

2010-01-20T08:38:00.004-06:00

It's literally been years since the last post. We have been back in the states for the past two years plus and are very involved in ministry here in Knoxville, TN. Mitzi is busy working with KARM (Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries) as a team leader and recently began working with Hispanics in Western Heights Baptist Center.

We are enjoying being here with our two daughters and all (except one) of our grandchildren. The one who isn't here is married and living in North Carolina with her husband and infant daughter (our great-granddaughter, in case you don't get the boast).

We do miss the mission field and the life there. It was a valuable and blessed time for us. In many ways life seems a little boring here after the "rush" of living in a foreign country.

I have no desire to "retire" and am trying hard not to do so. When people ask if I'm retired, I reply, "I'm trying not to be." The difficulty is finding a place to serve (with pay, full time). Not that there aren't places available, but I'm finding that age is a huge factor. Even though I'm in good health, physically active, and mentally sharp, churches just don't want someone my age (67) as a permanent pastor. There are legitimate factors, I know, but guys who have the experience I've been fortunate enough to gain have a lot to offer.

Our experience at the church where I have been now for over a year has been good. They are good people and sincerely love the Lord. They have accepted us and treated us kindly. I have no complaints. I describe their attitude toward me as being similar to dating someone you really like, have a good time with, enjoying being with, but don't want to marry.

Of course, if I am to assume God is in charge and in control, I must opine that it just isn't His will that I stay here as permanent pastor...in which case, I have no right to complain.

Misc. Pictures

2007-10-13T10:22:00.001-06:00

"Saturation" - a changing factor

2007-07-02T10:38:00.000-06:00

Philadelphia...known in the U.S. as the City of Brotherly Love...of course it's not the only city of that name in the world...How about "Filadelfia" on the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste, Costa Rica? I don't know what the nickname of that little town is, but I do know that now they can know of God's love for each of them.

Last week a team from Washington state spent three intense (and hot) days distributing the gospel of John door to door and three nights showing movies that speak of God's love. This is not all that unusual an event, because several teams come to Costa Rica throughout the year doing similar projects. The impressive thing about this particular project is that the team covered virtually every house in the town...and a few outside town. The observation was made that the entire town received the gospel in those three days. They "saturated" the town with the gospel.
How many of those approximately 6-7,000 residents will actually read the gospel and accept Christ as their personal savior? Only the Lord knows. But if only a small percentage do, it could transform the whole town.
Someone who studies those type things has stated that 2% of any population, wholly dedicated to their cause, can change a society. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that people who are passionate in their beliefs can certainly influence society.
We have only to observe history and current events to see that is true. The world was changed by Christians who observed a risen Christ and proclaimed the fantastic message. Racial rights activists have influenced the world.

Of course, there are negative passions too. Who can say that the ill-passioned terrorists haven't influenced the world. I won't even get into the effects of abortion activists, promoters of homosexuality, or media images of promiscuity.

I am glad that people are all over the world speaking of Christ, showing His love, and proclaiming the truth of a living God. Pray for a passion of believers that exceeds that of murderous terrorists and of those who would press their "alternate" lifestyles on a regrettably indifferent society.

Living in Darkness

2007-05-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

Selected blackouts...that's what we've been experiencing in Costa Rica lately. It's a process of methodically turning off the power in varying parts of the country and city in order to conserve power. This annoying tactic has been caused by less than normal rainfall, especially in the mountains. The power in Costa Rica is generated solely by hydroelectric plants. Less water...less power. So engineers have adopted this plan to try to avoid a power crisis. Hopefully, as soon as the rains commence, the crisis will go away, and we can return to normal...leaving all the lights on all the time, running three computers, having hot water anytime of the day or night...you know, all the necessities of life.

But it does afford me an opportunity to make some observations, one of which is that the only problem is not the occasional few hours without power. First, the lack of rain causes less power. Less power causes the need to use less power. To accomplish this, the city turns off street lights and traffic lights in parts of the city. This causes more accidents, not to mention the several fires caused by overturned candles in houses. There is more stress for drivers because they are having to maneuver through ungoverned streets and intersections. This causes them to arrive at home already irritated, to a cold supper because there is no electricity to cook with. I don't know yet if there have been more accidents during this time. There have been no studies to learn if there is more family conflict related to the blackouts. (Of course, on the other hand, with no television to watch or computers to play with, there may be a rash of births 9 months from now. Only time will tell about that.)

My analogy is this: The power shortage is not an isolated or contained problem. It affects other areas of life. There is a chain reaction of events. One thing leads to another. The same thing is true with our choices in life...sinful choices in particular. When there is a lacking of discipline (power)or deliberate sin (lack of obedience to God) in our lives, it causes subsequent problems...consequences directly related to the original failure. We cannot have a lack of power (obedience to God, adherence to God's laws)in a vacuum. Such a lacking or failure always leads to other difficulties. Not without meaning is Jesus spoken of as the "Light of the world" and that "in Him is no darkness at all."

Church in Cahuita

2007-04-16T13:48:00.000-06:00

Center of Sixaola

2007-04-16T13:46:00.000-06:00

Crossing Sixaola River into Panama

2007-04-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

Border crossing into Panama

2007-04-16T13:41:00.000-06:00

Children in Sixaola Church

2007-04-16T13:40:00.000-06:00

Carroll illustrating with soccer ball

2007-04-16T13:38:00.000-06:00

Church in Sixaola

2007-04-16T13:36:00.000-06:00

To Sixaola and Back

2007-04-16T11:57:00.000-06:00

At the risk of making our life sound more "glamorous" than it is, I'm going to relate the events of the week end. Don't get me wrong. We live in a nice house, drive a good car, and have hot water. But, from time to time, we leave the comforts of home and journey to other parts for various reasons...not for fun, I assure you. We aren't campers and don't particularly care to "rough it" without reason. But there are times when our work calls for us to experience spartan accommodations.

This last week end was one of those. Those who live in Latin America (and other places too, I suspect) learn that flexibility is an attribute that is definitely an asset. I guess I should have taken it as a sign that we were in for one of those times when I received the call on Thursday night. One of our regular bus drivers (for when we have volunteer groups) needed me to go with him to the "Tribunal" to pay a ticket he had received the day before. He needed me to testify that he was driving for missionaries that day and not tourists. The policeman took his license plates because he was in a private car which didn't have the "Turistas" sticker on it. He wouldn't accept the driver's word that the gringos in the car weren't sight-seeing, but working with a church in the area. OK. Not a problem. I could go with him even though it was going to make the planned departure for our week end trip a half day late.

After making two fruitless stops, we finally got the ticket paid, but he still didn't have his license plates. That's a whole other story...not related.

Note that all of the plans for the trip had been coordinated with a national missionary...in Spanish...on the telephone...and..."plans" are nothing more than a loose idea of what may happen...among a lot of other things. Compound that with the fact that he had made plans with other nationals as to what we would be doing. So now you have multiple people involved.

I'll try to make this short. I knew we were going to Cahuita, a small village on the Caribbean.(Mitzi and I went there a couple of times in 1999.) It's a, shall we say, different kind of place...full of beach bums, people looking for a good time (at what I'm not sure. There's nothing there.), bars, weird restaurants, and, no doubt, drugs. Several years ago two young ladies were murdered there. Why did we go in "99? Good question. Actually, it's an interesting place. But...I'm getting sidetracked.

We made the 3 hour drive to Cahuita, found the pastor we were to visit with, much to his surprise. He had forgotten. After an hour with him, Daniel, the Tico missionary, indicated we were leaving. This was somewhat of a surprise, because my understanding was that we were going to spend the night there in some cabinas the pastor had. Wrong.

We continued on to Sixaola, which is all the way to the Panama border. I had no idea we were going there, although I did get that impression during the conversation sometime during the day. After another couple of hours driving we arrived at the church in Sixaola.There were a couple of ladies waiting for us there and after a short conversation, I learned that we were staying in an apartment over the church and having a meeting with church people at 6:30 that night.

We went into the center of Sixaola to eat dinner. Well, I don't know if a little village strung out for a quarter of a mile along a gravel road has a center, but we found the bus station and a restaurant...of sorts.

Daniel had asked me if I would tell about our work and how we could work with the church during the service the next morning. I agreed but, in fact, that happened Saturday night during the meeting.

Finally, we went up to the apartment for the night. There was only a single bed in the room where Mitzi and I were to sleep, but there was a little 2 inch foam mattress leaning against the wall. That was to be my bed. I wasn't popular with the Central American tropical cockroaches when I moved the mattress. They scurried in several directions. I hoped they didn't return to claim their mattress during the night. With their size, they could have carried it, and me, off. The bed, and the mattress, had only a mattress cover...no sheets. The little bed had a pillow. I had some wadded up curtains for a pillow.

We thought about taking a shower before we went to bed, but changed our minds when we discovered that there was no hot water. Facing a cold shower twice was more than I wanted to brave. Twice, because we covered ourselves with generous amounts of bug spray before going to bed, and the smell, and feel, would have called for a second shower the next morning.

Surviving the night without incident we arose to another hot day and the prospect of a not too unwelcome cold shower.

I won't go in to all the details about the services on Sunday morning.Suffice it to say that the schedule, as we had understood it, changed at least four times before the morning was over. Rather than tell the adults about our work, I gave an illustration with a soccer ball(not a demonstration...I don't play soccer) to about 35 children.

One more story...On the way home, we stopped in Cahuita to eat lunch. Now, finding a good place there is difficult, because everything looks...well...crummy. We finally settled on a place called "Ingrid's", mainly because that's Daniel's wife's name. We didn't pay any attention to the sign which said "Health Food". Daniel wanted a fruit salad with ice cream...nope. Ice cream isn't healthy. I was having trouble deciding between a tomato, grabanzo, onion sandwich or one with olives, carrots and cheese when the waitress asked for our drink orders. Having gotten the point that this was a health food restaurant, I ordered a "diet" coke. No coke, at least not Coca Cola. I feel sure we could have gotten some of the other kind of coke...or at least marijuana, since that's a plant. Funny how that works. Some of those folks won't eat meat, but will blow their minds away with drugs.

Oh well. We made it home, took a nice hot shower and slept in our own bed with clean sheets.

Please do pray for Manuel, the pastor at Cahuita. He is discouraged, as are the people of the church at Sixaola, because they don't have a pastor.

Kids, Cameras, and Crocodiles

2007-03-26T13:57:00.000-06:00

What do kids, cameras, and crocodiles have in common? Not a lot really, but it seems every kid does have a camera. The crocodiles we'll get to later. I can remember when Mitzi and I first thought about getting a digital camera. It was a big deal. We shopped and finally bought a mid-range Kodak...well, it was mid-range then...kind of outdated now. Not a big deal anymore. Everyone has one.

Last week I had the privilege of working with a volunteer group from Tennessee...mostly young people, 15-17 or so. They had some adults along too of course. Normally, I dread groups with lots of teen-agers. Well, I dreaded this one a little too. One never knows just what you're in for. I needn't have worried.These kids were great. Disciplined, polite, prompt, obedient...speaks well for their parents and leader. And they worked hard without complaining. We had lots of walking, most of it up steep hills. Oh, there was a lot of good-natured kidding about whose hills were the toughest, but I heard no gripes.

The week was good. We distributed somewhere between 400 and 500 copies of the gospel of John, showed two movies in the little church with whom we were working, prayer-walked the whole area, and got to know some new friends. The pastor said 5 people accepted Christ as Savior, and several families were located that expressed an interest in a visit from the pastor and wanted more information. Praise the Lord for that.

Oh yeah...the cameras and crocodiles. Well, virtually each kid had a camera...and knew how to use it. They got pictures of every combination and even were adept at taking pictures of themselves. It's so easy these days.

One day we made the obligatory stop at what is called the "Crocodile Bridge." It's a bridge that passes over a river, which is about 30-40 below. There is always a "herd" (What do you call a bunch/group of crocodiles?) of crocs lying along the river below the bridge. Naturally, the group took a ton of pictures, and...one of the young ladies somehow dropped her camera off the bridge. (Fortunately, it was of the disposable type and not an expensive digital.) She was a little upset. The camera was no big loss, but there were lots of good shots on it. We looked and thought. "How can we get that camera back? There must be a way."

We examined the route from the end of the bridge to the location of the camera. It wasn't in the river, but you would have to cross some pretty muddy area and wade a portion of the river to get to it. Now the mud didn't bother me too much, nor did the water...and the crocs weren't close to the camera, at least not at that time. I just wasn't sure I could outrun a hungry crocodile in mud and knee deep water. We went on to our destination...but we didn't forget that camera. Our driver thought all afternoon about some way to rescue the dropped camera, and came up with an ingenious idea. We could first lower a 2 liter coke bottle filled with sand and place it just behind the camera to brace it. Then we could lower a small plastic trash bucket down and scoop up the camera into the bucket. Seemed like it would work.

So on our way home, some 8 hours later, we stopped again. Sure enough, the camera was still there. Same place,same crocs...except this time they were closer. (I had the thought of lowering someone down on a rope and letting them pick up the camera before the crocodiles could get to them. Bad idea.) We lowered the coke bottle. No problem. We lowered the trash bucket. Well, this caught the attention of the crocodiles. They were sure it was something to eat. After a couple of attempts to lower it between them, one of the largest ones grabbed it in his jaws. When he discovered that it wasn't good to eat, he spit it out, but not before pretty well smashing it.

About that time a river tour boat pulled up. One of the guides told us in no uncertain terms to stop tormenting the crocodiles and not to "feed" them plastic buckets. It would kill them if they ate it. We tried to explain about the camera, and eventually he got the message. But he had a show to do. He got out of the boat, fed the crocs by hand...and even held some fish in his mouth while the crocodile grabbed it out. Finally he finished his "show" and came over and got the camera and put it in the bucket which we lowered, but not before taking a couple of pictures of us from his vantage point on the river bed.

So...all in all the kids had a good week filled with work,fun, picture taking and a story to tell. It's a commentary that we probably will remember the crocodile/camera incident more vividly than we will the people who accepted Christ. I was asked several times how long crocodiles live. I really don't know, but I do know this...not as long as someone who has come to know the Lord and will have eternal life.

Volunteer Groups - In General

2007-02-15T15:27:00.000-06:00

As you may have gathered if you read many of our posts, we often work with volunteer groups from the U.S. It is usually beneficial to the work, encouraging to the national believers, inspirational to the members of the groups...and...always interesting. After a few groups one learns that every group is different...and alike. Each group has its own group personality. But, also, each group nearly always has some common individual personalities.

Virtually every group has at least one person that has a servant's heart. It may be a man or a woman, but this person loves to help. They routinely are asking what they can do or what equipment they can set up. They volunteer to fill everyone's water bottle or keep the materials supplied each day. They pick up the trash left in the bus or offer to carry luggage or boxes.

Then generally there is someone who is the technician. They can help with sound and video equipment. They may not have the most outgoing personality, but they are the resource if you need technical advice or expertise.

Nearly every group has at least one person who has been on mission trips before. These types can vary. Sometimes they have been around enough to know that with each trip, each country, the situation is a little different. Others are sure that their trip to Slombodoviastan was done just the way mission trips should be done, and every trip should follow that pattern.

Most group members are very adaptable and accept whatever the circumstances are for the time they are here. They will put up with cold water showers (and sometimes no water), strange food and customs, hot days, and heavy rain. For them it's an adventure. Then there is the one that can't understand why every village doesn't have a MacDonald's, you can't get waffles for breakfast, every meal comes with rice and black beans and no one speaks English.

Fortunately, most groups have a leader...someone who makes decisions for the group, although sometimes it is just too democratic. What do you do when there are 12 people in a group and 4 want to eat chicken for supper,3 want to go to a typical restaurant, 3 want to just eat some bread from the local panaderia, and 2 want to go to the grocery store and get snacks.

Oh, I almost forgot. There is often a designated photographer in the group. For this I'm thankful. (Although it hasn't helped me get photos of the project. I nearly always ask the group to send me 6-12 of their best pictures by email after they get home. Guess how many have actually done it...two...out of about a dozen groups. Out of sight, out of mind.) Having a group picture taker keeps everyone else from having to constantly stop working to take pictures.

And, oh the benefits of technology...except on the mission trip. There's really nothing we can do about it these days, I guess. Groups hardly hit the ground until they are looking for phone cards and internet cafes to communicate with the folks back home. I'm thinking about making it part of their orientation before they come to plan on not communicating with home until they get back, unless it's an emergency. I have no doubt that there would still be some clandestine trips to the closest public computer.

For the most part groups are a blessing. They bring with them a great desire to serve the Lord and take the gospel to those who need to hear it. They are sometimes inspirational, sometimes fun, sometimes trying, usually encouraging, and always an interesting experience. I am glad we live in an age when people can see first hand the world and the need for the gospel. I am glad they can go home having experienced the mission field for themselves and missions has become more than something they read in a book or only during times of special offerings.

Coast to Coast

2007-01-04T16:14:00.000-06:00

I never thought I'd be one who commutes to work coast to coast. Yesterday it occurred to me that I have become just that. No. I didn't hop on a jet and fly business class to the west coast one day and then hurry back to the east coast the next. What I did do was drive to the Pacific coast on Wednesday, meeting with a couple of national pastors on the way, and return home Wednesday night...and...had everything gone as planned, I would have driven to the Caribbean coast on Thursday for a meeting. (As it turned out, I went about half way to pick up the pastor who had arranged the meeting only to find out that the meeting had been called off because of some sort of communication breakdown. He had tried to call me before I got there, but there is no cell phone service as I pass through the mountains.) So...my whole illustration lost some of its umph, because, although it's entirely feasible that it could have happened, it didn't. (Of course, this type of traveling is possible in Costa Rica...look at a map.)

How many times in our lives do plans change? things that could have been, don't occur? What a life I would have had if all my plans would have panned out. Just think, in this case I could have bragged about being a coast to coast commuter. I could have said I had dinner on a Pacific beach Wednesday night and breakfast at the Caribbean on Thursday. It would have sounded so good. No need to give all the facts.

Ever feel a need to embellish a story or maybe leave out a few facts, just to make it sound better...actually to make you sound better, or more interesting? Wonder why we do that. You see, it wouldn't have been a lie to say I sometimes commuted coast to coast. But leaving out that one little fact that I live in Costa Rica sort of taints the story.

OK. So I don't really know why I posted this silly thought. Just seemed like there was a lesson there somewhere. I'll let you make your own application.

Rocks in the Road

2006-12-15T10:29:00.000-06:00

A couple of days ago I was coming back from a short trip to Guapiles...a trip which takes me over the mountain and through the cloud/rain forest. It's a pleasant drive most of the time. The scenery is great...forest, waterfalls...nearly always is raining. Driving at night is a little more precarious because of the curvy roads.

This time it was just dusk, not yet dark and I was making good time. As Costa Rica roads go, this one is pretty good. There are passing lanes for up-mountain traffic, which is nice because there are lots of eighteen wheelers and slow vehicles. I was passing one of those trucks on a curve when the truck suddenly locked his brakes and came to a tire smoking stop. Naturally I was shaken out of my driving stupor and at once became alert, not having time to even wonder what was happening. As I passed the truck I saw the reason for his lurching halt. Were it not for his alertness and quick reactions, his cab would have slammed into a rock about the size of a two drawer filing cabinet. Apparently it had fallen off the side of the mountain onto the road.

I stopped in front of the truck, as did another car, and we all got the rock off the road, along with some smaller ones that had accompanied it down, and then we all proceed on our journey.

OK. Allow me to wax philosophical a moment...make a metaphor, if you will. There are times in this life when we are just ginning along at a good pace. Things are going well. Then suddenly, through no fault of our own, there is an obstacle in our path. Fortunately, in this case, the driver of the truck was alert. Was he expecting to see a rock in the road? Probably not. But he was aware that the unexpected can happen, reacted quickly, and stopped. Then he had some choices. He could sit there and bemoan the fact that a rock had fallen in his path. It wasn't his fault. Just rotten luck. Poor me. He could back up and go around the rock, leaving it there for the next vehicle to deal with. After all, again, it wasn't his fault the rock was there. Let every man look out for himself.

Or...he could get out of the truck and move it out of the way. That's what he did...or tried to do. Maybe he could have eventually moved it, but it was so much easier with help. He could have told us, "Hey. It isn't your problem. It's in my lane. I'll deal with it." But no, he gladly accepted extra strength, and together we had it out of the road in a couple of minutes.

Interesting. Not only did the rock get moved and the lane cleared. There was something else that happened. In that two or so minutes, there was sort of a bond created between three complete strangers. We had participated in a team effort to do something that needed doing...something good. We were all thanking each other and smiling.

OK. Applications: Unexpected obstacles and/or events come into our lives. One shouldn't live scared, but should be alert to danger. We can let them wreck us, or we can deal with them and proceed on our way. We can try to do something that will help the one coming along behind us. Sometimes we need help to get the problem solved.
Helping others is a good thing. Removing rocks from our road could just help someone coming along the same way later.

A Busy Three Months

2006-12-02T09:49:00.000-06:00

The last three months have been pretty crazy...but productive. Here is a summary for those interested.

In September I showed a children's video for a church in Ipis. The next week we began a project with a volunteer group from FBC, Middleton, TN in conjunction with that church in Coronado, an area near the church. The team distributed 1000 gospels of John. There were 3 recorded professions of salvation; 8 homes indicated an interest in a Bible study, and several more (maybe 12-15) indicated some interest in further contact. My hope, and my discussion with the pastor, is that they will follow up and begin cell Bible studies. This area was somewhat less receptive because of being a city area.

October: I preached in Atenas, at the church of a young pastor with whom we work and at PIB, Guadalupe, the church we attend.
We worked with the group from Central BC, Meridan, MS in Upala. Upala is a small town with no Baptist church. near the Nicaraguan border, There are several Pentecostal churches. There we distributed 1100 gospels, working in the town of Upala and the rural area of Moreno Cañas, where there is a small Baptist church. We showed two videos there. Also, we were able to acquire use of the central park of Upala and showed the Jesus film in the Kiosko there. An estimated 250 people viewed that showing. In all, approximately 30 people indicated a decision for Christ, most of which we got good follow up information. The pastor of the rural church in Moreno Cañas will follow up on the decisions. As a result of the effort, he already is leading 20 young people in a weekly Bible study.

I spent one week in Tennessee with my mother, who had knee replacement surgery.

Three days were spent with a research group from Mt. Airy BC in Easley, SC. We went to several villages and talked to various people about world views. Interestingly, we found that one town had two fairly large and active non-denominational churches that we knew nothing about. (I wonder how many more there are out there.) We had the opportunity to talk to the pastor of one of the churches and a member of the other one. Both indicated what seemed to be sound doctrine.
November: We spent a week in Panama attending a meeting and doing some sight-seeing.
Spent 3 days in San Carlos with a group from New Century BC, Roanoke, VA. 500 gospels were distributed, 27 decisions for Christ registered, 21 people indicated an interest in a Bible study and 12 were interested in further contact.

On November 17 we held a missions conference in San Jose. presenting a Biblical mandate and basis for missions and also the need in Costa Rica and the world.
Also in November, I brought a message at a joint worship service of Costa Rica missionaries and language missionaries.

I worked with a group from Abilene BC, Martinez, GA for a week in Orotina. We distributed 1135 copies of the gospel of John. Four decisions for Christ were reported and many names were taken as possibilities for follow up. A young pastor living in the area, with whom we have a good working relationship will follow up. One interesting occurrence... As we went door to door, one group found a lady who is currently leading a Bible study of 20 people. She stated that she had been praying for someone lead the group. Jaime (the pastor) has already talked to her by phone and has an appointment to talk further. I feel pretty positive about this area. Jaime is an active and progressive young man and I believe will actively follow up.

We also showed videos in one school and at the rural church in Cebadilla. On Friday, the ladies of the volunteer group helped give a baby shower for one of Jaime's neighbors and a member of his church.

I believe that about sums up the last two months.

God's good timing

2006-11-09T11:18:00.000-06:00

The foreknowledge of God is amazing. Several weeks ago I was looking at my calendar trying to find a day to go visit with a pastor a couple of hours away. A volunteer group is going to work with him in his area soon, and we needed to get "our ducks in a row." I wrote the visit in my calendar about 3 weeks before I was to go.

Because Mitzi has such a heart for the pastors' wives, she decided to go with me, so we made the trip planning to take the pastor and his wife out for dinner...nothing fancy, just a chance for them to have a treat. In reality, there's nothing even close to fancy in the area. We arrived about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and the wife was sitting outside under the shelter they use for services leading another young lady in a Bible study. The pastor was inside cleaning up their three year old daughter. As soon as we arrived he came out, and we began to visit.

Well, it seems God's timing was at work. Not too many days before, the wife had experienced a "meltdown." You see, their little house (two rooms,so humble) is just in front of the shelter they have built for the church to meet. When I say just in front, I'm talking maybe 10 feet in between the two. Now, first of all, this little wife is a city girl and they live in the campo...the country. They have no car. The only means of travel is by foot or bus, to which they have to walk almost mile.

The young pastor is a very loving, gregarious guy. He cares for his wife and little girl deeply. Problem is, he cares for everyone...and...like so many young husbands (and some not so young), he is sometimes insensitive to his wife's needs. It never occurred to him that a woman's house and "stuff" is special to her, and he thought nothing about inviting people into her kitchen to use cooking utensils, the blender, and anything else that might be needed. He also sometimes made plans that involved her participation without asking her first.

Add to that the instances when people just wandered into the house and children peered in the windows when she was dressing and...well...one day she lost it. She broke down, was crying and it was just too much. He was saying, "¿que hice? ¿que hice?" "What did I do?" Of course, she didn't blame him...well, not completely.

Anyway, for two hours they talked to us about how hard it was, how difficult the work is, how she feels she has no privacy...on and on. Mitzi comforted her with great understanding due to her 25 years as a pastor's wife. I tried to help him to understand how sensitive he should be to her needs and individuality. The point is, we showed up at exactly the right time, and, I believe, not by coincidence.

Finally after about two hours, I interrupted and asked if they would like to go eat with us. Carla said, "I was just wondering what I was going to cook for us to eat." We went about two miles down the road to a pizza place,the closest restaurant to them. They had never been there, and the little girl had never eaten pizza.

God's timing is good.

Waiting for the movie

2006-10-28T22:37:00.000-06:00

Baptist church in Moreno Cañas

2006-10-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

Gabriela and Aron (Pastor's wife and son)

2006-10-28T22:34:00.000-06:00

children of Moreno Cañas

2006-10-28T22:28:00.000-06:00

Greg and children of Moreno Cañas

2006-10-28T22:24:00.000-06:00

Up in Upala

2006-10-28T21:56:00.000-06:00

We were UP in Upala, near the Nicarauga border...the temperature was up; the work was up; the activities were up...
A group of volunteers from Mississippi worked all week distributing the gospel, promoting videos that were shown in various places, and making new friends. It was a full week. We showed videos in two schools, twice in a small rural church, and on Friday night, in the central park of the little town of Upala.

I have to admit, I was skeptical about getting to show the Jesus movie in the park. Not that I thought we wouldn't get permission, but more that it would all come together. There was a large kiosk, or gazebo, type structure in the center of the park. It was covered and large enough for a big crowd...only one problem,there was no power. There were connections and outlets, just no power. A resident and a pastor who worked with us were assured by the city officials that they would get the power on in time for the movie, which was at 7 p.m. By 6 they still hadn't turned it on. I already had been figuring out alternatives, oh me of little faith. Sure enough, shortly after 6 we had power. Over 250 people watched the movie and several (8 or 10) accepted Christ afterwards.

Another "power" situation occurred earlier in the week. We were to show a video to school children in a sort of recreation area. Same deal kind of...there was power sources, but not hooked up. The group decided to gather and pray for the situation and just as they finished the prayer, the man got it hooked up, and we had electricity. Coincidence?

The group distributed 1100 copies of the gospel of John. Seed was sown, and our prayer is that a harvest will come.

Baptist church in Ipis

2006-10-03T15:29:00.000-06:00

Eden ???

2006-10-03T15:27:00.000-06:00

Volunteers w Ticos

2006-10-03T15:23:00.000-06:00

Gangs and the Gospel

2006-10-02T06:19:00.000-06:00

First Baptist Church of Middleton, Tennessee sent five super folks to work with us last week. We spent the week working in San Francisco de Coronado in the shadow of an interesting old Gothic style Catholic church and in a rough area with the unlikely name of Eden. Working with some members of a Baptist church located a few barrios away, we spent the week going door to door, chatting with people, and distributing the gospel of John to each family. In all, 1930 copies were given out.

The first morning was spent prayer walking (just what it sounds like...walking down every street and praying for the families and asking God to bless them and our work). Being the rainy season, we quickly changed our schedule when the first afternoon was washed out by torrential rain. The rest of the week we started earlier and worked through the noon hour. By the time we had finished lunch each day, around 2:30-3:00, the rain started, and we were pretty much through for the day. It worked out fine.

It's always interesting to talk with the people.Very seldom are they antagonistic or discourteous. Like everywhere, they are busy, but after we explain who we are and what we are doing, they seem to appreciate it. A few want to chat and a few want to have a real discussion. Most, of course, take the little book, thank us, and return to the house. Getting the attention of people is something people from the states aren't used to. Most houses don't have door bells, but virtually all houses have iron fences. You have to tap on the fence with a coin or key and say, "Upe"(oo-pay) or "Buenas" loud enough for them to hear. (Hearing "upe" in the various American accents can be comical at times. Southerners can actually make the two syllable word into 4 syllables.)

People aren't ignorant of various groups. Quite a few ask if we are of a couple of particular groups. When we assure them we aren't, they seem to relax a bit and are more willing to talk. My spiel is to assure a person we aren't of those groups, but that we are Christians, evangelicos (evangelicals), Baptists, and that our purpose is that every person know Jesus as Savior and read the Bible.

Eden is a poor barrio with a lot of drug related problems. Teen-age boys in groups (gangs?) hang around the streets with their head rags on and are a little intimidating. Before we began working in that area, the Ticos (Costa Ricans) warned us not to get separated from them. They were afraid that gringos would be sure targets for the local elements. Some of them were a little hesitant as well, but they were determined to work the area. We were all impressed that after prayer-walking the area, we didn't have a single incident of harrasment or threat. In fact, we had a pretty good opportunity to talk with some of the boys and give them the gospel.

One somewhat amusing incident...One afternoon I took the group from Tennessee to see the old Gothic Catholic church. Of course, in front of every Catholic church there is a park. We were in the park and there was a group of young men, older teens, who were playing "hac-a-sac" (probably not spelled right). One of our group, a young adult decided he wanted to play with them, so he joined the group...did pretty well too. They seemed to accept him, at least as a curiosity. After he finished playing, I informed him that he needed to get himself a head rag, because he had just crashed the game of one of the local gangs. At first he was a little shaken that he had done it, then, I think, a little proud. It did give us the opportunity to give them each a copy of the gospel.

It was a good week, and at least 10 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior. I don't know how many indicated that they were interested in more information, but quite a few. The pastor of the church will follow up on those.

Visiting Rooster

2006-09-28T19:36:00.000-06:00

Rooster Problems

2006-09-27T15:01:00.000-06:00

From time to time I have to chase out a gecko from our house. It's just part of living here. Mitzi doesn't like them, but she doesn't freak out. One could say we are used to them. And...from time to time we hear, and see, other creatures...chickens, certainly dogs, rats, in other parts of town. Well, a few weeks ago we started hearing a rooster crowing each morning, usually before daylight. No problem, although we kind of wondered who had a rooster, and why, since our neighborhood is sort of middle class and in the middle of town. Houses here are built wall to wall, and yards are very small normally. (Not to mention that the rooster's wakeup call seemed to come from a house that was more affluent than most and has a tennis court.)

Anyway...Sunday morning Mitzi looked out into our small back yard and exclaimed, "There's a rooster in our yard!" Sure enough there was a beautiful little banty rooster strutting around in the yard. My first thought was, "How did he get in here?" Our walls are high and there are no openings. Then I began to wonder how I was going to catch him. Then I thought, "What am I going to do with him, if I catch him?" I got a towel (I wasn't afraid of a little rooster, but I do know that they can peck pretty hard.) and began to try to corner him. He began squawking loudly and to my surprise he took off and flew to the roof or our house. OK. Since it is very possible to walk from house to house on the roofs, I decided that maybe the lost rooster would find his way home. He was out of our yard and not our problem anymore...or so I thought.

When we returned from church, guess what was now in our front yard...yep, the rooster. Again, the same problem. If I catch him, what do I do then? I could go up and down the street trying to find the owner.
Well, I began to try to catch him again, and this time he jumped through our fence bars onto the sidewalk. The guard saw all this, but neither of us knew what to do. But he's out of my yard again...not my problem. Right? A few minutes later our buzzer rang and I went out only to find a young lady inquiring if I was the owner of a rooster. Seems they had seen it and the guard told them that it had been in our yard. No.It wasn't my rooster and I didn't know who it belonged to. I went back inside, getting a little tired of the rooster adventure.

Not long after that, the buzzer sounded again. I went out, and this time was confronted by a lady and a little boy about 5 years old, her grandson I presume. She wasn't pleasant in the least. She asked me if I had been hitting her rooster. Someone had told her that they heard the rooster squawking in my yard and was sure I must have been hitting him. To make matters worse, she asked if I was a Christian and said something about church, or a church, that I didn't understand. It had the tone of, "If you call yourself a Christian, why are you beating up on this little boy's pet rooster?" Of course, I assured her that I hadn't hit the rooster.

The rooster story is almost over...almost. Later, the buzzer rang...again. I went out and the stupid rooster was back in the front yard. No, he didn't ring the buzzer, although I did think, if I had been abusing the thing, why did he come back. The lady with the little boy was back, trying to catch the rooster. I tried too, but he again jumped through the rails onto the sidewalk. The lady still didn't seem too happy with me, but evidently they finally captured the little boy's pet, because we have been hearing it crow every morning since then.

Oldest Standing Church in Costa Rica

2006-08-30T14:14:00.000-06:00

Why Are We Here?

2006-08-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

A common question we are asked, both here in Costa Rica and in the U.S.is "Why are you here (or in Costa Rica)?" Since Catholics are in the "Christian Camp" it is assumed that they are, in fact, Christians and in no need of being evangelized. There is no need to elaborate on the fallacy of the concept that the claim makes the fact. One example will suffice. I remember many years ago when we were in Salt Lake City, Utah and visited the Morman Tabernacle. The young lady who was guiding us through the area began her talk with, "We are Christians, just like you." Well, first of all, I doubt that everyone listening to her was a Christian, and, secondly the question I would have liked to have asked her is, "By what criteria do you claim Mormans are Christians?" I am supposing it is assumed that if Christ is somewhere in the belief system of a group, or person, that person or group feels justified in claiming Christianity. Without getting into doctrinal questions (at least, not yet...later), many events and people in history would dispute that claim.

But back to the question of the Catholic church...it traces its roots to the early church, and thus claims to be the true church...the "Holy Catholic Church". A study of church history would be hard put to dispute the claim of historical descent. However, and this is a big "however", the question is not one of descent, but one of content. (ref. Matt.3:9)

Since we are using the term "Christian", perhaps we should be sure of what role Christ plays in one's belief system before we make a claim of being Christian. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me." (John 14:6 NASB) There are many other scriptures, but you can check them out for yourself. The point is that Jesus is the means by which we obtain salvation and reconciliation with God. His atoning work on the cross paid what we owe for our sins, and grace is extended to those who believe in that and trust in Him as Lord and Savior...pretty basic, but extremely profound and important.

Now, having said all that, let me tell a short story to illustrate the problem...and the reason we are here. Last week we were taking some friends sightseeing through beautiful Orosi Valley. In the village of Orosi is located the oldest standing church in Costa Rica, Catholic, of course. (See above picture.) As we were leaving the church, I decided to ask a fellow sitting in the door ( I think he was a caretaker, or guide maybe.) a couple of questions. I'm always interested to hear what people believe. I inquired if I might ask him a question, and he agreed, so I asked him to explain to me, according to his belief as a Catholic, what is necessary to have salvation. He briefly answered my query in this manner: "Find the priest, confess your sins, and that will bring reconciliation with the church." Of course, we were talking in Spanish, and I wanted to make sure I understood him correctly,so I said, "You are saying..." and repeated what he had told me. I understood his explanation. The only problems with that statement are: 1) The Bible teaches that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, and 2) it is not the church to whom we must be reconciled. The Bible teaches that we must be reconciled to God, through Christ. In what the man said there seems to be an implication that the church is the object of worship and the supreme authority

Now, before you pounce upon me for a generalization, I realize that was only one man's statement. However, it is echoed, in various forms, by many. No doubt there are true Christians within the walls of Catholic churches. I also have my doubts that the man's statement lines up with the official teaching of the Catholic church, but in practice, it is the belief of many...and...that's why we are here.

Patricia's home

2006-08-10T11:17:00.000-06:00

Meet Patricia and family

2006-08-10T10:35:00.000-06:00

The first part of this week I hosted some guys from Virginia whose church is going to take the responsibility of starting new work in the area of San Carlos, Costa Rica. We met with some of the Christians in the area and discussed how we might work together. One dear lady, Patricia, prepared breakfast for us on Tuesday at her home, a beautiful spot nestled in a valley between two mountains.(pictures above) The home is very humble, but is a delightful place to be. It is a country home, repleat with chickens, goats, fruit trees and lots of home grown vegetables. As is often the case in Costa Rica, the windows and doors stay open virtually all the time. Open doors...loose animals...You get the picture.

Patricia loves the Lord and lives with her two youngest children and a long-time friend, Maria. She is divorced and has three older children, 22, 19, and 17. Please pray for the 17 year old, Jackson. He is "in the streets" as they say, and is involved in dealing drugs. It is a heart-breaking worry for Patricia.

A means of support for the family is the production and sale of home produced, organic, toiletry items...shampoo, hand creams, conditioners, etc, all made with various plants and extracts produced right there at their place. She sells them at the "feria", a sort of weekly farmer's market found in every village and barrio.

Patricia says she could move to the city and get a better paying occupation, but she believes it is very important for the children to have the freedom of the country living, the animals, and the raising of their food. I sure can't disagree. What they are experiencing cannot be replaced with a higher income, city traffic, gated and walled houses or easily assesible supermarkets.

The family drives about 10 kilometers to worship with a body of Christian believers who highly value family life and support each other as there is need.

I look at a setting like the one in which this family lives and frankly I am a little jealous. It's a hard life, but it's simple and the children laugh and play and have no idea that they are missing movies and malls. They are learning to love the Lord and life.

Veggies from the garden...to eat? or to put in shampoo?

2006-08-10T10:33:00.000-06:00

Patricia showing Durant her products

2006-08-10T10:30:00.000-06:00

Maria, Patricia, Carolina, Antonio

2006-08-10T10:24:00.000-06:00

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

2006-08-06T21:54:00.000-06:00

I've spent quite a bit of time the last week with new language students - some of my very favorite people. The current policy is for singles or couples without children to live with national families. This, of course, is great for language learning and adapting to the culture but try to picture how hard it can be. A person has just left "home" - all that is familiar and comfortable where they can communicate easily and have a lifetime of experiences. In about four hours they are transported to a place where the residents speak another language; eat differently; live in smaller houses with more people, etc. This new missionary now becomes part of that large family in the small house. Their bodies aren't used to the new germs and sometimes they get sick. Their nervous systems have never been exposed to so much noise ALL THE TIME. Even the biggest rice fans have never, ever eaten so many of those little white grains in such a short time - for every meal. On and on it goes, and they can't even tell their host family how they feel or what they think - maybe that is a good thing actually!

Because they don't have cars, they must walk, take the bus or a taxi. Costa Rica doesn't have street addresses but "direciones" which read something like this (our address) "Moravia, San Jose, Los Colegios norte, entrada principal, 100 metros norte, 200 oeste, 25 norte, mano derecho, primero porton".

Then there is the problem of getting used to the new money. It's overwhelming to spend 25,000 colones at the grocery store. This is about $50 American but sounds like you just blew your entire year's salary.

This time of year, they can count on the fact that it will rain every afternoon so they never leave the house after lunch without their umbrella. It will most likely be a downpour and they will come home wet from the knees down no matter how big their paragua is. Their shoes will soon smell horrible and their clothes will mildew in the closet.

Finally they begin classes at language school and from the first the instructors speak only Spanish to these poor folk. They get grammar books and workbooks and are given homework that can take up to five hours to complete because they have to look up every word in the dictionary.

Some of the new students have children. These families live in mission-owned homes so that is somewhat easier but they have the stress of getting the children settled in a new school. These kids will make good friends at school but many of those friends will leave after three months and most of the others after six or when these children leave in a year.

All of these language missionaries will attend national churches and leave most Sundays with a headache from concentrating so hard to understand just a few words of the sermon. It is a discipline to maintain good spiritual health.

These are just a few of the stressors language missionaries experience but "vale la pena" - it's worth it. It's not long before these people have national friends they love and almost immediately they bond with their fellow students - misery does love company, you know.

By the end of their time in Costa Rica studying Spanish they know literally thousands of Spanish words and have come soooooooooooooooooo far. They still have a long way to go before all that information that has been stuffed into their brains becomes natural to them in speaking but they are well on their way.

They leave with great memories and so excited about finally getting to their field of service.

It is our pleasure and a great blessing to get to know these fine folk - one of the perks of being a missionary in Costa Rica where the IMB sends their new personnel to learn Spanish.

Mysterious, miraculous, or malfunction?

2006-07-30T06:04:00.000-06:00

Being of the generation that has to have my grandchildren program the DVD player, I don't claim to be any kind of technical expert. However, with teaching and experience I have been able to learn to operate the DVD player and digital projector to show movies and power points in various places around the country. We often use these for teaching and even evangelism.

But a couple of weeks ago a strange thing happened. Mitzi and I went to a village to work with a pastor of a small church for a special event that he planned. There were quite a number of children there and several families that had never attended the church before, along with some regular attenders.

We were a little late arriving and the activities had already started, but a few of the men set up the screen while I set up the projector and DVD player. Soon everything was ready. I had brought several videos, all of which Jaime, the pastor, and I had used before. Since there were so many children there, Jaime chose one of the cartoon type videos to show. It had a good "value" message, although it wasn't exactly an evangelistic theme.

The Disc was inserted into the player and everything started beautifully. (For me there is still that moment of uncertainty...is it going to work? And then sweet relief when it does.) Only one problem...it was playing in English. No big deal. A small delay, but it wouldn't be any problem to switch it to Spanish. Stop the DVD, go to the menu,and make the change. I stopped it. Pressed the menu button on the remote. The message flashed on the screen, "Invalid Key." I checked. Yes, I pushed the right button. I tried again. Same thing,"Invalid Key." After several frustrating tries I did what every highly skilled technician does. I frantically started pressing buttons, any button, all buttons. Finally, the menu appeared. How? Who knows? But there it was. It wasn't the time to examine the process.

But there was a problem. There was no language option. Several others, but none to change the language. I checked the cover of the DVD case. Yes, it said Spanish was an option. So there were options. Jaime and his wife Carla came to my rescue. They were familiar with the DVD and the equipment. (In fact they have a player exactly like what I was using that another missionary gave them.) After reviewing the situation, we decided to change to another video, still a cartoon.The new DVD was inserted and,to our dismay, the result was the same. The menu was eventually found, but there was no language option. We changed again, to another cartoon video. (As you can imagine, the children were getting restless. The adults were being very polite and waiting patiently for the dumb gringo to get things going.)

Well, to shorten the story, after changing to Jaime's DVD player and getting the exact same result with it and both remotes, we again changed to another DVD. This time it was the story of Jesus from the gospel of Luke. The story is shown with three children following Jesus around and telling the story. By this time we were desperate and trying everything to get the videos into Spanish. Carla brought out an old VHS tape player remote control. Shoot, I'd try anything. I pressed menu. Up popped the menu of the DVD...with the language option. Excitedly I pressed the change button...nothing. I left the menu up, but switched back to the DVD control. It worked! I selected "Spanish" and we watched three children follow a Spanish-speaking Jesus around and narrate the story...in Spanish.

As I said previously, several new families were there who had not been there before and had not expressed faith in Jesus. You figure it out. Was it simply a malfunction, technical or human? Was it a miraculous intervention of God? It definitely was mysterious.

Costa Rica Gang

2006-06-28T06:24:00.000-06:00

Goodbye to some great missionaries

2006-06-28T05:57:00.000-06:00

The above photo is of our IMB team in Costa Rica. We were gathered for a despedida (farewell party) in honor of Lloyd and Wilma Mann, seated in front. They will be leaving the field in December and will actually retire a year later, after having served with the IMB for 38 years. (We had the despedida early because two of our families are going on furlough for a year in July and didn't want to miss honoring the Manns.)

Lloyd and Wilma have served in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Actually, they have made full circle. Lloyd started out in Costa Rica as a Journeyman (a young person with a two year assignment), where he met Wilma, a Tica (term for a native Costa Rican lady) Yes, they had a mission field romance, which was a little difficult because Journeymen aren't allowed to date. They swear they didn't date, and I believe them, but at the end of Lloyd's term, they got married.

Lloyd's responsibility in the last few years has been to promote foreign mission involvement by Latin American Baptist churches...in other words, to try to motivate and mobilize Latin Churches to send missionaries to other countries. Wilma has been responsible for testing language students and newer missionaries as to their proficiency in Spanish and helping them increase their abilities to communicate. Our joke is that I have only gotten to know Wilma in the last two years because before that, I was always avoiding her, hoping she would somehow forget to test me if she didn't see me. (Not completely untrue.)

Wilma and Lloyd are precious servants of God. Their faithfulness has been evident in their work and family. All their children serve the Lord, some as foreign missionaries in challenging places. It's been a blessing to know them and work with them for this short time.

Arbol de Vida Church sign

2006-06-25T16:50:00.000-06:00

Arbol de Vida Church in Tabarcia

2006-06-25T16:49:00.000-06:00

Missionary Frank, Jose Paz, & Pastor Umora

2006-06-25T16:48:00.000-06:00

Where is God?

2006-06-24T17:13:00.000-06:00

Actually, this title is a hook...to get your attention. Of course, God is everywhere. Ok, get technical. Is He in hell? Well, that might raise some interesting theological questions. But my purpose isn't to have a theological discussion...nothing that heavy. Although there may be theological implications in my observations, what I really want to do is relate a recent experience...patience, patience...I'm getting to it.

A couple of weeks ago, actually three now, Mitzi and I were driving through the country side on our way to Barbacoas, a quaint little village with a beautiful Catholic church with intricate wood work throughout. Our purpose wasn't to see the church but rather to do some mapping for a soon arriving volunteer group.

As we drove through the mountains, we spotted a village way down in the valley. We could tell there was a village because the prominent Catholic Church building stood out clearly. We decided to drive through the valley, taking a detour that would still get us to the originally intended destination.

As we came to the village of Tabarcia, we spotted a sign on the side of a building indicating there was a church to the right down an unpaved road. Being curious, we took the road and within 50 meters arrived at nice little building with a sign over it..."Iglesia Arbol de Vida" (Tree of Life Church) [See the pictures above.] There were a few people outside the church painting the walls. After stopping and greeting them, we learned that included in the painters were the pastor and his wife, a gringo missionary and his wife, and two gringa ladies from Kentucky, along with a couple of other members of the church.

OK, now my point. Here was a small village in the valley, really out of the way, with an active evangelical Christian church. Our assumption was that there was no church there, but we were wrong. God had somehow reached into that little village and touched lives. Every place, every person is important to Him.

After visiting with the people for a couple of hours, we made plans for the group that was coming to spend a day there going door to door passing out the gospel of John in that village and two others which are close by. It was a wonderful experience, and we were all encouraged that God is at work even where "we" have not been. We aren't alone, and God is working in places other than those we know about.

Sacrifices

2006-06-02T12:16:00.000-06:00

The willingness to sacrifice in order that others might come to know the Lord is best guaged not by where or how a person is serving, but by what the attitude of the server is. Yesterday I met a young family living in a very rural area of north Costa Rica. They moved there a little over 3 years ago from the city. They left a good job and comfortable home to live in a small house in the country. I can't swear to it, but it looked like there was a dirt floor. The young man does repairs on small appliances to feed his wife and two children. I can't imagine there is a lot of work in the village where they live.

But...they were glad to be there. He spoke of getting to know the people in the area, ministering to them as he could, and his small congregation of 15 adults plus children. They have two worship services on Sundays, weekday Bible study, a weekly activity for young people and a "kids club".

Why did they go? Probably he could answer that question better than I, but it has to do with seeing a need and feeling that God wants you to fill that need, with His help of course. The hope isn't for personal gain, any kind of advancement or recognition. No doubt this intelligent young pastor could have stayed where he was and gotten a "city" church, but that wasn't what the Lord called him to do.

To me, he's a hero of the faith. I live in a nice house, drive a good car,(He has a bicycle and half a motorcycle...frame, no motor.)and eat out several times a week. Yeah, I go out to the villages and work, but I always come home, take a hot shower, eat a nice supper, watch a little TV and climb into a nice clean bed. Don't attribute sacrifice to me. What do I know about that?

Sure, I want your prayers, need them, but be fervent for Jaime and Carla, Jeremy and Ivet, Elian and Gabriela, and others that I don't know about who are really out there...living the life, and for what? So that people who don't otherwise have a source of the truth will have the opportunity to know it.

D'Vinci Code

2006-05-27T17:18:00.000-06:00

What is the D'Vinci Code? The phenomena surrounding the book and movie is interesting to say the least. I wonder how many books have been written to combat, dispute, explain the so-called D'Vinci Code.

Certainly the story has taken on a life of its own. But what is it anyway? Is it some new found manuscript? Is it new evidence just discovered? Is it even someone's theory? Nope. None of the above. "The" D'Vinci Code is a story...a work of fiction...made up by a clever author. No doubt it will cause skeptics to nod their head in an "I told you so" acknowledgement. The story has obviously caused a tremendous amount of reaction in the Christian community.(ipso facto this writing) But is the reaction justified? Perhaps, in the vein of reminding us that we, as believers, ought to know more about our beliefs and the reasons for them...that there are good sound reasons for our faith. But to "combat" the book or movie? Why? What are we "combatting"? a made up work of fiction.Does it deserve all the attention? I'll leave that for others to decide, but we would do well to let it be only an evidence that many are always anxious to find some way to discredit truth, even if by fiction.

New Believers w/baptismal certificates

2006-05-22T14:35:00.000-06:00

Dressing room

2006-05-22T14:34:00.000-06:00

Mitzi and friends watching baptism

2006-05-22T14:33:00.000-06:00

Baptism in thermal pool

2006-05-22T14:32:00.000-06:00

New Believers waiting for baptism

2006-05-22T14:31:00.000-06:00

"congregation" in Orosi Valley

2006-05-22T14:30:00.000-06:00

Pastor Oscar preaching in Orosi Valley

2006-05-22T14:29:00.000-06:00

Baptism at Orosi Valley

2006-05-22T12:46:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday we had the pleasure of attending a baptismal service in beautiful Orosi Valley. It's one of the prettiest places I've seen...a green valley probably a half mile across with a winding river running through it. Lush mountains rise up on all sides enclosing the valley and making it seem like a protected lost paradise. But the most beautiful thing was watching 5 new believers being baptized. The baptism didn't save them, but it remains a wonderful symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and the new life we receive in Him.

The baptism took place in a river, but a river with a quirk. At the edge of the river, cordoned by rocks, is a thermal pool. It was in this pool that the baptism took place. About 30 people went on a bus to the river and had a worship service, including the baptism, and then a picnic.

Along with this account is a story. Earlier in the month a volunteer team from the states had been in the area of Cot,in Cartago, a very strongly Catholic area.They at first attempted to go door to door passing out copies of the gospel of John, however they were not received well. People were not friendly at all and it was clear they resented them being there. (This actually is unusual in Costa Rica.) They decided to stop because they didn't want to hurt the future ministry of the church in the area. They then began talking to some children at the school, but the teachers asked them to stop, being afraid they would get into trouble.Naturally, the volunteers honored that request. They then decided to just walk/drive around the village 7 times praying, which they did.

Soon after that, there was a very bad car wreck in the village. Two people were killed and one man lost part of his leg. The pastor of the little church in the village had been befriending and witnessing to one of the men involved for a long time, so he visited him in the hospital. He accepted the Lord and so did several of his family members. They were some of the ones baptized at the river. Only God knows the course of things, but the pastor is convinced that all of this is connected and God used the prayers and the wreck to bring the people to Christ. Who can say? But He does work in mysterious ways.

Samana Santa

2006-04-17T08:03:00.000-06:00

Last week was Samana Santa (Holy Week) in Costa Rica. It's an interesting phenomenon...really a big deal, but not like one might guess. As early as Monday, you can feel it. There is an anticipation that this week is going to be different. Tuesday things are a little abnormal, because people are starting to leave town for the week, but business is still going on. Most stores are open. Buses are running on a normal schedule. But by Wednesday the differences are visible. Some businesses are closed, and there are fewer cars on the road. On Thursday you know you are in holidays. Many, in fact the majority, of the stores are closed and there is limited bus service. Friday the town is shut down. Virtually nothing is open. (We did eat out in an American restaurant.) Saturday is not back to normal, but more so than Friday. Easter Sunday is just a normal Sunday.

But remember, this is Samana Santa, Holy Week. Now, if Holy means "set apart" or "different", the name fits. But you would think Holy Week, preceding Easter Sunday, would have a lot of religious significance. Right? Maybe it did at some point. But it has "evolved" (devolved?) into more of a spring break type of holiday, although a family spring break. The schools are out for the week. Families go to the beach by the droves. It's a time to get out of town.

Oh, to be sure some of the Catholic churches have special processionals on Friday where they have sort of a parade and carry a glass case with a dead "Jesus" in it. There is a lot of emphasis on the suffering of Jesus on the cross, and about as much on the suffering of his mother, Mary. Processionals will have "Jesus" in the glass case followed by a statue of Mary dressed in her regal robes. And...that about does it. Very little, if anything, is said about the resurrection. The strange thing is that many evangelical churches don't make a big deal of Easter Sunday either. In fact, we are told that attendance is normally down on Easter Sunday. Many people are away on vacation for Samana Santa. Our church did have some "Easter" hymns, but the sermon was not about the resurrection at all. What probably was once intended as an emphasis on the passion of Christ, the crucifixion that paid for our sins, and the resurrection that demonstrated and promised us life, has become an opportunity to go away for the week and play at the beach.

OK. I don't know. Is that worse than it being only an excuse to get a new dress or tie? Have we gringo evangelicals lost the significance too? I hope not. But sometimes things do get a little mixed up. I heard yesterday a report of a man who was complaining that "they" were trying to dechristianize everything in America. "They" were even trying to take the "Christian" out of the easter bunny. Lord help us.

Just doing something nice

2006-04-13T10:28:00.000-06:00

Below is a photo of a volunteer working on a new stove for a young pastor's wife. She had been cooking on a one burner hot plate. Sometimes we, and volunteers, deviate from pure missions and just do something nice for people who have needs. That's not really missions, but it is Christian. The group saw the need so bought and installed the new stove. Thank the Lord for generous hearts.

Installing a new stove.

2006-04-13T09:50:00.000-06:00

By all means

2006-04-13T09:36:00.000-06:00

Below are a couple of pictures of a recent event in the small town of Rio Grande. Volunteers from the USA and local believers spent a day of distributing portions of the Bible (The Gospel of John) and announcements about a movie to be shown in the local gym for the next two nights. An animated cartoon type of movie was shown..."Hermie, a common Caterpillar." We sang songs, then the movie was shown. Afterwards Jeremy, the pastor of a small church in a nearby town, gave a short message. The first night the turn-out was a little disappointing (about 40 people), but the word spread, and the second night there around 240 people there of all ages. After three days of work, the volunteers, under the direction of the Lord, left a nucleus for the beginnings of a new church in the village.

There are a lot of ways to attract people. It is our intention to use all means possible to get the Word out. The message is the same, but the methods vary.

Waiting for the movie

2006-04-13T09:27:00.000-06:00

Hermie the Caterpillar

2006-04-13T09:20:00.001-06:00

Get out of the way

2006-04-13T08:49:00.000-06:00

Does God need us? No doubt we all like to think we are at least significant. Truth is, God just kind of lets us in on what He is doing. A few days ago one of our missionaries told me this story. He was at a service of one of the relatively new churches around Atenas. The pastor, who's manner is to sort of ramble and make a short story long, was preaching and Steve thought to himself, "I really need to teach Jose how to preach." The sermon went on for what seemed too long and then he gave an invitation to receive Christ as savior. Several people accepted that invitation and became Christians. Steve then thought, "OK. Maybe I better just leave him alone. Seems like God is using him pretty good."

Sometimes, as missionaries, if we aren't careful, we get into a "We have the answers" mentality and think everything has to be done our way, according to our plan, in our manner. Wrong! Looks like by now we would realize that God can use anyone, and does...who He wants to use, in whatever manner He chooses to use them. Plans are good. We should have a strategy. But sometimes when the Lord is working or is using someone, we need to just get out of the way and watch it happen.

Setbacks

2006-04-03T08:37:00.000-06:00

Too often we forget we are in a war. There is an enemy who is hard at work combatting the advances that are made or have the potential for advancement of the kingdom. Unfortunately, sometimes a soldier is attacked and a front falls to the enemy. Such is the case in one of our work areas. Recently I found out that one of our helpers, a national brother, not a missionary, has been involved in an illicit relationship with a woman in his work area. Not only is the relationship bad, but it has become known to the residents of the area. Now we will have to do some damage control. Confidence in us and our message will be diminished, and it will take time to rebuild the relationships. I guess there is a good and a bad in this situation. It is always bad that anyone has an immoral relationship, and especially someone who is working in the name of the Lord. But, on the other hand, in Latin America, unfortunately it isn't all that unusual. Maybe that makes it even worse, because now the attitude will be, "Ok. These evangelicals aren't any different from the rest. You can't put any confidence in any of them."

Please pray for wisdom and for the Spirit of God to prevail.

Project in Cedral

2006-03-20T15:46:00.000-06:00

Below you will find a couple of pictures of an area called "Cedral." One picture is of the type housing many of the people live in. They are mostly from Nicaragua and are very poor, as you can tell from the houses. The other picture is a view of a school in the area. Most of the children of Cedral go to this school. Notice the dirt bluff next to the school. It is this bluff that presents a serious problem for the school and the children. During the rainy season, the water cascades down this bluff, against the school and runs down the hill to another classroom building just below the one in the picture. The runoff doesn't actually get into the classrooms but the problem is worse. It runs into the sewage system and causes the "black water" to rise and run into the classrooms at times.

We are planning on a project to retard the water flow and redirect it away from the school building. Our hope is that a couple of local churches can spearhead the project and not only help the community but also gain some good will for the churches. This is a little out of our normal realm of work, but I believe that it will enhance the effectiveness of the believers in the community. We hope to combine the water project with some children's activities and also some door-to-door scripture distribution.

Pray for the workers necessary to do the project and for the opening of doors to the gospel through the endeavor.

Precario in Cedral

2006-03-20T15:36:00.000-06:00

Escuela Cedral

2006-03-20T15:32:00.000-06:00

How to Help

2006-03-19T09:15:00.000-06:00

Jeremy called and wanted to talk with Steve and I. He had a couple of matters to discuss and also wanted us to accompany him to a school to inquire about us making a presentation there. Oh...Jeremy is a young Tico (Costa Rican) pastor with whom we work closely. Jeremy is one
of those guys you can't help but love. He is a hard worker, has a lovely family, and has a heart to serve the Lord. He loves to see people come to the Lord and grow in knowledge. He is progressive and innovative in his methods. Anyway, we went and accompanied him to the school in a nearby town, but weren't able to see the director. ( A little background...there is a lot more freedom in Costa Rica to have programs or presentations in schools by various groups. It is pretty much up to the director of the school. Consequently, we have been able to show some videos and make presentations in several village schools. The videos generally have a theme of good morals, self-worth or some non-threatning topic. However, in some instances we have been able to make pretty overt gospel presentations. It really depends on the attitude of the director and teachers. Most welcome us. There is never really a problem of mentioning God or making reference to Him in the school. They haven't become so "enlightened" as to disallow any reference to God in public life. In fact, having Catholicism as a state religion affords somewhat of an open door to at least refer to "religious" themes. Of course, there is sometimes a reluctance to let Baptists in that door. But if we can get in, it does introduce us to the community and gain for us some trust.)

The other matter that Jeremy needed to discuss was financial. Because he knows we don't monetarily support pastors, all he wanted from us was a letter or statement to that effect. Because he is the pastor of a new church and is somewhat a missionary himself, he is receiving support from several established churches. But...after learning that he was working with Baptist missionaries, and based on what some other mission organizations do, they assumed that we were paying Jeremy and wanted to stop supporting him. As I indicated, we don't pay pastors, and this situation demonstrates why. Local churches can support their own missionaries to reach their own people, but if there is someone else to do it, they will let them.

This isn't an isolated situation. It happens far too often. Churches become dependent on the rich Norteamericanos to pay pastors, paint buildings, provide materials, build classrooms, etc, etc. Example: We are attending a church that has a nice building (built by North Americans years ago) but is run-down...needs paint, etc. One of the plans for this year is to get a volunteer team of "Gringos" to come and paint the building. This isn't a poor church. It is a middle-class congregation in the city. To the pastor's credit, however, he did mention lately in a sermon that they ought to be ashamed to let "God's house" be so shabby and that they shouldn't have to have someone else come and fix it up.

Anyway, it's an ongoing battle to help but not to create a dependency that keeps national believers from assuming their own responsibility. Pray for us to have wisdom in how to help them but not debilitate them.

Preaching in Spanish

2006-03-19T08:41:00.000-06:00

Recently I preached at a pastors' conference here in San Jose. A missionary never knows if he is being asked because the people think he really has something to say, or if they are just being polite to the "extranjero" (foreigner). Not to worry. Hopefully, the Lord will use it for His purposes either way. One of my main responsibilities, and toughest challenges, is to motivate and mobilize the existing churches to become involved in missions, local and beyond. It's not a mindset that many of them have. For good or ill, they have the attitude, much like churches in the U. S., that growing a big church is the goal, rather than "going into all the world". Of course, staying close to home is easier.

Anyway, I preached my little sermon and hopefully, the Lord used it for His purposes. Maybe it wasn't too bad, because the pastor of the church we attend asked me to preach in a couple of weeks.

Preparing sermons in Spanish is an involved process for me. I have to compose the sermon (because I'm still not good enough to preach it extemporaneously) and then get it proofed by a native Spanish speaker to make sure the grammar and syntax is correct. Consequently, I have a few sermons that I preach repeatedly (poor Mitzi...having to hear those sermons over and over). The people are always very kind and attentive...probably because of the novelty of the gringo preacher.

When preaching or teaching, I sometimes try to explain to the listeners that I want to speak from my heart, but that speaking in Spanish requires me to speak from my head, and I ask that they try to hear my heart through the accent and halting Spanish. My prayer is that God will speak to them and overcome my limitations with his Spirit.

Correction to previous story

2006-03-07T15:04:00.000-06:00

A few days ago I wrote about a catholic priest being converted....this isn't a retraction, but it is a correction. I wrote that he was a priest and was converted to Christ by reading and studying his Bible. Well, that was the information I had. Turns out, it's almost right, but not quite. After talking to one of the pastors involved yesterday, I found out that the "priest" was a man who had studied 7 years for the priesthood, but learned the truth by reading and studying the Bible. He was, in fact, saved and is now attending the church where Jeremy, the pastor I mentioned, is serving.

The result is the same. The man got saved through learning the word of God and is now wanting to serve him.

Priest sees the light

2006-03-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

What happens when a person studies the Bible seriously...with an open mind, seeking the truth? Well, if that person is a Catholic priest, it causes some anxiety, maybe even consternation. Confusion? Perhaps. Recently Jeremy and Jaime, two of the Tico pastors we work with, met just such a priest.

The guy had begun to study the Bible seriously on his own. (That's relatively unusual even for a priest.) What he learned shook him up. He found that there were some serious discrepancies between the Bible and what he had been taught and was practicing and that bothered him...a lot. Jeremy and Jaime began to talk with him, and it wasn't long before he accepted Christ as savior!

We are excited! This priest plans on attending services at the church where Jeremy is pastor and bring some of his "flock" with him. Pray that he will have the leading of God in what to do now. What an influence for the Lord this man could be! It has been suggested that maybe we should just target priests for evangelism...hmmmm....not a bad thought.

Young people get into the act.

2006-03-01T17:01:00.000-06:00

The following was reported by Mark Grumbles, one of our veteran missionaries.

The International Youth Group in San José, Costa Rica has stepped up to the plate at the same time that they backed away from their plates. You see, around fifty teenagers didn’t eat anything from one o’clock Friday afternoon until after 7 o’clock Saturday night. Going thirty hours without food was not just a challenge or a test of faith and discipline, but an opportunity to raise support for World Vision feeding projects around the world where $1 can feed a child for one day. Their goal is $10,000!

Various youth participating in the 30-hour Famine also chose to work in one of several ministries on Saturday, Feb. 25^th while they were on their fast. Ten of them chose Operation GO. Pam and I took them to work alongside 8 adults from Iglesia Bautista Shalom in Los Guido to a neighborhood called Urowe. We prayed through this neighborhood that has more than its share of drunks, druggies and single mothers and then visited 400 homes leaving each family a gospel of John. We also gave away cassette tapes of the JESUS film to three people who could not read. I heard one tape playing (LOUDLY) as I walked by the house of a man who was stricken blind from complications with diabetes. The needs that we encountered were many, and we prayed for them. Everyone on the team got a chance to pray personally with someone.

Shalom Baptist already has some Bible studies going on in Urowe. That Saturday, sixteen more people indicated their desire to study the Bible further, and two people even turned their lives over to Christ that day! We finished the work in the early afternoon and the youth returned to their other big group activities.

One mother reported that her son said that the mission work in Los Guido was a life-changing experience…and that’s just what our prayer continues to be for the 400 families that we visited, too.

Carla, Jaime, (and Camila) leading worship

2006-02-27T14:46:00.000-06:00

Camila & friend

2006-02-27T14:45:00.000-06:00

Carroll & Carl visiting in Cebidilla

2006-02-27T14:42:00.000-06:00

Volunteers and kids after school

2006-02-27T14:40:00.000-06:00

Carla with her kinder class

2006-02-27T14:39:00.000-06:00

School Children during movie

2006-02-27T14:37:00.000-06:00

Work in Cebidilla

2006-02-27T14:06:00.000-06:00

Cebidilla is a small village outside of Orotina, near the west coast of Costa Rica. Most of last week was spent working there with a volunteer team from St. Louis and a precious Costa Rican couple who have moved there to live and establish a church.

Let me tell you a little about them. Jaime and Carla have a beautiful little girl, Camila, who is three. Jaime is originally from Panama, but came to Costa Rica and was trained in a Baptist church. Carla is Costa Rican, a city girl. What a special couple they are. God put missions on their hearts and they moved to Cebidilla, which is a small village in a rural area. (You can see a picture of their small house under this post.) They both have part time jobs to support themselves, ever so humbly, and are working hard among these people to win souls to the Lord. Jaime has established relationships with most of the people by house to house visitation and by working with boys on a soccer team. Before last week he had visited virtually every family and brought about a dozen to Christ.

A week ago, they had the first worship service in the little shelter Jaime built, (a picture is below.) and there were about 40 local people in attendance. (Some gringos were there too, but they don't count.) Jaime and Carla had to teach them virtually everything...how to sing hymns and choruses, how to pray, how to use the Bible. What a blessing it was to see these people learning and to feel the excitement of Jaime and Carla as they led them.

During the week, the volunteer group went door to door praying and passing out copies of the Gospel of John. They also were able to show a DVD in three schools. The DVD's were what we call "value" movies. They don't overtly present the gospel, but teach a Christian value and Jaime did a good job of tying the value into a gospel presentation.

On Wednesday night another movie was shown in the "church building" and was attended by 146 people. Several were saved. This is an example of true mission work. This young couple have a heart to reach the unreached. They have gone there, lived among them and become a part of the community. Now a church is started. The interesting thing is that Jaime already has a young man that he is training to take over the church so that he and Carla can move on to another place. Their desire is to serve in a foreign country.

Pray that this dear family will have the means to just survive and that God will continue to use them and that the newly born church will become a strong fellowship reaching out to more and more people.

First Worship Service

2006-02-27T14:03:00.000-06:00

Even Ticas like ice cream.

2006-02-27T14:01:00.000-06:00

People watching Jesus Film

2006-02-27T14:00:00.000-06:00

Jaime, Carla & Camila

2006-02-27T13:59:00.000-06:00

Jaime & Carla's house

2006-02-27T13:56:00.000-06:00

Catching up

2006-02-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

How the time does fly. I fully intend to post to this blog every few days, but before I know it, a month (or more) has flown by. I won't try to relate all that has happened in the last month, but work continues in the Puriscal area. Puriscal itself is a small town that is surrounded by villages. Someone said 23 of them, but I haven't counted. We have worked in seven of them and have ongoing contacts in most of the seven. There are several Bible studies being held regularly, but as yet, God hasn't shown us who the future leaders will be.

The people are very friendly and welcome us warmly. It's not hard to spend a good deal of time just chatting. They always want to give us "cafecita"( a cup of coffee) and some sort of snack. These aren't things they have prepared beforehand, so it's not like they just open the frig and pull something out.

I am continuously impressed that these simple (in lifestyle) folks are so interested in world events. Sometimes they have interesting ideas about North Americans that they have learned from TV or have heard by word of mouth. It's always fun to correct misconceptions, but not so much fun to try and explain the negative things that are true.

One area in particular is so poor that it breaks your heart. Some of the poverty is self-inflicted because of alcohol abuse and other vices, but one wonders how much the overall hopelessness contributes to the abuse. How do we help these people? I don't know how to help them financially. Anything done just has to be repeated over and over. We can give them hope in Christ though, and this is what we try to do. A better relationship with God would help them have a better relationship with their families and neighbors. Perhaps that would give a better outlook of life and some of the ongoing problems could be curtailed.

Pray for Flora, Katia, Teresa, Anita, Eliezer, Marvin and Manuel. Also pray for Oscar, who claims to be a Christian but has no church and wants his children to study the Bible.

Poco a poco

2006-01-11T12:35:00.000-06:00

"Poco a Poco" is a Spanish term for "little by little". It is used for anything that is slow in coming...such as, "We learn to speak Spanish poco a poco." It implies the need to have patience and keep on keeping on. Very often that's just the way reaching an area for Christ is...poco a poco. We would like to see an explosion of new believers, and history tells us that it has happened...Pentecost, the Great Awakening, various movings of the Spirit that brought revival. There are even some modern day happenings, such as church planting movements in China, some places in Indonesia, and a couple of others that it might be better not to mention. It is something that we long for, pray for, work for. But in the end, that kind of spectacular response is a movement of God and cannot be orchestrated. More often our work is poco a poco. Relationships have to be established, cultivated, and nurtured. People have to gain trust and often want to see if we are genuine. I liken our work to a farmer. He plows the field, plants the seed, cultivates the land, but he can't guarantee a harvest. We can distribute the gospel, visit the people, conduct Bible studies, and even do some discipleship, but we can't guarantee a movement.

The phenomenon is interesting. A good deal of time is spent just visiting with folks. One has to eat weird food (At least to us, it is.), imbibe liquid refreshment (non-alcoholic, of course) with weird stuff floating in it. And then there's the language...always the language. For some, it's no problem...oh for that gift...but for others (such as me)it's a constant struggle to understand and be understood. Fortunately, virtually everyone is patient and kind to us poor gringos. But people can discern your heart, and they respond to genuine concern and "poco a poco" a relationship is built.

Pray for several people that we are building relationships with: Luz Marina, Vanessa Meza, the Solano family, Roxana and Cristian. These are people that have expressed an interest in studying the Bible. A couple of them profess to be Christians (in the sense we believe it). Others are just interested, or at least being polite. These are open doors that, hopefully, God will use to bring more people into the kingdom.

It can be lonely down here!

2005-12-21T17:54:00.000-06:00

All the Ticos (Costa Ricans) are doing Christmas stuff and obviously our family and friends in the U.S. are too as the emails are getting scarce. Our neighborhood is quiet and our days are long. Just like at your house, for these two weeks life revolves around Christmas and New Years (which is a bigger celebration in Costa Rica than in the States).

We have lots of parties and special things at church to attend but they are almost all over and families are gathering to celebrate in their own way. MKs are back from the U.S. - some bringing friends. So those missionary families with children on the field or unmarried have a house full and are delighted.

Some of us without family visitors are getting together Christmas Day to eat and remember the birth of our Lord, but until then - it can be lonely down here!!

Christmas Thoughts

2005-12-21T17:12:00.000-06:00

This time of year prompts varying attitudes. Some people are caught up in the joy of the season. Others feel depressed. For some, Christmas is a time of remembering...nostalgia, or longing for separated loved ones. Just a few days ago as we were visiting a family in a small town, an older daughter in the family mentioned that she didn't like Christmas. I was hesitant to ask why, but did anyway. Her response was sad. She cited the fact that they were poor and didn't have decorations or presents. She wasn't hinting or anything like that...just stating a fact. It made me sad too, for her. Her mother, with a smile, said, "Maybe it will be better next year." I am torn between being sad for those whose Christmas won't be what they would like and rejoicing in the "reason for the season."
Costa Ricans do decorate. There are lights, Christmas trees, and plenty of Christmas decor in the stores. It's a big deal...just like in the states. Choirs are singing in the malls, there is Christmas music on the radio.
I'm not sure which is worse...the cultural "Christianity" of Latin America or the growing secularist attitude of the states. (Can you believe "Holiday" trees?) A couple of things come to mind: First, it doesn't matter how much you use the name of God or talk about Jesus, if you don't know Him personally, it's only knowledge by reputation. Secondly, no matter how much you try to obliterate His name from the public forum, He still is and will be Lord forever.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions

2005-12-07T23:16:00.000-06:00

The old joke is about the guy who asked, "Who is that Lottie Moon anyway? Every year we take a special offering for her." And of course often we talk about the "Lottie Moon Offering" as if everyone knew what it is all about. Well, most Southern Baptists do know, but then, all of you aren't Southern Baptists, are you? Suffice it to say that Lottie Moon was a missionary to China many years ago and the Baptist annual offering for foreign missions is named after her. This annual offering comes around at Christmas time and is a vital part of supporting us Baptist missionaries.

Many missionaries, maybe most, have to raise support to live on the mission field. Our method is different. Southern Baptist missionaries are supported by the offerings of thousands of churches who freely send their offerings to the International Mission Board, who administers the funds. It is a method that has served missions well for many years. There are approximately 5,000 IMB missionaries on the field at this time and the number is growing.

For those of you who are Baptists and give annually, some sacrificially, to the missions offering, thank you. Your giving makes our work possible. For the sake of the kingdom, pray earnestly about your gift this year. Many have given to disaster relief after Katrina, and that is good, but there is still work to be done all over the world to reach the lost.

Huecos and life

2005-12-04T07:49:00.000-06:00

Mitzi and I made a quick trip to Liberia, Santa Cruz, and Nicoya to visit some pastors who had helped with the work in those areas. Left Friday, returned on Saturday. As you may know, the roads in Costa Rica are notoriously bad, but the roads toward Liberia are especially bad. It's not that they aren't paved. In fact, it might be better if they weren't. The problem is the huecos. Huecos are ugly cousins of chug holes, which are kin to pot holes. The trouble with huecos is that they are generally found in bunches, where chug holes tend to be more isolated. And huecos aren't like pot holes in a dirt road. Pot holes can be worn down and have smooth edges. Not huecos. These babies are sharp-edged and often deep. These demons can rip a tire right off the rim.
As we drove along, at times swerving crazily to try and miss the huecos, an analogy came to me. Driving along these roads is a lot like living life.
For one thing, much of the road is shaded by overhanging tree limbs. The mottled shadows on the road obscure your vison and make it hard to spot the huecos because they tend to lurk in the darkness and wait for you to fall into them. Most of our problems in life are unexpected. Although...at a couple of places there are warning signs. The signs say, "Caratera en mal estado," (Road in bad condition.) Interestingly, the signs are not temporary, but permanent, worn and rusty...(Does this tell you anything?) Maybe because these signs have been there so long, because they are old, because they aren't new and shiny, glitzy or sparkly, they just get ignored. (The Bible?) Some things are just going to be there. Be warned.
I discovered there are various ways to handle the huecos. One way is to follow closely the cars in front of you. Just do what they do. Problem here is that you will hit the same huecos they hit. Another method is to lay back a little and watch the car ahead. If he hits a hueco, take a different track. (Some say if you just go fast enough, you will fly over the huecos and the ride will actually be smoother....hmmm, I don't think so.) Based on my own research, I think the experience of others is helpful, but keeping a close eye on the road and your hands on the wheel is a good tactic. You can't just stop. You have to keep going, but to ignore the menacing huecos in the road would be foolhardy, not to mention dangerous and expensive.
Another challenging element of journeying through hueco country is that they aren't consistent. The road is smooth for a while, then, wham, here they are again...no warning, no leading up to them...You are just suddenly in huecolandia again. Often as you are leaving a huecoous area, you meet cars approaching,usually at a rapid pace. The thought comes,"Wow! They better slow down. They're going to hit those huecos too fast and tear up their car." Once we saw a shiny, surely new, Porsche RUV coming. I hoped he wouldn't tear up his nice expensive car. We briefly debated whether the huecos would do damage to a car that expensive or if a car that expensive should be able to withstand the shock of the huecos. Don't know the answer to that, but I suspect that huecos will tear up any car if hit without care. Would have been nice to have been able to warn all the oncoming cars of the danger ahead.
That's kind of a part of what we want to do. Life is full of dangerous huecos. You're going to hit some of them, but many can be avoided with care and proper warning. We want to help people and give them a warning sign and some instructions...albeit a sign that many see as old, rusted, out of date, and irrelevant. But properly heeded, that sign can help us avoid many of the huecos of life.

Preaching at Cañas

2005-11-15T17:02:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at the "Iglesia Monte Hobeb Quiterrizí. It was a delightful experience. The church is made up of indigenous (what we might call "indian"...native Costa Ricans) residents of a reservation. We encountered the pastor a few weeks ago as we were distributing the Gospel of John with a volunteer group from the U.S. He was extremely friendly and wanted my name and phone number. Little did I know that he was going to ask me to preach in his church. No. It's not a Baptist church. Actually, it's Church of God. The congregation numbered around 30, at least half children. Their worship style was pretty much what we would call charasmatic. Mitzi and were familiar with the songs, although we don't know them without a song book or sheet...and we couldn't quite get the words as they sang them...partly because it was Spanish, but mostly because there were so many different keys being sung that it was hard to make out the tune or words. And typical of Latin American churches, they had a sound system (in a room about 25x25)which they turned up pretty loud. The pastor's 8 year old son played the drums. He has the system down, just not the beat. A man played the guitar and led the singing. Don't get me wrong. I'm not making fun of them or being critical. They were worshipping. It didn't really matter if they were on the same key or not, because it wasn't a concert. Each one was expressing himself.
I preached...well, I still have to read most of my sermon in Spanish...and the people were very attentive. Costa Rican people are very polite. No doubt they appreciated the fact that my sermon was probably about half as long as they were used to. I hope they got the point. There was a smattering of "Amens"...as I said they are very polite.
Before we left,the pastor (who isn't indigenous) said to pray for them because there is still a lot of brujería (witchcraft) among the people, and like many indigenous peoples, alcoholism. He wispered this, so it may be that some of the people who attend church are involved. That isn't all that unusual. It's not uncommon for rural people to just sort of mix "Christianity" with what they already have.
When we left, we gave the pastor and his family a ride (They don't have a car.)and as we were driving up the steep dirt road, a lady from the church was walking along with her little girl. We gave her a ride too. She would have had to walk about two miles...almost straight up...to get home. Any of us walk two miles to church?

The heat is on.

2005-11-12T09:55:00.000-06:00

I'm not one to see a demon behind every bush, but at times like this it just seems like the enemy is working overtime. A few days ago I sent out a prayer request about a young pastor who has just been accused of taking money six years ago. Makes no sense why at this time. It was a situation where there was accounting for funds every day and there was never any discrepancy. The young man is doing an excellent work leading his church, which is reaching people for Christ. This has the potential of causing him to have to leave the church in order to earn money to pay a lawyer.

Then...last night another faithful worker...a man who is leading several groups, including at least two churches was rushed to the hospital with what appeared to be a heart attack, although I haven't heard the latest report.

All this comes at a time when there is significant Kingdom advance in certain areas (the areas where these men are working) and the potential for a great deal more. It may be coincidence, but it sure does seem like a frontal attack to me.

Satan has had control of these areas for a long time. His territory is being invaded. The people he has deceived are seeing the light, the truth. It's no wonder he is upset and on the attack. This is happening in more places too. Several of our potential or active leaders are having various problems...health, housing, job, discouragement, just to name a few.

Please lift up Jose, Jeremy, Gilberth, Sabino in particular. Pray for their protection and strength in the Lord. Pray for God's grace to sustain them and give the power to continue on. Also pray a special protection...some call it a hedge of protection...but whatever you call it, pray that they will be protected from the advances of anything or anybody that would try to drag them down and render them ineffective.

May God be glorified in the victories of his chosen.

Good News-Bad News

2005-11-06T08:25:00.000-06:00

You know the "good news, bad news" phrase. Well, I've got good news (praise) and bad news (reason for petitions). Which do you want first? Ok. The good news. Recently a volunteer group worked in the Puriscal area distributing the gospel and making contacts (see earlier pictures and article). Many good contacts were made, and, as always, the task is to follow up on them. Our prayer was for God to raise up national believers to work with new groups in that area. It appears that He has done that. The pastor of a church in a nearby town has the vision of training church members to go to the villages and lead Bible studies. Pray that we can wisely work with this church in starting new groups and developing leadership.

Now...the bad news...well, it appears that way now, but only God knows the final outcome. He can take what appears to be bad and turn it to good. Oh. You want to know what I'm talking about. Ok. The young pastor of a new and growing church has been (falsely) accused of embezzeling money from an employer where he worked six years ago.
Why now? Who knows? An attack from the enemy it seems. The pastor says he can prove his innocence, but the system here is that an accused person is guilty until proven innocent. If the charges aren't dropped, in order to hire and pay a lawyer to defend him, a process which could take years, he and his wife will have to leave the church and move to where they both can get jobs to earn enough to pay the lawyer. Please pray...first that the family will have faith and strength; secondly that the church will be strong and supportive; that if this continues, God will provide leadership for the church; that the charges will be dropped, and soon, before he has to resign and move his family.

Jodelle and friend

2005-10-31T17:22:00.000-06:00

"Tico" family (minus the father)

2005-10-31T17:19:00.000-06:00

Washing in the country

2005-10-31T17:18:00.000-06:00

"The Bridge" group

2005-10-31T17:16:00.000-06:00

Carroll and Dale visiting

2005-10-31T17:14:00.000-06:00

Visiting with a Tico

2005-10-24T16:44:00.000-06:00

Up the trail to the house

2005-10-24T16:43:00.000-06:00

The Bridge Volunteer Group

2005-10-24T16:41:00.000-06:00