Hello Friends!
We had a great sendoff, Wednesday night when our Pastor, Thom and his wife, Celia came over to pray with us, and drop off a dinner. Thank you to all of you who have sent encouragements and prayers our way. It means so much to be loading the plane and get txts from you with prayers. Thank you. It feels like we’re in it together, which I know is how God intended this to be.
We arrived Thursday to Costa Rica, and we had lunch, worked out an international phone (AND Maps more importantly) and then arrived the house where we are staying for the month. We are staying in the Regional Director’s home while his family visits the states. Young Life gave us a van to drive while here. We are up in the mountains, slightly isolated, and it’s cold up here! It’s beautiful, too. Here’s a view from the back patio:
But as you drive the streets of San Jose, it mostly looks a lot more like this:
We began our first day here with a meeting at the school we are hoping to send our kids. It’s an American school, on an American schedule. (but starts August 5th and goes longer in June) It’s the smallest of the International Schools here that we visited, and we dropped off test scores, report cards, etc.for them to begin the kids’ files and we’ll go back later in July and drop off our applications for admission. They did not seem to see any issues with admission which was a big deal. Another GREAT thing is that we mentioned to the Vice Principal the possibility of teaching a photography class after school, and she was actually excited about that for her middle and high school kids. This was exciting to us, and I pray and wonder if God may use this to help me teach the same class in Lincoln School, Methodista and the other East Side schools where we wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to meet the families. And thankfully, the kids really liked the school, and seem excited to go there!
Here’s a view of one of the classrooms and Jim got a shot of us walking.
We then went to a place called Munoz Y Nannie for lunch. A strange but great place where a cafe is located in the middle of a hardware store. Afterwards, we went to the Vida Joven office and spent time with Randall (National Director) who we will work under. He speaks very little English, has a great heart, and leads well. It was Sharon’s birthday. (leader for Capernaum ministry here) and we got there in time to surprise her as she walked in and sang Happy Birthday (in spanish). They don’t speak much English in the office at all, since there really are only a few Americans here, and they already know Spanish fluently. But they are very gracious when we are confused and translate bits and pieces for us. 🙂
Today is Saturday, and we’ll head off in a few hours to help with Capernaum today with Sharon. (Special Needs Kids) They are planning a 4 hour event today with the kids and then the kids are putting on a talent show for us. The kids are charging 500 Colones (about a dollar) to get in, and we’re excited to go as a family and experience this.
Next weekend, we get to help out with Camp, and we’re really excited. It’s so wonderful that our kids can join in with us and serve in all aspects. The campers next week, will do a walk of faith on the last day and afterward, there will be a celebration carnival. Randall was telling us that they blindfold the kids, and lead them
explaining how to grow in their faith through the walk, and then at the end they take off their blindfolds. They do things differently here in the barrios, and since the school year in Costa Rica is yearlong, camp and growth retreats are something that continue to happen in the summer. This particular camp next week is specific for second timers, and they told us yesterday that this is the camp where many kids really grow, and learn about surrender. We are overly excited to be with them, and as we begin here with International students, we will also be investing in barrio kids and doing all we can to bridge the two ministries where God leads us.
Yesterday morning, during time with Jesus, I was led to 1 Peter where I was reminded about our temporary residency here, and how we’re all foreigners really regardless of where we live. Maybe being here, and the vulnerability and humility it brings, is a good reminder of the posture we might well adopt anywhere we live. We’re still sheep, needing a Shepherd, even when we feel we’ve got it all under control. TJ Nissen shared a post with us yesterday written by a girl just 12 years old who asked her parents to post after her battle with Cancer was over. THANK YOU TJ! She’d battled 4 years and as she put it, “is now healed in Heaven.” Her parents posted the blog the day she died, just three days ago. We shared it with our kids last night during some devotion time in 1Peter 3:8-12, and it was such a blessing to read, and so wonderful to remember again as we read the 12 year old’s words that we’ve got nothing to fear, and I love how God chooses these little ones to remind us that our citizenship is with Him in heaven, not here. As we read “turn away from evil and do good, Search for peace and work to maintain it” Ella really felt led to share with us that the more she has to search for something, the more she will work to never lose it again. It was a great time to again lead our children to the same Living Water we need, and invite them over and over to search Him, His wisdom, be set apart, and that they must do their own searching to truly find the beauty in this life that they never want to lose again.
We love you all very much, and Jesus uses each of you in our lives up to this point and while here. Thank you so much for investing in us, loving us, speaking life and truth in our lives. We all really need each other as we attempt to live a ‘foreigners’ together.
“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away, But now you have turned to your shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2: 24-25
Bless You All!
Jeannie & Jimmy
PS. If you haven’t yet seen the video we did as an overview of things happening here, it’s on our site here: http://justbuildingaboat.com/costarica/ministry/
And Jim and I will be writing and posting here: http://www.justbuildingaboat.com