One year ago today…..we got on a plane and arrived here in Costa Rica. We began a journey that as I look back on it a year later seems it is only beginning. We have experienced so much over the past year that it is impossible to quantify in a post. We have learned to speak a new language. We are learning so much about this new culture. We have made friends in a new school and continue to search out a church home.
We are in our third trimester of language school and while we have learned a ton of Spanish, this trimester has been by far the hardest of the three. We are both ready to be done with school. The amount of rules and ideas are just simply overwhelming. It is hard to imagine that we will ever be able to speak fluently but we know only time here in the culture will fill in the gaps in our language. We are told we are doing great and that is a huge blessing to have friends willing to help correct and improve our language. Our meetings are now in Spanish and it is amazing to be sitting in a meeting and finally be tracking along and speaking at the pace of the meeting. It is hard to explain, but when you are in a meeting with Nationals your brain just kind of switches over to Spanish and you find yourself thinking in Spanish. It is without a doubt one of the cooler experiences in my life.
We are in a season of huge blessing from our families. Jeannie’s parents were here and my parents come in a week, then Jeannie’s sister shows up for a week as well. It has been a long year of missing friends and family and I think for us all the being away from you, our friends and family, is the hardest part of being here in Costa Rica. We are planning to be back in the states around Christmas time and we are looking forward to spending time with as many of you as possible.
Over the past year I have been reading through the Old Testament. I read through it at my pace using a commentary from a guy named Chuck Smith. At the beginning of each chapter I would read other studies from Ray Stedman or Mathew Henry. Some days I would read a lot; some days very little. But today on our one-year anniversary of our arrival in CR, I starting reading in Mathew. I don’t understand the ways of the Lord. I never will, but there are times when He feels distant and there are times when He is present and overpowering. Today is one of those days when I am certain without a doubt that He is alive and working out the steps of my life. When just the mention of His name brings me power and strength in a way that builds my faith, that gives me courage, and makes me excited for the future.
Our one-year anniversary! The beginning of the New Testament. I can’t help but be excited for what the future holds. You have been with us for one year. Praying. Giving. Calling. We are so grateful for all of those things. And we have tried to share with you when we have seen cool things happen. But as we look into the next year, I believe that Jesus is just getting started using this team he sent out. A team that you are part of that is believing in great things. To use something Jeannie has had on her heart. 12 went out to scope out the promise land. 10 came back and said, “We can’t do it.” 2 said, “Lets go.” Us and you are saying it again! Lets go! You are our team. Our team is seeing God move with a promising lead for a camp property that we are evaluating, moving on adventure trips across Costa Rica that benefit the mission of Vida Joven. We are seeing cool things happen with photography and teaching workshops, which is an answer to prayer. Our team is working on an online giving system here in Costa Rica we pray can be used around the world. Our team is developing sites for Costa Rica YL and starting to work with the Regional team. We are working on a new website to better share details on what God is doing. You may not be here physically but with your prayers and support the bible says you are part of our team. Our blessings are your blessings and we hope we are doing a good job of sharing your blessings with you through video, web and email. If we have felt distant please consider: subscribe to vimeo and follow our blog. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email or phone anytime. We love hearing from you.
We have been through some tough days since we arrived. Lived through the worst month we have had in years and now the future is spread out before us. Like a promised land. Not something to be conquered but something to experience with the Lord leading and guiding every step. Our job as Christians is not to solve the problem. Our job is to return to Him again and again as many times as it takes. We are to return to Him when we fail, when we succeed and every time He will return to us. We will see the good works that He is doing in our lives.
Year two begins today and we are more excited than ever to watch what God is going to do…