by Hampton | Jun 17, 2016 | Blog |
In both the American and Texas Revolutions, men outnumbered and facing impossible odds sent messages to their foes that they would not surrender. The Come and Take It flag is one of the flags that flew over Texas and is part of the story of Texas. The men in both instances told their foes that they would not be intimidated and would stand their ground. As Christians we are facing an enemy as well and one that is cunning and has battled us in more ways than we can count. Yet we have one thing going for us that the Texans in Gonzalez did not. We know as Christians how the story ends. We know as Christians that victory is ours. We know together, us and all of you, we must keep the faith, pray and stand in a gap for kids here in Costa Rica. That ‘gap’ has been bigger and more difficult than we ever imagined. … We honestly were not prepared for the full measure of work that laid ahead of us. Maybe we thought we would come down and walk alongside kids as they discovered a deeper faith. Sure, learning Spanish would be tough and the crazy driving conditions here might be a challenge, but anything is possible with God. We have battled so much more. Young Life in Costa Rica has been described in many ways to us before and after we arrived. And when we got here we found that while great things were happening, there were also some things that needed to change. Jeannie has been focusing much of her time away...
by Hampton | Oct 10, 2013 | Uncategorized |
I’m not sure I ever realized how vast the learning curve is in life. That no matter how old you get, if you bet everything on the reality of Jesus, you actually are amazed like a child over and over, and in awe of the hearts of the people he draws into your life. As we wander into the unknown waters of fundraising, and preparing to leave the U.S. in 9 months, it’s safe to say the most uncertain of times has been the richest. In this place of humility and surrender, Jesus is carrying us every step, and we see with clearer eyes, and hear his words with different ears. And we fall deeper in love every day. Rarely in my life have I experienced a lack of words, although there have been a few. Sitting in a room in Africa, listening to a girl rescued from sex trafficking do her best to tell her story, experiencing the courage of a special needs kid in Costa Rica, or the moment I embraced a witch doctor after they had just heard about a man named Jesus. These moments when emotions are new, foreign, and full of the Spirit of God, and you know that nothing you say will fully represent the experience. While these happen every day, all around us, I don’t always see it. This season for us, brings us again to places of seeing God work in mighty ways and we are surprised, overwhelmed, and filled with a gratitude that an ocean could not contain. But words are so hard to find. This is true with our...
by Hampton | Oct 4, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Yes, we’re still here! This has been a season of new experiences! We’ve enjoyed laughs, cries, talks and LOTS of coffee with many of you and it’s been one of the richest seasons of our lives. His story is weaving us together, and while our goal is still set to leave June 2014, we are enjoying this season of “lasts” in many things we do. The last first day of American school, the last Mothers day here, the last birthday in America, and really, it’s difficult but meaningful at the same time. Now, as we head into colder weather and the ‘last’ American holiday season it feels closer than ever that the way we know life is all about to change. As we do our best to be connected to our future home in Costa Rica, we get to hear stories from time to time about all God’s doing there now. As we hear the heart of our new friends there, we are filled with an eagerness to join them, stepping into what we feel called to do, now more than ever. Stories like the second mega club in Alajuela, for the West Side, and how almost 350 young people from all different barrios were mixed together and were able to share, play, and hear about Jesus, in spite of all the rain and mud! We are blessed by the emails we get from staff currently there asking us to pray for each unique kid, from different nationalities within the international schools by name. Whether they are Dutch, Irish, Korean, American, Costa Rican, or any other homeland you can...
by Hampton | Aug 28, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Hello Friends & Family, The new school year is here! Those of you with kids, we hope your kids had a wonderful first day, and your family is getting into the new routine. As wonderful as our summer was, there’s so much ahead of us as we spend this next ten (10) months preparing to leave, that we welcome the schedule of school. We’ve been getting questions regarding our timing, our funding, and the specifics of giving. We hope this newsletter clarifies some of your questions. We want you to be part of our sending team, whether it’s financial, prayer and/or visiting and serving alongside us once we arrive! Our time left here is short, and our goal date of June 2014 to leave is quickly approaching. We are stepping out on faith that God provides the means for us to get there, and we’re asking you to pray about joining our team. It’s going to be an incredible journey! We have 32 people that have joined us, and we’re looking for 68 more. Will you consider being one of these people? We are thankful for how God is working and leading many of you to give and be part of His journey for us. It’s overwhelming, really. He is using you to make this happen, and each week we are surprised, moved, and blown away by how He’s working. HOW TO GIVE: You can give an annual one time gift or give monthly. Online: visit the GIVING LINK and give to Area X8196 – Hampton Costa Rica or Mail: Send a check payable to YOUNG LIFE – to...
by Hampton | Jun 18, 2013 | Uncategorized |
We gathered in our den last night for our first gathering to share the vision, answer questions and got some great feedback from some of our friends on how to deliver the message and vision more clearly, and we felt so loved and supported! Both those that showed up last night and all of the people reaching out and telling us they are praying for us. It’s incredibly humbling. If you haven’t yet seen it, watch the short video we put together for YL Costa Rica. YL Costa Rica VIDEO We think it lays out the different things happening there currently, and lets each of you see the kids’ faces in Costa Rica. We spent some time with these kids on our last advance trip, and we were so blessed by meeting them and some of their...
