by jeannie | Apr 11, 2013 | Blog |
Hello Friends! We had a great advance trip to Costa Rica. We saw many things, schools, various parts of San Jose, and met many people. Thank you so much for notes and great sendoffs as we were leaving, and thank you for praying! There is so much ahead of us! We met some great people there, and learned a lot about what’s already happening in Costa Rica. We were blessed to meet with pastors, supporters of Young Life, leaders, Interns, staff, moms of YL kids, and met with a few families there that were wonderful and offered to help us find a place to live once we get there. We spoke with them about schools, transitions for themselves and their kids, and we really think they will be great friends and support once we arrive. We met up with the International Schools team, which isn’t big, two staff people, and 3 interns. We heard about how they came to Costa Rica, what they enjoyed about the internship, what could be better, and then we got a chance to share our story, and some of what we hoped to do during our time there. I especially liked this time b/c we’ll be working closely with interns once we get there helping to refine what internships will look like going forward. It was so great to get a front row seat into their world, and hear about the many needs they have. We visited many international schools while there, and got a great sense of schools and community for both the West and East sides of San Jose. One of my...
by jeannie | Feb 28, 2013 | Blog |
Friends & Family! We had a great mtg today with Kevin – Regional Director Young Life there in CR. We are moving forward and will meet next with Kevin’s boss, Kevin, Chad (our placement guy), and Jeff (our fundraising helper) Looks like we will try to go in April/May to visit as Kevin’s schedule is really busy. We’ll try to visit schools, areas, find out about homes, etc. Probably what will happen is that we will live in San Jose for a year, then move into the town we choose. They suggested we decide over that year what school and area best fits our family. Here’s the school we’ll likely attend. http://thespanishinstitute.com/home/ They suggest we do this as we will meet other families going through the same thing and our kids will be at the same school we are in, so we’re literally together all the time, for a year. We were told today we just need to take as much support as we can in that first year, culture shock, etc. And the school has counseling, housing, and all sorts of practical help for the first year to help you know how to do life in CR. So I’m praying over the knot in my stomach about living in San Jose… not initially what I wanted, but also want to lean on the advice of ones that have gone before us. Today, this all feels very real. Anyway, love you and wanted to give you a heads up. Sounds like the vision for our roles are the same as we had thought, international schools, and there’s a internship...
by jeannie | Feb 18, 2013 | Blog |
Updates to family and friends: February 14th Jim and I got off the phone this morning with YL International, and are proceeding with Costa Rica. COSTA RICA!!! Based on many factors, it seems we are a great fit for Latin America. Actual town will be narrowed down over time, but we most likely will take an advance trip in the next month, determine schools, language school for us, and where we might live, as well as meet staff, confirm the vision and hope for the area are in line with theirs… Pray for wisdom, guidance and really that the hand of God move here, as we have a lot ahead of us in figuring out what this looks like. Fundraising is very daunting, humbling and scary for us. Jim is in conversations also with some people interested in building a micro business there in Costa Rica that might sustain the ministry over time, so that is a long term option too. I’m sure that regardless of what we plan, God will do likely something entirely more great and bigger than anything we came up with. As of now, one of our main focuses will be working with, building a team, and ushering in/sustaining YL for International Schools. The idea of international schools, is that you literally impact every country there and our role will be to pour into nationals and raise up local leadership there, as well as those that will leave and go back their own countries. It’s also a culture where English is spoken, so it’s good to be able to work as we...
by jeannie | Jan 11, 2013 | Blog, buildingaboat |
“Guard well this gift I have planted in your heart.” In reading this today, I immediately had thought after thought flooding my mind. How the recognition of each gift, and the awareness of its value are crucial to my walk with Jesus, and my peace in Him. What is the gift? While the list could be lengthy, I think we could just say it’s Himself. This seems important to remember as many of us want to see change in our world. With so many things in the world being so difficult to understand, values, our nation’s direction, I think maybe it’s becoming clearer to all of us, the only answer really is that in our best efforts alone, we are helpless, and that the only answer is to rest in Jesus. All knowledge is His. I was reading Psalm 46 this morning, and was reminded that for those of us seeking refuge in Him alone, we genuinely need not fear anything. “God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way.” -Psalm 46:1-2 Two nights ago our small group discussed our burdens and our hope for change in our nation, and our world. We discussed everything from the heart of people, how the church has been fragmented and broken, what we can do about it, and arriving each time back in agreement: Pray, do the little things God asks of us, and rest in the truth that He is who he says He is. It’s really all we have. Our small group may be one of the...
by Hampton | Dec 22, 2012 | Blog, buildingaboat |
I’ve always thought that I believed all the claims of Jesus; what we were supposed to look like if we knew Him, the power He would provide us to have peace, feel compassion and how we’d be new and want what He wanted. But each time we take a leap of faith, one that invites us to say yes, we always seem to find it harder to actually walk through it. We keep learning that maybe our belief was maybe just a thought. An idea. Or maybe something we should think. For us, walking through various invitations is what grew roots, deep roots that now give us Him in a more real way. No longer a mere idea, thought or something I should do… But simply a reality worth betting on. We bet on the fact that our fridge will work as we purchase hundreds of dollars of groceries, and we bet our phones will help us reach help if we need it. We bet on truth that our kids will do better on tests if they study, and we know we’ll be warm if we put on a coat. It didn’t occur to me really until each season of growth in our own understanding of God, especially in the last few years, that maybe we can’t really know what we believe unless we walk it out. Maybe that’s why He tells us in James not to read His word and deceive ourselves, but to do what it says. How long did we deceive ourselves of our belief and then learn during the trials that ‘belief’ had to...
by jeannie | Dec 22, 2012 | Blog, buildingaboat |
I’ve always thought that I believed all the claims of Jesus; what we were supposed to look like if we knew Him, the power He would provide us to have peace, feel compassion and how we’d be new and want what He wanted. But each time we take a leap of faith, one that invites us to say yes, we always seem to find it harder to actually walk through it. We keep learning that maybe our belief was maybe just a thought. An idea. Or maybe something we should think. For us, walking through various invitations is what grew roots, deep roots that now give us Him in a more real way. No longer a mere idea, thought or something I should do… But simply a reality worth betting on. We bet on the fact that our fridge will work as we purchase hundreds of dollars of groceries, and we bet our phones will help us reach help if we need it. We bet on truth that our kids will do better on tests if they study, and we know we’ll be warm if we put on a coat. It didn’t occur to me really until each season of growth in our own understanding of God, especially in the last few years, that maybe we can’t really know what we believe unless we walk it out. Maybe that’s why He tells us in James not to read His word and deceive ourselves, but to do what it says. How long did we deceive ourselves of our belief and then learn during the trials that ‘belief’ had to...
