Blessings for all

At the End-of-the-School-Year/Christmas/20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner for the Methodist Seminary, we witnessed a tremendous moment.

Honorio, the man with the microphone, will graduate this year. He's the first indigenous pastor to graduate from our seminary, and one of the few people in his village/region that speaks Spanish. In order to get to his village, you must park your car at the base of a mountain and hike 7 hours into the rain forest. He hiked those 7 hours every time he came to study at the seminary.

When Honorio was done speaking, the entire audience at that dinner was left in awe. He blessed all of us with his sincerity and loving heart.

God is doing miraculous work in many different parts of Costa Rica, we're just along for the ride.

The Movement

The Movement Bible Study was a success.

It was new, it was fresh, and many students at the Colegio Metodista didn't catch on. But 6 did. Two times a week I came to the school to host a Bible Study, and I had a steady group of 6 students who were devoted to learn more about Jesus through the Word of God.

As I have mentioned to many people before, whenever I undertake a ministry for the Lord, I aim to influence just one person. If just one person learns something about God, then we've succeeded. Even if I've spoken to thousands (and no, that has never happened), all we need is one to go out and influence the Kingdom for God.

At this study, I believe that there were 6. 6 students who are truly devoted and dedicated to being God's servants on earth. It was awesome to teach them.

Now on to next year . . .

The nearest town is that way -->

Costa Ricans are a very resourceful people.

That's why one of our local churches decided that they should put their road sign, which recently fell down, to good use--and put it on the front of the church.

So there's Andrea, Javier and Ray pointing 200 meters north and 100 meters west, in the direction of the church that they're standing in front of.

Good times.

Family Ministry

In late October, we took a trip up to Jabuy, an indigenous village in the Star Valley, just west of Cahuita on the east coast of Costa Rica.

I was there with Ray (far right in the picture above), Pastor Jose from Siquirres (standing next to Ray) and a mission team from my home church in Plano, Texas. The team was visiting Costa Rica because they were scoping out the Medical Clinic project and getting that ball rolling. One of their dreams, once the project is up and running: to help the few indigenous tribes that are left in Costa Rica, because they are largely ignored by the government.

While in this village, home to the Cabecar people, we met Valentin (in the blue t-shirt above) and his brother Alba (far left). Valentin was converted to Christianity and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior 17 years ago. He was the first person in the region to do so. Now, he and 3 of his brothers are pastors for the Cabecar villages in that region of the Star Valley, and their cousins and family members are musicians and leaders in the churches they serve. Last January they hosted an all-night prayer vigil for the Cabecar people in that region. Guess how many showed up?

1000.

Incredible.

The Christian leadership in that region falls solely on the shoulders of that great family. And there they are in the picture above, standing proudly in their largest church. I pray that we're able to continue in ministry with them by providing a Medical Clinic for all of their needs.

I fought a 2 year-old

So I got into a boxing match with a 2 year-old named Api.

Api spends a lot of time at Pastor Edgar's house in Los Guido, a neighborhood that I mentioned in my earlier post about Kids Club. Api is not Pastor Edgar's kid nor grandkid, but he practically lives there during the day.

I spent the weekend with Pastor Edgar and his family, attending church, playing pickup basketball in a popular San Jose park, and fighting this little warrior.

You can see how I fared . . .

A Costa Rican Birthday

This is a rather dated post, but one month ago, on October 22nd, I turned 24. Each birthday I reach makes me feel like I'm a lot older, but the truth is that I'm still just a kid.

Anyways, this particular birthday left me showered with indelible love. The actual celebration day was a Thursday, but the party started Wednesday night when I got to go to a late-night movie with a friend.

Thursday I woke up to text messages and phone calls and emails all wishing me a happy birthday. Then I went to the Colegio and was blessed with 4 different singing renditions of happy birthday, along with a cake and drinks during Bible Study. That night, I attended a birthday celebration at a local pastor's house, with his entire family as the guests. His wife made a delicious lasagna dish, and then busted out the ginormous cake that you see above. The funniest part about it, the 2 typos in fine white icing: "Filez Cumpleanos Wuilli" I couldn't have been happier.

Before partaking in that particular cake, however, the family followed the customary tradition of lighting candles, turning off the lights, and singing happy birthday. Yet, when they saw that no one took pictures as I blew out the candles, they said, "Looks like we have to do it again!" And they resumed to lighting the candles, turning off the lights, and singing happy birthday all over again. So I felt extra special.

On Friday, I couldn't walk through the halls of the Colegio without having students hug me or sing to me, sorry that they missed my birthday the day before. That night I went to the house of some good friends of mine and had another wonderful birthday dinner and celebration, complete with the pumpkin cheesecake birthday cake that you see below . . .

It was a rather fun birthday.