Year in review part 2 July too . . . . well October

 Wow.  Looking back, I am not sure how we survived July.  It is a blur.

We started out by going on our first family "missions" trip.  A fellow missionary was going in to an area in the country called Rio Frio.  We all went with her.  We were not responsible for any of the set-up, we just went to minister, and maybe help translate, so we call it our family mission's trip.  We had a blast.  The team was broken up into 3 groups.  Maggi went with one, Emma went with another, and Dave and I went with the third.  The girl's both loved it.  There were so many young people, and they incorporated the girls into their teams, before the time was over, Emma was a clown, Maggi was in the drama, and they were praying over anyone they could get their hands on.  We loved watching our girl's participate in ministry.

Emma as the Clown

One of the churches in a community in a remote pineapple plantation

This was the commute after the service.  

Then. .  . We were able to host a team from West Texas and New Mexico.  We had a great time, but worked hard.  We worked with a local church to host a sports camp.  We had planned for a max of 100 kids.  The first day we had over 200.  We were in way over our heads.  The team was led by an MK that used to live here, so it was fun to be part of his team.

 Judy, Dave's mom came for the summer.  She was such a blessing to have with us.  She cooked, cleaned, prayed over so many people, cried, laughed, and fell in love with the people of Costa Rica.

Maggi finds someone to hold everywhere.

   

 As a testimony to this outreach, I have to share this story. . . One of the long time members of the church came up to Dave After the service and told him, that on the back row, he saw one of the drug dealers, not a low level drug dealer, but Leader and gang member.  He never thought that the this man would step foot in the church, let alone be able to have the gospel presented to him.  I can't say that he was saved in the service, but that was a "first" step in what we will believe will be the beginning of a change in that community.







Then. . . My home church from Lake Wylie, South Carolina came.  It was a dream come true, to share our home and ministry with my "people".  The men worked on a classroom for missionaries from Latin and South America to come and be trained in missiology.

The men started with a poured concrete slap, and worked as long as daylight would permit.












I took the group of ladies with me to different schools, to minister to 5-6 grade girls.  The ladies shared snacks, did a craft, and told them of their worth and beauty in Christ.  We also worked with a church in a strong Catholic community with street evangelism, and helping in the service.










 A fun story: Emma had dressed as super girl, with an "s" on her check.  Well, after the morning and afternoon in the sun, she had an "s" sunburned check for quite a while.













We also worked with a church in a strong Catholic community with street evangelism, and helping in the service.

This was such a sweet time, I was able to bring my home church to share in my ministry for girls in Linda Vista

Lake Wylie Christian Assembly, took a little piece of our hearts when then returned home.

Finally, after ministry for 5 of the girl's 6 weeks of summer, we went on vacation.  It was wonderful.  We were able to rest, play, swim, and sleep in.  It was a great way to decompress with the girls.  I asked them if they thought it was too much for the summer.  

This was their answer, "we would do it all over again!

We saw lots of this. . .

We got to be a family on vacation in Costa Rica!  

The last day of summer. . . . . . 

August

As soon as we got back to San Jose, the girls returned to school.  

Emma started 5th grade and Maggi started 8th grade.  The summer helped recharge Maggi, not only physically, but each group that came refreshed her mentally, and she grew stronger in her faith.  She gained the knowledge that she didn't have to feel lonely here, because she had friends all over that were praying for her.  

While the girls were back in the swing of things, I was able to bring Judy to  Chica's club with me.  She did a great job talking about how each one of the girls are a light on a hill.  We were able to have a time of prayer, and shared a craft letting them know that when they look in the mirror they "BRILLA" or "SHINE".  Judy did a great job, is was an honor having her share.

Judy also helped each girl make a nametag.

 I was able to attend my first women's retreat with the ladies from my church.  My Spanish was stretched to the limit.  I drove more than I cared to, but bonded with the ladies, and felt like I belonged and was connected to these caring ladies.

September.

Once we were told we were released to come to Costa Rica, we bought a "Yay Us" cake.  So every year, on September 5th, we buy some sort of "Yay Us" cake.  We celebrated our 2nd birthday.


The same community that we held a sport's camp was doing an outreach into the community, they live in "Los Cuadros"  which means "The Block".  Because we fell in love with the pastors, and the passion they have for the community, we went back as a family to participate in that outreach.

                                                                           

You just never know who you will run into in Costa Rica

This summer, from a sweet friend, we learned the art of balloon making.  This will instantly bring a smile to almost anyone.

Costa Rica celebrates their Independence Day on September 15th.  The girls practiced and learned a typical dance for a group dance at church.  We are so proud of our little MK's

I promise I will tell you more about Chicas Club, But I ended up the month with an amazing session.  We had a session on recovering from sexual abuse with these girls.  The time invested in this community with these girls is a process, this was a step in a long transformation process.

October. . .

This was a special time for Emma.  This is her BIG dance recital.  Her big show is in October.  She has worked very hard.  Her classes are taught all in Spanish.  She goes to class 2 days a week for 2 hours.  This was a BIG thing for her, because when we left the states, she just asked if she could please do dance when we got to Costa Rica.  So our dancing queen. . .

OK, I think we are going to have the year in review end here.  

I am going to work on a post for our team we hosted in October. . . and the rest of the year. . . .

Just looking at the pictures, and reviewing the dates, I realize how amazing our life is.  

Psalm 16:5

"Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.  

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; 

surely I have a delightful inheritance."

2014 in Review

I love looking back at the year, and recapping special events and remembering our milestones.  We will start with the first 6 months

January our family took "a middle of our first term" vacation.   We spent a week with my dad and step mom in a condo in Orlando.  During that time, my dad had been diagnosed with cancer, so we were so blessed to have an entire week to visit with him.  We also had a chance to hang around Mickey for a little while.

This would be the last time I would be able to see my father, before saying Goodbye to him in the hospital hours before leaving this earth.  God was so good to give me this gift.  

We made some magical memories.  

February Maggi started playing soccer for her 8th grade class.

And Dave and I went on a "hot" date to a volcano for Valentine's day.  

We also hosted Sustain hope from Springfield, Missouri.  We set off for several indigenous areas to establish rapport.  Sustain hope had been to visit one community several years prior, so it was exciting for them to see how the community had grown.  This was also a "planning" team, for a group that would be working in the area later.

Maggi and Emma learn how to make a solar oven

March, we continue to learn how to live in this new culture.

                                                                    We explored the city.

I wonder why people say this city is confusing?

We made new friends

                                                                          We watched a FIFA game

Celebrated International day at the girl's school

April, we worked with some other missionaries and their teams.  Dave had an opportunity to attend a training seminar in Ecuador specifically on how to reach un reached people groups. Invaluable information was gained, and we will continue to add on those concepts for the unreached people groups here in Costa Rica.

 This month the girls and I worked with a team of ladies at Chicas de promesa.  This is an at risk girls club in an impoverished neighborhood.  More details to follow about chicas.

In MayAmy had an opportunity to attend a group beginning to focus here for the Latin American and Caribean reagion in the fight agaisnt abuse and explotation.  It was  eye opening .



 We also did much prep work for the busy month of June.  Lots of planning and praying

Maggi & Emma the best MK's Ever

June was very busy.  We had a combined team of sustain hope and students from Southeastern University.  We took them to two differnet Indigenous communities.  The students fell in love with the people, and the word of the Lord went to dark areas.

Praise the Lord for Speed the Light.

We will get there any way we can.

We had to wait for the river to decrease before attempting to cross where our indigenous community was

Dave and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary in a community with no electricity.  It must be love.

We also hosted a team from the youth of Minneasota.  They used basketball as an avenue to gain access in public schools to tell others about the love of our heavenly Father.







We also met with the leadership of Costa Rica for their executive meetings.  Dave was able to present his plan on helping the country come up with a plan for natural disasters.  I was pretty proud of my man.

Connecting the dots

Remember when I told you about the person that was right in front of my eyes?

Her name is Ester, well her family calls her Karla, but she doesn't like that. . . 

So, We have continued to make Ester part of our family.  

One painful Spanish sentence at a time.

She came to the sleepovers for both of the girl's birthday parities.

We had a chance to enjoy some fútbol together.

But, she has also made us a part of her family.

This past weekend, we were able to visit her family.

and all we can say, is. . .  well. . .  God is GOD.

When I prayed, for the person on front of me I had no idea what would happen later on.

This weekend, we were able to meet her uncle, who is a pastor to the Cabecar Indians, thats right, that is the specific group God called us to year, almost 4 years ago.  He holds church for them in his back yard.  

We had no idea, that the weekend we go up, that there was a special service for them.  They had a group come to them, to show them how to build an oven.  Not the kind of oven your thinking of, but an oven that is built out of dirt, sugar cane water, and horse poop.  An oven that does not need electricity, because remember where they live, there is no electricity.  

I need a bit of back story here.

In language school, David and I had a project we had to complete.  We decided to do ours together.  He wanted to interview churches to see if they would be willing to learn to respond in the event of a natural disaster.  Well honestly, that didn't sound at all interesting to me.  So we did the closest thing next to that . . . 

Shopping . . .

OK maybe not on the same spiritual level, but that was what I wanted to do.  We decided to research the Indigenous communities and discover the product that they produce, and the area they lived.  We were actually able to go to several communities.  One of the communities made pottery.  

Seemingly this is just another random dot on the page, but we didn't see a bigger picture, the oven that they used for pottery, was the oven that was being taught to the Cabecar to make bread. 

Dot connect.

A few weeks ago, when we had a group called Sustain Hope here, they were in a community in a different zone, but the same tribe of Indians.  Their perceived need was an oven.  They asked how they could have an oven in their communities.

Seriously, another dot connected.

This group has offered to go with Dave on a planned outreach, to teach them how to make the oven.  Not only can we teach them how to make bread, but about the BREAD OF LIFE.  

AND

In the service, in the back yard, of the uncle of the girl who stood in front of me 5 months ago, had a young man, who is in Bible school, who speaks Spanish and Cabecar, and was preaching to this group in their own language.  

That may seem like a small thing, but people that is an answer to prayer.  The religion of the Cabecar, and the lifestyle that they have lived for 1000 of years, is so foreign to us, but God put someone in our path, who can preach to them in their own language, understanding that the god they know, that fell from the sky because he was chasing a pretty girl, is not the way to eternal salvation. 

like a billion dots connected right there people.  

How awesome is our God.  

I, Amy, often feel so overwhelmed with the culture, the language, the need, the poverty, personal inabilities, I take God out of the equation.  I don't realize that He doesn't need ME in a big way, he needs me in a small way.  Listening to his voice.  

He is there, connecting the dots, starting with the small me and the person standing right in front of me.

This says it all

Recently I heard a song in English that stopped my in my tracks.

I often wonder what may be so newsworthy that people might want to read.

Obviously I struggle.

But if I could ever articulate something so well, . . . well I guess I would be writing songs.

I hope that this touches you, wherever you are in the ocean.



Oceans
Where my feet may fail
by Hillsong

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find you in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine.


click here

Right in front of me

Sometimes.  .  . it is just right in front of your eyes.

I tried several times to blog about what was in my heart.  But I could never spill it out.

Several weeks ago, I was invited to a consultation among the Latin America and Caribbean missionaries who minister to people who work with victims of the sex industry.

I started out the other blogs talking about the horrific facts of the sexually exploited, the numbers, the statistics.  I felt like I was ranting, and could never share adequately, what the Lord was doing in my heart.

When I came home, I was broken.  My thoughts were::
Lord what can I do I am one person
My Spanish doesn't allow me to communicate my thoughts
I have lived a "shelter" life
I can never relate to these women and children, and the nightmare that they live with.

People from all over our region, spoke on how the Lord had used them, and I felt so little.
I felt like I had been invited by accident, because I live close to the place the event took place.

I am a rookie missionary and all.  We have actually only be on the field for 3 months (our time in language school is not really our beginning date. . . )

The next day was Sunday, and because we got to church a little late, and we had some quest who stayed over a few extra days, the only place my family and friends could sit, was the front row.

After the sermon, there was a time of prayer.
There was one girl, whom the Lord guided me to.
It was one of those times that is undeniable from the Lord.

I went to pray with her.
I did not pray in English or Spanish, but with a language only the Lord knew.

After we prayed, I gave her a hug. . .
and it lasted a long time.

She would not let go, even after the service moved on.

After service was finally over she went her way, and I was talking to someone else.
But I knew the Lord was asking me to go talk to her.

I didn't listen. . .

But God's will is in play, even when we are not.

She came to me.

Her words are etched in my heart.
She said she was lonely.
She had moved from a small pueblo from way outside the city.  She had come to the city to work and go to school.
And she was lonely.
(she has her own story, that is NOT the point of this story)

Friends, I immediately heard the Lord say, to me, "See, It is not that hard, I placed her right in front of you"  "Just love her" (my interpretation of course)

And so that is what I did.

We have made her a part of our family, she has spent the night, we shared our Thanksgiving traditions with her.

We
are
loving
 her.

Loving the Lord and following his voice is not rocket science.
The need is great, that is the truth.  The Enemy is fierce, and is constantly at work. No doubt.

But we don't have to go into the brothels, we don't have to start a home for rescued women, we don't have to solve the entire tragedy.

We start with what is right in front of us.  We need to be just as faithful to the "one" as to the convention center full of girls. . . .

I have been given the opportunity to work with a veteran missionary, who believes, we can prevent the victims when we educate the girls when they are young.  I get to work with her.
I will one day, share the amazing things going on there.
At some point I will share my BIG dreams.

But for now.  Lets love the person in front of us.
What does that look like?  who knows. . . making a meal, fix a car, give out of abundance.
It will not come back void.

I can not wait for us to get to heaven to see how God has orchestrated details.

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up(or think we are not qualified).  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith (or right in front of you).  Galatians 6:9-10.