Psalm 27:13-14
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of
the Lord
in the
land of the living. Wait for the Lord;
be
strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
I
finally get to sit down and write about God's teachings, wonders and blessings
during these past couple of months !!!
During
the last month, I have meditated a lot in this verse and found a confident
promise about seeing God's goodness to me and to others in this land of Perez
Zeledon, Costa Rica, and honestly that's what I have seen so far, over a year
that I have been here in Costa Rica. In the second verse, the Lord encourages
me to wait, be strong and take heart. There are wonderful things that I have
already seen the Lord do and all the praise goes to Him, I rejoice and worship
Him. However, there so many more things that I pray for and that He wants to do
according to His will for which I am to wait in faith, be strong and firm in
Him and His work, and take heart founded in all that He's done. The future is always
so encouraging in Him. His promises are yes and Amen to us. So why do we doubt?
why do we trouble within ourselves? Another verse comes to my mind to close
this: "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your
HOPE in God, for I will yet praise him,my Savior and my God.(Psalm 42.5)". This is a word
of encouragement to place my hope in Him and praise Him in my waiting whether I
see a quick answer or not. My future is always promising in Him, Hope in Christ
my soul !!!!
I want to update you
quickly on three important themes: first, my trip to New Jersey which was an
amazing blessing. Second, the latest on the ministry here as I got back and the
growth Jesus is giving, and thirdly, and more on a personal note, a miracle
that God did about Fernando Obando and a pretty personal prayer request.
TRIP TO NEW JERSEY
I also got to visit
and spend time with some of you, beloved friends in Christ and partners
in this ministry and share first hand stories, trials, challenged and glories
in the ministry here. I love it when I get to share with people at the personal
level, because I think I end up being so encouraged too by all my brothers and
sisters and how they also follow Christ in what God has them. I had the
blessing of spending quality time with my sister, who is my dear friend and
prayer partner and to encourage each other in our walk with Jesus to follow Him
more closely and love Him even deeper. Amazing sweet times, thank you Jesus for
those !!!! And thank you all that were willing and able to spend to time together
!!!! It was a true blessing for me. I feel God's love and God's support through
all this, and I'm so so grateful to Him.
MINISTRY IN SAN ISIDRO
Well, as I shared when
I was in NJ, the church was growing so much when I left, and sure enough I came
back to the news that we had a new meeting place. It's the conference room in a
nearby hotel, and it's so perfect for the church plant, and we additionally
rent an empty hotel room nearby where I teach the kids all Sundays. The group
has grown, and help us pray that the Word of God continues to convict and
change and renew every heart. Ryan has named the church plant: Palabra Viva,
which means Living Word. Help me also pray for the kids ministry, that the Lord
raises locals to serve, as the group of kids is growing in numbers, and we keep
getting babies also every Sunday. It's His work and He will be faithful to call
His laborers to come and serve.
Women's Ministry EnSusManos
We continue to meet
every other Saturday to study the book of Philippians. I am teaching it and
seeing the work of God first in me, teaching me and changing me and also in
every woman that comes. Pray for me please that the Lord gives me His Word, and
clarity to explain it in a relevant and applicable way and also for the women, for
some of them have been working on weekends or discouraged to come because of
the rain. May the Lord stir their hearts to grow in Him and in His knowledge.
It's such a joy to see His love and work in the women I come in contact with.
Please pray for every woman, and for us to us serving as well. Thanks = )
Calvary Chapel Bible
College
This semester has
grown. We have 12 students, 10 girls and 2 guys. God is so faithful to bring
each student with a desire to know Him and grow and we are so blessed to have
them, encourage them, love on them and be an inspiration in any way. I teach
Spanish, oversee the girls and serve in the financial area. I'm so blessed to
live with the girls and be part of their lives, and have other staff members
that are great support. Please pray for God to use us and to draw each student
to Himself and to His Word while they are here. I also pray that they get to
know each other and love and serve each other as Christ loved us. Our lives as
staff are open books to them and the prayer is also that they are inspired and
stirred to live for Christ and be a light. Only He can do it, through the
classes, and through the practical living here. It's a beautiful group shining
for Jesus on buses, coffee shops and streets !!!! = )
A MIRACLE, RESPONSE TO
PRAYER FOR SURE !!!!
Many of you read about
Fenando Obando, the 12-year-old indigenous boy that I found abandoned at a bus
stop and I gave to the local authorities. The prayer was to know in what
orphanage He had been placed and to be able to visit him. I actually was
challenged in NJ to trust God in this and to wait and see His hand. Two weeks
after I got back, I was running in the morning nearby the orphanage that we
visit regularly "Hogar Ama", one of the several in this town, and
even though I had heard he may have been seen there, I was shocked to see him
there, walking one of the dogs. I approached him. He had a smile in his face,
and answered a couple of questions. Then he said he could not talk to me unless
I talked to the Frier Jorge. So I stepped in and asked to talk to him, the
catholic authority of the Orphanage. I told him about Fernando and the story
and prayer behind him. He gave me green light to visit him and to even take him
out of the orphanage if I wanted to take him to dinner or to the mall. I was
crying and just glorifying God, for I know deeply that God answered all of our
prayers, thanks for praying for this. He placed Fernando, 10 min walking from
my house, in the one orphanage that we visit regularly and where we are
well-known . Isn't He amazing, great and faithful beyond compare? Crazy ah? I
have visited him twice, and plan on helping him with his English class in
school and start a praying routine with him. Pray for me please still, that God
gives me favor and grace with Him, so he opens his heart and lets me in, and
also understands more about Jesus in his life, when God lead me to this
conversation!!!!. This is a big big praise Report !!!! Glory to Jesus !
Lastly, I am so
grateful to have mom here visting for a couple of weeks. She was not feeling
good, her nervous system was unbalanced, probably missing dad so much, and had
strange symptoms for a while. However, praying and having her here has been so
so good for her. Thanks for all of you who knew and prayed for her. She feels
so much better and we get to spend time together in the Word and in prayer.
Please continue to pray for her, that she continues to feel good and that as
she travels back to Colombia soon, that she is stable, and keeps firm in
Christ. The second prayer request, is regarding a man God has brought to my
life and confirmed in so many ways, as many of you know. His name is Luis, a
godly man, and my boyfriend. He works in the capital of Costa Rica and serves
in a local Calvary as the worship leader and young adults leader. Please pray
that God leads us in His will, and that He is glorified and the focus in our
relationship, as we continue to serve Him where God has placed us. Pray for His
direction in all!
I truly thank you for
reading this update to be informed on what's going on here and in my life.
Thanks so so much for praying and being a part of God's work here through your
praying, giving and encouragement !!!! God is at work nonstop, let's be a light
for Him.
Much love in Christ
Jesus,
