Costa Rica Mission Update #6

Vortex: a mass of whirling fluid or air, esp. a whirlpool or whirlwind.

            I start with this definition, because I believe we have one of these frightening phenomena in our room. Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Steve, this is another of your goofy little things that you include because the rest of your updates are fairly snooze-worthy.” First of all, let me say that I resent your implication. Second, I truly believe there is a vortex that is sucking things in and transporting them to some alternate dimension. Karen and Zac claimed that I’m actually speaking of a wormhole or a black hole filled with anti-matter. But they’re geeks, and it’s my room.

Let this serve as evidence that we are starting the day
with three towels. We'll see what the morning brings.

            Let me give you the evidences: 1) Nancy’s gum and mints have disappeared (now you may think that’s just simply her misplacing them, but you don’t know how much she loves her gum) – conclusion: vortex. 2) Last night we had three towels sitting on our beds; this morning, by the time I was able to take my shower there were only two. Now, I know there were initially three, because that was the first time in two days that we had a towel for each of us. One cold shower followed by a towelling off with thin piece of fabric covered with someone else’s moistness later, and I have no doubt of my rationale – conclusion: vortex.

            Still not convinced, I see. Okay, here’s the clincher. 3) Cleaning ladies are being swallowed up and transported as they work in our room. How do I know? For the last four days, the sheet for my bed has been left folded just under the comforter. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the vortex exists, and that it has a wicked sense of humor. I’m very concerned that I’ll wake up one morning and Madeline will be gone – shot through time and space to a place where they greatly value nearly transparent towels and Central American cleaning women – verdict beyond a shadow of a doubt: vortex.

            Vortex Update: We just got back to our room. This time it got the cleaning woman before she even had a chance to lay out a sheet for my bed. I’m nervous – the thing is obiously getting more aggressive.

            Our day began with a wonderful testimony from Arlovia, one of the VBS workers. She grew up in the church, but wandered away from God for a time. After getting mixed up in some not great things the Lord called her back – literally. While at a party, she heard a voice behind her telling her that she was not where she should be. When she turned around, there was no one there. She ignored it the first time. Then, it happened again. That’s when she knew that she had to change things before she slid down the slope too far.

Arlovia sharing her testimony

            Now, I’ve never audibly heard the voice of God, nor do I ever expect to. However, I’m also not one to discredit other’s experiences with the Lord. I wasn’t there. She was. It changed her life. It’s hard to argue with that.

            Arlovia’s smile lights up a room. Her passion for God and her desire to serve Him is contagious. What a privilege it is to be around men and women sold-out committed to the Lord. Arlovia asked us to pray for her father, who still needs to meet Jesus. Also, she asked for prayer for strength for herself, so she can carry on with the calling God’s given to her. We saw she’s still using a children’s Bible, all taped up. We’re going to work on getting her a new Bible – possibly a study Bible, if we can find it – before we go.

A couple kids arriving for VBS

            Another great VBS day yesterday. We had 89 kids – a little bit of a drop from the day before (which is against the typical trend), but still a wonderful turnout. What a blessing it is to hear all those kids yelling out their Bible verse from the day before! A holy mayhem! Even now as I’m typing this, I can hear the happy cheers and screams coming from under the mango trees (which isn’t really a good locator here – to say something is under the mango trees is akin to being outside of Breckinridge and telling someone to go look under the aspen).

            One of the highlights of each VBS is the singing. I’ve uploaded a video to youtube, so you can get a feel of what it’s like. The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNfo0VvehEQ

Zac praying at soccer camp

            Zac gave a talk at the soccer camp yesterday. It was a truncated version of his “pura vida” talk from Saturday that the youth are still talking about. He has been amazing here – jumping in wherever he’s needed, working like a dog. Yesterday, he took on the role of Water Monitor. Since the heat and humidity have been so high, there’s a real danger of us gringos getting dehydrated. So, Zac would make his regular rounds during VBS giving “the look” until the recipient of that evil glare drank some water.

            Very soon this morning, Mike and I will go with Jose and Tim to visit Pastor Elias, the pastor of Fuente de Vida. The day we arrived, Pastor Elias went in for surgery and has been recovering ever since. The timing couldn’t have been worse, and he feels so badly. But his son, Pastor Elias, Jr., has been doing a wonderful job hosting us this past week. (Quick update: the visit never happened. Please keep praying for the pastor.)

            Things to be praying about:

1)    Pray for Mike and me at the pastor training tonight in Ortega. Because of ridiculously typical inter-church squabbling (similar to way too many communities in the U.S.), INCRESE has had a difficult time getting a foothold in that poverty-stricken area. Pray that God uses our time there to break down some denominational walls. The Lord made us all part of the same big family, then we go and start acting all dysfunctional by holding a grudge against our daughter-in-law for stealing our son away on Christmas to be with her family and avoiding Uncle Jeb because he smells like cheese. God must be slapping His head with a holy “Oy vey!”

Another of the sweet girls from VBS

2)    Pray for Joyce and Pam. They’ll be having a special time with the ladies this afternoon (Karen, Nancy, and Madeline will be coming to Ortega). Joyce has some very important things to say to a number of the ladies. Ask the Lord to give her boldness to say what needs to be said, and for the ladies to be receptive to her exhortations and encouragements.

3)    Pray for Zac and the INCRESE guys at the soccer camp. They’re building relationships and sharing the Gospel. Ask the Lord to continue to use them to touch the lives of these boys and girls who are at such pivotal ages.

4)    Tomorrow will be the big wrap-up for both the VBS and soccer camp. Pray that God moves powerfully amongst those kiddos.

I better go. I’m back at the hotel and I feel something trying to tug my computer out of my hands. Gotta figure out what it…

Working hard

A couple buddies 

The INCRESE team (in red) played much more like
the U.S. than Costa Rica

Learning the Gospel story

Zac giving special attention to one of the troublemakers

Who said classrooms need to be inside?

Simon Sez

Karen playing El Diablo in a skit

One of the creepier off-time activities

Costa Rica Missions Update #5

Pre-Script – It’s tomorrow already today. Mama used to say that the Internet in Costa Rica is like a box of chocolates – it occasionally goes down for random reasons and it sometimes takes forever to get it back going. I never quite knew what she meant by her sayings, but I still loved her. Mama and I got along just like peas and carrots.

Muttley, formerly known as Smedley

             I read recently that a scientific study concluded the human body is capable of expelling up to one quart of sweat per hour. When I read that my pores laughed at their underachieving brethren which dwelt upon the bodies of the test subjects. Seriously, they actually laughed – a creepy experience that feels like a cross between the pins & needles of having a numb leg wake up and the vibrating massager they use on your shoulders and neck when you purchase the MVP treatment at SportsClips (hey, don’t judge; it’s only a few dollars more, and sometimes I need a little pampering, too), and that sounds like that furry dog with the pilot’s goggles on the old Snagglepuss cartoons (was his name Smedley? My Internet’s down right now, so one of you is going to have to spot me on that [late minute bulletin - word is he's Muttley, not Smedley - we now return you to your regularly scheduled blog]). My body is easily able to drain a quart of sweat in the time it takes to walk from the van to the front door of the church.

            One quart…amateurs.

Kids getting registered for VBS

            Today was the first day of VBS. They told us not to be disappointed when we see the number of kids. Typically, events like this start small, then gain momentum as the days go by. And, at first, it seemed like that advice was well founded. The 8:15am start time came and we had around ten kids waiting at the front of the church. So, I start preparing in my mind the “Well, it’s our commitment and sacrifice in coming down here that counts” speech. You know, the one that says, “God is in control, and He brought the ones He wanted” and “If only one kid finds Jesus, then it’s totally worth it” (both are very true statements, but are most often used as the equivalent of “Well, at least she’s got a nice personality”).

Playing games during registration

            The fault in my thinking came in forgetting the great Costa Rican force called Tico Time. The Source of Tico Time has been explained to me a few ways. Some believe it to be a primeval demi-urge that dwells in the forests and jungles which causes the entire Costa Rican nation to occasionally move very slowly, as if they were walking through mango-laced Jell-O (you can’t escape the prevalence of the mangos here, even in the gelatinous workings of a semi-sentient natural force). Since, it happens to everyone at once, when the demi-urge lifts the spell no one knows what has happened, they just find that they are 35 minutes late to wherever they were heading. A second theory has to do with a tick that is carried in the fur of coatis and certain species of howler monkeys. The tick has some sort of saliva-based coagulent that causes fugues of extreme lethargy. A third theory has to do with simply being a laid-back culture that doesn’t find much need to rush through life. As an American, I find the third theory to be ludicrous. I also find the second to be too zoolgocially off-putting. So, my money-play is on the demi-urge.

Joyce and Madeline
helping with crafts

            Whatever the cause, Tico Time came into play in a big way this morning. 8:20 arrives, and kids keep coming. 8:30 passes, and kids keep coming. 8:45, 9:00, 9:15, more and more kids. Once the final children arrived, we counted up the total and discovered that 98 were registered! We were blown away (and the folks in charge of making the snacks were overwhelmed)! And this is just the first day! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

            I’ll let the pics tell the story of the actual program – just know it was fun, active, and Bible-strong. I’d rather tell you the story of these kids:

·      There were a number of kids from the neighborhood surrounding the church. This is great, because it gives the church a good name with the people around them. It also helps toward the secondary goal of getting parents connected with the church.

Kids "feasting" on what may be
their biggest meal of the day

·      A majority of the kids, though, came from outlying areas – very backward and poverty-stricken areas. Many of these kids had never stepped foot in a church before this morning. We used our vans to drive out, cram the kids in, and bring them back.

·      One lady brought some kids with her. She and her husband have started a church in their home in one of these outlying areas. Her goal was to bring 20 children – a very lofty goal for a house-church. She ended up bringing 30.

·      Because of the poverty, many of these kiddos are coming to the VBS with empty stomachs. We fed all of them a bologna and cheese sandwich at the end of the morning, but, knowing that for many that snack will be their big meal of the day, we’re working on ways to expand what it is we’re able to feed them.

Jose Daniel, whom Andres led
to the Lord

·      Andres, one of Pastor Jose’s sons, has an amazing gift with the kids. He obviously loves them, and they are naturally drawn to them. At one point, he saw that one of the older boys just couldn’t keep himself from misbehaving (again, most of these kids have never been in a church before and have no idea how they should act). So, he took the boy into another room and talked with him while they worked together on his craft project. As a result of listening to this boy, treating him like he’s someone special, and showing him some love, this boy gave his life to Jesus (remember that comment earlier of “If only one kid finds Jesus, then is it totally worth it”? The answer to that question is emphatically “Yes!!”).

The first soccer camp is going on as I type. I think I’ll wait until tomorrow to give you the run-down of that. This is another of those events where we’ll be bussing (vanning?) youth in from the outlying areas. I can’t wait to hear what God is doing there.

Soccer Camp Action

Things to pray for on Tuesday: VBS Day 2, Soccer Camp Day 2, Joyce’s on-going meetings with the women, I’ll be preaching at an evening church service. As always, thank you so much for your continued prayers.

Before I go – Smush-Frog Update! He’s still there, although he appears to have turned somewhat dried and leathery (curious in this humidity). Much longer and the hotel won’t need the shovel; they’ll just be able to Frisbee him into the neighbor’s yard. I’ll keep you posted.

Before I go again - Heard last night that eight children asked Jesus into their hearts on the first day of VBS, including Andres's boy and this girl whom Nancy has developed a very special bond with.

Nancy's special girl, who also received Christ

Craft Time

Kids in line for their meal

Some of the older youth who came for soccer camp

More soccer action

Pastor Elias's wife, Delia, leading
games for the little ones

Costa Rica Missions Update #4

             There are certain events in your life that you know you will never forget. We experienced one of those today. But before we get to that, let me give you a ministry catch-up.

Joyce teaching with Nanda translating

            I promised you updates on Joyce’s and Zac’s meetings last night. Joyce had a great time with the ladies. There were over twenty, and she really connected with them. The message that she gave was both personal and powerful. They’ll be getting together again through this next week.

Zac teaching the youth with Dennis translating

            Quick aside – yes, I know that this is not my most flashy update. Truth is that I’m ridiculously tired. The all-day training of yesterday combined with preaching today combined with being in a constant state of extreme diaphoresis has caught up with me. So, my apologies – my hope is a good night’s sleep and some Gatorade will perk me back up.

Madeline letting her feet get in on the worship action

            Zac also had a great time with the youth. He spoke on “pura vida” or “pure life”, which is pretty much the nation’s slogan. It means that everything is great – no worries – life is good (it’s sort of like the hakuna matata of Costa Rica). Zac took this phrase and showed how pura vida can only truly be found in Jesus. He got a great response with a number of the youth afterward telling him that they’d never looked at phrase that way before.

            This morning, we had another wonderful time of worship. The band was amazing, as always. Madeline even joined in the dancing in the front of the church. Powerful time of praising God.

With a history of pranking my translators, I surprise my buddy
Tim Stairs with Madeline's sunglasses for an illustration
(personally, I think he looks quite fashion-forward)

            The message I brought was on having an eternal perspective – seeing our lives through God’s eyes. I talked about there being no such thing as “fair” and “unfair” in the Kingdom of God, because “It’s not fair” is a totally me-first statement. So, when we get angry or envious of others, we’re totally missing the other-firstedness that we’re called to.

Pastor Jose's daughter, Sharon, celebrates Navas's blocked shot

            After church, we relaxed for a time. Then we headed back to the church, where a projector was set up so we could watch the Costa Rica vs. Greece World Cup match. Talk about an unforgettable experience! When that fourth penalty shot was blocked by Keylor Navas, the goalkeeper for the Ticos, I thought the roof was going to blow off the place. And then when the final shot for Costa Rica went in, it was complete pandemonium. The whole town erupted. People took to the streets singing and dancing and waving their flags. A spontaneous parade of cars with celebrators filling their insides as well as their outsides cruised the streets with horns honking. It was amazing to witness.

            When the next game is played, we’ll be down at Pastor Jose’s house in Cartago, south of San Jose. It is a much bigger city and I look forward to seeing the much bigger celebration when the Ticos teach the Dutch a thing or two about futbol.

            Tomorrow the VBS and the soccer camp begin. A lot of preparation has gone into these events the last few days. Please pray that God uses these times to touch the lives of many kids and youth, but also that the impact would reach to the parents.

            Again, so sorry for the reporter-like recitation of events tonight. I promise to be much perkier mañana. And, as always, thank you so much for your prayers.

The church surprises Nancy with a birthday song

A very odd and creepy pre-game ritual

Everyone "redded" up for the game

Better than stadium seating

Who needs a big screen TV when you've got a white wall?

Dancing in the streets

I'm thinking more than one traffic safety law
was broken in this parade