Vacation Bible School In Tejarcillos, Los Guido, and La Carpio

Saturday, July 9, 2011

"I Walk Alone"

Blind, lost, and stolen! The minds and hearts of those who live in Tejarcillos are captured not by the light of the Gospel, but rather by the false promises of the "god of this age" (Satan) which are so visible, yet so uniquely disguised. Addictions, abuse, and abandonment run rampantly through the streets. Satan waits daily to devour the lives of these youth, parents, and families, to steal the hope that is found through Jesus Christ. Tejarcillos is well known for its dangerous slums and is known as the "sex trafficing capital" of Costa Rica. The local papers are filled daily with stories about this dangerous place.

Paul sums this up best in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6..."The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbeleivers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness', made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."


Having a father in the house is a foreign concept, a mother in and out of the house is prevalent, and child left alone with no direction is often the case. How challenging it is to know that loneliness is a lifestyle, as they go to sleep in fear and wake another day with the understanding of "I walk alone". Above is a picture of the community center were the VBS events were held and spray painted on the side in black is "I walk alone". How often do you think people walk by this...and hang their head and in their hearts say, "That's me!"?

What is your Tejarcillos...is it your family, the house down the street, your next door neighbor, a colleague at school, or fellow coworker? Who is it in your life that needs to hear the Gospel? Who is it that "walks alone"? Paul challenges us to GO!

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard of? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!" Romans 10:13-15

15 comments:

  1. I would love to GO to Costa Rica and be apart of the ministry there! We are so proud of everything you've done, keep it up :) will be praying for you and tejarcillos! -Landis, Sakiah, & Cam

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  2. Conway,

    Wow. Great, GREAT post. The "I Walk Alone" photo speaks VOLUMES of the pain, suffering, and darkness that cover some of these cities. We are all praying for you, friend. Thank you for being a part of bring the Good News to Tejarcillos, Los Guido, and La Carpio!!!

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  3. CONWAY-I HAVE REALLY BEEN ENJOYING YOUR BLOG POSTS. WE PRAY FOR YOU OFTEN. ONE DAY I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF ONE OF THE TEAMS THAT COMMUNITY BIBLE SENDS OUT. GOD BLESS YOU.

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  4. young man you are an encouragement to me. wow. to read all that you are doing for the kingdom of heaven. i know God is looking down on you and is so proud of your works for him and for the people of costa rica. the kids are so precious. we really enjoy all of the photos. we made a donation for you online today. blessings.

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  5. Landis, Sakiah, and Cameron! You guys are awesome and I'm glad you follow the blogs consistently. I enjoy ready your comments and am encouraged by your words. I look forward to the day the Sakiah is old enough to come to Costa Rica.

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  6. Thanks Josh. As soon as I saw this picture it had to be a blog.

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  7. Sam
    It's great to know that you're enjoying the blog. I do my best to use the pictures and blog posts to share what God is doing in Costa Rica. If you have any questions about coming to Costa Rica or joining a future mission's trip...feel free to ask me. Thank you for the prayer and support.

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  8. Sarah,
    I appreciate your words of encouragement and thank you for checking out the blog. In the midst of everything that takes place I'm thankful for how God has chosen to use me these three months. ALL the credit is given to Him. The kids...I don't know where to begin. They challenge me everyday in more ways than one and are awesome to be around. I thank you for not only your support through following the blog and prayer, but the financial support that you have told me of. It's greatly appreciated and I look forward to seeing how the Lord uses such a gift to expand His Kingdom.

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  9. Con-weezie!

    Hey boeeey, wow wow wow - some of your blog posts (like this one!) make me want to shoot/make little mini-movies about all that God is teaching you/us through this trip. The "I walk alone" realization and photos of TJos that you snapped speak volumes. Thank you for sharing all this precious info and pic updates with us.

    --on a side note-- I probably watch your video from last year's trip at least once a month if not more...not gonna lie, it was amazing and touched my heart especially because I miss the places and faces of Costa Rica every day here back home.

    Love you.

    As we gather for worship together today, I will be thinking of you and all that you are requesting in prayer through this blog connection. Adios Conway!

    -Mike

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  10. Three months? That is just great. Such a long time away from home. I will be praying that God gives you the courage to stay focused on the great mission that is in front of you.

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  11. Conway,

    Praying everyday for the work God is doing in Costa Rica, and that the people there will have their eyes opened and realize they are not alone, but have a God who loves them soooo much! Thanks for the work you are doing and for keeping all of us updated through your blog. It brings tears of joy to my eyes everytime i see the pictures of you with those beautiful children. You are missed here, but we are all so proud of you for following God's calling on your life. Susanne

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  12. Glad you found this post to be challenging and eye opening Mike. God continues to challenge and encourage me to see these same things in areas where we live in the States. It's there...it's just a matteer of going! Thank you for following up with the prayer requests!

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  13. Terry, I will be serving in Costa Rica for just under twelve weeks and Nicaragua for just over ten days...overall about three months. I will be excited to be back at home when the time comes, but I have before me a great opportunity to illustrate God's Word through faith and exemplify His character through being a servant. And my prayer is that is exactly what takes place. Thank you for the prayer!

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  14. Susanne, thank you again for covering this trip in prayer. It's my prayer that God is honored in everything that takes place and receives ALL of the glory for it as well. I'm thankful that I have been considered worthy of such an opportunity. Please continue praying for the lives of those who live in very harsh, dangerous, and difficult conditions.

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