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

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Throughout The Week

This week was another great opportunity serving alongside the West Jackson Baptist Church lead by Pastor Robin! Obediently serving with passion filled hearts, they set out that they may win the hearts of those living in these ministry areas where gang life is expected and abuse runs rampant...for this the Gospel is the only HOPE for tommorrow.

Many months ago, the Lord placed a desire on the hearts of many families within the West Jackson Baptist Church family to support the ministry here in Costa Rica by generously purchasing school uniforms for many kids varying in age. For many this small gift, along with other school supplies, is often a road block for a kid to be successful in the education system...the cost of going to school often prevents many of them from having the opportunity for any type of education. As the West Jackson team visited some of the kids who received uniforms, it was a small gift with a much greater impact, meeting both a tangible and an eternal need by sharing the gift of Christ's love. During this time, God used us to share the Gospel through the Bridge Illustration, which is used as a tool to draw some of these kids and families into what may be the only light visible in these areas...the light of life in Christ.

Another awesome opportunity for both the ministry of the New Life Church and the visiting West Jackson team was the medical clinic. You can read the previous blog for some pictures and updates...God continues to use the visiting teams and the gifts which they have been given to reach the local communities of Costa Rica. It has been great to witness the glory of God being revealed at La Finca through the many ways in which God chooses to work.

Kids Club is always a blast! It's great to see the fruit from years past birth in the older youth leading and teaching during the Kids Club, as well as the younger kids who return week after week seeking peace, joy, and comfort at La Finca through the Word of God. God's glory is definitely being revealed here as He works tangibly in the lives of those indivduals over the years and bears much fruit in the ministry of the New Life Church of Los Guido.

Make sure to check back for updates, prayer requests, pictures, and much more. I'm looking forward to some of the upcoming blogs and posts. Feel free to leave comments or questions.

Between Monday, August 1st to Sunday, August 7th, my home church (Community Bible Church) is hosting a giveaway via my blog. A prize (“The Hole in Our Gospel” by World Vision CEO Richard Stearns and a bundle of worship CD’s) will be given to a winner randomly chosen from the comments below (Facebook comments will not count). The winner will be announced via CBC’s Facebook and this blog…so be sure to check back!

Participants can comment as often as they’d like, can be anywhere around the world, and are welcome to spread the word to their friends. Be sure to comment with your first AND last name so the prize makes it to the correct person. A winner will be announced on Sunday, August 7th at 7 P.M. PST.

20 comments:

  1. That is so cool that the West Jackson Baptist Church family were able to meet some of the incredible needs of some of the kids by providing the necessary means to receive an education! God is just continuing to do incredible things in the communities surrounding New Life Church.

    Thank you for sharing all about your experience!!! i love reading about all the things that God is doing there.

    Keep working hard my friend!!! God is doing big and mighty things in Costa Rica and it is so awesome that you get to be a part of it!!!!

    Can't wait to read the upcoming post about Sugeylley's testimony!!!

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  2. Lanaya,
    Great observation Lanaya. This small gift could very well mean the difference between going to school and not. The uniforms were a great way to reach the community in Los Pinos and other areas. It was awesome seeing God clearly work in this team and through them in these areas through what many of us would consider a small gift. It's incredible what God does through the smallest amounts of generosity.

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  3. Conway,

    This is awesome. When I returned from Nicaragua in January, I was able to be at La Finca while they handed out school uniforms and shoes. The parents and kids where so thankful. What a great opportunity to show them the love of Christ and to build relationships with the community.

    Praying for you!

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  4. As a mom, it is so touching to hear how you guys are enabling these kids to go to school. Here in America, we worry about sending our kids to the BEST school possible. There in Costa Rica the parents are worrying about their kids being able to go to school at all! That is a humbling thought for me. We are so blessed here and often times don't even realize it. Those small gifts of school uniforms and supplies are going to make a lifelong difference in the lives of these kids. Thank God!!

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  5. This is awesome. I really hope that I get to go with you all next year.

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  6. I'm bummed I don't get to GO to Nicaragua. :-/

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  7. WHAT A BLESSING 2 SEE KIDS WHO WERE ONCE YOUNG IN THEIR FAITH NOW TEACHING THE YOUNGER KIDS.

    RICHARD, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NICARAGUA????? ARE YOU GOING TO NICARAGUA NEXT CONWAY??????????

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  8. Wow. To think that school unfirosm is that kind of a nedd with these kids. what a great ministry idea Conway.

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  9. do you speak spanish? today is the ifrst time i've looked at your blog. the pictures are great. your blogs are great and i really enojoy hearing about what your reading too.

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  10. Conway, what's taking place in the photograph attached to this part of the page? At first I thought maybe you were all praying, but at a second, third, and fourth glance it looks as though you are all focused on something on the ground?

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  11. i am praying for the kids and the hearts of the team that is with uou.

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  12. la finca seems like such a hopeful place

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  13. The kids and families were definitely appreciative for the school uniforms Josh. It was a great opportunity to share and witness with the team that was visiting. Thanks for the prayer.

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  14. Great observation Erin and you are correct. It is a canstant battle both culturally and financially to have the opportunity to atend school and these uniforms are a tool that th Lord has enabled this team to distribute on His behalf.

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  15. Sounds great Ashley. Be sure to contact the church for all of the details.

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  16. This is correct Kristi. A team from Community Bible Church is going to Nicaragua on Aug 29 and leaving Sept 7. I will be meeting up with them. Just about two weeks from now and I will be heading down there.

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  17. It is a great idea Rose, however I had no part in the develpoment of this idea or passing out the uniforms. I had the opportunity to observe and witness what god is doing in and through the team that was enabled to do this. Thanks for following the blog.

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  18. Glad you are finding the blog to be interesting and useful Earl. I can speak and understand some spanish. Be sure to continue to check out the blog as there is much more to come.

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  19. Deborah,
    This is an excellent question...thank you for asking! The New Life Church of Los Guido uses what they refer to as "The Bridge Illustraion" to share the gospel. It's and easy to follow and clearly written process accompanied by scripture of a life before and after the acceptance of Christ...and how one moves from one side to the other. It is an excellent tool and has been found to be effective. In this picture we are sharing the gospel with some of the kids in a local school where they received the school uniforms from a previous team.

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  20. Thank you for the prayers Chris. AND great observation about La Finca. La Finca stands for so many things to those who vsit throughout the week and HOPE is among that list.

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