NICARAGUA!!!

During my time out of the States I have been serving in Costa Rica and now have the opportunity to serve with a team from my church in Nicaragua. Various team members will be sharing what God is doing in and through our team, in which I would like to make available to those who have been viewing my blog. Make sure to follow the GO Nicaragua Team for updates.

DAY 1: An Answer to Prayer
By: Emily and Elisenda

After a day and half of traveling, we have safely made it to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.
The things we have seen and already experienced along the way have been eye-opening and we are all eager to see what the Lord will continue to show us in the following days.

In church this past Sunday, Daniel had shared some of the things to be praying for throughout our trip. He asked to pray for safety and health as we travel, to pray that our hearts would be open to whatever the Lord would have us do, and to pray for unity and peace within our team as we set out to bring the good news of Christ. It has been amazing to see the ways in which the Lord has answered each one of these prayers over the past few days.

Upon entering Nicaragua, we have seen many things that have helped open our hearts to where God wants us to move and show His love. We met with Pastor Santiago and he introduced our team to a part of the city of Puerta Cabezas. We are eager to work along side him, as he has a heart for God and others he encounters. As we have prepared to leave for Dakura, Nicaragua tomorrow morning, we have been blessed with opportunities to bond with each other. Because of this unity the Lord has given our team, we are all the more excited to set out on this adventure together in Christ, and share God’s love with the Miskitu people.

Please continue to pray for a safe arrival, stay, and departure from Dakura, as this will be the most challenging part of our mission trip. Continue to pray for good health, strength, and endurance as we grow in our relationships with God, our team, and others.

Thank you for supporting us!!!

La Finca!

Heading out to La Finca for some more work projects this week. I will be posting a few pictures of the most recently completed project soon, so check back. I will also be posting some prayer request, so be sure to look for that as well.

the POWER of PRAYER

Forgiveness, success, guidance, leadership, protection, personal relationship with Christ, struggles, the body of Christ, thankfulness, opportunity, family, ministry, work, resistance of temptation, school, a focused heart, friends...Does prayer change any of this?

Whether we are faced with poverty or granted success...Whether we are seeking an answer to the many questions and curiosities of life or oddly resting comfortably with the confidence in those we have already obtained ourselves...Whether faced with a situation that requires immediate action or one we flee from...

Where do you, I, we start? Do we start with OURSELVES by turning to selfish desires, addiction, gossip, anxiety, "planning", obtaining more things, worshipping other gods OR do we start with GOD in PRAYER? Can we find the power and effectiveness of PRAYER or are we so satisfied with containing its ability to that which only our mind can understand, our heart can desire, and our hands can build. Do we know the power of prayer or is it something we can control, manipulate, and influence for a favored outcome?

Comfortable in life style, a dedicated leader, wise and powerful...Nehemiah was faced with distress upon returning to Jerusalem. When rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he was faced with great opposition...his response was PRAYER. "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven" (Neh. 1:4). Nehemiah recognized God's holiness and the power in PRAYER, confessed his short comings, and asked for guidance. The result...a heart prepared to allow God to accomplish great things through Nehemiah.

"My soul is overwhelmed and sorrowful to the point of death...Father, if it is at all possible, may this cup be taken from me. Not as I will, but as you will" (Matt. 26: 38-39). Jesus Christ the Son of God was burdened, He was hurt, He was seeking relief from a specific situation...His response was PRAYER. "He fell with his face to the ground and prayed..." (Matt. 26 :39). What a powerful example of PRAYER that Jesus Christ found it noteworthy, to say the least, to begin with PRAYER.

Walking around an empty piece of land praying one year, with hope and vision for something to be built the next year, plans and blueprints being developed another year. The following year...a building stood overlooking the once empty land of the New Life Church of Los Guido, also known as La Finca. A multiuse building that has already begun to be used as a tool to share the love of Christ and Word of God with kids, families, moms and dads. It's a place of hope, acceptance, and peace through Jesus Christ. The power of prayer couldn't be more tangible than this.

May we understand the power of PRAYER, through Jesus Christ, it was intended to have and not only that which we make it out to be. PRAYER is a powerful tool waiting to be harnessed! PRAYER prepares our hearts! And PRAYER displays the glory of God in and through our lives!

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (Jas. 5:16). AND "What nation [sinner, person, individual] is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we PRAY to him?" (Dt . 4:7)

Work At La Finca Continues

The most recent team of 31 from Compass Church began the beginning phases of what is to soon be the entry way onto La Finca. Over the last few days myself, Kristen, and Bethany (an intern and full-time missionary) have had the opportunity to contribute to the progress that is taking place. Having been transformed and prepared, we set out today to make a lot of concrete, with hands and shovels, hoping for it to be completed shortly. As you can tell the first portion of the driveway is completed and we just started the next section this week. Check back for some more pictures of the process of this project as well as upcoming posts.

Weekly Ministry and New Experiences

Every week hundreds of kids come and go at La Finca, which serves as a place where God's presence flows freely...a place of refuge, peace, HOPE, acceptance, encouragement, recognition, love, comfort, and challenge. Without the HOPE of Jesus Christ, many kids like Karla have nothing.

Everyone from the New Life Church of Los Guido and Tejarcillos was invited to a program hosted by the visiting team. The program was held inside of the multiuse building and it was an evening full of music, laughter, and fellowship. It was an opportunity to engage in conversation, enjoy some worship, and eat some great food. It is the prayer of the ministry here in Los Guido that 500+ warm plates of food will pass over this counter each day.

Compass Church, the visiting team, planned two workdays during their time serving in Costa Rica. One day at La Finca, preparing the ground for what will soon be the entry way onto the property and one day in La Carpio, doing various painting projects with a local public kindergarten school. During the workday at La Finca, it was mine and Bethany's job to construct the rebar casing for the foundation of two brick walls that would line the driveway. It was a great opportunity to get our hands dirty, work as a body of Christ, and serve in such a tangible way. How awesome it is to think of the many people that will walk/drive across that concrete weekly...that they might come to know and glorify Christ.

During the week, we visited a family that is involved in a number of ways with the New Life Church of Los Guido to celebrate their son Randy and his second birthday. We celebrated his second birthday by enjoying some typical Costa Rican food and helping him put Mr. Potato Head together.

Tons of fun! Over the course of many weeks, the New Life Church of Los Guido offered to take the top three members, who invited the most people to church, both zip lining and white water rafting. Three youth from the leadership team (Maria Jose, Ingrid, and Maria) took advantage of this opportunity and did exactly that. The visiting team took these individuals as well as some of the leadership team on this trip. I too, had the opportunity to enjoy this experience of zip lining for for the first time. This day was a simple reward for their hard work and great example of Christ that they are daily.

Closing out the week was the Show de Jabon (Soap Show). This is a great time for the kids to see their friends throughout the week, interact with visiting teams, and most importantly learn about God through Scripture and Bible stories.




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.

For WHOM and For WHAT Are You A Missionary?

Theology 21: Renovating Theology for A New Generation

"Missions are at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Spreading the Gospel is not something consigned to just a few missionaries in far away lands or by paid church staff reaching out to a local community. Every Christian is a missionary. Every Christian, no matter what age, what career path, or how busy, is responsible for making disciples, serving those in need, and act as the living representatives of Jesus Christ on earth." Jon Keck

Theology 21 and its authors attempt to wrestle with controversial and interesting topics in today's world. For them this idea of theology has become the constant "pursuit and attempt to meet and understand God". This last week I was asked to answer three questions in which some of you following this blog may find interseting...

1) Tell us a little a bit about your story before God called you and where He has taken you since you gave your life to Christ?

2) When and How did God call you to Costa Rica?

3) What has God done in, through, and around you while serving the Gospel and people of La Finca?

Check out the article "Why No Matter Who You Are, You Are A Missionary" for my response.

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.

The Month of August

Each week God continues to use the ministry and it's leaders of the New Life Church to reach, serve, and love those who are at the heart of Jesus Christ.

God continues to use teams in mighty ways as they generously, obediently, and joyfully serve God and the people of Costa Rica.

We just finished up "The Month of the Future" and move into August which is, "The Month of Fruit, More Fruit, and Much Fruit. I'm looking forward to this series as we look at some challenging ideas, such as the difference between a Christian and a Disciple.

Arriving yesterday was the Compass Church Team of 31 from Naperville, Illinois. Serving alonside this team, we have the opportunity today, to start some work projects and continue throughout the week with the weekly prayer service, an ALL church dinner, Kids Club, and other community outreach events. Please be praying for the ministry and the hearts of this team, as well as those we will see during the week, that the Compass Church is visiting. Please be praying that hearts would be vulnerable to the very hand of God in our lives and the lives of those around us.

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.