Tuesday, October 17, 2006

The Journey to Costa Rica

It has been two years exactly since the first time Dave and I saw Costa Rica. Since October 12, 2004, there have been many “adventures” that have led up to the day we arrived in Costa Rica on October 11, 2006. We spent 10 days in intense missionary training in Jacksonville, Fla. Days after returning from that trip, our house was sold, and all debts paid off!! We moved into an apartment for six months, had a yard sale and sold everything we owned. A couple days after that we moved to Guatemala for 10 weeks! What a culture change…but yet an awakening to what God was calling us to. A love for the Latin people grew while there…and we learned many things to help us adjust to the culture. Upon arriving back to the States, we lived in an apartment generously donated for a month by friends of ours at our church in Tn. Then we spent 6 weeks moving from house to house and waiting for a home to open up in Jinotega, Nicaragua. In March of this year we moved to Nicaragua and spent the last 7 months there. In those 7 months, God took us through some crash courses in the Latin culture….some good…some not so good…but everything a part of His plan to prepare us for His work. We established relationships that will last a lifetime…and fell even more in love with the Latin people and the land God was preparing us for. Jinotega…you will always be in our hearts. We found that God was rapidly increasing our training time in Nicaragua….and before we knew…He had opened the doors for us to make our ultimate move! COSTA RICA!!! God is so good…in everything.
We began our move to Costa Rica the last week of Sept. when I began to pack everything up one more time. We moved in with the Pastors in Nicaragua and lived with them for 10 days. By this time, transition was just another word in our everyday vocabulary. On October 10 we left many friends and the life we knew in Nicaragua and made our way to Managua…the capital of Nicaragua. We spent the night in a hotel there to be able to wake up early the next morning and catch the 6:00 am bus to Costa Rica. One very interesting thing that happened in the hotel in Managua was the morning we woke up to leave. We awoke around 3 am…as my husband went to get Hannah out of the bed she shared with me…a tarantula came crawling out from under her and made its way across his arm to the end of the bed. We did not realize we slept with a tarantula all night!! We showed a picture to the front desk clerk and found out he was very dangerous!! Thank God for His protection!!! So this was just another…welcome to the mission field statement!!
We took the 6:00 am bus to CR and arrived around 1 pm. Our wonderful Pastors were there to welcome us to our promised land. A vision that God had placed in our Pastors 4 years ago…had finally been fulfilled! We made it to CR!!!! God is so good…did I say that already? We saw our house that He provided for us, and were just amazed at His goodness. Our house is fully furnished…right down to the littlest things that I was desiring and our children. I was making plans to buy a blender….but God had one waiting for me here. Jeremiah went to his closet and looked around and found a boogie board waiting for him to take to the beach that is so close by! God does not despise the littlest desires that we have…and may not even mention!!
We feel so at peace in our new home and our new land. Our neighbors are already beginning to accept us and God is giving us favor through them as well. We are excited about the work we will do here…but for now….it is all about showing His love to His people! We do not know everything God has for us here…but we know that His will will be accomplished here. His harvest in Costa Rica is ripe and we are ready for some picking!!!
I have to say though that throughout the last two years, as Dave and I have drawn closer to beginning our journey, my dad has drawn closer to ending his. He was diagnosed with cancer almost 2 years ago and he has had a long hard battle since that time. Just before leaving the States to move to Nicaragua, my dad was told the cancer was terminal. My heart was broken, but in my spirit I knew I had to press on to the mark of the high calling that He had called us to. In talking to my dad before our departure and when visiting with him before we left, he encouraged me to not let any of this hinder us from continuing on with what the Lord has for us. I honestly let him know that we will continue on with what God wants us to do, no matter what. I have placed my dad in God’s hands and have asked my Heavenly Father to take care of my earthly father. It has been a long hard road, but the time has begun to draw even nearer for my dad. He is beginning to experience liver failure due to the cancer. Only God knows how long he has left on this earth. But what a journey he has ahead of him, one that will take him to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. That is the ultimate journey that we all long for…to be in the presence of our King. Daddy…I love you and appreciate you so much for accepting the call God has for us and encouraging us in it. God has blessed me with a wonderful earthly father! I ask all of you to continue to pray for him and for strength for me as well.
We love you all…and appreciate your love and support that has taken us this far. You have all been a wonderful blessing to us and we ask God to continue to pour out His blessings upon you. We look forward to letting you know about what God is doing in Costa Rica. Until then…….we remain…in HIS service!!

3 comments:

Christy Broxton said...

Welcome to CR and to the world of bloggin'
Love ya
Christy

Anonymous said...

Hey! We love you guys and we are so excited for all God is doing in your lives. We can't wait to see the blessings of God overtake you as you heed His call to gather the harvest in Costa Rica!

love,
Jill

sonwray said...

This is so cool! YOu will have to keep it up to date for us!

The kids love seeing your pictures, and hearing about all the things you do.

Love You all!