God has blessed me with a most amazing husband, and I want to shout out from the rooftops how much I love him. How wonderful it is to serve the Lord alongside this man. He is such a testimony of God’s saving grace, and a surrendered life that is TOTALLY committed to the Lord and His plan.
My love, you are such an inspiration, such a source of strength…you shine the light of Jesus, and I am eternally grateful to Our Heavenly Father for redeeming our marriage, and allowing us to serve Him together, as we share this life He has provided for us. On this, your birthday, I pray for a renewed filling of the Holy Spirit upon you, and a sweet time of fellowship with our Savior as you spend time in His Word. I am privileged to be by your side, as we walk this journey together, knowing that you are following His guidance and direction, and leading us according to His will.
I love you Geiner, and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you. God bless you, my sweet love.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
LET THE NEW YEAR BEGIN
December 28, 2011 marked our 2nd anniversary in Costa Rica. And as we look back we can’t help but be awestruck in the presences of our amazing, big God. His faithfulness has consistently confirmed His plan for our lives, and we continue to walk by faith, and not by sight….and when we do get caught up in the whole “sight” thing, He is quick to remind us Who is in charge!
2011 brought some growing experiences, and some new adventures. Just a quick review of some things you might already know through an earlier blog post, facebook, or other source, but we thought they were worth mentioning again.
2011 brought some growing experiences, and some new adventures. Just a quick review of some things you might already know through an earlier blog post, facebook, or other source, but we thought they were worth mentioning again.
Hosting two teams from Albuquerque, we were able to begin our youth group Ven y Ve (translated "Come and See"). We launched with the help of the Vertical high school team, and an outreach at a roller skating rink. We continue to minister to the high schoolers in the "colegio" located right behind the church, and now that the new school year has started, we plan to start visiting them again, and planning some outreaches especially with them in mind.
In October we hosted a team of folks who were also able to minister with some manual labor in the humble homes of two single ladies in the congregation, and a rehab center for woman…all within the span of four days. (More pictures available in a previous update).
We were so blessed by these visits, and extended the invitation to all of them to return ANY TIME!
2011 also brought some new collaborations in ministry. In November we had the opportunity to work alongside a team from Ride Nature and Calvary Chapel Melbourne Florida, for a skateboard outreach.
We were also blessed with a visit from brothers from Calvary Chapel Lynchburgh VA, and we will continue to stay in touch to see what the Lord has planned.
We took a step of faith and added a bible study in English on Sunday afternoons, covering the same verses as the morning services, which are at 9:00 in Spanish, and 11:00 in English for San Pedro Christian Fellowhship. Our prayer is that the Lord will grow this bible study into a service for the bilingual population who want to learn more English. We also began teaching the Foundations class in English on Wednesday afternoons. Wednesday evenings are set aside for a bilingual prayer time at 5:00, followed by our mid-week Spanish bible study where we are going through the bible verse-be-verse, from Genesis to Revelation. (Still in Genesis, so this might take a while!!)
With these ventures we are moving closer to our desire to have the church active every day…not just Sundays.
We also want to encourage them to invite their friends. Two weeks ago we brought them together for a mini-retreat, where they had a chance to spend some time in the Word, along with swimming, playing soccer, and enjoying a cook-out.
We were so blessed to have 5 new young ones join us, who were invited by one of our Ven y Ve "regulars", Maria Jose, with an invitation to join us weekly on Saturdays.
We will also be encouraging them to get the word out to their friends about another skate outreach, since school resumes this month, where they can share with them the importance of Christ in their lives, and the need for everyone to know Him and His saving power. Prayers would be appreciated for these young ones…for boldness to communicate this to their friends, and take it beyond the walls of their school, and to live it in such a way that their friends will know that they are different, and become curious about why.
We have other plans for 2012 in line…but the Lord has shown us thus far that His timing is perfect, and if we faithfully work on the things that He has prioritized for us, the rest will fall into place. So 2012 brings nothing short of continuing to labor in such a way that pleases Him most. We look forward to what is in store, and to sharing with you the wonders of His mercy and grace upon this little church in Costa Rica. May His will be done in our lives and yours.
With these ventures we are moving closer to our desire to have the church active every day…not just Sundays.
Our plan for 2012 involves growing and maturing the flock. Our current need is committed and responsible servants who, with sufficient discipleship, can assume leadership in many of these areas, and can extend the ministry beyond San Pedro. Our first and foremost objective is to reach out and spread the Word…we need to get out and evangelize, and we need the people to do so. We are beginning with Ven y Ve, by teaching the youth how to share the gospel, and the importance of evangelism.
We also want to encourage them to invite their friends. Two weeks ago we brought them together for a mini-retreat, where they had a chance to spend some time in the Word, along with swimming, playing soccer, and enjoying a cook-out.
We were so blessed to have 5 new young ones join us, who were invited by one of our Ven y Ve "regulars", Maria Jose, with an invitation to join us weekly on Saturdays.
We will also be encouraging them to get the word out to their friends about another skate outreach, since school resumes this month, where they can share with them the importance of Christ in their lives, and the need for everyone to know Him and His saving power. Prayers would be appreciated for these young ones…for boldness to communicate this to their friends, and take it beyond the walls of their school, and to live it in such a way that their friends will know that they are different, and become curious about why.
We have other plans for 2012 in line…but the Lord has shown us thus far that His timing is perfect, and if we faithfully work on the things that He has prioritized for us, the rest will fall into place. So 2012 brings nothing short of continuing to labor in such a way that pleases Him most. We look forward to what is in store, and to sharing with you the wonders of His mercy and grace upon this little church in Costa Rica. May His will be done in our lives and yours.
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25 ...and Amen!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Catching Up!
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has flown by and we have neglected to keep up with our communication via this blog. There is so much that has been happening here in San Pedro since our last entry, that it will be hard to share EVERYTHING that the Lord has been doing. So this is a feeble attempt.
We hear this same thing from so many of our fellow missionaries…which actually blesses us to know that the Lord has been keeping them busy as well, and not having the time to update is not always a sign of neglect, but more an indication of the fast pace in which the Lord is moving in the ministry.
That is what is happening here…to His praise and glory. So here we go…let’s go for a ride through these last couple of months to see if we can do them justice.
I guess we left off with the aftermath of the visit from our Vertical peeps. Ven y Ve, the youth group launched by their visit and outreach, has been growing. We see young people appreciating that they have somewhere to go for fellowship…to play some games, hear the Word, have questions answered, and have a meal together. They have some amazing questions…May God give us the wisdom and guidance to answer them in a way that will allow them to know their Father, and be molded to the image of His Son. We have also been given an open door in the high school that is located right behind the church. Our prayer is that more and more young ones will come to know and trust us, and “Come and See (Ven y Ve)” what we are all about.
We also had the privilege of celebrating our first anniversary! Calvary Chapel San Pedro held its first service on Sunday August 29th, 2010. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to watch this congregation grow in their faith and their knowledge of God’s Word.
We are located in the midst of five universities and many language schools. As we see more and more English speakers in this area of Costa Rica, we identified the need to reach out and offer a more contemporary venue for worship and study of the Word in English. When we were given the opportunity to start Calvary Chapel in an existing English-speaking church called San Pedro Christian Fellowship, and Geiner was then asked to preach for them as well, we began to consider ourselves a bilingual church. The structure of SPCF’s service is very traditional, and serves well the senior saints who have been attending over the years. But we also realized that reaching out to a younger crowd would require something different. So on August 24th we began our contemporary English service later in the afternoon. The Lord is continuing to guide and direct our steps with this service, and it is a work-in-progress.
It is always wonderful to welcome family and friends, and the beginning of October gave us a chance to do just that. On October 1st a team from Calvary of Albuquerque arrived ready to serve. It was so wonderful to serve alongside “family” from Albuquerque (some that we have known for years, and some we had just met). Our relationship with the high school behind the church was strengthened because of the hard work and exemplary service of an amazing team of people.
We also spent some quality time ministering to the women at Hogares Crea (a voluntary rehab), both with some manual labor, and some time in the Word. These women heard a gospel message, received some much needed personal items, and thanks to Priscilla, who also gave the message, some of the women were able to get a professional hair cut as well.
Then to top off the power-packed week… (Yes unfortunately they were only able to spend a week with us)…we were able to help out two women in the congregation who needed some help with painting and a small construction project.
Before in the back room:
and after in the front room...and she gets to see the transformation.
In the words of the group leader, James “Would you like to know the best part of it all? God was totally given all the glory by every recipient!!!!!! They didn't see us but God who sent us!! They didn't see us but God who sent all the things they needed!! His name was exalted not ours!!” We could not have said it better! Thank you all for your willingness to serve our good God by serving brothers and sisters in Costa Rica in His name.
Since the team left we have seen growth in Ven y Ve, our youth ministry, and the Lord has sent much-needed servants. We continue to pray for workers, and are thrilled to announce the approval of the next Global Adventures’ missionary, Kelly Shannon, who will be coming down to serve alongside us early next year.
We hope this has not been too overwhelming…there is so much power-packed between these lines, and this gives you just a glimpse of what the Lord has been doing lately in this little corner of Costa Rica.
"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21
We hear this same thing from so many of our fellow missionaries…which actually blesses us to know that the Lord has been keeping them busy as well, and not having the time to update is not always a sign of neglect, but more an indication of the fast pace in which the Lord is moving in the ministry.
That is what is happening here…to His praise and glory. So here we go…let’s go for a ride through these last couple of months to see if we can do them justice.
I guess we left off with the aftermath of the visit from our Vertical peeps. Ven y Ve, the youth group launched by their visit and outreach, has been growing. We see young people appreciating that they have somewhere to go for fellowship…to play some games, hear the Word, have questions answered, and have a meal together. They have some amazing questions…May God give us the wisdom and guidance to answer them in a way that will allow them to know their Father, and be molded to the image of His Son. We have also been given an open door in the high school that is located right behind the church. Our prayer is that more and more young ones will come to know and trust us, and “Come and See (Ven y Ve)” what we are all about.
We also had the privilege of celebrating our first anniversary! Calvary Chapel San Pedro held its first service on Sunday August 29th, 2010. Thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to watch this congregation grow in their faith and their knowledge of God’s Word.
We are located in the midst of five universities and many language schools. As we see more and more English speakers in this area of Costa Rica, we identified the need to reach out and offer a more contemporary venue for worship and study of the Word in English. When we were given the opportunity to start Calvary Chapel in an existing English-speaking church called San Pedro Christian Fellowship, and Geiner was then asked to preach for them as well, we began to consider ourselves a bilingual church. The structure of SPCF’s service is very traditional, and serves well the senior saints who have been attending over the years. But we also realized that reaching out to a younger crowd would require something different. So on August 24th we began our contemporary English service later in the afternoon. The Lord is continuing to guide and direct our steps with this service, and it is a work-in-progress.
It is always wonderful to welcome family and friends, and the beginning of October gave us a chance to do just that. On October 1st a team from Calvary of Albuquerque arrived ready to serve. It was so wonderful to serve alongside “family” from Albuquerque (some that we have known for years, and some we had just met). Our relationship with the high school behind the church was strengthened because of the hard work and exemplary service of an amazing team of people.
We also spent some quality time ministering to the women at Hogares Crea (a voluntary rehab), both with some manual labor, and some time in the Word. These women heard a gospel message, received some much needed personal items, and thanks to Priscilla, who also gave the message, some of the women were able to get a professional hair cut as well.
Then to top off the power-packed week… (Yes unfortunately they were only able to spend a week with us)…we were able to help out two women in the congregation who needed some help with painting and a small construction project.
Before in the back room:
and after in the front room...and she gets to see the transformation.In the words of the group leader, James “Would you like to know the best part of it all? God was totally given all the glory by every recipient!!!!!! They didn't see us but God who sent us!! They didn't see us but God who sent all the things they needed!! His name was exalted not ours!!” We could not have said it better! Thank you all for your willingness to serve our good God by serving brothers and sisters in Costa Rica in His name.
Since the team left we have seen growth in Ven y Ve, our youth ministry, and the Lord has sent much-needed servants. We continue to pray for workers, and are thrilled to announce the approval of the next Global Adventures’ missionary, Kelly Shannon, who will be coming down to serve alongside us early next year.
Please pray for her as she obeys the calling she knows the Lord has had on her life for quite some time now.
We hope this has not been too overwhelming…there is so much power-packed between these lines, and this gives you just a glimpse of what the Lord has been doing lately in this little corner of Costa Rica.
Thank you all for your continuing prayers and support. We love serving our God with so many dedicated brothers and sisters alongside.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Fruit - Gotta Love It!
We miss those young ones terribly, but they have left their mark on Costa Rica. We continue to see the fruit of their visit. It is such a blessing when someone comes to church with a green flyer in their hand. It reminds us of our walks in the neighborhoods and the universities handing them out, accompanied by our dear friends from Albuquerque.
Ven y Ve, the youth group launched by the roller skating outreach (see previous post)met two Saturdays ago and enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship with Alina, Christina, and Estefan, including an intro to Ven y Ve - who we are, and what the Lord has placed on our hearts. Then we played some games, ate some pizza, and watched “Letters to God”. If you haven’t seen that movie, please treat yourself. It is inspirational and encouraging. After the movie we spent some time talking about our favorite part of the movie and why.
We met again last Saturday and welcomed some new friends to the fellowship. We enjoyed some games and especially one which led into a message from Nathan about the bible and its integrity and relevance. We played the “whisper down the lane” game to point out how difficult it is to pass a message along without losing the true meaning.
We look forward to sharing what the Lord is doing inVen y Ve, as we reach out to the younger crowd.
On another note, we are stepping out in faith this weekend with an additional service at 3:00 in the afternoon. Since we have found more people speaking English on our ventures, who are looking for an environment where they can practice their English while receiving the Word of God...we are adding the contemporary English service at 3:00 p.m. while continuing to serve at the traditional English service at 11:00 a.m. with San Pedro Christian Fellowship.
This week we have been handing out these flyers...let's see what the Lord has in store! Please pray for the Lord’s guidance and direction for this new service.
"...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17
Ven y Ve, the youth group launched by the roller skating outreach (see previous post)met two Saturdays ago and enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship with Alina, Christina, and Estefan, including an intro to Ven y Ve - who we are, and what the Lord has placed on our hearts. Then we played some games, ate some pizza, and watched “Letters to God”. If you haven’t seen that movie, please treat yourself. It is inspirational and encouraging. After the movie we spent some time talking about our favorite part of the movie and why.
We met again last Saturday and welcomed some new friends to the fellowship. We enjoyed some games and especially one which led into a message from Nathan about the bible and its integrity and relevance. We played the “whisper down the lane” game to point out how difficult it is to pass a message along without losing the true meaning.
We look forward to sharing what the Lord is doing inVen y Ve, as we reach out to the younger crowd.
On another note, we are stepping out in faith this weekend with an additional service at 3:00 in the afternoon. Since we have found more people speaking English on our ventures, who are looking for an environment where they can practice their English while receiving the Word of God...we are adding the contemporary English service at 3:00 p.m. while continuing to serve at the traditional English service at 11:00 a.m. with San Pedro Christian Fellowship.
This week we have been handing out these flyers...let's see what the Lord has in store! Please pray for the Lord’s guidance and direction for this new service.
"...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17
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