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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

We are Content

         The last few months have been a whirlwind full of exciting things. It’s hard to believe it’s almost July already!  In April I was able to visit my home in Ohio for the first time in a year. In May we visited churches all over Costa Rica and even went to Nicaragua to prepare for the short-term mission teams that we are now receiving through PVM. We also got to go to San Miguel, the community that we worked in three years ago, on foot for the first time since last November. In the beginning of June our two Vida220 teams finished their five month long outreach and moved back to our base in Heredia. The Friday before we received our first PVM group a tree fell on one of our temporary dorm structures (noone was inside at the time!) and within two days we had another one ready to live in. We’ve been busy and we’ve had a few hiccups along the way, but through it all we’ve been reminded time and time again of God’s goodness! Not that we have ever had a reason to forget it, though.

Praying with Lesly after touring the city of Granada, Nicaragua.
Pastor Florentino and his wife Mariela in San Miguel.

                My trip home in April had several purposes, one of which was to fundraise. Manu and I are not people who need or even desire to have many material comforts, but we had been living off of the budget that I had been given as a single person. As I went home we knew that somehow we needed to raise about twice as much as what we had been receiving. So, we went into fundraising simply praying and believing that God would provide enough, and we were ready to make changes in our lifestyle if needed. But, when all was said and done we found out that our proposed budget had been met. Manuel and I feel so overwhelmed and thankful to God for His provision in the lives of our supporters, and in turn ours.

We are blessed to have such a supportive community in Ohio.

Eva and I got to visit the zoo.

                As if that weren’t enough of a gift, God gave us another big one just this last Friday, June 24. Manu was granted his tourist visa to visit the States. We know cross-cultural couples who have had to apply multiple times before their visa was ever granted, so we were a bit wary of what the answer for Manuel would be.

                The night before his interview we were praying and asking for God’s favor and also proclaiming our trust in His answer, whether it would be a “yes” or “not yet.” Then while I waited during his interview I was reading in Luke 11 as part of one of the passages that I was supposed to read that day. It talks about Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray. He also says that he who asks will receive, he who seeks will find, and to him who knocks the door will be opened. Then comes one of my favorite verses, Luke 11:13, “If you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him,” and after reading that my prayer changed. I asked God to fill Manu in that moment with all of the fruits of his Holy Spirit. So, along with that great gift which He promises to give us, God also granted us his favor that day.


                We’ve been extra thankful lately and much more aware of God’s support in what we do and ask of Him. Our eyes have been opened more to the power of the support and prayer of the people around us, both far and near. But, in these days I’ve also been reminded of Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians, “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” It is always easy to feel content and thankful when God answers our prayers the way we hope he will. The test that we must pass one day will be to remain content when His answer is “no” or “not yet.” On those days we all realize if the object of our worship has been the blessing or the One who blesses.

                Thank you all for your prayers and incredible shows of support, and thank you for taking time to hear our heart. We would like to ask for your continued prayers specifically for wisdom, strength and energy as we will be very busy for the next two months hosting more than 200 people in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and visiting other countries in Central America to recruit students for Vida220.

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