So here is what has been going on so far!

On February 25th Megan and I graduated from a six week spanish language program.  With our new found freedom we took a weekend trip to Arenal.  We saw some lovely scenery and had some adventures!

This week was our first official week of ministry.  It has been a tiring but wonderful week.  Through volunteering to do things and being asked to help in various ways, we’ve scheduled our days pretty full!

Monday through Friday we’ll be working in La Carpio at two places;  “El segundo” where we teach English classes and “El Refugio”  Monday through Thursday we’ll be up at the wonderful hour of 5am so we can eat and get to La Carpio by 8:00 to teach English.

On Monday and Wednesday we have three English classes in a row.  The middle class is the most challenging because of the size.  I believe there are 30 kids signed up for the class.  On Tuesday and Thursdays we have only one class.  (Which is such a blessed thing because it gives us prep time for the week)  At 1:00 everyday we walk down to the Refuge.  From 1-2:15 we’ll be taking care of the little girls and coming up with little things to keep them occupied.

On Monday and Friday at 2:30 we’ll be teaching an Art Class to the girls who are enrolled at the Refuge.    Also on Thursday afternoons Megan will be teaching a Choreography class.  I am happily joining in.

While the waking up at 5am is going to be hard, I really like our schedule.  We are getting to interact with all ages and do a little bit of everything.    You can pray for creativity!  We need lots of it with all the classes we’re teaching.  Teaching English is a little intimidating to me.  I never saw myself teaching a class like that, but it’ll be a good challenge and I’m excited to get to know the kids!

To get a better idea of what we’ve been up to check out our facebook page.  I just put up some new pictures.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=501798345#!/pages/Pura-Vida/292587697698?ref=ts

Today, like every other Saturday we’ve had here so far, we got up early, put on our work out gear, snarfed down some breakfast and went to play a mad game of ultimate frisbee with some die-hards from school. The sun was hot, sweat was flowing, and dirt from the field was flying and encasing our bodies with layers of filth. I loved every minute of it. That is, until, after our long hot walk home, we realized that the water in our house had conveniently decided to stop working for the day. So here we are…with grimy tan lines from all the dirt, nappy greasy, sweaty hair and probably a good stench from not showering since the morning before and sweating for two hours. Mmmm…tasty.

All this made me think back to a John Piper sermon I had listened to just a few days ago. One of the verses that he used that I thought of right away was 2 Corinthians 2:15 “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” We become an aroma to God when we take on Christ and continue His work to the world. When we extend the unconditional love that was given to us. When we proclaim the truth in His word. When we make His name known in our lives instead of our own. Although the suffering comes, we take joy and persevere because we know that it produces a sweet aroma to our Lord.

So even as I write this, my physical aroma is pretty funky. But my spiritual aroma from the heart Christ has given me to reach the lost is one of the sweetest smells to my God. My desire is for the Christ in me to be such an overwhelming sweet smell to everyone that I encounter that it would be undeniable all that He has done in me to accomplish His will.

Am I ok with the stink? As long as my life continues to be a sweet aroma to the Lord, bring it on. Holy suffering, right? Just as long as we get a shower before church tomorrow

Jeremiah 1:4-10

⁴ The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”

⁷ But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

⁹ Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

There have been many times in these last few weeks that I’ve felt like a child trying to speak this language. There have been times that I’ve started to question why I’m here and how God could possibly use me when I have nothing to offer.

Here in these verses were my answers to those questions. He knew that I was going to doubt. He knew that I was going to be fearful. He knew that I wouldn’t have the words. He knew that I would fail. But by me being so imperfect, that made me perfect for the job of bringing Him glory through my imperfections. Through Him I can have confidence in the road marked out ahead of me. Through Him I can see that I have nothing to fear because He’s more powerful than anything I might encounter. Through Him I can have an abundance of words, straight from the Father. Through Him I can be more than a conqueror.

It’s not about us having anything to offer. Because we don’t. Christ is the only one who has anything to offer. Only by living our lives in submission to His hand, moving where He wants, do we have something that’s of worth to give to Him. But He has chosen, by His grace alone, to set us apart as believers to be a part of furthering His kingdom. He has chosen to use us as little parts in His big story so that He may receive the most glory possible when we realize that we aren’t capable of accomplishing anything without Him.

In a different country. On a school campus. At a full-time job. On a sports team. In a family. In a group of friends. On the good days, on the bad days, on the easy days and on the hard days. God has placed us in that spot to ask for his words, strength, and confidence to build, to plant and to allow for His glory to be shown to those around us.

So yes, I feel like a child speaking this language. But I am a child of my most high Father in heaven and when He begins a good work, He will carry it on to completion.

what an experience this whole living in a different country thing has been! brenna and i have become pros at the smiling and head nods (well, mainly me because God has truly blessed brenna with an understanding of the language) when we don’t understand the whirlwind of words thrown at us the moment we get out of bed. we’ve also gotten very good at living in a very small living area together with a parrot outside our window who thinks it’s necessary to constantly whistle at us (it’s not like we don’t get enough of those being two blonde-haired light-skinned girls walking down streets filled with Costa Ricans.) in addition to all this, we’ve put down meals always consisting of some type of rice and some form of bean (as well as fish and ham, both of which i refuse to eat at home.)

but the funny thing is that i would not ask to be in any other place right now. yes, it gets so tiresome not being able to fully understand the language (and my jaw starts to hurt from smiling so much.) yes it is kind of a pain trying to get ready in such a small living space. yes, the whistles are annoying and the cat calls are creepy. and yes, the rice, beans, fish and ham aren’t the most appetizing thing and don’t always sit well with our stomachs.

i think of paul’s words in philippians chapter 3:7-10 “but whatever was to my prophet i now consider loss for the sake of Christ. what is more, i consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake i have lost all things. i consider them rubbish, that i may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. i want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death…”  paul wrote these words while in prison and being persecuted for the faith that he had. he could have been shaking his fist at God and turning away from him because of the circumstances he found himself in. but instead he used every moment he had there to not only continue the ministry Christ had called him to, but to encourage those he was writing to to stand firm in the face of persecution and REJOICE regardless of the circumstances. his life was so lost in Christ that he didn’t care what he was facing because he knew that having Christ Jesus as Lord and leader over his life was so much more joyous than anything the world had to throw at him.

so bring on the spanish, the parrot, the whistles and the beans because i consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord!  this life is not my own. the purpose of my life is to give God the glory He’s due by living my life in full surrender to Him and His plan. i’m lucky to be a little comma in his huge kingdom story!

First of all Gracias to Ben for the Blog   It’ll be great!  I hope you all enjoy it!  It seems like everyday there is something to write about!  I like to think of myself as entertaining…..  ha ha.

I am so happy to be in Costa Rica!  It is very different from Minnesota.  In many different ways.  I am in Costa Rica to minister and glorify my Savior.  I am here for my eyes to be opened.  For my mind to be taken off of myself and focused on others.   As a christian one can only live for so long in their comfort zone before God tugs on our hearts and we must step out in renewed faith.

This blog will be about that comfort zone being shattered, and our dependence being shifted totally onto God.

“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord