Mentors

Everyone should find a mentor, "a trusted counselor or guide" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). I myself wish there was somebody to give me advice and encouragement for the life stage that I am in. I would love to hear lessons from someone who has been through my stage. That's basically what a mentor does. He/she offers encouragement and wisdom that can guide you as you make decisions.

In the book of Acts, we read the story of Apollo in chapter 18:24-28. He was a competent preacher, but he needed a little "refining". Pricilla and Aquila took him aside, instructed him, and he went on to have a powerful ministry.

Here is an example from my own past. I clearly remember wondering what to do after I finished university. There were some options open to me, but I wasn't sure how to proceed. My Religious Studies professor, who was a mentor and trusted friend, told me, "Sara, put all your irons in the fire." I did. I applied for everything, and in the end, only one plan succeeded. Because of it, I left home, moved in with my sister, and experienced some wonderful years in my early twenties, full of opportunities, friendships, more education, and eventually to a path that led me to Costa Rica, to Bible School, to teaching at an international school, and to my husband!

To relate this to our current ministry, there are always students who are in the same situation regarding careers, marriage, and their relationship with God. They don't have a close enough relationship with their parents to feel okay asking about these things (I wish I had!). Often, they ask their peers. But, wise, godly counsel may be missing.

In order to walk straight ahead, knowing the way to go, Proverbs 15:22-23 gives good advice:
"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
A man finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!"

Seek a mentor, or seek to be a mentor to someone who is a stage behind you in life, and who you know could use some encouragement and direction.

A divine encounter

“A coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.”

Neena made a special friend last year in her Kinder (preschool) class. This little classmate didn't speak much due to disability, and the medicine she was taking her very sleepy. Neena looked after her, waking her up gently when she had fallen asleep, helping her get her snack ready, and playing with her. To those of you who know Neena, this was a perfect fit for her.

However, this year, her friend was not at school. We worried and wondered about where she was. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that God allowed us to meet up again. I was in downtown San Jose, spending the day with a friend. We entered a little store, and there was Neena's little friend with her grandma. This little girl didn't remember me or clue into my conversation until I began singing the school hymn. Then she broke out in a big smile!

Wow! How could I not believe that God orchestrated this? I have only been downtown about five times in the past five years of living here. I have never been into this store before. In fact, we would have been there an hour earlier if we hadn't got lost along the way. But God had it all planned. He knew we wanted to see her again!

To end the story, we invited the family to come to our house, and we had a refreshing, happy time. This little girl, although she speaks and interacts very little, has a very sweet spirit. Her mom said she rarely gets invitations to friends' homes. Yet, I have NO doubt that God allowed us to cross paths. God hears the cries of our hearts. He answered mine. It was such a blessing!

I hope she will come again.

Cuban missionaries?!

Our Cuban student told me that many of her fellow Cubans have a heart for missions. Wow! I had never thought of missionaries coming out of this country - mostly because it is very hard for them to even leave! She also mentioned that because of the deprivation that they face, they would make great missionaries in hard-to-reach, primitive cultures. They are used to living with little, and to not having the luxuries that the rest of us can't live without.

Wouldn't it be amazing if the next great missionary force comes out of Cuba? Let's pray that God would open doors for these believers to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.

"Sara por fa no dejen de orar por nosotros."

"Sara, please don't stop praying for us." That is the message from our Cuban student who has gone back home to begin working full time with her church. (I mentioned her in a previous post). She is discouraged and feeling overwhelmed. Life is worse there than she remembered.

Another Cuban friend told us that to return to Cuba is like putting yourself back into prison. But God called our student back home…so she got on the plane and went back. HOW hard. I won't soon forget her face as she left, or her tears, or her petitions. So many times she said to me, "Don't forget me."

There is a lot of persecution there, and life in general is very hard. Please, don't stop praying for Cuba and for the believers there.

The future

Our students are heading home or to other destinations. Their time here is over, the scheduled months when they knew where they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to be doing. What comes next? Many of them don't quite know yet!

It's hard to not know what the future holds. Lots of our students are facing big-decision years, when they will choose a career, a home, and a spouse. I remember those days in my life, wondering, worrying, hoping! However, from my perspective now I can look back at the lives of these students and say to them, "You have no idea how many great and wonderful gifts God has for your future. They are like birthday presents waiting to be opened when the time is right!" Yes, there will be hard times, but we have a God who can use all things, and He is the giver of EVERY good gift in our lives.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." I Cor. 2:9

"We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we know WHO holds tomorrow."
Be excited about the future! All of us!

Good-Bye

The semester ended yesterday. Our students have started to going home. I always find this a hard time.

Students often ask, "Don't you get tired of meeting new students and then saying goodbye?" Yes, and no. Yes, I wish that we wouldn't have to keep saying goodbye to people who have been a big part of our lives for the time that they spend here. And no, I am not tired of meeting new students. Every student is special. Every single one enriches my life in some way. They challenge me to grow and change, and to let Christ work through me. It is a blessing to be in ministry with 18 to 20-something year-olds!

I will miss you. Please stay in touch.

Special Night

Last week our students put on a dinner for the staff. It was wonderful. They decorated the classroom with lights and flowers. We were served a delicious meal and dessert and we saw a slide show that captured highlights of the semester.

It was a humbling experience to be served by them and it was a blessing to our hearts. These are really thoughtful kids! This was a very tangible way for them to say thank-you, and we felt it.

So, from our side, to those who haven't heard yet, thank you to all of you who put the evening together for us. You are a treasure to our hearts. We have been blessed to spend these past few months with you.

Culture Shock vs. Cultural Acceptance

It's funny to me how these two feelings of culture shock and cultural acceptance are delicately co-existing in our lives. Isn't culture shock supposed to decrease as cultural acceptance increases? And we've been here over 5 years. Shouldn't culture shock be a thing of my past by now?

Culture Shock: One day recently I was talking to students about our struggles in living in Costa Rica. Coincidentally, later that day I found myself in several situations that made me angry (ie. I had an episode of culture shock). Costa Ricans are nice people, but I just don't like the way that most of them drive, that's all! And the roads are generally terrible to top it off!

Cultural Acceptance: On the weekend, I spent a few hours downtown with a former student. While we wandered around, I felt so blessed for my easy life. We can get a cheap and tasty meal at a local café, or we can buy fresh fruit and vegetables for "pennies" at the local market. It's only about three hours to drive to a tropical beach, even during winter when many friends are battling below-zero temperatures and blizzards up north.

However, one experience of cultural acceptance really caught me off guard. We were attending an assembly at our girls' school to commemorate the Battle of Rivas of 1856. The villain in the battle was an American, William Walker, who invaded the country with plans to enslave the people. The Costa Ricans defeated him and his troops. My eyes unexpectedly filled with tears when the children did a skit that showed the courage of Juan Santamaria, the national hero who gave his life for Costa Rica. And, I teared up with the singing of the Costa Rica national anthem. Maybe it's because our Jayna was born here. I feel a connection to the country and am thankful for what it has given us.

So, everyday I am pulled in two directions concerning the culture that we are living in. I see God's blessings on this country and on our lives and ministry here, yet I sometimes yearn to be where I feel more at home (and where there is a Target). I don't know if that fragile balance will end one day. Right now, I do feel blessed to have a better understanding of the variety that God has created in His world. Different foods, customs, climates, languages - I really like having such a diverse life education - in spite of the potholes along the way.

What are you?

The Bible is the story of God's mission to man. The word mission means 'to send'. God sent His Son, the first missionary, to tell us of His desire to have a relationship with us, and also to redeem us. Jesus says, "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." (John 20:21)

This means that we all have a role in missions, in sending believers to share the "Good News of Great Joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). There are three major roles: Missionary, Sender, Mobilizer.

A missionary is someone who is sent cross-culturally to share the gospel. There is a great need for missionaries because over 2 billion people currently have NO access to the gospel message.

A sender is a person who supports missionaries through prayer, communication, encouragement, and sometimes finances. Without senders to back them up, missionaries could not do their work on the field.

A mobilizer is someone who educates others about missions and encourages believers to make a commitment to missions.

How are you involved in God's mission to humanity? If you are not involved, now is a great time for a new beginning.

Answer to Prayer

Operation World is a prayer tool for believers to pray for every country of the world, organized by calendar dates. This book lists demographic and other facts to educate readers about each country. It also has prayer and praise points.

One day during my missions class we looked up the date in the book, and the country to pray for that day was Cuba. One of the prayers read, "Pray that God would raise up formally and informally trained teachers…". Suddenly I realized that God had brought a young Cuban student to our school for this purpose. The history of her arrival was a miraculous answer to this prayer. She was working in Cuba at a job that Christians are not generally offered. Through it she met one of our staff members who told her about the school and helped her get here. Our student has been here for a year and plans to go back and work with Christian youth. She has a heart for her own people. Cuba is a very hard country to live in, but she is going in obedience to God's calling on her life.

So, if you have ever prayed this same prayer for Cuba, know that God is answering! It made me cry to think of God's faithfulness to His people and to prayer. Be encouraged to keep lifting up others in prayer. It works.

One more thing. It is nearly impossible to find Christian training material in Cuba. (Even Internet is only accessible to a few professionals). If anyone is interested in sending a gift to this student so that she can buy materials here to take home, please send us an email and we will let you know how to do it.

Missions

Last week I (Sara) had the privilege of teaching a class on Missions to our students. It was a 12-hour class that covered: Biblical basis for Missions, History of Missions, Current Issues and Strategies, and an application lesson called, 'Where do I go from here?'. About half of my course material came from the incredible "Perspectives in World Missions" course that I took 6 years ago (look it up online at www.perspectives.org to find it offered in your area).

I felt a great burden and responsibility to get the message of missions right. It led me to pray that God would anoint me with His wisdom. I told a friend before I started teaching, "I am happy to be a weak vessel if that means God does all the work!" It sounded funny at the time. But, during the week I felt inadequate and feared that students were laughing at me. It was a good reminder to trust in God to do His work behind the scenes of their hearts. I AM the weak vessel, but He can still be poured out through me.

Please pray that God's word would bear fruit in the lives of our students through this class - and all the other classes - so that His name would be glorified in their lives and in the world.

Marcus Family - New Year - 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Blessings to you for a New Year! It has been some time since we wrote a “Christmas letter”, so we felt it necessary to update you on our lives. Thank you for being a part of our lives and for taking an interest in us; for that reason you are reading our letter.

Our work in Costa Rica continues at Portantorchas Bible School. We are enjoying the ministry and the chance to make a difference in the lives of our students. We have many godly and loving students studying God’s Word with us and they bless and teach us. Tom continues as Principal with a lot of different duties. He does them all very well and is a real asset and blessing to the school (in Sara’s opinion!) I, Sara, am at home and involved in ministry and teaching when I can. I look forward to teaching my Missions class this spring.

We enjoyed having a Mission Team come from NewSong church this summer. They worked with several of our partner ministries including an orphanage and men’s shelter. Another team will be coming this year also. We are glad that we can share our ministry with them and work together for God’s purposes.

Our girls are doing very well. They enjoy life, school, and church. Their Spanish has reached near fluency for their age, so it’s been fun for us to hear them play and converse effortlessly with Costa Rican friends and with each other.

Rekha will begin 2nd grade and turn 7 in February. She is bright and challenging! Her loves are reading, ponies, and playing. Last year she learned to skip rope and swim. She is thoughtful and often writes us sweet notes.

Neena is 5 and our love-bug. She started preschool in July and will begin Kindergarten in February. We have been so encouraged to see her loving nature extend to her schoolmates and teachers. She is a great helper at home and a much-sought-after friend by many, including our Portantorchas students.

Jayna is still our baby at 2 years and 3 months. She is a delightful child with a great independent streak and a joyful spirit. Her life proves that God has shown us favor, just as her name means.

Costa Rica has been home to us now for 5 years. Many of you have asked, “When are you coming back?” We are settled here, yet always listening to hear if God has a new step for us. We want to serve the Lord with gladness wherever He wants us. The best place for our family is in His will.

We want to thank you for your continued interest in our lives. Many of you have supported us financially and with prayer and time. It has been such a blessing to us. We need your backing as much as always. Would you prayerfully consider including us in your giving to the Lord's work this year?

Please send us an email so we can update our addresses and hear from you too!

Once again, may you know God’s blessings for this New Year.

Love,
The Marcus family
Tom, Sara, Rekha, Neena, and Jayna

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