Rich vs. Reality

Tom and I had a date night last week and we went to do a traditional Orange County activity – walk on Balboa Island and watch the Boat Parade. Balboa Island is a very exclusive enclave of multi-million dollar homes on the water. For the benefit of “looky-lous” like us, there is a wide walking path around the island where passers-by can see the Christmas decorations of these homes, both inside and out. It was fun! There were lights everywhere. Many people were having parties that spilled out from their homes and onto their patios. We got to see the festivities and the decorations. There were some very elaborate and ritzy parties. And the boats were amazing also, some with live music and parties too!

I got caught up in all the glitz. It is so much fun to see! Lots of people have amazing decorations, and have spent a ton of $ getting ready for the holidays. We got to enjoy it all without spending a penny.

However, as we walked past all the people and festivities, there were a couple of things that shocked me back to reality. First, we saw an old woman sitting in the window of a dark house, looking out at all of us passing by. She was all alone, hunched over in a wheelchair. Second was a man in motorized wheelchair, surrounded by people at a party. He looked like he did not have any mobility, but that his mind was sharp. I thought to myself how fleeting life is! No matter what we have on this earth, one day we will be taken away from all of it – from fancy homes, from big bank accounts. And then we are left with God. Have we chosen the way of salvation, or trusted in our riches? This earth and its pleasures will all fade. They give us no security after death.

It was a good reminder. Orange County has a way of making you think that life will be perfect if you are successful, beautiful and wealthy. It’s not true. The Bible says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. The rich man feels secure in his riches. But it offers no security.

It’s better to trust in Jesus, in the baby born in a stable, who came to save us from our sins. He has proven His faithfulness to me, and to you, time and time again. Don’t be fooled by this world. Taste and see that the LORD is good!

All I Really Need

How was Christmas day for you?  Did you enjoy time with family or friends?  I hope it was a meaningful celebration of Christ’s birth.  The celebration has been real for me this year in many ways.

We enjoyed a Christmas Eve Candlelight service at a local church with Tom’s family.  The carols were so much fun to sing and I felt very blessed to know the truth of the words we sang. 

“All is well, all is well
Lift up your voice and sing!
Born is now Emmanuel,
Born is our Lord and Savior!”

“He comes to make His blessings known…And let the nations prove, the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.”

On Christmas Day I awoke feeling so very blessed.  We have good family relationships on both sides, we have healthy children, and food on the table.  We have the promise of an eternal future with Christ.

How many people didn’t get what they wanted for Christmas?  Our world makes us think that Christmas is about us, and about what we can get.  But I realized yesterday that I have received all that I really need.  I received a Savior.  I have received love, and forgiveness, and fellowship.  That’s all I really need.   And that’s what I want to remember and celebrate.

I pray that you also come out of this Christmas season knowing that you have all that you really need. That’s the good news of great joy!

The right perspective

I’ve been thinking about the healing of the blind man in Mark 8:22-26. Jesus spat on the man’s eyes and touched him, and his sight was better, but he said that people looked like trees walking around. Jesus then put his hands on the man’s eyes again, and “his sight was restored”.

I have been praying that Jesus would restore my sight and help me see things from the right perspective. What do I not see correctly in my own life? What are my vision problems?

Tunnel vision: I focus on the wrong things and everything else is lost.
Blind spots: I jump to conclusions about people and situations without seeing all the evidence.
Near-sightedness: I forget the big picture of a short life and long eternity.
Far-sightedness: I am oblivious to the needs right around me.

I earnestly desire that God would open my eyes and help me to see things the way they really are. If Jesus needs to touch me two or more times to help me see clearly, I want Him to do it!

Pray in faith. God can heal blindness in every area of your life and give you the correct perspective.

“Two roads diverged…”

Anyone remember this famous poem of Robert Frost from high school English class?  To refresh your memory:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

It is so easy in my mind to travel the familiar old paths of routine and comfort, impatience or fear.  It is harder to beat down the brush on a new path in my mind.  Maybe God wants to teach me a new way, one of joy, peace, understanding, and patience, but I am too comfortable with my old patterns of thinking.

Here are some examples.

1. Someone cuts me off in traffic. 

Old thinking says, “Hey!  Watch out! You’re a terrible driver!”

New thinking might say, “I hope that he gets safely to his destination.  Maybe he is in distress over something.”

2. My heater breaks and I need to spend lots of $$$ to fix it. 

Old thinking says, “Aargh, I am tired of all these bills.”

New thinking says, “I am thankful that God provided the money to pay my bills.”

We can give more room to the Holy Spirit to renew our minds to think in ways that are more pleasing to God.  There might be a lot of overgrowth to cut through in our minds, but once that path is easier to walk down, we will be more likely to take it.

A story from Rekha (7 yrs old)

This is a break in our regularly-scheduled blog posts to bring something of a lighter note.
Here is a story that Rekha wrote back in March. Enjoy!

The Two Kittens
One is a kitty, the other has mittys.
One is a kisser, the other has a wizard.
One likes cats, the other likes bats.
One has clips, the other has hips.
One has a fit while the other one hits.
One is cute and the other has boots.
One is kind, the other stays behind.
One is a loco (crazy), the other has mocos (snot!).
One has a blanky, the other has a hanky.
SO BEWARE OF THE KITTENS!
One is a kitty, the other has mittys…
The End.

The richness of God’s presence

In our staff women’s Bible study, we examined Moses’ relationship with God.  Exodus 33:11 says, “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.”   Wow!  Imagine sitting down and chatting with the God! 

What does it take to achieve a closer walk with God?  I love how God clearly tells us in His Word that God meets us where we are:  “Come near to God, and He will come near to you.” (James 4:8a).   We are not the ones doing all the work to know Him better

I want to be close enough to God so that He can touch me – heal me, restore me, comfort me.  Also, I want to be close enough that I can touch Him, to know His power, to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can be a blessing to others.

There are lots of us on this journey.  Let’s keep walking and seeking Him with our whole hearts.

“You will seek me and find me if you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.” (Jer. 29:13, 14a)

Family Update

We want to keep you informed on what is going on in the lives of our girls.  They are all doing well, praise God!

Rekha is reading anything and everything.  Some mornings we are awakened at 5 a.m. when she clicks on the lamp in the living room and sits down to read.  She is a lot of fun to talk with and we can tell she is maturing in her conversations.  Recently she had two school friends over for the day and they had a blast playing Littlest Pet Shop and running around Portantorchas.

Neena comes home every day with stories from school: who was bossy, who got hurt, who has a new toy.  She loves to be in the know!  She enjoys dressing up and practicing different hair-dos.  Her reading is progressing and we are very proud of her!  Neena also had a friend over from school (plus the rest of the family!) and we got to enjoy her darling baby brother (4 months old).  It was nice to have a baby around! 

Jayna is my constant playmate.  She turned 3 at the end of September and is on target for height and weight even though we still call her “Tiny”.  She loves to paint and read books. Her latest accomplishment is typing all of our names on the computer without help! She wears herself out some days and puts herself to bed by 5:30 p.m. (just like her Daddy used to). 

We enjoy many evenings playing cards or Rummikub together as a family.  The girls love it.  This was Tom’s idea and it has bonded our family together.  Yay, Daddy!

We will be going to California at Christmas through the generous donation of 100,000 frequent flier miles!  Yay!  It’s such a blessing to celebrate Christmas with family.  We can’t wait for all the cousins, parks, libraries, parties, the beach, and of course, the grandparents!  We have lots and lots to look forward to.

6 YEARS in Costa Rica

On October 16 we celebrated (quietly) six years in Costa Rica.  God has been good to us; that's the sum of these years. When Tom and I prayed in 2003 for the courage to "Step out of the boat", we had no idea what it would mean!  We never knew it would mean 6 years (and counting) in Costa Rica, a fulfilling ministry, or a third baby girl!

Someone once told me that God takes us to different places so that HE can work something new in us.  We don't go just for a job.  He wants us to learn something about Him, about ourselves or others.  It's not always easy.  In fact, sometimes it is very painful.  We have had those moments here too!

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."  (Malachi 3:3).  You and I are already silver.  But, He sits and commits to refine us.  If it means us being in Costa Rica to do that, then so be it.

The main reason for this post is to say "Thank you" to those of you who have loved us and let us go on this journey.  Our parents and siblings, thank you for letting us go and always welcoming us back.  Friends, thank you for your interest in us and your prayers.  To the faithful few that have supported us financially and faithfully all these years, thank you also.  We know those dollars have added up and we hope we have been a good investment in God's Kingdom.

Thank you also to the many students that have passed through Portantorchas and through our home.  You are why we are here.  We came to serve you and you have made it joyful!  Thank you for being our friends on this journey.  We will welcome you back any day!

One of Those Days

Today happens to be one of those days. Not a bad day, in fact I did wake up happy and praising God on my pillow.

But you know how it happens, some days are just blah. I am feeling fine, but there’s something that’s bothering me a little bit. Unfortunately for me, if I dig a little deeper, I often find out that I am struggling in a relationship with someone. Maybe they have said something to me that I am still trying to understand the motive for. Or someone has done something that I think is impolite or unethical. At times these little things can eat away at my contentment.

I have found the answer that best satisfies me. I will share it with you because no doubt you have had days like this also, when the world seems carefree, but something is nagging on the inside. I am still working on putting this into practice, and it takes effort, but I WANT to see the fruit of it!

First of all, my happiness is tied closely to an attitude of repentance. We all make mistakes, and we all need a Savior. Knowing that my ransom has been paid is liberating to me. I confess my sins, and I know from His Word that I am forgiven.

Second, I let God do His work in others. Maybe someone has truly done something wrong, or maybe not! Oh well, it’s NOT my problem! “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?” It is God’s work, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and through discipline, to correct someone’s behavior.

Phew. Even just writing this reminds me of the peace that Scripture gives. God has everything under control. “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Thank you Jesus for the gift of today, and for the freedom to enjoy it.

One more friend?

I received an email about a resource that I wanted to pass on to people who are heading off to college and university. Check it out at www.onemorefriend.org. It is a website that encourages Christians on campus to reach out to international students. These foreigners are quite possibly more lonely, scared, and disoriented than those of you who are freshmen, at college for the first time.

I camped on this topic quite a bit in my Missions class. Each of us has a mission field where we are. For those of you who are going to college, your mission field can reach into other countries without you having to step off your native soil. Remember that these students could be great evangelists when they return home!

Make a friend with someone from another culture. Many of you have heard it said, “You may be the only Jesus they will ever meet”.

Prayer Request

We have had a lot going on lately. Tom has been extremely busy in August, hosting a mission team, teaching ESL and the book of Mark, settling incoming students, and most recently, shuttling visitors back and forth to the hospital for a student who had his appendix removed! I have been busy (just) being a Mom and helping in the Children’s ministry at church. September should settle down a bit. Phew!

Along with this, we feel that we are facing some big decisions, especially concerning the girls’ schooling. We are happy enough (and so are they) at their current school. They are fluent in Spanish for their age, their teachers say, which is a great accomplishment. Rekha has good friends. Neena has started to write in Spanish, with no teaching from me. But, we wonder if they would be better educated at home. We are excited to try it out, both Tom and I.

We have a lot of homeschooled students come through Portantorchas, and almost unanimously, they have been great! We would love our girls to turn out like them! They are socially mature and caring, diligent, and well-educated. (Kudos to their parents!).

I have been resting in this verse lately, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4) This is my prayer. I don’t want to fear the results of homeschooling, the responsibility, or having my girls with me all day!

Would you please pray for us in this area? We want to do what is best for our girls. Who better to guide us than the ONE who sees the end from the beginning, and everything in between!

Thank you.

P.S. If any of you have any advice or stories, please write to us!

The kindness of strangers

I was at the grocery store yesterday with Jayna. The man in line behind us offered a roll of Lifesavers to Jayna, and she readily accepted it, saying “Gracias”. He told the cashier to put the candies on his bill and told Jayna, “Just don’t eat the whole roll at once!”

I left the store feeling quite overwhelmed. This has never happened before! What was this gentleman’s motive? Just trying to make a little girl happy? We left the store and I saw the man get into his old car and drive off. What am I supposed to learn from this? All I can think of is that these little acts of kindness remind me of the goodness in the world and the generosity of strangers.

The way that we react to situations and people in life speaks of what we value, whether we realize it or not! Why not share something simple, a little kindness? The more you practice, the easier it will get. The chance to be a blessing to someone will no doubt put a smile on their face – and on yours!

Being part of God’s family

One of the hardest things for us about living here is that we have no blood-related family. Everyone else on staff has family in the country. When I see and hear our staff members get together with their families for different events, I think, ‘What are we missing out on with our own families?’ But God faithfully reminds me of two wonderful things that grow out of the absence of family:

1. Our family times are so rich! We love being with our family in the U.S. and Canada. We try to see each side of our families once a year. Every time we do, I go with the expectation and longing to squeeze every precious moment out of each trip, spending time together, enjoying one another, and building the bonds of friendship.
2. We have a greater understanding of the family of God. Because we are “alone”, we are free to build bonds of friendship in our own nuclear family, with staff, church families, and with our students, of course! (And do you remember who I met at the little store in San Jose?) We even make friends with strangers: some of our closest friends are missionaries that Tom met while standing in line at the Immigration Office!

These past two weeks we added new members to our Christian family: the Mission Team from our home church NewSong. Each of the 6 members of the team has blessed and encouraged every member in our family. We spent time with them in the midst of their ministries to a local orphanage and our own students. It was nourishing to have meaningful conversations and to learn from them in so many areas of life. We already miss them, even though they just left on Sunday morning. The team also found family here: please visit their website to see what they did on their mission trip: www.costaricatrex.blogspot.com

I hope this is an encouragement to those of you who are away from family, maybe away at university, maybe away from your home for the first time. God has a family for you wherever you are. You will find joy and love in that family, just as we have.

Tired and hungry

These past few days have been crazy. New students. Mission team. Neena’s 6th birthday. Homework for Rekha. Bills due the first of the month. Suffice to say that we have not done most of these very well. If you didn’t already know, we make mistakes! And, we are not perfect parents either: Neena had a great birthday, but Rekha cried at the end of the day saying she didn’t get any attention (we sound like 7-year-olds sometimes too!).

Some days I have felt tired by 9 in the morning. I was wondering why and I felt the Holy Spirit chasten me, “You aren’t getting enough food.” It’s true. I am malnourished spiritually. I have been doing personal Bible study, but not always filling up with meals of prayer and Bible reading. It’s been a low-calorie plan.

How can I get fed? How can I have a close walk with God? The answers are pretty obvious, but I want to encourage you with some nourishment that the Holy Spirit gave me while thinking this through…

I was envying Moses today. I read in Exodus 24 how God called to him 3 times to “come up” to meet with Him. Not fair! I wish He would call me.

Then I was reminded of something. God does call me, and He calls you too. From beginning to middle to end of Scripture, He seeks us out! In Genesis 3:9, “the Lord God called to [Adam], “Where are you?”’ In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me.”

And read this! In Revelation 3:20 God says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” This verse doesn’t tell where the food comes from! BUT, it teaches me that when I spend time with God, when I respond to His voice and invite Him in, I will be fed. Wow! That is the answer to my spiritual malnourishment. Yummy. Or as they say here in Costa Rica, ¡Que rico!

Thank YOU

Thank YOU for reading our blog. We have been overwhelmed by the number of people reading and responding to us through it. We feel encouraged to know you are interested in our lives. This virtual family is a big support to us.

We returned last week from Chicago where we spent two weeks visiting Sara’s family, missionary friends, and some Portantorchas students. All in all it was a great time to see people, enjoy parks and libraries, ride the trains, and to refresh ourselves. We were invited to a student’s home for the first time! It was an honor and a joy to meet her family. Another highlight for Rekha and Neena was to meet their baby BOY cousin who just turned 1 in June. He was smothered with love and hugs from their instant fan club. And, Tom and I enjoyed a superb buffet lunch at an Indian restaurant. Yum.

These next two weeks will be busy again. We are hosting a mission team from NewSong, our home church in California. They will be helping to ready the campus for our incoming students (arriving on the weekend) as well as with several of our partner ministries. After only one day with them so far, they have already been a blessing to our family.

Keep us in prayer for the ministry of the NewSong team, and for our upcoming semester. We want to be ready for our students, and we pray that this will be a rich time for them to get to know the Lord in a new and deeper way. Thanks to so many of you who do pray for us. God works through your prayers.

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!