Calvary Chapel San Pedro

Catching Up!

2011-11-15T23:02:00.000-06:00

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.

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.

"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

Fruit - Gotta Love It!

2011-08-12T13:26:00.013-06:00

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

19 Blessings!

2011-07-28T20:47:00.024-06:00

This is an attempt to share events from the recent visit by a team of bold, hearts-on-fire-for-Christ, young adults from Vertical – the high school ministry at Calvary of Albuquerque. I say “attempt” because it is hard to describe in words the most incredible blessing bestowed upon us by our heavenly Father in the form of this team. We know this ministry was deeply impacted by the enthusiasm and energy displayed in sharing the gospel, overcoming language barriers, and the out-pouring of sincere compassion shared by each member.

Our first week together was spent ministering to the children in Los Guizaros de Patarra

and coming alongside other Calvary missionaries south of San Jose, with evangelism and invitations to church.

We were also able to enjoy some time at the beach, and experience the beauty of Costa Rica. We found favor with the weather, and were not plagued by too much rain, even though rainy season is in full swing. We even celebrated the Lord's Supper at sunset in Quepos (even though the sun was hiding behind the clouds).

Then came the surprise of all surprises…a good friend of the ministry from Calvary Chapel Philadelphia blessed the entire team with surfing lessons and lunch on the beach! What a way to enjoy some R&R after a full schedule of ministry.

Love to see God in control. In Dominical we arrived with the full intention of hitting the streets to evangelize, but it was raining so hard that we couldn’t leave. So instead we spent some time with the Lord in praise, worship, and prayer, and then sure enough, the rain stopped and we could hit the streets fully immersed in His love and direction. Oh how He loves us so!

We continued to see God in control throughout this time. He opened doors we never could have imagined, and the gospel was preached in the city, in the rural areas, on the campuses, and in the streets and parks. The boldness of this group made it possible to speak to everyone about Jesus, His amazing love for them, and His wanting to be the Lord of their lives. The team performed some powerful dramas, in silence so language was not an issue.

Week two began with street witnessing right in the center of San Jose in Parque Central…in the rain! We were told we could not perform music or dramas that would draw a crowd, but that we could walk around and talk with people in teams. Well, the rain caused people to gather under the gazebo in the center of the park…and there we were also, playing music, preaching, and handing out tracts and info about the church. So we couldn’t cause people to congregate, but God (I just love that phrase “but God”!) could!
The neighborhoods around San Pedro were visited with boldness, and many received information about Calvary Chapel San Pedro either by hand or in their doorways.

We also visited the campuses around the church, which included UCR (University of Costa Rica). They proved to be our most challenging. But the team did not back down. They performed their dramas, and played music in front of the library, while many walked around and shared with the students congregated. Some were received gladly, and some were ignored. But seeds were planted, and we rely on our heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit to produce the harvest.

We were quick to share from the very beginning that we had the two weeks all planned out, but the Lord absolutely had editing rites...and the editing He performed was truly amazing. About a week before the team arrived, we were walking around San Pedro looking for a venue to hold an event…an outreach for the team to take part in. Well we found ourselves in front of a very popular roller skating rink just across from the San Pedro Mall. The door was open, so we walked in and inquired about renting the rink for an event. BINGO…there it was…the means to reach out to the young folks in San Pedro and offer them an alternative to the madness they encounter every day…even if only for a few hours.

Once the team was here we started planning for the event, and the Lord placed it on our hearts to visit the local high school right behind the church to see if we could invite the students. Not only were we given permission to invite them, but given an open door to visit each classroom and personally invite the class. So here we go…the entire team…into the high school to perform the Chicken Skit, and invite the students to the first event hosted by Ven y Ve, our youth group being launched by this skating event!!! Wow, how good is our God?! And not only were we encouraged to enter each class, but we were given the opportunity to have an outreach in the school gym with the English classes, to allow the students to practice their English, with no limits on the topics for the conversation.

The event was a complete blast…close to 300 high school students attended. They skated to Christian music, saw the skits performed, and heard the gospel preached by Jesse and Geiner…and we saw several of them make professions of faith in Jesus Christ!!!

The following day we gathered in the school gym for worship (in English of course), conversation in small groups, and an impromptu soccer game.

We are truly in awe of our faithful God, and how He uses each one of us, as long as we make ourselves available. He used the Vertical team mightily, and we will never be the same. Each and every member of the team left a heart-print on us, and on Costa Rica. They are welcome back any time, and we miss them terribly. We thank God for His gift of the time we spent with them, and look forward to what He has planned for the aftermath. To Him be the glory. Amen!

Vertical is Coming! Vertical is Coming!

2011-07-02T18:35:00.004-06:00

Yes, in just one week a team from Vertical, the high school ministry from Calvary of Albuquerque will arrive. During their time here we have planned a full schedule of activities, including outreaches to children, to the universities in the area (there are 5!) and the neighborhoods surrounding the church, as well as visiting some tourist areas, coming alongside other Calvarys, as we let vacationers know there is an English-speaking church family in San Jose who welcome them as they travel through this beautiful country.

Additional news…the team will be returning to Albuquerque with one less leader. That is because our prayers have been answered…Nathan is coming down with the group, and staying on to serve alongside us here at Calvary Chapel San Pedro!!!! Praise the Lord…God is good, and we are so excited. Nathan completed the School of Ministry this past May, and has been approved as Global Adventures’ newest missionary.

Please pray for safe travel, favorable weather conditions, and a fruitful time of praise and evangelism for the team. May the hearts of the people whom the Lord places in our path be transformed by the Good News of His saving grace. These youngsters have worked hard preparing and fund-raising, and we know the reward of their efforts will show in the lives they touch along the way.

Here in Costa Rica God is being glorified through the ministry, as we continue to grow. Calvary Chapel San Pedro has started a bilingual Tuesday evening prayer meeting. The Wednesday evening bible study is continuing through Genesis, and we have started the Foundations class in English. We look forward to what the Lord has in store, as we continue to follow hard after His heart.

19 Years and Blessed! A Message from Denise

2011-05-24T09:50:00.003-06:00

I am missing my sweet husband big time today. It is our 19th anniversary, and I am here in NJ for a time, taking care of my parents...and he is in Costa Rica holding down the fort. My dad was released from the hospital last Tuesday, and he and mom needed some help with things, like doctor's appointments, etc., until my sister returns.

Being here is a blessing...and I know the Lord has orchestrated this timing because everything has fallen into place. But that doesn't mean that I don't miss Geiner, especially today. This is the first anniversary that we have been apart, and I am so grateful that there is technology like Skype to close the gap a bit.

In the meantime I have also been blessed to spend some time with our Calvary Phila family, in attending the Missions Conference last Saturday, and Sunday and Wednesday services while I am here.

Thank you for your prayers...please continue to pray for my parents and their health, and Geiner and the ministry continuing in Costa Rica in my absence.

"First Mission" - A Message from Julie

2011-04-22T17:51:00.003-06:00

Our dear friend Julie visited in March, and we asked her to write a few words to share with you about her experience here in Costa Rica. Sorry for the delay in posting...we are so grateful to Julie for spending this time with us on her own personal mission trip. We love you Julie!

Now for her message:

My FIRST MISSION trip was to Costa Rica to walk with Denise and Geiner in their daily walk to see how the Lord was using His blessed instruments. I was truly filled with emotion when I first saw them with big warm smiles welcoming me at the airport waving thru the glass window. All of this process was totally unknown to me as this was my very first time to use my passport! I had been praying for our Lord to guide me, direct me and take control. And, He did, of course! He saw that Denise and Geiner were there for my arrival, as tired as they were. They returned from their emergency trip to be with her family due to her father’s health the same day I arrived! Again, it is, as always, His plan!

This was such an amazing experience to see the Lord’s work in action. The people are so warm and friendly. I had fellowship with the people in the San Pedro Church in English and Spanish (un poquito!). Besides attending the Spanish and English services led by Geiner on Sunday morning, I attended a Bible study in English led by Mark Bloomberg and the very first Discipulo Study preparing the Spanish speakers to be disciples to be bold to spread the word of God. Geiner leads a Bible study on Wednesday evenings which this week, turned into a celebracion de cumpleanos for our beloved missionaries, Denise and Geiner since they were in the States on their birthdays.

The people were so kind and patient with me and encouraged me to speak in Spanish. The Spanish speakers who are learning English spoke to me in English! It was so wonderful to see and experience their progress, their excitement with their studies of the language. I learned some palabras used in New Mexico have an entirely different meaning in CR!

On Saturday, Geiner and Denise had planned a special picnic for some children in Los Guizaros. This was such a blessed event to be with the children. You just wanted to hug them, love them and tell them about Jesus. Two of them accepted Christ into their life on this day! They were given a Bible in Spanish. (Yes, the Bibles arrived on Wednesday while I was there! We were so excited!) One young man walked around while reading his new Bible and then sat down to continue to read! The huge, sincere smile on his face was so fulfilling. This was so awesome to be a part of this event!

This was truly a blessed experience overall to see the Lord’s beauty all around in the people, the culture, the rain forest and especially the work that is being done thru his instruments, Geiner and Denise. More of us need to be bold and spread the word because so many are so hungry for His word, for everlasting life! God’s plan is so incredible. It is so awesome to see how His plan is being played out through his instruments, Geiner and Denise, our beloved missionaries. Dios te bendiga!

Back in Action!

2011-03-25T14:46:00.013-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

In the past several weeks we have not had an opportunity to update our blog…Sorry.

For those who don’t know, Denise’s father was rushed to the hospital on February 25th and we left Costa Rica immediately to be there with family. He could not breathe because his lungs were filled with fluid and his kidneys failed. He was on a ventilator and we honestly thought that we might not make it there in time. By God’s grace and prayers from many of you around the world, he is improving. He was in the hospital for almost a month, and as of this Tuesday has been moved to rehabilitation to regain his strength. Please continue to pray for him and mom, as they face some adjustments that will need to be made upon his release from the rehab center.

With dad improving we felt comfortable returning to our God-given ministry, and we arrived back in Costa Rica last Tuesday at midday. We hit the ground running, and proceeded to go home, clean up, and returned to the airport that same evening to pick up Julie, our dear friend from our care team in Albuquerque, who arrived at 7:20P.M. Julie came on her own personal mission trip and her timing could not have been better...she was such a big help. She will be sharing some thoughts in a blog post soon.

The following day, Wednesday, we went to the church and began planning for an outreach to a neighborhood called Los Guizaros de Patarra, which is about 35 minutes from the church. By 9:00 A.M.Saturday morning ten of us were at the church ready, praying, and waiting for a van that would transport us. We had originally set aside about 3 weeks to plan this event, but because of circumstances we only had 3 days…and more room for the Lord to work His wonders.

We visited the children of this neighborhood…we played with them, served them a lunch of arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and showed them a movie about Samson.

...and they even washed their own plates!

Then, about 12:30 we asked them to return to their homes and invite the adults back at 2:00 for coffee, pastry, and a movie. In the meantime, some of us visited the neighborhood inviting others to come.

(This grandmom is raising this young man after his parents abandoned him...he asked for this bible so that he could read to her, since she cannot read...and you should hear him recite scripture!)

The afternoon turn-out was not as good as the morning, but the Lord was glorified…in fact He blessed our socks off, Pura Vida! We got to meet Luis, Jose, Elian, and many more! Faces were painted, people were blessed, we were blessed, and we shared our hope in Christ and began new relationships.

Two boys gave their lives to Christ. But sometimes I wonder, “did they?” so I asked them a question to see if they understood what they were doing…and you know, they did! They both gave me answers that you just have to say “yes, they know what they are doing!” Now do you? Please pause for a moment today and ask yourself this question. There is a reason for Ephesians 6:17a, and why Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, advises us about the helmet of salvation.

Lord bless you. Please continue praying for us and for the people of Costa Rica. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Two Languages…Two Cultures…One Church!

2011-02-18T20:33:00.008-06:00

Back in November we posted with some pictures of our first bilingual service. The intent was to give the Spanish and English-speaking groups an opportunity to come together for fellowship and breaking of bread (lunch). It was a huge success and the congregation has been asking for more services like that.

Our usual Sunday schedule has service in Spanish at 9:00 a.m. followed by a short time of refreshments and fellowship, followed by the service in English at 11:00. The short time of refreshments in-between services is an encouragement for the two groups to spend some time in fellowship.

With growth comes change, and thus a name-change has been proposed for the church to reflect the two groups. Calvary Chapel Pura Vida and San Pedro Christian Fellowship will be known as Calvary Chapel Comunidad Cristiana San Pedro when the time comes. The proposed sign incorporates both languages and both churches.

The logo is based on Acts 2:42:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
As we move to develop unity we are planning outreaches that will involve the entire congregation, and our most recent will be coming up in March…stay tuned.

New Year, New Experiences

2011-01-22T20:37:00.002-06:00

These past two weeks of the new year have started off with some amazing plans. But in the midst of it all, the Lord also presented us with a new experience. Our first funeral service took place last Tuesday. One of ladies that attends our Spanish service asked Geiner if he could perform the funeral for her nephew, and of course he obliged.

Baby Ian was stillborn, so needless to say it was an incredibly sad situation. Please keep Priscilla and her family in prayer…for the Lord’s peace and comfort to overwhelm her, as she deals with this terrible loss. And please also pray that in some way the Lord will use this to mend this family. During the service Geiner was able to present the gospel, and there are believing members of the family to come alongside Priscilla during this emotional time. Please pray that the gospel presentation fell on fertile soil, and that the Lord will be glorified in the midst of this tragedy.

"There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.
There is a time to be born and a time to die.
There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants.
There is a time to kill and a time to heal.
There is a time to destroy and a time to build." Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 (NCV)

Reflections of 2010

2011-01-01T15:05:00.008-06:00

On December 28th we celebrated our 1 year anniversary here in Costa Rica…and today we celebrate the start of a new year. The cliché “time flies when you are having fun” couldn’t be more appropriate for what we are feeling these days. We brought in the New Year with prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and for guidance and direction for this ministry. We also began our plan to read the bible through chronologically together. What an amazing way to start a new year! We are so grateful to our heavenly Father for allowing us to be a part of His work here in Costa Rica, and for continuing to bless and provide for His plan.

In the coming year we have decided as a couple, and as a church to read the bible through chronologically. We invite you to do so with us. We just think it is a neat way to be connected spiritually, even if we are not so close physically. Here is a link with the plan, if you so choose to follow along:

http://www.bibleplan.org/ch/nkjv

Looking back on this last year here, we want to give glory to our precious Lord by reflecting back briefly on what He has done here. Let’s take a quick look:

January
• Settled in with all the details of relocation…phones, internet, licenses, and car registration.
• Began Foundations class in La Aurora.

February
• Continued details of getting established
• Boxes arrived!!! Unpacking process
• Continued Foundations in La Aurora

March
• Began bible study in Perez Zeledon (Geiner’s home town, about 3 hrs away) every two weeks
• Continued Foundations
• Evangelizing in park in central Heredia

April
• Continued study in Perez Zeledon every other weekend
• Continued Foundations in La Aurora
• Ezra arrived for two week visit – blessed us with worship for the studies, evangelizing, and fellowship
• Continuing to seek the Lord’s direction

May
• Marriage Retreat with fellow missionaries here in Costa Rica
• Continued study in Perez Zeledon
• Continued Foundations class
• Denise feels first earthquake!

June
• Pitman family arrived for visit for a week – enjoyed our time with them, what a blessing they are to us
• Continued study in Perez Zeledon
• Continued Foundations in La Aurora
• Seeking the Lord’s direction, and why He has us here in Heredia

July
• Foundations ends in La Aurora
• Lord opens door for Calvary Chapel Pura Vida to start services in San Pedro
• San Pedro Christian Fellowship invites Geiner to teach in English service
• Doors close to continue study in Perez Zeledon

August
• Geiner teaches through the book of Haggai in English service
• CCPV (Calvary Chapel Pura Vida) begins Spanish services in SPCF (San Pedro Christian Fellowship) building
• Geiner begins book of Ephesians with both congregations
• Ventures in Faith and Calvary Distinctives offered to SPCF congregation because of interest expressed in becoming part of CCPV

September
• Started weekly meeting with SPCF to investigate possibility of them joining CCPV
• Started counseling appointments at CCPV on Wednesdays
• Started Foundations class at CCPV on Wednesday evenings
• Denise received temporary residency while paperwork is processed
• Heather arrived in Costa Rica for TESOL certification training

October
• Spanish and English services continued through Ephesians
• Foundation classes continue
• Meetings toward merger continue
• Started home study in the neighborhood on Thursdays
• Meetings with different ministries to investigate outreach possibilities for congregation

November
• Meetings toward merger include meeting with attorney
• Spanish and English services continue through Ephesians
• Continued home study in neighborhood
• Continued Foundations class on Wednesdays
• First bilingual service followed by lunch – Spanish and English congregations enjoyed fellowship
• Traditional Thanksgiving dinner with our missionary friends Victor and Nichol, and Brian and Tracy

December
• Meetings continue toward merger
• SPCF congregation approves becoming Calvary Chapel
• CCPV and SPCF decide on new name for combined church (Calvary Chapel Comunidad Cristiana), signifying the combining of two languages and two congregations into one church, under the Calvary banner
• One year anniversary for Geiner and Denise’s arrival in Costa Rica (Dec 28th)
• Sign on church location now reads
“Calvary Chapel Comunidad Cristiana”
• First Children’s Christmas outreach event held

Our prayer for 2011 is that the Lord will refresh you through His Word, as we all draw closer and closer to Him day-by-day. Happy and blessed New Year to all…and we look forward to sharing what the Lord will be doing here in Costa Rica throughout the coming year. God bless you.

Our First Children's Christmas Event

2010-12-24T13:42:00.002-06:00

If you read the previous post you would know how quickly the Lord allowed us to put this all together. We would not have been able to do it without the help of our faithful servants...we so appreciate them.

We would like to share some of the photos with you by clicking on this link. It will bring you to the Calvary Chapel Pura Vida Facebook page that has the "album" of photos from the event. You do not need to be a Facebook member to view the pictures, and hope you will enjoy seeing them. The program included a show presented by an "evangelistic" group of clowns. What an interesting way to present the gospel!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35962&id=136273933060341&l=417a952cc8

Our first Christmas service will be Christmas evening at 5:00 P.M. We are so excited about what the new year may hold for CCPV, and look forward to the hand of God working mightily on behalf of Costa Rica.

Let's Get Ready

2010-12-09T21:36:00.012-06:00

Here are some of our faithful Foundations class members wrapping presents and preparing for an event we will be holding December 19th. The Lord put this all together for sure.

A couple of weeks ago a young man named Luis from the Spanish congregation came to Geiner and told him he wanted to buy a couple of presents for children who might not have anything for Christmas. Geiner was so encouraged by him, and said that he would be able to find some families who do not have the means to buy presents for their children. It has been such a blessing to watch Luis grow in his walk with the Lord over the past three months. Geiner expected him to buy two or three presents…he showed up with 17!!!

In the meantime, Dora, one of the students in the Foundations class, asked Geiner if we knew of any needy families that could be blessed with some toys for their children. Her son is a member of an organization that provides toys for families in need each year, and Dora thought about us immediately.

So here we are with promises of over 40 toys…we felt the Lord was directing us to have a small Christmas event to bless some children who might not be getting Christmas presents because of economic hardship.
Sunday, December 19th Calvary Chapel Pura Vida will be hosting about 40 children and their parents for a Christmas program, complete with face painting, and goodies. And to top it off, there will be a show presented by two “evangelical” clowns that present the gospel in such a way that it is relevant for children and adults. We can’t wait to see how the Lord will use all of this!

Two Languages…Two Cultures…One Church

2010-11-23T16:53:00.006-06:00

On November 14th the Spanish and English congregations came together for a bilingual service, followed by a “pot luck” luncheon. The message was in our continuing series through Ephesians, with Geiner alternating between the two languages.
We had an interesting morning because we arrived at the church and found that there was no power. They were working in the neighborhood, and power would be off until 4:00 p.m., well after our service and luncheon were over.
This presented an interesting set of circumstances…no projector for worship, no MP3 player for music, and only the battery left on the laptop for Geiner to refer to for the message. So we went into “creative” mode, and would not give ground to the enemy. We always back-up the message on our memory stick, so Geiner and a brother from church found a place that has a generator to print out the bulletins and the message. With that taken care of, the music would have to suffice with the piano player and hymnals…however; we only had one hymnal in Spanish. But God…don’t you just love that phrase “But God”…He is so faithful, and Edwin, who leads the hymns for the English service, just happened to be familiar with a Spanish hymn that everyone would know, and also a song, which he was able to play on the piano, that everyone knew as well. So worship was covered.
Now we just needed a plan to cook the hot dogs….yes hot dogs! We had decided that hot dogs would be the easiest since we could boil a big pot, and have the congregants bring chips, salads, drinks, and desserts. But having an electric range/oven at the church did not help the cooking process! So other members sprung into action, and the restaurant two doors down from the church operates with gas, and was glad to boil the pots of hot dogs for us. So needless to say…the Lord was glorified in the praises and fellowship of His people.
We would like to share some pictures from that day, as we praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His never-ending care for His church.

READY FOR WORSHIP

EDWIN LEADING A HYMN

REMEMBERING A SONG AT THE PIANO

THE CONGREGATION FOLLOWS ALONG

GEINER SHARING THE MESSAGE

READY TO EAT

SERVING EACH OTHER

BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER

SWEET FELLOWSHIP

FYI…the laptop battery did run out mid-service, but Geiner was able to refer to his paper notes, and not skip a beat!

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord...And sing praises to Your name. Psalm 18:49

Prayers for Our Little Country

2010-11-05T10:13:00.004-06:00

Imagine that Wednesday was a normal day in your life. You may have gone to work, or dropped off your children at school and returned to your home to do your daily chores. Dinner was simple, yet the family was together and continued to enjoy the evening. You went to sleep with expectations for the following day…and then about 2:00 A.M….

We are experiencing the height of “rainy season” here in Costa Rica. It began around April, and we were told that October and November the amount of rainfall would double that which had already fallen in the previous six months. That was hard to fathom, but yesterday’s news brought the grim reality to light.

The rain continues, and hampers the rescue efforts for the families lost, and those who are awaiting news of their loved ones. Please pray for Costa Rica…for the families whose loved ones were victims of the deluge, for those who have lost what little property they had, for the neighborhoods devastated by these storms, and for the rescuers who are so diligently working to rescue those lost or evacuating.
The president of Costa Rica has declared days of “National Mourning”. Our prayer is that all seek refuge in the only source of peace and comfort that can calm the storm of tragedy and sorrow…our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Expanding Our Worship Technology!

2010-10-19T14:07:00.002-06:00

We would like to thank our brothers and sisters at Calvary Chapel Jaco for the projector and screen. What an amazing difference during worship! Thank you so much guys!

We are so grateful for the fellowship we have with our fellow missionaries here in Costa Rica. Thank you, Lord, for the blessing they are to us.

The Foundation Class Continues!

2010-10-08T16:59:00.007-06:00

This week we were blessed to see the lesson on the Holy Spirit touch hearts. The Lord has been working in the class, and two of the people brought friends and family.

A praise report...this week one of the new members gave his life to Christ after class! Praise God!

We are also blessed to be able to offer child care. How exciting to see the Word of God reach out to souls hungry and thirsty for Him.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

A September to Remember

2010-10-01T15:19:00.004-06:00

The last five weeks have been absolutely amazing. You know when confirmation comes, and you are sure that you are in God’s will? Well that is what the last five weeks have been like. Since our first service we have seen the consistent and loving Hand of God in our lives and our ministry. Each week He is faithful to open hearts and feed them with His Word.

Geiner preparing to teach

The Bibles and New Testaments available for the congregants...gifts from our beloved Care Team! Thanks guys!

The Worship Team ;)

The Foundations class has grown from 3 to 6 attendees, as of this week. People are excited about learning the basics…and are eager to start building a firm foundation.

The following pictures are from our first class:

We have been here in Costa Rica for 9 months now, as of Sept 28th. Denise finally has temporary residency, with all paperwork submitted to Immigration, and in process. That has been a real test of patience and self-control. Thank you Holy Spirit for both of those gifts! Bureaucracies are the same everywhere, and Costa Rica is no different.

It has rained here consistently for the past 5 days…and the news today said that the rainfall in October should double what has already fallen up to this point. Normally during the rainy season we see the sun in the morning, and then about noon and beyond you see the clouds start rolling in. Then the rain comes, and lasts until the next morning. However, October is supposed to be the worst month of the rainy season. The news also showed all of the landslides and flooding going on around the country. People are afraid to evacuate because if they leave their homes and nothing major happens, they will return to nothing because everything will have been stolen. Please keep these in your prayers as well.

Thank you for all your prayers, support, and encouraging messages and posted comments. You are a blessing to us, and the ministry the Lord has entrusted to us here. Your continued prayers would be appreciated.

"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever."
Psalm 125:1

Pictures Speak a Thousand Words

2010-08-30T19:23:00.009-06:00

OUR GOD IS AWESOME!!! These photos are from our first service Sunday August 29th. We serve an amazing God, and it would be hard to explain in words just how faithful He is. Thank you for your prayers...without them we would not be able to serve Him.

Our First Bulletin

The Sound Team

Our Ushers ready to greet!

Early Birds

More arrivals

Getting ready for service

After service fellowship

Refreshments and fellowship

IT'S OFFICIAL

2010-08-05T14:12:00.006-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

We would like to make an announcement...

Calvary Chapel Pura Vida will be holding its first service on August 29th!!!

The space we will be renting is located in a church in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, just east of San Jose, in a very central location, close to the University of Costa Rica, and a hub for bus transportation, so it is easily accessible. It is about 15 miles from our home. Needless to say, we are so excited!!!

With this comes lots of planning and prayer requests. We are looking for someone to lead worship (the music portion). So please keep that in your prayers. Also, we have been going there to meet the people in the area, hand out flyers, tracts, and the evangelistic coins our care team sent us. Please pray for our outreach as well. Here are pictures of the flyer and the coins we are using, just so you can share in the excitement!

Stay tuned for pictures of the church. We will keep you posted on how things are progressing. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support, and please keep on praying!

Some thoughts from Denise

2010-07-15T20:30:00.002-06:00

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col 3:2

When I think of the adjustments that we have made here in Costa Rica, I can’t help but thank God for His faithfulness. He brought us from a 4 bedroom house, to two rooms (one bedroom and one living room/kitchen/office combo) and a bath…and we are so comfortable. He brought us from two good-paying full-time jobs outside our home, to working full-time for Him…and we are so provided for. He brought us from usually being able to predict what tomorrow will look like, to depending on Him totally for what tomorrow holds…and we are so confident. So how do I make it here without my crock-pot, clothes dryer, dollar store, and other things I used to take for granted?...by keeping my eyes on Him.

Over the last couple of weeks we have seen the Lord move in a big way. Getting confirmation that we are in His will is such a satisfying place to be. Too many times we question our motives for what we are doing, and if they are in line with His plan. And then He allows us to get a glimpse of what He had on His agenda all along! How blessed we are to have that peace that so many long for.

Today is a windy, rainy day here in the mountains of San Rafael de Heredia. We have been told that the sun is farthest away from Costa Rica in these months, so the weather we experience is not what you would generally expect when one talks about “tropical” Costa Rica. Geiner is diligently preparing for a teaching this weekend, and I am here writing this. We are both fighting some sort of bug. Geiner has the start of a cold, and I am still hacking with a dry cough that has been around for about 3 weeks now. How strange to feel like winter (or as close as it gets in Costa Rica!) when everyone we talk with in the states is in sweltering heat.

Thank you for the time to ramble. Know that we are not that far away, technologically, and love to hear from you! Until next time,

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NLT

July?...Really?

2010-07-01T20:37:00.003-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

Honestly, I have no idea where May and June went. Today is July 1st. We have been here in Costa Rica for 6 months now! Yes…half a year. Wow! And yet every day we need to remind ourselves:

“This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Ps 118:24

The past couple of weeks have brought ups and downs in ministry. We knew it would be like this, but that does not always feel good. Recently our Foundations class had discussed “Forgiveness and Reconciliation” two weeks in a row, and we saw questions, understanding, and growth. In fact one woman actually came back and shared with us that she took what she learned into her workplace. All glory to God! Now unfortunately there is some family turmoil that needs to be addressed. Please pray that the enemy’s attack will not hinder their movement forward in their walk. If anything, this is an indication that they are growing, or he would not be interested in targeting them.

The study in Perez Zeledon went through a similar circumstance this past weekend. During our last study the Spirit moved, and many were figuratively showing up in the shadows by night with Nicodemus asking, “How can we be born again?” It is every evangelist’s dream…to be asked to explain true salvation! At the end of the study several attendees prayed to receive Christ! Amen and Alleluia! God is great ALL the time! And when this past weekend’s study was cancelled because the house where we usually meet was unavailable at the last minute, we were faced once again with the reality that we need to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”.1Pet 5:8 We have since confirmed the location of our next study, and will be sure to continue to encourage those that attend, so that they do not become prey to that roaring lion.

Since we arrived in Costa Rica we have often wondered why the Lord chose to bring us to Heredia. Well very recently we have gotten a glimpse of what the Lord has in mind for us in this part of the country. We are seeking His counsel and His will before taking any major steps, but we can acknowledge that a huge door has opened for the ministry, and we are walking by faith through the threshold. Please stay tuned for further developments ;)

On a personal note, and continuing to question where the time has gone…another 90 days have passed, and because of some misinformation from the New Mexico Dept of State, Denise needed to leave the country again to renew her visa. Only this time the Lord provided a wonderful surprise. For less than the cost of another trip to Panama, we discovered a direct flight to Newark NJ, which allowed Denise to spend close to five days with her parents. What an amazing blessing! She also returned to Costa Rica with that last necessary document in hand. So the residency process should be taking the next step this coming week.

As time passes we continue to press on, knowing that we are here in Costa Rica for the purpose of glorifying our Lord, and will continue to be obedient to His call each and every day…always remembering to be still and know that He is God! Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support. Pura vida in Christ, our Savior!

Sweet Friendships that Renew the Soul

2010-06-10T19:36:00.007-06:00

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9 (The Message)

Beloved of God and ours,

Since our last post we have had the blessing of a visit from the Pittmans. Dave, Wendy, Mariah, and Nathaniel came to Costa Rica for their family vacation, and we were privileged to spend time with them, as they experienced Costa Rica.

Wendy lived in San Jose for about 6 months…but that was 19 years ago, when her parents were missionaries here. Her Spanish skills returned quickly, and she was able to communicate very well. We were blessed to have them join us at our Foundations class on Wednesday evening…to share with them just a bit of our current ministry, and the plans for future ministry just ahead.

We are also glad they had opportunities to enjoy a Costa Rican vacation as a family, visiting Volcano Poas,

taking part in a coffee tour,

and Dave and the kids venturing out on a canopy tour that lasted 5 hours!

On Dave’s birthday we joined them for an excursion through the rain forest on our way to Quepos, which included some time on the beach.

Dave and Wendy are members of our care team, and we are so grateful for their partnership in this ministry. We wish we could have spent more time with them…to have them visit the study in Perez Zeledon...and we want to thank them for allowing us to take part in their family time, and for having hearts for the people of Costa Rica. Our prayers together with them were lifted to the Throne of Grace on behalf of the many here in Costa Rica who do not know the Truth. May our Heavenly Father continue to use us mightily, to show His love and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to this nation.

We press on in our ministry, and know that the Lord’s timing is perfect. The study in Perez Zeledon is going well, as we continue through Ephesians…and the enemy is working hard to get in the way of some attending. Our prayer is that His truth will set them free from the traditions that bind them, and they will come to know that Jesus is real, alive, and wants to “sup” with them personally.

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” Acts 3:19

BEFORE and AFTER

2010-05-25T18:59:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated 18 years of marriage!. It seemed like it was just yesterday… but the truth is it has been about 6570 days, and we learned and are still learning.

It hasn’t been easy, but in God’s grace He has carried us through. Carried in the honeymoon stage…carried in the love stage, the work hard stage, the business stage, the stressful stage, the lying stage, the unfaithful stage, and the worst stage – when the truth comes out and we stop living the masqueraded life that buried us in our own deceitfulness, which created a false reality from which we needed to escape. “How?” we say…“Marriage is over” we say…and then we hear “I LOVE YOU!” yelled from the heavens. We hear a voice that with grace resounds the echo of the phrase “it is only a potential battle…an opportunity…don’t give up – grow up.” “How I desire your happiness, your joy. Since you got married I knew that being alone was not good. So I gave you that person to be by your side…for you to love. So now that the lie is over, start again and learn from your mistakes, and be the husband that I made you to be.” And I said “yes, Lord…I will love like You love – unconditionally, sacrificially, forgivingly, obediently.” And Jesus gave us the strength; He gave us the love, the patience, so that we could be victorious in this potential battlefield called marriage. Jesus showed us how to forgive and be victors over every lie. Jesus showed us how to be obedient, so that the failures of the heart will not prevail. Jesus showed us how to love so that we would not hate and be lost. Jesus showed us how to trust so that the ungrounded jealousies would die, and the grounded ones will be the sustainability of the stronger prayer. How happy are those who are willing to go the extra mile in their marriage…just like Jesus did when He went to the cross!

God in His loving grace has kept my marriage…my part is to be a good steward of my Father’s daughter.

Father, I thank You for Your grace in giving me her, who completes me. My heart melts at the thought that Your love for me extends up to the reality of her love for me, and that You sometimes use her arms to embrace my lacking heart. Please, Father, may my discipleship of her be pleasing to You…after all, You gave her to me for a time. May our love for You be the springing fountain of our love for each other. I love you Lord, and I love Denise.

To all of you out there: marriage is a potential battlefield that has no foundation if you forgive. It is the disarming of all enemies. After all, Jesus fought His battle that way and won! It is the maximum expression of love.

Blessings in Fellowship

2010-05-10T21:42:00.007-06:00

For the first time since we arrived, our studies have started off with music, in worship to our King! Our friend and fellow servant Ezra was here visiting us for 12 days. He brought his guitar, and quickly (and we mean quickly) learned three songs in Spanish, so that we could open our Foundations class on Thursday evening with worship. Ezra does not speak Spanish (yet!) and was able to lead us in worship, in Spanish, in less than 48 hrs of his arrival, to the glory of God, and the appreciation of our attendees. The family that had previously expressed an interest in coming were able to join us last week for the first time. They were excited, and this week they invited others.

Geiner also broke out his guitar and had a lesson from Ezra.

Thursday we headed down the hill to central San Rafael de Heredia, to pass out some tracts and do some witnessing in the park. We encountered our usual mix of those who listen and have questions or experiences to share, those who are polite, and those who don’t want to take the time to listen or accept a tract. Ezra took the opportunity to let people know that Jesus loves them (Jesus te ama) and worked hard on memorizing John 3:16 in Spanish. It was a fruitful afternoon, with one young man interested in attending our Foundations class, and another woman who called us because we had our phone number on the tract we gave her, asking for prayer and wanting to know where we hold our bible studies.

We left for Perez Zeledon early last Saturday morning. We will give Ezra a chance here to let you in on his experience of life on the farm:

"As you all may know already the locals have a saying, “Pura Vida” which means pure life. That really is the best way to describe life on the farm. When people have so little and work so hard for it, the truly important things in life are valued. Faith, family and friends, are what these people cling to for support/survival and there is nothing more “pure life” than that. Add into the mix the absolutely beautiful and tranquil jungle and the overwhelming sense of God’s majesty in His creation, and you have Pura Vida. Things in the jungle are simple. I think that that simplicity was the best part. I told Denise that I can hear better up at the farm. She looked at me confused and I explained to her that at the farm almost every distraction or stimulant is removed and you can hear God better. Not because God is not speaking to us everywhere we are at in our busy lives but because in that simple life there are less distractions to kidnap us away from just sitting at the feet of our Lord and God. It was a lesson in perspective, seeking God and not comfort or entertainment/distractions. Some might look at these people and see how poor they are and what conditions they live in and feel sorry for them, but when I think about it I am reminded of God’s design, the least shall be first. May we all find a little more Pura Vida in our lives.
Beyond my experience at the farm, God is speaking to the people of Costa Rica through G&D. Life as a missionary is one of constantly being dependent on God. Never has that been truer in my life than while I have been here. I am in a country that I do not understand, struggling to speak a language that I do not know and somehow God can still use it for His glory. While I was playing and singing worship songs in a language that I do not know, not even understanding the meaning of the words it made me realize just how dependent on the strength of Jesus I was. I felt so underprepared and so out of place but God gave me the strength and used it to bless the people listening while glorifying Himself. Praise the Lord God almighty He is so faithful. "

Our bi-weekly study in Perez Zeledon was also blessed with the sounds of praise and worship to the Lord. We had two additions to the group, with expectations of invitations to others.

Thank you Ezra, for your willingness to serve and love the people of Costa Rica.

“To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:21-23

Answered Prayers of the Faithful!

2010-04-24T09:47:00.003-06:00

So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
Ezra 8:23

Thank you for your prayers for the study last weekend. The Lord used the time to minister to those present, and to heal a relationship between two brothers that had been estranged for a time.

We are so encouraged to also share that one of Geiner’s uncles decided to attend the study for the first time. Initially that was not his intention. He was on his way to “have a beer and relax with some friends,” but the Holy Spirit used a phone call with his brother in the US to have him reconsider. During the phone conversation his brother was lamenting on how he was feeling very alone and without his family. That got him thinking…he had the opportunity to be there with his family instead of drinking in a bar. So he turned around and came to the study.

He later shared with Geiner how blessed he was by the teaching, and is hosting the next study at his house! Thank you Lord.

We also are encouraged by another family here in Heredia who want to attend the Foundations class on Thursday evenings (we recently changed from Friday to Thursday to help accommodate work schedules). The mom is a passionate bible reader, and is looking for a service that is centered on the study of God’s Word. Her son works here on the property, and has been strongly influenced by his mother’s devotion to the Word. He is excited to attend as well. We look forward to them starting to attend next week.

We are preparing for a busy month of May with visitors and a retreat! Geiner’s mom will be spending a couple of days with us at the end of this week, before she returns to Tucson. We are also expecting our good friend Ezra next Wednesday. He will be here with us for about 12 days and will be helping us incorporate some worship into our studies with his talent as a guitar player and former worship leader. Then later in May we will have our friend Heather staying here for 3 days before she starts her TESOL certification program. During her 6 weeks in the program she will be staying with a host family and will be fellowshipping with us. At the end of May we are excited to see the Pitman family while they are here in Costa Rica for their family vacation. And in the middle of all this we will be attending a marriage retreat for Calvary Chapel missionaries here in Costa Rica (May 11th – 13th) in La Fortuna, hosted by Calvary Chapel Tamarindo and their home church, Calvary Chapel Vista California. The speakers will be Senior Pastor of CC Vista, Rob Salvato and his wife Denise. We are excited by all the fellowship coming up during May and will keep you posted with details of these happenings as they occur.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly 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

Plan the Unexpected – Blessed are the flexible!

2010-04-11T18:12:00.001-06:00

We have always said that the Lord has editing rights with our plans. Well, He has recently decided to exercise that right. In the last couple of weeks we have had our share of unexpected changes in plans. Let’s start with the most recent, and work our way backwards.

Thursday before Easter we left for Perez Zeledon to spend Semana Santa (holy week) with Geiner's dad and family. Our first stop was his grandma’s house (his mother’s mom) to drop off his aunt. We spent a short time with Abuela Transita and proceeded to the farm. Late that same afternoon we received a call that grandma was taken to the hospital. At 8:50 that evening grandmom went home to be with the Lord. Geiner’s mom arrived late Friday night from Tucson with his brother. The funeral was Saturday and Geiner had an opportunity to share during the service and at the cemetery. This prompted some questions from people in attendence. Abuela would have been 80 on May 30th. Please pray for grieving family members, especially those who do not share the hope we have. Transita was a good mother…loved by her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She will be missed by all.

Abuela Transita

The week before we also experienced an unexpected change in plans. We had to leave the country....quickly. You see Denise’s visa was going to expire on Saturday. But we know about a new law that will allow "tourists" to extend their visa for a month for $100…or so we thought! We were waiting for all of her certified documents to arrive from the states (which, by the way, are here now!!), so we knew the month extension would be just fine. As long as your paperwork is submitted to Immigration for processing, you do not have to leave the country unless your residency is denied...and that is almost unheard of for spouses of Costa Rican citizens. On Friday morning we called Immigration to find out where we pay the $100 fee, and were told the law had not gone into effect yet. Yikes! It even said on their website that there were new laws that took effect March 1st. We called back just to be sure, since we have had the experience on more than one occasion that it all depends on who you talk to. Well sure enough, both said the same thing. So now we are scrambling to make plans to leave the country because we did not want to overstay the 90 days allowed, since that would not look good when it comes time for immigration to process the residency. After much calling around, we finally found an excursion to Panama. So needless to say...it was one crazy weekend. But praise God, Denise is legal...and has another 90 days to get her paperwork in to immigration. We DO NOT want to be in that position again. We have heard nightmares of lost documents, so we will be making copies of everything, and have them sign a receipt that they received them all in order.

There was something in these past two weekends that went according to plan…and that was the study in Perez Zeledon!

Proverbs 4:20-23 :
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

The group (seen here before we got started)was once again hungry for the Word. The teaching was on God’s justice, and the significance of the blood of Christ and the Cross (a perfect topic for the Saturday before “Pascua”). There is such a thirst in that group that they asked for homework!! We will begin the book of Ephesians next time, and they were assigned to read ahead the first chapter. Praise God for His faithfulness.

Rejoicing In The Presence Of The Angels

2010-03-18T18:44:00.000-06:00

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Luke 15:10

Lately we have been posting our highlights of what has been happening here in CR, and how we have been passing our time. Well today we have decided to let you in on some news that might not be as detailed with the day-to-day events, but will definitely glorify our Lord and Savior, and the work He has brought us here to do.

If you have been keeping up with the recent posts, you have come to know Geiner’s dad, Elias. You have shared in the joy of celebrating his birthday…you have seen pictures of his family, his farm, his life. Well, it gives us great joy to let you know that on February 28th Elias Alvarado had his name added to the Book of Life. During a small “revival”, for lack of a better description, the Lord tugged on his heart and let him know that it was his day of salvation. He walked forward and received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. After over a year of reading the bible, and Geiner and others sharing the wonders of a personal relationship with the Living God, he gave Him his life. Please rejoice with us, and keep him in prayer…a new creation indeed.
Well, the angels’ rejoicing does not stop there. Without going into too much confidential information, let’s just say that one of Geiner’s brothers has led a very troubled life. Juan has a heart bigger than his chest can hold, but also has succumbed to destructive actions that can only come from the enemy himself. Through many conversations with Geiner he has shared that he wants…no needs to change. He knows the gospel but has never trusted that Jesus is the answer to his crying out for help. Well, last night was the night…and during a long conversation with Geiner, he prayed to turn his life over to the Lord. Praise God for answered prayer, and for allowing Juan’s heart to be open to the promise of regeneration in Him.

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matt 5:16

We previously mentioned Miles McPherson’s book Do Something…the overall premise is that the Lord has a plan for each and every one of us, and that plan includes how best to serve Him. The different stories sited include a woman who started a ministry to the deaf after she fostered a deaf child, a former prostitute who now ministers to girls on the street, physically handicapped people who share the love of Christ with other disabled people, and many more. The point is that we all have experiences to draw on from how the Lord has ministered to us personally…and how we can use that to minister to others.

For years now we have come to realize that the Lord has given us an amazing testimony in how He healed our marriage. We have shared this story with many individuals and couples, glorifying God in our portrayal…always being very clear that we would not be where we are today if it were not for the healing power of Jesus in our lives. He is the reason why we are the new creations (and new marriage) we are today. Well it seems that the theme of ministering to marriages has come up more than once since we have been here, including a very clear direction from the Lord in this area during prayer time. Recently a family member offered to open her home for prayer meetings and asked Geiner to lead them. This past weekend Geiner had the privilege to present a teaching on prayer to more than a dozen family members, which included two marriages in the midst of dealing with very severe issues…and the Lord was glorified. In fact there was such an amazing response to the teaching, prayer time, and question and answer session (which included addressing some of the marital issues being dealt with at the present time) that we have been invited back. The encouragement and invitation back came from a clear acknowledgement that those in attendance did not know the Word of God, and desired to know the bible more intimately.

Ministry has its challenges as well…and we were faced with another couple on the verge of divorce. We plan on meeting with them on our next trip to Perez Zeledon, but in the meantime Geiner is keeping in touch with both by phone, and sharing God’s views and outlook on their situation. We do not want to miss an opportunity to share God’s word in an attempt to save a marriage. Please pray for wisdom and guidance for us, and softened hearts for them.

Weekends such as the one we just mentioned give us such confirmation of God’s call for us to be here in Costa Rica at such a time as this. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.

Birthday Celebration and two month mark!

2010-02-27T18:54:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

Hard to believe that we will be here two months this Sunday the 28th! The Lord has taken such good care of us, and we continue to seek His direction and plan.
As promised, here are some pictures from the birthday celebration we had last weekend for Dad. It was such a blessing to see his face light up as family members greeted him on his special day.

Arroz con pollo

One of the attendees of special note was Dad’s tia Lela. She is 87 years young, and sharp as a pin! We had not seen her for 15 years, and yet she remembered so much about us, including a hat Denise wore on that visit!

Most of the Alvarado gang where there…or at least those who live in Costa Rica. The joy is evident on Dad’s face as we all sang Happy Birthday (Feliz Cumpleaños) to him.

Praise God for his health, and his continuing to seek the Lord for truth and life.

The carpentry project is underway! We have some beautiful cypress panels that were cut from trees right here in the neighborhood. Geiner will be sanding and varnishing before any construction starts. We will continue sharing the progress as it develops.

Please continue to pray for the people of Chile and Haiti.
Until next time...

One brick at a Time!

2010-02-18T21:15:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,
Since our last posting we continue to see the internet connection come and go, and frankly this is the last we are going to post about it. It is just too frustrating. We are blessed with using the wireless connection on Gary’s porch, if need be, and do what we can when we can.

The good news is our boxes arrived at our house yesterday!! Tomorrow Geiner and his uncle will begin the carpentry project with the wood you see in the picture below, so that we have a place to put the contents of the boxes. Geiner is excited about having his books here, and I made rice in my long-awaited rice cooker last night. Life is good, and we continue to experience the hand of God working in our lives. We are so grateful to Him for His provision.

With the boxes comes the last segment of our settling in. However, we just might be doing this again in the near future. As of last week, the property we live on is officially for sale. We were expecting this down the road, and how long it might take is unknown to us. There are many properties in the neighborhood for sale, but we know the Lord has this perfect timing worked out as well. If any of you have been thinking of moving to sunny Costa Rica and might be interested in living in a beautiful, paradise-like area, you can see the house on Craigslist (http://costarica.en.craigslist.org/reo/1604458929.html)…and we can vouch for the neighbors in the back ;) !! Well, it was worth a try!

Last Friday’s Foundations class presented some challenges. The air was thick with unresolved issues, on top of a very strong question from a 9 year old little girl (see below) . She asked about the incarnation of Christ and how Christ managed to create the world…the second part of that question was easier than the first. Well I don’t think I did a very good job explaining the “incarnation” to the nine year old in terms that she would understand…I try two different ways, but I don’t know if she really grasped it. Anybody have any ideas? I would love to be clearer to her.

Ministry this week has included some outreach…We have been talking about visiting the nearby parks to talk with people and hand out tracts. You see, the parks here are in the center of town, usually situated in front of the Catholic church. They are popular meeting places, and you can find people congregated just about any time of day. On Monday we put our feet to the task, and spent some time handing out tracts. Geiner did get to talk at length with Juan, an older gentleman who is a believer with mixed questions. He told Geiner that his discussion with him gave him peace. We invited him to the study, and also to join us for an outing we are having in two weeks.

On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to distribute tracts at a famous bus station in San Jose. The reactions to my (Geiner) surprise were some rude and a few grateful, never the less we gave out about 35 tracts. Eventually we are thinking to do the same at the bus station that brings people back and forth from Heredia. Then when we are ready we will have somewhere to invite them for fellowship.

This weekend we will celebrate Geiner’s dad’s birthday in Perez Zeledon. We have planned a surprise for Sunday…the first time Geiner’s dad (Elias) has had a true birthday celebration with most of his family. The Lord has been working in his life, drawing him closer to Himself through unexpected hardships. But through his bible readings Elias (Geiner’s dad) has come to know that God has not left him nor forsaken him, and that the Lord continues to be there for him through the tribulation…and will be there afterwards as well. Our hope is that this family gathering will be a testimony of God’s affection for us all, and that seeds can be planted for spiritual growth. Next time we will post some pictures of the celebration.

Seeds of hope!

2010-02-08T12:46:00.000-06:00

1Cor 3:6-7I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

As the son of a farmer I see great potential in the seed that is planted. My father plants yuca, rice, plantain, bananas, fruit trees, etc. and to see the fruit and provision that God gives is very rewarding.

This is the way I feel this week, blessed to be part of what God wants to do here.

Beloved of God and ours,
We hope you are well, and receiving from the Lord daily…refreshing your souls.
We would first like to apologize to anyone who has attempted to contact us via email, Skype, Facebook, or any other means that requires an internet connection. Just when we thought we were finally connected, and our internet problems were over, we are faced with more challenges to stay connected. Without belaboring this already exhausting point…we are back on our landlord’s porch using his wireless and exercising patience! Please know that it is very important to us that we stay connected to you all…that is why we are letting you know here on the blog. We feel we can reach more people quickly by posting a blog entry, than individually. So with that said…let’s get on with some news!!!

Costa Rica has a new president…or we should say “presidenta”! Laura Chinchilla was voted in as the first female president of Costa Rica yesterday. Costarricenses are incredibly patriotic, and yesterday the streets were filled with supporters for each party, working side-by-side, to encourage passers-by to vote for their candidate. It was exciting to see the unity of the crowds working together, in spite of their differences. It is good to see the democracy of Costa Rica in action.

We are so excited to share a praise report of how the Lord is moving. This past Friday we continued with week two of Foundations. Family members and friends continue to grow, and this week the children sat with us, with the bibles that we had given them in hand, with no prompting from their parents. When they knew it was time to start the study, they went to get their bibles, and sat quietly listening, and asked us to look up scriptures for them. It was encouraging to see their enthusiasm. We see the willingness to grow in those who are attending, and they also asked if they could invite others.

Another praise report…our boxes are here in Costa Rica! Remember the 12 boxes Geiner was loading into the white pick-up? They made it here, and should be delivered to our house during this week. Geiner will have his books…and Denise will have more clothes, kitchen gadgets…and more. Thank you Lord! With the arrival of the books comes a construction project. Geiner will be building shelves and exercising creative carpentry!

Just to let you know…the car is fixed as well! We see the Lord’s blessings in so many different areas. The gentleman who fixed the car worked for a Toyota dealer for years, but charges much less. So he knows enough to trust that he is not taking shots in the dark, and also trust that it will be done according to Toyota standards.

We continue to pray for wisdom and guidance, and for you.

This week...at one point I felt like I needed to be way more prepared than what I am and started getting discouraged. Then yesterday (Sunday) we went to church with our landlords and God showed me that I am just like the little boy with the five loaves of bread and two fishes, and I learned that "a little is always plenty in the hands of Jesus". Then this morning I read a prayer in one of our books that applies to my search of God's will for our lives,...see, the heart with which you do things makes the difference between a miracle that it was thought impossible and a simple lunch. God glorifies Himself in what many think impossible, and the prayer is this:

“Dear Lord, I know that You have made all of the necessary preparations for me to do something significant with my life. I’m not walking this journey alone. I ask that you open my eyes to see the doors of opportunity that lie before me as well as give me the faith to walk away from those opportunities to do something that look important but are really not necessary for me. Please keep me focused on fulfilling Your plan for my life.” Miles McPherson. “Do Something” pg 77.

One Month Today!!!

2010-01-28T19:29:00.000-06:00

San Isidro de Heredia 15 min. from our home

Dearly beloved of God and ours, it is hard to express in mere words the feeling you get when you know that God has you in the palm of His hand. We are sure you have all experienced this wonderful feeling of being so loved and cared for by your Heavenly Father, that you know you do not have to be concerned. Well, that is how we are feeling. He has provided for all our needs…and most recently with an internet connection (yes!), wonderful fellowship, our licenses, and so much more. Here are some details.
Can you believe it…we have been here in beautiful Costa Rica for a month! Wow, how time flies. We are still settling in…but at least we have internet as of two days ago – wooo hooo! Gary and Estelia, our wonderful friends (and landlords) have been on the case ever since we started hitting brick walls with the process. We are so grateful that the Lord placed them in our lives, and brought us here to live on their beautiful property.
The past week has been pretty full. We continue to pray for wisdom and guidance, and take advantage of every ministry opportunity the Lord sends our way. Saturday we did some exploring and investigating, to find some good places for people to stay when they come to visit. We took a ride to Monte Campana, not too far from our house, and it is beautiful. There is a waterfall, and lots of activities…and it is very reasonable. Just one of many places, we are sure!Sunday we had some wonderful fellowship with our friends and fellow missionaries,Victor and Nichol, and the congregation of Sela church. We attended service for the first time at Sela in central Heredia, and then went to Pastor Jose’s house for lunch. Victor and Nichol have some friends in from California, Brandon and Stephanie, and there were also some young men visiting from Calvary Chapel Managua Nicaragua. So it was a pretty full house.
We are doing our best to get the car in shape. Seems it needed some belts changed and a rotor…but then the engine light started blinking (which the manual says is cause for turning it off immediately and seeing the doc/mechanic ASAP!) other than that it has been a blessing. The car is in very good condition in spite of what is going on now…and we are enjoying the blessing.
As of last week, we are legal…in the driving sense! We were able to get our Costa Rican licenses within about 3 hours…which is pretty flawless in Costa Rican time (tell us that didn’t involve divine intervention!) Geiner will have to get a certification from the states to upgrade his to a B4, which is equivalent to his class A as a truck driver, but he has 6 months to go through that process.
And speaking of processes…we have begun the immigration process for Denise to become a permanent resident of Costa Rica. Once we “officially” start this, which involves receiving a couple more documents from the states, she will no longer have to leave the country for 48 hrs every 90 days. So if you come to visit you can only stay 90 days!!!.. but we can take a ride to Panama for two days with you, and then come back! ;-)
Hope this quick update reminds you of His goodness, His love and provision. He knows what we need and He provides. We trust Him with our lives because He is faithful and true and we pray the same for you. Until next time...

Week Three...Already!

2010-01-19T17:54:00.000-06:00

The Internet Saga Continues:

This has been an interesting process…and certainly one we were warned about. But given the rapid pace of life in the US, and the advantages of free enterprise and competition, we find it very interesting.

We started investigating the internet connection process a week after we arrived. Here in Costa Rica there is one company, ICE, That is responsible for phones (house and cell), electricity, and internet…and of course we would call that a monopoly. And with a monopoly comes an attitude of “do it our way…you really don’t have a choice!”

We already have a modem in our house, so we thought that would make the process easier – so we ordered the service, paid the deposit, and followed the directions…a tech came to the house, only to tell us that our computers with Windows 7 were too advanced and not compatible for the system. But he told us we would probably be able to get DSL lines. So we said okay. That was going to take up to 10 days for someone to come and access whether or not we were in range for DLS. Found out we are not! However, if we have a cell phone signal, and we do, we could connect that way (somewhat like a Cricket broadband connection). So we go to ICE, wait in line, get sent to three other places, only to return to the same person in ICE where we started…and guess what?!...we couldn’t get that either because our proof of income comes from the US and not Costa Rica.

So here we are…and we are not done yet!

Starting Foundations:

We are excited to have the opportunity to start the Foundations class with three people who actually are as excited as we are.

The Family in Perez Zeledon:

While we were in PZ this weekend we stopped to see and pray with the family of the mechanic who fixed the brakes. If you remember, he recently lost a brother in his mid-thirties to alcoholism, and the family is devastated. We brought a bible to give them and it was another of those instances of the Lord’s perfect timing. The mother was the only one that stopped to listen and share how she felt, and accepted the bible. She was pleased because she had no way of finding the scriptures that she was recommended to read. We listened, we prayed, and shared very gently that Jesus is the only one who can fill the void in their hearts.

We also gave a bible to Josué (Geiner´s 9 yr old nephew) who had asked for one. He uses it to learn to read, to learn his numbers, but also to learn scripture. He is actually beginning to memorize verses Geiner gives him. He has a very strong temper and does not have consistent discipline. But we see how he longs for attention, so we want to use that to minister to him and bring the peace of God to his young life.

We are confronting situations with others who have been indoctrinated with non-biblical teaching such as prosperity gospel and faith movement. As Peter said, we have to be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have within us.

Ministry opportunities go on and the need is great. We will continue to keep you informed. Thank you for your prayers!

Seeds are Planted...and Ministry Flourishes

2010-01-11T12:42:00.000-06:00

Dear friends,

Hope you are all doing well, and growing even more in your relationship with Christ. Happy new year to all of you and may the Lord, whose mercies are new every morning, bless you.

After our last update the weather here in Costa Rica has been changing, and a cold front is making our Costa Rican friends use sweaters! Our home seems to be the place where the winds of the world are coming to rest, and also from where they take off. To give you an idea of how it sounds, imagine if you go to the ocean shore and pitch a tent...you can here the waves break on the shore, and this, accompanied by the whistling between the trees and the drizzling, makes for a windy and rainy day in Heredia.

The winds of our ministry flourish as we get to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with family and new friends. Last week we left off when we were going to visit a family which is in the turmoil of Satan himself...with strife, bitterness, vengence, desires of death, guilt, adultery, anger, etc. That night two of those in the midst of all of that were touched by the Holy Spirit, and trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, for the glory of our God. We rejoice with God in His work. Now with that we also get people that are managed by the devil and introduce dissention and spread gossip...one week later we hear the tales of it, but face it on our knees as we know that that´s the only way to fight it.

Yesterday was a good day... we were able to meet with Victor and his wife Nichol who are also missionaries here, with their focus on a School of Ministry...and the Lord is blessing it already. Some day we will send students there!

Victor invited us to go to the church of a friend of his, and we were blessed the the Word of God is the authority there too. After the service, we went to their home and had a good time of fellowship. To us this is very important, since having friends that have Christ as the center of their lives is a total blessing. They also come from a Calvary Chapel in East Anaheim Calif, which gives us even more common ground to build on the work which God has ahead.

Also, we received a phone call this morning from another pastor who needs prayer. He is going through some problems within his leadership and just needed to share it. I´ll meet with him on Thursday, if the Lord permits. This pastor loves the bible, but the doctrine from his home church is conflicting with the Word, and he knows it. So please, as you read this, stop for a moment and send a prayer for him...his name is Ciro.

My father is trusting God in his journey, and I am grateful. We are going to visit him this weekend, and also one of my uncles there in Perez Zeledon. He wants to learn more about Christ, and we don´t want him to loose momentum.

We love you all, and please know that your love and prayers are felt. It is weird...but they are! Thank you!

We just experienced another black-out...the electricity comes and goes and it has been like that the last two days. We love it here. Please continue to pray for wisdom, discernment, revelation from our beloved scriptures, and the ability to explain those truths simply.

We love you guys!

P.S. Denise is doing really well with her Spanish...I am so proud of her.

Week 2 in Costa Rica

2010-01-07T13:28:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

Hard to believe we have already been here more than a week, but the Lord has provided ministry opportunities already. We spent a week at Geiner´s dad’s farm, and the New Year’s Eve celebration brought family members to share in a typical meal, but also presented time to share the gospel to an uncle with suicidal thoughts, another uncle with marital problems, and another who is isolated by his wealth and intellect, and by his religious tradition – the things that he trusts taking the place of Jesus. The rest were scattered.

Geiner had a chance to minister to his dad who is currently in a difficult situation. We also had a chance to teach a 9 year old nephew how to locate scripture and read it. The first was John 3:16, followed by others…and he was excited to continue.

In all of this we encouraged some, through the Word, to have hope in Christ, to trust in His word, and we planted seeds of desire for the Word. The seeds are planted, and we will continue to water them…may God give the increase.

For the rest of the week we continue to seek more ministry opportunities, as we also adjust to settling in. Things here in Costa Rica take a little while longer to get processed. Long lines, and long waits are off set by beautiful weather and laid back outlook. We awake each morning to the sunshine and breeze, and go to sleep each night to the wind blowing through the 80 foot trees. Close to paradise…and away from the city. Yet it only takes us about 10 minutes to drive down to the heart of San Rafael de Heredia where we shop and do business. Not hard to adjust to by any means! We love it here…and we love that God has us here!

We will talk to you soon!

Greetings from Costa Rica!

2009-12-30T11:19:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

By the grace of our Almighty Lord and Savior, we are sitting here in an Internet Cafe in Costa Rica! How long have we waited for this time to arrive?...as long as the Lord allowed.

We are so grateful for His love, His provision, and His amazing plan.

We arrived Monday evening, without a glitch. Our 3 boxes went through customs, and our gracious friend (and landlord) Gary was there at the airport to meet us. Upon arriving "home" we found "Gallo Pinto" waiting for us in the frig! Estelia, Gary´s wife, prepared the typical Costa Rican dish consisting of rice, black beans, onions, Salsa Lisano, and cilantro. It was DELICIOUS! We are so blessed to have this godly couple as our friends and neighbors - they truly make us feel at home.

Tuesday we headed to Perez Zeledon, to Dad´s farm, to bring in the New Year with family. The 3 hours and 45 minute drive is through the mountains, and is only one lane each way...it has its "ups and downs and turns". When we were almost there, Geiner felt something give in the brakes. It was tricky...they continued working as we headed down the mountain, but they felt strange. Sure enough, upon arrival to our first destination, they gave way. They were down to the floor, and no longer stopping the car. But how amazing is our God? He safely brought us through the dangerous road, and did not allow the brakes to finally give way until we arrived in a place where a mechanic could fix them. It just so happened that the mechanic´s name is also Geiner. He recently lost his 37 year old brother to alcoholism, and the family is broken and grieving. Geiner had a chance to pray with his mom and him, and offer some comfort, in the name of Jesus.

For now we want you all to know that we are here safe and sound, praising our Lord, and praying that you all bring in a new year full of blessings and praise for our Almighty God.

We will let you know as soon as we are "connected" at home.

Blessings from hermosa Costa Rica! Pura Vida! Thank you for your prayers. We will update as often as we can, and will try not to make them too long!

4 days to departure

2009-12-24T11:51:00.000-06:00

4 more days????

Well it’s Thursday again!!! It is funny how a day can mean so much to a person…Other than celebrating our Creator’s entering into this world, meditating on His life, death and resurrection, we ought also to think about His redemption of those who accept Him and what all of this mean to us… I don’t know what it means to you but for us it means a chance to start all over again, a chance to make our lives new, rearrange our priorities and put His Kingdom first…if you would. We are about to launch on a mission, this is our last Thursday in December 2009 in the USA, at least for now, we will come for furlough if The Good Lord allows…yet I look back to the past 19 years that I have been here (US) and see the schooling of God’s plan and I see the future and expect growth. My wife and I have a lot to learn, we are students in the great ocean of God’s will, It is something, we look ahead and can’t see anything, but we walk with confidence…nothing is for sure except that through His redemption we are bought free, and based on that, we walk forth expectantly knowing that tomorrow is in His hands.
Merry CHRIST-mas, you all.

Ok, real quick

2009-12-09T23:08:00.000-06:00

We packed the car....

We visited with our dear friend Doyal and his beautiful wife Carol in Mesa, Arizona, some of you know them…and they are doing well. It was wonderful to remember our times with our beloved friend Rick Martin…We talked, we ate, we laughed, we prayed. We thank them for their fellowship, their love and hospitality, and offering their home for our stay that night.

We dropped off the boxes in Santa Ana.

We visited with our friend Daniel in San Diego. Again, we appreciate his wonderful hospitality, the best tour and best food in San Diego. Daniel is a wise young man and brother whose priority is to love the Lord. His friendship encourages our spirits every time we see him. His fellowship is missed here in Albuquerque, and it will be missed in Costa Rica as well.

We also visited Tucson, where we got to spend a little bit of time with our niece and nephews, and the rest of the family who live there. We said “hasta luego” (see you later), and we headed towards Albuquerque, where we arrived last night.

We will be leaving early tomorrow morning for Juarez, Mexico for the “Shoebox” trip. Please pray for us…for traveling mercies, and a fruitful outreach.

27 days and counting-down!

2009-12-02T23:36:00.000-06:00

Our house got smaller.....

Our journey begins this month by putting everything we own in Juan’s (my "adopted" father's)pick up truck and taking it to Santa Ana California, so that the 12 boxes can be shipped to Costa Rica in the middle of January 2010. There is no telling really when they will get there because the container doesn’t leave the coast until it is full. Because of low business the shipping company has closed the warehouse so now we have to pay for the storage, but God is good and this company is willing to give us a break in the price because of it.

On our trip we will be visiting and saying “good bye" to friends and family in Phoenix, and San Diego and at last in Tucson, Az.

As our departure time approaches we feel very, very, very excited, the uncertainty of what God has for us is as certain as the growth we experience… the Lord is awesome!!!!

The prayers of the people, the love of the people, the care of the people, it is all such a blessing to us. It humbles us to the point of our bended knees and we thank God for such a wonderful spiritual family. We are sooooo blessed!

27 days is all that is left, pray with us dear reader. Bring this ministry to the throne of grace and pray that God will use it mightily for the furtherance of His Kingdom…

We will be coming back (Lord permitting) Tuesday the eighth, only to turn around and go to Juarez Mexico on the tenth where we will be serving with Global Advantures on the Shoe box trip.

Please keep coming back to see what God is doing and also take advantage of the study tools on the right of this page.

Lord bless you and until next time…

A Thanksgiving message

2009-11-26T13:23:00.000-06:00

Psalm 50:14-15 (NLT)

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

Here once again the Lord shows us that being thankful is about a practical style of life where the words “thank you” become a responsibility in the life of every believer, an action and a attitude directed towards the God of our Salvation, which prompts us to keep our word to Him. And the reward is sweeter than honey, soothing like water to the thirsty and food to the hungry…like peace to the afflicted. And at the moment we cry out to Jesus, He promises to respond and deliver us, and even more to give us peace without measure. Then all we have left is a feeling of eternal debt with the need to give Him glory!!!!

Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Beloved of God and ours, have a happy Thanksgiving!

THIS WEEK – THINGS WE WANT TO SHARE

2009-11-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

1) The last box. Our last box has been packed…we are ready, now we just have to take the boxes to Santa Ana, California to be shipped to Costa Rica in the middle of January.

2) The last day of work. This Wednesday was my (Denise) last day as a UNM employee. Bitter sweet was how I explained it. Bitter because I have to leave, but sweet because it marks the beginning of our new journey. My three and a half years at the A&S Advisement Center were rich in relationships. I am blessed that the Lord provided not only an incredible job, but also a treasured “work-family” and a precious care team member and friend. I especially appreciate their patience as we planned for our move, but were never quite sure until the very end when the Lord would be sending us out. Thank you, dear friends, for your love and support. And I can’t forget my students. They too were an integral part of my UNM blessings, and I have many precious moments to mark my time with them. I thank God for the time that He gave me there, and look forward to what He has in the future.

3) The Battle. Please continue to pray for the Lord to protect us, as family issues arise. How appropriate that the theme of the conference we just returned from was Spiritual Warfare. Beloved, the fight is not always in the street…sometimes it starts in our own hearts or in the front yard (our own family). The auto-destruction of those whom we love breaks our heart, but we learned that it is not under our control but God’s, and there we choose to leave it.

4) The Change. Transition. Our heart pumps faster as we prepare to go. Questions arise. Where should we start? How should we start? When should we start the bible study? Then we hear “WAIIIIT MY CHILDREN!!!!” ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.’ So we pray and wait for His direction.

5) The future. In the next couple of weeks we will be traveling. The first week of December we will be (if the Lord permits) saying good-bye to some family and friends in Phoenix, San Diego, and Tucson. Then we are going to help with Operation Christmas Child (OCC) in Juarez, MX. Then during the third and fourth week in December we are going to be here in Albuquerque opening services in prayer and being commissioned. After that, the date that we have awaited will finally be here - December 28th … a God date.

6) The rest. As we arrive in Costa Rica we will say good-bye to the old year and give path to the new year …we will seek the direction of the Holy Spirit to give the first step into the new journey in His precious will.

7) The Prayer Journey. Among other things we have been bringing the Costa Rican people before the throne of grace…for their hearts to be ready to receive the Word, for our hearts to be pure and in line with His, that His Word will first mold us, and second give us the wisdom and empowerment to teach it, and for God to continue to prepare and equip us. Please join us in these prayers.

Our trip to El Salvador.

2009-11-12T14:04:00.000-06:00

Dear beloved of God and ours,

The conference has been a total blessing from the beginning when we were seated next to other missionaries from Costa Rica - Wayne who is involved with teaching inductive bible study method to bible students all over Central America, and resides in Costa Rica, and also Dave and Tamra who are near Tamarindo, in the process of learning Spanish and seeking the Lord on where He would have them settle. We will be keeping in contact with them, especially when we arrive permanently.

We heard from missionaries all around Central America, sharing what the Lord is doing in each of their ministries. It is very encouraging and revealing in many aspects. The theme of the conference is Spiritual Warfare - Putting on the Full Armor of God, and we have had a chance to hear some of the battles these warriors have been experiencing. The enemy definitely plants doubts in our minds to discourage us all....but as Paul says, we press on. These doubts are not something we are strangers to, and to know that others in the ministry have been there 17 - 30 years and still ask themselves "am I really called to do this?" was revealing because we know that the devil never lets up on placing doubts in our calling. But again we look up to Jesus and see, like Jeremiah, we will not be able to contain the fire of the gospel within us.

We met some old and new friends from Costa Rica: Phil from Tamarindo, who has been a pastor there for 3 years and has started teaching in Spanish; Wayne who lives in San Ramon with his wife Brooke, and teaches the Inductive Bible Study Method throughout Central America; Doug and Rosemary, who have a heart for coming alongside a ministry in Costa Rica, and will be attending language school in San Jose; and Victor and Nichol who we have known for two years now and are working with Jose Carrasco, and last but not least Dave and Tamra who are in Avellana.

Phil

Tamarindo, CR

Wayne and Brooke
San Ramon, CR

Doug and Rosemary
Language School, San Jose

Victor and Nichol

Heredia, CR

Jose Carrasco
Heredia, CR

Dave and Tamra

Avellana, CR

Tico Gang

The teachings were also very encouraging and refreshing with hope and trust in our Savior.
Teachings by David Eason, Jaime Siman, Sergio Lopez, Mark Presley, all from Costa Mesa, Rob Salvato from Vista, Fidel Gomez from Ft. Lauderdale, Carlos Bautista from San Salvador, and Bertin Almazan from Panama.

Tour of the house

2009-11-12T09:40:00.000-06:00

This is where I'll be washing my dishes.

This is my kitchen, dining room, livingroom and office.

Thank You Jesus!

Looking out the front door.

Back corner of property. (All of these trees are about 70 feet tall).

Going towards the backyard from the front door.

Back corner of the house.

Our view of the backyard from the devo bench.

Our devo bench in the backyard and laundry room.

Our landlord's back yard is our front yard.

Peeking from inside the doorway.

The path towards the street, past the main house.

Walking towards the house.

Between Costa Rica and El Salvador

2009-11-05T10:50:00.000-06:00

We are now traveling to El Salvador for the “Central American Pastors’ and Leaders’ Conference”… our heart is filled with confirmation of God’s calling to us “in such a time as this.” Once again the evangelical church is stained with the greed of pastors and people without scruples that take the name of our Lord to make themselves rich. It is exciting though to know that God will use us to make the difference, and bless the people of Costa Rica with the simple truths and principles of God’s Word… Thank you Jesus for being so merciful and full of grace.
His grace abounds and our “cup runneth over”… our little house is beauuuuutiful, our landlord is a friend, a brother, and our fellowship and prayers with him are very fulfilling.
His wife is a Spirit-filled women who loves God and seeks opportunities to serve Him…
The Lord is good and we are ready………..Thank you for your prayers and love.
Stay tuned for updates from El Salvador!

SE VENDIO LA CASA!!!

2009-10-30T13:55:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God, it is with great joy that we share the following.... YES THE HOUSE WAS SOLD for sure this morning….(YES,YEAHHHH,WOOHOOOOO) Sorry am loosing my composure …….God is so GOOD. And there is a wonderful God’s story to follow. But for now, thank you for all your prayers for what seems like such a long time.
Stay tuned for more…moving furniture as we speak.

In His loving arms
geiner and denise

The Lord has sent Jonathan and Rebecca (pictured with us here) to take over His house. They are truly a blessing and have been praying for the neighborhood for some time now.

God is good all the time

2009-10-17T14:39:00.000-06:00

Dear beloved of God and ours:

We cannot help but to apologized for the delay in updating our blog. It has been four weeks since we updated it last; definitely we want to do better…
So Let’s catch up! (We will actually have some pictures of these events some time next week. Thought it better to fill you in without further delay, and you can check back next week for posted pix. Thanks!)

Reception: First, we would like to give the King the glory that is due Him, and it is because of His mighty hand that so many people came and locked arms with us to put together an amazing Ministry Team that, together with Him, will bring Glory to His Name. It is for this reason that we had an extraordinary Missionary Reception on the 27th of September. The TEAM put together the most thoughtful, caring, and sweet reception we could have ever imagined. Let’s try to recap in order:
The greeting was rich in love. Our greeters had a display available with a sign-in book for guests to write something special to us (and they did!). But they also had a Bible there with our favorite verses marked off, and highlighters so that guests could highlight any scriptures they might want to share with us. It was a total blessing, and will continue to bring us joy every time we sit down to read these gems.

The worship: We were blessed with songs…in English and Spanish…led by the worship team from Calvary Southwest, and the Spanish songs sung by our sister from the CCAbq Spanish worship team.

The presentation: A couple of videos of Costa Rica gave our friends a flavor of the culture, beauty, and history of this beautiful country the Lord is sending us to. These were followed by Geiner sharing the vision the Lord has given us for the work we believe He will have us doing for His glory in Costa Rica.

The food: The culinary delights included authentic Costa Rican tamales, Gallo Pinto, and cabbage salad, and other treats loving prepared by family, friends, and team members to the enjoyment of the crowd. And let’s not forget the Costa Rican coffee!

The decorations: The Costa Rican flag, map, beautiful flowers on each table, and various other displays of Costa Rican customs and traditions set the mood, along with red white and blue balloons and streamers everywhere. The room was totally Costa Rican…and all prepared by our awesome team.

The silent auction: Wow! What can we say?! The items, the displays, the generosity…what an amazing blessing. We delighted in seeing the “winners” enjoying their prizes, and are eternally grateful for their generous successful bids.

The organization, the humbleness, the level of detail given to each area was filled with the love of Christ. For that reason we want to thank God, through His Son Jesus, who allowed us to experience blessings like this. And we want to take the opportunity to thank our much beloved team for their partnership and availability in sharing Jesus’ love to us. We love each and every one of you.

Next came the Medical Missions trip to Juarez:

We headed out mid-morning on Friday Oct. 9th. We were able to stop at “La Cocina” restaurant in Truth or Consequences and ate a delicious lunch. We continued down to El Paso where we stopped briefly to drop off some supplies for the hospital, and then headed to the border. One of our two vans was detained there a bit because it had all of our luggage and boxes of medical supplies, which prompted the border patrol to want to charge us taxes. However, the Holy Spirit used Meliton to share with the officers the purpose of our mission trip. They proceeded to give us their appreciation and let us go.
Needless to say, we arrived in Juarez later than expected, but were greeted with a delicious dinner of Frito Pie, prepared right there at the compound. However, we still needed to set-up the clinic for the next day, and did not get to bed until about 10:30.
At 5am we were up to breakfast, worship, and devotion, which gave us the boost we needed it to proceed to the improvised clinic at “Amigo Fiel”. By the time we arrived there we had people already waiting for us. So we put hands on immediately. We were blessed on so many different levels and so many different ways…but there were also times when it was heart breaking. Some of these people needed medical attention long before we got there. We saw people that hadn’t take their medication in months because they simply do not have the money to buy them. Then there were others that don’t have enough to eat as well. We saw a woman who had a stroke and didn’t know it. It was sad…but the reward was in seeing their faces lighting up because of God’s provision. By 5pm we had seen 233 patients! Thank God in His faithfulness, His goodness, and His mercy… He provided…He swiftly came to their rescue and the people saw what our good God will do through His people, if they only surrender to His call.
We returned to the compound for dinner and debriefing… exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. And we praised God for what He was able to accomplish through us on that day.
We woke Sunday morning ready to head back. We had breakfast together, and I (Geiner) had the opportunity to share a devotional with the intention of encouraging each other to continue to give the Glory to our King by sharing what He accomplished in just one short weekend in Juarez. The highlight of the ride home was the border crossing, where we experienced a slight delay because it seems that one of our team members has the same name as someone who they might be looking for in Nebraska! Needless to say, it was not him! However we were also able to enjoy a wonderful lunch at “La Posta” in Mesilla, NM.

So here we are, back in Albuquerque, waiting for the Lord to give us our next call to action. Our plans over the next few weeks include Geiner’s Chaplaincy training, a trip to El Salvador for the Central American Pastors and Leaders conference, and packing, packing, packing in between. We are hoping to have house-sale information for you soon, which will also bring with it an announcement of a leave date….so stay tuned!

Thank you for your patience with our lack of time to communicate….and may our Lord abundantly bless you in these days! We love you.

Missionary Reception

2009-09-17T16:57:00.000-06:00

Good day beloved of God and ours, in the past couple of weeks we went to Philadelphia, which was a blessed time, not only because we visited family, but also because it was a beautiful time of sharing what we love and the One we love with those whom we love. And this gives proof to us that we are still here for a reason, a divine reason. Now we are back and continue in the process of preparation. We just lowered the house another $10,000.00 to $139,900. This is it, so the Lord’s will be done. This, through the cooperation of friends, but mainly because of the prayers of many of you and of course the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that didn’t allow us to just throw in the towel. I believe we are doing the right thing so we will stick around until we sell it.
Now in the meantime we continue moving forward….On Sunday the 27th of September, we will be having our “Missionary Reception” at Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque. It will be held at The Plex from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm and we would like to invite all of you to attend and taste some typical costarrican food…We will also have a “Silent Auction” with treasures that you definitely can use at your home, however we won’t be able to accept credit cards for the auction items.

Come and enjoy this time of fellowship, sending us off to Costa Rica. God bless you for that!

This will be the start of a perfect evening…immediately after the reception there will be a concert in the park at Calvary featuring “The Lively Hearts” …Please come and enjoy.

Blue Ocean, Blue Sky

2009-08-29T14:40:00.000-06:00

Hola Beloved of God and ours,

This week was kind of slow in the movement toward Costa Rica, which becomes challenging at times. But the Lord has a way of renewing our strength, and we saw relationships healed, our target moved, and new ideas and events.

Sometimes we seem to believe that we know what God is doing. And He is quick to let us know that we don’t! This is our story: we are now one week closer, and that is all we can say for sure. But somebody said “blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken”…but they will be stretched! So as of right now we are going to quit giving you exact days, times, and locations (other than Costa Rica!), and will inform you AFTER God lets us know. Our vision is clear, but the way to get there is not. From our original plans we went from Escazú to the building in San Jose. Right now we are here. That we think we know for sure! But “…tomorrow will worry about its own things, sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matt 6:34. So we continue on one day at a time.

Through what we have learned this week and searching for the Lord’s will, I just so happened to stumble on something that God helped me realize, and that I hope will be of help for you too. We (Christians) might not see God’s hand when we are waiting, and while we are waiting we do a little thing here and there. The day goes by, and we think “there goes another day” and we didn’t accomplish what God wanted us to accomplish for today. So therefore, disillusioned, we sleep. “Tomorrow’s another day” we say. “We will do our best.” Spiritually speaking, sometimes we search for purpose when “purpose” is already there. I read something this week that helped me understand this a little better –
F.B. Meyer’s book, The Best from All His Work. We complain our life is at a stand still, or that there is a type of monotony in it. But God could have chosen us to be something different than what we are. And then we would have other types of hoops to jump through…but we would still have hoops. I realized that God chooses our circumstances, and that His plan unfolds one day at a time. In the words of F.B. Meyer, “Each day He gives us the opportunity of weaving a curtain, carving a peg, fashioning the metal. We know not what we do, but at the end of our life the disjointed pieces will suddenly come together and we shall see the symmetry and beauty of the divine thought. Then we shall be satisfied.” Every little thing matters to God. In our eyes it might be insignificant, but in the eyes of God it is a puzzle coming together. It is like our friend Matthew, or our nephew Cristopher, who do and say little things that make their parents say “WOW, this is my son!”

Our Father loves our outdated cuteness when we do little things that represent Him well. F.B. Meyer says that those little things are the reflection of “the character in which we have to spend eternity.”

But little details build character to make a strong faith.

Luke 16:10a “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much…”

I guess it is how much you put into something you really believe in. David practiced with a slingshot, and the Holy Spirit directed the stone that put him “on the map” in the eyes of the Israelites. Also God kept Joseph pure in thought, so at the testing hour he said “no” to the temptress.

These two examples give us an idea of how preparation takes place. It goes back to what you do with God in your time alone. I picture David sitting at the base of a tree in a beautiful green valley, meditating on his next Psalm, overlooking the sheep that he pastured. Or Joseph in jail, joyful to see a new day even in the worst of conditions, yet seeking to help those in need and honoring his Father in heaven. Neither one of them was ever able to see the whole spectrum of their lives. And I bet there were times when they thought “is this my purpose...Who am I?”

Meyer quotes:

“Oh! Where is the sea?” the fishes cried,
As they swam the crystal clearness through;
“We’ve heard from of old of the ocean’s tide,
And we long to look on the waters blue.
The wise ones speak of the infinite sea.
Oh! who can tell us if such there be?”

The lark flew up in the morning bright,
And sang and balanced on sunny wings;
And this was its song: “I see the light,
I look o’er the world of beautiful things;
But flying and singing everywhere,
In vain I have searched to find the air.”

Sometimes it is like if a star would say “what am I good for?” and the Son would answer, “To reflect me.” Still hanging from the sky, seemingly not going anywhere, it fulfills the purpose God has for it. It is like the one star that came to the other and said, “What are you doing?” “Nothing” the other said. “And what about you?” “Oh nothing” …and all this while they are continuing to shine for another thousand years.

Who are we? We are stars in the infinite sky, shining in the emptiness of night, making beautiful the heavens. We are His creation in a space of time, shining for the Son, making beautiful the end result of His grace!

Stay tuned…

We will be holding our reception at Calvary on Sunday, September 27th , time and location to be announced, but we wanted to give you a preview of coming attractions.
We would like to thank “La señora Angelina” also known as Geiner’s mom, for all her hard work in creating the typical costarrican costume featured below and modeled by our precious niece, Deilani

Traveling in God's timing

2009-08-14T09:43:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God and ours:

We have a new friend!!!!!!!!!!! We would like you to meet Matthew our buddy…An incredible 2 year old that God is using to minister to us. Faith is not something that we can fully understand but something that happens after you have believed. It is like traveling through time and then getting there….Where??????????? Exactly!! Where??? Wherever the Lord wants to direct our obedience while we don’t fully understand. This is Matthew, who in his young age and innocence, not fully understanding what he does, yields to the Holy Spirit to do things that are unthinkable for a child his age. This precious little boy prays for us by name (Mr Geiner and Miss Denise) and knows that our mission in life is to tell people about Jesus. Also, by his own choice, he decided to donate from his “life savings” to support the ministry in Costa Rica. You see Matthew’s mom was talking about us going to Costa Rica when we had the money to do so, and he said that he had money and wanted to share with us. His mom simply gave him his piggy bank and an envelope and told him that he could choose how much to give....he busily filled it up! .This child brought tears to our eyes and gave us a new prospective on faith. See faith and time go hand in hand and even though we didn’t totally understand it, now we look back and see how much He wants to give us His best… if we only let Him sometimes, and stop swimming against the flow of the will of God!!! Then we would discover the abundance of what He is offering.
For those who know us and have seen the struggles that we have experienced in the last couple months…you know our desire to be “there” ASAP! Yet, if we had left the 30th of June like WE had planned, we wouldn’t be in the position that we are today, with a furnished house and transportation waiting for us. We also would have missed the blessing that Matthew has brought to our lives and hopefully yours. We love you, Matthew, and we thank God for you!!!

In other news...we got the house. Yes we did rent it as of the 15th of this month. All we have to bring is clothes and books. God is abundantly good!!

We are one step closer!!!!!!!!! Even though the house hasn’t sold yet, we truly believe that we are very close… there is someone interested and is trying to be approved, so lets keep our hands together, our eyes closed and our faces scrunched.

What is next? Well we are actually packing books and some clothes, the rest is being sold or given away.

What is God teaching us? We are the work of His grace, what else can we ask for??…going to Costa Rica is about Him, and His care for us is our good. It is refreshing, and it provides for certainty in what we cannot see.

ARE WE THERE YET ????

2009-07-30T15:23:00.000-06:00

Beloved of God and ours,

Well not yet… the word that comes to mind is “be still and know that I am God.”

While we are still, He works, and starts putting everything into place…for example:

We have had great things happening in the past week, and also some that we don't understand... First the Lord provided for a car in Costa Rica, a nice Toyota. It all started a couple of weeks ago when, by looking on Craigslist, we found a car that was being sold by an American diplomat who was preparing to return to the US. We bargained for over a week and a half. I sent my uncle to check the car, and he returned with a positive report, which allowed me to feel confident that the final price agreed upon was very reasonable. The ministry is now the proud steward of a ’96 Toyota, just waiting for us to arrive. The gentleman is a former missionary who now works with the US government in Costa Rica.

In the meantime we were also searching for a place to live, and came across two places. The first one in Heredia, 25 minutes northwest of central San José and the second one 25 minutes southwest of San José, in Escazú. Both have ties to God’s guidance. The first one we found on Craigslist, and is a cozy one bedroom cottage on a beautifully landscaped property. It just so happens that in God’s providence the man who is renting the house is from Albuquerque, and used to attend Calvary, and continues to attend when he returns for visits. His wife is Costa Rican (Tica), and they live on the same property. Sadly, they had someone interested.

The second potential apartment is in Escazú, and is owned by a couple who lives in Albuquerque. We heard about this apartment when we attended the Spanish service at Calvary and greeted a new attendee, the owner, who recognized us from our Global Adventures profile. She explained that she is from El Salvador, and her husband was in Escazú that very day. They were attempting to bring their rent within our budget, since things are very expensive in Escazú.

About two weeks have passed and we are still looking. In the back of our minds we thought about the quiet little cottage in the foothills of Heredia, and before we knew it we received an email from the owner, saying that it was still available, and asking if we were still interested. Once again, one of my uncle’s will be visiting them on Saturday to see the little house.

On a different note…we received a call yesterday about the house here in Albuquerque, where basically we were informed that we need to lower the price yet another time, from $149,900 to $141,977, because the market has dropped, which is no surprise for some of you who have gone through the same thing.

Any way, we are trusting in our God, and we are putting into practice the "be still and know that I AM God" verse..."still" takes other meanings at this time, but we ask to please pray, since a couple is interested, and actually praying about buying our house and we might know more after Monday.

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (Ps 23:1-3)

Under His mercy and grace,
geiner and denise

Let’s Catch Up!

2009-07-18T10:34:00.000-06:00

Luke 10: 17 “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him,”

Dear beloved of God and ours,

The past two months have been a whirlwind of confirmations, and we would like to share some highlights with you, so that you have a better perspective.

On May 20th we were blessed to visit Costa Rica for a scouting trip through the generosity of one of our leadership team members, who also accompanied us to meet some people there. The fruit of this trip is as follows:

The first day that we were there some meetings were cancelled, by Divine appointment. But God had a much better plan…we used the time to visit some family members, and while we were there God had use for our time. Three young men wearing yellow shirts showed up at the door selling pencils and pens to finance the facility where they live. These young men are residents of a voluntary rehabilitation facility called “Hogares Crea”. The yellow shirts bear the guilt of their addictions and lifestyles, and the community is aware of this as soon as they see them. Yet they want to change. They submit themselves to authorities but not really to Christ. But His arm is not short to save. And this specific day the Lord reached down and they embraced Him in prayer.

Through this reconciliation with God, the Lord opened a door to go to this institution and visit, talk to other residents, and with the director. The ministry is designed by God, and accomplished by God through us. He brought us to this place to find 32 young men who need to trust Christ, and He says “how are you going to represent Me here?” (Really we do not have to do much…just be available.) Be available to listen, available to serve, available to deliver. They said “we need discipleship” so we would like to start with the Foundations class, that will lead into a bible study. We would like to serve by teaching them ESL and offering them a place to go for further growth in their walk. Which brings us to how we will deliver...

The Lord has provided a location for the start of Capilla Calvario Pura Vida! We love telling this part of the story! We were preparing to visit these young men a couple of days later, when we received a phone call from Geiner’s uncle Moises, who works in a hospital. He asked us to come to the hospital because there was a patient there that we should talk with. His name is “Apostle William”, which is how he refers to himself. He oversees seven churches in Costa Rica, and his health issues are causing him to lighten up on his duties. This man is offering us the first floor of a building, which he now rents to another congregation that is looking for a place to move. So here we are…negotiating terms and conditions for a building provided by God through His people. This building we believe seats about 75 people. It is located just blocks from the central San Jose area.
We will keep you posted as we find out more.

The additional meetings that we had placed us in touch with some very hospitable people who want to help in any way they could. We thank them for their willingness to take the time to receive us, and take such good care of us. We see these meetings as a blessing that God will use in the future.

By the fourth day of our trip our marriage finished writing another chapter. The 24th of May was our 17th wedding anniversary, and we traveled for lunch to a restaurant that oversees Escazú and San José. The picture at the top of the blog shows us on our way in (more pictures below).

Following this time in Costa Rica, we retuned to Albuquerque, only to prepare for our training in Mexico. We were blessed with the opportunity to attend the FIT (Field Intensive Training), organized by Shepherd’s Staff, and located at the Calvary Training Center in La Gloria Mexico (right outside Tijuana). This was an incredible and intense two weeks of being taught by various teachers who have served in the field from 12 – 16 years. The topics included Missionary God, Culture Matters, Culture Shock, Interpersonal Conflict, Spiritual Warfare, Language Acquisition, Church Relations, Family Relationships, Leadership, a study in Acts, Discipleship, and an immersion experience with a local family, and much more.

We thank Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque, and specifically Global Adventures, for working with Shepherd’s Staff to provide this investment in the ministry of Costa Rica.

While we were in Mexico our God-sent care team organized a fund raising dinner that absolutely broad into prospective the words dedication, sacrifice and love…for which we are so thankful with God. You know….the fellowship and love that we experienced in these past couple of months has been beyond measure. And I would dare to say that our fellowship has been as the one we find in Acts chapter two. Prayers being sent up, resources being shared, hands-on helps, OHHHHHHHH! How wonderful is our Lord who works these things, that He might be glorified. It is HUMBLING!!!!! Because it makes us think about His faithfulness, His goodness, His provision, His love, how could we ever repay??? Never…. and we search and we wonder, is there a better word than “thank you”? I don’t think so!! And you know why? Because God wasn’t going to allow putting into words what can only be expressed with actions….the only way to say thank you and mean it is by showing that we are thankful. And in our case we cannot separate being thankful from the debt that was paid for us from the cross. The only way to appreciate what Jesus of Nazareth did for us is to back-up our word “thank you” with obedience, and how can we thank you beloved of Christ… by being obedient to Him. I cannot think of any other way…We are humbled by God’s goodness through you.
May your willingness to give to the work of our God be return to you in blessings.

And we pray: Father, our hearts are full with joy. And we are being cared for by You. Thank you for your Love and how You share it. Thank you for Your love for us that compels us to give back to YOU. Thank You for every prayer and every gift. We love You Lord. May Your love, peace, and joy meet together in the heart of every believer that participates in this ministry or in another. Because they are Your blessing hand! In the Name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Thankful to the Highest Power
Your humbled servants
geiner and denise

Welcome

2009-07-09T19:19:00.000-06:00

Well, when Paul said that we can do all things through Christ, he wasn't kidding. We are now officially blogging. Who would have thought?!

Anyway, WELCOME beloved of God and ours. This journey now becomes even closer, and it should be...We are a team serving the Most High God in Costa Rica.

So far God has taken us from Albuquerque to Costa Rica to Mexico and back to Albuquerque. And now we are in an agonizing "Wait"... Most of you already know and are praying with us, yet it feels like forever. My (Geiner's) biggest test has been the selling of the house because so many people are praying for it and it seems like God doesn't want to sell the house quick enough...I know, I know...God has His timing and it is perfect...but my brain is dislocated from my heart!

Pray for us my dear friends,"without ceasing".

Anyway, this morning in my devotion God showed us something and we would like to share it with you all...This from " My utmost for His Highest". And it starts like this:

Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances?

My first answer to the first question was of course an unanimous NO. But the 2nd question made me think a little about this deal with the house and waiting, "Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within" me? We can try to be obedient on our own but can we serve God on our own??? The text used for this devo comes from Joshua 24:19 and it says:

"But Joshua said to the people, 'You cannot serve the Lord'...." The devotional continues with a third question: "Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? " I was painting doors and base boards trying to help God sell it!!! Then it says " 'You cannot serve the Lord...' -But you can place yourself in the proper position where God's almighty power will flow through you."

I have to admit that I worry and feel overwhelmed, and I become shalow like a tool that is not used for its original intent! and then I block the flow...

There is a difference between a tool and a conduit in the sense that a tool is used when needed but a conduit is always open for the flow of God. I cannot serve Him properly if I am doing what is right on my own strength and not letting God flow through me. There are a lot of good people in the world but is what they do righteous if Christ is not involved?

So I pray, Lord Jesus allow me to be a conduit of your Love and grace, that You may flow through me, and us, and my wife.

The moral of this story is: Relying in God is a lot more than just an expression. It is jumping beyond disbelief and worry to allow God to continue flowing through us while He is strengthening our faith. Is there anything in our lives that stands in the way of God's flow?

Blessings