Extreme Make-Over in Costa Rica!

The Celebration Center got an upgrade to its roof...insulation! Back in July we had ordered all the supplies for insulating the roof due to changes in Costa Rican building codes, and this week a Costa Rican company arrived to do the installation. This picture is the men removing the sheeting. You wouldn't get away with this in the States! No harnesses, no safety lines, no OSHA!

Taken from inside of the building, you can see the layer of insulation.

Again, from inside the building, this picture is the roof now completely insulated.

Here's also a picture from the inside, the old, uninsulated roof. Just for kicks, Katherine and I went into the building last night and had a little shouting session, (not at each other, of course) to test it out! It is amazing; the improvement in sound in the building! And it looks really, really nice too!

What you don't know, won't kill you...

That's Ken. This was the white water rafting excursion. It was all just explained to me today that there are different levels of difficulty in white water rafting, the highest level being a 5. This river had 4's and 4+'s, and the 5's were just up river a little bit further! It was explained in the "oh, so familiar" Man-jibberish with grunts and groans of satifaction and delight, similar to when he sees new Craftsman tools with that infamous "glazed over look". This is crazy!

White Water Rafting and Packing Up

Well, today was the Threshold team's free-day. Ken accompanied them to Turrialba to do some white water rafting...um, better him than me! Tonight they will begin packing up since they need to leave the camp at around 11 a.m. so that we can get them to the airport on time! To their families I'd like to say thank you for the sacrifice that you have made this past week without them at home. We have truly enjoyed getting to know each of your loved ones while they were here. They are a GREAT bunch of guys! Thanks for loaning them to Costa Rica if only for one week. Our prayer is that in some way they were blessed as they served, and as we served them! Our prayers go with you as you travel..

Important Update & Ministry Frustration!

Somedays it is just plain frustrating working with computers or actually not knowing how to work with my computer would be a more accurate statement! I have forever wanted to know how to put a video on here. Really, I would love to know how to make a video, first of all! Well, Katherine made one for her blog and our team of the two and a half weeks of ministry that we did at the Children's Home in Paraiso. She had Heather load it on her flash drive. We downloaded it to my laptop. I can play it on my computer and it is a really nice video. I just thought you would like to know that since I can't seem to get it loaded on here properly...frustrating! I have also been working on a newsletter in recent days. That has not come easy either. Ergh! The biggest frustration is that communication is "key" to missions work. I am a a communicator by nature. I don't like people to feel left in the dark. I certainly don't want my supporters to feel as though we take their support for granted! Please pray that I can get some things "figured out" this weekend on this computer so that I can better communicate with all of you who take the time to read our blog. Thank you for the really nice comments about the pictures, although, keep that in your prayers also. Our digital camera that we have had for three years broke. To replace it here will cost double the price since electronics are so costly here. Right now, as far as future ministry photos, we have to download them off Katherine's memory card.

For anyone reading the blog from the great state of North Carolina, in particular, the Charlotte area; your loved ones arrived here safely on Tuesday afternoon. They are all a hoot! Great senses of humor! Yesterday, they looked more like a demolition crew than construction workers, but they are progressing in their work. By this afternoon, I hope to be able to join them in painting since I was shooed off yesterday when we couldn't see each other due to "dust" and I am an asthmatic!

The Update: The main reason I wanted to post the video was to be able to show more pictures of the kids from the children's home. I thought it would be nice to hear the spanish music and see their pictures. Also the post would have been about the fact that when we left on Friday, Cynthia, the Educational Director told us that we "are welcome back to the children's home at any time and that the doors will always be open for us to serve there". I left with tears in my eyes. Like I have said so many, many times before, we step out in faith to serve and most of the time we return far more blessed! On Friday, not only did we serve the children, but before we left, we went to each individual home, and we laid hands on each mother and prayed for her, her home and the children that are placed in her care as a team. It was a special time! Please pray for a mother who really touched me. Her name is Carmen. We talked to her for just a few minutes after we prayed for her and before we went on to the next house. She has mainly preschoolers in her home that she cares for. She told us that it was such a blessing to be able to have some time apart from the kids when we came and took them from her home to minister to them in another area of the children's home. She is tired, but she is so gentle in her nature with the children and as I prayed for her, she lifted her hands to the Lord. Her deepest desire is to be a blessing to those little ones that the Lord has entrusted in her care!

How can you help minister to these 115 children and also the mothers? Begin to specifically pray for how you might take part in "Operation Orphan". We will be sending out a letter soon through Global Outreach Mission explaining a Christmas party that we will be hosting for the Children's Home at the camp. Our desire is to serve them through a day-long children's program, again pulling in the Youth Group from our church in order to lead them in serving their people!

Construction team preparations

We have been busy the last couple of days doing final preparations for a team that is coming down from none other than N.C. They are from the Charlotte area and will be doing some construction. Final preparations have included getting last minute items at the grocery store, (we did the bulk load of shopping on Saturday when we took the last summer missionary interim to the airport), construction supplies, a huge supply of clean, drinkable water and those kinds of things. I am a little tired tonight. They arrive at the airport around midday. Tomorrow we eat dinner with the team and then have an orientation meeting. They will be here for one week. They asked if there was anything that they could bring us. I can never think of anything when people ask and I never know what people might think is asking too much. It's kind of hard. So, what did I ask for? A bag of Bojangles biscuits! I can just about smell them! Course, Danielle had to tell us all the places she was going to "hit" when she got home after being down here for three weeks...Bojangles, Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel. Ken & I wouldn't give her the satisfaction. We just covered our ears and hummed and she went on and on. Hopefully tomorrow I can post some pictures of the children's home ministry that we did last Friday. I got to talk to my Mom & Dad tonight. I have only talked to them once since being here. Today is my Mom's birthday and I wanted to surprise her. I got to speak with my brother for just a few minutes too. They all sounded really good! Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you and Dad very much!

Serving Costa Rica as Missionary Kids

As we were preparing for some upcoming clinics with our summer missionary interims; on a couple of occasions the team would go out into the neighborhood to practice taking BP's, weights, temps and heights. You be amazed that by offering this "Free" service, it would open the doors for them to share their faith, pray for people, hand out tracts and cultivate relationships. They were also able to get the word out about the church meeting at the campground. This is Jordan with his backpack loaded down with tracts handing one to a young lady in the neighborhood and talking to her.

This is Kyle with Kat as his interpreter praying for a man in our neighborhood.

Heather...the "bead queen" taking a break from the triage area of a recent clinic to string some beads with the kids!

On one of the "walks" through the neighborhood Heather practiced taking blood pressures as Jordan looked on.

There are always "jobs" to be done at the camp. On this day, Heather helped us out with painting a cabin. She is proud of her new smile. Notice that she has had her teeth capped! Gone are the West Johnston High School Marching Band Color Guard trophies! This was done recently by a missionary dentist for free at one of the God Festivals. God is good!

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do".

Children's ministry, as many of you know, is my passion, a burden, a gift that God has given to me. Coming from very humble beginnings and being "dropped off" at social services for adoption has always been part of my personal testimony and my desire will always be to use those circumstances for His honor and His glory. Katherine, my teammate, is a preschool teacher and children's ministry runs in her veins too! I had been thinking and praying about what God would have us to do as far as children's ministry here in Costa Rica. While we have short-term teams come down and do children's ministry with us; I was praying for something that we could begin to do as a family and a team on a monthly basis, perhaps for a day or afternoon every two weeks. Katherine came up with the idea of trying to see if a children's home would consider opening their doors to us (Amy, our summer missionary interim is also a preschool teacher) so that we could minister to the children there. I knew of a youth home in Cartago, about a 45 minute drive from the camp that may be we could call. What Kat found out in her phone calling was that there was a children's home 20 minutes away from the camp in the town of Paraiso. Paraiso is where we receive our mail. It quite honestly seemed to be "too good to be true" to find out that there was a home so close to us! She made the phone call and for the last two weeks, Amy and Brittany (the other summer missionary interim who has now returned to the States) have been ministering in this children's home, sharing the gospel through Bible stories, doing crafts, singing, hugging and loving on these children. There are 115 young children at this home. There are several "houses" on the property which have a Mom and about nine kids living in them to make a "family". The Mom's are exhausted, some of the Mom's are young, but this is their "job".
Last Friday night, Danielle and Brad, Jeffrey (our church Youth Pastor) and 7 members of our Youth Group here at the church went to the children's home with our team (the boys and I had to stay home to provide enough seats in the van) and served a hot dog supper followed by a movie to the kids. This was Brittany's last time to serve with the children and it was a kind of party, an ending to the two weeks of ministry there. We provided microwave popcorn and it was interesting to hear how the kids would finish the popcorn and then rip open the bags and lick the butter on the inside wrapper of the bags. They enjoyed it so much!

Amy is leaving this Saturday to return to the States too. Tomorrow and Friday Kat, Amy and our entire family will be ministering in the children's home. We will work with the younger children in the mornings and the older children after lunch. This is a contact that we (Kat & I) have longed to have. This will enable us, when short-term children's ministry teams come down to Costa Rica from Canada and the States to take the team there to minister. It will also allow us to transport the kids to the camp for a team to minister there with the children. This is a beginning and right now we are in the "earn our trust" stages with this children's home, but the long-term implications of this partnership and the open doors it would provide for ongoing ministry are amazing!

We feel like this is, as the above verse says, something that God prepared in advance for us to do, since every phone call Kat made previously had a negative response. The Director knows that we are evangelical Christians and has given us permission to "share" our faith, as this is a privately owned children's home, not a government sponsored home, since their goal is to have each child make their own religious decisions!

Please continue to keep our team in your prayers as we pray about the direction that God would have us to continue in with this partnership. Pray for the youth of our church as we continue to pull them into joining us in reaching out to their people! Pray for us as we attempt to minister to the Mom's. The Director shut down our idea of having Danielle serve them by providing hair cuts last week, but we are praying about how we can directly minister to them. The hot dog dinner and movie was our Plan B and we thank the Lord for His provision to allow us to serve both the children and the Mom's in this way!

These children are not easy to work with, but in God's eyes I can only assume that neither am I!

Serving in the "Red Zone"

On August 9th we partnered with Festival con Dios (God Festival) and entered the "Red Zone" of the capital city, San Jose. Global Outreach Mission has been partnering with this ministry for the past couple of years. The "Red Zone" is considered to be the most dangerous part of the inner city. Here reside the drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics and homeless. God Festival has a roster of 90 volunteers who once a month, usually the last Saturday of each month, literally go into a designated area (they even cross the borders of neighboring countries such as, but not limited to Nicaragua, to serve) and "saturate" it for the Lord! The volunteers consist of Christian lawyers who donate their counsel, hair stylists, dentists, children's ministry workers, Pastors, evangelism teams, medical personnel and cooks. The initial wave of God Festival volunteers arrive in the designated area at 4 a.m. and set up the tents, stage, food areas and equipment. The rest of the volunteers arrive at around 7 a.m., finish setting up their own personal equipment and begin serving the people by approximately 8 a.m.

This is Danielle at the hairstylists station. Heather is acting as Danielle's interpreter to find out how the people would like their hair cut and the young lady in the black T-shirt is a Tica volunteer. She is Danielle's security guard should someone get a little crazy. To the left of Heather, but out of view of the picture are another eight hairstylists who are set up to work and to the right of Danielle, also out of view of the picture are two armed security guards. Danielle began cutting hair at 8 a.m. Sadly, every person she worked on had head lice.

Brad and our interim missionary served in a number of positions this day. They started out in children's ministry when there was shortage of workers early in the day, were pulled into the pharmacy to count pills for prescriptions when things got busy, and ended up working in evangelism, handing out tracks and praying for people. The evangelistic volunteer team literally spans out into the surrounding neighborhood of where the festival is taking place, going door-to-door handing out tracks and witnessing to whoever will listen.

These are children's ministry worker volunteers. The lady to the left is dressed as a clown and she is pointing to a beaded bracelet explaining the plan of salvation as represented by different colored beads which both the volunteers have made with these two children. She also has made a balloon animal for the girl.

I am working in the pharmacy and the licensed pharmacist has asked me to count pills before the doctors even begin seeing patients based on what she knows will be the most commonly prescribed medications for this area. I am working on preparing and labeling Amoxicillin (an antibiotic).

This is the triage area where they are beginning to consult with patients, take their vitals and get them in to see physicians. I sometimes work at this station since I went to school to be a Medical Assistant. This is actually set up in a nearby church building, what appeared to be their Sunday School rooms, and everything else is going on outside, set up in the central park of the city.

What you don't see are the food service volunteers who feed every single person who comes to the festival this day a good, hot meal.

After we left the airport on Saturday we drove three hours away, nearly to Limon, to work in a medical clinic in a very remote part of the country that our Pastor had set up in a church for us. We spent the night Saturday night and Sunday we saw 125 patients. I saw another Pastor lead a young lady to the Lord!

Well, this is just one aspect of our ministry here. Please continue to pray for our medical clinics that people would be relieved from health conditions and from "heart conditions" too.

Blessed!

We've been a little "teary-eyed" around here the last two days, but we were so blessed to be able to have three weeks with Danielle & Brad! Saying good-bye was even more difficult than in March when we left, but we deeply appreciate those of you who have emailed us yesterday and today to check in and to just let us know that you are praying for us! It means so much and has been such an encouragement!

God's timing is always amazing to us and after five months, the internet connection was installed in our home today! It is so nice to be able to email Danielle (maybe four times in an hour is a little "much" for her), but I can't tell you how comforting it is just to have this connection, not to mention with family and friends! Ah, to be able to sit down at the laptop and write longer emails to people without feeling rushed and to be able to share! You never know how much you miss something until you are required to go without it!

I hope to be able to post some pictures on here of some of our recent ministry projects and share in more detail what we have been up to in recent weeks. With using someone else's internet in their home before, I felt like I was just posting in "survival" mode.

Here's a quote that has been speaking to me as we serve here in Costa Rica! I really thought it was worth sharing.

"Do not expect God to do apart from prayer, what He has said He would do only if we pray"...Arnold Geswein

Surf's Up Dudes and Dudettes!!!

Here's a picture of Jordan on his 8th birthday on Wednesday! Ken decided that we should rent Jordie a surf board for the day. This picture is taken at Jaco Beach on the Pacific Ocean where they take beginner's to learn to surf. Needless to say, well, Jordie didn't get up on his feet, but he seemed to have a good time! Danielle, Brad, Kyle and even Ken all gave it a try. We are still waiting for "The Jordie" as in Foister to come and teach us all how to surf properly and quit paddling around! Happy Birthday, Jordan Taylor!

Volcan Arenal!

I'm so excited, nobody else is, but that's okay! I have finally seen the number one tourist attraction here in Costa Rica. I "off the cuff" made the comment on Saturday evening that we should leave "now", however, I forgot how adventurous and spontaneous Danielle can be and sure enough, two hours later, at around midnight when we had planned on leaving at around 7 am ish on Sunday morning, we were on our way to the Volcano. Okay, the keyboard is in Spanish and I can't remember how to decode it for the "icons" like space, the paragraph sign, so you will just have to bear with me...sorry! Needless to say, we arrived here at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, couldn't check into the hotel, had a hard time finding a restaurant open for breakfast and well, it's been fun. We got a glimmer of the volcano without any clouds around it when we arrived, but it has been shrouded since. They say it has been blowing some lava, but again, last night there were too many clouds to see it. I'm glad we had the few minutes to take it in because it was certainly worth it! This morning we are leaving for the other hot destination, the Pacific Ocean side of the country which is the only thing Brad really wanted to see while he was here, but I have to say, Ken is just as excited! He woke up this morning and said he wanted to leave. I said the word, "beach" to Danielle and in ten minutes she was packed and ready to go. I felt bad for poor Brad! No shower, no time for teeth brushing, just get to the hotel free breakfast table. I gave him a big hug as stumbled around his room. Danielle has been busy doing free haircuts and needs a break. So, I just thought I'd let eveyone know, we're on our way out of here and driving four to five hours to spend two days at the beach. Okay, the natives are ready as they stand around me! Until later....Sherri

Stay tuned....

Some people just don't know when to quit! I was held hostage at my diningroom table last night until well after 12 a.m. and subject to beating Brad at Phase-10. While the game isn't over yet, Ken is on Phase-8, I am in 2nd place and Brad...he's nearly last as far as point standings! I let him beat me in Turkey Foot since it is really his "family" game and I wanted him to have a warm welcome! He's in back of me snickering and saying, "right". Yesterday, we had a last minute group decide to come in and Danielle & Brad frantically helped us make beds. We had just sent a construction team home on Saturday evening. We're a little tired, but having family here keeps us going and laughing too! We are making plans to take them to the Pacific Ocean side of the country and along the way we will see Volcan Arenal which is smoking at this time. We haven't had the opportunity to go there yet, so this will be a first for all of us as an entire family. Got to speak with Robin on the phone for just a few minutes. I cried, but I miss our church family and our friends here so badly. It's a process and a daily re-commitment to the Lord just to get through some days. Keep us in your prayers!

"One more sleep"....

That's how Jordan keeps on track with "big" events in his life. He counts down the days by how many more times he has to go to sleep. Tonight is only "one more sleep" and Danielle & Brad are going to be arriving before noon. Problem is, I don't think any of us here on this end will be sleeping since we are too excited! Brad has already made a checklist via telephone as to whether the Parchessi board game and Phase 10 are in our home here in Costa Rica. We are fully armed and ready for battle which also includes Turkey Foot, the Towle family game! It's gonna be a long three weeks! (snicker)

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations Danielle on completing your Cosmetology education and scoring the highest in your class on the four-part clinical exams. I cannot even begin to express to you how deeply proud Dad and I are of you! We know that it has not been easy, especially this last semester without your family at home, but you pressed on and focused on your goals. We do want to see "ALL" your paperwork!!! :) We love you and we cannot wait to see you...only two more sleeps! All our love,
Dad & Momma

Serving Costa Rica

Hi everyone! I am so sorry that we have not posted a new update sooner! We have been really busy the past six weeks. Today, we took an interim missionary couple, the Metzler's, to the airport waking up at 3:30 a.m. They have been serving here alongside of us for the past five weeks. We also have a young lady living in our home by the name of Brittany Hoffman. She is also an interim missionary and has been here since very early in June and will return to the States in August after hopefully surviving two and a half months in the Dundon household! Last week, we picked up Amy Reidy at the airport who is staying in a cabin at the campground and has a passion for children's ministry and she will stay here for five weeks! Please continue to pray for each of these people as they prayerfully consider missionary service in their futures and as we expose them to missionary service.

This Saturday we have a construction team arriving from the States. They will be here for a week working on finishing the kitchen at the camp and doing some work on the Celebration Center. We have been busy preparing for this team by pricing out building supplies, making purchases and having deliveries of construction materials here at the campground. Today, after getting the Metzler's to the airport we did all of the grocery shopping for the camp cook in preparation for the arrival of this team.

Last Saturday, we traveled to Isla de Chira, a remote island about 4-1/2 hours away. We traveled by bus, boat and truck to get to the people there. We ministered to 177 people through a free medical clinic, prayed for people and shared the gospel through children's ministry. We brought in fruits and vegetables since it is so difficult for them to get on the island to minister to the people there that opened up their church for us to set up in. I served in the pharmacy. One of the doctor's that volunteered with us, though we had three attending physicians this day, had to leave by boat with a man who had hip surgery the week before. He was in his home, slipped and fell in his bathroom and his stitches ripped open. His hip was actually outside of his body as he laid on his bathroom floor for two days when someone finally checked on him. Our doctor mobilized the patient and traveled by boat with him for an hour to admit him to a hospital. Sadly, we saw teenagers with sexually trasmitted diseases and incest was rampant on the island. Some days, you go out to serve and you return feeling like you could never possibly do enough! The other night our team laid hands on the patient sheets that we brought back from the island and each of us prayed over the 177 patients. I hope that we can make it back to the island one day and serve there again. Until then, please pray for the 3,000 people that live there. Many blessed us with their smiles and appreciative hugs! Our prayer is that seeds were planted and that God was glorified and honored in our service.

HUGE blessing!

This is our used, but gratefully new to us van that we use here in Costa Rica. We went a full month without a vehicle and I have to say, this is the only vehicle that I have been able to ride in here and not get car sick in. (It was a tad bit embarrassing to get to your destination and look for a place to barf.) It seats 11 people. One of the reasons we went so long was because we were spending our time shopping around trying to get the best deal. This van has low mileage and well, I didn't actually see this van before Ken bought it, but he knew I would like it! It's hunter green...one of my favorite colors!

Thanks to all of you who helped us purchase this van by giving funds directly toward our outgoing expenses. We want you to know that we deeply appreciate your sacrificial giving on our behalf! We are absolutely blessed beyond what we deserve! Thank you so much!!!

Storms

Well, we have had a "wild" last week here with the storms that have passed over Central America. Here is a picture of the road washed out about a mile from our home that leads to our town. There is another way out going the opposite direction, but the route is longer. With the wash out of the road came loss of water for the weekend. It was wonderful to take a shower on Sunday evening finally, but then last night, the new water pipe burst and we had no water today. All that we can do is laugh and enjoy it while we have it!

The Palm Beach Atlantic team saw a total of 303 patients while in Los Chilies. We did not receive a total on the final number of people who made first time commitments from the evangelistic team. Ken had the opportunity to do door-to-door evangelism with the team and was asked at the third house that he visited if he had anything he wanted to add to the gospel presentation. He felt like the Holy Spirit would have him to say something and as he says, "took a gigantic leap of faith" and did. Three people in a family received the Lord in that home. When he returned to work in children's ministry while the team was doing the medical clinic, he had a young girl ask him if he would pray with her to receive Jesus into her heart.

Before the team left they also did a clinic in the campground and saw 103 patients, 30 of which made first time commitments. I also had the opportunity to share with five people who accepted the Lord. I cried with each one (no big surprise there). I was overwhelmed. God doesn't need us, yet He allows us to be used for His purposes and it is very humbling! We are truly amazed!

Thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday! It was so exciting to receive birthday cards in the mail here in Costa Rica! Thank you to all of you who sent e-mails too!

We love and miss you!

Torn hearts

Well, one thing that no one can prepare you for is the attachment that you have when a team comes down to serve with you. I guess you end up giving a little bit of yourself away each time and it hurts when they have to leave. When their bus passed by the entrance of the campground upon their leaving Jordan and I waved as they drove off to the airport. When they were out of sight Jordan walked back to a picnic table on the white house patio, placed his arm on the table and his head down on his arm and bawled. I tried to explain to him that there will be many more people that we have to say good-bye too over the next couple of months.

This is the hardest thing about being a missionary! To everyone who came down from Palm Beach, we love you and we truly do miss you!

Prayers Answered!

The teams arrived safely at the airport...Always an answer to prayer! Team A made their way on to the other places that they are ministering to before they meet up with Team B, which has been staying at the camp, in Los Chilies. When they combine at Los Chilies they are a team of 38; I think I should have clarified that better in my last post. Team B is comprised of 23 Palm Beach University students. They are a great bunch and we have thoroughly enjoyed the past couple of days with them. To the Mom's & Dad's of those kids who might be reading this; as I told them all last night, "Ya' done good"! They left this morning for Los Chilies. Team B returns to us on Sunday night with a day of sightseeing scheduled for Monday and then an all-day clinic at the campground scheduled for Tuesday. They leave for the airport on Wednesday at 1 p.m. There is a young lady on this team who went to Campbell University and their Director is from Henderson, N.C. We've had a fun time talking to them about "home" in N.C. I tried to keep off the subject of food; like Bojangles! What I wouldn't give for a biscuit and a chicken leg! :)

God answered another huge prayer on behalf of David & Katherine and Ken on Tuesday. The team was held up in customs over medication and after explaining why so much medication was coming into the country the woman said, "it's all well and good what you are trying to do, but today you won't be taking the medications through" and she walked back into the office, and left David & Katherine and Ken at the counter. The three of them began to pray over the medicine and for the people who needed it. The woman came back a few minutes later, looked at them and said, "I never saw you here, now go"! They turned, motioned to the team to get the bags and passed through customs with the medicine! I cannot wait for them to get back. I believe that God has big things planned for this outreach and for this specific team! I believe that they will be meeting physical, but also spiritual needs these next two days. I also know that Satan is against what they are trying to do. Please continue to pray for both teams!

I'd never make it as a super hero, Nathan (hanging head). Today, I unplugged the phone and took a nap! (Well, for that matter, so did Kyle & Jordan)!

Los Chilies

Ken, Katherine & David are at the airport this afternoon. They are picking up the short-term missions team, 38 members strong coming in today. Please continue to keep this team in your prayers over this next week. They will be leaving the camp on Thursday morning after breakfast for a 7 to 8 hour vehicle ride to Los Chilies. Los Chilies is located at the northern border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. There, they will be ministering through three days of medical clinics. They say it can be 110 degrees there and the conditions are deplorable as the people group is mostly Nicaraguan refugees. Ken and Heather will be making this trip together and they will return on Sunday evening. I will stay at home down the road from the camp with the boys since while this group is gone we will have a Costa Rican church renting the campground for the day on Saturday. We have had the campground rented out the last three weekends for Saturday rentals and when this team leaves next week, we will have a group of 70 renting the campground for the weekend! We have spent this past weekend also preparing for this large group by actually having to disassemble bunk beds and then set them up in other cabins, doing laundry (towels, washcloths, etc.) We are all kind of a bit tired, but we are really enjoying working together!

Please pray for safety for the team as they travel, for the boys and I as we stay home and manage the campground, and especially for the people that they will be ministering too. Pray now as the team prepares to bring medicine and the gospel to those who are hurting physically and spiritually.

To Hickory Grove: We miss you, more than words can express!

Picture

I thought you might enjoying seeing this picture! This was the little "visitor" to our laundry room during our second week here. Wow...that "zoom" button on our digital camera is an ingenious little feature since I was taking this from my neighbor's yard! I'm just kiddin'! You have to keep your sense of humor down here or else you will be miserable. Today, I have been looking through 82 emails. We finally got the telephone company to report to the house above the camp and restore the phone service and the internet line! I have not been able to check email for three days now! It's just part of that "learning to be flexible" thing! We are doing well, though Heather has been sick the last two days, throwing up all night the first night, but thankfully feeling better today, but continues to have stomach pain that is concerning us. She may have gotten some bad water, though we don't drink from the tap, and we may have to treat her for a parasite if the stomach pains continue over the next couple of days. I know she would appreciate you remembering her in prayer as she is a little bit uncomfortable. Thank you Chris for posting comments on here and Nathan. It's really nice to have something to read from home and from Nicaragua!

While the cat's away...

the mice will play! The interim missionaries, Bruce & Katie Kneigge have taken our children to see the ocean and should be home this afternoon. Ken and I were invited to go along also, but felt that we had too much to do here at the camp. We have a very busy month coming up in May with nationals renting the campground and also a medical short-term team. We have some cleaning that we would like to do and some organizing! They were nice enough to leave us the keys to their home so that we could use their internet line and also make phone calls home. Yesterday, we held a dinner after church in honor of the Kneigge's and the Lessley's (the Lessley's are retired and have been here for five-months overseeing and working on construction projects at the camp) and we presented them with handmade plaques by a Costa Rican artisian as a memorial to their service here. Pastor Jose knew how to get them and where.

We held another staff meeting over the weekend with David & Kathryn, our better halves, and they are missionary candidates now with Global trying to raise their support to be part of our team here at El Jardin Sagrado. They are bilingual and they handle all of the reservations for the camp. Kathryn helped us get around San Jose and get our driver's licenses last week! David & Kathryn will be moving down from San Jose to Orosi and will be living up the road from us. Kathryn is determined to teach me Spanish and called this morning rambling on and on in Spanish. I shocked her when I responded back en espanol! Right now, they come down on the weekends and I always cook Saturday dinner for them at our house. Kathryn always feels bad that they didn't bring anything, but I tell her, "you are our Tico family" and it blesses me particularly to be able to cook a big meal for them. I tell her it feels more like home when they are here and can eat a meal with us like a big family! They have a four-month-old daughter, Aliyana and Heather enjoys giving Kathryn a break and taking care of her. She's a cutie!

Heather & Kyle are enjoying their Youth Group here in Costa Rica. There are a couple of kids who speak English and so our phone, just like in the States, is now being taken over by Heather. That's a wonderful thing! We are happy that she and Kyle are making new friends!

Saturday night a bilingual group of 8 meets at the church. Lately, with some of the groups that are making reservations there has been a conflict with this group meeting in the church building. We found out from the Lessley's who have been helping this group, at least with the English side of things, that this is a very important class to have. Two of the attendees are Youth Group members because to continue their education they have to pass an English exam. The leader of the group is a Tico who is bilingual. Rather than have them not be able to meet, we offered to allow them to meet in front of our house as we have a large patio that is enclosed. We are sitting in on the class trying to pick up some Spanish, but we also help the leader, should he have questions regarding English meaning. More importantly, we are trying to build relationships and hope that this may allow us to share Jesus with someone from this group as not everyone who comes attends the church. Please continue to pray for this group and this ministry.

Dios te Bendiga!

Patience is a virtue...so is flexibility!

Alrighty then! God is still molding the Dundon Family...that's a good thing! We are slowly, and I do mean slowly, getting things done. Today, we made the heroing track up to San Jose to get our driver's license. I commented to Ken that I felt like I was in a James Bond movie with motorcycles driving in between vehicles and playing "chicken" in oncoming traffic. We now have our driver's licenses, not that I plan on using mine a whole lot, God willing! We have a phone line in our house for in-country calls only. So no one feels bad, we have spoken to Danielle once the last three weeks that we have been here! We have the internet ordered for the house, but that could take three months and we still have no P.O. Box to receive mail. This is really only frustrating us because we feel totally cut off from family and friends. While we are not homesick and do not miss our house in N.C. we miss communication! Well, my time is now up in the Internet Cafe. Ken is here to pick me up after getting gas and weed whacker line for Cokie, the camp's maintenance employee and he also wears the hat of "iguana remover, frog remover and some unidentified lizard remover" from the Dundon laundry room the past two days! We are being stretched and we are having a good time laughing at ourselves!!! :)

Hola

Thank you to all of you who prayed for our family! First, we did arrive in Costa Rica safely and we did get our luggage! For those who had not heard, we arrived with all 10 of our bags missing! They were delivered to the camp by Delta Airlines for us since we are about an hour from the airport on Tuesday late afternoon. We are working on setting up our home. Ken and I had to switch our bedroom around to another bedroom in the house. We just could not get any sleep with the neighborhood dogs and neighbors chickens crowing all night. Seems they are confused. I always thought roosters were quiet at nighttime...not here! We are learning to be more flexible! No cold water to wash dishes is hard for me since the "dishes weren't clean until your hands were red" where I come from! I have devised a routine of drawing hot water from the shower to wash my dishes and this makes me very happy and content in my cleaning! Kyle does not like the peanut butter here and much to our surprise we cannot find Grape jelly or jam! I was shopping yesterday and have yet to figure out if we can buy spaghetti sauce as we know it in the States. I see a lot of tomato products, but none that look like spaghetti sauce. The kids are doing fine, swimming everyday and playing soccer at the camp. I have not seen any "killer" bugs here yet, just simple ants and small spiders. So, seems like it will be okay for you skeptical visitors to come down! Well, since we have no phone line yet, I am typing this from the internet cafe in the town of Orosi. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you, family, church family, supporters, friends. We miss you, but we want you to know that we are blessed to be here. It truly is a beautiful country filled with precious people. That's all for now!

Two ties uniquely bound

"Sever the ties, except the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart" and "Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love...." How amazing that this poem that I spoke about yesterday with a challenge and this favorite hymn are uniquely bound directly to Him, to His love and what He has done for us. Our family is just an ordinary family. There really is not anything that makes us different or allows us to stand out from anyone else. God has allowed a way for us all to serve Him in the capacity that we are endeavoring to serve Him as missionaries. It often requires us in an act of obedience to step out of our comfort zones and totally depend on Him. I wish that we could say that we don't struggle with that, but we do because of who we are in the flesh. For me, I have to die to myself daily, sometimes hourly! They say that out of 75% of people who call themselves Christians, only 9% have a world view. I am thankful that Jesus gave it all at the cross. He didn't just give 9%. What's your world view and where is He beckoning you to share about Him? Across the hallway in your office or two cubicles down? On the 2nd and 3rd grade wing when your classroom is on the 5th grade wing? Only you know. But He knows too! I promise you, the God that saved you will be the God that equips you for the task that He has asked you in His Name to do!

"Blest be the tie that binds" our hearts to this church and to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Packing, eating and letting go!

It's been a very busy week of dinner get togethers with church family, friends and celebrating Danielle's 18th birthday, packing, and unpacking, and uh, packing (too much weight in our bags!) Today, I cried though, out of sadness. A family friend thankfully took our dog, Cassie Layne, and it was hard. I know that she is in a good home and will be loved on like we had loved on her and even then some! She's an ole' black lab, 11 years old. She was My Girl and I will miss her! Funny how we humans get attached to our pets! Well, I have to say, I feel like I am just about ready for my Costa Rican diet. I've enjoyed way too much good food the last couple of weeks! I am looking forward to shedding some pounds.

Happy Easter

May we never forget!

Some good-bye fun!!!

Last night we were invited to Elizabeth & Robert's house for dinner. Shortly after we got there Jessica & Jason arrived too. It was a lot of fun to get to know the "J" Family a little bit better. Altogether there were 10 kids, at least 5 of which were on the couch with Heather or in her lap. She had a great time! I have never eaten better hot dogs and cheeseburgers. We sold our grill in a garage sale in November, way before Thanksgiving. It was amazing to me how good something cooked on the grill tastes when you have not had one for four months. A simple pleasure taken for granted. I suspect that in the coming weeks and months there will be many other things that we realize we have taken for granted when we no longer have them available to us. So, to Elizabeth & Robert and to Jessica & Jason...thanks for the tears... from laughing so hard! We were blessed, but "ya'll ain't right"!

Opposites!

Tomorrow is the last day of school before spring break starts, but for Heather, Kyle and Jordan it is their last day of school in the U.S. I was talking with Heather last night and she expressed concern that she would get to say good-bye to all of her friends. I guess, for some, tomorrow is an early dismissal seeing as though it is prom night. So, today and tomorrow, she will be trying to make sure she gets to speak with all of her friends. Kyle and Jordan on the other hand, well, they just keep breaking into their brotherly rendition of, "Schools Out For the Summer" - not quite I remind them...just until we get settled in Costa Rica!

Hanging in there!

Thank you to those who have thought about us today and called or sent an email! It really blessed our day as Ken and I worked on getting loose ends tied up just to know that you were thinking about us and praying for us!

The Struggle...saying good-bye

We got a phone call at the beginning of this week inviting us to a dinner party in our honor hosted by two of our neighbors and one of our supporters. The dinner is tonight. Last night we got a reminder phone call. Could it be that they have mental telepathy and knew our thoughts over the last couple of days? It would almost seem easier not to show up than to have to endure the pain of having to say good-bye. I shared that with our Pastor on Wednesday night as he discussed our final Sunday here; I wish there was a way out of attending that last service. It is gut wrenching! But then of course, God stepped in and the very next day as I was roaming around on Missionary-Blogs I came across this missionary prayer by David Livingstone on a blog (ugh...I forgot to write down whose blog I read it on): "Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties, but the tie that binds me to your service and to your heart". Enough said!

Happy Birthday Ali...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...I met Ali. It was her first day in the Christian school I had been attending for two years. We ended up sitting next to each other in homeroom. She looked overwhelmed that first day. I said, "hi" to her. She mustered up a half-smile and said "hi" back. I thought she was really shy (little did I know). The rest is a long history of high school together, proms, guys, then marriage and kids. And does she have kids! 10!!! I just saw her a few weeks ago when we traveled up North. Ken & I had dinner with her and her husband, Steve. We laughed, all four of us, like old times when we used to live closer. Distance has not changed our friendship, though. We still fought over paying the bill! Somehow in our families moving around we have always found each other through family members. I called her this morning to sing Happy Birthday to her, but she wouldn't have it! Probably because she knows I would sing off-key! So Ali, since I know you read this blog faithfully every single day, "Happy Birthday" and a reminder, from Proverbs 18:24, "Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers". I love you and I thank God for our 28 years of friendship! Thank you for making my life rich! You are...the best!!!

21 days and...

...and I dunno. Seems like we've waited so long to go and now the days are passing really, really fast! Things are getting checked off "the list", but it seems like new things mysteriously appear in the middle of the night because when I wake up the list still looks long! This week Danielle is on spring break from her college classes and the poor kid has no idea all that I have planned to get accomplished with her. She will be "drug" (said in my best Southern drawl) all over the county helping to get things set up for her independence. Three more weeks. It hardly seems possible...

30 days and...prayer requests

Jordan has the flu. Ugh! People are curious as to how you prepare for leaving the country. Well, since we've been traveling, we are behind. Things that we will be doing this week include, but are not limited to, filing our taxes, composing an up-to-date newsletter for our supporters, looking for more luggage (we can take 2 bags per person) which amounts to 10 suitcases. I think we have 4. Heather has an eye exam this week and we will at least try to get her contact prescription filled for this whole next year, plus get a spare pair of glasses. Set up a bank account for Danielle since we are still financially responsible for her. Update addresses, name changes on our support list to send back in to Global and send out a letter through them. So yes, there is much to do. Please keep us in your prayers! We really don't need to get sick. Pray that we can get things checked off our list every day! Our house is still on the market, but we trust God in all of that. Just pray that we will remain in His perfect peace!!!

Four Friends and a very small church....

How the Lord met our support needs recently...

Four friends who meet for coffee and hot chocolate in Syracuse, NY (our hometown) who have a connection with my twin sister; a year and a half ago while visiting my sister invited me to their meeting place. A McDonald's not far from my sister's home. We sat for about 45 minutes and while I was drinking hot chocolate I shared about Costa Rica and answered their questions. Recently, they all decided to pool their money together and signed up for monthly support.

Then there's the small church in N.C. They barely have enough money to pay their Pastor on a regular basis. If you stood on the outside of their church you might think from a distance that they didn't have much to offer. No BIG programs! Not a lot of bells and whistles! If you had the opportunity to go inside like we have had so many times, you would observe a church that prays, and prays hard, for their church body, and for their community. It is a church that serves the community around it, and has passion for introducing people to Jesus Christ. They have stepped out in faith to support us.

Less and less money is given in support of missionaries every day and there are many who can never raise enough funds to get to the field.

To all of you, four friends, a small church, family, friends, our supporting churches: Thank you! We are overwhelmed with your generosity! We are so blessed, so grateful and so encouraged!

The REAL update...

After contacting our immediate family and our Pastor; we are leaving for Costa Rica on March 31st. We do have 100% of our support. That alone is a modern day miracle! As you can imagine, there is much to say and to do. We will be working on a newsletter to send out and as I collect my thoughts a little better over the next couple of days, I will post more on here. The most important thing right now that needs to be said is, "To God be the Glory".

They're back!

We got home safely this afternoon from our travels up North. Thank you for your prayers while we were on the highways and for all of you who checked our blog while we were gone. ::shocked:: People actually read this!! Sorry I didn't post while we were gone. We were really busy and I promise to post more in the coming days. Right now, I have a bunch of emails to look over! Please check back!

On winning the Super Bowl...

::snicker::

Our Pastor said last night he was eating "humble pie" and he had gotten some "phone calls". I refrained from calling him to rub in his loss. (See, us loud mouthed Northerners can on occasion exercise restraint). I chose to take the "high road", though I must say, I had "amusing thoughts" of placing a sign in his front lawn proclaiming him to be a "Giants Fan". I thought that would be a hoot to have him wake up, drive out of his driveway on the way to his office and see that banner in his front yard! Ghastly, I know (hanging head low)!

"One more sleep"...and Ken will be home! (That's how Jordan keeps track, by the number of times he has to sleep before someone arrives home or until an exciting event happens). We arrived home from church last night to have an interesting email from Ken half composed in English and in Spanish. My immediate thought was, "alright, he has an interpreter sitting next to him because there's no way". Needless to say, I have no clue what half of it said, so I hope it wasn't too important. Today, he is driving around getting things lined up for our transplant to Costa Rica (post office box, grocery card for the camp, meeting the landlord) and I am not sure what else.

Yesterday, I had to leave the house and the company came in with the realtor to shoot our 360 degree house tour. It's not on-line yet, but that should be interesting to view. No new showings this week or last week, either. That's okay though, since I really had not been feeling that good. I have that lingering cough and sinus stuff that everyone seems to be carrying around. We are praying about dropping the price into the next bracket. We trust that God has a plan in all of this for us and we are content to wait and see how it all unfolds! It also gives me more time to enjoy the fresh paint :)

Well, let the Nascar season begin!

On winning the lost...

I've been sitting on my hands the last couple of weeks at church when I've really wanted to break out in applause as we continue to hear preaching on winning the lost, eternal C.P.R., method changing, but keeping the message the same. But here, I can let my fingers fly! One thing that bothers me about the Great Commission verse i.e. Matthew 28:18-20 is that people most times refer to this as THE reference point in the Bible for winning the lost, yet throughout the Old and New Testaments there are many verses which speak on this subject, too many to list here. Since I've heard some people refer to the Old Testament as just that, old, it is worth pointing out that in all four Gospels Jesus specifically commands us on this topic in the verses mentioned above from Matthew, but also, Mark 16:15, "And then he told them, You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere". Luke 24:47, "and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me". John 20:21 "He spoke to them again and said, As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you". Jesus was repetitive. When I was doing a study of Evangelism Explosion I had someone once tell me that evangelism was "not their job. That was the Pastor's" and they cited Ephesians 4:11 "Some of us have been given special ability as apostles; to others he has given the gift of being able to preach well; some have special ability in winning people to Christ, helping them to trust him as their Savior; still others have a gift for caring for God's people as a shephard does this sheep, leading and teaching them in the ways of God". Easy enough to fall back on, but I haven't found a verse yet that says evangelism is solely the Pastor's job or the missionaries or the deacons, you get the point. God came "to seek and to save that which was lost". His sole purpose in coming to earth, dying on the cross, and rising again. I believe He is able to give us all that we lack, whether it is confidence, boldness if we step out in obedience, and in faith, and share with those around us as His spirit leads us just as strongly as I believe that I am saved. Evangelism's basis is not on a gift. It is a command.

The changes begin...

"Ding Dong the green truck's gone". Danielle was never to fond of it always telling her Dad it looked like a booger. But Ken would always say, "it could be worse, Danielle. I could be driving around with a big bug on the roof" and we would always start laughing! Seems weird not to see it in the driveway after seven years. It has been turned over to another colleague at Stock while we wait to be able to leave. And so, the changes begin.

"May we show your house"? - PANIC!

I was sitting at my computer yesterday morning, typing medical reports in my own little world when the phone rang. It was Centralized Showing Service requesting to show the house. My response...dead silence. I guess it hadn't really sunk in that someone might want to see the house so soon since it was just officially on the market Friday night! I kind of stuttered my way through the short conversation and accepting the appointment time. I was afterall, still in my P.J.'s! One of the luxuries of working at home that I hadn't even considered should probably get an overhaul. With some vacuuming and wipe down of the bathroom sinks, an obvious change of clothing on my part, we (myself and the kids since they are off from school) were out the door in an hour! And about that working from home clothing overhaul...there's always tomorrow since it's 11:08 a.m. and I am still working in my P.J's! Ugh!

Travel, work, reading

We had a sloth weekend! In other words, we just hung around the house, lying on the couch, sitting in recliners and relaxing. It felt so good! Ken is leaving for Costa Rica in a few days to help with a short-term team down at the camp for two weeks. They will be finishing up the camp kitchen renovation project that was started by another team who just left Costa Rica. When he returns we will be home for a week and then travel up North for training and then to say good-bye to family. The house is officially on the market now. We are both still working our full-time jobs and I have been reading three books. I can't remember my Social Security # or the dates of birth of my four children unless I say them in order, but I can master processing three books at one time...go figure! "Cross-Cultural Conflict" by Duane Elmer is an intense book; one that you read a few chapters and have to put it down and process it for a couple of hours. It's about building relationships for effective ministry. It was recommended by another missionary friend in Teguc, Honduras working with CAM. When I cannot process much more of this book at one time and need a break, I've been reading "On Being a Missionary" by Thomas Hale. Thomas Hale is a missionary physician who has served in Nepal since 1970. This book uses the insights of over one hundred missionary writers in dealing with the problems, struggles and failures that missionaries often face. It's an eye opening book with serious implications and hiliarous ones too! And the last book is "Let the Nations Be Glad, The Supremacy of God in Missions" by John Piper. It's a deep book! Another one you can only absorb so much of at one time and then you just have to put it down! Here's a quote from the book that has really caused a headache for me this week (really stopped me in my tracks and made me think), "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't". (Passing the bottle of Tylenol).

For Sale!

We've put down the paintbrushes, put away the toolbox and picked up the phone and called the realtor! This weekend we will be taking a much needed rest!

Words...

Sometimes it's hard to the find the words to say. Blessed would be a good one, but I never want to use that word flippantly on this blog. When I say it, I mean it in a BIG way. Blessed...it is then, but it was even so much more than that! Filled, encouraged, thankful are just a few. Thank you for ministering to us this weekend at Hickory Grove Greg, Kelly and Gordon. You all blessed us in ways words cannot even express!

And....a new kitchen floor!

We put down a brand spanking new kitchen floor yesterday afternoon and evening. I missed another Kodak moment (ugh!) of everyone sitting on the old kitchen floor eating dinner since our kitchen table was outside on the patio. Come to think of it, the stove was out there too...hahahahaha! We had the refrigerator in the livingroom, of all places, on plywood! Well, today we will put back the molding around the base of the cabinets. Yesterday, we also secured a real estate lawyer that we will use since our other lawyer has left his practice since we bought this house. I see light at the end of tunnel!!!

Still.....painting

I have really dreaded having to paint the kitchen, but thankfully tonight I am almost done. It has been a long day of tedious taping around kitchen cabinets and countertops to start the painting. There does not seem to be a full wall anywhere in this kitchen, so it seems to be taking so much longer than any other room with the added excessive taping in the broken up lay-out of windows, cabinets, etc. The other day I found out that my brother, Dick, who is a missionary Pastor is coming home from Scotland for a short visit. This is great news since we were talking on the phone wondering how and if our furloughs would ever coincide with each other's. He will be at home in Syracuse, NY just a few days before we need to travel there in February and then on to Global's offices in Buffalo and St. Catherine's for some last minute meetings. I think it has been two years now since I have seen him and so I am really thankful and excited, but that is so understated, that God has uniquely orchestrated his return and our travel to collide and I will get to see him and his wife, Sue. This family visit will be difficult as it will be our last before departing for Costa Rica. So, it is to visit, but also to say good-bye to my parents, two sisters, three brothers, Ken's sister and his brother too. We have someone interested in looking at our house when we have it ready and before we sign a contract with a realtor to list it. If you could add that to your prayer list for us that would be wonderful! Thank you so much!

Scary scaffolding

I shoulda' took a picture! We got the stairway leading up to the second floor of our home painted last night without injury. Ken did that is, and Heather and I stood guard over the "make-shift scaffolding". (There is no way we were gettin' up there)! The only way to do it was to stand up the ladder and run boards from the stair steps to the ladder step. Then Ken placed a piece of plywood over those and he painted fast, really, really fast first cutting in the trim and then with the roller; Heather holding and watching the ladder to make sure it was not moving and me at the top of the stairwell...praying and helping him reload the brush and roller! I believe there will probably be more "make-shift" contraptions to make ahead in Costa Rica as we begin to work there. The downstairs hallway is done and the upstairs hallway. Today, we shampooed all of the carpeting in the house and began to put furniture back in it's place. Ken also replaced a door yesterday and cut his fingers up a bit. The pantry in the kitchen got a new coat of paint. We really NEED to finish our house by this weekend so that we can list it! It will require us to continue in a pattern of working our jobs and working at night until late trying to get things done. Please continue to pray for us as this is really getting exhausting, but things are truly shaping up around here. Okay, off to have a simple supper...hot dogs!

Busy in preparations

I've decided that the one thing I have always really enjoyed doing, I may now actually hate! We've been painting the last two days. Perhaps it is because I am doing it under "pressure". Yesterday, we began and finished the boy's bedroom. On Wednesday we began and finished the livingroom. This afternoon and evening I hope to finish the hallway and bathroom upstairs, tape up the hallway and kitchen downstairs and hopefully (fingers crossed until they are white) be done with all the painting tomorrow! I love the color, "Moroccan Moonlight", neutral, but very warm and inviting. Our house was still in the standard "builder's white" color. I wish we had done this for ourselves a couple of years ago. (scream!). Ah well, :) We're alive here. Just busy!

An answered prayer.

In our December newsletter that went out about a week and a half ago or so, I had mentioned a prayer request for our passports (Ken & I have ours, but we applied for Heather, Kyle and Jordan's). We were just asking for prayer that they would be processed in a timely fashion and that we would receive the kids original birth certificates back without a problem since if there was one, two of the kids birth certificates are out of New York State! On Christmas Eve we received their passports in the mail and their birth certificates were enclosed. We did not pay extra to have the "expedited" service, but we received them exactly three weeks from when we applied for them! We were told they would return in six weeks, about the middle of January, which would have been absolutely fine, we just hoped that we wouldn't have any long, extended delays in processing. Thank you to all of you who did pray for that need! We greatly appreciate it and we are so thankful to have the passports earlier than expected!

The day after...

We had a simple Christmas, but we always do. We celebrate our children's birthdays in a big way. We even bring out a special "Birthday Flag" which is hung late at night the night before their birthday after they have gone to bed. On Christmas, it is not their birthday, and we celebrate with only a few presents and spend the day reflecting on Jesus' birth. We spoke with family on the telephone; my brother, a missionary Pastor in Scotland, my parents in New York State, Ken's sister in New York State and his sister in Georgia. We went to his parents home for a quiet Christmas dinner and took pictures in the afternoon outside with them since this will be our last Christmas together for a while and then of our four kids together, since we do not know when Danielle will be with us in Costa Rica at Christmas. We came home at a reasonable hour and relaxed. Today, we were up bright and early helping the kids make decisions in their bedrooms about clothes, keepsakes, etc. We have accomplished a lot today!

The Phone Call!

We got a phone call on Thursday, 12/20 and the voice on the other line said, "get your house sold we'd like you there on February 1st". The exact numbers have not been crunched, but we believe that we are at about 95% of our monthly support now since people have been communicating to us that they have sent in pledge cards. Global believes, and we do too, that the rest will come. Please continue to pray for our family as we prepare to go. I will do my best to keep this better updated on exact dates and travel as the time gets closer.

He is faithful!

Rain

Taking a break from sorting, to sit here at my desk and "hear" the rain as it taps the window pane. It seems like it has been so very long since we have had a good rain like the one we are experiencing now. I have not posted recently because I didn't want to bore you to death! Not a lot has changed since the last post. Oh! By the way, to the five or six people who regularly read this blog and to the two that actually ever post comments, "your checks are in the mail". Well, back to going through some things, throwing things, but I had to pause for just a few short minutes and enjoy the sound of the rain, and to thank God for allowing us to have some!
Edited to say: I am not throwing things...I am throwing things out, though. Just thought I might clarify that :)

$400, that's all folks

$400 of pledged monthly support is all we have left to raise. That breaks down to 13 people committing to $30 a month or 8 people committing to $50 a month. We continue to step out in faith trusting that God is going to provide for our needs by getting our house ready to be placed on the market. Two days ago we were at 88%. Today, we are at 90%. An amazing God!

Garage Sale! Preparing to Go.

Hmph...I'm tired. Today was our big garage sale. What didn't get sold we hauled off to Good Will and the dump. We brought nothing back into the house. It was a bittersweet day. Things were sold that we have had since we were married 22 years ago, though seeing someone else buy things and knowing they will probably be put to good use makes it easier. A reminder of how much we have here in the States and how much we "hold" on too sometimes without even meaning too. We still have stuff to go through, mainly clothes, and the dishes we kept to be able to eat and cook with until we can go, but rooms are begining to echo around here. We won't have another garage sale. What is left will be donated to With Love, From Jesus which holds a special place in our hearts. Well, a few more steps closer to being ready to paint and put the house on the market.

Beginning preparations

I seem to be having trouble logging on to our blog from our computer. This post is being done on our lap top. Our livingroom is piled high with empty boxes in one corner, two boxes in another corner packed. There are side jobs that Ken had committed to weeks ago and those doors, windows, etc. are now coming in and he is working on Saturdays to finish those jobs for people. We have other commitments that should be wrapped up soon, R.O.C.K. Rally and Marching Band season will soon begin winding down. It's been busy and we just haven't found a lot of free time to get to the house. We spoke with the person that we will probably list our house with and talked about how the housing market is "really" going. You see and hear things on the local news. He said that in Johnston County housing was going at 110% this past summer, but it's still at about 90% right now and keeping him very busy. We trust that the Lord already has a plan for our home! It seems that Global Outreach has found a home for us to rent in Costa Rica when we get there so that is really nice and makes our transition so much easier. We couldn't be more thankful for that! I haven't had time to get a newsletter done, but I hope to get to that this weekend. If you would, just continue to keep our family in your prayers as we begin to go through things in our home and prepare it to be placed on the market. We feel a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. We continue to take it one day at a time and pray that God would allow us to use any available free time wisely!

Costa Rica...in the home stretch!

We have 75% of commited monthly support and another 12% in pending status (waiting for the verbally comitted support to reach Global Outreach offices so that it can added in). That's a total of 87%. I want to make it perfectly clear that God has moved in a miraculous way on our behalf! None of the support that has been commited to our family comes through something that Ken or I have done. Yes, we are the ones who physically stood up and did presentations, made phone calls, sent letters, met with individuals, prayed (but I know we had lots of others praying along with us); God is the One who moved people's hearts toward committing to Missions and the ministry at El Jardin! The last year and a half has at times been hard because we are hard-headed (moreso me than Ken). There are so many people that God, in His love and grace, sent to encourage us and kept us from giving up! He even sent some to help us "get a grip" and "refocus", like Bob & Robin. Then there were times when we did just rest and wait and He showered us with tremendous blessing. I wouldn't exchange the things that I have learned for an easier path! I realize that I have so much more to be taught and that this time has been a time of preparation for things that I will continue to learn through serving on the field. What does the 87% mean? It's time to apply for the kids passports. We need to begin preparing the house to go up for sale. We are coming to a time of "lasts", last Thanksgiving/Christmas with family for four years and the anticipation of "firsts", like all the new things you experience living in a different country and culture. We cannot yet board a plane because there are still funds that need to come in before we can go and while we trust God for those needs, we would be making a terrible mistake to not take this opportunity and allow you to see what God has already done! Please join us in thanking Him for the recent provisions that He has made for our family and continue to keep us in your prayers as we endeavor to be obedient to His plans for us! To God be the Glory!

Support Raising, waiting and praying to get to Costa Rica!

We've been busy. That's not even accurate, really. Feels like we've been crazy! We got our last support letter typed and sent to the Mission. You should be receiving that now asking for your help in getting us to Costa Rica by January '08, our deadline. It's almost time for another newsletter to go out. We have received word that we have received additional support, but we do not know exactly what percentage we are at as Global just finished a big conference and everyone's desk is piled high with requests at the office. We should have a better picture next week and be able to report that here to you. In the meantime, thank you to all of you who have been praying for us during this time. We cannot even express to you how much it means to us knowing that you are specifically bringing our family before the Throne. Thank you to our Support Team for your love, prayers and especially the encouragement. It's hard to imagine where we would be without you in our lives. You all mean so much to us! May the Lord continue to move in a way that will bring Him the glory!

"God of Wonders"

Ever find yourself in a state of wonder over God? I find myself like that a lot. The other night it was the stars suspended in the sky. They are there every clear night, bright and just hanging in space. How does He keep them there? What about service? That He even asks me to do anything, now that's just crazy! The fact that He would even entrust us by His prompting to do something for Him, are you kidding me? He doesn't need us! Yet, He allows us to join Him in carrying out His purposes! That blows my mind! I'm thankful that I can't even attempt to figure Him out. If I could, I wouldn't need to depend on Him! I so desperately NEEED GOD. Daily, lately hourly! I'm thankful He's always available, never busy on a cell phone, in a meeting and I'm never put on hold. I fall so short of His glory. Yet, He continues to "hang in there" with me. He's so patient. He absolutely amazes me!

A weekend at home/monthly support report

This will be the first weekend in four weeks that we have all been home together! We attended the family wedding in Atlanta, then we went to Camp Dixie the next weekend, Ken was in Florida for "Big Splash" last weekend. We have been busy!

I love these verses in Habakkuk 2 where Habakkuk wanted answers. "How long, O Lord?" he asks. God took His time. Then He tells Habakkuk, "The vision is yet for an appointed time,". "Wait for it; because it will surely come".

God continues to move us forward and we have now received 46% of our committed monthly support. We have received a deadline to be in Costa Rica by January '08. At least we will have an answer.

Felix

Please keep our missionary friends, the Sims family and all those serving along with them in Teguc, Honduras under WGO with the ranch in your prayers. Also, please remember the MamaTara Miskito Orphanage in Puerto Lempira, Honduras, directly on the east coast which can only be reached by boat or airplane. This is a very remote part of the country, cut off from the rest of Honduras by rain forest. The children there have a special place in our hearts and we are also praying for them too and all of those associated with that ministry. May the Lord hold you close!

BEWARE: Long post ahead!!!!

Last weekend we traveled to Atlanta to attend a family wedding. Congratulations Phil & Celena Halladay! We got home safely, but a little bit later than we planned on Sunday evening and on Monday we embarked on CHAOS in our household. For the first time ever, our four kids are attending four different schools. I was very amused at Ken having taken the day off from work and when all four kids were finally at school he let out a deep breath and uttered these words, "I don't know how you do this every day"! I laughed.

Wednesday night was the wrap-up of a really great Bible study at church. A lot of the ending was about living with passion for Christ and the teacher mentioned how she feels like a lot of Christians have lost their passion. She also talked about Jesus' last command to us to "Go"! She shared (and I am paraphrasing because I cannot remember her exact words, but I am just sharing with you what I took from her teaching) how we have been commanded to "Go" across the street, down the sidewalk of our neighborhoods, across the aisle in our office to the next cubicle. She even mentioned that we are commanded to "Go" to....Costa Rica!

We are "commanded" was the emphasis. It made me think of our black lab, Cassie. She's getting stubborn in her old age. Used to be when you "commanded" her to do something she did it. Now, she's 10, a little more feeble, a whole lot less energy and not as passionate about getting up and going outside to chase a hand-thrown tennis ball. She's a little hard of hearing or could it be "selective hearing"? It seems like in the last six months to get her to do what you want you have to scream at her. She's a little slow on the issue of obedience and kind of likes to take her time "evaluating" what we ask her to do before making her final decision.

I have recently stumbled across the writings of George Verwer, the World Missions Advocate. He writes, "In our Christian walk, we are often not so disciplined and careful. In our effort to stay free from guilt, or in our effort to stay "free and live by grace", we often over-emphasize God's sovereignty, emphasizing that no matter what happens, 'God is in control'. He goes on to write, "A Christian in a moment of anger kills someone. What does he tell the court or judge, 'God is in control'? No, he is forced to be realistic and he may in fact spend life in prison". He also writes about the state of mission field, "25% of the world's population still has not even heard or read the Gospels 2,000 years after Jesus gave the command. Who's fault is it? God's? No! It is a mistake to think that the next big move is God's. His big moves have already taken place, the Cross, the empty tomb and Pentecost".

Do I believe that us leaving for Costa Rica is all in God's timing? Absolutely! But, I also believe that the command that was given 2,000 years ago has not been fulfilled because of our lack of faith and Biblical commitment (obedience). We have been asked by Global Outreach to be in Costa Rica by January. If God has commanded you to support us, don't be like our dog, Cassie, and "evaluate" whether you want to obey. I know that if He asks you, then He will provide for you!

I Samuel 15:22 "Samuel replied, "Has the Lord as much pleasure in your burnt offerings and sacrifices as in your obedience? Obedience is far better than sacrifices. He is much more interested in your listening to him than in your offering the fat of rams to him".

Please, keep us in your prayers!

Our Prayer!

"This season of waiting is always an essential qualification for successful service. God would have His children realize the utter inadequacy of all human means to accomplish His gigantic purposes, that thus the praise and glory might be afterwards ascribed exclusively to Him".
-Hugh D. Brown-

Busy, busy!

Taking a breather for a few minutes and thought I would write an update. I just finished our newsletter, so you should be receiving those by snail mail or email in the next couple of days. We have another presentation this Saturday afternoon that we are preparing for. I need to write a letter to go out through the mission as well so they can get those sent off. We find ourselves in a constant balancing act; trying to prepare for the mission field, but not being ready financially to go, and allowing our four kids to live their lives here in the States, but not knowing when we might leave and working our full-time jobs. It can be difficult at times. Sometimes it is heart wrenching, especially for Heather whose band has been invited to the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. She is on the color guard. Preparations for that are already beginning and you can imagine the excitement over being invited to participate in something that big. Only 5 high school bands will be performing and 300 tried to get a spot. We just take it all one day at a time. Last week was orientation for Danielle and she has now been attending her one and only high school class for a week (she will graduate in December). Today, she added in her college courses to her schedule and should finish up with Cosmetology School in July. She was a little "stressed" last night beginning the paperwork for her English IV project. It's been hard for me to embrace the fact that she is a Senior! Where does the time go? Heather just finished two full weeks of band/color guard camp. She didn't get her ability to walk backwards and to the side simultaneously from me I tell 'ya! Today was her freshman orientation and she continues with two band practices a week. Tomorrow, Kyle has a physical and then try-outs for middle school football. 4 kids, 4 different schools this year. I haven't quite figured out the carpool/bus schedule. My little mind just isn't there yet! God remains our strength and our peace even in our daily activities!

Isaiah 26:3 "He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength".

An "ordinary" Sunday...NOT!

Yesterday morning was crazy in our house. Men's breakfast, invitation to meet a missionary at another church, financial presentation at our church...we were going in different directions and I felt frustrated. (I like my Sunday morning leading up to Sunday School and the worship service to be calm as I prepare and anticipate receiving something from the Lord). We had also received word on Friday that we were still $400 short in shipping the ambulance off to Costa Rica and that was weighing on my heart. We arrived at the other church early enough to get to meet the missionary, Jan, and talk for a few minutes before the service started. Things became "wild", not Jan, but GOD. We had so much in common, that we all knew, this was a Divinely-appointed meeting! Jan is a short-term missionary to Costa Rica working in an orphanage about a half hour from El Jardin, the camp. Her and her husband operate a retreat center/camp not to far from our town. Weird...we had never even heard that there was a retreat center in this area. The service began with worship music and their choir, and then Damascus Road, a singing group. I received through the worship music that preparation I had lacked before leaving my home. We were introduced to the congregation as missionaries before the offering and the Pastor told them that we needed to leave to attend our church. Before we left we were given cash by Jan and the church promised a check to match her gift. The total was $400. It reminded me of this verse, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue; but in deed and truth". I John 3:18

Our calling to missions

Galatians 1:2, "I was not called to be a missionary by any group or agency. My call is from Jesus Christ himself, and from God the Father who raised him from the dead".

While we have been licensed to serve under Global Outreach Mission, God continues to remind us that our calling is directly from Him! These past few weeks He has kept us very busy with contacts and presentations. In fact, we have had three presentations to do this week alone! Last Monday, we received word from a friend that a local church was considering supporting us and we needed to send some budget information to them right away. When we offered to set up a time to come to the church and do a presentation we were told it wouldn't be necessary. "Wouldn't be necessary"? I kept thinking to myself, "Someone, please pinch me, it's not supposed to be this easy"! Yesterday, we received confirmation from that church that they had made a commitment to Global Outreach Mission on our behalf for monthly support! For six months now we have been sitting at the 33% mark of our pledged monthly support. Today, we moved up to 37%! God continues to move us forward in His timing and in His way!

Presentation Report

We have a small-group presentation to do tomorrow evening beginning at 7 p.m. So, if you wouldn't mind lifting us up today and tomorrow as we prepare and then during the presentation. Last night, Ken was supposed to be meeting with a Pastor at a local church that will be supporting us, but the Pastor had to cancel our meeting because he had two other meetings come up, one before his Wednesday night prayer service, and one immediately after. Phew...my brother's a Pastor and it can be rough sometimes with scheduling, so we fully understand. This meeting will definitely be rescheduled though. This Sunday morning the leader of our sending team in our church will be doing an update presentation on our ministry and I know she would definitely love to be supported in prayer! We had a meeting last night after our church service with the Pastor of the church across the road. We have met with him before and will be scheduling a presentation in his church in the next coming weeks. They also invited us to their church on Sunday morning for their service which starts an hour before ours because another missionary from Costa Rica is coming in to talk with their congregation since they will be sending a small group to Costa Rica in March to work at an orphanage with her. This is a bit of a planning meeting for them and to show them pictures and explain what they will be doing when they go. Their Pastor is a neat guy and was really excited about the ambulance parked across the road at our church during our VBS. Well, as you can see, busy days in front of us! Thank you in advance for your prayer support!

Do you still make cards?

Someone just asked me the other day if I was still making homemade cards. Yes, I do. Since I have been teaching rubber stamping classes at Michael's in the White Oak Plaza for the past year, I fnd that I am usually creating under "pressure" for a display in the store. I thought I would share this one that I made today when I had a few spare minutes and just sat down for the "fun of it". This card is made by rubber stamping the boot (which is a Michael's rubber stamp) on card stock and then coloring it in with colored pencils and blending it with odorless mineral spirits. I doodled around the boot to make it look like barbed wire as I thought it might kind of fit in with the "cowboy" theme. I don't know who I will send this to, or shall I say, I wasn't making this one with anyone particular in mind. When I do have time to make a card here and there for fun I like to set them aside and send them to people in the church. I'd have to say that our Sunday School teacher is always elated to get one which is fun! Well, off to the church directory to find me a cowboy to send this too! I thought I'd just share with you what I did in my "therapy" session today! Hope you're having a blessed day!