Ryan Blackstock

A Question Worth Asking (and answering...)

2011-04-25T11:13:00.000-06:00

"The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this:
If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?"

— John Piper (God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself)

I came across this quote from John Piper while reading another book that referenced it and found it to be very troubling.

Why did I find it to be troubling?

I found it to be troubling because it caused me to do some soul-searching and to think about how I would answer the question.

Am I looking forward to heaven because of how great it will be, or am I most looking forward to heaven because I will finally get to be with Jesus in person?

The answer to that question is very telling of my list of priorities and where "my comfort" ranks on the list.

This question has caused me to re-examine my relationship with Jesus. Not in the general sense of my salvation, but in the personal sense of my relationship with the One who laid down his life that I might have life.

Do I really know this Jesus that loves me more than any other?

Do I know him so intimately that the thought of being with him one day in heaven causes all other inferior thoughts to melt away?

The answer is no. I don't know him that way.

But I want to. I long to. I must.

How would you answer the question?

I mean really answer it, from deep down inside you where you know that God already knows.

May we know you Lord Jesus, and may knowing you create in us a thirst for you that will one day be quenched when we see you face to face.

A Great Model for Making Disciples

2011-02-16T12:04:00.000-06:00

I thought this was a simple way of describing what our interaction should be as we make disciples who will follow Jesus Christ. Building relationships with those we are ministering to allows these steps to take place.

1. I do, You watch.
2. I do, You help.
3. You do, I help.
4. You do, I watch.
5. You do, someone else watches.

What do you think? Have someone else done this with you? Have you done this with someone else?

In case winding your watches has you worn out...

2010-07-08T17:07:00.001-06:00

I could hardly believe such a product exists, but there it is, ready for those weary souls whom have suffered needlessly at the hands of watchmakers too sentimental to use a battery.

Yep, it's a watch rotator. It winds your watch for you. It turns the little dial on your wind up watch so that you don't have to.

Wow.

I am trying to think of how I would explain this device to my neighbors here in El Salvador.

When does our drive to create labor-saving devices cross the line?

Sorry for the rant, just couldn't believe it. :-)

Book Review - Crazy Love, by Francis Chan

2010-06-23T07:45:00.000-06:00

I just recently finished ready the book Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. I was greatly challenged by this book to love God with abandon and with action.

Before reading the book I was concerned about it being too "touchy-feely" and not being firmly founded in the scripture. I was pleasantly surprised to find that neither of my concerns were founded. The approach that Francis Chan takes is very practical and very well rooted in the scriptures. There were a handful of references that I felt were "stretched" a bit in order to support the idea being communicated, but these were few and far between. Most of the concepts are clearly found in God's Word, but sadly seldom lived out in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

While reading the New Testament, one cannot help but be confronted with the idea of ministering to the poor. For many years I have seen this clearly in the scriptures but have never acted upon it. My tendency is to fall on the side of the skeptic, always assuming the poor person is either a con-artist or could just change their situation by making better decisions. So how am I following the example and teaching of Jesus when it comes to ministering to the poor and needy? I am not. And that needs to change.

Rather than provide a blanket solution for every believer to blindly follow, Chan is careful to encourage the reader to seek out God's specific direction for them in regards to living out their love for the Father.

This book has encouraged me to seek out the specific ways God would have me to minister to others with the resources He has entrusted to my care. Not just to be convicted about it, but to me moved to action.

This is a book I would highly recommend. It is an easy read that propels you from one chapter to the next while maintaining a depth of content that will challenge you to live your life differently.

Do You Like Milk?

2010-05-05T10:29:00.000-06:00

I like milk, a lot. A tall glass of cold milk, a big bowl of cereal with milk, or a delicious piece of Tres Leches cake, I really like milk.

But I have a problem. According to the doctors, I have a condition that causes my body to react to milk in an unpleasant way. Yes, they say I have a milk allergy.

After drinking milk, my nose begins to fill with congestion and my throat begins to develop a thick coating. It is not a pleasant experience. For this reason, I have always avoided drinking much milk or eating foods containing a lot milk. It is a high price to pay, but what can I do?

Living here in El Salvador, we have eaten a variety of things that we had never tried before. One of the more exotic things I ate here was a type of lizard called a Garrobo. It tastes like chicken of course. But another thing we have enjoyed here is raw milk (yep, straight from the cow). We tried it the first time when we got some from our neighbors that have a bunch of cows behind our house.

Raw milk is so delicious! Creamy, tasty, and satisfying.

And possibly the best thing about raw milk is that it does not cause me an allergic reaction. Incredible huh?

Processed milk causes me an allergic reaction, but the raw milk does not. So what is in the processed milk that causes the allergic reaction in my body? I still don't know for sure what it is, but I know for sure that something that happens to the milk during the processing is guilty of causing my allergy.

So, do I really have an allergy to milk? I don't think so. What I do have is an allergy to something added to the milk during the processing.

This idea caused me to think about things that are added in.

There are people that appear to have an intense and unpleasant reaction to God and Jesus. Of course, they must decide personally what they are going to think about God and Jesus, but do you think that it is possible that the unpleasant reaction they have to God and Jesus isn't actually an unpleasant reaction to God and Jesus, but rather an unpleasant reaction to something added to God and Jesus?

Is it possible that we as Christians are adding things to the image of God and Jesus that we present to the people all around us? Are we causing in them an allergic reaction to God because we have misrepresented the fact of who the God of the Universe really is?

We cannot represent God if we do not know Him well. Do you know the God of the Universe well? We can know Him by spending time with Him in His Word.

Teach us Lord who you really are. Help us Lord to represent you to the people how you really are in truth, without adding anything else that might cause in them an allergic reaction.

Interesting Video on Leaders and Followers

2010-05-01T12:19:00.002-06:00

Book Review - The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith

2010-04-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

It has been said, and I believe it to be true, that you can extract some kind of benefit from just about anything you read.

Some books are a lot of work to read, and even more work looking for that sometimes hidden bit of benefit. This book is not one of those books.

The copy of the The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life that I read was given to my wife by a good friend of ours and highly recommended. My wife read it first and would share bits and pieces with me as she went through it. These little appetizers helped to put this book at the top of the cue in my "Books to Read Next" list.

First published in 1870, this is not a shallow book that dances around and eventually touches some spiritual truth that can be a applied to your life. To borrow an excellent metaphor from the Bible, this book is meat and not milk.

Hannah Whitall Smith does not reveal some long lost secret of how to be happy, but rather leads you on a fantastic journey of drawing close to our Lord and learning how to live out in our life what has already been true since the day we entered into Christ through salvation.

One of a multitude of poignant illustrations the author uses is that of a farmer who has a hidden buried treasure beneath the ground in his field. The immense treasure is there and belongs to him, but he passes his entire life without ever realizing its existence or enjoying its benefits. Hannah Whitall Smith uses this illustration to describe the rich treasure of communion and fellowship that belong to each and every believer, there all along just below the surface, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

Some books can be read and absorbed quickly, and others need to be read slowly and savored, allowing each page and principle to sink in. This is a book to be read slowly. Take your time, savor the teaching, seek to draw closer to the Father with each page and chapter. It is definitely a book to re-read again in the future, for as you grow in spiritual maturity, so will grow your ability to absorb and apply the truths contained in the pages.

This is an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone that is ready to surrender self and uncover more of the wonderful treasure of truth that the Bible has written of our walk with the Father.

You can find the book on Amazon here:

Missions Dilemma

2010-03-31T22:26:00.003-06:00

I am a big fan of Steve Saint's book, The Great Omission. This video is a trailer for the new missions training series he has developed. Can't wait to check it out.

What is "Que Dice la Biblia"?

2010-03-25T08:35:00.007-06:00

Here is a great video giving the history of Que Dice and explaining its purpose. It was produced some years ago, so it is a little dated, but it will give you some great insight into what the ministry of Que Dice la Biblia is all about.

My involvement in overseeing the day to day operations of the ministry "Que Dice la Biblia" will be increasing this year. We will transition the operations from Kansas City to our location here in El Salvador (or where ever the Lord takes us in the future).

Welcome to MacJournal!

2010-03-05T16:46:00.000-06:00

Welcome

To get started, create a new entry by clicking on “New Entry” in the toolbar or choosing “New Entry” from the File menu. You can also drag files from the Finder in to the Sidebar or the Entries list to import them as an entry. Show the Inspector from the View menu to see settings for the current entry, journal, and document.

What's new in version 5?

All new interface, built for Mac OS X Leopard.

Add any kind of content, not just text. Drag PDFs, QuickTime movies, images, and more into the Sidebar to create an entry with anything on your computer.

Open more than one MacJournal document at a time and save them wherever you want, or just use the default document and never worry about saving.

Create Smart Journals from searches you perform.

Create aliases to entries that you can store in other journals.

Assign each entry a rating, status, and priority, and sort any journal by those values.

Record video from your iSight and attach it to any entry.

Performance enhancements for working with large numbers of entries.

The Missional Church

2010-02-23T16:11:00.001-06:00

I liked the perspective this video had to offer on putting our focus on ministering to those outside of the church instead of trying to only draw them in. Enjoy.

Coffee Anyone?

2010-01-03T15:52:00.001-06:00

Is there a message here somewhere? I think there is. Enjoy.

A Double Blessing - Bragging on God

2009-09-29T16:51:00.002-06:00

I want to share with you something that happened this week and in so doing give praise and honor and glory to our awesome God.

Each Saturday for the past six months I have been teaching a Discipleship II class at the church. We also have the classes for the new School for Pastors and Leaders on Saturday, so there are a lot of people there at the same time.

This past Saturday, after finishing with the class at around 6:30 in the evening, I was packing up my things to go when a young man walked into the classroom and asked if he could talk with me. This young man had recently started coming to the church and in addition to attending the services had gone on a youth activity to the water park on the 15th of September (Independence Day here in El Salvador).

While I had had the chance to say hi to him a few times, we hadn't really spoken much since he had been coming. I was a little surprised that he had singled me out to talk to, but of course agreed to speak with him.

We sat down and he immediately began to tell me his story. A mother who had moved to the United States and left he and his siblings behind. A hard life doing the things that young men often do without a stable home, and without Christ. Through his tears he explained to me that he didn't want that old life anymore and wanted to follow God instead.

I took some time to explain the gospel to him from Romans, and we talked about what it means to repent from your sins. He expressed that he wanted to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, and so he cried out to God to save him.

It is always amazing to see the visible change in a person's countenance when they truly give their heart to the Lord. Praise God for another sinner that has come to repentance!

This young man's name is Eusebio (sounds like A-oo-say-be-O) and his is 22 years old. He is excited to begin the process of learning to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Please pray for this new believer that he will learn to walk with the Lord and know Him.

Now for the REALLY incredible part.

I was talking with one of my good friends today in Kansas City. He is Costa Rican and is faithful to pray for us and many other missionaries every day. He asked me how things were going and I told him the same story that I just shared with you. He paused for a moment and then asked again, "What day did you say that happened?". I told him again that it happened on Saturday and he could hardly believe it.

He then read to me from his prayer journal what he had written and been praying for this past Saturday. In summary, he had been praying specifically that each missionary on his list would have the opportunity to personally share the gospel with someone and see them come to put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We rejoiced together and gave God the glory for this young man and for the prayer God allowed us to see so powerfully answered.

Let us be faithful to pray. Let us be faithful to pray specifically.

Sometimes God will give us the tremendous blessing of finding out how the prayer was answered now, and sometimes we will not know until we are with the Lord, but let us be faithful to lift each other up in prayer.

To God be the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

What do you believe in?

2009-09-28T13:12:00.002-06:00

I thought this was a hilarious video, but it made me think about how many Christians suffer from IDS when it comes to the truth of God's Word. Enjoy.

Our girls playing in the rain

2009-09-26T10:52:00.001-06:00

Our girls playing in the rain
Originally uploaded by rblackstock

Our girls enjoying the rain yesterday.

Computer Tech Support Cheat Sheet

2009-08-27T08:41:00.001-06:00

As someone that has provided computer tech support to various people over the years, I found this to be pretty funny. Enjoy. :-)

Book Review - Once An Arafat Man by Tass Saada

2009-08-14T10:11:00.002-06:00

I just finished reading an awesome book and I wanted to tell you about it.

Once An Arafat Man, by Tass Saada is the story of a Palestinian man that served as a PLO sniper under Yasser Arafat.

This is one of those books that is hard to put down as the chapters flow easily from one to the next.

I smiled, laughed, and praised God as I read about the journey God took this man on to lead him from a life filled with hate, to a life filled instead with peace, purpose, and a deep love for the people he once considered his enemies.

God used this book to challenge my thinking in these areas:

The source of the struggle between the Arab world and Israel
The ways God uses to bring Muslims to repentance and a relationship with Jesus Christ (specifically dreams and visions)
Following the vision and plan God has set before me, trusting God to see me through even when there is danger

As the foreword of the book points out, the first section graphically describes some of the fighting that Tass was involved in during his time as a Fatah fighter. For some this will not present any challenge, but for others it might be difficult to read about the details of the battle. I would encourage you to not be deterred by this first section. It is graphic, but well written, and an important piece of the complete story.

This is a book that will leave you rejoicing and thanking God for the marvelous ways He transforms sinners into saints.

You can find the book for sale on Amazon.com by clicking here

A highly recommended book!

Have you contracted Affluenza?

2009-07-27T09:04:00.002-06:00

Neither a typo nor a new strain of the swine flu, affluenza is not a sickness in the traditional sense.

I heard this word being used recently and thought it was a catchy way of describing a condition that ails Christians and Non-Christians alike.

A (non-Christian) definition from Wikipedia:

Affluenza, a portmanteau of affluence and influenza, is a term used by critics of consumerism. Sources define this term as follows:

affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more. (de Graaf ^[1])

affluenza, n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by the pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth. (PBS [1])

So in other words, a clever name for materialism.

It is interesting that materialism is usually associated with those that have much and are focused on getting more. But really the basic definition of materialism or affluenza is being focused on what you don't have.

Those that have much and are focused on getting more
Those that have little and are focused on getting more

While we lived in the states, there were lots of examples of those that would be considered rich by most standards and were focused on getting more. More cars, more houses, more televisions, more Ipods, more stuff. I am afflicted by the dreaded affluenza at times as well.

Here in Central America, there are many examples of those that are poor by most standards and are also focused on getting more.

While the rich man has the resources to buy more and does, the poor man does not have the resources to buy more. The problem is that the focus of both men is the same, they are focused on what they don't have.

The world is driven to try to fill a void in their life that can only be filled by a relationship with Jesus Christ. So what about Christians? What kind of void are we trying to fill through the accumulation of more things?

Could it be the same lack in our own lives? Not a lack of salvation, but rather a lack of a real, intimate relationship with our God?

So what am I focused on? What are you focused on? Have you contracted the dreaded affluenza?

Let me prescribe to you the medicine which I too must take far too often.

Medicine A

Medicine B

Am I the man? I AM the man. Part III

2009-07-01T14:44:00.002-06:00

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Stop! If you haven't yet read Part I or Part II of this mini-series, you should read them first before reading this post. It will make much more sense and be a better investment of your time when read within the context of the other two posts.

Part I
Part II

So we left off in Part II talking about the story that the Prophet Nathan used to confront King David about his sin with Bathsheba. We talked about the 3 main characters and the oft-overlooked 4th character of The Traveller.

This time we are going to look at the real-life parallel in the life of David to discover what this Traveller represents for us and what application we can make to our lives from this story.

The components of the real story go like this (paraphrased):

1. King David is walking around on the roof top of his palace while his army is away at war (we will save the topic of why David wasn't with them for another time).

2. He is looking down into the city and he happens to see a beautiful woman bathing herself.

Here I am going to make two assumptions about what happened that cannot be supported nor refuted in the scriptures:
Assumption #1 David was not looking for trouble, his glance simply came to rest on something he had no business looking at. He made the decision to sin in continuing to look and then act upon it further, but the fact that he happened to see her bathing was not necessarily sin. Just as if we are innocently walking down the street and have something inappropriate come into view, the issue is what happens next. Do we keep on looking, or do we look away?
Assumption #2 Bathsheba was also not looking for trouble, she was simply taking a bath. It was very likely that many "private" places ceased to be private if viewed from a sufficient altitude. The place where she was bathing might have been quite private unless viewed from somewhere up high, such as the roof of the palace. So I am assuming that Bathsheba had no ulterior motives for bathing as she did, other than to be clean.

3. David sees Bathsheba bathing, sees that she is beautiful to look upon, and decides to keep looking.

4. Desires of a sexual nature are stirred within David and he acts upon them by inquiring as to who she is, and then sending messengers to bring her to him.

5. David brings Bathsheba into the palace and satisfies his desires with this woman who is the beloved wife of another man.

6. David tries and fails to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, then resorts to having Uriah the husband killed in battle.

So where does The Traveller fit into the story? Which component of the real life events does he represent?

Let's review briefly combining both story lines:

1. David is The Rich Man. He has many wives and concubines at his beck and call.

2. Uriah is The Poor Man. He has one cherished wife (that we know about) named Bathsheba.

3. Bathsheba is The Cherished Lamb. She is loved and cared for by her husband Uriah.

4. The Traveller comes to visit The Rich Man and needs to be fed.

Here is where I believe we see the role of The Traveller in the real life events.

5. The Traveller shows up and needs to be fed. David sees Bathsheba and a sexual desire is stirred within him.

So The Traveller (in this case) is the sexual desire that was stirred up within David after seeing Bathsheba. Without becoming too graphic, think this through with me for a moment.

Is our naturally occuring sex drive something good or something bad when used within the biblical context of marriage? Something good obviously. Used outside of the biblical context of marriage, it is sin. Clearly.

David sees something that "gets his motor running", so to speak, by innocently glancing down from the roof and seeing something he shouldn't have seen, and didn't intend to see.

The Traveller arrives at the Rich Man's house and needs to be fed. A sexual desire that in and of itself is not wrong arrives within David.

Now the question is: Which lamb will feed The Traveller? One of the many lambs from the Rich Man's own flocks of which he is rightfully entitled to, or the Cherished Lamb that does not belong to him.

So the question is: How will David feed this naturally occurring desire? By being with one of his many wives or concubines of which he is rightfully entitled to, or the woman Bathsheba that is loved and cherished by her husband Uriah?

6. The Rich Man takes the Cherished Lamb from the Poor Man to feed The Traveller. David chooses to sin in looking more at Bathsheba, inquiring after her, and ultimately bringing her to the palace.

Remember in Part II when we talked about how things would have been different if the Rich Man had simply fed The Traveller one of the many lambs he rightfully owned? No harm, no foul right? The Traveller is fed. The Rich Man is happy. The Poor Man is happy. And The Cherished Lamb goes on being cherished by the Poor Man.

The Traveller did not doing anything wrong did he? He was just hungry. The sin was committed by the Rich Man in how he chose to feed The Traveller.

So how would the story of David be different if he had decided to feed the desire in a righteous way?

Imagine with me how the story would have been different had David accidently seen Bathsheba. His "desire" is stirred. He goes and spends some time with one of his many wives or concubines, as he was righteously entitled to do. No harm, no foul right? The desire is fed. David is happy. Uriah is happy. And Bathsheba goes on being cherished by her own husband Uriah.

So what does The Traveller represent for us? I believe The Traveller represents naturally occurring, God designed desires that occur in us and that in and of themselves are not sinful. The question is: How do you feed the desire?

We have seen the example of sexual desires within the Biblical context of marriage which should obviously be fed by your own spouse.

But what about some other naturally occurring desires?

To eat food? Enough, but not too much. Eating the right things in the right quantities. Gluttony is where this naturally occurring desire becomes sin.

To provide for our family? How many men take this natural desire and allow it to destroy their lives? More than food, shelter, clothing and care, now it becomes bigger and bigger homes and a new car.

What are some other God-given desires that can be fed the wrong way?

So The Traveller was not bad. The Rich Man was wrong for the way he chose to feed the Traveller.

The initial part of David's desire (prior to looking more, inquiring, and fetching) was not wrong. David was wrong for the way he chose to feed the desire.

Are there any God-given desires in your life that you are feeding the wrong way?

Let's feed them God's way so it does not need to be said to us, "Thou art the man".

Am I the man? I AM the man. Part II

2009-06-30T10:18:00.001-06:00

OK, so in part II of this short series about King David, we are going to look specifically at the story that the Prophet Nathan used to confront David with his sin in II Samuel chapter 12.

And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
2 Samuel 12:1-4

Let’s begin by breaking down the story into its main characters:

The Rich Man
The Poor Man
The Cherished Lamb

These are the characters in the story that always receive the attention in every sermon I have ever heard about this story. Their parallels in real life are easily identifiable as David (Rich Man), Uriah (Poor Man), and Bathsheba (Cherished Lamb).

But there is another character in the story that doesn’t seem to get much attention. A character whose parallel in real life is a little less obvious than the rest.

Look with me again in verse 4:

And there came a traveller unto the rich man, 2 Samuel 12:4a

We find here our fourth character in this story:

4. The Traveller

Who is this traveller? We aren’t given very much information about him in the story, he just arrives at the home of the Rich Man and the Rich Man is compelled to feed him.

Let’s review briefly what happens in the story as it is written:

The rich man is rich, he has many flocks and herds.
The poor man is poor but he has a lamb that is loved and cherished.
A traveler comes to visit the rich man and needs to eat.
In order to feed the Traveller, the rich man chooses to take away the cherished lamb from the poor man instead of taking one of the many lambs in his own flocks.

Now let’s imagine the story played out in a different way, and I think this will help us to identify who The Traveller represents:

The rich man is rich, he has many flocks and herds.
The poor man is poor but he has a lamb that is loved and cherished.
A traveler comes to visit the rich man and needs to eat.
In order to feed the Traveller, the rich man simply takes one of the many lambs from his own flocks.

In this imagined version of the story, there is no problem right? No harm, no foul. The Rich Man is happy. The Poor Man is happy with his Cherished Lamb. The Traveller is happy and full of delicious lamb chops.

The point is this: The arrival of The Traveller set things in motion, but the simple fact that the traveller arrived at the house of the rich man was not in and of itself anything bad. It could have ended up differently than it did.

This is getting long. So stay tuned for Part III coming soon!

Who do you think The Traveller represents in the real life story of David? Who do you think The Traveller represents in our lives?

Am I the man? I AM the man. Part I

2009-06-28T15:06:00.006-06:00

I've been reading through II Samuel and recently came upon the story of our beloved King David and his sin with Bathsheba in chapter 11. Then in chapter 12 is where the prophet Nathan is sent by God to confront David about his sin.

In 2 Samuel 12:1-6 Nathan used a powerful story to illustrate exactly what David's sin looked like to the outside observer. And as we know, David, seeing the transgression from a position outside of himself declares that the rich man who killed the poor man's lamb should make restitution and be put to death.

Then come the words of Nathan in verse 7 that seem to hang in the air even to this day:

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.

There it is. It's that punch in the gut you know you deserve. As you lay there on the ground gasping for breath, you are incapable of being angry because you know it is exactly what you needed.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit can be the same in my life as a follower of Jesus Christ. How many times are we told in the book of Proverbs that every way of a man is right in his own eyes?

Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit who shows us the sin in our lives that we would not see clearly on our own.

But seeing the sin is only the first step. After realizing that he indeed was the man, David had a choice to make. He had to choose how he was going to react to God pointing out the sin in his life. He had to decide whether to push aside God's efforts at reconciliation and proceed in his sin, or to repent from his sin and return to fellowship with Almighty God.

In verse 13 we see David's decision:

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.

David chose correctly. His repentance didn't eliminate the consequences that followed, but fellowship with the Lord was restored.

So what about me? What about you? What is my response when the Holy Spirit speaks to me clearly and says, "Ryan, thou art the man".

I too have to make the same decision David did; to accept God's efforts to reconcile me to Himself and repent from my sin, or choose to go on in my sin trying to ignore God's conviction.

Recently Keeley and I had a "break in fellowship" over an issue. As you might have guessed, I was the man in the situation. God made it abundantly clear that my sin had caused the problem and I needed to repent and make things right both with God and with my wife.

Accepting the blame goes against our nature. Great, great grandpa and grandma Adam and Eve provided us with an excellent legacy in this area, the original blame shifters. It is easier put the blame on someone else (my wife for example) than to accept the wrong and repent.

This time worked out fine. I listened to the Holy Spirit and made things right with God and my wife.

But what about next time? And the time after that? And the time after that?

I want to always respond correctly. "Yes, Lord. I am the man. Please forgive me"

How do you respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction in your life?

For Part II we will take a look at the characters in the story that Nathan used to confront David. Who do the characters represent in the life of David and what can learn from them?

Trashy Marketing

2009-04-16T15:27:00.003-06:00

OK, I just got home from going to pay our telephone bill, and on the way home I was following behind a pickup truck. Something happened that surprised me, and I wanted to share it with you.

As I was driving behind this pickup, the man sitting in the passenger seat threw something out of his open window. Now, this is not the surprising part. If you have ever been to Latin America, you will know that the general attitude towards throwing trash out of your car and onto the street is far different than the US. It is an accepted practice here and something you see ALL of the time.

What I saw today was different however. As I continued to watch the passenger of this pickup truck, I noticed that what he threw out of the window was a yellow sheet of letter sized paper. But not just one. In a somewhat rhythmic fashion, he was throwing more of these yellow sheets from the window, one every couple of seconds.

It became apparent that these yellow sheets were not just pieces of trash he didn't want anymore, in fact they were flyers advertising for a new cable company in the area.

He was passing out flyers!!!!

So the obvious question is, "Does anyone read these thrown-from-the-window-of-a-pickup-truck advertisements?"

To my amazement, the answer is yes. I witnessed with my own two eyes several people picking up the yellow flyers to see what they were.

I can see it now......

Police Officer: Do you know why I pulled you over?

Me: No Sir, I don't. Was I speeding?

Police Officer: No, you weren't speeding. I pulled you over because you are throwing sheets of paper out of your window onto the ground. It is illegal to throw your trash onto the ground.

Me: Oh I think there has been a misunderstanding officer, I would never think of throwing my trash onto the ground. You see, I'm actually just passing out flyers for a new business in town.

Police Officer: Get out of the car son and put your hands behind your head.

Great Quote 2 - The Normal Christian Life

2009-04-11T08:19:00.003-06:00

OK, so I'm not trying to type out the whole book for you here in my blog, but I read another great part this morning and wanted to share it.

Check this out. In the context of being consecrated (setting ourselves apart) to God:

I am the Lord's, and now no longer reckon myself to be my own but acknowledge in everything his ownership and authority. That is the attitude God delights in, and to maintain it is true consecration. I do not consecrate myself to be a missionary or a preacher; I consecrate myself to God to do his will where I am, be it in school, office or kitchen or wherever he ordains for me is sure to be the very best, for nothing but good can come to those who are wholly his.

May we always be possessed by the consciousness that we are not our own.

Awesome huh? People ask me all of the time, "How did you know God wanted you to be a missionary?" This quote from Watchman Nee really helps to frame the right question. The questions isn't, "God, do you want me to be a missionary?", the right question is, "Lord, I will do whatever you want, wherever you want, what do you want?"

In 1998 I moved to Missoula, Montana with a group of people from our church in Kansas City to plant a new church there. I don't know if you have ever been a part of a church plant, but many times the first few years are the most difficult. Your "big ministry" at church might be setting up chairs or making the coffee.

I can remember God taking me through a time of learning there in Montana to change my perspective. Upon arriving in Montana, I had a whole list of things I was willing to do for God. Disciple people, preach, teach the Bible, etc. These were the ways I was willing to be used by God. But God put me back in my place and showed me that I needed to come to Him without a list, bow before Him in humility, and offer myself to be used for whatever, wherever, whenever He wants. Be it setting up chairs, or preaching a sermon, I need to be consecrated to God completely, and not just in the areas on some self-made list.

Are you possessed today with the consciousness that you are not your own?

Great Quote - The Normal Christian Life

2009-04-09T06:50:00.002-06:00

I am reading The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee. This morning I read a portion that really struck me and I wanted to share it with you.

"For it is our wills that are in question here. That strong self-assertive will of mine must go to the Cross, and I must give myself wholly to the Lord. We cannot expect a tailor to make us a coat if we do not give him any cloth, nor a builder to build us a house if we let him have no building material; and in just the same way we cannot expect the Lord to live out his life in us if we do not give him our lives in which to live. Without reservations, without controversy, we must give ourselves to him to do as he pleases with us."

I especially like that last sentence. God is not interested in "most" of my life, He want it all. And He is worthy of it all. I am eternally grateful that Christ did not only give us "most" of His life.

Are you giving yourself to God to do as He pleases with you? Without reservations, without controversy?

Taekwondo Classes

2009-04-02T21:32:00.003-06:00

Avigail and I started taking Taekwondo classes together tonight.

Each Tuesday and Thursday evening from 4:30 to 6:30 we will go and learn and sweat with a group mostly made up of young kids. The class is taught by a nice guy named Walter. It is obvious that Walter knows his stuff and he is very patient with the kids. The classes are quite a bargain at a mere $6 per month.

The first class tonight showed me exactly how out of shape I am, but I had a great time. Aside from being stared out because I am a tall, white, bald gringo, I am also by far the oldest student. The instructor told me there was no age limit, so here I am.

Both Avigail and I are really excited about the classes and it will be great time spent together as well. Stay tuned for more adventures in Korean martial arts in Spanish.

Premeditated Obedience

2009-04-01T06:40:00.001-06:00

I have been spending some time these past few weeks in Psalm 119 and have really been refreshed by the continual challenge to love and obey God’s Word.

This morning I read the following verse and was challenged by God to think about my attitude toward obedience.

I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end. Psalms 119:112

David made a decision today about what he was going to do in the future. He decided that he was going to obey God’s statutes unto the end.

David had premeditated obedience.

David committed to obeying God for the rest of his life. Would he fail again even after making this strong commitment to God? Sure, just like we will. But the point is that his life was aimed at obedience. Obedience was the driving force. Obedience was the plan.

Failures caused temporary deviations from the plan of obedience, but David was committed to getting back on course as quickly as possible.

How far in advance are you committed to obeying God? Are you just taking things day-by-day, seeing how things will go, and then deciding to obey God or not depending on what circumstances exist in your life?

I want to have premeditated obedience like David did. Every new circumstance that God allows in my life should not require the question to be answered anew, “Will I obey this time?”.

Lord, I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end.

A world built for shorter people

2009-02-25T11:53:00.001-06:00

I live in a world built for shorter people.

While at 6' 2" I may be a bit above average height in the United States, here in El Salvador I am a freakishly tall giant.

Some examples:

This picture is of a door way in our newly constructed house. It is one of several in the house that have inflicted damage on my un-ducked head

I went to a store to buy a desk for my office and could not find one tall enough to fit my knees under

While driving a friend's pickup truck at night, I had to duck down to have a view of the road that was not made pitch black by the narrow strip of dark tinting across the top of the windshield

I have to stoop over to wash dishes in our kitchen sink or to prepare food on the counter top. (Are there any chiropractors in Gotera, El Salvador???)

One of Our Singing Princesses

2009-02-25T11:16:00.004-06:00

Here is a precious video of our daughter Ella singing from our 2nd floor balcony. Straight out of a Disney princess movie. OK, except for the end.

A video worth watching

2009-01-30T12:48:00.000-06:00

Culture Quiz Answer

2009-01-06T13:26:00.003-06:00

Thanks to everyone that posted your answers in the comments. Here is what happened, and what should have happened:

What happened:
As you may have guessed, like a good gringo, I went with option A.

I politely told the lady who was offering the food that I had already eaten and was full and satisfied. Thank you, but I am full and happy. And as reflected in the comments, this would have been a perfectly acceptable and polite way to respond had I been at a social gathering in the United States. The person offering the food would have happily moved on to the next guest to see if someone else would like to partake.

What should have happened:
Actually the B/C combo answer is probably the most correct.

Immediately after the woman offering the food had moved on to more willing recipients, the pastor we were sitting with (who had also previously eaten, but took another plate) informed us that culturally it was impolite for us not to take the plate of food specifically prepared with us in mind. Ouch. He explained that it is better to take the food and not actually eat it, than to decline it. You can pick at it a bit, save it for later, or just wait for an appropriate opportunity to dispose of it, but to not take it is bad. Very bad.

I like the share it with your kids idea too. This works as long as they didn't get their own first plate at the same time you did.

Lesson learned. (The hard way)

Since this incident we have asked several people to tell us more things like this that are social landmines waiting to be stepped on by some hapless gringos. What we have found though is that it is difficult to think of this type of thing before it happens. Try to think of some in American culture. It is not as easy as it would seem.

So when you are traveling in Latin America and someone offers you a second plate of food after you are stuffed to gills already, remember the Blackstocks and do the right thing.

Culture Pop Quiz

2009-01-02T21:10:00.001-06:00

Are you ready?

You are in El Salvador at a New Years Day celebration for your local church. It is a park with a swimming pool and the kids are having a great time. Your host family feeds you a wonderful plate of food which you eat completely leaving you very full and satisfied. Several minutes later, another very nice lady from the church offers you another full plate of food that she has just prepared.

What do you do?

A. Politely tell her you have just eaten and you are very full already, but that you appreciate the offer.

B. Graciously accept the plate of food but do not actually eat it.

C. Graciously accept the plate of food and somehow manage to consume all of it.

Please post your answer below in the comments. For my next post I will tell you what I did do, and what I should have done. Good luck!

Consumerism

2008-12-06T11:00:00.002-06:00

Check out this video about being a "good" consumer. Obviously it is an exercise in irony.

Here in Costa Rica we too are bombarded with the endless commercials during this time of year (most of which are squarely aimed at our children). When you think about all of the money and effort that are put into the consumer mentality, it is quite mind boggling. Enjoy. :-)

Am I Dreaming?

2008-11-22T10:51:00.002-06:00

They say that there are multiple seismic tremors every day in Costa Rica. They say that lots of small, harmless tremors are good because they release pressure from the tectonic plates and make large earthquakes less likely to occur.

During our time here in Costa Rica, a little more than a year now, we have had only 3 or 4 tremors that were noticeable to us. Usually they were very short, and by the time you had figured out what was happening, they were already over.

This past Tuesday night, around midnight, I was awakened by the sensation that I was moving. Now, I am known to have vivid dreams that have a tendency to blend with my reality, especially in that muddled state between asleep and fully awake (just ask my wife, she has quite a collection of stories). So when I felt like I felt like the room was moving, my first instinct was to assume I was dreaming.

As I became more and more awake by the second however, it became apparent that this was no dream. We have a large dressing mirror hanging on the wall above our dresser and it was loudly slapping against the wall. Wind chimes are a very popular decoration here, but they are normally put inside the house where they are exposed to very little wind. The purpose of the wind chimes here is to indicate the presence of a tremor. Ours was making a lot of noise.

Once the reality hit that this indeed was an earthquake, two thoughts were running through my mind. 1) Is it going to be over in a second or two like all the ones before it? or 2) Do we need to get the girls and get out of the house?

I regularly pray that God would give us wisdom in the event that we need to get out of the house, because the small tremors and a potentially deadly large earthquake can begin in the same way. The 5 sets of locks that keep us safe from those outside the house that would do us harm, are the same 5 sets of locks that would keep us from exiting the house quickly in an emergency.

If you have never personally experienced an earthquake, it is hard to imagine what it is like. I have never been in a really big one, and God willing I never will be, but I have spoken to some people that have. The ground under your feet that has behaved in a predictable way for all of your life begins to do things it is not supposed to do. There is a feeling of complete lack of control. This is not something you went looking for, it has found you. And there is no way to get away from its affects, only attempts to position yourself in such a way as to not have something fall on you.

God knows when the earthquakes are going to come, small or large. We are trusting that He will give us wisdom about what to do if a big one comes.

You can read below and article that talks about this most recent activity.

Have you ever experienced and earthquake?

Early morning 6.2 quake was felt all over country

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

An earthquake that was estimated at a magnitude 6.2 struck at a point on the Panamá-Costa Rica border at 12:12 a.m. today.

The epicenter appeared to be a few kilometers inland from the peninsula that both countries share.

The location was listed by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center to be 55 km (35 miles) west-southwest of David, Panamá, 45 km (30 miles) south-southeast of Golfito and 220 km (135 miles) southeast of San José.

The quake was felt in San José as a short and a long tremor. The duration may have been as much as a minute.

The area of the quake, Punta Burica, and nearby Puerto Armulles in Panamá are a frequent location for such events. There have been no reports of injuries or damage yet, the magnitude of the quake is in the danger range.

Online seismographs at the Obvservatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica showed that the quake was felt all over the country.

A quake hit the same area early Dec. 25, 2003, and killed two persons and damaged at least 70 homes. That quake was registered as a 6.3 magnitude.

U.S. Geological Survey, National
Earthquake Information Center
Red dot shows estimated location of quake

A Family Favorite Video

2008-11-18T11:14:00.001-06:00

This video is one our girls favorite to watch. In case you weren't clear on the plot of Star Wars, this little girl will clear things up for you. Enjoy!

Our Creative Daughter

2008-11-17T10:03:00.000-06:00

Here are some merfolk that our daughter (5 years old) Avigail put together. She first drew the different body sections on colored paper, then cut them out and glued them together. She is very creative and likes to draw and make things.

She is a true joy to us.

Learning from Mistakes

2008-10-07T09:29:00.006-06:00

Learning from mistakes should be a integral part of our lives.

Mistakes happen, so why let them go to waste? Post-mistake is an excellent time to evaluate what happened, what went wrong, and how you can keep from making the same mistake again. While learning from our own mistakes is vitally important, learning from the mistakes of others can be incredibly valuable as well. Sometimes we can learn life lessons from the time other people spend in the well attended School of Hard Knocks.

This morning I was reading in the book of Matthew, chapter 8, and I came across the familiar story in verses 23 to 28 about Jesus and the disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee in a ship.

It would appear that in this story that the disciples didn't handle this very intense, very difficult situation correctly, evidenced by the fact that Jesus rebukes them for their fear and their lack of faith.

So in my desire to learn from the mistakes of others, I started to think about what the disciples should have done instead. What would have been the right way for them to deal with the circumstances they were going through?

They get into the ship and start sailing; an activity these well-seasoned fisherman had engaged in many times before. Somewhere along the line, Jesus goes down below to take a nap. Up on deck, the wind starts to blow, the skies begin to darken, and the storm begins to descend on this small ship in the Sea of Galilee.

These men have surely been through a rough storm or two in their lives. Growing up around the sea and ships, following in the footsteps of their fathers, these guys were not freshmen sailors.

So as the storm grew in intensity and strength, what was going through their minds? Was this storm worse than any of the previous storms they had experienced in their lives? How much worse? At what point in the storm did they decide that this particular storm was going to cause them to perish?

One of the greatest practical applications of this passage is trusting in what Jesus said. Jesus told the disciples they were going to the other side of the lake, as told in Luke 8:22. He didn't say, "We are going to get on a boat and then die in the middle of the Sea of Galilee together. So the clear lesson for us is to trust in what God says He will do, even if it looks like your boat is sinking in a storm.

What mistakes then can we learn from in this story? What would have happened if the disciples had weathered the storm for just a few more moments? Was the plan of Jesus all along to wake up and calm the storm? How could the disciples have chosen to be controlled by faith instead of fear?

These are intriguing questions, but ones we will not know the answers to until we are with our Lord. So in conclusion, here are some practical points of application I drew out for my own life:

Trust God. If He said He is taking me to the other side, then I need to trust Him in that. Even if I don't see how it could possibly happen. The disciples were afraid, and Jesus rebuked them for that. They feared the storm instead of trusting of Him who would never leave them nor forsake them. I John 4:10-19 talks about the love relationship we need to have with God through His Son Jesus Christ, and that this love relationship casts out fear.

Learn to nap with Jesus. Why should I worry about something that God is not worried about? I need to follow God's lead in all things. If the only concern of Jesus during the storm is whether to sleep on his left side or his right, then why am I freaking out because I think I am about to die? I should be resting in Him.

Hold on in the storm. It may seem that God is asleep and not aware of the tempest around me, but it is not true. If I will wait on Him and trust, He has a plan to deal with the storm in just the right way and at just the right time. Hold on a little longer. So many times the test of our faith is in the waiting.

A Spirit of Fear

2008-10-03T07:59:00.001-06:00

Shortly after Keeley and I were married in June of 2001, we had the opportunity to go on an overseas missions trip together to Belarus in September of that same year. In hindsight, I don’t think either of us would endorse a newly married couple going on such a trip so soon. Better to wait six months to a year to allow for the inevitable adjustments to be in place or at least begun.

Of course we all know that in September of 2001 is when the attacks on the Twin Towers occurred in New York City. This history changing event occurred while we were in Belarus with a group of about 30 from our church, and around 30 others from churches around the US.

We were out in a small village inviting people to come to a local Bible study when we first learned of the attacks. Since the people we were speaking with spoke only Russian, their interpretation of the events that had been interpreted by a Russian newscaster which were then translated back into English by the translator that was working with us left us with a muddled impression, to say the least, of what had happened that tragic day. One elderly woman we spoke with said that terrorists had destroyed a large shopping mall and had kidnapped President Bush (you can imagine how “trade center” might end up coming across in translation as a place to shop).

Once we got back to the church where the missionaries and the rest of our group was, the facts and details of what had actually transpired became to come together. Because we had no access to television, cable or otherwise, our only source of information was an extremely slow dial-up connection to the Internet. One of the missionaries would download updates and share them with the group several times a day.

When discussing the experiences people in the US had when the attacks occurred, people always talk about having the television on almost nonstop, and seeing video footage of the planes hitting the towers over and over again. Not having that element of television in Belarus definitely gave us a different perspective on the attacks. It wasn’t until weeks later after returning to the United States that I saw the video footage for the first time.

Many people have told me that watching the reporting on television during the days following the attacks only served to feed a spirit of fear in them, so they had made a decision to turn it off.

In these recent days as the United States is dealing with a financial mess, once again the television is filled with nonstop reporting and stories that for the most part serve only to feed a spirit of fear. Even here in Costa Rica, the financial “crisis” in the US is a hot news item, and cable TV allows us to see most of the major US news channels.

While watching one of the many reporters talk of impending doom, I was reminded of a team meeting we had in Belarus shortly after the news of the 9/11 attacks had been announced. Many of the people in our group had children back in the states that were staying with friends or family while their parents went to Belarus, so of course their concern for them was at the forefront of their minds. For many, a spirit of fear had set in and there was a look of panic and helplessness on their faces. KCBT Pastor, Alan Shelby, was our team leader for the trip and he called the meeting to address the group. Alan, with great wisdom, spoke to us and encouraged us to approach the situation soberly and in faith. One of the things he said that has stuck with me to this day, and serves us equally well in the situation we find ourselves in today, was, “There is nothing that has happened which gives us cause to distrust God”.

Are there problems? Yes. Are there people struggling financially? Yes. Will the condition of the economy have an affect on the average person in the US? Probably. But none of these things give us cause to distrust our God. Is God only faithful to provide for our needs if the US economy is in good shape? Of course not, He is always faithful.

I read this morning the following verses and was reminded of God’s faithfulness and how unaffected He is by the world’s economy.

Matthew 6:28-33
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

A Good Reminder

2008-09-11T07:03:00.001-06:00

I was going through some discipleship material this morning and came across a section talking about the importance of allowing our Heavenly Father to care for us. Obviously He wants to care for us, but He will not force us to receive His care.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. I Peter 5:7

Such a great verse, and one I needed to be reminded of this morning. Cast some of my care upon him? Sure, no problem. But cast all of my care upon him? That is a bit more difficult. That requires that I let go of the control I attempt to maintain over situations in my life.

Thanks for the reminder God. I needed it.

A New Normal

2008-09-09T07:27:00.001-06:00

Life is a series of new normals isn’t it?

We get established in patterns, they last for a period of time, and then something happens to cause those familiar patterns to change. Sometimes the change is for the better, sometimes for the worse, and sometimes it is neutral.

For the last year our normal has been Language School. Up at 4:30 am to get ourselves and our kids ready before heading off to classes. Family time, homework, and studying in the evenings, and a constant effort to keep all of the elements in balance. Get up the next day and do it all again.

After a 3 week visit to the States, we are back in Costa Rica and the process of developing a new normal has begun. We are excited about this new phase and looking forward to getting the new set of patterns in place.

Although there is still a lot of studying and work to be done, it is incredibly freeing to not have the pressure of homework assignments and exams dominating our evenings. That is a part of the old normal I am glad to leave behind.

Finding our new normal will be a process rather than an event. So many of the factors to be considered are dynamic and cannot simply be put down in a list on a piece of paper. Step by step it will come though, and soon the label of the “new normal” will blend into our daily routine.

Some Language School Graduation Videos

2008-08-19T17:29:00.003-06:00

Here are a couple of videos that were played at our graduation ceremony on August 14th. The first one is a slideshow, and the second one is a parady video for fun.

US Soil

2008-08-17T10:26:00.001-06:00

The caffeine from the Starbucks cafe americano begins to course through my veins. It has been over a year since I had my last one; the familiar cup and the little cardboard don’t-burn-your-hand thingy bring back a flood of memories.

We are in the Houston airport, in route to Denver, Colorado. The layover is long by choice (if you have every tried to navigate US Immigration and Customs with two small children you will know why). Our flight doesn’t leave for another hour and a half, so we are killing time at a relaxed pace.

Three days from now will mark the one year anniversary of our move from Kansas City, MO to San José, Costa Rica. Just yesterday we walked down the isle and received our diplomas at our graduation from Spanish Language School. What a wonderfully difficult year it was; full of highs and lows, challenges and victories, laughter and tears. By God’s grace we made it through to the other side and now have a great foundation of Spanish to continue building on.

We had heard stories of missionaries going back to the States for a visit and experiencing reverse culture shock. Although we have only been gone for one year, it is a bit of a shock to be back in the American culture we had lived in for so long. Keeley and I were saying how strange it is to navigate the airport process without having to think ahead about how to say something important in Spanish. I found myself having to be intentional about using English with the guy that sold me a sandwich at the food court. A good problem to have I suppose, it means the Spanish has become much more a part of me than I think I realize.

There is a forecast of snow in the mountains of Colorado where we are going to spend this weekend. Both Keeley and I are salivating at the thought of playing in the wonderful white stuff. We enjoy our two seasons in Costa Rica, rainy and less rainy, but admittedly the more drastic changes of seasons we were accustomed to have been missed. I think our friends are going to loan us some coats since ours were sold to the highest bidder at our everything must go garage sale a year ago.

One of my goals for this visit is to not gain much weight. In case you didn’t know it, the portion sizes in the US are HUGE compared to those in most other countries. The fine custom of sharing time with good friends over a meal is one we enjoy, but it is also one that could send us home to Costa Rica with some extra pounds as souvenirs. There are several foods that I have been missing from the states, but I think the one at the top of my list is Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. Crazy, I know. But I really enjoy some greasy Jimmy Dean for breakfast. Yumm.

It is good to be back. We definitely miss people and relationships, although Costa Rica has become home for us. This will be a great visit and we are grateful for the opportunity to re-connect with people in person. I plan on posting again soon with some of the things we have learned in the past year in addition to Spanish.

Lord willing I will get a chance to bump into you in Denver or Kansas City. Pura vida!

What do you mean I can’t drive my car today?

2008-07-14T21:52:00.001-06:00

Recently the government here in Costa Rica put into effect a driving restriction that is intended to reduce traffic and “save gas”.

The restriction is based on the last digit of your license plate number, and the plates work a little differently here. Instead of each person that buys a new or used car being issued a new set of plates, there is one set of plates issued for a new car and that set of plates stays with the car throughout it’s car life. So the plates I have on my 1996 Toyota Corolla are the same ones that all of the previous owners have had as well.

So here is how the restriction breaks down. Cars with plate numbers ending in:

1 & 2 Can’t drive on Mondays in the restricted zone
3 & 4 Can’t drive on Tuesdays in the restricted zone
5 & 6 Can’t drive on Wednesdays in the restricted zone
7 & 8 Can’t drive on Thursdays in the restricted zone
9 & 0 Can’t drive on Fridays in the restricted zone

Many people live and work outside of the restricted zone, so for them this new policy is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. We, however, live well within the borders of this zone. This means that for us, on Mondays since our plates end in 2, it would be against the law for us to so much as move our car out of the garage.

So this morning we walked out of our house to head to Language School, leaving a perfectly good car behind in the garage. We located a taxi nearby and paid him around $3.00 to shuttle us over the school about 5 minutes away.

Although I am not fond of the inconvenience this poses to us on Mondays, nor am I fond of the idea that someone is telling me I can’t use the vehicle that I own when and where I want (it is my right after all isn’t it? – oh, wait, wrong country :-) ), the amount of cars and backups in the traffic circles is significantly less and this is a very good thing.

A friend of mine at the Language School who also has a car was going to ask me about setting up a car pool where he picked us up on our no-drive day, and we would pick them up on their no-drive day. This was a wonderful idea, but unfortunately he and I both have plates that end in “2” and therefore share Mondays as our no-drive day.

In reality, this will only affect us in a big way for the next four weeks as we finish Language School. After that there will be fewer reasons to venture out on Mondays during the restricted driving hours of 6 AM to 7 PM. Good times!

The Water is All Tapped Out

2008-07-08T05:49:00.001-06:00

Utilities going out for hours at a time are a common occurrence here in Central America.

If the power goes out once a week for several hours, we simply accept it as a normal part of life. We have a gas stove, so even without power we are able to cook, and Keeley has plenty of candles to light the house.

About once a month the water stops working as well. Usually the government controlled water company notifies everyone in advance of the outage and we prepare by filling up an extra jug or two. But sometimes accidents happen….

This past Thursday there was a landslide that caused major damage to a very large main pipe that feeds water to a large part of San Jose. The water stayed off until Sunday evening with only short times of limited flow mixed in a couple of times.

Our supply of emergency water jugs, used mostly for filling up the toilet tanks in order to flush them, were depleted by Saturday evening. What we had thought was an exaggerated amount of jugs started to appear insufficient.

The McGyver in me started thinking about how to collect the copious amounts of water that fall from the sky just about every afternoon. I have included a picture of my rain collector that we used to gather some to-be-boiled drinking water.

Here are some things we take for granted:

Turning the faucet handle and having water come out
Flushing the toilet anytime we want
Washing clothes at the touch of a button
Taking hot (or cold) showers
Having enough drinkable water to make some delicious Costa Rican coffee in the morning

Although inconvenient, we survived the Great Water Outage of 2008. Sure made us think about how much we appreciate water and how hard it must be to not have it on a consistent basis.

Massive blackout hits D.C.

2008-06-14T15:28:00.002-06:00

June 13, 2008 - 5:22pm
(WTOP Photo/Adam Tuss)

WASHINGTON - A blackout brought much of the nation's capital to a standstill for more than two hours Friday morning.

Frustrated officials muttered darkly about the "Friday the 13th" blackout as some government employees were given the rest of the day off.

The power went out at 7:25 a.m., idling arriving office workers outside darkened workplaces. At one point, Pepco reported more than 18,000 customers without power.

Pepco reported power was restored to all customers before 11 a.m.

Having the power go out can be a major inconvenience, trust me, I know. I must admit though that I laughed when I read this headline. I didn't read about anyone getting hurt as a result of the blackout, and if I missed it somehow I am not making light of that. It is just that here in Costa Rica, our power goes off at least once a week on average, sometimes more.

What tickled my funny bone is that you won't see headlines like that here, because it is such a common occurrence. Part of what I found humorous was the use of the word "massive". MASSIVE power outage.

OK, so maybe it was only funny for me. Thanks for trying to understand. :-)

My Heart Growing Fonder

2008-06-14T12:24:00.001-06:00

We all know the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Today my heart has increased in fondness for my wife.

Keeley left last night (Friday) for a one night ladies retreat that is being put on by our Language School. In addition to having the opportunity to be encouraged and fellowship with some other ladies, Keeley is also in charge of leading the praise and worship times. It has been a lot of work for her to prepare for this retreat, but she has done a great job.

The girls and I had a movie night last night, complete with popcorn. We had a great time hanging out and laughing together. This morning was pancakes and some cartoons. I love spending time with our girls, so times like these don’t feel like a “big sacrifice”.

Keeley will get back around 5:00 PM this evening. Both the girls and I are greatly anticipating her return, as home just isn’t the same without Mom there. And although I try to show her how much I appreciate her all the time, opportunities to care for the girls and the home all by myself tend to accentuate exactly how much I value who Keeley is and how she cares for us in such an awesome way.

Thank you Lord for my godly wife, I am truly a blessed man. :-)

Can’t Wait for August!

2008-06-10T20:25:00.001-06:00

We love being in Costa Rica. After all, there is no better place in the world to be than exactly where God wants you, and right now God wants us here. God has blessed us with a fairly easy transition into the culture and has given us many good relationships here in our new home.

That being said, we are VERY excited for our visit to the states this August. It’s not that we want to move back, but we definitely miss our families, our friends, and our church.

Having moved around a lot while growing up, I got used to being in new places and getting adjusted to new surroundings. I never really remember missing a particular house, or a particular city, but I most certainly remember missing people.

Here is a quick summary of my moves:

Born in California
Moved to North Carolina shortly thereafter
Moved back across the country to Washington State
Next back to North Carolina
Then on to Oklahoma
Independence, Missouri
San Mateo, California
Independence, Missouri
Missoula, Montana to help start a new church
Back to Kansas City, Missouri
And now, San Jose, Costa Rica

Lots of moves, I know. Many people ask me if it was hard moving around so much. I always explain that it was not hard, in fact it was my version of normal. Having moved around all my life, I didn’t know any different. In hindsight, God was preparing me for the part of His plan that includes moving to countries other than the one I was born in. :-)

Please don’t misunderstand, I miss Kansas City summers where you open the front door of your house to leave and the heat hits you in the face like you just opened the oven door after your wife baked cookies, but most of all I miss the people and relationships there.

One of the blessings of moving to a new place is the new relationships that are waiting for you there. So in addition to the existing relationships that are now a little further away (in distance), we get to make new friends in the next place God has us.

In August we will have been in Costa Rica, and physically separated from family and friends in the states, for one year. It is amazing how the impact of not seeing someone for one year is amplified when you are several countries away. So we are definitely looking forward to the visit.

If you happen to be one of the people we are blessed to visit during our time in the states and we hug you a little tighter than usual, now you know why. :-)

Tim Hawkins - Christian Comedian

2008-05-22T21:22:00.002-06:00

I came across this video and laughed my head off. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank You Lord, May I Have Another?

2008-04-23T14:25:00.007-06:00

Do you like to be corrected?

I think it would be fair to say that most of us don't particularly enjoy being corrected, it goes against our nature.

One of the critical components of learning a language is to receive continual and consistent correction. If you think about it, we do that with our children as they begin to learn their first language. Our daughters will learn to speak English better and better as they add new words to their vocabulary and we as their parents gently correct them when they use a word incorrectly.

Learning Spanish has put us in the exact same position of needing to receive continual and consistent correction. Sometimes in my conversation class as I attempt to read a paragraph I have written in Spanish, I barely get two words out before the teacher is gently correcting what I have said (again). There are days when it feels as if I can say nothing right and afterwards I feel as if I have been beaten up. Sometimes even constructive correction can be painful.

Really there are two responses we can choose to have when we are given constructive correction.

1. We can choose to embrace it and appreciate it for what it is, a caring attempt to keep us on the right track. Or..

2. We can choose to fight against the correction, to resent it, and therefore receive little or no benefit from it.

So why in the world would someone fight against the caring attempts of another to keep them on the right track? One word for you:

Pride

It is terrible how often the "P" word comes up isn't it? But that is certainly the reason I fight against correction in my life. Because really what someone is saying when they give you correction is that you were wrong.

I don't like to be wrong. There, I said it. Are you happy now?

Who does like to be wrong though really? Maybe the guy whose job it is to predict devastating hurricanes. But I digress...

Here is a quick summary of some great verses in the Book of Proverbs that speak to this issue:

Proverbs 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

Proverbs 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

Proverbs 15:31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

Proverbs 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

OK, so it is pretty important for us to be wise and heed the reproof and correction that the Lord gives us. But what about seeking out correction from God?

We all know the old saying about being careful about praying for patience, because we only grow in patience as we are given opportunities to be patient. So should we seek out the correction and reproof of God even if it hurts? Even if we feel a little beat up afterwards?

The obvious, but difficult answer is yes. God's correction is given to us to keep us on track in His plan for our lives, to move us away from sin and toward His righteousness. To make us more like His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

So just as I must have consistent and continual correction as I learn to speak Spanish, we as Christians must have the consistent and continual correction of our Lord. I don't want to have bad habits in my Spanish where I say words or phrases incorrectly. Nor do I want to have bad habits or sin in my life that prevents or hinders me from completing every bit of the plan God has for my life.

God, I want your correction. I want your correction even if it hurts because I know it will yield fruit in my life to your glory if I will take heed to it.

When God gives you correction and reproof, which way do you choose to respond?

Help me Help you Help me

2008-03-31T15:05:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite things to hear come from the mouths of my daughters is the question, "Can I help you with that?". Especially my oldest daughter Avigail has started asking this question a lot.

Many times the question comes in the kitchen, when Keeley or I are cooking a meal. Another common context for this precious question is when I am using my tools to fix or build something.

This morning I heard Avigail pose this question to Keeley in another room and it started me thinking about the ramifications it carries with it. One of the things I considered is the tremendous opportunity to learn that can result from this question. If Keeley and I are careful to grant their requests to help (when possible of course), then our daughters will have the chance to be exposed to many real-life situations and to learn from them.

I want my girls to know how to use common tools to fix stuff, but how will they learn if I don't let them help me? I want my girls to know their way around a kitchen and how to cook meals, but how will they learn if we don't let them crack some eggs?

Next I considered what my reasons are for saying no to their requests to help me. Now I am not saying that every time they ask to help I should say yes, certainly there are times when it is not realistic. But surely I could say yes more than I currently do. So why do I say no when I could say yes? Without having to expel too much smoke from my ears by overtaxing my small brain, I came to the conclusion that the majority of times I say no when I could say yes it is because it would cause me to be inconvenienced.

Yuck. I feel ugly just typing it. It would be easier for me if you don't help me, that's what I am really saying isn't it? I can get this project done faster if you don't help me. I can make breakfast faster and with substantially less mess if you don't help me.

I'll get to the obvious personal application in just a moment.

This thought journey took me next to the fine art of delegation. I will be the first one to admit that I am not good at delegating. I would like to think that I am getting better at it, but I am certainly not where I believe the Lord would want me to be with it yet. For 7 years I had the distinct honor of serving under Pastor Alan Shelby at the Kansas City Baptist Temple. In my opinion, one of Alan's greatest gifts is his ability (and willingness) to delegate. I personally experienced and was witness to many instances when Alan was approached with an idea for ministry by someone serving under him. With a great deal of wisdom, Alan would usually allow the person with the idea to take it and run with it. Many times the person was qualified to undertake the task at hand, but there were other times when it was going to be a stretch for them to accomplish it. I believe Alan was putting into action the same principle that I need to use with my daughters.

Let people try things even though they may fail, even though they may make a mess that will need to be cleaned up (by me). This is how we learn. This is how we grow. It is true for our kids, and it is true in ministry.

I have been guilty of sitting under some great delegators and enjoying growth as a result, then turning around and not granting that same opportunity to those I have influence with.

Growth through trying (and sometimes failing), that's the way God grows me many times. I want to create that kind of environment for growth for my kids and for those God would allow me to influence in His kingdom.

And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way
wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Exodus 18:20

Are you a good delegator? Have you had someone in your life that gave you chances to grow through trying, someone who shewed you how to walk?

More Than Desire

2008-02-13T18:30:00.001-06:00

As many of us are accustomed to doing, I was reading in the book of Proverbs this morning in chapter 13 that corresponds to today's date.

God pointed out many verses in this rich chapter, one of them being verse 10, which is one of my favorite marriage verses. But today God really brought my attention to verse 4.

Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

I was reminded again of the fact that desiring something, and actually realizing it are two different things.

Lots of people desire things to be different in their lives, and yet year after year things go on in the same manner. Why?

The second half of the verse gives us the key in contrast. Everyone desires, but sluggards desire and have nothing. The soul of the diligent desires too, and is made fat because they act in obedience to God's instruction.

So really that is the difference isn't it? Everyone desires, but the diligent act, and therefore realize their desires (Godly desires that is...).

Learning Spanish is a great example of this concept. In our Language School, everyone here desires to learn Spanish. But who will actually see that desire realized? Only those that are diligent to study and practice.

Are there positive things or changes you have desired for your life for a long time now that have never come to pass? Are you being diligent to follow God's direction in order to see those desires realized?

When we desire those things consistent with the Word of God, God will direct you in how to diligently act in obedience. Then the ball is in your court. Sluggard or Diligent?

Psalm 37:4

But I cooked that just for you!

2008-01-17T20:39:00.000-06:00

This time of being at Language School has taken our normal family routine and turned it on its ear. Schedules have changed, free time has changed, and roles within the home have been adjusted significantly.

One of my newly acquired responsibilities is to cook breakfast for the family on weekdays before we go to school. Now before you go and feel too sorry for my wife and daughters, you need to know that my cooking is not too bad. I like to cook and actually have a fairly extensive list of things I can make, considering my gender. So each weekday morning I am challenged to find something tasty, nutritious, and quick to prepare.

It has come to my attention that there is a somewhat negative scenario that can occur when you are responsible for preparing a meal for people. I have actually discussed this scenario with my wife before, but in that instance I was the giving end instead of the receiving end.

What happens is this: The person responsible for preparing the meal uses their mind and hands to lovingly craft some delectable representation of culinary art. The food is carefully served to the intended benefactors, and the proud artisan awaits with bated breath for them to taste of their masterpiece. And then it happens.

- I'm not very hungry
- I'm not feeling well, I'm not going to eat
- This doesn't look very good

These and other possible statements are the dagger thrust into the heart of the chef.

Now I am quite sure that I have thrust many more of these daggers than I have ever received, but a week ago I got stabbed.

Usually the dagger thrusters aren't even aware of the wound they have inflicted. Rarely is it done intentionally, and many times it passes without them realizing anything has even happened.

But for the person who poured themselves into the preparation, only to have it sit untouched and unappreciated, it can be a painful experience.

Obviously, I have embellished the story a bit, but the scenario is certainly a real one. When it happened to me recently, it got me to thinking about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I wondered, since I am made in the image of God (or at least the original pattern was...), does God feel like this whenever I don't utilize that which He has lovingly prepared for me? Perhaps hours of theological debate could be had over this question, but the moral of the story for me is still the same.

God has given to us as Christians so much. His provision out of a heart of love for his children is magnificent. But how often do I leave God's provision for me on the table, untouched and unappreciated.

Specifically, God has impressed upon me the importance of putting on the spiritual armor provided in Ephesians chapter 6. The armor is there, lovingly crafted and prepared for us to benefit from, but many times I do not take advantage of his provision. Now if God has provided for my protection, but I leave the armor in the closet and consequently get shot in the chest by a fiery dart, who do I have to blame?

God promises and provision are so great, I could make a long, long list of things He has set on the table for us to partake of. How many of those things am I "eating" and benefiting from?

And to take it even further, how do I make God feel when He has lovingly provided for me and then I walk away from it without so much as a taste?

My eyes have been opened to the importance of showing appreciation to those that prepare food for my consumption. But more importantly my eyes have been opened to the importance of utilizing all of the provision of God, not just the flavor that sounds good to me at the time.

What provision have you left on the table untouched?

Reductor de Velocidad

2008-01-14T18:16:00.000-06:00

Whenever you take your course on survival driving in Costa Rica, one of the lessons you will learn during your first week is the meaning of this phrase, reductor de velocidad. For most of you this item will be better recognized by its English name: speed bump. Loosely translated, it means "velocity reducer", and they definitely do their job well.

Lots of countries utilize speed bumps, but here in Costa Rica they have some that resemble small mountains. The car God has blessed us with, a Toyota Corolla, is a great car, but it definitely lacks in the area of how high it sits off of the ground.

Because of this, we have to slow to a crawl while crossing the velocity reducers in order not to loudly scrape the frame of our car across the raised mound of concrete.

Sometimes the speed bumps are helpfully painted a bright yellow. Sometimes they are left as black as the road around them so you don't see them until it is too late.

Although I might complain about the speed bumps sometimes, I do realize and appreciate their function. Without them, there would be a lot more accidents or the potential for them.

These reductors de velocidad got me to thinking the other day.

God uses speed bumps in my life.

There are times when I get to moving along too quickly in my life and I need to slow down before having a crash of some sort. Some times God allows me to crash, but many times He puts a speed bump in my life in an attempt to slow me down for my own good.

There is a difference between a speed bump and a wall. If you hit a wall you will stop, but a speed bump is only designed to reduce your velocity.

Here are some examples of speed bumps that God has used to slow down my pace.

- Illnesses (my own or my children's)
- Long unavoidable lines
- Power outages
- Received phone calls
- Friends or neighbors dropping by

Slowing down at speed bumps is still optional isn't it? You can choose to hit them going full speed and get over them quickly. Now you will probably trash your car and leave your muffler behind you, but it can be done.

In the same way, I can choose to not yield to the speed bumps God puts in my life. I can plow right through them being frustrated and irritated that my "agenda" was disrupted, or I can take the God provided opportunity to slow down and catch my breath.

Has God ever put speed bumps in your life?

It is far to easy in today's world to develop a lead-foot lifestyle. We have a tendency to keep the petal to the metal all of the time. Praise God that He will intervene at times and give us the chance to regulate our speed back to something healthy.

What kind of speed bumps has God used to slow you down?

Lunch Sharer or Lunch Trader?

2008-01-11T16:13:00.000-06:00

Back to school. Our 3 week break is over and it is time for us to begin
our 2nd trimester of Language School. The schedule is an hour longer
this trimester due to the large group of students that are beggining
their studies in December. Because of this longer schedule, our girls
are in class longer and therefore need to take their lunch each day,
whereas before we all got out at noon and ate lunch together at home.

Yesterday my almost 5 year old, Avigail, was telling Keeley and I how
she has been sharing her lunch with several of her friends. After doing
the fatherly thing and explaining to her that it was kind to share, but
she needed to make sure she personally ate enough of her lunch in order
to not be hungry too soon, I started to reflect on this desireable trait
my daugter was exibiting.

Thinking back to my elementary school days, I could clearly remember taking my lunch box to school (Scooby-Doo if you must know...) and eating lunch with my friends in the cafeteria (aka the gym). I recall having three distinct categories of items in my lunchbox most days.

First, there was the necessary, but mostly boring main item, usually a sandwich of some variety. Second, was the slightly more appealing side item, commonly potato chips. And then came the third, and most important item, desert. Desert came in many different delicious forms. Anything made by Hostess, Dolly Madison, or Little Debbie was always a big hit.

In the economy of lunch box items, category one items were nearly
worthless in terms of trade value. Category two items had a little
value, especially if you had the envogue flavor of chip. But category
three items were as good as gold.

As each pre-adolescent boy unlatched and opened his cartoon themed metal
lunch box, a quick scan of the contents was made and eyes become fixed
upon the prized pieces. The lunchroom floor is now open for trading.
In a mad flury of bids, rejections, counter-bds, and deals closing, the
trading process begins and ends. Usually everyone ended up happier at
the end of trading (unless you traded for an "unknown" and ended up not
liking it).

So what does this have to do with my daughter? As I already mentioned,
she is a lunch sharer. As is evident from my story, I am (or at least
was) a lunch trader.

My daughter simply shares her lunch with her friends without asking for
anything in return. She enjoys giving away that which is valuable to
her simply because it brings joy to others. As I reflected on my days
as a lunch trader, I realized that I only gave away that which was
valuable to me if I was going to receive in return something of equal or
greater value.

Have I carried that same "lunch trader" mentality into my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Do I only share with others that which is valuable to me when I am going to receive something in return?

The answers to these questions has prompted me to get on my face before God and ask for his forgiveness.

I want to be a man who freely gives of all that God has entrusted to my care. God please make me a lunch sharer.

Are you a lunch sharer or a lunch trader?

I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas

2007-12-25T09:45:00.000-06:00

It is 9:42 am, Christmas Day 2007, and I am sitting on our sofa in our house in San Jose, Costa Rica. There is Christmas music playing on the stereo. Our two girls are playing with the presents they opened EARLY this morning. Today is our first Christmas spent outside of the United States.

Although December is technically in the "Drier Season" here in Costa Rica, it is heavily raining right now. There have been very few rainy days in December thus far, mostly just some sprinkles here and there that didn't last very long.

Earlier this morning I was gazing out of our living room window at the plants in our small back yard, wondering if they had been getting enough water during these drier months. God decided to bring out his watering can and give them a drink. We have a small new gardenia plant in our backyard next to the large cactus tree. We are patiently waiting for the sweet white blooms to appear so we can enjoy the lovely fragrance. I was never a big fan of gardenia-scented items when we lived in Kansas City. Keeley used to make candles, and gardenia was a pretty big seller for her, but I never cared for it much. One day at our Language School here we were walking down the main sidewalk that leads to our class rooms when we were captured by the scent of something wonderful. Planted next to the sidewalk is a large gardenia plant with many flowers. It has become part of our morning routine to "stop and smell the flowers" on our way to our classes.

This Christmas is very different than what we are used to. But as I stop to reflect on where we are and what God is doing in our lives, there are so many sweet blossoms to smell and enjoy.

Thanks God for giving us your only Son. Thanks God for giving us so
much to be thankful for. Thanks God for giving us fragrant blessings to
stop and enjoy.

What fragrant blessings has God placed in your life today? Are you slowing down long enough to enjoy them deeply?

Merry Christmas!

Nicarauguan Adventure

2007-12-23T17:51:00.001-06:00

When we came into Costa Rica, the immigration office issued us a Tourist Visa that is good for three months. In order to stay in the country longer than that, we have to either get a different type of Visa or leave the country for 72 hours and then come back in to renew the Tourist Visa for another three months.

We are in the process of getting all of our paperwork together to apply for a Student Visa which will be good for six months and can be renewed without leaving the country. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, so it is taking longer than expected.

So we needed to leave the country and then come back in.

Some friends of ours who graduated from the Language Institute this month were moving to a city in Northwestern Costa Rica called La Cruz. We offered to drive the 6 hour trip with them to help unload their moving truck. After looking at a map, I realized that La Cruz is very close to the Nicaraguan border, only about 40 minutes driving. It seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up, so we decided to make a trip accross the border after we finished helping our friends move.

Using the power of the internet, I was able to locate and secure some lodging for us on an island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is an enormous lake at the Southern end of Nicaragua. It rivals the Great Lakes in size, we are talking really big. So this island is called Ometepe and consists of two volcanoes with some flat land around and in between. It is roughly the shape of a figure eight with a slight bend in the middle. I spoke to the man at the hotel who spoke English very well and made our reservations.

On Sunday morning, December 17th, our friend in La Cruz drove us to the border and dropped us off. We found ourselves in a sea of people that were crossing the border in one direction or the other. No signs directing us where to begin the process, no information booth to point us in the right direction. So after observing the flow of people for a little while, we got into the line that seemed to be head the direction we wanted to go. The Costa Rican police man at the head of the line examined our passports and informed us that we needed to get our Costa Rican exit stamp before he would let us through. He pointed to the building we needed to go to which was about 300 yards in the direction we had just come from.

The building that houses Costa Rican immigration looks like a bus station due to the number of busses that are parked there. Since the busses are crossing the border too, everyone on the busses must get off and go into the immigration office to get their exit stamp too. Needless to say, this makes the lines VERY long. Eventually we got our exit stamps and led our hot and tired daughters back to the line we waited in at the beginning.

This time the police man let us through and we entered into a kind of "limbo" zone. It was a wierd place that wasn't Costa Rica and wasn't Nicaragua, just this peice of land in between that was loaded with food vendors and people that wanted to "help" us pale skinned tourists. It is not a comfortable thing to stand out in these types of situations. We can be as culturally sensitive as possible, but there is no changing the fact that we are four gringos in a place with very few other gringos. That means we instantly became targets for anyone with something to sell. So in addition to watching our girls, watching our backpacks, protecting our pockets, and trying to figure out where to go next, we also had to fend of the multiple people offering their "services".

After two hours of waiting in long, hot lines, we made it through Nicarauguan immigration. We had secured a taxi already and he was ready for us as soon as we got our entry stamp. He drove us to Rivas, which is a city on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Here a large ferry boat took us over to the Isla de Ometepe.

We enjoyed the island. There was a nice beach at the hotel where we stayed, and the food was pretty good.

On Wednesday morning at 4:30 am it was time to begin our trip back accross the border and home to San Jose. We took the island taxi back to the port where the ferry would pick us up. Rode the ferry back accross the lake to Rivas. Took a taxi back to the border. Waited in more lines to get out of Nicaragua and back into Costa Rica. Got our entry stamps (and our renewed tourist visas) at the Costa Rican immigration office. Then finally took another taxi back to our friends house in La Cruz where we spent the night.

Wow was it good to be back in Costa Rica!! It is always more comfortable to be in the familiar, and for us Costa Rica has become the familiar.

God took great care of us the entire trip. We never felt in danger or lacked for anything.

This trip removed any hint of procrastination on my part to submit our paperwork to obtain a Student Visa. The next time we leave Costa Rica I want it to be because we want to, not because we have to.

God's Hand Upon Us

2007-12-03T05:34:00.000-06:00

I am not much of a shopper. Surely this does not come as much of a surprise since I am a man, and most men are not shoppers by nature. So while I enjoy celebrating Christmas with family and friends, I do not enjoy the craziness this time of year brings to any store bearing the description of "retail".

Here in Costa Rica, I have not been able to escape this end-of-the-year phenomenon that causes me to be extremely fond of online shopping.

This past Saturday Keeley and I and some other friends of ours from the Language Institute traveled down town (by public bus) to the Avenida Central to do some Christmas shopping. This part of San Jose is an enjoyable place to visit. There is an approximately 10 block stretch of Central Avenue that has been converted to a walking mall, so you don't have to be distracted with being run over. (Pedestrians here have the right........the right to be run over). It was extra crowded with Christmas shoppers.

So we were picking up some gifts here and there, enjoying our time downtown, when we ran into some close friends of ours from our church. We stopped and talked for a little while and I introduced them to the other students that were with us. While we were talking, my Tico friend (who has a lot of street smarts) interrupts and says, "There are three guys standing behind you all that are waiting to rob you, I recognize one of them". He then tells us to all turn around and stare at them.

All eleven of us proceed to turn around and stare at these three men who were suspiciously standing behind us. They weren't going around us, and they weren't looking at a store, they were waiting for an opportunity. Needless to say, they were the ones that looked uncomfortable when we demonstrated clearly that we knew they were there and we knew what their intentions were. After staring at them for a long time (I'm sure it was every bit of 30 seconds...), my friend instructed us to keep walking down the avenue while he waited there to make sure they would not follow us.

Down the avenue we went, stopping to look behind us every so often. No one followed us, and we concluded our visit to downtown without incident.

Yesterday at church I was able to find out the rest of the story from my friend. He said that after we started walking again, the three men began to walk after us. He stood in their way and told them they would have to deal with him first. At that point they quickly left in another direction.

While reading this morning in the book of Ezra, I came upon this verse that reminded me clearly of how God's hand was upon us.

Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
Ezra 8:31

Was it coincidence that we ran into our friends downtown at just that moment of time? Definitely it was not coincidence. It was the hand of our God upon us.

Could God have allowed us to have been robbed and then used that event in our life to draw us closer to Him? Yes, that could have happened too. But I was reminded of how closely God interacts with every detail of our life, big and small. What an awesome God we serve.

The hand of God is upon His children, most of the time we are not intentional enough about seeing it. How do you see the hand of God upon you?

Does a high dollar turkey taste better?

2007-11-24T16:30:00.000-06:00

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We did.

This was our first American holiday not shared by those in our new home here in Costa Rica. We decided to celebrate with a traditional meal shared by 14 other people in our home.

Since you can hardly have a "traditional" Thanksgiving meal without a turkey, we searched for one of the fabulous flavorful fowls. There are several stores here that cater to the large gringo population in Costa Rica, and they stock frozen whole turkeys for this special day. For a price that is.

I must confess, it has been a while since I "personally" purchased a turkey from a grocery store in the states, so I can't tell you exactly what a turkey normally costs these days at a typical supermarket in Missouri. But I am quite confident they are much more afordable then the gobblers available here. 32 big ones. No, not 32 thousand. Well, in Colones (Costa Rican currency) it was 16,000, but in US dollars it ran us $32.00 for the medium sized bird.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I am glad there are turkeys available at all. It was a wonderful treat. Keeley cooked it up wonderfully, moist and juicy. Along with the other usual suspects you find accompanying the turkey, we enjoyed a great meal and great fellowship with some new friends from our Language School, and some new friends from our church here.

To top it all off, our cable company here provides NBC, ABC, and CBS. So we were able to enjoy the traditional American Football games too.

Culture or Bible

2007-11-20T15:16:00.000-06:00

The Bible is the authority by which we should live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

Culture is what largely determines how we behave as a people group.

But what happens when culture goes against Bible teaching?

Sure, the answer is an easy one. We need to obey the Word of God instead of conforming to culture. The reason I bring up this topic is that I have had to really pay attention to the difference between culture and Bible as I seek to adapt to the new culture I am in here in Costa Rica.

Because I was so familiar with "American Culture" (or at least the culture of Kansas City, MO), it was fairly easy to identify elements of that culture that did not line up with the Bible. But here in Costa Rica, I am learning new elements of culture all of the time. With each new part of the culture I am exposed to I must examine it in light of God's Word.

Most of the culture clearly falls on one side or the other, but there are a few things I have had to take a closer look at. I want to give one example, but please understand that I am not trying to complain about the culture, only to make my point.

Driving a car in San Jose, Costa Rica is an adventure. Part of the culture in regards to driving is that in general it is every driver for themselves. It is defensive driving to the extreme. You have to expect people to do the unexpected becuase they will. (Maybe the unexpected needs to become what I learn to expect?). Anyway, it is uncommon to let anyone into traffic ahead of you, even if they are just trying to get onto the road and not "cut" in line. So I was faced with a question. Surely courtesy, putting others before yourself, and kindness are biblical qualities. So these qualities should affect the way I drive here should they not?

Culture or Bible? In this particular case it seems to be one or the other. I want to choose Bible even if it means I make it to my destination 2 minutes later.

Most elements of a culture do not go against the principles of the Word of God. But for those things that do, I must be careful to not go with the flow.

Only dead fish swim with the current. :-)

Visit From a Friend

2007-11-06T15:20:00.000-06:00

Two weekends ago we had the pleasure of enjoying a visit from our dear friend and pastor, Marco Castro. Marco pastors the Spanish Ministry at the Kansas City Baptist Temple in Kansas City, MO.

Marco was in San Jose to preach at a church for their 5th year anniversary.

We had a great time drinking some Costa Rican coffee and catching up on what is going on. It was fun to practice my Spanish with him and be able to speak much more than when we were in Kansas City. It was encouraging to talk more about our church's vision and how we will fit into that vision in the future. Lot's of exciting things on the horizon!

Marco was kind enough to bring us a bundle of things from the States that are difficult or expensive to get here. A bottle of Advil (there are lots of pain killers here, but not much ibuprofen), some quality umbrellas that have already gotten lots of use, a Franklin electronic translator, and a waterproof baseball hat for me.

The fellowship was great. Getting the items we needed was much appreciated. But even more than those things, having a touch from the familiar was a real blessing. Everything here is new. And although we are adjusting to the newness just fine, it sure was nice to visit face to face with a familiar friend.

The Pressure Cooker

2007-10-11T17:07:00.000-06:00

Sounds of childhood. Most of us have memories of those don’t we? One of the sounds I remember was the electric mixer my Mom would used to make mashed potatoes. It was really loud and whenever she would use it there would lines of static that would appear across the television. My brother and I always got so bent out of shape when that happened.

Another sound I remember for distinctly is the sound of the pressure cooker. It was sort of a gentle hissing sound that would go on for hours and hours. Anyone else have that sound captured in your head?

Pressure cookers are really pretty amazing. Basically, by increasing the pressure inside the cooker, you are able to cook whatever is inside faster and more efficiently. You can take a really tough cut of meat, cook it in the pressure cooker, and it will come out tender.

Today I want us to look at the Nation of Israel and the pressure cooker they were in for 40 years as they wandered in the wilderness.

Now we all know the stories of what happened to Israel in the wilderness, good and bad. But let’s look at why God said he put Israel through the pressure cooker.

Turn with me to:
Deuteronomy 8:1-2
(1) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
(2) And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

God tells us here what his purposes were for allowing Israel to wander for those 40 years:
1. To humble them
2. To prove them
3. To know what was in their heart
4. To know whether or not they would keep his commandments

I lined up a special treat for us today so we could learn more about what God was doing in the lives of the Israelites as they wandered.

Please join me in welcoming our first guest. A man named Eliezer who is wandering in the wilderness with the Nation of Israel.

1st Israelite man to interview – Eliezer

Ryan –
Hi Eliezer, thanks for taking time out of your journey to join us here today.

So now that you are half way through with wandering in the wilderness….

Eliezer –
What!! We are only half way through???

Ryan-
Oops, sorry, I don’t think I was supposed to tell you that….

So anyway, I wanted to see if you could tell us about how your journey to the Promised Land is going.

Eliezer –
· This has been a TERRIBLE experience

· The food is so different than what I am used to. We eat rice & beans….I mean manna & quail for EVERY meal

· Moses gives us homework EVERY night and even over the weekend.

· We’re supposed to follow the teacher….I mean the cloud and fire that is leading us where we are supposed to go. But I really doubt they are taking us on the best route.

· One time we came to a new place and we weren’t supposed to drink from the pool of water because it was bitter. Then Moses through a stick into the water and said it was OK to drink now. Come on!! A stick??

· Anyway, this journey has been just awful. Every time we turn around there is some need to be met or challenge to be overcome. Moses is always saying trust God, trust God, blah blah blah. I think this journey is going to kill me!

Ryan –
OK…
Well, thank you Eliezer for coming today to share your perspective. It has been very…enlightening…

Now let’s welcome our second special guest from the Nation of Israel, Caleb.

2nd Israelite man to interview – Caleb

Ryan –
Hello Caleb, thanks for taking time out of your journey to the Promised Land to join us here today.

So now that you are half way through with wandering in the wilderness….

Caleb –
Wooo hooo!! We are half way through already?? That is wonderful news. God has been so faithful to us.

Ryan –
Well fantastic, I am glad to hear that is encouraging news for you. So I brought you here today to see if you would share your perspective on how the journey is going.

Caleb –
Great, thanks for asking me to be here.
· This journey has been an AWESOME time to see the mighty hand of God at work in our lives.

· God has miraculously provided us with all of the food we need to eat each day. Not only that, but God has given us variety in both manna AND quail!

· Sometimes I don’t understand where or why God is leading us by the cloud and the pillar of fire, but I trust that where He leads me is always best. I know that He will use those in authority over me to guide me as well. God has given us great leaders in Moses and Joshua.

· And the things God has done for us!! Don’t get me started!!
- The parting of the Red Sea
- The fresh food every day
- Water to drink when we need it

I could go on and on.

Oh, there was this time that we were really thirsty and we found this pool of water. But the water in the pool was bitter and not safe to drink. God told Moses to throw a stick into the water and voila! The water was made good!!

· So I would have to say that this journey has been awesome so far. Every time we turn around there is some need to be met or challenge to be overcome. And every time, God shows Himself strong on our behalf. What a blessing and privilege to see the hand of God at work right before our very eyes.

Ryan –
Wow. Thanks Caleb for sharing your perspective. It certainly is exciting to hear about what God is doing in your life.

I. One of the major things that will determine “how” we go through the pressure cooker God has us in is Perspective

- Perspective is how you view something. It is the lenses through which you look at the circumstances of your life.

- We always joke about the glass being half full or half empty. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I meet a lot of people that say, “I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist, I am a realist”. And that’s great, because God is a realist too, and we are supposed to be like Him right?

- The question becomes, are you letting the reality of God’s constant, never wavering, unfailing care for His children govern your perspective?

Do you know what happens to the cooker if too much pressure builds up inside? That’s right; you will have the Big Bang in your kitchen. Let me share with you one of the critical design elements of a pressure cooker.

On top of the lid is a little valve with a very important function. This little valve is designed in such a way to allow the right amount of pressure to build inside the cooker in order for effective cooking to take place, but it allows the pressure to escape when there is too much. This is what makes that lovely hissing noise I talked about.

Look with me in:
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
(1) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
(2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
(3) And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
(4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
(5) But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
(6) Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
(7) Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
(8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
(9) Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
(10) Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
(11) Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
(12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

(13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

II. The second thing that is critical to being in God’s pressure cooker is the relief valve of a right relationship with Him.

- God promises to never put more pressure than we can bear…..IF we use the way of escape.

- When we are walking with God in intimate fellowship, there is nothing He will allow in our lives that will cause us to blow up.

- Instead it will end up doing in our lives the very same things he intended for the Nation of Israel.

1. To humble us
2. To prove us
3. To know what is in our hearts
4. To know whether or not we will keep His commandments

The pressure cooker of Language School.

The pressure cooker of the mission field.

1. What is your perspective like today? Murmuring and complaining, or rejoicing at the hand of God in your life?

2. What is the condition of your pressure relief valve? Is your intimate relationship with God open and functioning?

First Semester Spanish Spanish Love Song

2007-09-30T15:21:00.001-06:00

Waiter, there's a gecko in my shower...

2007-09-24T19:21:00.000-06:00

Does anyone remember that little skit on Sesame Street? Where the muppet with the bald blue head orders some soup and then explains to the waiter (Grover) that there is a fly in his soup?

Anyway....

Tonight I heard some mild screaming coming from our front bathroom. Keeley was about to give our girls a shower (since there are no bathtubs here) and before they got in they noticed a little visitor was already in the shower.

There in the corner of our tile shower was a small gecko, about 3 inches long.

We were able to scoop him up into a little plastic aquarium we have. The girls have had a great time looking at him. Geckos are very common here, but this is the first one we have found in our house. They eat the bugs that we don't want, so he is a welcomed friend.

Dreaming in Spanish

2007-09-18T14:12:00.000-06:00

Many people who are fluent in a second or third language have told me about a good indicator of language proficiency. They say that you really have an excellent command of the language when you begin to dream in it. Now, I also know some people who say they never remember their dreams, so for those folks this indicator won’t work.

Since we started language institute two weeks ago to learn Spanish, I feel like my head is full to the top with sustantivos (nouns), adjetivos (adjectives), articulos (articles), and verbos (verbs). Our teachers give us homework assignments and many times I am working to complete them before I nod off for the night.

Several nights ago I sat up in bed and started to speak (this happens on a fairly regular basis and Keeley has had a variety of reactions ranging from amused to annoyed). Usually whenever I sit up in bed it wakes Keeley up and she asks me what is wrong. On this particular occasion my reply was something like this, “I can’t find el verbo” (which happens to be a fine example of Spanglish).

Upon realizing that once again I was talking gibberish, Keeley sighed and went back to sleep.

Now for those of you that talk in your sleep or try to talk about your dreams first thing in the morning before you are “really” awake, you can relate to me when I say that at the time you are saying whatever you are saying, it makes complete and perfect sense. Because of this I am always bewildered at why my wife is looking at me like I am crazy when I say these things. Fortunately we are able to have a good laugh about it in the morning after she reminds me of my dream-induced statements of nonsense.

So although I can’t yet say that I am dreaming “in” Spanish, I can with full confidence say that I am dreaming “about” Spanish.

First Time on the Roads

2007-09-15T15:10:00.000-06:00

Today I had the opportunity to experience another first. Driving in a Latin American country.

We went out to lunch with some Tico friends, and as we were about to leave for the restaurant my friend asked me to drive his car. I resisted, he insisted, so off we went.

Just about all of the cars here are stick shifts. Fortunately I have owned several in the past and can get in one and have it all come back to me (I learned to drive a stick by going around and around the Independence Center shopping mall).

Today is a national holiday here in Costa Rica, it is Independence Day. Because of this, traffic was lighter than usual, so it was probably a good day for my first outing behind the wheel. Unlike the States, most businesses were still open today even though it is a holiday. This made selecting a restaurant fairly easy. At the recommendation of our friends, we went to a seafood place called El Balcon del Marisco. Goooood stuff!! I had some ceviche that was out of this world.

After lunch we went shopping at a store called "Pequeño Mundo". They sell a little bit of everything at cheap prices. I bought a cool Costa Rica shirt for $2.00 US.

Upon leaving this store it started to rain. So it was time for another first, driving in Costa in the Costa Rican rain. And although we passed a bad accident, we made it home without being a part of one.

It was fun to drive again. It has been almost one month since I drove last in Kansas City. It seems strange to have gone that long without driving. We did find a car for sale that we are interested in, so maybe we will have some wheels of our own soon. Then it will be time to stay off the sidewalks. No, really. I'm serious. The sidewalks are just for walking here. :-)

Potty Mouth

2007-09-08T18:48:00.000-06:00

In our language school we have three classes each day.

- Language - 1 hour

- Phonetics - 1 hour

- Grammar - 2 hours

In phonetics class we are focusing on learning to make the right sounds in order to correctly pronounce Spanish words.

One of the exercises that our teacher has us do is to recite a list of sounds that help us learn to put the sounds of different letters together. These are not real words mind you, just combinations of sounds based on the vowels.

Some of the sounds end up being pretty funny sounding. This past Thursday we were going through and reciting the sounds that go with the vowel "u". Upon reaching a certain part of the list of sounds, it was all I could do to contain myself.

Listening to a room of 5 grown men and a serious Tica Spanish teacher say "upu pu" (Sounds like "ooh poo poo") struck me as incredibly funny. Some other choice sounds were "upi pi" and "udu du".

Now I know what you are saying, how juvenile of me. And I have to say I agree, it is juvenile.

Maybe my 4 and 2 year old girls are rubbing off on me. Maybe I cracked under the pressure of learning. Maybe I never grew out of thinking that innocent bathroom language (or sounds) were funny.

Whatever the reason, I am going to have to exercise self-control in my phonics class in order to not disrupt our learning. :-)

Driver's License Adventure

2007-09-07T15:23:00.000-06:00

We all have stories about going to the DMV, waiting in long lines, and then finding out you are missing one of the documents you need. Well, this past Wednesday, Keeley and I added an experience to our list of stories.

A Tico friend of ours (Costa Ricans refer to themselves as Ticos) offered to help us get our Costa Rican driver's licenses. There is a one month window of time after you arrive in the country when you can get a license without taking the test (in Spanish). So needless to say, we wanted to take advantage of this window and get it taken care of the "easy" way.

Copy of our Missouri driver's licenses, front and back.......check.
Copy of our entire passports, including the blank pages....check.
Money for the license fee ...................................check.

Everything we need to complete the process. Or so we thought.

So off to the license department we go with our Tico friend driving the four of us. Then it starts to rain as we are driving through downtown. No big deal, it rains all of the time here.

Then it starts to hail. That does NOT happen all of the time here. Most Ticos don't use ice in their drinks, much less have it falling from the sky.

After experiencing our first tropical hail storm, we made it to our destination. Inside our friend asked the nice man at the information booth where we needed to conduct our transaction. He directed us to a waiting area in front of some teller windows. After waiting for about ten minutes and moving from seat to seat (it was a sitting line, not a standing one..), our friend asks one of the tellers if we are in the right place. "No", was the answer, we needed to go to another building further back in the complex. So off we go, our girls in tow, to the building in the back.

The next building had an armed guard at the door that would check your documents to see if you had everything before he would allow you to enter. He checked our documents and directed us to a booth containing one of 5 clerks. The woman in our booth looked at our documents and asked, "Medico examin?". Ummm.....yeah......ummm.....didn't know about the medical examination. Our friend had called to see what we would need, and apparently this little piece of information had not been communicated.

OK, so now in order to make this whole adventure something other than an large investment of time with little to show for it, we needed to quickly get medical examinations and return to this building and get our licenses.

We all loaded into the car and tried to find somewhere close to get this medico examin that we needed. Our Tico friend knows someone just about everywhere we have gone with him, and this situation was no different. After consulting with one of his "friends", we drove around the corner to a couple of small buildings. The change in neighborhood "atmosphere" that occurred in just one block of driving was quite drastic. We went from a downtown business district not unlike many cities in the US, to a back alley location like you see in the movies and say, "Oh my, what are they doing in a place like that?". While Keeley waited in the car with our girls (doors locked), I went with my friend into a small building (around 10' x 15') to get my medico examin. Here is how it went:
- I handed my passport to a lady sitting at a small desk.
- She filled out a form with my information and handed it to a man at a second desk
- I paid her 12,000 Colones (around $24 US) for both Keeley and I

- The man at the second desk asked me if I had any diseases, how much did I weigh, and how tall was I.

- I signed the medico examin certificate.

- Done. I walked out with my official medico examin document.

(Keeley came in after I was done and had a very similar experience, the only difference being she had to read a line of letters on a wall mounted vision chart)

Now it was back to the other building. After showing the same guard our same documents PLUS the medico examins, we went into the booths again to present our documents. This time we had everything we needed and the process continued fine. We took some papers they gave us outside to a mobile bank (a large van with two teller windows in the side of it) and paid for our two licenses. Upon receiving our official receipts, we went back inside the building, presented our papers in the booths again. Next it was time to get our pictures taken, so across the room we went to wait in line for our pictures. We smiled for the camera, put our fingerprints into the system with an electronic scanner, and then sat to down to wait for our completed licenses to be ready. A few minutes later they called our names and it was official.

We have our Costa Rican drivers licenses!! Exhausted, but pleased, we returned home thanking God for allowing us to get this done in one day. Some hassles are universal.

New Fruit - Manzana de Agua

2007-08-27T10:22:00.000-06:00

One of the many things I love about Latin America is all of the fruits that are available that you can't find (or easily find) in the US.

Last night after church we went to the house of a family that lives near us in our bario, San Francisco de dos rios. They are wonderful people and extremely helpful as we learn to become Ticos.

While we were visiting their home, they introduced us to a fruit none of us had tried before, Manzana de agua. In English it would be "water apple". Wow. Delicious. It is roughly the shape of a small pear with a one large seed inside. My wife described the taste as like eating a sweet smelling flower. Our kids loved them too.

We will be hunting for these when we go to the feria (local farmers market) next weekend!!

Better Than Bars

2007-08-22T15:58:00.000-06:00

If you have ever vistited a Latin American country (or downtown Kansas City), than you are very familiar with the bars and gates on every door and window of every house.

Our house is no exception. We have a front gate, a gate at the front door, and several locks on the wooden front door. I feel like I have moved into Fort Knox.

Last night while we slept, there was a loud clanging on one of the many locked gates around our house. Keeley woke me up because it sounded like someone was trying to get in.

OK. Adrenaline is pumping. Now I need a weapon....OK found a metal flashlight. Then it dawned on me that I don't even know what to yell at an intruder in a language they will understand. Some choice Clint Eastwood or Arnold Swartzenager lines should do, everyone knows those. So around our dark house I crept.

After a thorough checking of all the gates and doors, I was satisfied that our home was still secure and no breach had taken place.

Now I need to go back to sleep. Right. While I waited for the adreneline to be absorbed back into my body, I prayed with Keeley and pondered what had just happened. Here are some thoughts.

Here we are in a new place where there is so much to learn about and adjust to. Satan would love to have us be consumed by fear and worried about our safety at every turn. It would be easy to be so preoccupied with fear that we are unable to minister the way God would have us to. As we prayed, we asked God to give us a spirit of power, and of love, and a sound mind.

Because after all, God is exceedingly better protection for my family and I than some steel bars on our doors and windows. The same God that stopped the mouths of lions from eating Daniel is the same God that brought us here to Costa Rica. The same God that protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the firey furnace is the same God that brought the sun up on our new home today. God wants to build our faith, and last night He used to rattling bars to draw us closer to himself.

By the way, after talking to the neighbors behind us today we found out that there are some cats that fight each other at night and they scamper up the gates causing them to rattle. They also run on the roofs making a racket too. God is good, all of the time.

Jones'n For Some Internet

2007-08-22T15:42:00.000-06:00

Yes, I'll admit it. When I have to go for more than a day or two without checking my e-mail, I start to get symtoms. Hands get shaky, my mind wanders, I even start to crave SPAM.

Just kidding about the SPAM, that stuff is nasty. Anyway, when we arrived in Costa Rica early last Sunday morning (about 2am), I began an involuntary Internet fast that lasted until Monday evening at 6pm. Can you believe that?? Over 24 hours without e-mail!!

I am feeling better now though. A couple who lives behind us has internet and a wireless router, so we are using their wireless internet (with permission...).

Seriously though. The Internet is a great tool, but I am a little disgusted with myself for missing it so greatly. I need to use it when it is there, but change my grip on it from a white-knuckle to a gentle handshake.

I'll write more later, I need to catch up on my web-surfing. :-)

30 Seconds of Encouragement - 8/18/07

2007-08-22T12:44:00.001-06:00

There we were, rushing through one of the largest, busiest airports in the United States. Atlanta International. Passing through a corridor on our way to use an elevator (since the large off-road double stroller we brought will not fit on an escalator), I heard someone call out my name. Not that the name Ryan is all that uncommon, but in general you don’t hear names of any kind being yelled out in the middle of a busy airport.

I looked to see who it was that was trying to get my attention (or the attention of someone else with my name), and my eyes fell upon a familiar face. It was Jim Edwards from the Kansas City Baptist Temple. Some of you already know why Jim was in the Atlanta airport at that moment and why it was so cool to see him, but for those of you that do not, let me explain.

Jim Edwards and 24 other people from our church, the Kansas City Baptist Temple, were on a weeklong trip to San Jose, Costa Rica to help with some construction work at the church of KCBT missionary Greg Kedrovsky. Our original plan had been to travel with this team for our move to Costa Rica, but the blessing of using Delta Skymiles to purchase all of our tickets required us to travel a week later on the day of their return. Twelve members of this team had graciously volunteered to help us in our move to Costa Rica by each carrying a suitcase full of our stuff. This was an huge blessing and allowed us to bring a total of 22 suitcases (12 with them, plus 10 of our own) to our new home in Costa Rica. Not only did this save us a lot of money, it also provided the manpower to move that many pieces of luggage from one place to another.

Jim and another member of the team were hurrying to catch their flight from Atlanta back to Kansas City, while we were hurrying to catch our flight from Atlanta to San Jose, Costa Rica.

So in that enormous airport filled with thousands of people, God saw fit to encourage us by crossing our path with some members of the very team that had been such a blessing to us. We only had time to say hi and smile, but it was a bright spot in our trip at just the right time.

Coincidence you say? No, not coincidence, God’s providence. God is so good to us, and He is always right on time with the way He meets our needs, big or small.

We made it!!

2007-08-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

2:00 am and smelling like we had carried more carry-on luggage than technically allowed through two airports and airplanes, we pulled up to the house that will be our home for the next two years in San Jose, Costa Rica. Whew.

Our girls were exhausted. We were exhausted. But we made it without any trouble and no worse for wear.

The man that picked us up from the airport, Ronnie, is a nice guy and very helpful. He has a big van and does a lot of driving for students at the school we are going to attend. He already had the key to our house and helped us get the luggage inside.

After locking the outside gate, the inside gate, and the three locks on the front door, we settled into our beds and got some much needed sleep.

The next day we started going through the suitcases and trying to put things where they belong. The house is every bit as good as the pictures, we are very pleased and grateful for it.

Thanks again for all of our prayers. God blessed us with a great trip. From the extremely friendly Delta ticketing agent that helped us check all of our heavy bags, to the Costa Rican customs that didn’t take even give a second look at the strange household items we were bringing in as tourists, God went before us and prepared the way.

Just like the Nation of Israel in Joshua chapter 3, as soon as we obeyed and stepped into the river of God’s plan, He has parted the waters and allowed us to go across on dry ground. Praise God.

Only 16 Days Left!

2007-08-02T11:08:00.001-06:00

Time's fun when your having flies.

It is hard for me to believe that in only 16 more days we will be moving to Costa Rica. It has gone from seeming like it was ages away, to now being right at our feet.

God has been so faithful (as He always is) to open doors for us and provide for our every need. We have our house rented, our van sold, and have gotten rid of most of the stuff we are not going to keep. I am trying to start a new practice in my life beginning with this move: not keeping junk.

We are excited to get into our rented house in Costa Rica and get settled. We will have a couple of weeks to rest before starting school, so we are grateful for that. 18 Suitcases. That is what we need to fit our families' possessions into. Really makes you evaluate what you need.

It is a surreal feeling to be at the church these days. Another missionary told me about the "disconnect" that begins to occur several weeks before you depart. It is something that is difficult to even describe with words, but very clear to those experiencing it. It is not like people stop being friendly or talking to you or anything like that, it is just a sense that a separation has begun already. They are going about their lives here in Kansas City, and they are letting us go to begin our new adventure in Costa Rica. Not a negative thing, but definitely a thing. Maybe I will talk more about this concept in my book about being a missionary. :-)

Jalapeños, Squirrels, and a Lesson in Honesty

2007-06-07T11:59:00.000-06:00

My wife has a green thumb, and mine has shades of green here and there, so we decided to grow some vegetable plants in pots in our backyard. A tomato plant, some cilantro, and one jalapeño pepper plant.

Mmmmm....fresh jalapeño peppers. I like them alot.

The pepper plant was the first to bloom and soon thereafter a small pepper started to form at the top of the plant. Excitedly I would check the pepper plant's progress per passing day. The bigger the pepper grew, the more I could imagine the fiery goodness it would add to some savoury dish. During a pepper progress check, my dream came to a tragic end. The pepper was gone.

Gone!! Who could have taken my precious pre-pubescent pepper? My mind scanned through the usual suspects: birds, squirrels, the next door neighbor. Squirrels. Squirrels. It had to have been the squirrels!! We have 987 of them living in our backyard. My wife agreed with my surmising, so immediately I began to devise a plan to properly protect and preserve my potted peppers.

Pellet gun, check. Wire mesh for protective pepper cage, check. Dogged determination to see the next juvenile jalapeño reach adulthood, check.

Now this whole pepper-stealing-squirrels saga had been played out in living color before my two lovely daughters, 4 and 2 years old. Several days after the crime had occurred, and before any thieving squirrel had lost it's life at my hand, my 4 year old daughter approached my wife immediately after waking from her afternoon nap.

Confession is cleansing to the soul they say, and my daughter did some cleansing. She plead guilty to picking the small pepper and throwing it in the grass. When asked what her motive was for pre-maturely ending the life of the pepper, she said, "It was squishy".

Of course we were very proud of her for admitting what she had done instead of letting the squirrels take the fall, and so she was encouraged accordingly.

We now have clearly established the boundaries for vegetable picking in our mini-garden, squishy or not.

Amends have been made with the representative from the nut-gatherers union and there is a new pepper developing on the pepper plant. Harmony has been restored. :-)

Confessions of a Coffee Snob

2007-05-17T08:29:00.000-06:00

It's an aquired taste.

That's what people used to tell me about about coffee before I had ever tried it. Anything that smells as good as roasted coffee beans has to taste just as good right?

My first experience with coffee was a large styrofoam cup full of "silver tanker" coffee. Silver Tankers are the large silver pots that you find in churches filled with Folgers (if you are lucky...) or some other inexpensive grocery store brand. I tried a sip, made a grimmace at the bitter yuck in my mouth, and headed straight for the cream and sugar. Contrary to my efforts, copius amounts of cream and sugar added to the yuck coffee only made it taste like sweet creamy yuck. This memorable event took place sometime in 1994.

After that, I avoided coffee for the most part. Engaging only in the occasional cup socially at get-togethers. That all changed when I met the woman who is now my wife. While we were dating, she opened my eyes to a world of coffee I didn't know existed. Starbucks. Now I am not even talking about going to the cafes and ordering drinks, she just made some drip coffee from purchased starbucks beans. She persuaded me to try a cup. I couldn't believe my mouth! No rancid bitter after taste! No yuck! It tasted like it smelled!

And so began my journey into the world of good coffee. I wonder how many other people there are in the world that say they don't like coffee, whose only experience with the savory beverage is Silver Tanker Folgers?

A friend of mine who is a far bigger coffee snob than I am recently suggested I try drinking my coffee from a French Press. He said this is the way to truly enjoy the full flavor of the coffee bean. Initial reports are: delicious, much better, full bodied flavor.

Try a cup of the good stuff. But be careful, it could change your life... :-)

My Mind is in the Gutter

2007-05-09T07:47:00.000-06:00

Here in Kansas City we have been having rain. Lots of rain.

During one of the downpours we experienced recently, I noticed that the gutter on the back of our house was routing the rain water effectively. The problem was it was effectively routing the water up and over the end of the gutter instead of into the down spout.

Yep. Clogged up. When you can't remember when you cleaned the gutters last, that is a sure way to tell it has been WAY too long.

Being up on a ladder is not my favorite thing in the world to begin with. My comfort level in this activity drops dramatically when it is outside in the rain. But like it or not, the clog had to be cleared. So up I went.

The trees that provide wonderful shade to our house in the summer are the same trees that contribute a plethera of leaves, twigs, and seeds to our gutters. It's a love-hate relationship...

So upon reaching the top of the wet, mildly stable ladder, I found that the down spout was completely clogged with a lovely smelling combination of decaying plant matter. Pulled it out, and watched the trapped water quickly escape down the newly opened channel.

This gutter experience got me thinking about how as Christians we are supposed to allow God's love, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to flow through us into the lives of others. But just like the gutter, we can become clogged with things not of God that keep what has been poured into us from flowing into someone else. So what is the answer to keeping our lives free from clogs?

Frequent cleaning. If I had been diligent to empty my gutters of debris on a regular basis (when it was not raining yet), then I would not have experienced the clog during the heavy downpour. In our lives as Christians, we must be diligent to allow the Word of God to cleanse our lives on a regular basis. (Ephesians 5:26) This consistent cleaning by our Lord will allow our channels to be clear, and his goodness to pass through us into other people.

Are your gutters clean?

Intentionally Intentional

2007-05-02T08:51:00.000-06:00

Last week we had an awesome Discipleship Conference at our church. On Wednesday night, our Senior Pastor Jeff Adams was talking about the importance of being intentional in our making of disciples of Jesus Christ. I really like that word, intentional, and it got me thinking about how it applies in all areas of our relationship with the Lord.

intentional - characterized by conscious design or purpose

Here is short list of things that came to mind that I need to be intentional about (not exhaustive)

Spending quality time in the Word of God
Spending quality time in prayer with God
Sharing with others what God has shared with me
Time to really talk with my wife
Time to play with my girls
Telling the people I love that I love them
Being the kind of friend to others that I want them to be to me

In our busy lifestyles it isn't enough to just hope things will end up happening on their own. We must be intentional about the things that matter. One of my favorite quotes is, "There is always time for what is important". The question we all have to answer for ourselves is, "What is important?" Our "list" of priorities will determine how we spend our time, because we are almost always intentional about the things at the top of that list.

Far too often one of the top 5 on my unwritten list of priorities is: self. Wouldn't it be great if we could permanently kick self to the bottom of the list, or remove it altogether?

What do you make a priority to be intentional about?

Walking to Work, or Working to Walk

2007-04-23T07:23:00.000-06:00

Walking. In 2007 it has a different meaning in the United States than it did 100 years ago. Today, walking is what you do to get from the living room to the garage in order to get in your car. Or what you do from the parking place close to the grocery store you spent 15 minutes circling around to find.

I have started walking to work. It takes me about 20 minutes one-way, up and down two reasonably sized hills. There are several reasons for starting this new activity. Here they are, not necessarily in order of importance:

1. In preparation for leaving the country in 4 months, we are a one car family. If I drive to work, than that would leave Keeley and the girls without a vehicle.

2. I could stand to lose some weight. Having tried the sitting around like a lazy bum method without success, I am going to try to be more physically active.

3. Preparing for Costa Rica. In Costa Rica we are going to walking ALOT more than we do here. Most likely we will be living close enough to the Language School that we can walk to and from there each weekday. I don't want to be doggin it when we get there and have to walk each day. I remember reading about Hudson Taylor as he prepared to leave to minister in China. While still living in England he began eating much less and slept on the floor to prepare himself for the conditions he would encounter in China. Praise the Lord for beds in Costa Rica!

4. Time to meditate and pray. If I drive to work, it takes me about 3 minutes if I get reds at the two stop lights in between. If they are green lights, the trip is even faster. Hard to do any meditating or praying in that short span of time. Walking for 20 minutes however gives me some good time to spend talking with God. Great preparation for a day at the office. Sometimes I even sing or hum quietly (but only when there are no cars driving by, I don't want to look like I am crazy....).

My wife has been to Kenya, Africa several times and told stories of people there walking for hours just to get to a church service that would last less time than it took for them to walk there. Our culture is really spoiled in that sense. Just costs us some gas to get there.

Anyway, the walking is good for me is several ways. I am determined to stick with it.

Swimming with the Fishes

2007-04-19T07:41:00.000-06:00

My wife Keeley and oldest daughter Avigail had some excitement yesterday. They were having a Mom's Group activity at one of the prettiest parks in Kansas City, Loose Park. There is a nice lake complete with ducks and turtles, my girls love it. Yesterday Avigail got a little too close to the edge of the lake, lost her balance, and fell in to some water about 4 1/2 feet deep. Since she is not yet 4 feet tall this presents some obvious problems other than just getting wet.

Fortunately, Keeley was right there and heard the splash. Unable to reach her from the side, Keeley jumped in and got her. Although wet, cold, and smelly, everyone was fine (Keeley's cell phone is another story....).

After the incident and all the way home, my daughter repeatedly thanked Keeley for saving her life and told her that she loved her. Keeley and I were discussing the incident last night and she brought up how as Christians we are so grateful for Jesus saving our lives at the time we receive Christ, but then as time passes we stop telling him how thankful we are. The trauma of falling into the lake and then being rescued by mom will fade into my daughters memory. She will stop thanking Keeley for saving her life. That's just how it works. This is human nature isn't it?

When it comes to God pulling me out of the lake of my sin and its consequences, I don't ever want to stop telling Him, "Thank you Father".

(This picture is the lake at Loose Park, I don't know who this lady is.)

What day is this?

2007-04-05T17:45:00.001-06:00

I am T-I-R-E-D, tired. At my job, we are working on a project that has required more man power than usual, so some of the desk jockeys like me have been putting in some manual labor time.

The construction site where we are working requires that all work be performed between the hours of 6:00 am and 2:30 pm. I like the getting off of work at 2:30 part, but the getting up at 4:00 am to be at my office at 5:15 to then be at the jobsite by 6:00 is killing me! I suppose I would get used to it if this were to become my normal routine, but for now my body is in shock and rebellion.

So my soft, keyboard operating hands are now chapped and scraped up from doing real man work. :-)

This too shall pass. The project will come to an end. I will end up back at my desk once again thinking that the grass is greener on the side of the fence where guys get to move more and be active in their jobs.

If you see me this next week and my eyes look a little more glazed than normal, now you know that it is caused by a cocktail of sleep deprevation and honest hard work. What doesn't kill you makes you better right?

What's In Your Fruit Basket?

2007-03-26T06:06:00.000-06:00

I have been teaching through the book of Philippians at a small mens Bible study close to my home. We recently looked at the passage that contains chapter 1, verse 11 which says:

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:11

Looking at this idea that we are supposed to bear fruit to God's glory, I have been thinking a lot about the process that takes place in a tree in order for it to bear fruit. Take an apple tree for example. In order for an apple to be created, the pollen from the male part of an apple blossom has to reach the female part of another apple blossom. The blossom is then pollenated and that flower will result in an apple soon after.

So that is fine for apple trees, but how to we produce fruit as Christians to the glory of God? Just like the apple tree, there must be a coming together of two parts. The two parts for us are simply the Christian and God. But just knowing about God or crying out to him only when we have a problem is not the fruit producing union that is required. In order to produce fruit in our lives as Christians, we need to have an intimate relationship with our Lord. Intimacy requires desire and time. An intimate, right relationship with God will naturally produce the fruit that brings glory to our Lord.

So what is in your fruit basket?

Another interesting question to answer is, "What exactly is the fruit that brings God glory?". I'll save that one for a different post.

Thanks For the Hail God!

2007-03-23T09:15:00.001-06:00

On February 28th, we had a thunderstorm come through Raytown where we live and dropped nickel size or bigger hail. At the time of the storm, I can remember thinking how cool it was to watch it and how glad I was that our minivan was inside the garage of our borrowed house.

Little did I know at the time, but the roof of our house that we are selling before we leave for Costa Rica was taking a beating from the hail.

About a week after the storm I had a friend from church who is a roofer look at our roof to give us a bid on fixing some leaks. He checked out the roof and found the significant hail damage. At his suggestion I called my insurance company and had then check it out.

The claims adjuster found there was enough damage to warrant a total roof replacement! Wooo hoooo!!! Praise God!!! He cut us a check that same day that will pay for the entire roof to be replaced.

So instead of just getting the leaking valleys replaced for a significant out-of-pocket amount, we are getting our entire roof replaced for nothing out of pocket. My God is a great God.

Movie Review - Facing the Giants

2007-03-19T07:41:00.001-06:00

Just watched a great movie on Saturday night, Facing the Giants.

This is a great movie with biblical values and a good story line. The actors aren't polished Hollywood types, and it shows sometimes, but it is much better that most of the "Christian" movies we have been exposed to over the years.

Good movie to watch if you like football. Good movie to watch even if you don't like football. It is available to rent from most major rental chains.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. (I've always wanted to say that....)

Here is an description from Christiancinema.com

http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1621&&s_kwcid=facing%20the%20giants|700241606&gclid=CLimnOH2gIsCFRPdPgodO2nDKA

FACING THE GIANTS is the heart-warming story of a downtrodden Christian high school football coach who turns to God when everything seems to be going against him. Trusting God to do the impossible, Coach Grant Taylor and his Shiloh Christian Eagles soon discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.

This new, action-packed drama from the award-winning producers of FLYWHEEL has had theater audiences laughing, crying, and cheering. The best family-friendly film of the year is now available on DVD!

Spring has Sprung

2007-03-14T07:46:00.000-06:00

Spring is finally here!! Woooo Hoooo!!!

I love Spring. Nice moderate temperatures. All the plants coming back to life. Wonderful....

Every year the coming of Spring always reminds me of how God is able to take what has died and to breath new life into it.

We have a beautiful Magnolia tree in our front yard. Every Spring it pops out with wonderful blooms that look and smell awesome. During the Winter, this tree looks as dead as could be, but when the weather starts to turn warmer, little buds begin to form on the branches. Soon after that the buds turn into the beautiful flowers I have come to appreciate each year.

It is a blessing to watch this same process occur in the life of a person. They start off cold and dead without Christ or a relationship with God. Then when they come to Christ or get their life right with God, the warmth of His love causes buds to form on branches that were once lifeless. The process of growth and maturity continues and before you know it, beautiful blooms start to appear in their life.

We all go through "Winters" in our walks with God, but may our Winters be short ones. There are many climates in the world where blooming takes place all year. May our lives be of the spiritual climate that we bloom and bear fruit for our Lord all year as well.

Good Morning by Phone

2007-03-12T07:16:00.000-06:00

In various jobs I have had over the years I would hear co-workers receive calls from their children. I would hear them talk in "kid voice" to their children on the other end that were excited to talk to their mom or dad. I can remember thinking to myself, "Isn't that cute.....". As a single young man, it is safe to say that I did not appreciate the value of those calls.

Now that I am a father of two wonderful girls, my appreciation of these calls is alot different.

This morning (which is the first Monday after the change to Daylight Savings Time so my body is in rebellion) our girls were not awake when I left for work since their bodies still thought it was time to sleep too. After I had been at work for a while I received a call from my wife. She had the two girls on speaker phone and they wanted to tell me good morning. What a blessing. Now that is an awesome call.

C-E-D Obedience

2007-03-08T08:44:00.000-06:00

I am reading a great book called Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Ted Tripp. One of the concepts he talks about the book is the definition of obedience. The 3 words he uses for his definition of obedience are really good.

Obedience should be without:
Challenge
Excuse
Delay

C-E-D. In my desire for my two girls to learn to obey their parents so they can learn to obey God, we have implemented this definition of obedience. It has really caused me to examine my obedience to God and of what type it is. Do I obey God without challenge, excuse, or delay? Too often the answer to that question is no. I am good at trying to rationalize with God and "discuss" with him what he has told me to do instead of just obeying. Sure God, I'll do that, just not right now....

I want my girls to learn to obey in a biblical way. I want to be an example to them of what that kind of obedience to God looks like.

It's Official!!

2007-03-07T08:05:00.000-06:00

Our house is officially up for sale now. The for sale sign went in the yard yesterday around 11:00 am. Now we are praying that the right buyer comes to look at the house and loves it.

Click Here to see the listing

Blessed with a new (borrowed) house

2007-03-03T17:02:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we had the blessing of moving into a new house to live in. As we prepare to move to Costa Rica in August of this year, selling our house is high on the list of things to do. Of course selling the place where we live before we actually leave for Cost Rica presents some obvious problems.

There is a wonderful couple in our church that was going to be house-sitting for his mother while she was visiting family out of state for 8 months or so. God directed this couple to let us stay in their empty house rent-free until we move to Costa Rica in August. What a blessing. The house happens to be almost on the corner of our church's parking lot too.

It is so cool to see God parting the waters and make a way for us to cross into His plan on dry ground. How Great is our God.

Father Daughter Dance with Avigail

2007-02-26T13:33:00.000-06:00

On February 11th, our church put on a Father Daughter Dance called Puttin on the Ritz. It was held at a hotel near Royal's stadium. We had a great time. For months ahead of time Avigail was so excited to go to "The Ball" like Cinderella.

We danced to every song on a very crowded dance floor.

It was a huge blessing to be able to spend that time with Avigail (she just turned 4 on the 22nd of February). I am going to make something like this a yearly event.

Road trip to Texas and New Mexico

2006-11-21T16:51:00.000-06:00

Our family had the opportunity to take a road trip to Texas and New Mexico to visit friends. November 4th - 12th.

Our first stop was Borger, Texas, which is just North of Amarillo in the Texas panhandle. My good friends Chris & Jennifer Ruzicka live there. Chris is the associate pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Borger. Bill Sizemore is the Senior Pastor. It was great to visit with them and see what God is doing in their church. They have a growing Spanish ministry there as well.

Our next stop was Lovington, New Mexico. Three years ago we had a chance to share discipleship with a Spanish speaking church there called Primera Iglesia Bautista. Juan Carlos Soto is the pastor there. The pastor's daughter, Karla, turned 15 years old and had her quincienera (kind of like a sweet 16 party in the USA, except much more elaborate). I had the priviledge of preaching at her party. We had a wonderful time fellowshipping with the people there. It is a growing church that is faithfully taking what they have received and are sharing it with others.

Lots of driving, but it was a great time. A friend generously loaned us a dual screen DVD player for the girls to use on the trip. It did a great job of passing the time for our daughters.

Our first Prayer & Support Team meeting - This Sunday the 29th

2006-10-27T19:04:00.000-06:00

Our first Prayer & Support Team meeting will be this Sunday, October 29th, at 5:00 pm. It will be held at the home of Kyle & Amy Batts. We will share more about our trip and the vision that God has laid upon our hearts for ministry in Latin America.

If you need directions or more information, email me at rblackstock@gmail.com

Our Discovery Trip went great!

2006-10-27T18:50:00.000-06:00

Our Discovery Trip to San Jose, Costa Rica was a success. We accomplished all of our goals and had a great time.

Here are some of the highlights:

- Tour of the Language Institute. We got to tour the school where Keeley and I and our two girls will be studying Spanish during our first year in Costa Rica. It is a well run facility, we are excited to begin our studies there. The classes for the girls will be really good too.

- It rained every day we were there. Costa Rica has two seasons, wet & dry. The wet season is from April to December, the dry season from January to March. The rain usually starts in the afternoon and continues on into the night. Temperatures were cooler than we thought they would be too.

- We had an awesome time getting to know missionaries Greg & Sue Kedrovsky and their three kids. They were very gracious hosts and it was enjoyable to talk about the ministry with them. Having lived in Costa Rica for ten years now, they have a lot of experience and wisdom that we can learn from.

- Our girls survived without us. We made it through the week without them, but it was really hard. This was our first time away from them for more than a day.

Check out the pictures from our trip at: http://picasaweb.google.com/rblackstock/

Discovery Trip to San Jose, Costa Rica - October 7th-13th

2006-09-28T13:21:00.000-06:00

Keeley and I will be flying to San Jose, Costa Rica for a week on October 7th. The girls will be staying with a couple from our church who they are familiar with.

We have three main goals for this trip:
1. See Costa Rica in person and check out the city
2. Visit the Spanish Language Institute we will be attending next September
3. Spend time getting to know Greg and Sue Kedrovsky who are KCBT missionaries in San Jose

We will be sure to take lots of pictures, so I will post some after we get back.

Look for updates after the trip!