The Gift of Wednesday

Double digits!

Wednesday was sandwiched in between hosting 12 Central American pastors at the beginning of the week and hosting 23 special guests for our Base Dedication celebration weekend.  Wednesday was a special day in and of itself.  Wednesday, was a day to stop the flurry of activity and dedicate to celebrating Jedidiah's 10th birthday! It seemed God carved this day out in the middle of two big events to reflect on the gift of Jedidiah and the gifts He gave us this week.  

Enjoy the gifts ... 

-An English speaking dentist when Daryl needed an emergency root canal.

-Reconnecting with Daryl's pastor from Guatemala 25 years ago.  He came with the Pastors we hosted at the base this week!

-Lunch, encouragement, and affirmation with Steve and Rose Shank.

-Running errands and grocery shopping with Micah and Adam.  Micah is my trusty GPS, I find so much joy in his company and appreciate his help.

-Wednesday was the first time Adam spoke to me in Spanish without my initiating the conversation.  Sitting at the table eating a pack of crackers he touched my arm and said, "Mama', quiere uno?" (Mommy, do you want one?) His sweet countenance warms my heart.

Serving his brother ...

-Joseph getting along, not just tolerating but purposefully spending quality time with Jedidiah on his birthday.

-Jedidiah helping to make his own b'day cake and Stromboli in shapes!

"J.H Stromboli"

-Jedidiah has money in his wallet which he takes everywhere.  He offered to help me pay for groceries if I didn't have enough money!

-Leading bilingual worship with my soulmate ... when your physical body is weary but your Spirit touches the heart of God.  You know, that pounding heart feeling when you know it's God's voice ... confirmation He knows your heart!

-Feeling the fullness of God's love through those who gave out of obedience and made it possible for VidaNet to have a home ...  "Welcome home VidaNet".  

-Everyone working together to accomplish the goal of having the base ready for the Dedication.

-A close parking space at the mall and a strong helper to carry the box of 50 gift mugs to the van.

-Sharing s'mores and tender tears with new friends.

-Hugs from home, pretzels and a surprise birthday gift sent with the Ebersoles.

-God's provision for Martha when there was no food in the house ... her needs will never exhaust God's supply!

-Opportunity to share God's story and what He's doing through VidaNet with the cashier at Price Smart ... because my ID (licence) was from PA. 

-Being complimented on my Spanish.

-Seeing God design and use our gifts to compliment the leadership team.

-Delynn, Gloria, Liz and Manuel ... their gift of friendship.   

-Daniella's desire to be baptized ... she was baptized as an infant and wants to know more of Jesus! 

-Mariachi band singing "How Great Thou Art"

-Beautiful, blessed and abundant Celebration for the Base Dedication. 

-Sharing God's faithfulness with the gas station attendants and being encouraged by them.

-A Friend to take the boys to co-op when my day was too full ... her day was even fuller!

-God's wisdom and grace in forming the outreach teams ... Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador ... Look out, here they come!

-Hearing our boys laughter, thanks Carmelinda and Vincent!

-There's another barber in the house! Thankful for Alex, one of the students who is a professional barber.  We teamed up to tackle the multitude of haircuts this week.  

-Feeling God hold me through the storms as I melt in my hubby's arms and hear Him say, "Be still and know ..."

Praise 

Thank God with us for these gifts!

Prayer

Which youth group to pursue

School options for Micah

Health for the students

That our lives would overflow out of the abundance of God, not us

Jedidiah starts school this Wednesday 

For Daryl as he does some teaching this week

*How can we pray for you?*

Helping Wilbur ... everyone helped get the work done!

EAGLES ... Monday night football, a taste of home!

Dry beef gravy from Joseph's deer he shot 3 days before we moved to CR ... A birthday gift from Mimi and Pop-pop!

"A Nail in a cage" ...
Adam insisted we keep this snail because it didn't have a family.  He eventually found another 'nail' and decided it was ok to put this one outside.

He won't stop growing ...
officially taller than Carmelinda!

Dedication Celebration Surprise

Believing in what God is doing through VidaNet ...
Faithful obedience!

Welcome Home VidaNet ... God is Good!

El Olor de Jessie ... Jessica's Fragrence

I can quickly tell when Jessica has been at the Base.

"Arg Mae" ...
Come to church with me!

 Her fragrance announces her presence.  While she faithfully cleans, wipes, sweeps, shines and disinfects, I smell her! She greets me with a hug as I take a deep breath and say, "Ahhh, el olor de Jessie, huele muy bien!" But, more than the smell of cleaning products, she emits the sweet fragrance of our Father, God.  From the moment I met her, I knew we would be sista's. She has a constant smile, a passion for worship, a heart for the lost, she is full of wisdom and she laughs in the face of turmoil ... literally!

I thought of "Jessie's fragrance" today when I was pondering being saturated ... Rain saturates the ground, tears saturate my pillow, coffee saturates my bread, grocery lists saturate my mind, paint and stain have been saturating the base, manly odors saturate our house ... Today I was contemplating what is saturating my soul? Is it good things, things that are right, lovely, noble, good and true or is it the lies of the enemy trying to crush my hope?  As I spend time in Father's presence, it's His sweetness that saturates my soul, drowns out the lies of the enemy and exudes, emanates, radiates and even oozes from my human inadequacies ... What is saturating your soul? 

My hearts desire ... You are able ... Saturate my humanness 

This is one of my new favorite songs, learned it in Spanish and realized it's also in English! He is bigger than any mountain that I face, He is faithful, He is on the throne!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6cc47pV270 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbpqxTTciO4

Praises

Daniella and Andres went to church with us again, Adam's done the asking!

Gordley Playdate

Rain held off to get the Base cleaned and painted

Team unity and openness

Blessed to be part of the executive leadership team, God lead us!

Surrounded by a host of prayer warriors ... aka YOU!

Angels around our vehicle as I ventured out to pick up a bunch of youth ... highways, round abouts, dark empty alleyways , narrow mountain roads ... 2 hours later everyone was home safe and sound!

Prayers

Pray for the times I share God's love for Daniella

Laura

Martha

Dividing up the teams for outreach, God show us

Week of hosting guests: 12 Pastors from Central America and 26 special invitees for the Dedication celebration

Jedidiah starting school

Discernment on school for Micah and Joseph

Preserving family time

Life on the Mountain

Why am I so amazed when we ask God to put people in our path who need to be encouraged, He puts them there! ... A week full of work, clean up, painting, planting, cleaning, getting our house in order for the Dedication Celebration ...  

Home School Coop craft class

Gordley Play date ...
14, 14, 13, 12, 9, 9, 6 and 4 ...
Pizza, PB n J, Wii and Mind Craft

No, it's not his ... Wishful thinking 

What, Lancaster Co. in Costa Rica? ...
Uncle Johnny's cow ... made it through customs!

Color and cement ... shaping up beautifully

Before ...

After!

Wow, lots of hard work!

Fries and Chicken ...
He went out with Andres ...
Daniella spoils him!

   

Nudges

The van broke down ...
need I say more?

You know that nudge in your Spirit?  The one that says you should stop somewhere, call someone or do something 'random' ... Simply said, don't ignore His nudges!  Last Saturday our van left us sit in downtown Heredia. "Why Lord? Mom and Dad are here and we need this vehicle to show them around! Why would you let something like this happen now?" Not knowing what to do, I knew who to call ... nudge ... Laura our awesome "garage girl" who is also a sweet friend. The garage was closed, she offered advice, we got the battery checked, they determined it was probably the alternator.  "Uggggg, seriously God? We just had it replaced, why this week?" ... (two year old temper tantrum about to happen) ... Monday we took the van in hoping to have it back the same day ... nudge ... just be patient.  Tuesday we borrowed a van from the base and went sight seeing with Mom and Dad.  Driving home late in the day Daryl suggested ... nudge ... we should stop and see if the van is ready.  At first I disagreed, Laura would call me when it was done and I didn't want to bother her ... nudge ... All of a sudden I realized she had been on my heart a lot this past month.  I have been praying for her but also thanking God for the fact we didn't need to see her because our van was running fine! Nudge ... I agreed we should stop.  We chatted about the van, vacation, life here and in the States and the boys were growing restless. I thanked her for coming to our rescue on Saturday and, in those next sacred moments, I felt Heaven touch earth. "Look Jenny, we all have troubles.  Your's is with your van, mine is with ... "   Standing on grease laden, holy ground, she shared her heart and the torment of life swirling around her.  We cried together, prayed and all of a sudden it didn't matter that the van needed repaired.  He nudged, we listened, His ways are always perfect, right, true and just! He had been placing Laura on my heart and He decided I needed to talk with her instead of just praying for her.  So ... in His awesomeness, He allowed a small, easily repaired hose to come loose affecting the alternator that had just been replaced which then nudged me to connect with Laura.  She's not with El Nido, you know the women I came here to minister to.  She's our mechanic's daughter who knows and cares for our vehicles like her own. In His silence she is waiting to hear His voice ... she is His beloved, He has called her chosen, He is unashamed to call her His own!

He even uses van's ... He heard her cry ... Holy Spirit nudges

    

Praises

Spending 2 weeks with Mimi and Pop-pop

School decision made ... Jedidiah and Adam are going to a local Christian school!

Team unity ... loving each other through the intensity of ministry

Martha (El Nido) qualified to receive 'government aid' ... keep praying for her!

Daryl continues to find life in his Spirit

Joseph safely entered the teen years!

Our landlords, Fernando and Alexandra, So blessed to live here

Neighbors Daniella and Andres joined us for church

Prayers

Laura ... listen to His nudge for the details on how to pray for her

Praying for the financial possibility to send Micah and Joseph to school too

Vida220 Students as they do the Nehemiah challenge this week

To-do list for the Base completed by this weekend 

Friday Oct. 27th Base Dedication

A name for the new Base ... see VidaNet FB page

More opportunity to share Father's love with neighbors

God, make our lives an example of Your love, grace and hope to the world around us

Life on the Mountain 

We've been out of routine having Mimi and Pop-pop here ... Late nights, full days, the To-do list at the Base keeps growing ... hope and encouragement from lives being changed through El Nido continues to draw me to my knees ... God I need you ... Daryl's up to his ears (literally) trying to file the Base receipts by the end of the month ... and, he's up to his knees in concrete helping complete the to do list ... worshiping and getting to know the new set of Vida220 students, world changers, dying to self, glorifying God ... learning to love them with my mama's heart ... change is a constant for us, may lives continue to be changed by Fathers love as we dye to self and live or Him!

Grocery shopping buddy ... buying eggs in the Egg (car)

safety first ... the project begins

it's taking shape ...

I'm impressed! ... Carpet Ball Table ...
He's not taking orders ... yet!

Organizing and cleaning the Library with Mimi ...
so many books to organize!

Sneaking kisses ... you can look but you can't touch!

Daryl carried a 'stowaway' trying to elude pursuers 

He's growing taller every day ... 'touching the top' 

Rounding up the troops ... stand still and smile ...
virtually impossible!

Showing Ma the El Nido Boutique

 Being a coffee Cupper ... Britt Coffee Tour ... he's not going to nap!

 Eating donuts like a Dinosaur ...

 Tackling the To-do list ... mixing concrete CR style

 Happy 13th to this handsome young man ...
he wanted cake in a mug!

 No way, a box of 48 Pop-Tarts!!!

"I a big boy now, I can feed baby Declan!"

 He'll never grow up ... building castles with Pop-pop

 The ocean was 'angry' today ...
scuffs, scrapes and 'sandburn' but SO much fun!

Perfect ending for our 2 weeks together ...
 our favorite dessert ...
"Trits" (treats)

Martha's Hope

They're here!

She came to El Nido with hope ... Her situation seemed hopeless, overwhelming and with no way out.  She has 5 children (12, almost 3, almost 2, and 4 month old twins), a small room to call home and a few worldly possessions.  Her room gets wet and very humid when it rains, however, there is a roof over her head.  She doesn't know where their next meal will come from, but God always provides. There is no husband/father figure to lend support but God is better than anyone she could find here on this earth.  Sickness tries to attack them but God's healing power is stronger than the attack. Two weeks ago we talked about her papers that were not processed with IMAS (the place where she could receive financial assistance).  Instead of despair and frustration her words stunned me ... "I'm not worried, I think perhaps God has something better in store for me.  Or, maybe someone else needed their help more than me."   Martha has chosen ... and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. She is being called an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3 Even when her situation seems hopeless, she constantly chooses to have a joyful, confident, expectation - HOPE! Without hope, life is not worth living.  I am honored, humbled and blessed to serve these beautiful women of El Nido.

Better things in store ... Hope brings life ... receiving one blessing after another

Life on the Mountain

Thankful for life on the mountain with Tropical depression Nate pounding us this week ... we are "high and dry" ... the Pacific coast of CR has severe flooding ... Bigger news than Nate is the fact that Mimi and Pop-pop are in town! we're enjoying showing them around town, living life with them and enjoying all the attention and snuggles ... 

Praises

18 Vida220 students and 4 valiant leaders

Safety through Nate

Sharing life with Mimi and Pop-pop

Prayers

God, show us how to preserve family time

Martha

Our van needs a new alternator 

It's late ... I'm tired ... not even gonna proof read this ... Enjoy the pic's

It's cold ... raining all day ...
it's a cozy cover sort of day

Waiting for Mimi and Pop-pop ... longest day ever!

Mimi brought her snuggly cover from PA

Joseph's deer bologna from last year ... made it through customs ... perfect birthday gift!

Story time with Mimi

Game time with Pop-pop

Snuggles with baby Declan ... he's so cute!

The Story of His Glory

That he would feast on the abundance of your house;
    as You give him drink from your river of delights. 

                        Psalm 36:8

Of course he chose french fries
for his date night treat!

This has been my prayer for this sweet soulmate of mine.  And, with these simple words from his heart ... "Today I felt life in my Spirit" ... hope is restored. Whether it's a mere streak of color on the dark canvas of his soul or a bright burst of light illuminating the place of intimacy with his Father God ... these powerful words have spoken light into the darkness and have brought the joyful, confident, expectation that Father is restoring the ground the enemy has tried to steal. Your prayers on Daryl's behalf have not gone unnoticed. In his goodness, Father is restoring, redeeming and remaking ... Poco a poco, dia a dia (little by little, day by day) ... The story of His glory!

Don't you just love 'hindsight'? You know, that 'a-ha' moment when you realize something and all of a sudden you remember back to when you thought a situation should go a certain way and God said ... "Nah, I have something better in mind for that!"

Summer of 2016 we were speaking at churches to gain financial and prayer support for life in CR.  We were disappointed to hear this particular church we were speaking at was not going to give any financial support. We came away from that time wondering and asking "Why God, why did you lead us there with nothing to show for it?" Quite honestly, it felt like a waste our resources, energy and time. You know, that ugly self righteous mindset just marched right over anything the Holy Spirit had to say to us!  Fast forward 15 months ... The start of Vida220 and who should we meet?  A beautiful young woman of God who just happened to hear about VidaNet and it's Vida220 program on July 31, 2016 when we came to speak at her church ... You know, that church where we felt was a waste of our time? ... The story of His glory!

Life is birthed ... She was our purpose ... His ways are higher than ours

Praises
For each one of you ... our mighty prayer warriors!
Life in Daryl's Spirit

Safe delivery of Manu and Liz's sweet baby, Declan Levi
Sweet communion with "Sharing and Caring" (a.k.a. Sherri and Karen)
Jedidiah first futbol game!
Refreshing and rewarding time hosting 120 women from Mennonite churches in CR
Healing on random health issues our family had this week
Sharing church, hugs and lunch with Makayla
Neighbors to care for our boys in our absence
Coffee on a rainy afternoon and take out pizza ... I know, real missionary like right!
Classroom finished right on time

Prayers
Daryl ... for fresh words from Fathers heart that bring life to his Spirit
Adam had a tick on him for a week before we realized what it was, please pray against any ill affects
Vida220 started today! Please pray for these 22 mighty warriors God has brought to our base.
Effective communication and unity between staff
Establishing a school routine when 'routine' seems to change daily
Martha, my El Nido client who doesn't know where her next meal will come from ... she has hope and God always provides!
Safe travels for some very excited grandparents arriving on Tuesday
A name for our new base. Go to VidaNet FB page and cast your vote today!
*How can we pray for you?*

Life on the Mountain

This boy ... loves power tools ...
made a drawing stand so his lap
doesn't get tired holding his tablet

Male bonding

BR Office Interiors came to Costa Rica ...
Putting  office chairs together ...
Take your kid to work day 

Enjoying a night out with "Sharing and Caring"

When you have all of Mom and Dad's attention ... 

Being silly with play dough on their heads ...
these little boys can't wait to see each other!

The calm before the storm of
120 Costa Rican Mennonite women 

Koinonia room awaiting the masses 

"Mom, I got a jersey!"

4 leaders of Vida 220 ...
Luis, Chris, Reiny, Antonio

Makayla, a sweet taste of home ... 
did my heart good to hug her

Beginning of a new season, Vida220 ...
Classroom is complete with students to fill it

Welcome to the world sweet baby Declan Levi
May your life bring hope, healing and truth as you share Fathers love with the world!