Here is a quick low down of our co-workers' ordeal with the theft of their car.
The Wright family went to the US Fourth of July Celebration here in Costa Rica and paid a guy to watch their car. When they were ready to leave, the car was gone and the "guard" said he saw it go, but claimed that he thought it was Steve driving it away. (Yeah, right! Steve is 6'6" and has a huge beard, so it is probably a bit hard to not recognize him!)
Steve filed police reports, knowing that rarely helps. Meanwhile, many of us were praying it would be returned intact.
A few days later they got a call from a guy who asked if they wanted their car back. Steve told him of course they did! The caller offered to sell it back to them for $600. Steve told him no, and suggested that instead he should use the profit from the stolen car to start a new life, since his current lifestyle was not a good option. The guy said that maybe God was telling him to just give them back the car.
The next day another guy called about selling them back the car. Steve said he wanted to talk to the first guy, but the second said that he had just gotten out of prison for stealing cars and didn't want to be involved any longer. But, this caller told Steve to contact any one of the unmarked taxi drivers at the airport, since all of them know about all stolen cars and could vouch for the legitimacy of the caller - that he would carry through on returning the car if Steve paid him! (Make sense so far?)
Steve called the police, who told him, "We think today we will find your car!" Steve (an ex-cop) spent most of the day with the cops, and they checked out downtown parking lots and found the car in one of them! With Steve's help, they staked out the parking lot and caught one of the thieves at 3AM, trying to retrieve the car. It ends up that the guy who supposedly guarded the car in the first place is likely part of the ring of car thieves. Meanwhile, Steve has had to do extra paperwork, like applying for a new title. Now they are waiting the DA to authorize the release of the vehicle.
I didn't pray with a lot of faith, I admit, but I sure give God all the credit that it looks like that soon the Wrights will have their wheels back!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Bittersweet Memories: The Fourth of July
For various reasons, today my mind has been full of bittersweet memories of the Fourth of July – some from 2009 and some from years back. Here are a few of those thoughts and memories…
There are two sad memories I will always associate with July 4th, 2009. The first and foremost is that one of our dear friends and close relatives, Woody’s Aunt Jeanne, left behind her temporary citizenship in the United States of America, to claim her eternal citizenship in heaven. Aunt Jeanne, we will miss you. To put it more personally, I will miss you. Often Woody’s mom has a slip of tongue and call Woody “Wilfred.” Wilfred, or Uncle Bill, is Woody’s mom’s younger brother, the husband of Aunt Jeanne. Long before we were married, I knew I was truly a part of the family when Evelyn started to accidentally call me Jeanne. The name stuck, and I’m still often called Jeanne. Again, Aunt Jeanne, I will miss you. It’s awfully hard to be so far from family at moments like these.
The second sad thing I will always associate with this date in 2009 has to do with the US 4th of July picnic in Costa Rica. Our friends and team mates, Steve and Jamie Wright, helped us out with our recent short term team. They worked long hours for those ten days and more, so they were very excited to spend the day as a family with their three kids at the expat holiday celebration. After the day’s fun activities, they returned to the “guarded” parking area to find their car stolen. I’m so, so sorry, Steve and Jamie.
One other small, bad memory of today… While mowing the lawn, I got stung by bees for the third time this year. This time I had to inject myself with a steroid shot to control my allergic reaction to bee stings. We need to figure out where those bees come from and somehow get rid of them!
There were bright moments on this red, white and blue holiday. Kari was the chief holiday planner at our house. Woody is currently in Bolivia, visiting our teams there. Phil, our house guest, didn’t even know until yesterday why we celebrate the Fourth of July (he’s Australian, so is granted a pass!). Kari opted to educate our Aussie guest and provide a bit of “home away from home” for us. She fixed chicken pasta salad and baked brownies. During dinner she played patriotic songs on “YouTube,” including The 1812 Overture, Arethra Franklin’s version of My Country ‘Tis of Thee, and the Gaithers singing the national anthem. Phil made a fire in the fireplace for a marshmallow roast and then we watched the Chicago Fireworks via YouTube on our back balcony. Good job, Kari! (Phil enjoyed it, too, and learned a lot about US culture and history.)
Let me share with you a few other interesting memories of 4th of July celebrations. Kari asked me to share one of my favorite childhood memories of this holiday. I had to laugh aloud as I told her a good story with a bad ending. One time our family had a picnic in our back yard. My mom made one of my favorite desserts, “Ber Schoeller’s Bars.” This rich dessert is comprised of buttery (very buttery) graham crackers drenched in chocolate and walnuts. I loved them so much that I just couldn’t stop eating them. I really overdid it and paid the price. We’ll leave the story at that!
Our first year living outside the USA was also a bittersweet memory with a similar, but much more painfully dramatic ending. We hadn’t lived long in Bolivia when our first Fourth of July rolled around. We were both feeling nostalgic, so we went out and bought hot dogs to be our token representation of typical US holiday fare. We listened on our shortwave radio to the Voice of America as we quietly ate our tube steaks. Before the evening was out, both of us had come down with virulent cases of acute Salmonellosis. We had a apartment with two tiny bathrooms – a small feature we greatly appreciated on July 4, 1978. We never willingly ate hot dogs again during our twelve years living in Bolivia!
The best story of the Fourth of July was well summed up by the pastor of our Illinois church, Alpine Chapel.
Freedom.
It was the last word on the lips of William Wallace in the movie Braveheart – the very thing for which he died.
It was the challenge given by many of our nation’s forefathers, including the oft-quoted statement of Patrick Henry, who was also willing to die for it.
It is the thing for which soldiers throughout our history have put their lives on the line - soldiers whose sacrifice we honor and memorialize in our nation’s capital, and at parks and monuments all across our nation.
Yet, sadly, it may very well be the last thing we focus on at the typical Fourth of July celebration.
This year, why not spend some time, either alone or at your celebration, thinking about what freedom means to you – as well as what it cost. For believers in Christ, we know the ultimate freedom that is found only in the salvation which came at the ultimate cost of Jesus’ death. Through Him, our citizenship is not just as Americans, free from political tyranny; we are citizens of a different kingdom, free from the penalty and power of sin.
Aunt Jeanne, while I watch the fireworks in the skies tonight, I promise to remember the hope of joining you in our true homeland kingdom as soon as I can!
There are two sad memories I will always associate with July 4th, 2009. The first and foremost is that one of our dear friends and close relatives, Woody’s Aunt Jeanne, left behind her temporary citizenship in the United States of America, to claim her eternal citizenship in heaven. Aunt Jeanne, we will miss you. To put it more personally, I will miss you. Often Woody’s mom has a slip of tongue and call Woody “Wilfred.” Wilfred, or Uncle Bill, is Woody’s mom’s younger brother, the husband of Aunt Jeanne. Long before we were married, I knew I was truly a part of the family when Evelyn started to accidentally call me Jeanne. The name stuck, and I’m still often called Jeanne. Again, Aunt Jeanne, I will miss you. It’s awfully hard to be so far from family at moments like these.
The second sad thing I will always associate with this date in 2009 has to do with the US 4th of July picnic in Costa Rica. Our friends and team mates, Steve and Jamie Wright, helped us out with our recent short term team. They worked long hours for those ten days and more, so they were very excited to spend the day as a family with their three kids at the expat holiday celebration. After the day’s fun activities, they returned to the “guarded” parking area to find their car stolen. I’m so, so sorry, Steve and Jamie.
One other small, bad memory of today… While mowing the lawn, I got stung by bees for the third time this year. This time I had to inject myself with a steroid shot to control my allergic reaction to bee stings. We need to figure out where those bees come from and somehow get rid of them!
There were bright moments on this red, white and blue holiday. Kari was the chief holiday planner at our house. Woody is currently in Bolivia, visiting our teams there. Phil, our house guest, didn’t even know until yesterday why we celebrate the Fourth of July (he’s Australian, so is granted a pass!). Kari opted to educate our Aussie guest and provide a bit of “home away from home” for us. She fixed chicken pasta salad and baked brownies. During dinner she played patriotic songs on “YouTube,” including The 1812 Overture, Arethra Franklin’s version of My Country ‘Tis of Thee, and the Gaithers singing the national anthem. Phil made a fire in the fireplace for a marshmallow roast and then we watched the Chicago Fireworks via YouTube on our back balcony. Good job, Kari! (Phil enjoyed it, too, and learned a lot about US culture and history.)
Let me share with you a few other interesting memories of 4th of July celebrations. Kari asked me to share one of my favorite childhood memories of this holiday. I had to laugh aloud as I told her a good story with a bad ending. One time our family had a picnic in our back yard. My mom made one of my favorite desserts, “Ber Schoeller’s Bars.” This rich dessert is comprised of buttery (very buttery) graham crackers drenched in chocolate and walnuts. I loved them so much that I just couldn’t stop eating them. I really overdid it and paid the price. We’ll leave the story at that!
Our first year living outside the USA was also a bittersweet memory with a similar, but much more painfully dramatic ending. We hadn’t lived long in Bolivia when our first Fourth of July rolled around. We were both feeling nostalgic, so we went out and bought hot dogs to be our token representation of typical US holiday fare. We listened on our shortwave radio to the Voice of America as we quietly ate our tube steaks. Before the evening was out, both of us had come down with virulent cases of acute Salmonellosis. We had a apartment with two tiny bathrooms – a small feature we greatly appreciated on July 4, 1978. We never willingly ate hot dogs again during our twelve years living in Bolivia!
The best story of the Fourth of July was well summed up by the pastor of our Illinois church, Alpine Chapel.
Freedom.
It was the last word on the lips of William Wallace in the movie Braveheart – the very thing for which he died.
It was the challenge given by many of our nation’s forefathers, including the oft-quoted statement of Patrick Henry, who was also willing to die for it.
It is the thing for which soldiers throughout our history have put their lives on the line - soldiers whose sacrifice we honor and memorialize in our nation’s capital, and at parks and monuments all across our nation.
Yet, sadly, it may very well be the last thing we focus on at the typical Fourth of July celebration.
This year, why not spend some time, either alone or at your celebration, thinking about what freedom means to you – as well as what it cost. For believers in Christ, we know the ultimate freedom that is found only in the salvation which came at the ultimate cost of Jesus’ death. Through Him, our citizenship is not just as Americans, free from political tyranny; we are citizens of a different kingdom, free from the penalty and power of sin.
Aunt Jeanne, while I watch the fireworks in the skies tonight, I promise to remember the hope of joining you in our true homeland kingdom as soon as I can!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Disturb Us, Lord
Disturb us, Lord When we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when, with the abundance of things we possess,
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
And, having fallen in love with life as we know it,
We have ceased to dream of eternity;
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push us into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.
Sir Francis Drake -1577
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when, with the abundance of things we possess,
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
And, having fallen in love with life as we know it,
We have ceased to dream of eternity;
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push us into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.
Sir Francis Drake -1577
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
In the Line of Fire
Tonight I was reading an essay by John Eldredge. He wrote about those times in which we feel like God is silent. Why does he not hear our cry to take us out of the line of fire? As Eldredge writes, that's not where we are in The Story right now. In fact, we are promised to find ourselves in the line of fire. Jesus told us clearly that the thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. So, why are we so surprised when he actually steals and kills and destroys?
I'm studying the book of Daniel right now. In chapter eight it speaks of the enemy as the master of intrigue. The original word used here has to do with loosening or tightening knots. Right now, our enemy is the master at tightening the knots in our lives. But, we do have the promise that one day we will find ourselves in the point in The Story in which the Master at Loosening Knots will win the day.
I'm studying the book of Daniel right now. In chapter eight it speaks of the enemy as the master of intrigue. The original word used here has to do with loosening or tightening knots. Right now, our enemy is the master at tightening the knots in our lives. But, we do have the promise that one day we will find ourselves in the point in The Story in which the Master at Loosening Knots will win the day.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Five Minute Residency Renewal!
Do you remember the hours and hours and days and days that I have spent at Immigration, trying to get my residency in Costa Rica? My last appointment was amazingly easy compared to previous years, but this year's experience takes the cake!
I was due this month for my annual visa renewal. But, our agenda is so full that I was totally dreading taking a day off to wait in line for a appointment. So, on a whim one evening I did some web research and came up with a toll number to call for appointments. I decided to give the number a try the next morning. After just one ring, a polite young man answered, identifying himself as "Alejandro, from the Department of Migration." I explained to him my desire for an appointment for residency visa renewal. He asked my name and ID number and put me on hold. After about a three minute hold, he returned to tell me that I have an appointment for June 24th, 2010.
"2010?!?" I replied. Yes, indeed. 2010. I told him that I'd heard that they were giving appointments just one to two months in advance.
Alejandro replied that if I wanted to go to the offices and wait in line for an appointment, I could get one within two weeks. But, my residency would remain valid until the 2010 appointment if I preferred.
I said to him, "Well, it only seems to make sense to not go, wait in line, and have to go through all the red tape of renewal when I can just go in 2010 and have a valid visa for another year meanwhile."
He said it was totally the most logical option. When he told me I would have a confirmation email shortly, I held my breath. Previously with Immigration, they refused to give any kind of documentation to prove that something was in process.
Within the hour I had a confirmation email. AMAZING! Thank You, Lord! (And thank you, too, Alejandro!)
I was due this month for my annual visa renewal. But, our agenda is so full that I was totally dreading taking a day off to wait in line for a appointment. So, on a whim one evening I did some web research and came up with a toll number to call for appointments. I decided to give the number a try the next morning. After just one ring, a polite young man answered, identifying himself as "Alejandro, from the Department of Migration." I explained to him my desire for an appointment for residency visa renewal. He asked my name and ID number and put me on hold. After about a three minute hold, he returned to tell me that I have an appointment for June 24th, 2010.
"2010?!?" I replied. Yes, indeed. 2010. I told him that I'd heard that they were giving appointments just one to two months in advance.
Alejandro replied that if I wanted to go to the offices and wait in line for an appointment, I could get one within two weeks. But, my residency would remain valid until the 2010 appointment if I preferred.
I said to him, "Well, it only seems to make sense to not go, wait in line, and have to go through all the red tape of renewal when I can just go in 2010 and have a valid visa for another year meanwhile."
He said it was totally the most logical option. When he told me I would have a confirmation email shortly, I held my breath. Previously with Immigration, they refused to give any kind of documentation to prove that something was in process.
Within the hour I had a confirmation email. AMAZING! Thank You, Lord! (And thank you, too, Alejandro!)
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Don't Steal the Orchid!
Tulio, our gardener, brought me a valuable orchid. After doing my best to give it occasional water and plenty of sunshine, it finally bloomed! It is an unusual, but lovely flower. He says that when it finishes blooming he needs to put it on a tree that is not easily seen by the public. Otherwise it will be stolen right away, because people around here know how rare and valuable it is.
Friday, January 23, 2009
We Need a Friend - Thoughts on Pain from Lady Buxton
I am good at stealing thoughts from others, chewing on them, and spitting them out to you! Today I want to share something I actually read a year ago. (I looked back in my journal from 2008.) Lady Buxton was a philanthropist in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For 47 years she suffered pain from osteoarthritis, yet she helped promote missions and both the YMCA and the YWCA. Here are her comments about pain:
"Things do NOT improve... all seems increasingly hard sometimes, and I am rather hopeless of getting better. We need a friend, above all a Saviour, in the depths of our being - and, thank God, we have one."
Is your life growing increasingly harder? Are there burdens that go on and on? Let's cling to the friend that meets our needs in the depths of our being.
"Things do NOT improve... all seems increasingly hard sometimes, and I am rather hopeless of getting better. We need a friend, above all a Saviour, in the depths of our being - and, thank God, we have one."
Is your life growing increasingly harder? Are there burdens that go on and on? Let's cling to the friend that meets our needs in the depths of our being.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Earthquake Photos
The epicenter of the big 6.2 earthquake we experienced on Thursday the 8th of January, 2009, was just under 20 miles away from our home and office. It really was strong! Right at the epicenter the damage was devastating. One small town was totally destroyed. Our favorite tourist spot, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, was seriously damaged. Thankfully, the hotel there claims that no one died there. So far we don't have a clear death count. I think it is 17, though CNN says there are 34 confirmed dead. These photos are from the La Nacion newspaper. One shows an area where a body was recovered from a car buried about half-way down the landslide. The body was recovered by a Colombian crew working from a helicopter. Another shows 6 amazing before and after photos, including the La Paz Waterfall. The third photo shows one of the monkeys that escaped from the monkey cage at the Waterfall Gardens. It is eating at the lovely restaurant where we have taken many guests. Two monkeys were not recovered. A jaguar that escaped was recovered. I haven't heard about the poisonous snakes!
A Beth Moore Miracle
When I was in the USA last July I had only a few minutes to look for a Bible study to take back to Costa Rica with me. That store only had one Beth Moore study - on the book of Daniel. I wanted to study something from the Old Testament, so I bought the book.
Only after getting back to Costa Rica did I learn that it requires either a video series on DVD or an audio series. The cost of ordering that was prohibitive.
Last week I downloaded the first video session for just over $5 and enjoyed the first week of study. I was praying yesterday about whether to quit the study, becuase it would require at least another $60 investment. Weighing the cost, a couple of weeks ago I had even tried writing Beth Moore herself, explaining my situation and asking if they offer any discounts for missionaries. But, I hadn't heard back from Lifeway Ministries.
During my prayer walk, I felt God nudging me to continue. As I tried to figure out how to make that work, I thought to myself, "Well, I can spend the rest of my birthday money to pay for at least part of it." From there, I will just have to see.
After my quiet time I briefly stopped by to talk to Karen, a missionary colleague. I meant to share something with her from the Daniel workbook that I'd studied. When she saw the book, she was very excited because she studied it with a group while in the US on HMA in 2008. She told me, "You just have to study it! We'll find some way to do it."
My eyes filled with tears of gratitude to God as I read an email from Lifeway Ministries upon returning home from Karen's house. The timing was perfect. It read:
Dear Susan,
Thanks for writing~
I would be blessed to offer an audio cd set to accompany Daniel.
Isn't God great?!? I already have two other missionaries who want to buy the book and study it with the audio series I've been promised. As Karen often says, "Cool beans!"
Only after getting back to Costa Rica did I learn that it requires either a video series on DVD or an audio series. The cost of ordering that was prohibitive.
Last week I downloaded the first video session for just over $5 and enjoyed the first week of study. I was praying yesterday about whether to quit the study, becuase it would require at least another $60 investment. Weighing the cost, a couple of weeks ago I had even tried writing Beth Moore herself, explaining my situation and asking if they offer any discounts for missionaries. But, I hadn't heard back from Lifeway Ministries.
During my prayer walk, I felt God nudging me to continue. As I tried to figure out how to make that work, I thought to myself, "Well, I can spend the rest of my birthday money to pay for at least part of it." From there, I will just have to see.
After my quiet time I briefly stopped by to talk to Karen, a missionary colleague. I meant to share something with her from the Daniel workbook that I'd studied. When she saw the book, she was very excited because she studied it with a group while in the US on HMA in 2008. She told me, "You just have to study it! We'll find some way to do it."
My eyes filled with tears of gratitude to God as I read an email from Lifeway Ministries upon returning home from Karen's house. The timing was perfect. It read:
Dear Susan,
Thanks for writing~
I would be blessed to offer an audio cd set to accompany Daniel.
Isn't God great?!? I already have two other missionaries who want to buy the book and study it with the audio series I've been promised. As Karen often says, "Cool beans!"
Rocking and Rolling
I've lived in Costa Rica for over ten years, but recently I feel like I've just been baptized into life here. Last night I was just about asleep when an aftershock hit. (We had a strong earthquake last Thursday.) My bed shook and so did the beams above me. So, that got my adrenaline going. I had just calmed down and barely fallen asleep when another hit. This one was weaker, but it made me decide to try sleeping on the couch. I was just about asleep again when the neighbor dog, Beckham, started barking like crazy! While trying to ignore him, I felt another aftershock.
Now sleep was out of the question. Finally I went out with Celeste to try to calm the other dog. He wouldn’t be calmed. Diego, who lives across the street joined in the effort to quiet Beckham. So, Diego and I had a nice 1:30AM chat.
At 2AM I felt another tremor while I was working on my inbox. I managed to get back to sleep after 2:30, but awoke with a fifth aftershock at 5:10!
Lord, calm the earth today!
Now sleep was out of the question. Finally I went out with Celeste to try to calm the other dog. He wouldn’t be calmed. Diego, who lives across the street joined in the effort to quiet Beckham. So, Diego and I had a nice 1:30AM chat.
At 2AM I felt another tremor while I was working on my inbox. I managed to get back to sleep after 2:30, but awoke with a fifth aftershock at 5:10!
Lord, calm the earth today!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Intercession 101
This morning I was reading about the need to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit as we intercede for others. Without this sensitivity there are at least two consequences: we become hypocritical (praying words just to sound nice); we become subject to a critical spirit (praying for the faults we see in others while conveniently ignoring our own).
So, how can I be a true intercessor? I do not have the answers, but I have two clues based on something I read by Oswald Chambers.
1) I must be aware of the Spirit's leading and discernment about the souls of others. This discernment allows me to have the mind of Christ on their behalf.
2) I must pray from my soul that God will convey His mind to me as I pray for others.
If we allow our hearts and minds to be "roused up" by His Spirit in such a way as we see His view about the people for whom we pray, then "Jesus Christ will be abundantly satisfied with us as intercessors."
So, how can I be a true intercessor? I do not have the answers, but I have two clues based on something I read by Oswald Chambers.
1) I must be aware of the Spirit's leading and discernment about the souls of others. This discernment allows me to have the mind of Christ on their behalf.
2) I must pray from my soul that God will convey His mind to me as I pray for others.
If we allow our hearts and minds to be "roused up" by His Spirit in such a way as we see His view about the people for whom we pray, then "Jesus Christ will be abundantly satisfied with us as intercessors."
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Prayer Specialists
How many specialists do you have available "by speed-dial?" I could quickly tell you phone numbers for lawyers, neurologists, ENT's, surgeons, washer/dryer repairmen, surveyors, cabinet-makers, and many others. But, do I know the number of a prayer specialist? A prayer specialist would be someone I could count on to not just respond with casual words of goodwill on my behalf, crafted in spiritual-sounding words to God. A prayer specialist does not offer pat answers. A prayer specialist listens to the heart-cry, responds with empathy and calm trust, and says, "Let's talk to Jesus about it." He or she then talks simply and intimately with the Savior, claiming the Bible's promises.
This kind of prayer is most effective if done in person and includes a touch of the hand or a gentle, loving hug.
Most of all, a prayer specialist continues to lift up the arms of Moses, and pray throughout the day or even during the night as the Spirit lays the need upon him.
May I learn to be a prayer specialist! Do you need my number for your speed-dial?
This kind of prayer is most effective if done in person and includes a touch of the hand or a gentle, loving hug.
Most of all, a prayer specialist continues to lift up the arms of Moses, and pray throughout the day or even during the night as the Spirit lays the need upon him.
May I learn to be a prayer specialist! Do you need my number for your speed-dial?
Friday, January 02, 2009
Spirit-Inspired Discontent
As we pray in the Spirit, God will make our soul profoundly discontented with all that is contrary to His will. From that sense of discontent arises an even more profound power in prayer. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, "The heavenly people are, therefore, those who most acutely feel earth's sorrows."
The above thoughts came to me through my study on prayer by Edwin and Lillian Harvey. At the same time, I am beginning a Beth Moore study on the book of Daniel. The study neatly dovetails the above thoughts as she describes the values of the culture of Babylon and draws the parallel to our own culture today. My soul grieves as I see how we, too, value youth, intelligence, and physical beauty. Babylon had the philosophy, "I am; and there is none besides me."
One thing that God has laid on my heart over the past years is the pressing question that Beth Moore also raises. As a church, are we influencing our culture with JESUS or are we being influenced by our culture?
I am not talking about social and political issues. I am talking about Jesus. That is our purpose as individuals and as a community of believers. May they see Jesus in us. May our values reflect the priorities of Christ!
The above thoughts came to me through my study on prayer by Edwin and Lillian Harvey. At the same time, I am beginning a Beth Moore study on the book of Daniel. The study neatly dovetails the above thoughts as she describes the values of the culture of Babylon and draws the parallel to our own culture today. My soul grieves as I see how we, too, value youth, intelligence, and physical beauty. Babylon had the philosophy, "I am; and there is none besides me."
One thing that God has laid on my heart over the past years is the pressing question that Beth Moore also raises. As a church, are we influencing our culture with JESUS or are we being influenced by our culture?
I am not talking about social and political issues. I am talking about Jesus. That is our purpose as individuals and as a community of believers. May they see Jesus in us. May our values reflect the priorities of Christ!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Costa Rican Immigration, Part 26 or So...
On December 4th I went once again to try to get my residency visa renewed. If you haven't read about previous experiences, I will sum them up for you in a few words: long waits, repeated visits, multiple bank deposits, standing for hours at a time, confused and anxious masses of people, more delays, and many frustrations. The last time I went, I waited for hours and hours just to make an appointment that was nearly three months off. December 4th was my scheduled appointment.
My appointment was for 1:20PM and I arrived at the gates of the complex at 1:12. I had no sooner found the end of the line when the official at the door called out, “Susan Yah-net!” I’ve learned to be attentive to all renderings of my name. Sure enough, he was calling for me! I was directed to a row of chairs and sat down comfortably. I looked at my watch. 1:16.
Every few minutes we were directed to shift chairs, gradually working our way towards the front of the huge room. After about 15 minutes I was moved into another room and took my seat in order – way in the back corner. There were about 70 others in line ahead of me, comfortably arranged in order by the rows of seats. What an improvement over last time! I had not been in that room for even two minutes when an energetic, smiling young man stepped briskly out of the offices up front, strolled all the way to the back, looked directly at me and asked, “Are you here to renew your documents? What time was your appointment for? What is your name?” He told me, “We’ll call you soon.”
Not two minutes later he called out my name and I walked past everyone else, to their astonishment and my own. He greeted me enthusiastically and asked how I was doing today. He seemed to genuinely want to know. He pulled out my document file (I couldn’t believe they even could find it!) and even pulled up my data on his computer. (That was a first, too!) He had me verify the information, hand him two letters*, and sign my name. He took ten digital fingerprints, five of my right index finger and five of the left. (I wonder if they weren’t supposed to be of each of my ten fingers!!) He asked me to look at the camera, and I gave the camera a look that told all about my immigration experience today. (Photo attached.)
That’s it! I was out of there in less than an hour with my renewed visa! I have to go back in May, because I need to renew once a year, and it took so long to get the appointment that seven months of my year is already gone. But, I’m not complaining!!!
* Earier in the day I picked up a required letter of recommendation from the Central American Church offices, but too late realized that 1) it had my wrong ID number on it and 2) I needed to have it notarized. So, I held my breath as I handed it to the young man, knowing it could be rejected. He didn’t even look at it and simply added it to the file!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
His Plenipotentiaries
What a mouthful! Plenipotentiares. That's what I read this morning in a reading from A. J. Gordon.
"Behold, I give unto you power... over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
Jesus says to us, "I have the authority. I have won it for you. I give it to you. Use it in My Name! You shall act in My place, even as I acted in your place." We go, authorized as His plenipotentiaries. But, even as we go, our every step is contested. Therefore we must meet Satan's persistence with our own clear insistence. Our taking must be "as deep as [our] lives; it must be as intense as the opposition." (And then, maybe a bit more!)
"And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Matt. 13:58)
"Behold, I give unto you power... over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
Jesus says to us, "I have the authority. I have won it for you. I give it to you. Use it in My Name! You shall act in My place, even as I acted in your place." We go, authorized as His plenipotentiaries. But, even as we go, our every step is contested. Therefore we must meet Satan's persistence with our own clear insistence. Our taking must be "as deep as [our] lives; it must be as intense as the opposition." (And then, maybe a bit more!)
"And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Matt. 13:58)
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Head, Shoulders, Hip and Toes, Hip and Toes
HEAD: I am trying to use it today! I have a lot to do to prepare for the Thanksgiving Bash. I was awake quite a bit last night and started thinking about how one of Kari’s goals in coming back to Costa Rica was to help lighten our load more. So, I started listing all I have to do and all that she can help me with. I’m so excited that today she readily signed on to help! Here’s a list of some of the things I’m recruiting her for either today or over the next few days:
1. Revise and print Thanksgiving menu; look over and organize needed recipes and figure out what we still need to buy/do
2. Help me come up with a “program” for Thursday so I know what we are doing and have bases covered
3. Talk to Tulio about bouquets and come up with vases
4. Find decorations: crayons, shawl, bittersweet, pumpkin bowls
5. Organize serving dishes and cooking stuff we will need
6. Call David Obando about the words for the Thanksgiving Day songs and make a document for those and maybe one for writing up a thanksgiving prayer to God (one for each person – pretty with clipart – maybe like a place card)
7. Help me with stamps on newsletters
8. Errands in SI: PO, bookstore for Thanksgiving tablecloth paper, etc
9. Maybe fix Arroz con Pollo with me???
10. Help organize devo photos and pages for Grandkid Devo
11. Organize Allmamirecipes.com
12. Work on calendar and “to-do” list for Alpine and ARC’S short-term teams
SHOULDERS: I think the above would take a lot of load off my shoulders. Regarding Woody’s shoulders: he just left to meet with Eric Gustafson over breakfast. They plan to meet regularly in order to be more proactive about financial issues for the LAMC.
HIP: Yesterday I saw Dr. Manley for my left hip. Just as Dr. Longworth thought by my pain description to him by phone, it is bursitis – tronchanter bursitis, to be exact. It probably was caused by favoring my right knee (infection) as well as my right foot (neuroma). I had to have two shots. The first was deep, guided by ultrasound. It was a mixture of cortisone and a local anesthetic. Double ouch! It hurt a lot. But, within minutes the anesthetic helped the pain. He also injected separately an anti-inflammatory, since my stomach can’t handle the oral version. Woody may have to give me shots every day for three more days. (You can do it, Woody!)
TOES: See photo. Don’t look too closely at the toes themselves, please. Just enjoy the “Pedal Christmas Spirit.”
Monday, November 17, 2008
The Chain is Her Conscience
I tell lots of stories about our 104 pound dog because I learn a lot of things from her. My brother Vito circled one verse in my prayer book and he wrote in the margin, “Celeste.” The verse reminded him of my walks with her.
1 Kings 8:23 talks about walking before God with all our hearts. When I walk Celeste, she couldn’t be happier. She is always eager to see the next thing on the path. That’s just how we should be! We should walk very closely to God (Heel!), and look forward to wherever He takes us.
Today I was thinking about another dog lessen. It is sometimes very hard for Celeste to resist running through our invisible fence. The fence is supposed to keep her inside by shocking her if she crosses the line. But, sometimes she feels like it’s worth it to run through the shock line… like if another dog shows up or she sees a squirrel outside of our property.
Recently Celeste ran out to chase another dog. After I got her back into our yard, I put her choke chain on and literally dragged her into the shock area so that she would remember clearly and painfully the consequence of escaping our yard. I am still working with her to teach her to obey consistently. So, while I sit outside on our step, spending time in God’s Word, I keep her choke chain nearby. As soon as she steps near the limit, looking longingly at dogs just outside her reach, I pick up and shake the choke chain. Just the sound of it makes her immediately jump back about 10 feet and to quickly decide to abide by the limits we’ve set.
That choke chain is much like our conscience. 2 Corinthians 1:12 talks clearly of the biblical concept of the conscience. If we are going to “listen to the choke chain” we must behave consistently – whether at church, at home, or wherever we find ourselves. We need to ask God to be totally in control of our lives and hearts so that even people outside our church notice that we belong to Jesus.
We need to be very sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But, we also need to accept His forgiveness and not echo a voice of condemnation. Like a tape recorder, sometimes we play over and over again the same tape that condemns us. Play. Rewind. Play. Rewind. But, remember, once God forgives us, he cleanses our consciences and doesn’t want us to grovel in our guilt.
This is a family prayer I wrote in my devotional for our Porter grandkids:
God, please convict us and guide us through our consciences. We want to please You without having to “cross the shock line.” Instead, help us to obey You from the get-go, using our consciences to guide us rather than convicting us of what we’ve already done wrong. Right now, though, we want to listen to You speak to our hearts about anything that we might have done wrong – whether it is a bad attitude, lack of thankfulness, hurtful words, or disobedience. We confess our sin before you, God, and now we thank You that You forgive and remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. Help us to live with a clear conscience today. Whenever Satan wants us to replay the tape recorder, help us remember that You have compassion on us and we should have compassion on ourselves as well. Thank You that Jesus paid the price for all our sins and paved the way to live guilt-free each day. Amen.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
I Like Bananas!
We used to sing a children's chorus which said, "I like bananas, I know that mangoes are sweet. I like papayas, but nothing can beat the sweet love of God." Now I eat bananas, papayas and mangos almost daily. The bananas in this photo are from our back yard. In the photo you only see about 1/3 of the bunch that came off of just one tree! We have plenty of bananas to satisfy our yens and the appetites of our neighbors and friends to boot!
Every Friday, at least as often as I can, I visit my friends at our local small nursing home called Albernia. At least two of the 16 residents, and maybe only those two, are Christians. The one pictured here is Don Edgar. I've been reading the Bible with Edgar each week. Sometimes Don Carlos joins us. 
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Celeste's Sky Blue Eye
You may not know about our ordeal of building a house. I won't go into the details except to say that when our house was not ready on time, we rented a small apartment in the town of San Isidro, expecting to live there for three months while the house was being finished. 17 months later, we finally moved into our house, even though it was far from done, and didn't even have electricity or water!
On the day of the big move we were so happy to get out of the dark, damp, moldy apartment in San Isidro. As we pulled up to the driveway with our car and a moving truck, there on the front steps sat a three month old Harlequin Great Dane puppy! I had never even seen a Great Dane before and was very impressed - with her size and with her good behavior. She had no tags on with the owner information, so she ended up spending the day with us. She was a lot of fun!
During the course of the day, Woody turned to me and asked, "What do you suppose her name is?" I looked her in the eye, and replied, "Celeste." Celeste means sky blue in Spanish. Woody thought that was a bit of a wimpy name for a huge dog, but I thought it seemed just right for her.
At the end of the day she disappeared, not to show up again for another week. The next time she showed up, there was a torn bit of rope dragging behind her, attached to a collar with her name and owner's phone number.
You guessed it! Her name was Celeste!
Over the next few months she repeatedly ran away to our house. We told her owners that if they ever wanted to give her away, we'd take her. A few months later they called us to say that they were moving to Canada and could not take Celeste with them. At first they wanted to sell her to us for $200. But, they ended up giving her away, because they were sure it was not just coincidence that I guessed her name "out of the blue."
On the day of the big move we were so happy to get out of the dark, damp, moldy apartment in San Isidro. As we pulled up to the driveway with our car and a moving truck, there on the front steps sat a three month old Harlequin Great Dane puppy! I had never even seen a Great Dane before and was very impressed - with her size and with her good behavior. She had no tags on with the owner information, so she ended up spending the day with us. She was a lot of fun!
During the course of the day, Woody turned to me and asked, "What do you suppose her name is?" I looked her in the eye, and replied, "Celeste." Celeste means sky blue in Spanish. Woody thought that was a bit of a wimpy name for a huge dog, but I thought it seemed just right for her.
At the end of the day she disappeared, not to show up again for another week. The next time she showed up, there was a torn bit of rope dragging behind her, attached to a collar with her name and owner's phone number.
You guessed it! Her name was Celeste!
Over the next few months she repeatedly ran away to our house. We told her owners that if they ever wanted to give her away, we'd take her. A few months later they called us to say that they were moving to Canada and could not take Celeste with them. At first they wanted to sell her to us for $200. But, they ended up giving her away, because they were sure it was not just coincidence that I guessed her name "out of the blue."
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