I know that it has been a while since I have updated my blog....it seems that the last months have gone by particularly fast and have been busy. I have also needed to sort through some things emotionally before I felt that I could write on here. I have been feeling for the last months so much spiritual attack and have felt almost crushed by so many things going on here that I wasn't sure how to even begin to write. Now I feel I can write again and keep you up to date on what's going on here. Through all these tough road blocks, one thing is sure.....Satan will not have his way, and I refuse to be taken out by anyone but God. I continually hold onto his strength.
This month, I have been planning my own Christmas activities here in Costa Rica as I will not be in Canada for Christmas this year. One of the things I did was hold a cookie painting/ tree decorating party for Marilyn's family and cousins. It was great! We ended up having a huge flour fight and all ended up covered from head to toe in flour!!
Last week, me and a few friends went down in front of hotel well known for its sex tourism/illegal activity to just pray and see what God had for us there. We stayed there from 9pm-4am and were able to pray and chat with the different characters that hang out there. It was an interesting experience to be able to see them just as people and less so as drug dealers, prostitutes, and male prostitutes. I couldn't help thinking to myself in the moment.....here I am on the shady corners of San Jose talking to drug dealers about the best meat/worst meat to eat and eating carrot sticks.While I was out there, I couldn't help but question whether our presence was really worthwhile and whether having rather trivial conversations with the people there had any value at all.
In the end I realized that it wasn't really about exactly what we did or how "focused" it was but that we had sent aside that time as a sacrifice to God and to perhaps be a light on a corner where that is hard to find. When it was around 3am, after talking about meat and chinese food, Andy a drug dealer on that corner started to talk to me about God. He ended up asking for a church to go to. In that moment, I realized that even if nothing comes from it.....the 20 minutes talking about God and praying made it all worth it. It gave this corner a group of faces and personalities to specifically pray for. A corner of broken, lonely people that God cares about and wants to reach.
This week I finally got to see the teen girl drug rehab centre and just observe the program. This is something I have been praying about for a while now. I have felt for some time now that God is calling me to focus on discipleship and teaching the Bible and heard that this ministry was specifically looking for someone to do that. I have so far been quite impressed with this ministry and will be continueing to observe and pray for the meantime. Their program for this area is to run a group Bible study and then do individual sessions with the girls where they can discuss their thoughts/questions about God and the Bible. This is a passion of mine and will see if this is where God would like me to serve.
Please Pray!!!
1. Pray for me as I have been feeling really discouraged and overwhelmed. It is really hard to work with youth at risk and have been feeling so weak and just attacked by Satan. I'm dealing with so many teen issues that I never anticipated. I'm feeling a bit naive/innocent to work with teens who have been through so much. Pray for strength, wisdom, and guidance.
2. Pray for Marilyn as she will be starting school next month and just pray for her relationship with God. Also pray for the money to pay for her GED/English program for the year ($800.00) This will cut her completion of high school from 3 years to 1.5 years and get her on the road to independence.
Thanks for all your prayers and support, I simply couldn't do it without you guys. I truly pray Gods blessing over this Christmas season. Let me know if I can lift you up in prayer.
