Are we the only ones who have asked ourselves this question? Another year has come and flown by, and we are grateful to God that we have had another year of marriage and ministry, full of love among friends and family. Along with all that, we are amazed that Hannah is 7+ months pregnant, because it simultaneously feels like it was yesterday and ages ago since we found out. With excitement and nerves, we await the arrival of our beloved Eliana.
This month, like most of the others, is marked with some great times and moments and some more difficult ones.
In Costa Rica, their longest break is December-January, since they have classes almost all year long from February-November. So on the 15th, we had our annual Christmas (end-of-the-year) celebration with the youth and young adults. In total, 8 young adults, 22 youth, and 6 leaders attended, putting us at a total of 36. It was a fun day, and the founder of the ministry, Marielos, taught the Christmas story, the true reason for celebrating, and belief in Jesus. It was a fitting way to close out the year as several of the youth and young adults find themselves working or traveling during Christmas break.
Since Hannah and I were back in Florida for Thanksgiving break and will be back by the 27th of January for the birth of Eliana, we celebrated Christmas once again in Costa Rica. We got to enjoy and spend it with other missionaries who also found themselves away from home and family. It was a festive time as we ate lots of food (no complaints here), worshipped, and did a white elephant gift exchange.
During this month, although some youth and young adults are away during this season, we have still been able to minister and meet with those who are around, and on Saturdays (our more evangelistic days), we read through Matthew & Luke’s account of the Christmas story. This past Saturday, the 28th, it was a lively conversation as the youth asked great questions and made great observations. Not all were believers, but all of them participated, which was encouraging to witness. Reading through the Christmas story, it helped them clear away misconceptions revolving around the birth of Jesus, because many have only heard the story but have not read it themselves. A simple example was pointing out that the Bible does not actually say how many Magi there were, although it it frequently taught that there were 3.
As for Thursdays, our group discipleship, and Fridays, young adults, we have been going through the book of Ephesians, exploring what Ephesians teaches us about God, our identity as the Church, and how we should live according to these theological treasures. The first week we did a review of hermeneutics, or the practice of interpretation, to equip them before reading. Overall, this has been a simple time of reading the Bible, making observations, responding to and asking questions, and helping the disciples get accustomed to reading the Bible. Ever since the retreat, we have observed a growing hunger in a few to read the Word on their own and with us.
In addition to the services we have with the next generations, our 1-1 discipleship consists of some of our favorite moments. I (Christopher) had the opportunity to spend the day with the boy I baptized at the retreat, and our conversations and study time covered: the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, Genesis 21 & 22 (Hagar & Ishmael, Abraham sacrificing Isaac), Christian women wearing pants, personal struggles, and his own journey throughout this year. From 2023 to now, he is a completely different person.
Another young man with whom I do discipleship has been quite the learning experience, as he is mute and deaf but knows somewhat how to read lips along with his own version of sign language. For months now, I have incorporated videos and other visuals into our discipleship as we have studied through the gospel of Mark. A few weeks ago, he began signing and mimicking many of the stories we have studied together, and I was quite impressed as he reminded me of stories that I had forgotten we had read! It was an encouraging moment to see the fruit God is growing in Him, as I sometimes question if I am communicating well to him.
One more highlight from my 1-1 discipleship time is that I began to meet with another young adult this month who asked me for help overcoming pornography. I’ve been able to use my book I published earlier this year, The Truth About Porn, as a guide and tool for us. So far, it has gone well as he is a disciple of Jesus and has brought many other things to light besides his struggle with pornography. If you are interested in checking out the book, the link is in the email.
Finishing up this month, I (Christopher) preached at a church this past Sunday, the 29th. Although we are in Costa Rica, this church actually conducts its service in English, so the message was in English as well. While grateful for the opportunity, we do wish it was under different circumstances as I was stepping in for a beloved friend and mentor who had lost a family member. If you are interested in the sermon, titled The Tears of God, the link is also in the email.
While at Southeastern University (SEU), one of my professors, Dr. Alan Ehler, used to always share something with his ministry students to prepare us for what laid before us after graduation: “ministry is hard, harder than you can imagine, but just because it is hard does not mean it is not good.” We agree that, although it is hard at times, it is still good.
God bless you!
Prayer requests:
- That the old van gets repaired by January 8th
- Domestic violence abuse case
- Wisdom for leaders as we plan for the upcoming year
- Our dear friends who just lost a close family member
- Healthy last trimester and easy delivery for Hannah and Eliana
Praise reports:
- We received insurance coverage for Eliana & Hannah!
- Specific youth/young adults beginning to read the Bible more on their own
- Great turnout for the end-of-the-year Christmas event
- Making new connections with local ministries