Past, Present, Future, and Current Needs

Greetings,
Jenn, Caleb, and I are sitting on our bed in Costa Rica trying to decide what we are going to do today, our day off this week. The current topic of conversation is how much exactly to pull out of the ATM machine to cover our expenses for the next week here in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. We are trying figure out how much it will cost for Caleb’s diapers, wipes & snacks, food for when we aren’t on base, some maternity clothes and haircut for Jenn, and any bus/taxi fair for going into the downtown shopping areas. Anyway, we wanted to give you the bullet point update of what we did in Panama, what we are currently doing in Costa Rica, and what awaits us in South Africa.

Panama

• We helped pull together and attended the Una Voz, One Voice Art Festival which focused on fighting injustice in Panama and highlighting current work.
• Officially launched the Spanish speaking, 30 Days of Prayer booklet.
• Helped clean up an indigenous village not far from where we were staying after a really bad storm
• Jenn spoke at a church about Voice for the Voiceless with another teammate, Laura.
• Developed a website for the indigenous village of Errebache with the intent of assisting them in preserving their culture. Spent time staying with them in their village and sharing God’s word and testimonies with them.
• The women on our team spent a week in the Darien Province to experience their traditional culture and share the love and word of God.
• Just before leaving Panama we found out that the chief of Errebache (in the picture above) and another woman in the village had made a full commitment to Christ during another team’s stay – Praise the Lord!
  

Costa Rica

• Shared about Voice for the Voiceless, our testimonies and the word of God in numerous churches and at a night school most nights this week.
• We have fed the homeless both on the streets of San Jose and at the Salvation Army (The picture below is of a homeless man sleeping in a cardboard box)
• Visited very young teen moms in their homes and threw a party for them at the base for Mother’s Day which is August 15th. We will continue to partner with this ministry throughout our time in San Jose.
• Went into the ghetto to play with and feed children of prostitutes and drug addicts through a ministry run by a Pastor named Bella Fleur.
• Next week we will begin going to the street of San Jose to work with the homeless and possibly the prostitutes at night while maintaining our day time ministry to teen moms, feeding the homeless, and speaking/ teaching in churches.
• We were able share on a radio station about, “Voice for the Voiceless.” The broadcast has the potential to reach Central and South America.
• Caleb has been able to play with other base kids, which has been a great joy for us.

South Africa

• We leave for Capetown, SA on Sept. 3rd and return to the US Oct. 25th
• The first two weeks we will be attending the U of N conference and completing our DTS debrief
• The following month we will be working with our friends, Dave & Laura Fisher. They run the Voice for the Voiceless ministry in South Africa and work a lot in the townships. A lot of the work they do is focused on those impacted by AIDS.
  

Current Needs, Prayer Requests, and Praise Report

• Prayer for our team. We specifically ask for the unity and peace of God to reign supreme
• An additional $900 a month for September and October. This will cover our medical insurance ($530 a month), monthly car payment and expenses for the additional month in South Africa. This includes housing, food, travel and misc. expenses.
• Praise God, we found short term housing when we return, God is good.
  

We are amazed at the journey we have been on and the fruit we have seen. God has blessed us immeasurably as a family and we are so excited for the remaining time ahead. To date we have been able to consistently pay our monthly bills because of the generosity and faithfulness of family, friends and acquaintances who have given. If you feel God’s leading to give, we can definitely use it in order to finish strong.

In his Service,

Gary, Jenn, Caleb and Baby Land

Our Perspective on Life has Changed

Hello from San Jose, Costa Rica -

After being away for almost five months our perspective on life has changed. Together we have been in school for twelve weeks, we’ve learned about the issues of injustice around the world, we’ve gained a fresh understanding about God’s love for peoples suffering, and we have witnessed that suffering first hand in Panama and Costa Rica.

Caleb trying to kiss the monkey

Caleb chasing the ducks and chickens at Errebache

It hasn’t come easy being in two foreign countries. One of the biggest challenges has been being the only family amongst a large group of mostly single people and two married couples. In some ways I envy them, because they don’t have the responsibility’s that come with a family. We have had to wrestle through the dynamics of how a family survives outreach. It has been incredibly difficult to find the balance of who is doing ministry when and who is going to watch Caleb. We both desire to be fully active in ever opportunity we have but that just isn’t possible with a child. We have also struggled with not having a “safe” place for Caleb to be. By “safe” we mean that is child proofed for a two year old. Our common area for living was a church sanctuary with instruments, sound equipment, teammate’s laptops, ipods and camera’s. Not exactly child friendly which meant we were constantly on our guard or just staying in our room which is pretty isolating.

Caleb getting ready for bed the first night in Errebache

Caleb with mommy and monkey

The moving around has also been challenging but Caleb has shown himself to be such a trooper. It usually takes him a few nights and about a day or so to adjust to a new setting. We seem to be in new places every few weeks or so which is a lot of uprooting for the little man. He’s even speaking a little bit of Spanish, eats foods from around the world, plays with children of other cultures and has even slept in a hut in the jungle. He is receiving a true gift in experiencing the diversity of God’s people and creation. We know this is shaping the man he will one day be for the better.

Caleb wanting to play with the monkey, but not really

Caleb with Joseph after being painted up

At times we have questioned our sanity for deciding to follow God’s leading to do a DTS at this season in our lives. As we have talked about the hardships we are constantly reminded of the long term fruit of this season. It has indeed been a time of growing for us; learning to share the responsibilities of parenting, living in challenging circumstances, improving our communication with one another, defining life priorities and of course the incredible privilege of being able to share with our children in the future the way in which God sustained us and demonstrated his unceasing faithfulness in this season.

Caleb in Panama City walking around

Caleb in Errebache with some of the Embera people

We see that our lives have been full of choices that we know to be the right ones, but in many cases they were not the easiest or most glamorous to make. In many of these decisions, we can see how our character has been shaped. While this season has been a challenge we know it is where God wants us so that his plans for our lives can be realized. As a family we know the fruit of this season is due to our obedience, the prayers of so many, gifts of financial support and the love of our Father!

In his service,

Gary, Jenn, Caleb and Baby Land