I am more than halfway done with my trip and I have been trying to think of ways that y'all can pray for the rest of my time here. I have eight working days left with the children. I am very thankful for my time here. It's been a blessing.

One of the things God has continued to bring to my attention to is the beauty, simplicity, and relevance of the Gospel. I recently read a devotional written by a man who attends my church in Dallas. He says this about the Gospel: "Paul goes on to emphasize the brilliance of God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ's death on the cross, based on the simplicity of it (1 Corinthians 1:21). If it were intellectually challenging to understand, the educated could set themselves apart. If it could be earned or purchased, the noble would be the first in line. If it were difficult to achieve, any of us could be proud of our comprehension or discovery." The Gospel is something my heart needs to encounter every day. In the Psalms, David asks the Lord to restore to him the joy of his salvation. The forgiveness of sins through Christ’s blood and life everlasting is a happy thing. And it’s ok to go back to the basics to figure out why.

It took me awhile to really understand what I was doing here and what the true needs of the children are, apart from the obvious physical needs. Most of all what I believe these children lack is consistency. They need to be consistently loved, consistently taught the Gospel, consistently disciplined, and consistently valued. Looking back on my own life I can see that my childhood was filled with care and Christian counsel, and not only from my parents. It is a little hard knowing that my time here will end soon but that the needs of the children are long term. That said I believe the center needs the most prayer. The current staff members need perseverance so that they can be steadfast in their work and also continue to be an example to the community. Hopefully God will use His Gospel to continue to teach the men and women of Limón how to show their children that they are valued individuals. I know that the poverty increases the stress of everyday life, and I can see and feel the burden that it places on these families. I have seen men and women whose response is bitterness and hopelessness, but I have also seen men and women who respond by raising their hands to heaven and praising God.

Today I was watching one of the little girls named Isis (she’s about 2) in the office of the clinic. A song was playing on the radio when the woman who is in charge of the clinic, Lillian, walked in. She smiled and said the song reminded her of her first boyfriend. From there she went on to tell me this story about how she grew up with him and how they wanted to get married. They were separated and lost touch after he joined the army. He was shot and killed about 6 years ago. She has never married. She told me that after he died she wrote down their story. She’s telling me all of this, and she is crying. She tells me that she never tells anyone about her life but for some reason she could share with me. It was very touching. It was a reminder that everyone has their own story. But she said that working with the children and being able to love them brings her joy. The Bible says that even Christ, “the source of eternal salvation”, learned from what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8-9). I once had a leader tell me that “a broken heart is practice for healing broken lives”. I am being challenged to take what is broken in my life, even my very being, and offer it to God as a tool for the expansion of His Kingdom.   

All is well here. I feel fine and I have made friends. My Spanish is even improving. J God has been very faithful, as He tends to be.