There and Back Again
“We couldn’t have done it without God,” says Mary, “as we prepared, practiced, and set up the whole play over the course of a week.”
Divine Orchestrator at Work in Costa Rica
I imagine God the Father as the composer and the Divine Orchestrator, as the one charged with bringing His will to fruition.
Valentine’s Day Shoes for Edrin
Sharing the Joy of Missions with Children
A missionary father shares about World Mission Sunday and how the local people of Costa Rica celebrated this day.
God Loves All His Children
My Dad coordinated one day with the nuns to visit their Girls Home. We were greeted by about a hundred of them, in the driveway of the home, all of them waving and trying to get a look at us, a family of nine white foreigners.
Child-like Faith
A few years ago, an estranged family member showed up at Eusebia’s door with two young girls, aged 3 and 6, that Eusebia had never seen before. The man instructed the girls to sit on Eusebia’s porch while he briefly described the unfortunate circumstances which led their parents to abandon them. He hustled back to his car, and drove away—never to be seen or heard from again.
The Friend Request That Made a Difference
Since my initial communications with Maq this group has developed and evolved into something I could never have imagined and has been a huge blessing in my life. The goal of this group is to give MKs from every background and denomination a place of understanding, acceptance and fellowship.
Conduits of Christ
The Holy Spirit inspired us to give away crucifixes as tangible expressions of Jesus’ love for us. We searched and searched, and eventually found a little shop in a faraway town that sells religious items.
Meru Children’s Home
Where Is Our Passion?
This is passion! In the midst of fear, adversity, and apathy, passion enters the room and blows the doors down. … The world looks at our apathetic brand of Christianity and wants little to do with it, because it lacks a sincere authenticity, and it lacks passion.
A Crown of Weeds
Daniel & the God of Second Chances
Not long after we moved into Coopevega, I encountered the local pack of drunk men who were always wandering the streets. Daniel seemed to be the ring leader.
How To Love When You’d Rather Yell
“STOP pushing the desk! How many times have I told you the SAME thing! Sit up straight and don’t lean against the table!” The plump, untidy little six-year-old gave me a shame-faced grin as she did every single time I corrected her which was probably every other minute of the thirty minutes I sat with her.
Amalita
By carefully assessing our capacities and making calculated decisions based on our available resources, we leave God zero room to reveal His majesty.
Victor & Karina
On a Saturday afternoon, we received a phone call from our friend Andy, a fellow FMC missionary here in Peru. He’d just been informed of Karina’s biopsy results, which indicated her recently diagnosed and untreated cancer was so advanced that she had only two weeks to live, at best.
Avoiding Eye Contact & Other Ways to Kill Your Soul
Are you a good person? Yeah, me too. I’m basically a good person. Aren’t we all? Most people think of themselves as good, their particular sins somewhat excusable and insignificant, while everyone else’s are shocking and reprehensible. But in my walk with Christ, I have learned a life-changing truth…
A Personal Reflection on World Mission Sunday
This past weekend, the Catholic Church celebrated World Mission Sunday. Praise God! Please join me in praying that our family’s simple and humble witness would be enough for the people we serve in rural, Central America. We have been blessed beyond measure by God and by the beautiful people of Costa Rica. Often times, our many shortcomings are on display as well and we pray that through our weaknesses we would be made strong and that we could have the grace and courage to boast in Christ and in Him alone. Below is a brief, honest, and broken reflection on the Church’s mission, the Great Commission.
FMC Classic Post: God and a Neighborhood Cutie Competition
This is a story from my time in the Philippines in 2012. The work of a Catholic missionary is not the same as a social worker. We want to help people in not just temporary ways, but in ways that will last for eternity. We want to introduce them to the One who will stay even when we are gone….
