Gift of God
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.
God’s Hands
Angie Waldrop, a missionary mother, shares a story about how everything is truly in God’s hands if we just have faith.
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.
In Between
During this time, we were supposed to discern where our family would go next. There was a little anxiety about this. I didn’t feel adequately prepared to “make a major discernment” during this rocky time of prayer.
The Story of Sarai
Even though Sarai found what many would consider a prestigious job as a high-end chef at a five-star hotel, she is only making 1200 colones per hour—which is equivalent to about $2.00 an hour.
Hopeful Futures
Obed shared that he was ready to change. Unfortunately I didn’t believe him, but I gave him the opportunity to prove himself by inviting him to come to my house the next day and discuss it further.
A Bike Track in a Cow Pasture
When I first saw the land, I felt a bit discouraged. It was very overgrown with trees, bushes, tall grass, and brush everywhere. And there were cows and a horse living there. The spot he found for us to build was in a cow pasture! Well…at least the land would be leased to us free of charge, so I thought, let’s give it a try.
When God Plans the Party
Our friend Eliomar had prepared a reflection which included two gifts—one wrapped like garbage and scribbled on, and the other wrapped beautifully with glittery ribbon. He asked two kid volunteers which one they wanted, and they both chose the beautiful one. He gave them the gifts and asked them to open them. Inside the beautiful one were nasty old fruit peels and garbage. Inside the scribbled package were chocolate and candy.
Jesus Is Born: A Coopevega Christmas
When the long-awaited time came to open the presents, I couldn’t help but smile at the loud, enthusiastic sounds of ripping wrapping paper and happy exclamations that filled our packed gazebo. I knew for some of those kids this would be the only Christmas present they received this year—or possibly any year.
From Mom to Missionary
I felt like I was in a dream. I had to go to the store at that exact time in order to run into this group of people at that exact moment! And what are the odds that they were hosting a moms’ retreat, and that both my older kids adamantly did not want to go to the store that day? My oldest joked that his laziness was obviously God’s will that day… ha! I knew I had to go.
Being a Kid in Missions
There was this poor man, and he seemed sad and lonely. He saw me and lit up, and he started asking me questions. Then he asked me if I would buy a treat for him, and (awkward situation right here) I was about to say no when all of the sudden the Holy Spirit moved me to buy him a treat.
The Greatest Gift We Can Offer
Bishop Herrera said that the witness of a faith-filled family is the greatest gift missionaries can offer. What a relief and what a joy to hear that coming from the bishop. We are fulfilling our mission here simply by our yes to the Lord and our presence here at our mission post.
Children As Missionaries
As a mother guiding my children as missionaries, I want to help my children claim ministries of their own. We were called as a family into missions, but not every member of my family feels passionate, excited, or gifted to be in foreign missions. For example, we get a lot of knocks at our door; the extroverts excitedly answer, while the introverts are more hesitant.
Even So, God is at Work!
These past months have not turned out as we had imagined they would. Many of our visitors were unable to come due to borders closing, mission trips were cancelled, ministries were prohibited to continue. Even so, God is at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Missionaries After Therese’s Heart
Starting ministry in a new mission post takes time to build relationships, determine where the needs are, and find how our family can best serve. We were just beginning to discover some of this when the stay-at-home order hit, preventing us from meeting anyone else.
A Missionary Family
Some days I feel like I’m not doing much—I have this vision of getting up in front of the congregation, preaching the Gospel from my heart to a church full of people and playing guitar while leading beautiful hymns. Then reality hits: I don’t speak Spanish that well, and I can’t play the guitar. This missionary life has been a lesson in putting what little I have at the disposal of the Holy Spirit, even my weakness.