Back and Ready

Hello Everyone! Its been a while since I have been able to write to you. I was in Costa Rica for 5 weeks. I got back 2 weeks ago and immediately had a staff retreat followed by a conference that I was signed up to go to for advertising our ministry. Whew!!! Well, not that I have a moment to breathe before I start building again, there are a few things I would like to update you on and some things I would like to say to everyone who supports and prays for Julie and I.

Language

Let me begin by honoring everyone who donated money and sent me to Costa Rica to learn Spanish. I'm going to leave you anonymous because many of you probably like to give secretly. I can't explain to you enough the gift that you have given me or those that we are working for in Mexico. You have empowered me and gave me confidence in Spanish. Instead of hearing a bunch of blah with a few words here and there, I know am able to hear just as many words as I do blah. I know that sounds funny but its the truth. I'm smiling write now as I write this. But the important thing here is that I am able to comprehend enough to understand people. The rest of the language will start to fill itself in. I'm so excited about learning Spanish and am looking forward to the coming year. Keep praying that I will continue to build my vocabulary and be able to speak with more efficiency.

Perhaps the most important thing about learning Spanish is the fact that I can more effectively minister to the families that we build for and work better with the pastors that we are partnered with. When I say we...I mean you included. None of the ministry that we are a part of could be accomplished without the financial sacrifice and prayer support that comes from you. You are a part of bring the gospel and giving houses to families you may never meet. Thank you.

Let me tell you a little bit about what Costa Rica was like and then I will update you into the things coming up.

Costa Rica

I stayed with a Costa Rican family. The lady of the house, in Spanish it's the Ama de la Casa, name was Zoraida. Her two daughters and their sons lived with her. I had the whole upstairs of their house to myself. Everyday, she prepared breakfast and dinner for me. We would sit for two hours and talk while we ate. It took me a little while to get the hang of speaking with her. At first, I understood almost nothing. By the end, I felt confident in speaking and listening to her.

After Breakfast everyday, I would go to school. It was a 15 minute walk from Zoraida's house. The school did 3 two hour sessions. By the third session, my brain would be fried from trying to comprehend everything people were saying. I would leave school exhausted and wanting nothing to do with Spanish. All of the teachers were nice. They hall had really different teaching styles. Some talked so fast I couldn't keep up. Others talked slow enough for me to understand. All in All, I enjoyed the classes.

After school I would go to a coffee shop and use the internet. During every day of school, I would write down a word I didn't know and then look it up after school at the coffee shop. This tactic really helped me pick things up quicker. After looking up words and drinking enough coffee to make me shake, I would return home to eat dinner with Zoraida. We would talk for awhile and then I would go up to my room, do homework and try to learn the words I had learned at the coffee shop. FUN STUFF!!By the third week... My Brain was done. I took it easy on the word studying and decided to try and converse more with others.

The weekends were filled with more studying but one weekend I took a bus to a beach called Manuel Antonio. It was beautiful. They have a national park there where there are secluded beaches and different animals. I was able to see some monkeys and even a sloth. At night I would go into the town and enjoy dinner while listening to the waves. Seeing the beauty of this place really stirred up worship in my heart. God is so beautiful. I can't wait to see what He has in store for eternity!

I was ready to come home after week four but I toughed it out. The school gave me the book material for the things I wasn't able to cover in class. Can you believe that I made it to the advanced classes! Me neither. Again, thank you to everybody who made this possible. You are awesome!

No What?

Now, Julie and I are preparing for some building and a trip home for thanksgiving. Our two builds are October 25th thru the 29th and November 12th thru the 13th. The October build is going to be a little different and more difficult than normal. The team I was supposed to build with cancelled but paid for the house to be done. So now I am looking for people who would like to come down on short notice to build this house with me. If you are reading this and you feel like this is something your interested in, I could use you! So far I have four people committed. I hoping for some more. Never built one of our larger model houses with 4 people but I'd ready for whatever God throws my way. I just want a family to receive a house and the gospel to be proclaimed. Be praying for Julie and I as we try to prepare for this build.

We love you all. Keep us in your prayers. We still need monthly supporters. If you would like to do ministry this way, we encourage you to pray about donating to us on a monthly basis. If you are already giving, I'm excited for you because of the relationship you are building with God by giving to this mission and I'm excited for the eternal rewards that you are going to harvest. To God be the Glory forever and ever. May He have our crowns and all of our offerings. May in cost us something to love and follow Him.

Justin