“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God”

                                                                                                                        (I Peter 9)

While we’re missing Costa Rica, and hoping to go back July 1, we have been able to bring a little bit of Costa Rica to the U.S.   

One of my (Gary’s) favorite classes to teach at the seminary in San Jose is “Biblical Interpretation.”  Using biblical study tools and creativity, students spend hours and hours digging into a particular passage and then present it to the class.  When learners enter into the text and find themselves and their congregations in the passage, the Bible comes alive.   So, I offered to do a similar class at First Baptist Church of Port Angeles, WA.  A good mix of interested people showed up and I enjoyed teaching in English for a change.  One woman chose the story of the healing of the woman with the flow of blood from Luke’s gospel.  She did all the book work, but then presented a dramatic monologue from the perspective of the woman.  She entered into the woman’s story and then invited us to enter into it with all its pain and wonder. 

Another Costa Rican tradition is our “Call Retreat.”  We explained to our Missionary Partnership Team that the purpose of the retreat was for people to consider how God had gifted them to serve and how they could take the next step to live that out.  Mark, a member of our MPT liked the sound of that and asked if we would do one here.  While we had never done one in English, we thought we could pull it off.  26 people gathered at Camp Bethel on the Washington coast to ponder and pray and present themselves to the Lord’s purposes.   It was a hit.  “Call” is one of those things that we all believe in, but don’t always take time to ponder and put into practice.  An executive minister heard about what we did and told me he’d like his region to offer such an event as well. 

It’s fun to watch these Costa Rican seeds take root in U.S. soil.  We were privileged on Sunday to take part in the ordination-commissioning service of IM missionary Kim Kushner.  About 7 years ago we received a call from Kim’s pastor saying she was interested in volunteer service in Latin America.  We didn’t have much to offer at the time so she wound up in Nicaragua as a volunteer with our IM colleagues Laura and David Parajon.  She served there for two years and was a huge blessing to the people of Nicaragua.  She made her way to Costa Rica for a visit and we quickly became friends.  She went from there to seminary and then on to other volunteer opportunities, confirming that cross-cultural missions was indeed her call.  As soon as funding permits, Kim will head to El Salvador to a ministry of theological education and leadership development.  As Kim’s Missionary Partnership Team, sending church, and representatives from the region laid hands of blessing on her, we saw abundant fruit and thought of all the people who had prepared the soil and nurtured Kim’s call and of all the seeds Kim will plant in her ministry.

All this talk of Central America has us eager to return to our ministry home.  Si Dios quiere and if all goes according to plan, we will head back on July 1.  Your prayers and faithful financial support make this possible. 

Gracias,

Gary