What follows are three vignettes, or kingdom moments. Can you find the common theme or themes in the following stories? Prizes described at the end.

1. "What does it mean to be a man?" That was the question being discussed by a group of Baptist men here recently. In trying to answer the question we came to see that society, culture, and even the church had defined manhood in ways that were unrealistic, unhelpful, and even dangerous. We shared about the stereotypical man: head of the house, sole provider, tough guy who keeps his woman (or women) in line, never loses, and never shows emotion, except anger. Many of the men at the meeting confessed that they had bought into the model in some ways, but certainly weren't happy with it. We then talked about the model of Jesus, a strong man if there ever was one. But Jesus' strength led him to serve, to weep, and to express emotions.

The setting was a one day workshop on masculinity and domestic violence led by our friend Dave Matthews, a therapist from First Baptist Church of St. Paul, Minnesota. Dave's expertise and his openness led us to new insights, and helped the group reflect honestly.

A man named Alvaro shared about how his self-esteem had been affected by a serious illness that made it impossible for him to work full-time. He simply couldn't perform like he had before, and couldn't provide for all the needs of his family. He felt weak and insecure. The man's pastor, Jose Soto, was present and shared how in the life of the church, that man had set a true example of manhood with his bravery and his humility. There was silence. The kind of good silence when you know you are on holy ground. The man's teenage son, Andres, was also there. Someone asked him what he thought of his father. The boy responded that he respected his Dad more than he ever had. It was a kingdom moment, a Jesus moment.

Domestic violence is a big problem here, just as it is all around the world. There may be many causes and a variety of treatments, but certainly definitions of manhood play a role. Dave also led other workshops while here with key Costa Rican judges and an ecumenical group in Limon gathered by our colleague Marlene Dell, rector of the Caribean Theological Center.
*Please pray for the men of Costa Rica, and for the men in your life, that we can "be transformed by the renewing of our minds." (Romans 12:1)

2. Many of you who have been praying for the Alajuelita church will be happy to know that they just called a pastor, Olman Gonzalez (David's father, if that helps). The church has been without pastoral leadership for a long time now, and Olman, along with his wife Guiselle, have been looking for a congregation to serve. So far we are hearing good things about his first weeks there. His preaching and visitation are being well received. Meanwhile, Mario continues coordinating the construction project and bit by bit the kitchen is coming together. Much of this has been made possible by matching funds sent by one of our Illinois congregations. On a sad note, the church's guard dog, Tommy, was recently poisoned by some neighborhood troublemakers.
*Please pray for the security of the community.

3. The Baptist church in La Guacima de Alajuela was blessed by the visit of an ABC team from Midland, IN. The group helped the church members lay ceramic tile and paint their playground. A doctor and some nurses attended and several people from the community. Lice, scabies, and high blood pressure are prevalent in the community and this group allowed the church to minister to some of those needs. Other team members gave haircuts and played with community kids.
*Pray for the people of La Guacima, and for their pastor Xinia (one of my Old Testament students)
I have to confess that there were some bureaucratic headaches and governmental hoops to jump through in preparing for the group to come. I also have to confess that I didn't think things would work out. But God surprised us all with how well things went.

Okay, I hope you saw the following themes.

1. God answers prayer.
2. God works through His people.
3. Mission partnerships are great things. All the events described above involve partnerships between Baptist churches in the U.S. and Costa Rican Baptist churches.

There may be more themes than that, and if so, you win bonus points, or as my Granny used to say, "jewels in your crown." Enjoy your "treasure in heaven."

Blessings,

Gary Baits
Costa Rica