Answers to Prayer

Every night for the past 8 months I've been praying a specific prayer.

When we first arrived in Costa Rica for language study, my wife's identification was stolen. Among the cards we lost was her Permanent Residence card (the infamous Green Card). Karen has been in the process of obtaining her citizenship for nearly seven years, and this particular card is very important. Without it we had to obtain a costly letter of transportation to enable her to enter back into the states. She needs this card in hand to complete her citizenship. Not to mention we are in the midst of obtaining visas to work in Paraguay for an extended period of time, and official papers such as this are required. Aye, yie, yie... what a headache.

So every night for the past 8 months I've been praying that the Lord would help us with this.

Last week Karen had to return to the states to have her fingerprints taken for her citizenship process. When she arrived in Miami she inquired about getting a new Green Card. They told her it was not possible at the port of entry but that she should check with the immigration office in Jacksonville when she had her prints taken. When she asked the officials in Jacksonville if she could speak to someone about this they told her that she needed an official appointment that could only be made online. Karen thought quick on her feet and put her faith into motion by calling the secretary of our church in Spring Hill, Florida (Thank you Saralyn!). After Saralyn searched the government website she informed Karen that it didn't look like there was an appointment until May thirtieth. Karen was leaving on the twenty-eighth. But then Saralyn asked Karen, "What's the date today?" After Karen confirmed that it was the twenty-fourth, Saralyn booked an appointment for Karen that was twenty-eight minutes away. In order to finalize this meeting Karen had to have printed proof of her internet reservation. So, Karen ran down the block to a Marriott Hotel and used their Technology Services to print out the required form. To the amazement of the immigration official she returned for her appointment with just seconds to spare. Karen then received a temporary stamp in her passport that will serve as her Green Card until the new one is replaced within six months. That was eight months of prayer paying off. Some people might say "What luck!" But I know different, "What a friend I have in Jesus!"

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" (1st Thessalonians 5:16-24).

There's no sense in allowing worry to rob our joy. We all have the opportunity to exchange our worries for dependency in God that results in a thankful heart. With our faith we can stoke God's fire in our lives, or with the lack of faith we can smother what He would like to do. But in the end if we remain faithful to Him, the good things He wants to do in us, through us, and for us, HE WILL DO!

The Apple Doesn't Fall, part 2

I have a feeling that there will be many appendices under this same title in the future. Jeffrey will be a fountain of many interesting stories.

I need to preface this new experience with one that took place when I was around ten years old. My uncle was working at Canadian Bible College, which at the time was located in Regina, Saskatchewan. My cousin Tim and I were playing around campus, in and out of all the buildings. We came to one hallway that had a fire alarm in it. I dared my cousin to pull it. He put his hand over the lever, but wasn't going to pull it on his own. I told him if he didn't move his hand I would hit it and thereby set off the alarm. I gave him until three, but he didn't move it. In all fairness to Tim, this was totally my fault. In the end, I wasn’t allowed to go in any buildings without the accompaniment of an adult.

Fast forward to one month ago. We attend church in a local hospital here in Costa Rica. The church is renting the conference room on Sundays for their worship. Anyhow, Karen stayed home on this day as she was preparing for Jeffrey's second birthday party. My sister Barb, Jeffrey and myself went to the second service. We arrived when the church was transitioning between the first two services. They were running a little late getting the nursery room set up so we were waiting in the hallway. There is a group of young girls that love Jeffrey and are always quick to take him from us. While we were waiting one of these girls was holding Jeffrey. Meanwhile, inside the conference room the worship service had begun. The next thing I know the fire alarm is sounding and Jeffrey is being handed back to me. It seems Jeffrey pulled the alarm. How embarrasing! The pastor left the worship service to come out and see if he could reset the alarm, to no avail. For fifteen minutes we stood in shame as the alarm sounded and several people tried to reset it.

On the bright side: the hospital did not have to evacuate, the fire department did not have to come, we are expected to make such mistakes as we are gringos, and finally my sister and I agreed it was a good thing Karen wasn't there.

People always warned me that I would be repaid through my offspring for my mischievousness as a child. However, I never thought it would be repaid in such a literal manner.

A horse is a horse... of course

It's been a while since I've made an entry. It's not because I don't have plenty of things to share. It's mainly because I haven't had the time. I was very busy last semester studying, and then over our break between semesters we had friends and family that came to visit us here in Costa Rica.

However, let me share a story that took place last semester while a friend from college (Nyack College) was visiting.

Jon-David, Karen and myself took a weekend trip to Arenal volcano and stayed at a ranch... with horses and everything. While we were there Jon-David and I took an afternoon exursion on a guided horseback tour to a valley with a beautiful waterfall. As we were beginning our journey our guides asked us if we had ever ridden a horse. I told them I had, but that it was a long time ago and I didn't really recall how to ride. So, the guides preceeded to give us the 5-minute lesson on how to ride a horse. Once I mounted, I tried to stop my horse by using some of the commands and maneuvers I had been taught. However, my horse never really came to a complete stop. He seemed to be fidgety, always wanting to go forward. But, I just marked this up to my inexperience and lack of fully understanding how to work a horse. That was a big mistake.

With our guides bringing up the rear Jon-David and I headed out the front gate of the ranch. No sooner had we gone 100 feet, my horse took off at a full gallop. With all respect to Christopher Reeves and his family, the only thing I could think of galloping down the dirt road was him and his accident. I was audibly praying (loudly), "Lord help me now, Jesus I don't want to die this way, God pleeeease have mercy." This bugger galloped for about a mile down the road. He stopped short as we climed a grassy hill with a barbed wire fence at the top. Before he stopped I saw the fence and thought for sure the both of us were about to be in a world of hurt. I grabbed the fence post when he stopped, figuring I would dismount, if needed, by hugging the post. The guide finally made it to my position and asked me if I was OK. I told her if I could get on the ground I would be OK. At that moment the horse went forward and the fence post broke off in my hand. I was determined not to continue this ride of death. So I spun around on the horse and was now facing his tail. The horse then threw me. I hit the side of the hill rolled to the dirt road and came out of the roll standing on my feet, saying "I'm OK, no problem." The guide asked if I wanted to continue with the tour. I told her if she would get me a different horse I would give it another try. I couldn't back out because of fear... I'm in a "macho" culture, and you all know I'm a Macho Man.

After I mounted the new horse and realized he was going to be calm, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour to the waterfalls. We rode through a stream that came up to the horses belly, rode past the volcano and up into the mountains. We then hiked down a steep trail into a valley with the waterfall. It was literally 15 degrees cooler in that valley. We ate pineapple and melon while Jon-David and one of the guides enjoyed the chilly waters.

The best part of the day was the opportunity to share Jesus with one of the guides. I was praying for an opportunity when we were returning. Practically in mid-prayer the girl said to me, "What do you think about God?" I think I heard Jon-David fall off his horse behind me. I then shared my testimony. When I finished I asked the girl about her understanding of God. She shared with me how she had been involved in the occult. And how at one point she wanted to get out of it. She explained how she and her mother sat down to read the Bible togehter. The moment they started reading all the lights in the house began to blink off and on. So, she turned away from the Bible because she was so afraid. But she admitted how she would like a relationship with God. I told my new friend that I had a Spanish Bible back at the ranch that I would like to give her if she wanted it. She told me she would like it, but she was really still afraid because of her experience.

Imagine the joy I had for the remainder of the day when I was able to say to her, "You know, I was very afraid this morning when I fell from the horse. But, if I had allowed fear to control my experience I would have never enjoyed this incredible day. Are you going to let fear control what can be the most incredible experience of your life?" She gladly received the Bible!

You never know how God is going to use your experiences.