And we're back!!!

Plantains and coconuts at the local market

     Its been a while but we are finally getting settled back in to life here in Costa Rica! Our trip to the States was an amazing time and it was really hard to leave you all, but it is good to be where God has called us. The time has flown and a month has gone by since we left. One of the things that we have felt more and more strongly is that we are suppose to start working hard to move closer to the YWAM base so we can more easily do ministry and home-school the boys. So even though is good to be home it has been complicated as we don’t feel that we ought to unpack everything and get comfortable. Please be praying that God will open the doors for us to move quickly.

   

    Our arrival in Costa Rica started with a bang. I got a little behind last year and filed to renew our residency late with the result that Karen and my new ID cards arrived 3 days after we had left the country and we had not even applied for the boys. The last couple weeks we have been doing a lot of running around and standing in line after line in office after office to get everything straight. I got my new card a couple of weeks ago, Karen just received her's today and the boys will be ready next week. Praise God that it all has worked out. Lesson learned. The hard way. Is there any other way? : )

Riah with a Mango as big as his head.

    Meanwhile on the YWAM Base things have been changing quickly.  We are being mentored by a larger base from Montana that is helping us in the process of managing and directing the growth that God has sent to our missionary community. We are now a group of around 50 missionaries and God is bringing even more every day.  One major change is that Karen is going to be moving into more of a pastoral role and moving out of some of the logistics. It’s a difficult change since it means giving up some responsibilities that she has carried for the last few years. But it also means she will have more time to devote to discipling the long term staff which is her passion. My role is changing a bit as well. I have been officially in charge of the training department at the base overseeing the Discipleship Training Schools and all the other schools that we run. But it has only really been in the last month that this has really come into focus. I now have an office just for the training team.Yeh!! But more than that I have been given the freedom to actually start to lead in this area. I am very excited for the new schools that we are going to get to pioneer and all the students that we will get to interact with.

   In addition to all the things happening in our lives we want too to give a praise report for the things that God has been doing here in Costa Rica through the ministry of the Base. Some of you may remember us mentioning the Costa Rica Bible project. It is a project on a national level here in Costa Rica with the goal of placing a bible in every home in the nation. It has been going on for a couple of years now and in the last few weeks we have had several international teams arrive to help. They gave a report a week ago Friday and these are some of the things that God has been doing: 

In three weeks they gave Bibles to 3600 families. There were people that placed their trust in Christ during that time as well as several healings including one blind man that received his sight again. In one town they focused on several pastors that had been divided for years over minor doctrinal issues and some personal things.These pastors finally were able to lay it all down and met to pray together for the first time in years. Together these pastors who are from one of the poorest parts of Costa Rica raised a thousand dollars so that they and their churches could begin to give Bibles to their own community. God is doing great things!!!

     Karen and I wanted to finish by first thanking you all for a wonderful time in the States. It was hard to leave you all and we can't wait to see you again. Also, as we look at this next 12 months and our desire to move closer to the YWAM Base we realize that this will mean some significant extra cost either in the form of a mortgage or rent. We believe that this is the direction God is leading but we will need the help of others to do it. We would ask you to prayerfully consider supporting our family on a regular basis. If you would like more information about how to support us just click on the Make a Donation tab above or just click here.

May God bless you all richly,

Douglas, Karen Gabriel and Zachariah