In our world today there are so many different ways to communicate in written form. From texting to Facebook and of course Blogging! As a missionary I am so thankful for all of the different ways there are to communicate but for those of you who know me well know that for me my most natural form of communication is verbal! I struggle to express myself in written form and every month or so Douglas or I express a desire to communicate with those of you who care to know what we have been up to and then about two months later we finally find the time and the energy to sit and write this blog. I wish I was like so many of my friends and family who love to sit and write and share in written form but that is just not me. So here we are again writing a blog about two months later than we would have liked and as always it is a challenge for me to decide how and what to communicate with all of you. But we value all of you that take your time to read about our crazy lives and love to share about the exciting things that God is doing here in Costa Rica and around the world.
So lets see what has happened since our last post?
Seeing as it was last September much has happened! So to try and sum up!
In Early November Mom and Dad Johnston came for a visit so Douglass Dad could teach in the Bible Core Course. It was so great to have them here with us for a little bit.
On the 16th of December we celebrated the 8th BCC (Bible Core Course) Graduation. It was such a Joy to see 9 students from 7 different countries participate in this three month intensive course. It was a particularly momentous occasion for Douglas and I as this will be the 8th and final BCC that Douglas will lead. Next year this school will be led by a good friend of ours and it has been so great to see how God has raised up the next leader for this course.
Christmas was shortly after that and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate in our new house with Good friends.
During the few weeks we had off for Christmas and New Years we agreed to help out with a ministry connected to our YWAM base called Homes of Hope. We helped host a team from the States that came to build three homes for three needy families here in Cost Rica. The homes are build in only two days and it is an amazing thing to be a part of.
Another major event for our family was Zachariah deciding to cut off all his hair! This may seem like a simple thing to most of you but it was a major decision for my son who has wanted his hair long since he was old enough to have an opinion. He likes it and we all think it makes him look older which he also appreciates.
We returned to Costa Rica about 10 months ago from our year long absence and since then we have not had the time or finances to visit the beach for more than a short day trip but at the beginning of this month we were so blessed to be able to head to one of our favorite beaches here for two nights. it was such a wonderful time to rest and relax as a family. Not to mention do a little surfing and work on our tans.
So that's whats been happening in our family. Now what has been happening in our ministry here is Costa Rica? To tell the truth there has been way too much to give all the details so we will have to stick with the highlights.
Of course as mentioned above we completed our 8th Bible Course which was a major accomplishment. What we didnt mention is that 5 of the students decided to stay on and do a 2 month outreach. We formed two teams, one that is working with local churches in northwestern Costa Rica. The second group is currently serving in a majority Muslim country. We are very excited about both groups but especially the second one. As most of you know, our vision is to mobilize Latin Americans for missions work with people groups that have not heard the gospel so it was great for us when some of the students felt called to minister in that part of the world, even if just for a few months. We have also had two other short term teams go out to that part of the world as well a Discipleship Training School that also has a Frontier Mission focus. It is being led by a couple our our Frontier Mission team members.
Here is a link to the video one of our teams produced talking about their experience. Listen to the Voiceless
Here at the YWAM missions center Karen and I have committed to serve in logistical areas until the end of March. It has been good, especially since we were absent from Costa Rica for most of 2015 and a part of 2016. We felt that we needed to invest in the missions center for a while to help strength the infrastructure. That being said our hearts are set on Frontier Mission and starting April, for the first time since we have been serving here, we will be focusing our energies almost completely just on mobilizing, training, and sending Latinos to unreached nations. For us, April marks a major shift. To be able to focus on Frontier Mission completely will be a dream come true.
Please be praying for us during this transition. We are excited for the new things that are coming and to be able to focus ourselves on what we are most passionate about. Pray that God will open doors for us with local churches and that we can continue to develop our Frontier Missions team.
If you would like to support us financially as we walk into this new season you can you can donate directly by clicking the Donate via PayPal button below or by following the link to our Donation page for more information.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
Many blessings,
Douglas, Karen, Gabriel, and Riah
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| Our hose at Christmas time our snowman friend that me and the boys made this year, the tree, the boys watching a Christmas movie, while I mix sugar cookie dough. |
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| That is Gabriel on the roof of one of the houses and in the distance other guys on the roof of another of the houses. |
During the few weeks we had off for Christmas and New Years we agreed to help out with a ministry connected to our YWAM base called Homes of Hope. We helped host a team from the States that came to build three homes for three needy families here in Cost Rica. The homes are build in only two days and it is an amazing thing to be a part of.
Another major event for our family was Zachariah deciding to cut off all his hair! This may seem like a simple thing to most of you but it was a major decision for my son who has wanted his hair long since he was old enough to have an opinion. He likes it and we all think it makes him look older which he also appreciates.
We returned to Costa Rica about 10 months ago from our year long absence and since then we have not had the time or finances to visit the beach for more than a short day trip but at the beginning of this month we were so blessed to be able to head to one of our favorite beaches here for two nights. it was such a wonderful time to rest and relax as a family. Not to mention do a little surfing and work on our tans.So that's whats been happening in our family. Now what has been happening in our ministry here is Costa Rica? To tell the truth there has been way too much to give all the details so we will have to stick with the highlights.
Of course as mentioned above we completed our 8th Bible Course which was a major accomplishment. What we didnt mention is that 5 of the students decided to stay on and do a 2 month outreach. We formed two teams, one that is working with local churches in northwestern Costa Rica. The second group is currently serving in a majority Muslim country. We are very excited about both groups but especially the second one. As most of you know, our vision is to mobilize Latin Americans for missions work with people groups that have not heard the gospel so it was great for us when some of the students felt called to minister in that part of the world, even if just for a few months. We have also had two other short term teams go out to that part of the world as well a Discipleship Training School that also has a Frontier Mission focus. It is being led by a couple our our Frontier Mission team members.
Here is a link to the video one of our teams produced talking about their experience. Listen to the Voiceless
Here at the YWAM missions center Karen and I have committed to serve in logistical areas until the end of March. It has been good, especially since we were absent from Costa Rica for most of 2015 and a part of 2016. We felt that we needed to invest in the missions center for a while to help strength the infrastructure. That being said our hearts are set on Frontier Mission and starting April, for the first time since we have been serving here, we will be focusing our energies almost completely just on mobilizing, training, and sending Latinos to unreached nations. For us, April marks a major shift. To be able to focus on Frontier Mission completely will be a dream come true.
Please be praying for us during this transition. We are excited for the new things that are coming and to be able to focus ourselves on what we are most passionate about. Pray that God will open doors for us with local churches and that we can continue to develop our Frontier Missions team.
If you would like to support us financially as we walk into this new season you can you can donate directly by clicking the Donate via PayPal button below or by following the link to our Donation page for more information.Thank you for your support and prayers.
Many blessings,
Douglas, Karen, Gabriel, and Riah
1 comment:
Good to hear from you, excited for you about the next steps in April! Greetings, Henrik
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