Rain on the Tin Roof

As I sit down to write this update the rain is pounding on the metal roof and occasional thunder booms across the sky. These last couple months have been so full that the rainy season really snuck up on us this year. That leak that I never got around to fixing during the short dry season has decided to start dripping in earnest… onto my night stand. 

The 10/40 Window JoshuaProject.net

When we sent our last update I (Douglas) was headed to Cartagena Colombia for an international Frontier Missions gathering with YWAM. Frontier Missions, by the way, is the branch of missions work that focuses on getting the good new about Jesus out to people who have never heard it before. Most of those places are located within a large stretch of land sometimes known as the 10/40 window covering North Africa all the way to Japan and is home to almost half the world's population.

The gathering was a wonderful experience. I was able to get to know mobilizers who, like us, work to send missionaries to the unreached. I was also able to meet many missionaries who are working directly in the 10/40 window, planting churches and bringing the good news to many people. It was amazing to see these two halves of what we do come together. During the gathering I was asked to be the Frontier Missions coordinator for YWAM Central America joining two other leaders, a Jamaican lady who coordinates FM in the Caribbean and a Nicaraguan fellow who works mobilizing the Latino population in the US.

What this means for us is that our roles here in Costa Rica are changing. We have stepped out of most of our logistical roles and now our main focus here will be mobilization and training of new missionaries, working both here at the YWAM center and also with local pastors and churches.  Karen’s role will be primarily Member Care which means that she will be responsible for providing follow up and discipleship for potential missionaries as they prepare to go and long term care once they are on the field to help them stay healthy.

@ the Guatemala Zoo - can you see the baby hippo?

Our DTS serving short term in the Near East and South Asia

 We are very excited for this change, it is something that has been our passion for years and finally being able to focus most of our energy on it is an answer to much prayer. Our last few weeks were spent putting together Frontier Missions publicity for our YWAM regional conference that took place in Guatemala the first week of May. We have even been given a small office space here at the YWAM base and yesterday we were donated three desks and chairs, so we are official. : ) Right now we have a small team of people that will be working with us. A couple of them are currently leading our Frontier Missions Discipleship Training School (DTS) that is on outreach in two locations in the Near East and South Asia.

This new season of ministry, while exciting, is also going to be bringing new challenges for us as family. We will be traveling a lot more within the country meeting with pastors and doing training and mobilization in local churches. Also I will be doing more travel around the region doing similar ministry in YWAM bases throughout Central America. In the next couple months we will be continuing to establish our team and new ministry. We have a couple of teaching opportunities coming up and we are also beginning to prepare for our Islamic Studies Seminar that begins in early July.

As a family we have been entering a new season as well. Both the boys are participating in a weekly soccer club and we just got Gabriel started in swimming classes. He is an excellent swimmer and we hope that he will be able to compete someday soon. Riah is asking to take Karate again and we are looking for a place so he may begin training. We are all trying to take better care of ourselves as it is so easy to just keep working and let our health suffer.


Our homeschooling has moved up a notch as well. We have added in a couple of subjects that we have been weak in order to make sure both the boys are where they need to be. Their school schedule is pretty intense but they are both hard workers and super smart. The boys are growing fast. Gabriel is growing a centimeter per month according the the doctor and it is becoming normal that we finish dinner and he looks around as asks, “What else is there?” Riah has not started his growth spurt yet but he will catch up soon enough. If they were both growing as fast as Gabriel we would be in serious trouble.

Personally it has been a rather complicated transition. We have had several close friends leave the country over the last couple years and it has been a rather lonely stretch especially for Karen. As well, We are realizing with all these new ministry opportunities and with our growing boys that we are needing to increase our monthly income. We are trusting in the Lord that as he brings new opportunities he will also bring the finances needed  to walk in them.

As missionaries we live off peoples gifts and donations and so we would like to invite you to pray about becoming a monthly supporter. If God puts it on your heart to join us financially it would be a great blessing to us and help us to move forward in this new season. Just click on the link below for more information on how to join our financial team. We also have already felt that our need for solid prayer warriors is more necessary than ever. If you love to pray and would like to receive special prayer updates please write us at dkgzjohnston@gmail.com

Thank you all again for joining us in this grand adventure. May you be blessed!

Douglas, Karen, Gabriel, and Zachariah

For information on how to join our finanancial team or how to make a donation click here.