A Restrospect Look

On the health note that I left you all last time we touched base via our blog, on Friday, April 1st Noemi had her gall bladder taken out at Clínica Biblica in San José, Costa Rica.  Everything went well and she is very thankful for the founders of such a neat facility.  It is a Biblical Hospital indeed, there are scriptures even on the placemats of the food trays.  Their staff is very helpful and their doctors are thorough in their work.

You have been participants by prayer in the church planting field studies that we had conducted in October.  After the studies, our church decided to start a new work in La Fila of Aserrí on December of last year and adopted a new work in Esparza as well where a Pastor named Carlos Olivas has been working for some time.   There is much to tell you in regards to what the Lord has been doing  in regards to the work in La Fila.  We will update you on the work on La Fila, since the  church decided to send a full-time worker to that new church plant prospect town and that is one of the sights where we have been spending some of our ministry time the past few months.

I will start by giving you some highlights of what God has been doing in La Fila.  Back in January, we told the kids that on Saturdays we would be going to La Fila to do evangelism and also to be part of one of the first Bible Studies in one of the homes of one of the first contacts of that town. We would have them take turns in going with us to do ministry since they had some other commitments in San Jose during that time.

Well, on January 22nd, it was Josiah's turn to go to La Fila and that morning Josiah told us:  "do I have to?" So, of course, we told him that he did.  It was our commitment to do so and he was part of that commitment.  Well, Josiah was fine with it and got ready to go.  So, we took our 15 minutes walk to the bus stop, waited for the bus, went on our one hour bus ride in which Leo joined us at one of the bus stops on the way there and started to talk to people and share the gospel tracks that we had with us. We arrived at our bus stop where we were going to go to a neighborhood to do door to door evangelism and were able to share with a few people on the small road off the main track. Below are some of the pictures from that portion of the area.  It is called Tranquerillas (the neighborhood).

Josiah, Jeff and Leo on the start of the road to the neighborshood.

Don Beto Corella doing his round to pick up coffee from the pickers in the neighborhood.

After we covered that area, Leo showed us the mountain on the other side of the town, and that was going to be the distance we were going to evangelize on the way as we went to Mrs. Zaida's home for a Bible Study.  He showed us her blue roof top and it looked very small.  Interestingly, I thought that Josiah would be complaining, and Leo would ask Josiah if he was doing ok, and his response was that he was doing good. He never complained and was engaged with us in the work.

Well, when we got to town, we saw a small bakery and decided to get something to eat before we started walking up hill towards the other mountain. Josiah happens to like a particular bread from Costa Rica and the bakery happened to have it. Well, it was better than what we normally get in San José and 200 colones cheaper than in our bakery back home.  We all were encouraged because Josiah obeyed and God gave him a blessing that was only for him, even though we all shared in the loaf.  It was a great God moment for him and for us,  a lesson of obedience and how our Father desires to bless his children with details such as this one.

At Mrs. Zaida's we had great rejoicing as 8 individuals made decisions for Christ during the Bible Study.    The greater blessing was awaiting for us on that side of the mountains.

Below are some pictures of Mrs. Zaida's home and the people that came to listen on that day.

From L to R: Mrs. Zelmira, Argentina, Ana Lee, Mrs. Zaida, Marvin
In the back: Dennis, Edickson, Steve

Brother Leo is in the back on the right next to Josiah and Jeff is taking the picture.

The Bible Studies have continued at Mrs. Zaida's house and new people come and go to it. Mrs. Zaida has experienced change in her life and Marvin is a young man that has showed commitment and desire to learn God's word, they are faithful. Others who have accepted Jesus as their Savior are Andrea Bonilla, Marjorie Segura, Yosimar, Mr. Carlos, and others, there are a few to name.

A neat story has been the testimony of Mr. Carlos.  Mr. Carlos used to suffer from deppression and one Saturday he told me that he no longer wanted to remain in bed in the morning, but that he looked forward to when the sun would shine to get up and start a new day and it was because of Jesus in his life.  God is transforming people in La Fila and Mrs. Zaida's home is only one example of what God is doing.  

There are 7 other open homes to conduct Bible studies and during the month of April we are hoping to transition them from Bible Studies to Cell Groups. Help us pray for the multiplication of these Cell Groups during the month of April.  The formal Cell Groups will begin in the beginning of May.  Pray for the development of leadership amongst them and the appropriate time to bring them together to a time of Celebration like once a month possibly, so they can see themselves as a church in the future. Leo is doing a great work there and we just happened to join in the work that God above all is doing in the midst of reaching His own in La Fila of Aserrí.

Interestingly, these things are contagious and there is a new work that God has brought forth and was not in the radar of planning....