Please celebrate with us! Here are a few things taking place with our ministry in Jaco and some photographs of Costa Rica we hope you'll enjoy!
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him" (Psalm 28:7)
OCEAN'S EDGE UPDATE
As you know, we are volunteers at Ocean's Edge Ministry Base. 2022 was a year of transition. Our team added several new team members (including us), plus there was major construction including the addition of the coffee shop. This month, we returned to hosting a large number of mission teams at the property. Ron provides instruction in Business As Missions and is developing new materials for the training program at Ocean's Edge. A series of video interviews is being produced to be used to instruct Christian missionaries on how to use business relationships to fulfill the Great Commission and serve their communities.
This week, a team from Minnesota traveled to Jaco to serve and stay at the base. This was the fourth team to visit Ocean's Edge this month! Ron filmed six videos with Landon, an expert in cross-cultural business, and Alyssa, a salon owner and experienced entrepreneur. An entrepreneurial spirit is important to the success of any new business (initiative, creativity, adventurous, risk taker). Cross-cultural training is critical to the effectiveness of mission work. Missionaries need to understand someone else's worldview to connect with them and communicate the truth of the Gospel in a way they will understand.
The new coffee shop opened in October. People from Jaco and all over the world pass through our doors. Conversations about Christ take place throughout every day. Our young volunteer baristas have put their lives on hold to volunteer for at least a year at Roasted Edge. Paige, Chloe and Samson do far more than serve customers. They are involved in Christian outreach through the coffee shop. They each serve at Horizon Church and disciple other believers one on one during the week. Pray for their health and strength. Pray that they continue to joyfully endure the hardships and frustrations of being away from family, sacrificing their desires and the comforts of life, working long hours in a new business, and getting by on minimal funding.
In addition to Ron's ministry at Ocean's Edge, he spends an equal amount of time meeting with other men who are in ministry here in Jaco. The purpose of this discipleship ministry is to point them back to the Bible. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of unbiblical thinking and teaching taking place in Jaco. There is need for protection for the body of Christ to guard against spiritual deception. Many of these false teachers promote heresies that elevate their ministries by claiming authority over the power of the Holy Spirit. They diminish Christ's divinity while drawing attention to their own reputations. They scoff at those who search the scriptures for truth, opting instead for experiences with so-called healings and deliverance from demons supported by blatantly false doctrine. Our role in this area of ministry is to build relationships with everyone -- the false teachers, their followers, and the local church leadership -- so we can be in a position to "rightly divide the word of truth." This is not a ministry we anticipated or feel well-equipped for. All glory to God because He is using us to identify deceivers and encourage believers.
JACO COMMUNITY UPDATE
Jaco's population is only 15,000, but it's the dry season which means there are twice as many people in town. Jaco is an exciting place and easy to fall in love with because of the people and culture, but it also has a seedy side because of drugs, violence, prostitution and the sex trade. Sadly, prostitution is legal and even promoted by government programs and local media and businesses. There is so much hopelessness and tragedy for a town this size. There are countless ways we have found to get involved and serve the community. We've helped clean up after flooding during the rainy season, helped our church provide food to displaced residents, served meals to children in the slums, served meals to the homeless, and helped clean up the garbage on the streets. Just recently, Julie began training with an organization from San Jose that will begin fighting human trafficking in Jaco.
We go to a slum called El Hueco (the hollow) on Saturdays to serve meals and talk to the local children and women. It is directly outside the walls of one of the newest and most expensive neighborhoods in Jaco. The families here are squatters, trapped in a cycle of poverty and despair. We're praying that God would reveal how to minister to this neighborhood. We think of our friends at Restoration Ministries in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the joy, music, bible teaching, and relationships they bring to the favelas. Please pray God gives us a vision for discipling young men and women in these neighborhoods who will someday preach and teach the Bible to their families and neighbors.
We continue to lead a small "life group" bible study on Thursday mornings. We're currently working through the books of Haggai and Malachi and marveling at God's desire for obedience and love for his chosen people. The group meets at the home of our dear friends David and Sandy. It's not an outreach into the Jaco community. Rather, it is comprised of members of Horizon Church. David gave his life to Christ in April 2022 at the age of 86. He's lived an interesting life and served many charitable causes over the years (search David Mirisch to learn more). As a new believer, he is eager to understand what the Bible says about some of life's most challenging questions -- so our small group conversations are never boring!
FAMILY UPDATE
We have so much going on in our personal lives. Many of you have been praying for Ron's sister Kayleen. She is improving greatly. She's been hospitalized for four months due to kidney failure, but praise the Lord her infections are gone and her kidneys are functioning well -- far better than her doctors expected. We've been praying for a miracle and God answered our prayers. Ron's mom had back surgery a couple days ago and that went well, too. She is resting and recovering.
Zoe is in Billings for the next two months for the volleyball season. She's staying with friends and family. It's so quiet here without her. Julie is teaching virtual home school and serving our church and community in various ways. She is heading up the AWANA Cubbies program (of course).
We are so excited to tell you that Julie and I were gifted the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land for a few weeks in February with several family members as well as friends from our home church in Billings. We are so grateful because it's not something we could do on our own. We've been overwhelmed by people's generosity and we're excited to connect our faith with the various places we know from the Bible. I know we'll never be the same after this trip. Please pray for all the practical needs (safety, health, logistics), but also pray we really connect with God in new ways and with our travel companions, too. Pray our knowledge of, and appreciation for, the scriptures abounds. Pray God opens doors for evangelism in Israel!
God bless you for following our ministry. We are grateful for the encouragement and support we receive. Please look around our website and consider participating in our ministry, whether financially or by visiting us here in Costa Rica. We would love to introduce you to our new community of Jaco. Pura vida!
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