¡Buen día desde Jaco, familia y amigos! So much has happened since our last report.
FAMILY. Sadly, Ron’s older sister, Kayleen, passed away in Montana the day after Easter after a long battle with infections and kidney disease. We were blessed to speak with her briefly and be by her side with our entire family. Kayleen’s life was difficult in many ways, but she is a child of God – a follower of Jesus Christ. She is in the presence of the Savior, free from all pain, worry, doubt, temptation and despair. How is this possible? Kayleen simply put her faith in Christ and accepted what he said about himself – that Jesus is God in human form, he lived among us, was crucified and rose again – and she believed in the promise of eternal life.
WHY SHOULD YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THIS “JESUS” GUY?? There are many reasons. Here’s just one. Have you considered the cross? In Jesus’ day, the Romans used a form of capital punishment called crucifixion. The prisoner was nailed to a cross through the hands and feet and left there until he died. Death was not immediate. After several hours and even days the prisoner would die of asphyxiation because of the pressure on his lungs. To breath, he had to lift himself. Imagine the pain in his hands and feet. It was painful and humiliating (often the prisoner was naked). Romans placed crosses along the busiest roadways to deter others from defying Caesar.
I’m sorry to be so vulgar, but the cross was a terrifying symbol. Today, because of one man, the cross universally represents the greatest act of love for mankind. This cherished symbol of the cross does not have any mystical power, but it is symbolic of self-sacrifice because the only blameless person who ever lived gave his life for the sins of all mankind. The cross was yours and mine to bear, but Jesus took it upon himself. This torture device is now symbolic of the greatest act of love. This alone should stoke the curiosity of the most hardened atheist.
ETERNAL LIFE. It’s not complicated and it’s not something we can earn. It’s a free gift from God. Even though people are sinners and deserving of death, God demonstrated how much He loves us by sending his Son Jesus to die in our place. If we believe, our relationship with the Father is restored and we are welcome in His presence again and for all time. My friends, if you’ve not turned away from living for yourself and committed to patterning your life after Jesus’s life, please reach out to me today. Our time on earth is momentary. I love you and I care about your eternity. I pray that God opens your heart to the simple Gospel message and the peace, joy and contentment that is only possible in Jesus Christ. Die to yourself … and live.
MINISTRY TRANSITIONS. Some things remain unchanged in our ministry in Jaco. We continue to have the love and support of our life group bible study on Wednesdays. These friends have become so dear to us this past year. One of these friends, David Mirisch, passed away in early May. David was 87. Ron and Jack arrived in time to visit him in the hospital in Quepos and pray with him at his bedside. The next day, Ron and another friend, Tom, returned to comfort David’s wife Sandy and help bring her home to Jaco. David gave his life to Christ in April of 2022. He was a young Christian with a youthful spirit. Like Kayleen, David’s spirit is with the Savior. Please pray for peace, wisdom and direction for our dear sister, Sandy.
OCEAN’S EDGE. We have transitioned away from our ministry alongside our friends at Ocean’s Edge. God used this ministry to bring us to Jaco and insert us amidst many people and life-changing relationships. While we are no longer formally associated with Ocean’s Edge, they are still our family and neighbors. We will continue serving alongside them in Christian ministry for a singular purpose – turning this town upside down (Acts 17:6) by the strength of the Lord and our testimonies about King Jesus. He is the one who has the power to break the chains of sin and restore us to the Father. We are unified in Christ with our friends at Ocean’s Edge. Please continue to lift up their ministry when you pray for Jaco.
LANGUAGE TRAINING. Tomorrow morning (Sunday, June 18), we leave Jaco and head to Orosi, a small mountain town in central Costa Rica. On Monday, all three of us begin intensive and immersive one-on-one Spanish training for 8 weeks. This will greatly increase our ministry effectiveness here in Jaco. We’re not fully funded for this, but we are going in faith…and God has provided some of the funding already. Please consider helping us, too. It’s difficult to learn Spanish in Jaco because nearly everyone either speaks English or wants to. The biggest exceptions are the slum communities that we are called to minister to. We cannot be effective in our calling without fluent Spanish.
BASEBALL MINISTRY. Baseball brings 45-50 impoverished Tico youth to the church campus every week (ages 6-14). We have a lot of donated equipment, including from our friends and family in Montana! We are getting new volunteers each week. This program is ready to expand. We signed an inexpensive lease for a new ballfield next to the church last week. Construction began immediately. Last night, I held the first “coach’s practice” and devotional. It was a wonderful time of baseball and relationship. Many of the local coaches never played or coached baseball, so they’re hesitant to be vocal at practices. We’ll find more time to come together and train the coaches to take the lead.
This program must be fruitful. Baseball without Christian ministry is meaningless, so our coaches need discipleship. The devotional last night was brief and focused on Paul’s invitation to “follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). As coaches, we need to seek and obey the Lord because the players are watching. Think about your own life for a moment. Could you say, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ?” What a bold statement! We must prayerfully consider how sin hinders us from showing Christ to others. The players do not need to see my pride or frustration. They need to see selflessness and patience. Who is imitating you? What would you not want others to imitate about your life? Are you training in the Word of God?
¡HASTA LUEGO! As always, we hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about our life here in Jaco. We’d like to hear from you, too. Please use the contact page on our website (www.swiftsunriseinc.com) to send us updates on what God is doing in your life. Let us know how we can pray for you. God bless!
Comments