(This photo is from our trip to Manuel Antonio beach (with my friend Johan from Colombia).
I am sorry that I am not that good at keeping you updated! We are keeping so busy here! It is incredible that it has been almost 2 months (we are now on our 8th week of teaching!). Our fifth week of teaching was done by Internet conferencing called Genesis. Our speaker was teaching from Amsterdam and we were watching through an interactive teleconference type system. It was pretty amazing! That week we were learning about redeeming the cultures. Something amazing that week was one of the speakers had a word for me that he felt the Lord had given him. He said that he saw an image of me with a bunch of dirty children running up to me. It was pretty awesome because that morning I had been praying that God would help me to understand my calling more. I have felt strongly for the past couple of years that God has called me to go to the mission field in Latin American somewhere and so i was encouraged by this! This week we learned more about how to go into our cultures where we are at and show others who Christ is through those areas.
The sixth week our teaching was spiritual warfare and evangelism. We had two speakers who have been in YWAM since the beginning (1969 or so). They were a part of the first schools that started in YWAM and were in fact trained and still friends with the YWAM founder Loren Conningham. They had so much information to share with us, it was so helpful. They spoke to us for 2 weeks combining spiritual warfare and evangelism. I have learned so much in both areas it is incredible! As for spiritual warfare, I was reminded that we need to learn how to silence the voice of the enemy before we do any evangelism. Many times we evangelize to people and expect them to hear the Lord when we haven’t silenced the enemy in their lives. We were reminded of the great battle that takes place in the spiritual realm when we try to share Christ with those who haven’t heard. It was a great encouragement in our times of prayer of the power of intercessory prayer (Ezekiel 22:30). We heard so many amazing stories of God delivering and meeting needs in intercessory prayer! We are starting to have intercessory prayer times for Costa Rica twice a week to pray for our outreach.
It was also a great reminder that the enemy has the same tactics since the beginning! He wants to isolate us or bring division amongst teams. 1 Peter 5:8 says “be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” We learned in Africa on our safari that the lion when seeking his prey, looks for the animal who is straying from his herd. He makes sure the animal is alone and at his weakest before he attacks and kills. This is the way our enemy attacks us…we need to make sure we don’t isolate ourselves from God’s people because that is when we are most vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.
The seventh week continued with evangelism and pioneering new ministries. Our team was reminded of the importance of doing evangelism by the leading of the Holy Spirit. He knows the needs of people and what the true needs are that we don’t see. We were also reminded that we are co-laborers with Christ. He is already doing things, even when it seems like that isn’t true…we are just called to join in what He is already doing.
God is continuing to teach me how to hear His voice. My desire is to fall more in love with Him. I am enjoying my time here so much…I have so much time to sit and pray and read His word. I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I thank you all for making this possible for me to be here! I am so greatful and am trying to make the most of my time here to learn more about Him and doing His work. I wanted to leave you with a story below that has encouraged me so much these last couple of weeks in my devotional time!
Little update: I have posted a couple pictures on facebook if you would like to see them! My team and I will be leaving March 7th (next Saturday) for Nicaragua to renew our Visas in this country. We will also be taking a class there for one week and then doing one week of an outreach there. We will be returning from Nicaragua on March 22nd or 23rd and then leaving again probably the week of April 6th for our outreach for 2 months around Costa Rica (returning the first week of June probably). Please keep my team in prayer as we prepare for our outreach and also travel to Nicaragua.
Table for Two
by Kirsten Burgess
He sits by himself at a table for two. The uniformed waiter returns to his side and asks, "Would you like to go ahead and order, sir?" The man has, after all, been waiting since seven o'clock--almost half an hour.
"No, thank you," the man smiles. "I'll wait for her a while longer.
How about some more coffee?"
"Certainly, sir."
The man sits, his clear blue eyes gazing straight through the flowered centerpiece. He fingers his napkin, allowing the sounds of light chatter, tinkling silverware, and mellow music to fill his mind. He is dressed in a sport coat and tie. His dark brown hair is neatly combed, but one stray lock insists on dropping to his forehead. The scent of his cologne adds to his clean cut image. He is dressed up enough to make a companion feel important, respected, loved. Yet he is not so formal as to make one uncomfortable. It seems that he has taken every precaution to make others feel at ease with him. Still, he sits alone.
The waiter returns to fill the man's coffee cup. "Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?"
"No, thank you."
The waiter remains standing at the table. Something tugs at his curiosity. "I don't mean to pry, but..." His voice trails off. This line of conversation could jeopardize his tip.
"Go ahead," the man encourages. His is strong, yet sensitive, inviting conversation.
"Why do you bother waiting for her?" the waiter finally blurts out. This man has been at the restaurant other evenings, always patiently alone.
Says the man quietly, "Because she needs me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Well, sir, no offense, but assuming that she needs you, she sure isn't acting much like it. She's stood you up three times just this week."
The man winces, and looks down at the table. "Yes, I know."
"Then why do you still come here and wait?"
"Cassie said that she would be here."
"She's said that before," the waiter protests. "I wouldn't put up with it. Why do you?"
Now the man looks up, smiles at the waiter, and says simply, "Because I love her."
The waiter walks away, wondering how one could love a girl who stands him up three times a week. The man must be crazy, he decides. Across the room, he turns to look at the man again. The man slowly pours cream into his coffee. He twirls his spoon between his fingers a few times before stirring sweetener into his cup. After staring for a moment into the liquid, the man brings the cup to his mouth and sips, silently watching those around him.
He doesn't look crazy, the waiter admits. Maybe the girl has qualities that I don't know about. Or maybe the man's love is stronger than most. The waiter shakes himself out of his musings to take an order from a party of five.
The man watches the waiter, wonders if he's ever been stood up. The man has, many times. But he still can't get used to it. Each time, it hurts. He's looked forward to this evening all day. He has many things, exciting things, to tell Cassie. But, more importantly, he wants to hear Cassie's voice. He wants her to tell him all about her day, her triumphs, her defeats....anything, really. He has tried so many times to show Cassie how much he loves her. He'd just like to know that she cares for him, too. He sips sporadically at the coffee, and loses himself in thought, knowing that Cassie is late, but still hoping that she will arrive.
The clock says nine-thirty when the waiter returns to the man's table. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
The still empty chair stabs at the man. "No, I think that will be all for tonight. May I have the check please?"
"Yes, sir."
When the waiter leaves, the man picks up the check. He pulls out his wallet and signs. He has enough money to have given Cassie a feast. But he takes out only enough to pay for his five cups of coffee and the tip. Why do you do this, Cassie, his mind cries as he gets up from the table.
"Good-bye," the waiter says, as the man walks towards the door.
"Good night. Thank you for your service."
"You're welcome, sir," says the waiter softly, for he sees the hurt in the man's eyes that his smile doesn't hide. The man passes a laughing young couple on his way out, and his eyes glisten as he thinks of the good time he and Cassie could have had. He stops at the front and makes reservations for tomorrow. Maybe Cassie will be able to make it, he thinks.
"Seven o'clock tomorrow for party of two?" the hostess confirms.
"That"s right," the man replies.
"Do you think she'll come"" asks the hostess. She doesn't mean to be rude, but she has watched the man many times alone at his table for two.
"Someday, yes. And I will be waiting for her." The man buttons his overcoat and walks out of the restaurant, alone. His shoulders are hunched, but through the windows the hostess can only guess whether they are hunched against the wind or against the man's hurt.
As the man turns toward home, Cassie turns into bed. She is tired after an evening out with friends. As she reaches toward her night stand to set the alarm, she sees the note that she scribbled to herself last night. "7:00," it says. "Spend some time in prayer." Darn, she thinks. She forgot again. She feels a twinge of guilt, but quickly pushes it aside. She needed that time with her friends. And now she needs her sleep. She can pray tomorrow night. Jesus will forgive her. And she's sure he doesn't mind.
