God is ALWAYS with us!

In the 2 ½ months that I have been here in Costa Rica I have seen God do so many amazing things! In the midst of the countless INCREDIBLE things that God is doing here, there have also been some tough moments. As difficult as it might have been, these are the times that I have pressed into His Word even more, knowing that it is in these moments that God is preparing me for something big. I feel like the past few weeks have been the hardest for me and it seems like the enemy is trying to poke his head in wherever he thinks he can; and each day I am reminded that God is in control and the enemy has NO place here! Just the other day we were visiting a home, taking some groceries to a mother and her 6 kids. Wendy, the mom, has been going through a real difficult time recently and situations are very tough for her in Nuevo Millennium where she lives and she says there is constant violence and tension between her neighbors. She didn’t have any food for her family; she was out of diapers for two of her kids and didn’t have any powdered milk for her 5 month old baby (a lot of moms use that instead of formula because it's cheaper) at the same time she is not able to work because she doesn't have anyone to watch her 6 children. So it is nearly impossible for her to maintain any source of income. When we went to visit her this week were able to bless her family with groceries and just love on here and her kids. Before we left we asked if we could pray with her, while praying she ended up telling Pastor Minor that she was ready to accept Christ in her heart!!! AMEN!!! I immediately was covered with chills and it was such a beautiful sight. Dios es BUENO!!!

Wendy and Maria Milagro

There are times we may not feel like God is listening to us or that He is even with us at a particular moment. In our most desperate times, when we feel the most in “darkness” or alone is when He is so clear to us on what His plan is. It is in these moments when we need to press into what God is doing, digging into His word, and opening our hearts and ears to his still small voice even more so that before. This is when we are right on track with what God is doing in our lives and the enemy is going to TRY and come in to destroy what God has planned…God is for us, so there is NO ONE that shall be against us. Negative thoughts, degrading comments, insecurities, they are all things that the enemy tries to use to distract us from the POWERFUL testimony that God is building in us daily.

As I opened my Bible the other day I was lead right to Proverbs 3:3-6, this was the third time that this particular scripture has come up in the past 2 ½ months…

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. TRUST in the Lord with your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.” Proverbs 3:3-6

As easy as it is to get distracted by the things of this world, and things of our flesh, it is just as easy to stay focused on the promise that God has for each and every one of our lives. We just need to start each day Kingdom minded, lifting our heads up and not dropping them in sadness or discouragement. God has INCREDIBLE things for each and every person, and it is up to us to keep our eyes focused on the prize, it is ALL for HIS GLORY!!!

In the difficult times, in the good times, hard days and the amazing days…There is never a moment that we should take our hearts, eyes and ears away from what God is doing in and though us. I have seen lives transformed, people healed physically and spiritually, youth come to God and much more! Never did I think that I would be teaching English as a second language, teaching Sunday school in Spanish and helping build houses. It is also not my “plans” that matter; it’s what God has planned for me that I need to continue focusing on. It has been such a blessing to be a small part of what God is doing here in Costa Rica, to be His hands and feet, sharing His love, and shining His light into the lives of those in need. Staying Kingdom minded and focused on God’s promises is not always easy, but it is ALWAYS rewarding!!!