Different directions.........

This is where my path bends and I go in a different direction......

Let us pray.... Dear heavenly Father, be with us this day.. and keep us on the path that you would have us travel.  Lord, instill in us a sense of adventure, so that when you direct us away from what we expect, that we will be accepting and open minded and willing to go where you send us.  God, be with us, bless us as only You can, bless us through everyone we meet and everything we see.  All this we ask in Jesus's holy name, Amen.
 
First things first...  Today's devotion was given by Ashley Vinson, and she talked to us about our blessings.  Not only are we blessed ten fold here in Costa Rica, but we are blessed just as much at home.   It is so easy to recognize our God moments when they happen out of our ordinary day to day lives, but not quite as easy to acknowledge when they happen in midst of our normal routine.  We're seeing God here because what is happening here is not what we are used to.... but that does not mean that God is not at work every single day.   Think about it,  I bet there are dozens, if not hundreds of moments that could be considered "God moments" in your life.  We call those 'blessings'.  

 

 

Our next blessing of the day, after our morning devotion, was our visit via Skype with the congregation at Nashville UMC.  It was very windy here but we were able to hear Pastor Luke and were able to share the Lord's prayer with you all.  Just as the prayer was about to begin, the wind stilled so that we could hear and pray together. 

 

And here's another blessing for you, and the reason for my change in directions.....

Before leaving to come here, I knew I would be writing this blog.  I prayed and I thought about it, and I thought I had a plan in place.  I'd start with the word "Mission".  I'd start out by giving the defintion of the word, then force the words to come as they related to that days topic.  Then, each day I'd begin with definitions of words that related to missions, words that started with each letter of the root word.  You know, like those paragraphs you see where each line of the paragraph uses a letter in the root word to tell a story or a poem.  Anyway.....  As I was walking to church (across the yard.....) I had a thought.  There are about 6 people standing at the doors, greeting guests.  If you are a "first timer", they will take your name and some information about you, hand it to the pastor before the service, and you will be welcomed, publically, to the church.  There will be applause, greetings and a really big deal.  But that is not what struck me as I walked in...... what struck me was this.  The greeters do not hand out bulletins.  As many times as I have attended church here, I have never received a bulletin.  I mean, we always get a bulletin at home.  This is where we list the order of the service, the script, if you will.  We list announcements and activities, times and dates.  We're used to having the service planned out and we expect it to go as it is written.  And end, on time.  

I think the reason they don't hand out a bulletin is because the band and the pastor allow the Holy Spirit to direct the service.  There is no need for a formal bulletin....... and now, I see there is no need for my origial outline for this blog..... I'm just going to let the Holy Spirit guide me.  Okay?  Okay....

We were in church for three hours this morning.  We sang, and we prayed, and we danced..... AND, people were saved.    

 

The service today was such a blessing to all of us..... but that was just the beginning of a God filled day.
After the morning service, Carlito's father was being commissioned as the new pastor at a church in Tileran.  Tileran is a small town up in the mountains, about 60 miles outside of Liberia.  Some of us had the opportunity and the priviledge of accompanying Pastor Carlos to that commissioning service.  We travled together with the new pastor (and get this.... his name is Carlos as well) and his wife to the new church.  It took us about 1 1/2 hrs to get there, and the temperature dropped about 25 degrees on the way up.   We were headed to a town where the areas largest source for electricity is generated by windmills. 

 

We arrived at the new church, and it was not what you would expect a new church to look like.  It was a very humble building with no elaborate fascade.  There was no cross out front, there was no sign and no paved parking lot. 

 

Just a 18x40 building with no windows, no carpet, and no upholstered pews.........   but there were people.... many people......

 

And there was music, and dancing......

 

And there was a congregation who loves the Lord, their church, their visitors and their members.  We were blessed so much today.  Carlitos and his wife and baby boy were also able to make it to the service, which was so very special of course, because this is his father's first church. 

 

 

But the highlight of this trip to Tileran, an unplanned and unscripted journey, was the end of the service.  After the preaching and the singing...... we were invited to share coffee and homemade Tamales with everyone.  If you have ever complained about your fellowship hall and the lack of accommodations..... well... you have never enjoyed a meal like we did....  The meal was served, lovingly, in a humble shed attached to the back of the sanctuary.  It sort of reminds me of the shed Mary may have given birth to Jesus in.  It is modest, but protected from the elements.  It was enough, and maybe one day, a team like ours can help them with more..... but for now, it is their blessing. 

 

 

These people are quite special in their faith.  I praise God for sending us here today, and for taking me off of my script so that I could experience this, as He wanted me to.  He knew I needed a double dose of Him today... and I got way more than I had hoped for. 

 

Tomorrow is a new day.... and only God knows where we will be led.  We have work that we've planned, but if He sees fit for us to change paths.... we'll go.  If God tells you to get off the script... will you be brave enough to wing it?  Will you be wise enough to recognize your blessings? 

Good night my friends... 

 We'll leave you with this...
Ph 4:8-9  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Oh, and please pray for Ashley and Patrick Marks as they travel here tomorrow.  We are excited for them to be here.. and know they have many blessings waiting for them.