Thank you so much for reading. I can hardly express the support and love I feel when you show me by affirmation how faithfully you follow my blog, ask for updates, or even 'confess stalking.' I am encouraged by God every time I see even a comment, a like on Facebook, or even a request for an update. God affirms me through every small thing you say, so I bless Him and thank Him for you, and the time and interest you give, cause it is a direct show of His love, and His love is sweet.
As per request, I have buckled down now and consciously made myself sit down and blog. That may sound strange but I promise, as I've just expressed, I love sharing my time here in Costa Rica and I love sharing God's good news in my life with loving friends and family. But you see lately, I've been lacking the big-travel items to discuss about. I've been traveling so much lately that a couple weeks of ordinary has settled down and I've been kind of at a loss about what to write. But anyway, even now, I have no idea where this blog post is going to go, but I trust in the Holy Spirit and His wisdom which so powerfully guides all who will be led by Him.
But all that to say, welcome to daily life here in Atenas. Manuel Antonio, Ecuador, getting to Costa Rica, and Jacó are all great, but I am reminded by the lesson God taught me at Manuel Antonio that traveling and big event things are not what truly satisfies and therefore in themselves are not the substance of an awesome blog or a life well lived. And that applies directly to missions and overseas work for God. And I bless God for giving me some consistency and regularity here in Atenas. In the past couple of weeks, since I have been home more, I've realized I have a host family, and my interest in my host sisters' and my host parents lives has grown through the monotony, and their interest and care for me as well. We've made excellent progress on our project. I've almost filled a whole sheet with details, and am filling more space every day, and the project folder is starting to really come together. My relationships with the interns and office staff have had time to develop really well in our regular environments, and not in a 'camp' or 'missionary travel' environment. We're more becoming more comfortable with eachother and no longer on our 'best behavior' like people are during travel or short term times. We're discovering our complements and our conflicts, which can sometimes be rough, but so necessary in growing in intimacy and bringing breakthrough in how we'll start to encourage and admonish each other.
And I'm so thankful for it all, especially cause we're finding that God is so loving and so passionately pursues us that he wants to be involved in our daily lives. He wants to know our every thought, He wants to be involved in our every decision, and He wants to show us how He can make our lives a steady stream of regular awesomeness. And when God gets involved, especially in our daily lives, He shows so powerfully and lovingly that He is not mundane, or normal, or ordinary. He shows us how extraordinary he is in our regular lives, and how each day is a new adventure to see what He is going to do in our lives. God is so extraordinary that none of us have to live ordinarily, even amidst the regularness of your daily activities.
So I thank God so much for giving me a regularity here in Costa Rica, within which He has time to develop some really awesome and purposeful things. In addition to this, God is speaking directly to life off the foreign mission field, and right in our own neighborhoods. I am learning more and more the reality of our mission field being right where we are, that we need not go, but as we go, to make disciples, and I want to encourage yall in that. Your life in the states is no less meaningful or has no less potential than my overseas-ness here in Costa Rica because it is our powerful God who ignites fires everywhere. In fact, potential to see Gods greatness has nothing to do with location, or location in relation to your home, but everything to do with how big your view of God is, and what you expect God to be capable and willing to do. I've found that those who expect the most from God, in a way that is loving and trusts in His faithfulness, see the most from God and I pray that over all of you.
Thank you so much for reading, God really blessed me in writing that (it was new to me too as I was writing it as God spoke it to me).
I'm sure you remember my post about Playa Jacó (Playa is spanish for beach), but the interns and I finally got to return with surfboards and it was so much fun, and so much good enjoyment of God´s power and beauty manifest in the beauty and the power of the waves. I enjoyed it so much that I got pulled out by a small current, way beyond where the big waves were crashing. When I finally was able to start paddling inward, using the waves to boost my momentum, I realized that I was going to catch a huge wave, and sure enough I did. I actually rode it and didnt crash!! I got up to one knee and a foot, but next time I go, I really wanna get a full standing ride on a big wave. Enjoy the pictures and
May God show you his miraculous works in your daily lives,
Brad
p.s. I stole these from Kevins camera, so I hope he doesnt mind. Thanks to Allison for taking them all.
I still can hardly believe I got to play in all that.
God Bless,
Brad
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