"And After the Storm"

I still have around $3000 to raise for my internship here, so there's plenty of opportunity to sow finances into this wonderful thing God is doing in my life.  Thanks so much for the support you've already shown.

Listening to this song by Mumford and Sons, is a prerequisite for reading this blog.  It's been a theme for these past few weeks as God has been slowly walking me from a place of trial and error, to a place where He is bringing victory in my heart.  I've been putting off this post for a while cause I've been tired of writing melancholy posts.  What God is doing is awesome in times of trial, and no doubt His light permeates everything, but I've felt like such a downer recently.  But I can also sense that while things may come up regarding my time here in Costa Rica that may want to tear me down, God has given me small victories in approaching trial with confidence in Him that will be such a foundation for following the Spirit in victory and joy in future trials


Much of my life I've trained myself to handle conflict by putting it off - get over it and put it behind you - kind of stuff.  But as of recent, God has been really highlighting this kind of conflict resolution.  He has taught me that God never forgets until He forgives.  This is one way He manifests His perfect justice and His perfect mercy.  Until things are settled, and conflict has been brought to unity, things cannot be forgotten, gotten over, or shoved under the bed and put out of mind.  They have to be approached or else small wounds will be infected, and in my life I have perfected this art of bottling up my hurts.  But praise God He is saying no more.  He has led me, and will continue to lead me to face my emotions and hurts, and grow me in facing those with "grace in my heart" and beautiful resolution.  


Although I have never heard Marcus Mumford openly confess Christ, his father is a leader in the Church of England, and themes of God's grace and beauty are evident in many of His songs.  This is one of those songs which in many ways speaks to God's faithful encouragement, spurring us on toward perseverance through the storm, and to come over the hill into His light, full of beauty and grace.  It also speaks to our expectant hope for God to come and wipe away every tear.  And God is definitely doing that here in Costa Rica.


I wanted to give yall a quick update and teaser on my most recent adventures.  Costa Rica only lets you stay here 90 days on a tourist visa, so to renew our visa, we took a trip to the sparkling clear waters of Bocas del Toro  (mouths of the bull) just on the other side of the Panama border and it was absolutely gorgeous. Then, last Monday, with Kevin's mom Marnette and Esther's friend Ana in town, we all went to see Costa Rica's most famous volcano - Arenal.  Kevin, Allison and Marnette went to a hot springs, while Esther, Ana and I climbed Arenal's shorter but much older brother Cerro Chato.  Chato has been inactive for thousands of years, and has a collapsed crater on top with a lake in it.  So ... I swam in a lake in the middle of a crater of an old volcano in Costa Rica.  It was pretty surreal, as well as was God's beauty.  There's such a variety in God's creation its awesome!


Lastly, I for those of you not on facebook, I have a girlfriend!  She is the beautiful Shelley Dormont.  I've introduced her to you all before, and now I want to share with you the joys that God has brought to each of us through each other, and will continue to do.  But that doesn't happen without absolute devotion and clinging to Him as my satisfaction, so I ask that yall would pray for that.  I hate to be a teaser, but I'll have to tell you more about her in another time, but she has a blog of her photography business, and personally its my favorite blog, no bias intended.  Not only because her photography is gorgeous, but in her photography and words, she reflects God's own beauty in such a radiant way, and you wont be disappointed.  As always, if any of you know anyone looking for a photographer for a wedding, senior portraits, or anything, look her up.  She's an excellent photographer.
Her business is Shelley Elena Photography


Thanks again for reading, and thanks for your patience as this post has been a long time coming.  It's short this time in hopes that I start a habit of shorter, more frequent posts.  I'll follow up with some stories of adventures here pretty soon.  


God is good,
Brad