Weekly Bible Verses: Luke 1:39-56:

Luke 1: ³⁹In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” ⁴⁶And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” ⁵⁶And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Helping Others Deal with Grief

I originally wrote this for another venue, but I believe it could help you here as well. After the horrible, abominable mass murder in the Sandy Hook grade school in Newtown, Connecticut, in which one disturbed individual wielding military style weaponry killed 20 6-7 year old children and 6 adults, after dispatching his mother, and before committing suicide as the police arrived, grief abounds. Here are some things to know about grief  (courtesy of the Dictionary of Pastoral Counseling) and what you can do to help others.

We've all heard grief has stages. They are, in the current understanding:

• Numbness and denial: involved in the first five to seven days; 
• Yearning intensely and painfully for the one (or ones) who has died, which includes preoccupation with that individual, searching, illusions of seeing that person, dreams, fantasies, hallucinations, self-reproach, identification with the behaviors, activities and illness of the dead, and suicidal feelings and thoughts. This lasts for weeks;
• Disorganization and despair where other emotions dim, apathy and aimlessness set in, and an inability to see a positive future rises like a malign fog. This can last for over a year.
• Reorganization is the final, sought for stage, in which the grieving person shifts their energies from the dead and begins to see a hopeful future without that person in it. After thirteen months most had not yet reached this stage. 

These are stages each grieving person must go through to heal and our job as friends and loved ones for the grieving is to understand and stand by that person. Assure the grieving that they are not losing their minds and that they will come through the process. It is natural. It is a process God designed us to help those who grieve find their way through with our love and understanding. 

Here are a few concrete steps you can take to assist the grieving: 

1. Understand the process and make yourself familiar with the stages
2. Visit the grieving often as love is shown by your presence. 
3. Help the grieving person to express himself or herself by asking about what has taken place and by responding with empathy (don't try to fix the situation, remember Job's friends who got it right by being there silently for 7 days, but then blew it by trying to fix Job's grief with their recommendations).
4. Prior to funerals a pastor will help families talk about the person lost, triggering their memories and allowing the minister to gain information about the dead and the bereaved which leads to a better development and accomplishment of the funeral. You can help your grieving friends of loved ones by encouraging their discussion of and remembrance of the one they have lost (this is a more case specific recommendation). 
5. What is extremely hard today is to allow a person sufficient time to grieve. 
6. Each grieving family member needs to be helped with equal care and love. 

That's a start. This will help you not to feel helpless and to act as a guiding beacon for those who grieve. Do not worry about what you will say. In the midst of grief, the person in pain will not remember what you said, only that you were there and he/she will love you for it. This applies to the funeral and to the long road afterwards. Be present, be loving, offer a listening ear, offer hope that the person is sane and will in time come through this long, painful process, emphasizing that they will do so in their own time. 

God bless you as you seek to help your suffering family, friends, or those you have just met. 

Christmas Events at ECBC, YOU Are Invited

Monday, December 24

Christmas Eve Candle Light Service, 7:00 PM

Sunday, December 31 

Christmas Sunday, 11:00 AM

Advent Themes

Sunday, December 16, Heavenly Joy

Sunday, December 23, Heavenly Love

Weekly Bible Verses: Luke 3: 7-18: Filled with Expectation

⁷John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, 

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath 

to come? ⁸Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to 

say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I 

tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children 

to Abraham. ⁹Even now the ax is lying at the root of the 

trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is 

cut down and thrown into the fire.” ¹⁰And the crowds asked 

him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹In reply he said to them, 

“Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has 

none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” ¹²Even 

tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, 

“Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³He said to them, “Collect 

no more than the amount prescribed for you.” ¹⁴Soldiers also 

asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, 

“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false 

accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵As the people were filled with expectation, and all were 

questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he 

might be the Messiah,¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, 

“I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful 

than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his 

sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing 

floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff 

he will burn with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸So, with many
other exhortations, he proclaimed the good
news to the people.

To the Grieving in Newtown, Connecticut

We the  members of the Exton Community Baptist Church stand with and pray for all the grieving families in Newtown, Connecticut, who have lost loved ones to the terrible events of this week. May God comfort and support you all in your pain, may God give you the strength you need to see this through.

Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of your love that they may face each new day with hope and the certainty that nothing can destroy the good that has been given. May their memories become joyful, their days enriched with friendship, and their lives encircled by your love. Amen.

--c 1991 Vienna Cobb Anderson 

[Courtesy of Beliefnet.com]

Revelation 21: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”4

The Jesus Agenda Trailer

 Here's an opportunity for church groups to find their voices and take action to work toward social change. Not a bad way to honor Christmas in your heart all year long (just like ol' Ebenezer Scrooge). It's based on Luke 1:14-21, which reads:

Luke 1: 14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

   because he has anointed me

     to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

   and recovery of sight to the blind,

     to let the oppressed go free, 

¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ 

²⁰And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’

Give it some thought.

November's News from ECBC Missionary Sue Hegarty in Costa Rica

Dear Friends,

It´s the month of Thanksgiving and I do thank God for all the wonderful opportunities He has given me to serve so far in Costa Rica.   The last few weeks have been especially fruitful, so I also thank you for your prayers and support which make it possible for me to serve here..

Hopefully you´ve read my journal about the graduation in the Pastoral Care for Women program.   I have continued to meet with the class in Cartago.   Another privilege I had was translating for a small group of folks from Great Rivers Region.   Included in that group were my MPT members, Jerry and Sheila Fite, as well as the mission-minded John and Syl Grisham and Carol and Dave Matheson.   We visited a number of Baptist Federation churches.   I was impressed by the vision of these churches – all in marginal neighborhoods.   Also inspiring to me is GRR´s partnership commitment with Costa Rica over the years (the Baptist Camp has a plaque commemorating groups from the 1980´s).

This week I jumped in with my first workshop here, giving practical tips on how to lead a group for the new Pastoral Care for Women professors (and as a refresher course for some of the experienced ones).   It was great to get to know these women better, and share all of our experiences.   The next session they will practice presenting different parts of the classes.   In the meantime, we want to begin redoing this Healthy Relationships course before February when the classes start up again (after the kids start their new school year).   I have my work cut out for me!

While you are celebrating Thanksgiving, please pray for our Women´s Retreat against domestic violence which is this Saturday and Sunday.   It is to be both informative, but also healing so we leaders will all need physical and emotional strength.
Thank you for your support!

--Sue Hegarty

Hanging of the Greens Service

Hanging of the Service: 7:00 PM, Sunday, December 2, in Sanctuary.

Consider yourself invited ...

Weekly Bible Verses: Luke 21:25-36: The Kingdom of God is Near

Luke 21: ²⁵“There will be signs in the sun,the moon, and the 

stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea 

and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming 

upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

²⁷Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power 

and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, 

stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption 
is drawing near.”

²⁹Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees;

³⁰as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that 

summer is already near. ³¹So also, when you see these things taking place, 

you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Truly I tell you, this generation 

will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³Heaven and earth 

will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ³⁴“Be on guard so that 

your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the 

worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it 

will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all 

times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things 

that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Weekly Bible Verses: Hebrews 10:11-25: Provoke One Another to Love and Good Deeds

Hebrews 10: ¹¹And every priest stands day after day at 
his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can 
never take away sins. ¹²But when Christ had offered for all time 
a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 
¹³and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be 
made a footstool for his feet.” ¹⁴For by a single offering he has 
perfected for all time those who are sanctified.¹⁵And the 
Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, ¹⁶“This is the covenant 
that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put 
my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,”
¹⁷he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds 
no more.” ¹⁸Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no 
longer any offering for sin.

¹⁹Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter 

the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way 

that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his 

flesh), ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 

²²let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, 

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and 

our bodies washed with pure water.²³Let us hold fast to the 

confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised 

is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to 

love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the 

habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as 

you see the Day approaching.

Inspiration for Veterans Day

We at ECBC pause to remember and honor our veterans today. Thank you for your service to your country and to all of us. 

Words for you from Jesus in John 14:27: 

²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

From Psalms 46: 

¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

And Joshua 1:9: 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

May these Bible verses be an inspiration for those who have served and those who continue to serve. Both groups can certainly use these words of assurance in uncertain times. Our prayers are with you and with all who love you.

We have lost some fine veterans recently here at ECBC. We share the pain of all who are remembering and mourning today the loss of their fine heroes and heroines of conflicts past and present. 

We pause to remember those who have returned to the God, and rest in the assurance of Revelation 21:4 that their struggles are at an end: 

⁴ [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. 

YOU Can Follow Our Missionary as She Reports on Her Work in Costa Rica

If you are interested in the mission work of ECBC's own missionary, Sue Hegarty (of whom we are very proud), you can read her reports at: http://www.internationalministries.org/teams/68-hegarty ... Through the International Ministries site (on which these letters are posted, you can also learn how to support Sue in her vital work. 

Weekly Bible Verses: Hebrews 9: 24-28: Jesus Appears Before God on Our Behalf!

Hebrews 9: ²⁴For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; ²⁶for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Weekly Bible Verses: Hebrews 4:12-16: Approach the Throne of Grace with Boldness

Hebrews 4: ¹²Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.¹³And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. ¹⁴Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Weekly Bible Verses: Luke 19:1-10: For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost

Luke 19: He entered Jericho
and was passing through it. ²A man
was there named Zacchaeus; he was
a chief tax collector and was rich. ³He
was trying to see who Jesus was, but
on account of the crowd he could not,
because he was short in stature. ⁴So
he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore
tree to see him, because he was
going to pass that way.⁵When Jesus
came to the place, he looked up and
said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must
stay at your house today.”⁶So he hurried down and was
happy to welcome him. ⁷All who saw it began to grumble
and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who
is a sinner.” ⁸Zacchaeus stood there and said to
the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will
give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of
anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹Then
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this
house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the
Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Weekly Bible Verses: Mark 9:30-37: Who Is The Greatest?

³⁰They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; ³¹for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” ³²But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

³³Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was
in the house he asked them, “What were you
arguing about on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent,
for on the way they had argued with one another
who was the greatest. ³⁵He sat down, called the twelve,
and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be
last of all and servant of all.”³⁶Then he took a little child
and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said
to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name
welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me
but the one who sent me.”

From Our Missionary: Hearing the call in Costa Rica: A tale of two Ruths and you

Just this past week I met with Costa Rican Baptist Federation leaders and was reminded of how important it is to hear the call.

I have recently arrived in Costa Rica and was meeting with Ruth Vindas, president of the Baptist Seminary.  The program has been going through a major overhaul, mostly because churches were not finding that the training responded to the needs in their congregations.  As we spoke about the hoped-for launch of a Christian Education certificate program in which I would be teaching, the president shared about her call to ministry.

“Ruth Mooney (IM missionary in Costa Rica) was instrumental in my call to ministry,” Ruth Vindas stated.  She had been an active member of a new church start and then heard Ruth Mooney share about the Bible study materials that a writers group was preparing for the churches.  Ruth V. spoke to Ruth M. about participating in this group, even though she had no writing experience; Ruth Mooney encouraged her to join so she did!

“Those were eight years of enrichment and learning in my life as we studied the Bible together and then wrote materials for different age groups.  I wrote for the children´s level,” Ruth V. added.  It was during this time that Ruth Mooney challenged Ruth V. about God´s call on her life, sharing that she (Ruth M) saw her (Ruth V) as a person with pastoral gifts.

Now, some years later, Ruth Vindas has graduated from the Baptist Seminary, pastored a church and then gone on to get her bachelor´s degree from the Latinamerican Biblical University (UBL).  Ruth Mooney currently teaches at the UBL and serves as Ruth V´s faculty adviser as she writes her thesis, the final step to earning her licentiate degree.

About a year ago, Ruth Vindas was named the new president of the Baptist Seminary and has completely revamped the curriculum, based on needs the churches have expressed.  It was exciting to see how practical all the courses are.  Ruth V told me that she planned the courses based on two viewpoints:  “As a leader taking the courses, what kind of training would I like to have; as a pastor, what skills would I like to see in a graduate so they could be part of a church ministry team.”  I am thrilled to join in this ministry, of helping those who hear God´s call on their lives prepare themselves for service.

I was so encouraged to see how God´s call on Ruth Mooney´s life translated into God´s call on Ruth Vindas´ life.  Both of these women heard God´s call and have impacted others´ lives, especially in the area of spiritual growth.  But neither of these women´s ministries would have been possible without your support of missions, including the World Mission Offering.     

American Baptists give to the World Mission Offering, the bulk of which goes toward missionary support, including myself (Sue Hegarty) and Ruth Mooney.  Another part of this offering goes to assist our partner groups in different countries, one of which is the Costa Rican Baptist Federation, with whom Ruth Vindas serves.  Your gifts translate into real transformation in people´s lives as they respond faithfully to God.

How about you?  Do you “hear the call” to serve God in a special way?  Do you “hear the call” to give to the World Mission Offering so that others may hear God´s call on their lives?  Now is a great opportunity for us all to hear God´s call on our lives.

Please pray:

That the Costa Rican Baptist Federation will be able to kick off the Christian Education classes in October

That I will be ready for the classes which will train church teams for ministry

That the World Mission Offering will bring in the support necessary to maintain and expand ministry around the world in Christ´s name

Weekly Bible Verses: Proverbs 1: 20-33: Wisdom

Proverbs 1: ²⁰Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
²¹At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
²²“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
²³Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
²⁵and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
²⁷when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
²⁹Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
³⁰would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
³²For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
³³but those who listen to me will be secureand will live at ease, without dread of disaster.” 

Weekly Bible Verses: Mark 8: 27-38: Who Do You Say That I Am?

²⁷Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”²⁸And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” ³⁰And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo 

great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and 

the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He said 

all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to 

rebuke him. ³³But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked 

Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your 

mind not on divine things but on human things.”

³⁴He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any 

want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take 

up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For those who want to save their 

life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for 

the sake of the gospel, will save it. ³⁶For what will it profit them 

to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷Indeed, what can 

they give in return for their life? ³⁸Those who are ashamed of me 

and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them 

the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory 

of his Father with the holy angels.”

Weekly Bible Verses: Ephesians 6:10-20: Be Strong in the Lord

Ephesians 6: ¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message 
may be given to me to make known with boldness 
the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an 
ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, 
as I must speak.

News from ECBC's Own Missionary on Her New Assignment

If you wish to support missionary Sue Hegarty in her important work, there is a link below to take you to International Ministries. God bless you Sue in your endeavors!

God Provides for New Beginnings in Costa Rica <http://www.internationalministries.org/read/44297-god-provides-for-new-beginnings-in-costa-rica>;

Journal by Susan Hegarty <http://www.internationalministries.org/people/555>; August 16, 2012
[Sue and Katy are welcomed by Pastoral Care for Women leaders] <http://www.internationalministries.org/read/44297-god-provides-for-new-beginnings-in-costa-rica>; [Worship team at the Pastoral Care for Women reunion] <http://www.internationalministries.org/read/44297-god-provides-for-new-beginnings-in-costa-rica>;

It is always exciting to see God´s leading in your life. I was excited to see God leading me to service in Costa Rica, working with the Baptist Federation and Pastoral Care for Women ministry.

However, following that leading can be a bumpy ride since it involves moving from one country to another. Nevertheless, God is always with us as Katy and I have seen over the past few weeks.

We moved out of our U.S. apartment with a lot of help, especially from family who were visiting for a reunion. I believe God sent them!  Many others helped us, including getting us to the airport by 4:30 a.m.

We arrived in Costa Rica on Wednesday, July 25, to be met by my colleague Ruth Mooney and by Rebeca Cascante, who directs the Costa Rican Pastoral Care for Women ministry. Ruth graciously has housed and fed us and driven us all over to run errands of all kinds. She also did a lot of legwork on housing options so that we actually found the apartment we wanted the day after we arrived, although we didn´t sign a lease until a week later. The Pastoral Care for Women ladies have also helped me get the apartment ready for moving in.

Katy started sixth grade on August 6 at the English-language Marian Baker School. So far she is really enjoying the classes as well as learning basketball and her drama elective. She is looking forward to an overnight class trip at the end of the month. God provided two new American students in her class so she is not the only new kid!

We are finding a lot of bureaucracy here, mostly set in place to prevent drug money laundering, but it does make the banking system cumbersome (I need a list of certain documents in order to set up a bank account).  In addition, without having residency you cannot set up a phone line for your house.  All of this makes what I have gotten in such short time miraculous:  a loan of a stove and refrigerator, loan of access to phone and internet, loan of table and chairs, plus used furniture bought at reasonable prices. God´s hand is in all of this! All this setting up house is necessary in order to begin work.

We have been establishing relationships with our work partners in the meantime. This is always an on-going process but crucial to ministry.   Ruth has taken us to several of the Baptist churches, which I´ll share about in a future journal. We´ve also attended the funeral of a woman dear to members of the Pastoral Care for Women leadership team, which has become a bonding experience. In addition, they held a special activity where over 60 graduates from the Pastoral Care for Women classes met to talk about the past, present and future of this ministry. It was a beautiful program (combining worship, fun, fellowship, food and a challenging message), ending with a call to the women to commit themselves to serve in a number of ways.

We thank our partners who have supported us financially and with prayer.  We continue to count on you as we settle in and get started on this new ministry direction.  We also praise God for being present at all times and for God´s wonderful provision. 



American Baptist International Ministries (IM) was organized in 1814 as the first Baptist international mission agency in America. It began its pioneer mission work in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries. Its central mission is to help people come to Christ, grow in their relationship with God, and change their worlds through the power of the Spirit. It works with respected partners in over 70 countries in ministries that meet human need.

1.800.222.3872
www.internationalministries.org <http://www.internationalministries.org>;
1-800-222-3872
P.O. Box 851
Valley Forge, PA 19482

Weekly Bible Verses: Ephesians 5:15-20: Be Careful Then How You Live ...

Ephesians 5: ¹⁵Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,¹⁹as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ministry of Bearing: Advice from Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Christian theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer (born 1909, died 1945) wrote about how best to deal with others and his wisdom is applicable today. Please note, in this quote he was writing to fellow brothers in an illegal seminary during the Nazi regime in Germany. For every case of he, his, and brother add she, hers, and sister as well. This advice is good for everyone. We don't want anyone to feel excluded ... or as if they have a pass here!  

The ministry of bearing: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). Thus the law of Christ is a law of bearing. Bearing means forbearing and sustaining ... The Christian must suffer and endure the brother. It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated. It is, first of all, the freedom of the other person that is a burden to the Christian. The freedom of the other person includes all that we mean by a person's nature, individuality, endowment. It also includes his weakness and oddities, which are such a trial to our patience, everything that produces frictions, conflicts, and collisions among us. Then, there is the abuse of that freedom that becomes a burden for the Christian. In sin, fellowship with God and with his brother is broken. To cherish no contempt for the sinner but rather to prize the privilege of bearing him means not to have to give him up as lost, to be able to accept him, to preserve fellowship with him through forgiveness ... The service of forgiveness is rendered by one to the others daily. It occurs, without words, in the intercessions for one another. He who is bearing others knows that he himself is being borne. [Emphasis is mine]

The original source of this
Bonhoeffer material
for further reading

When considering whether to implement this idea in your life, remember another of Deitrich Bonhoeffer's quotes: "One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons." Who will you bear with today? Who is bearing with you? That last is one humbling question.