Easter in Costa Rica

The city of San Jose is deserted, the streets are empty. The people have either gone to visit family in the country or they are at the beach. This is Semana Santa, Holy Week. Holy Week is not celebrated by the Evangelical Church like it is by the Catholic Church here in Costa Rica. The Evangelical church believes that they celebrate the Resurrection of their Savior each and every Sunday. The tradition of the Catholic Church is filled with symbolism, observed by holy days and parades.

Botanical  Orchard Garden

A friend and I went to visit a beautiful botanical garden on Good Friday. It was a time for us to walk and talk as we observed the beauty of God’s creation. We also took time to spend individually in prayer and meditation over the meaning of Easter for us.

 One of the passages that I spent time thinking of was Jesus’ words in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

I believe in this passage Jesus shows us the reason for His coming, to be the light in our lives that will open up the darkness of our minds and hearts to His truth and that this truth will  set us free from the power of sin in our life.

More and more I am growing in the knowledge of my need for a Savior, that I need to rely on His power to set me free every single day. What a great gift we have in a savior who came to liberate the world from sin and bring us to a place of freedom and light.

 May our hearts glory in this truth this Easter season as we celebrate his victory over sin and death!

We hosted our second team with Christ for the City this past week. They were from Shannon Christian High School, South Carolina. This team had 23 students and was a delight to work with.

Each brought their own special talents but all brought lots of love to share with the children of La Cuenca. Some of the students had never flown a plane before nor left the United States. It was quite eye awaking to see the poverty in La Cuenca for them. Their hearts were broken and they went home changed. Here are some comments the students made:


I rely way too much on material things instead of God.
I learned prayer can do amazing things.
I learned God is present through suffering. I saw that in the children of La Cuenca.
It's the little things that matter.
I learned that I am really self-centered.
As Christians in America we get blessed with things but here I see the blessing  is relationships.
Now I see everything God does for a reason.
They know their need for God.
I learned I am really stubborn and self-centered.
We all grew in patience.
It wasn't as much about what we got done but the relationships we developed.
I learned that what we have often distracts us.
I realize I always look for joy in the wrong places.
I got such joy from watching my host mother smile.
We spent the last 4 years with more of a relationship with our school books than with each other.


What wonderful observations. Please join us in praying that God will continue to grow them in a desire to serve Him where ever God chooses.

 

 It is always interesting to stop the regular course of events and reflect for a time about what has transpired recently and to write about those events and the reflections.  

We have begun working with Christ for the City International here in San Jose.  (Actually the main office is almost behind our house!)  We are helping host short term teams at this point.  We love their model of home stays in the communities for the entire team, us included. So for 11 days we were in a tough neighborhood northwest of the city.  

The team we hosted was from Canada, all girls in 11^th or 12^th grade.  Never have we experienced such a mature, loving and caring bunch of high scholars’.  They interacted well with the children and the women of the area as well as the host church from the barrio.  We also were stretched by the conditions in the slum (so thankful for our camping histories).  The girls shared their testimonies and by the end of the week, they were really connecting and touching the ladies hearts. B had a chance to chat with one woman who was noticeable touched by the testimonies of the girls. She had a chance to listen to her story and pray with her. This has lead to the start of a new relationship for B.  

 During times of debriefing with the team it was evident that God was working deeply with each one of them in terms of love, relationships and culture/world views.  It was a privilege to see such changes in them in such a short time.

 For me, Bob, I was delighted to go on a men’s retreat with our church in the mountains.  It was really the first time that I’ve had verbal skills and opportunity to get to know some of the men here in our area.  My “equipo” were a diverse bunch but we melded really well.  I’m hoping to press on with some of them as male fellowship has been thin for me for many years now.   One of our team tasks was to dunk ourselves into a cold, yes COLD, mountain stream during a group challenge. Thanks to good modeling from leadership at NWMC during our time in Maine, I was able to lead the charge for my group.

 Reflections of a more somber tone.  Life is fragile, short and in need of hearing the Gospel before it ends here on earth.  This was imparted to me during a trip to the beach for a debrief with the team.  The scene is 8 girls in the water playing on “boogie boards” and I am out a bit deeper.  Moments later they are passing me by as a rip tide has captured them. Scene three, all but one are able to help each other to shore.  So one young lady is heading offshore and I’m heading after her. The next ten to fifteen minutes were probably some of the most challenging I’ve ever experienced.  The short of the story is that we did get back in, a bit traumatized but so thankful to God for his mercy on both of us.

The following few nights were times of reflecting on the brevity of life, the need of a savior to continue life beyond this world, the thankfulness of a good outcome, the sobriety and the gut pains when I wasn’t sure of the outcome, and for God’s protection over the mind of this sweet young gal about her experience.

Thank you for your prayers as we take another team into the same area next week.  They are a larger group, 26 people, so the logistics are quite a bit bigger.  We are with them 24/7, so prayers for our energy are appreciated and for safety in all aspects. 

What's a verse?

This was the type of question we heard yesterday in our Group in the Women’s Prison, El Buen Pastor. We are starting a new group of Celebrate Recovery and have about 8-9 new women joining us at the moment. Our requirement is that after 1 month of attendance you receive a Bible with special devotions for Celebrate Recovery Groups.

   The real excitement came for us when we watched them open up their Bibles. It felt like Christmas morning! The ones who received them are not professing to be Christians but you would not have known that by their joy in receiving them. What’s a verse? How do you find the chapter number? New, old testament? Great questions!

            We were teaching on the meaning of hope using the letters of the word hope to illustrate that real hope comes in knowing Jesus as one’s Savior. As we looked up passages they were so excited to be finding them on their own! I know God is just starting His work here amongst them and I pray that He will have the victory in their lives as they seek truth. Keep praying with me!

Other exciting news is that Bob has been praying and seeking God for what’s next, thank you all for your prayers in this. He has been busy helping out with another missionary who is fixing/building a home for a family with 4 children in one of the slums here, Los Guido. He is also helping out in the mountains in Vara Blanca, where the earthquake happened about 2 ½ years ago, as they remodel a community center into a school.

We are also looking at getting involved with Christ for the City Missions. They are in need of help with their short term teams. We will be coming alongside the director, Carlos, helping him with two teams, one in March and the other in April. Thank you for continuing to pray for wisdom in knowing God’s will at this time. Here we are with Magali and Hugo, who work in the slum where we will be helping out with the short term teams. there is about 400 hundred families living here in these conditions, including many women with several children who are without husbands.

We have our first visitor form Maine coming today! Kathy, my sister, is coming down to serve with us and be an encouragement to us as well. We are so excited to have her here with us! She will be sharing on prayer with my Spanish Bible Study and with the missionary women who live here in the city. She will also join me in the prison next Wednesday to share her testimony with the women in our group. 

Transitions

                                            Bob, B Stephanie and Mary

TRANSITIONS

 January has been a time of transition for me (Bob).  In December I finished up working at Sojourn Academy.   So this past month I checked in with a bunch of ministries here in the valley and others as far away as Chile and Mexico to see where God would have me involved.  It has become a slow process and after a month there are options but nothing that is getting the green light at this point.  There is a lot of need, but I’m waiting on the Lord to help me not just jump at the first opportunity.  Waiting isn’t one of my fortes so being on the sidelines is testing me a lot.

 On the up side we are able to attend a great study on the book of Revelations given by a seminary professor.  He will be returning to the states in April and B asked if he would do a small class at his house before he leaves.  He agreed to it and what a great teacher he is.

Another transition is that the young lady that B had been discipling, Stephanie, has gone to her 10 month training in Mexico.  She left in mid-January and we won’t see her again until mid November.  There were multiple sendoffs, we had one, her family as well and her local church.  There are many teary eyes when someone close heads out far away.  For most here in Costa Rica it is rare to have or know someone that is off to a mission field out of country.  The airport goodbyes alone took about 1 ½ hours as 4 loaded vehicles made the trip.  We are very fortunate to be close to the family.

 We have a roommate living with us now.  Mary is one of the teachers at Sojourn and through circumstances she moved in with us over New Years.  (by the way Happy New Year to you!)  She will be with us until July when she will return to the Chicago area.  She just happens to be an acquaintance of Christa Thorpe as they were at Wheaton Graduate School together last year.  Small world isn’t it?         

B continues to be busy leading two different Bible Studies, one in English, The Gospel Centered Life and one in Spanish over the Gospel of John. The ministry at the Women’s prison had lost a few women over Christmas and the New Year has brought 4 new ones to the group. It is exciting for her to see God’s hand in bringing these women to an understanding of God’s love for them. She is also involved in a training given by EnTrust Ministries to missionary women to teach them how to help the women in their countries how to teach and disciple other women. It is a pilot program here in Costa Rica and she is very excited about the possibilities it holds.

We are happy to announce our first mid coast Maine visitor, Kathy Todd.  Kathy, B’s sister, will be visiting at the end of February.  We are thrilled and it just happens to coincide with my ¾ year birthday!  

We have a bed and an air mattress available should you happen to be in the area, we would love to see you!  We are not firm with our dates for a Maine visit, but expect to be there most of August.  My dad will be 90 this summer and we are looking forward to a family gathering to celebrate it.

Thanks for continuing to join us in Bob’s search for exactly where God wants him.

Merry Christmas from the Nesbitt’s

 

Merry Christmas from Costa Rica to your home.  We’ve just completed our fall semester at Sojourn ending with a Christmas pageant with the little ones, a commissioning service for students leaving and a gala staff Christmas party. 

It has been hard to bid farewell to families as they leave for other countries. 

One family we have met will be off to Guatemala soon.  They have three little boys, the oldest is in first grade, and just delivered in Costa Rica a girl to round out their group.  They will be heading up an orphanage there.  They are a model of peace as they handled an international birth, the needs of four youngsters and attended language school full time. 

Another family with four little boys, two which are a part of my preschool fan club that wait daily by the office door for a high five from me, will be staying here in the valley.  He has just finished his PhD in Scotland and will be teaching nationals at a seminary nearby. 

I, Bob, too am moving on to my next position in the new year.  This is a time of transitions for many and we are among them.  We are not currently certain of where we will be, but we have located needs from Mexico to Chile already, after only a week of searching.  We are currently praying and gathering information and ask you to join us in seeking the Father’s direction for our lives.

This year has been one of many challenges and blessings. Although I, B, still lack much in my Spanish fluency, it has been on my heart to get more involved in ministry to the Spanish speaking population. I am now doing one small Bible Study and a discipleship in Spanish.  I am currently looking at other opportunities where a door may open soon. 

The work in the prison continues to go well as we finish up the Celebrate Recovery Program. We have only about two months to go and our group will have finished the entire program. Since we started the program four of our women have either been set free or have been sent to other prisons. It has been wonderful to see the changes that God has made in their hearts.

The most rewarding relationship this year has been with Stephanie as we work together in getting her ready to become a missionary in Mexico. She has a heart dedicated to serving God and it has been wonderful to watch God at work within her preparing her to serve Him. She will be leaving in January for a year internship in Mexico City. We have been studying the Bible together and discussing the call of a missionary. 

May God richly bless you and your family and fill you all with His love this year!

Guilty

Guilty

Someone's daughter is behind bars

lonely

frustrated

sick

scared

worried

trapped

never loved

beaten

discarded

escaping reality

survival

sinner

saint

still alive?
               .........guilty.


I wrote this poem this week as I was pondering all the things I have learned about the wonderful women that I serve behind bars. I have grown over these three years to appreciate their struggles a bit more, to find a deeper place of compassion in my heart for them, remembering a phrase my mom used to tell us, but for the grace of God go I....

What gets one behind bars, is it bad luck, being born on the other side of town or is there a piece of God's mercy in it? Does it give one a second chance to walk differently? Is there any hope for change? Or will life always be the same and it will be one crime after another?

I would like to believe that God is in control and that hope can be seen even in a place like this! I have seen it in some of the women I have walked with. They go from living a lie to accepting truth and then reaching out to something better. I have seen them come to a new understanding of who God is and His wonderful plan for their lives.

This is not always true as I have also seen some fall way and turn back to their old ways rejecting the love that seems so foreign to them. But,our team keeps reaching out having faith that the God who met them behind bars will never desert them and will one day bring them into the glory of His home.  A place where there is no hatred, rejection and wounding instead only acceptance and love.

One of the women has returned to her home country to complete her sentence in prison there. She still writes and keeps up with us on how things are going. We have  heard from her that she is not allowed to have any personal books, including her Bible.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if several of you wrote her and filled your letter with words of encouragement and scripture? If you would like her mailing address please send me an email at nesbittb@gmail.com. and I will get it to you! God bless!

Hit the Ground Running!

Well, we had a great flight home arriving at about mid-night and Bob woke up the next morning to a new school year! Those of you who we saw during our time at home knew it was not the restful time we had wanted but we were so happy to get caught up with at least some of you,go out for a lobster and get our household things on Craig's List after a couple of yard sales! So, even though it was busy, we felt that we were able to get a lot accomplished during the time.I think the thing that most impressed me was the freshness of the air in Maine. It was so clear and one night we even had a picnic and got to star gaze!
One of the highlights for me was a brunch given by Inge from our church. It was at her lovely home near the ocean and we all got to be on the receiving end of her wonderful gift of hospitality. It was a great opportunity to share with my friends what God is doing in the women's prison in Costa Rica!

Sojourn Academy is going well, with lots of new missionary students and some new nationals. Several of the families that have come to the Language Institute have 4-5 children! They will all go to Sojourn and attend regular classes as well as learn Spanish. It is a big load for these children and for some a very hard transition. We have one family from Sweden who has three children who neither speak Spanish nor English! These first few days of not being able to communicate at all have proven to be very tough on them, but over time they will learn to adjust, which is a very big part of the missionary call. I think the name of the school, Sojourn, tells the story. They all learn that home takes on a new meaning, and that home is really where ever God puts you.  It is being in the center of His will for your life. I guess for all of us this takes a bit of an adjustment!

We are excited to have 6 new teachers at Sojourn this year. We know it will be a year of blessing for them as they serve by helping the children not only with academics but also to grow spiritually.If you ever considered serving overseas, this is a great opportunity! Let's talk!

The women at the prison have entered into their 4th step of the Celebrate Recovery program, which involves a long look at their life and places where they need to forgive and be forgiven. It is a hard process and they need to rely on God's grace to get them through it.Thanks for praying for them to have the courage to hang in there with the One who can set them free!

Headed HOME

I would like to introduce you to Carmencita, a friend that I have been disciplining for over a year now. She is a mother of two and grandmother of two precious girls. This year we have been studying the names of God using a Precept study called, Lord I want to know You. It is a course that not only helps you learn God’s names but also apply the truth to your own life. It has been a struggle for Carmen to trust God in her son’s life.

After having studied several of the names of God Carmen told me this week that she was starting to trust God instead of worrying. When she wants to turn to worry she instead now calls on the names she has studied to find help and peace! It was so exciting for me to hear of her victory!

The side benefit for me is that she is a wonderful cook and I can never leave without having some of her delicious food and she always sends along something for Bob to enjoy!

I am also working with a new believer, Patricia. We meet in gym class and after a year of getting to know each other I started a small group study in my home with two other women. Sometimes the Spanish gets over my head but they have been wonderful to help me along, teaching me all the slang expressions! Patricia has been a joy to watch grow in the Lord. She openly declares that she used to call herself a Christian but it was only from the mouth outwards. Now God is changing her heart and she is reading the Word, doing her homework and memorizing scriptures! Every week we have a new memory verse and she always knows it better that I! I tell her it is because it is in Spanish! She has been going through some really tough family situations and it was through these events that God opened her heart up to run to Him! 

Bob’s health is starting to come around. Thank you again for all your prayers! He was sick about two months and his energy level was very low. I know he is getting better, though, because he went to basketball this week for the first time in more than a month. We are still not entirely sure all of what he had.

Headed home has a double meaning for me this month. We are excited to be going to Maine to visit family, church family and other team members. We can’t wait to catch up with everyone, so, please email or call to set up a time to connect. Our stateside number is now a Skype number and it is: 508-882-7525. We have dropped our Vonage number to save a little as the Skype number is a lot cheaper.

The second meaning of going home for me this month came when Sue, one of the women I work with in the prison, was extradited back to Germany. It was a bitter-sweet moment as I am so happy for her. It has been a rewarding time to see such growth in her and I pray that God will find a person to continue working with her. I have worked with her almost three years and at her going away party she told me it was our group that got her back on track with God again. She had given up on Him, having cast Him aside and now was seeing His hand in her healing process. She now even has a vision for her future to serve street children, having lived on the street herself since she was about 13.

 I would love to share more of her story with you and many more so let’s get together and chat while Bob and I are home in August. We will be there for the first three weeks in August. We are looking forward to seeing many of you! Thought you might enjoy a couple pictures of our grandson.

I’d like to share a great big thank you to you for your continued help in prayer and tangible support that makes our efforts here possible.  There have been great battles these last few months with my work at the school.  Some things are smoothing out and resolving themselves while others will need more time to resolve. 

I do want to share that through it all there has been a real peacefulness down deep in me.  My energy hasn’t flagged at all and about ten days ago I had a very welcome experience where something very weighty, oppressive and trying lifted, left or went on vacation.  The result was a refreshing and renewed excitement for the purposes of the school and my involvement there. It was hard to be aware of the load that was on me as it must have been adding itself very slowly over time.  It brought to mind, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  This is also interesting because the symbol of the language institute is the oxen yoke (a common sight in these parts) and the phrase that goes with it is “together to serve”. 

Also last week, Anthony (1^st grader) got his first perfect score on a spelling quiz!  We celebrated.  Also last week a 4½ year old spoke to someone other than the special education teacher for the first time!  (His first words to the special education teacher came after 5 months of work!) We celebrated. 


At the end of April we commissioned 26 students that were heading off to 9 different countries with their families.  We celebrated but with sad farewells.  This past week we were able to project an enrollment increase for August.  This is the first time in over a year.  We are celebrating.  

 As for me, next month marks one year at the helm of Sojourn.  The time has passed very quickly, but then again I’ve noticed that as you get older the years do hustle by much faster.  Seriously though, it is a great place to come along side and share my life with others that are also here to encourage, teach and support MK’s while mom and dad study Spanish at the institute.  For all of this we are thankful.