Austrian Traveler back in Rio Grande, Costa Rica

I saw her golden hair and joyous spirit prancing around the sand as baby sea turtles made their way to the sea. I saw her embrace her shirtless 6 year old girl, half African – half Austrian, as close as she could. As if there wasn’t daughter and mother but one unit of adventurous love. 

 

Lindsey had already talked to her, and as her and her daughter walked away I knew God was highlighting them – but I didn’t have the obedient energy to go after her. 

 

As the glorious sun set on my reflective mind, Jose had the idea of buying their dinner. Sure enough in town we found them quickly and said we’d pay. They came without shoes walking into the restaurant.  

 

She talked of her meditation breathing exercises she leads as she travels with her daughter across the world. We talked of how the Spirit that lives in us when we believe in Jesus is actually titled “breathe of God” or “wind of God” in the original language. We learned of her philosophies and her past. Her daughter’s father now in prison due to drugs. Jose got to relate and share testimonies from His family and where the God who sees was in all that. 

 

*We sat with a depressed man and poured out love to him this day, along with 3 women here in this picture receiving a measure of physical healing in their knees. Days later one of them said her knee was so much better since we prayed for her!

We invited her to come to our adventure day and then sleepover. How can someone you’ve spent less than 48 hours with start to feel like family?  

*This is a house visit. Got to pray for this deaf woman last time too, her husband started weeping as we did. Their story and hardship would move any heart.

See a little girl from Austria tell her mom she wants to be as close to me as possible. See her mom start crying to see her daughter trust someone so much so quickly. The mom looked at me and said you are just “clear” and “good.” I say it’s completely of Jesus. That before I let Jesus heal me and fill me, I was selfish and empty. 

 

Being fruitful and effective in sharing the Gospel wasn’t a matter of force, effort, numbers. It was a matter of remaining (John 15). 

It was a matter truly of doing the work to let their be less of you and more of Him. The work of shedding yourself and the things of this world, to make room for the Spirit. Because when hindrances are taken off, you are ready. Your feet are ready (Ephesians 6:15, Romans 10:15); they are not held back. They are ready to carry the Gospel to the Harvest that is plentiful. Carry the Presence of Jesus more as you let Him heal you, as you shed off what is of your flesh – and see people flock to that.

 

We’d be sitting in our Costa Rican hosts’ humble home. We’d get to invite the single mother and her daughter from Austria to speak with the single mother from Costa Rica. You’d be somewhere in the middle translating between nations, between hearts in this random country God placed you again.  

There’d be love and worship, you’d be in a room with new family members from different states that you never would have grown alongside if you said no to God. If you said no that one day He asked you to say a costly yes of obedience and leave whenever, wherever He called you. 

 

The spiritual but not religious Austrian girl would experience the worship of Jesus. That previous model, intern for NASA, that you had been getting to encourage in Christ, would offer her dance worship to God in that living room. 

The Costa Rican woman would be in awe watching her.  

So many ages, so many nations represented in 1 house with concrete floors and almost completely faded paint on the humble walls. It looked a little bit like Heaven. It looked a little like God’s heart for creating humanity. And somehow I was a part of it. 

 

The next day, our last hours with them. We went by the river singing. Right before leaving, the Austrian traveler sat down and said I have a question about God; I used to read my Bible…

We got to share how the way humans treat nature is in reality a reflection of how humans and evil destroyed so much of what God intended and made. Jesus, the perfect representation of God on Earth, came to restore man’s relationship with Creation again, to heal our hearts and make us good stewards. Though she talked about believing in reincarnation and other new age beliefs, she wanted to agree when we spoke it. All we did was love them, and it opened the way to share the Gospel.

 

Then, my Austrian friends and I went walking through small town Rio Grande, Costa Rica. I fell in love with the people of this town 8 months ago with my last squad.

I had no idea I’d be taking Austrian travelers to the same local Costa Rican houses I’d been to before. We stopped at several houses and this Austrian was experiencing what I do as a Christian missionary. The daughter started playing with the Costa Rican kids that had stole my heart nearly a year ago.

 

I watched them get on a bus to their next stop on their world travels. An hour later, we got a call however that they couldn’t get money out of their bank. Well the Lord put her burdens and her stress literally on me, which led to an intense time of praying for her. 

 

In the middle of that, the mom called me again crying. I got to advise her, speak the Lord’s peace over her, and translate Spanish to English over the phone for her. God ended up providing locals to take her in and figure out her money situation. 

 

*This is my new team at the home of my old ministry host, getting to water seeds that we had spiritually planted almost a year ago!

How can you extravagantly love someone today? Even sacrificially would you love someone in need, like the Samaritan story? God fights for the one relentlessly to draw them back in. I want to spend my life fighting for the one God places in front of me each time. 

 

I had no idea I’d be back here in Rio Grande.

I had no idea I’d be leading an older age group, when I had said the last time I was here I wouldn’t squad lead again!  

God has so many surprises. This time everything was different. This was full circle. 

I could feel myself walking in more obedience and authority and confidence than I ever had, learning to not live off the affirmations of man but of God, learning to boldly speak even the hard things.

Last month in Honduras was one of the harder months I’ve had. I’m being refined in so many ways leading this group of people. God knows what He is doing, even when I grumble and am just catching up and feel like I fail – He is my strength, my rock, my hiding place.

I wouldn’t trade this life. I sat on the same beach here 8 months ago and my friend was talking about being a full time missionary, and I thought no, not for me. Now I’ve surrendered to a call to the nations, wherever He would call. This time I had direction. 

 

*This is me in my element, spontaneously speaking with strangers about Jesus. But these were people from Israel; I looked into there mysterious faces and felt called to them… 

Walking out on new waters, I need $2000 before the end of this month.

Partner with me in reaching the nations, going to darker more unreached places in Asia Minor in February. We have intensive trauma and perspectives training in January, for working with populations like refugees.

Thank you, partner here!!

*The team I’ve been with this month has been so refreshing, love you Team 217 <3