Thankful for...

Paul and Bridget thankful to be in Costa Rica.

I (Bridget) was talking with a friend and she challenged me to be more thankful to the Lord. So every day for a few weeks I made a list of all the things I was thankful for, both big and small. I had to admit, after the first day, I take the little blessings in life for granted. Consider water. In Oregon I could turn on the hot or cold water anytime and it worked. Like most Costa Ricans, we have running water in our house, but only cold here. Since we have been here the water has been turned off a half a dozen times. Sometimes there is an announcement on the evening news giving me time to prepare for a day without water. Then I stay up late and cook whatever I had planned for dinner the next day, take a shower and fill a bucket for the toilet. 

Pedestrian walk in downtown San Jose.

The first night of looking for things to be thankful for the water pressure dropped to a trickle as I started to cook spaghetti. I was able to make dinner before it went off completely. A couple of hours later it came back on enough to wash up the dishes and take a cold shower. It was cold because we have a gadget attached to the shower head that Paul calls “the widow maker.” It heats the water when it is turned on if there is good water pressure. The next morning I was thanking God for water. I turned on the tap and quenched my thirst and took a hot shower. Thanking the Lord daily for the small as well as the big blessings has made me more aware of the goodness of God. The most recent big blessing is that we both received our two year visas and funds to pay the fees! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Andrea & husband share Christ through vocational training.

I am also thanking God for our friends. Recently we went to Hospital Clinica Biblica near downtown San Jose for a meeting. Afterward we were waiting to catch a bus for home as people were getting off work. There was a crowd of people walking toward the bus stop, it seemed like a river of humanity coming our direction. From what I have learned about the people of Costa Rica, the vast majority would call themselves Catholic, and in the next breath say they don't really believe all the church teaches about God. Instead they live by a set of superstitious beliefs. Seeing all these people who don't have a personal relationship with Jesus reminded me of His words in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” We have friends in the US who pray for us and support us financially. We also have friends here sharing the Good News about Jesus with orphans, abused women, youth at camps, young adults through vocational training, police officers, and adults learning English. I thank the Lord for the people in Costa Rica who are coming to know Him and He is transforming their lives and their families.

Teachers Eugenia & Marlene (left) with our classmates.

I am also thankful for the Lord's help with learning Spanish. After church one week we invited some Costa Rican friends home for lunch. We actually had a conversation in Spanish where Paul explained the basics of flying a helicopter and our friend, Edwin, explained his job within the structure of the Costa Rican government. Back in November, when we first met, their daughter, Monica, interpreted for us. Granted we are by no means fluent, but just being able to talk with someone over a meal is a huge milestone in being able to build relationships with people. I am thankful to be able to begin the final term of this one year Spanish language course May 7. 

While I return to language school, I am thankful for the opportunities ahead of Paul. He travels to the US because of his responsibilities with AeroVital. In May he is meeting with some colleagues at Missionary Aviation Fellowship in Idaho. They have been involved with aviation internationally for many years. Paul is also looking at a helicopter in Northern California to purchase. Pray the Lord gives him and our team wise counsel and directs their steps in this process. As you can imagine there are many details to work out. Paul hopes he and an associate will fly the helicopter back to Costa Rica so AeroVital can operate under their own aviation certificate this summer. We will keep you posted as things develop.

In His service,

Paul & Bridget