A Week of Celebrating Women!!

What a fun week we have had as Christmas is here and the end of the year is coming quickly!  We celebrated with our INVU Ladies' Bible Study on Tuesday night as they finished the third Bible Study Book in the "New Life in Christ" series!  This is a HUGE accomplishment for some of them as it is very easy to start something, but to stick with it and complete it is much more difficult.  These precious women have studied God's Word for almost a year and a half now on a weekly basis and we can see the fruit that has come from it.  A few of the husbands are now attending church with their women.  One woman who is not married is going through the steps to marry the father of her children to make it right in the eyes of the Lord.  One lady is now TEACHING Sunday School at our sister church, Iglesia Radical.  One lady is in counseling on a regular basis dealing with major damage from her past.  She is reaching a point of freedom for the first time in 30 years!  One lady is faithfully staying off the streets--has moved from prostituting herself on a daily basis to working for a church in town as a cleaning lady--and boy is she a prayer warrior.  We have been able to forgive those from the past, work through problems among friends in the group, etc.  We still have a long way to go, but we sure celebrate each tiny step forward in their growth in Christ!!  Praise God for His faithfulness!  Here are a few pictures of our night together.  They LOVE getting a certificate, and many of them display them proudly in their homes for all to see!

Lisa and Dale, my teammates who help with the study..LOVE them!!

Helen and Gerarda, her mom

Johana, Zeneyda and Isabel

Camen and me

Jessica, Jamileth and Maria

Yahaira and Beatriz

Celebrating Yahaira's birthday

We have also had a special opportunity to start an Outreach Bible Study for women in Esterillos, a town south of us.  One of our church members really has a heart to reach her community and asked me to come down and help her get this going.  We met yesterday for the first time and had a wonderful time with the ladies!  I taught a Christmas message, we played "get to know you" games and we made Christmas ornaments.  It was a sweet time and we will be continuing this once a month for now.  The children of these ladies are the ones who are a part of the once a month Kids Club we have started in this area as well.  God is on the move down here!!!  

Finishing up our teaching

Making ornaments

Marielos helping her mother, Graciela

Sweet hands at work

Finished product...too cute!

Happy Thanksgiving from Jaco!!!

We are so thankful for all of you!!!  God bless you!!

Fanny, Our Adopted Daughter

Our sweet, "adopted" daughter, Fanny

Fanny is one of the young girls who lives in INVU and has been part of our Kids Club and now Youth Group since we have been here.  She is now 15 and is truly a "diamond in the rough".  She has dreams of visiting the US one day and she wants to study to be a Marine Biologist.  She loves life and loves to act and sing.  She is very active in our Youth Group and will have one of the leading roles in the Christmas Play we will do for the Kids Club Christmas Outreach.  When we were offered the opportunity to sponsor someone to attend the local bilingual school we both immediately thought of her and she is about to complete her 2nd year there.  We were given money from a family who's wife/mother had died and they asked that it go towards a school scholarship for a young person.  That scholarship lasted about 1/2 a year, but the Lord told us to continue on sponsoring her and He would provide.  Up to this point, He has continued to provide for her schooling through our personal support and she is thriving!  She has learned SO much English and she was even Secretary of her 8th grade class this year.  She just participated in the "English Day" school drama where she had one of the lead roles.  We are SUPER excited about this opportunity she has had and thankful to the Lord that He has provided!!  This is an opportunity she NEVER would have had otherwise.  She has a wonderful mother who cares for her and is so thankful for this opportunity for her as well.  Please pray for Fanny as she continues to study and as she faces the normal difficulties and temptations of teenage life.  It is such a fight to live a Godly life here in the neighborhood where she lives and in Jaco in general.  Here are a few pictures of her play from Friday night.  Lastly, if anyone feels led to give specifically towards Fanny's school sponsorship please contact us and let us know.  Thanks!

Talent Show at Las Nubes School

Today Thomas and Jacob participated in their school's talent show.  It was a great event and the music teacher did a wonderful job organizing a musical performance with each grade in the school.  Because Thomas and Jacob both take music lessons from him (Thomas takes guitar and Jacob takes drums), they were able to play their respective instruments in the class performance.  They had a blast!  In addition, Thomas participated in a Hip Hop dance with his classmates and loved every minute of it.  Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Jacob, in the green hat, dancing to "Vamos a la playa"

Jacob's class dancing

Jacob dancing

Jacob playing the drum during their music performance

Jacob and the drum

Thomas playing guitar with his class

Thomas and his guitar/music teacher, Alejandro

Thomas and Alejandro

Thomas, in the yellow shirt, dancing Hip Hop with his class

Thomas dancing...he loved it!

Thomas and his class in the final pose

Thomas and some of his classmates

Baptism Service- November 2013

Praise God for His faithfulness!!  We had an AMAZING time of celebration yesterday as we baptized a few of our own church members as well as 8 men from Casa de Amor!  It was not only special for all of us to witness this special occasion, but also for the witness that this was on the beach in front of many people watching from afar.  I am continuously amazed by all God is doing here in Jaco!  Praise God!!

Daniel sharing a few words before we headed down to the water

Pete being baptized

Pete

Men from Casa de Amor with one of our Pastors from our home church in Lexington, SC

Lisa, Pete's wife, being baptized

Pete and Lisa

Heading to the beach for the baptism

Praying before we start

Casa de Amor men..God is doing a great work!!

Fun times with our church body!!!!

Women's Study Birthday Celebrations

We have so much fun at Bible Study on Tuesday nights.  We have really seen some of the ladies step up and begin to try and make a difference in their families, neighborhoods, workplaces, etc.  We are finishing up Book #3 in the "New Life in Christ" series we are doing.  When we begin Book #4 in January, each woman will have an opportunity to lead the study.  I am SUPER excited about this and how God is going use this to move them even further in their walk with Him!  We had a mission team visiting this past week and they blessed us with wonderful worship, testimonies and a Christmas Ornament craft.  We also celebrated the birthdays of 2 of our girls and had lots of fun!  I love these women and who God is molding them to be.  It is amazing to witness His work in their lives. 

Worship with Brooke (part of mission team)

Christmas Ornaments..super cute!

Jessica sharing her ornament

Luz sharing hers...

Isabel, one of the birthday girls

Yamileth and Isabel--Happy Birthday to these precious ladies!!