Protege

God has provided us with an office that is attached to our house. It has a large meeting room that we use for staff meetings and we would also like to use it to host various other training events and networking events for people and organizations we work with. Last week we hosted our first training in the office. It was a two day event last Wednesday and Saturday.

We have been invited to join a network for those working to protect children and working with children at risk. So the training we hosted was in conjunction with this network. The folks in the network were invited, our entire staff team came, and we also invited some of our key partners. Some of the organizations represented were: Students International (of course), Food for the Hungry Costa Rica, YWAM, Viva, and La Iglesia Cristiana Reformada de Los Guidos.

The training was one which Viva provides called Protege. The topic was a sobering topic as we learned about and discussed what constitutes abuse, how we can work to prevent it, how to recognize it, and what laws and systems are in place to deal with abuse in Costa Rica. Two amazing, gifted, and knowledgeable women taught us. Gabriella works in a large city in a city office working with abused women and Cristina works for Viva training and providing resources for people working with children at risk in Costa Rica. While it is not an easy topic to talk about it is an important one. It was extremely helpful to learn what options are available to us as we seek to walk along side those we work with when abuse takes place.

Here are a couple of pictures from the training time. As you can see I had help setting up the tables and chairs :).

"Just like you, right?"

We face many pressures and stresses in life these days: pioneering a new ministry, program development, leading a staff team, and navigating a second culture and language to list a few. But perhaps the most pressure comes from being a parent. One of the many ways that life is not all that different for us than it is for our friends in the States.

This morning Sawyer and I were up a while before Tracey and Olivia. We had a great time together! We made and drank coffee together, got ready for church, and simply hung out. As Sawyer followed me around the house we we did various things like get dressed, brush our teeth, and yes get our coffee ready he would say things like, "I'm going to wear pants. Just like you, right?" "I'm going to brush my teeth. Just like you, right?" "I'm going to button my shirt. Just like you, right?" You get the idea.

(On a brief side note both Olivia and Sawyer have taken to using the word right almost like a question mark to punctuate their sentences. My guess is it is a cross over from a grammatical structure in Spanish. It is interesting to see how their Spanish is affecting their English. But that is another blog post. Heck that could be a dissertation topic.)

I want to tell Sawyer, "Look I know me, and believe me you really don't want to be like me." Yet I read the Apostle Paul and I see him telling his readers to follow him as he followed Christ. So I am learning that in many roles right now, especially in parenting, I need to embrace Sawyer wanting to be like me. I also need to ensure that being like me means seeking after Jesus. Now that's pressure, right?

From October 2009

A Night on the Town (or at least at the mall)

Three out of the four of us were in need of haircuts this afternoon (read on), so we decided to head to the mall after picking the kids up at school. There is a good place there that has cars that Sawyer can sit in while his hair is cut. Hard to believe that he actually sits still long enough for his hair to be cut, but he does pretty good. Olivia sat as still as a statue with a huge smile on her face the whole time. I did okay as well :).

Following the hair cuts we picked up dinner at the food court, followed by ice cream. It was a fun night as a family after a busy week and weekend.

Part of the busyness is due to the fact that Aiyla, our great intern who is living with us, discovered she had (hopefully had in the past tense) lice. Amazingly enough it seems like the rest of us have avoided getting them, except for Tracey, who also had a few nits. So thorough cleaning, research on lice-riddance, lots of laundry, regular head checks (and yes, the haircuts) have been a normal part of our last few days, and will probably continue to be normal for a while. Please pray that we and our house will be lice-free quickly!

The Brave, The Bold, The Pioneers: aka Our First Summer Teams

We actually said good-bye to the last of our summer teams about a month ago, but it has taken me that long to get to this. . . . Our students (shall we say, 'life-long learners') ranged from 11 to somewhere-in-the-60's this year, and represented many different states, including Nebraska, California (several teams), Indiana, Virginia, and Texas. Plus we had individuals representing Maryland and Pennsylvania, and a vision team here to check things out that brought people from California, Florida, Texas and Indiana, as well.

Overall it was a full and wonderful 'first' summer in the city. We SI staff were tired at the end, but I think we all agree that it was worth it! The teams all came with adventurous spirits, for which we were grateful! They were flexible as we worked through the logistical challenges of transportation, lodging, etc. They learned to 'hang-out' and 'be' when there wasn't a lot to 'do' at times. They engaged with children and adults, and learned and practiced new Spanish vocabulary. Some helped at a daycare, and painting a mural, with a Friday Kid's Club, and at a tutoring center. Others helped a neighborhood build a street, re-modeled a bathroom, built a retaining wall, taught English, and visited and baked for shut-ins. Some even went to the jungle and supported some missionary friends on the coast.

In the evenings, the teams participated in various activities. We had cultural activities like cooking, local speakers that shared about Costa Rica, we hosted a 'poverty dinner' and discussed some of the complexities of poverty around the world, had game nights, and prayer times.

Whew! It's really quite a list. A lot of love was spread. As one of our partnering pastors said to me yesterday, "All the neighbors, and the auto-shop across the street, want to know why these people would come and visit the elderly ladies, and why they would come without receiving anything in return, to build a wall for our church, or why they would come and help our kids with homework, or teach English. They don't understand that it's because of God's love. Seeds are being planted by what you guys are doing." So, if any of you participants are reading this, know that your presence here has made an impact! We'd like to thank you for making it a positive impact! You truly were a blessing, and we hope you'll come back again sometime! Thank you for being a part of the beginning of SI Costa Rica!

For our quiet times this year, we focused on Ephesians. Themes centered on unity among believers, God's secret plan to include everyone in his family, being alive in Christ, living with a new nature that is controlled by the Holy Spirit, etc. For me, the theme of UNITY stuck out the most. Not only have we witnessed a lot of division among believers in the communities where we work, but we, as SI, risk a lot by doing what we're doing. What I mean is that we are outsiders trying to unite with Costa Ricans in ministry, then we are adding 'students,' (who are virtually strangers) to the mix. And those students represent different denominations, economic backgrounds, races, political ideals, family backgrounds, ages, experiences, and careers or career interests. We risk a lot in the way of unity! But the wonderful thing is that we are all part of Christ's body. We are. It is mysterious, and we tend not to live the truth of it well, or appreciate the 'other' parts. But the declaration is there and Christ is working to bring all of us together, and to bring all things under his authority (Eph. 1:9-10,3:10-11). So, I don't know if anyone else realizes what a big deal it is, but I love that we can ALL (Ticos, SI staff, other ministries, outreach participants) come together in an outreach and represent the Kingdom of God to a world that is fractured and falling apart. It's what Jesus said would prove to the world we were his disciples (John 13:34-35). Maybe that's why God does big things when his children come together, even though we might be awkward or imperfect. God can make up for those things; he just wants us to love each other the way he loves us.

In a few weeks a vision group is coming to explore semester program opportunities. And in November a team from Wasco, CA is coming--actually my college roommate, Jenn and husband Steve, are leading it! Please pray for these upcoming groups, and what God might have in store. Also, pray for all of the participants that have come so far, that God would continue to work in and through each of their lives, as well as for our ongoing development ministries, our ministry partners, and the people we are in contact with each day. Thank you! --Tracey

"When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth." Ephesians 3:14-15

New Glasses!

Drumroll please! Announcing Miss Olivia and her new anteojos, glasses. She is super excited about them, thankfully! This pair is mostly to get used to wearing the glasses she will most likely need later on. We think she looks pretty cute! :)

From glasses, face painting

Summer Newsletter

It is incredible how time flies by! We have now been here in Costa Rica for over a year! It has been an amazing year of watching God work. Click on this link for a copy of our Summer 2009 newsletter. If you would like to receive it via email or a hard copy let us know. http://thedixonz.googlepages.com/Summer2009.pdf

¿Cual es su lucha?

One of my new found past times is helping our staff to be stretched. Well not long ago it was my turn to be stretched. About a month ago I was asked to speak at one of the churches we are partnering with. Actually the pastor had been asking me repeadedly and there was always a reason, or I found a reason, not to be able to do it. It wasn't that I mind sharing/teaching it was that I would be doing it in Spanish.

When the Sunday rolled around I had not had as much time to prepare as I would have liked, so needless to say I was a little nervous. I spoke on passages out of Philippians 3 and Ephesians 1 about seeking to know Jesus with the title being what are you striving for? SO often in life I strive after many things other than simply knowing Jesus. They may be good things, but they still get in the way of simply knowing him.

As I spoke I kept thinking, "Ooh said that wrong, wrong verb tense, put the pronoun in the wrong spot, etc." The challenge was knowing when to just keep going ignoring the grammatical mistake or when to go back and fix it.

After 30 - 40 minutes I wrapped up. Much to my amazement it seemed as if what came out of my mouth connected with the hearts of many. So either my Spanish wasn't horrible or the Holy Spirit corrected it from when it left my lips to when it entered the ears of the congregation. Or a little of both. Let's just say if God can use a donkey to communicate he can use me.

It was a good experience and it helped to further our relationship with the church. Now that the first public speaking in Spanish experience is over the second one will hopefully come a little more naturally.