Sunday, October 31, 2010

Bicky's double Ducha de Bebé









This afternoon Steve and I were invited to our next door neighbor Bicky's double baby shower. Both her twin sons wives are both pregnant and both are expecting (boys)in December...on my birthday! See if you can figure out some of the games we played...

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Scenic, Sunny, & Stormy...Solo Bueno!




Right this minute Pastor Dan and his wife Stephanie are sitting in the airport waiting on their flight to take off. It was our pleasure to serve them this week. It has been a week packed full of all kinds of adventure, times of relaxation & reflection, physical & spiritual renewal.
Yesterday, Steve and I brought them to La Paz Watergardens and took them to the Poas Volcano. Lots of towns along the way. I'm pretty sure La Paz was their favorite place. They certainly were good sports when we had to wait around 3 hours for the road to clear of a trailer accident on our way back from the San Luis Canopy tour. The morning started out with a group waterfall hike as the theme for the day was physical renewal. The massage I gave Stephanie that evening helped work out her tense muscles. I think Dan really liked the Tarzan swing and Stephanie liked the Superman Line. She said now she could imagine what it felt like to fly!
The day Steve and I took them to Herradura beach it began to rain about 30 minutes after we got there and just as we approached for lunch at Villa Calletas Resort, the rain really hit and stormed hard while the fog clouds really got thick. You couldn't see a thing! They experienced that full "Rainforest" affect. I took that as a sign that no matter what goes on around us, we can always rejoice within the storm. It was a day picked for marital renewal. Even though it rained and the spectacular view was not to be seen, the reality is, that the beauty was found in each other. They have a wonderful, beautiful and loving marriage!
They learned alot at The Britt Coffee Tour. It was funny to me that Dan had the same thoughts like me about the similarities of the process of our salvation as the process of a coffee bean. I wrote a blog about it a few weeks ago when Steve and I visited the coffee plantation here in Atenas.
I pray now for their safe arrival home. I can see their two boys wrapping their arms around Mommy and Daddy and welcoming them home. They got some trip gifts to pass out!
I pray the Lord gave them a gift here during their time here in Costa Rica that they will keep for the rest of their lives!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Latin American Pastor Conference #2 & #3




The Brook Ministries Latin American Pastors Conferences were so good! For 6 days The Brook team arrived every morning around 5:30am and most nights we travelled back home around 8pm. We went straight to bed! The coverage of your prayers smoothed the way for the pastors and their wives to learn new ways of handling conflict within their churches. Many had never had this kind of formal training. It had been years since many of the couples had free time together and time set aside with other pastoral couples. All but one person had ever been on a canopy tour. All but one of the wives had ever had a massage before. They were so excited to actually have the time to relax, fellowship, worship, & laugh together, and unwind in such a beautiful place such as Vista del Valle Resort. The last night at "testimony time" for each conference group, was a deeply moving experience of powerful sharing,prayer and worship. As a result, the needs are known and the direction can be easily seen. Keep your eye out for the ways you can continue to help by reading Pastor Steve Lucas' blog and The Brook Newsletter.
As for my part at the conferences, I gave ever bit of my energy, my love & prayers to each woman I served. His joy, His peace, & His love that it brought to our spirit was the gift we each received. It is so real that we are more blessed when we give than when we receive.
My spanish isn't so great, but better than it was at the first Latin conference in January. I also was better supplied. I created a spanish health history form, a spanish Massage Menu, and had matching "Ministerio del Arroyo" labels on each of the massage gift bags given to each woman along with a bottled water. About half of them wanted a Hot Stone Massage. One of the ladies gave me a beautiful scarf that she got on a mission trip to Chile. On the last morning of the last conference I was given strength first thing in the morning. I was really dragging and I'd been praying that the Lord would give me strength and he did. The first lady for massage took my hands and prayed for them. It moved me and gave me encouragement, strength, & power for the rest of the day! God is so good, He always is faithfull and gives us what we ask for. I will never forget her face or the power of her prayer!
After these 3 conferences, is it so obvious that Latin American Pastors and their wives are getting what they have prayed for....God is faithful and His church here in Central America is being built up, equipped, and strengthened to reach further into some remote areas and into the 10/40 window.
I am looking forward to serving the next conference in January for U.S. Pastors and the wives!
Please don't miss the opportunity to send your Pastor and his spouse. You can't even imagine how good this will be for him and his spouse & how far reaching it really is! Pay it forward!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

"Hi!" verses "Hola"


Everyday we go walking. We walk to the grocery store, we walk to the bank, we walk to the gym, we walk to church, and to any other place we need and would like to go. Steve and I realized this morning what a blessing it has been to just walk. We would be missing so much if we drove in a car everywhere. We would miss the opportunity to meet our neighbors. We would have missed the encounter with a dear woman this morning. We will be praying for her and her family. Each day we meet new people. We say "Hola!" as we pass by the neighbors that are usually outside their homes along the way into town. It's getting pretty regular that people must be saying..."There's those gringos again!" On our walk this morning to church, we happen upon a gentlemen who said "Hi!" I was taken aback. Not that the tico said "Hi" but that the word itself sounded strange! I guess that was a clue to me that I'm adjusting to the culture and the language is getting into me! LOVE it! DIOS ES BUENO!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Friends build us up!


Yesterday I was reminded how important friends are and how we need each other. We've met alot of people here in Costa Rica and have made quite a few friends. Emilio came by yesterday to chat. He is a very nice man and there is always laughter being in his presence. He made these chairs for us and he's building us a bookshelf. My husband met a friend at the gym named Russ. He's a kind hearted guy who Steve became instant friends with. He's been helping us get the bushwacker some parts. We are getting to know our friends at bible study who are Abraham & Claire, Cerca and Red along with Pastor Steve and Angela. Abraham is an outstanding teacher!He gives a jewish perspective since he is a jewish christian. This is all new stuff! Pastor Steve is very knowledgeable and with them along side of us,we are learning far more than we had ever before about God's word.
Last night we were invited to Vicky's house for a memorial service for her husband Horst who went home to the Lord on October 2nd. Abraham and Claire came to pick us up. There were alot of people at her home. We shared a few songs and shared a great meal and fellowship. Our new friends Cindy and Tom were there with their children. Cindy is a volunteer nurse at Hogar de Vida Orphanage and her husband Tom works for a mission organization called EMI. We attend Iglesia Biblica with them as well.
eThis morning was our last class in spanish. Our teacher Isabel took us to the beautiful park in Atenas.Our assignment was to ask people walking by if we could ask them some questions so we could practice our spanish. What a great experience! The people are so friendly here in Costa Rica. We will begin a new session in spanish after our conferences. I hope that Isabel will once again be our teacher. We don't want to loose what we have learned so far and want to continue our friendship with her.
When we returned home from school, we noticed Vicky was home and we rang the bell at her gate. She gave us a big hug and she shared a little bit about her family things that you wouldn't talk to a stranger about. The Lord has given us friends for strength and encouragement. I hope to be that friend to her.
I am grateful to God for all the friends He is putting in our lives. I thank God for them.
There is strength in numbers.
A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Aroma is Divine!





Anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE COFFEE! So, when we went on our coffee tour yesterday, I was excited! Our spanish teacher Senora Isabel met us up at the catholic church in town and we took a taxi to CoopeAtenas. All the cofee growers in this area have formed a union. This way they are not competing with one another, but work together and through it give back to the community.
The process of turning a coffee bean into a cup of coffee is something I'd never thought about until moving here. Our tour guide took us around and showed us each stage the beans went through before being put in a bag for market. Those little beans are cleaned and dried. They are kept a little humid for the removal of the outer hard shell. Then they go through another cleaning with heated water in a huge round mixer. It removes all the debris. The trail leads to another machine that separates the beans by shape and size.(this determines the quality of the bean and in which bag they go in) Lastly, is the removing of the inner shell by fire. The beans that are lower quality are put out in rows to dry in the sun.
I thought about the process we go through from the beginning of our salvation to the working out of our salvation. It's all good. We are in good hands. We will be cleaned by the removal of debris, we will experience intense heat as that hard exterior and inner shell is removed. The the hands of God can mold and shape us, being ready in an out of season for market. Cleansing brings communion with God! Taste and see that the Lord is Good!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Sharing my heart

I’m writing to you today to share my heart with you. I know there are some of you that are honestly wondering why in the world did we get rid of all our stuff, sell our home, and leave all our friends and even our families. Why go to another country? Can’t you serve God in Texas? How did we get involved with The Brook Ministries? Could it be that you were trying to get away from a job you didn’t like? Were you just looking to retire?
These are all good questions. I just thought it would be good to lay it all out because I feel that many are wondering and I hope that by clarifying some things, that you will take a hold of the vision that God has a hold of us.
Now, Pastor Steve Lucas is the director and he was the first one that God gave the vision to. I remember hearing about The Brook Ministries and remember thinking how awesome a ministry it would be. At the same time, I was planning a trip to Costa Rica to go on a Medical Massage Certification program. I ended up in a tent for ten days all by myself and had extensive time to pray, read my bible, and hear from the Lord. The Lord put in my mind and in my heart a spiritual connection to the body of Christ in Costa Rica. How I understood the Holy spirit speaking to my heart, was that the body of Christ was made up of many parts and that I had a part to play, & that some parts of the body needed some tender care and mostly that the body of Christ needed one another. I had a fresh stirring within me and an expectation that God was doing a new work in me and I couldn’t pinpoint what that would look like. I didn’t know that when I returned home from that trip, things were going to change pretty rapidly.
When Pastor Steve approached my husband Steve about him possibly being involved with the ministry, it was as if Jesus said “Follow me.” I’ve been married to Steve for almost 30 years and I can honestly say that this has been the desire of his heart for many years. It was as if God opened the flood gates and released his purposes for him after waiting for this his whole life. From all our past experiences and up until the present time, the gifts, our personalities, & talents that the Lord has given to us, is a perfect fit with the vision of The Brook Ministries. This is not about us, but a perfectly fit plan that was already set in place.
The ministry of The Brook Ministries gets us excited because we are a part of something God is using to strengthen His church! We are a part of something bigger than ourselves! We get excited at the opportunity to serve pastors and their wives who give so much of themselves to God’s people. We want & will provide for them opportunities for physical renewal, a time of restoration to renew their souls, a time to renew their relationship with their spouse, a time to make new friends, and time to relax with no demands, distractions, or commitments. We all know how important it is to our well being to take care of ourselves. The battles we face as Christians are in the mind, the physical body, & in our emotions. We must take care of our leaders to grow healthy churches. Healthy churches go beyond just inside their own doors. They go refreshed in God’s power to share his love, his grace, and his word to this world who desperately need it. It’s about saving lives. That’s what the vision is all about! We are passionate about being missionaries for building God’s kingdom. This is our part in this life He has given us. We are not wasting time, but providing a time for those to make the most of it so they can be the most for God. And ultimately that’s what we want. We want to give to God the time He has given us and do the most good with what He has given us to do.
That’s why we have left everything. All we have is right now and we are getting on with making a difference for His kingdom. Now, I ask you…..boldly…..will you help us? You are part of the Body of Christ. We need your support in this. We are excited as the next two conferences for Latin American Pastors is fast approaching on Oct 18th thru the 23rd. It costs us $500.00 for a couple to attend and we invite 15 couples to each conference. In 2011, we have scheduled nine Latin American Pastors Conferences and two U.S. Pastors Conferences scheduled for January & June. We have a full schedule and lots of work to do to prepare.
Just as we can’t do this without the Lord leading us, we can’t do this without you. Will you pray and support us with a monthly donation of $20.00-$25.00? That’s all we are asking for. If you can give more that is good. We want you to be a part of our team , to take hold of the vision that is changing lives. Humbly I say, there is nothing more valuable than God’s creation walking in the freedom of their creator. Will you take hold of that and plant it in your heart and give out of the abundance he has stored up in you?
I have another idea of a way to support the ministry by getting others involved with your efforts. Maybe at your job you receive tips from your clients. You could set aside $5 for each tip you receive & collect it and send it to us at the end of the month. You could possibly raise your rates by $5 or $10 and tell your client you are donating the increase to the ministry. They could match it with an additional tip!
There is opportunity for you to pray during the conferences as well as getting involved in our “Vacation with a Purpose.” Check The Brook website for information and to make an automatic monthly donation go to www.thebrookministries.org. I also have a blog www.kellyezell.blogspot.com that I post about living life here in Atenas, Costa Rica.
Please let us know if we can answer any questions you might have about our ministry and how we can serve & pray for you. Again, thank you for your financial support and prayers to this ministry.
Will you do it now? The need is great….and great is the need!
Blessings in Christ,
Kelly & Steve

Saturday, October 2, 2010

The Birdcage & The Funeral




What a great evening we had at "The Little Theatre Group of Costa Rica" We saw the movie made into a play called "The Birdcage" The actor Robin Williams had starred in it years ago. My husband and I had thought we had heard of it before but we weren't absolutely sure. When the lights went on for the first scene, four men dressed as woman came out dancing! I was stunned and my husband started laughing and then I started laughing too. I mean, it was suppose to be funny, wasn't it? I just didn't hear anybody else laughing. The acting was really good and I kinda wondered if some of them were really acting! But, it was very entertaining nonetheless! I ended up with a migraine by the time we got home and woke up this morning with it.
This morning our neighbor Bicky yelled out to my husband whom she could see from the open window that her huband had died in the night. There were 2 police cars at her house and now we knew why. There have been cars coming and going all day. I never met her husband Horace but my husband had when he brought a pie to their house that we had bought them up at the market. I was cooking dinner when my husband went over to their home. They invited him in and he stayed a bit and got to know them. I met Bicky as we were walking past her gate and my husband & I both knew she was a special lady and we instantly felt a special love for her. Bicky told us that her husband had a bad heart and that the doctors had said that they could do nothing for him. We got a phone call just a while ago to come to her house because they were fixin to have the funeral. Wow, that was quick. They don't waste anytime here in Costa Rica. The open casket was right in the center of the room and there was Bicky over it. Some of the people from our Tuesday night bible study were there as well as our pastor and other family and friends. We all got in a large cirlce and some prayed in English and some in spanish and sang some hymns in spanish and some in English. It was beautiful and from the prayers of those that loved him, he was a good man and a man of God. He is at peace now and with the Lord. He sees him now face to face. Even now as I write this, I hear the cars still coming and going at Bicky's house. Praise God for all His blessings and for life eternal!

SHARE IN OUR JOURNEY

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We are missionaries with The Brook Ministries in Costa Rica. We are here to help strengthen the church body of Jesus Christ & to fulfill His Great commission to the lost. At our conferences, my husband directs the recreational activities & excursions. I provide physical renewal with massage for the female attendees. We believe that regularly scheduled renewal of the body, mind, & spirit for ministry leaders in particular, will empower them to serve the Lord with renewed strength & perseverance to do what God has uniquely called them to do....SERVE & BUILD HIS CHURCH to the outermost parts of the world!