August Update

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me"

Matthew 16:24

Arriving in Costa Rica!

As we settled into Jaco, Costa Rica, we dealt with some of the expected parts of our transition. The heat. Leaving family. Trying to learn how to drive a manual car.

In the process of transition and being able to be blessed with living quarters to call home, there were also some unexpected parts of moving. We can often come into transitions in life with certain expectations of how things will be. To settle in smoothly and efficiently. To be smooth-sailing with no problems.

But acts of nature had other plans! This transition into Costa Rica has felt like a difficult and delayed process of what we had hoped. We found places of mold, which required lots of scrubbing. We found items with mold, which we made sure to throw out. And in the midst of cleaning in the kitchen, a distinct clicking sound proved to be the biggest roadblock. Termites. What seemed to be a concentrated area of termites turned into the destruction of a good number of our kitchen cabinets.

And what are my first inclinations? Control... Doubt... Fear... An opportunity for us to get discouraged, get distracted, and lose sight of all that God has put before us. Time and time again, we are reminded that the Valleys are where we are tested by fire. Where our trust in God is shown to be strong or weak.

Can you praise God when life feels easy? But struggle to worship Him when life gets hard? This is always greatly convicting for me.

While we have wrestled with our weakened flesh, we are reminded to walk in surrender. We will not be victims of the circumstances put before us. For there are many things that are out of our control, but our response is in our hands.

We serve a faithful God. A mighty God. A God that provides. And worry has no claim over our lives or to distract us from our mission. Here are some takeaways that I hope can be encouraging to you:

1. Our humanity will often prove our deep need for God. Especially when times are tough.

2. Surrender is a denial of our flesh (no matter how loud our flesh may be) and to carry our cross.

3. Gratitude is not only for the times we feel good. Neither is obedience.

4. We must not stray from the promises and truths of God. Seek first His Kingdom and the rest will be added also.

Well, for us, entry into missions has looked different from what we expected. It has presented challenges we had not yet imagined. But our LORD is steadfast. He is faithful. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We pray we can be an encouragement to you, no matter what you are facing.

Ministry Development

I have been working with the pastor and other leaders at the rehab center to integrate into the ministry. This onboarding process is learning the depths of operations, curriculum, and relationally growing with my fellow leaders as well as the men at the center. The excitement to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of these men is immense!

Some of the ministry tasks that I am already stepping into...

• We are meeting with a nutritionist to get insight into how to operate the meals at the center

• I am picking up food four times a week from a local business that donates

• I am building out a thorough budget for the center, making sure income and expenses are all being tracked, so we know our progress towards sustainability. This also fosters accountability and is an essential part of proper stewardship in ministry.

We continue to extend the invitation to join our partner team. We have around 40 partners on our team, operating as the body of Christ to help make this mission possible. Would you join us in the life-changing ministry of the center?

Or, even if not in partnership, but you feel drawn to give, we invite you to visit our platform. In facing these unexpected struggles, the entry into missions has left us with a financial deficit. We know that God is providing every step of the way. If you feel a stirring within you to be part of God's provision, click here to explore the opportunity.

Peace be with you,

Samson & Chloe