Goofing Off

Goofing off is a good thing…every once in a while. Pam and I just wrapped up three weeks goofing off in NorCal. It was balm for our soul.

When I returned to Costa Rica on January 2, Pam and I had no idea that we would not be together again until March 4…but that’s exactly what happened (for a variety of reasons). January and February were two very long months for us. But it sure made our reconnection-time special!

I was able to see our new apartment in Santa Rosa for the first time. Pam organized several day-trips to explore the Napa-Sonoma region. We visited two different wineries. What an incredibly beautiful area we will live in!

We also visited the Charles Schultz Museum. For those who are younger, people my age grew up reading newspapers that carried a comic strip called Peanuts. Charles Schulz wrote the comic strip for nearly five decades. At one point, 350 million people read Peanuts around the globe…and this was long before the Internet!

I, also, found an amazing pool in Santa Rosa where I was able to get my laps in several times a week.

But the highlight was spending time with Christina and Art and our three Santa Rosa grandkids. The primary driver for us returning to the US is to be closer to our kids and grandkids.

So, we took full advantage these past three weeks. We shared dinners together, we had one of our grandsons spend the night and we “spoiled him rotten,” we went to track meets to see the grandkids compete and we worshipped together on our final Sunday at Art and Christina’s church, Living Roots. We enjoyed every moment!

By the way, it was also very cool for me to see Millie again!

I’m now heading back to Costa Rica. Pam will join me on April 17 as we wind down our ministry with ECF and prepare to move back to the USA. We have a household of “stuff” to get rid of, a car to sell, and, hopefully, a seamless transition to navigate with our church. As these details become clear, I will share about them in future blogs.

In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers! For some reason, I assumed that when I became a senior citizen, I would no longer have to step out in faith like I did when I was younger. But guess what? God is asking us, again, to trust him and step into the future by faith.

By faith, we are holding on to Ephesians 2:10, like we have so many other times in the past. We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

By faith, we know that God is working upstream.

By faith, we know that God has good works for us to do.

By faith, we are excited to see what those good works will be.

The adventure continues. We wouldn’t have it any other way!

A New Chapter

Pam and I have decided to step aside at English Christian Fellowship and return full-time to the USA. Our last Sunday with ECF will be May 18. The congregation is aware of this and a search process for a new Senior Pastor has been initiated.

This decision has not come easily. We have loved serving at ECF. God is doing amazing things. When we arrived 3½ years ago, there was only a tiny handful attending.

Now, ECF is averaging 140+ every Sunday and the Spirit is palpable. Our services are a beautiful tapestry of love, grace and the Word of God. New people visit every week. The room is full, the joy is manifest and the fellowship is warm and welcoming.

ECF now has all the core ministries of a thriving international church: worship, kids, welcome, groups, missions, communications, social media, men’s, women’s, prayer and translation. The leadership base is solid.

The church is also on sound footing financially. In our first year in Costa Rica, over 75% of the church’s income came from sources outside the church…primarily from our friends in the USA. Now, over 95% of the church’s giving comes from people within the church. This has been a beautiful transformation. We thank God that ECF is now self-supporting and has a sustainable income stream.

With ECF being in such a healthy position, Pam and I sensed a release to pass the baton so we can relocate closer to our family. We are very much looking forward to being more accessible to our kids and grandkids. We will live in the Santa Rosa, CA area, near our daughter Christina and her family.

Pam has already given us a beachhead. She has rented a small apartment in Santa Rosa and is purchasing the plethora of things required to equip a home. The only things we will ship back to the USA are knick-knacks and wall hangings. We feel like newly-weds all over again!

Please pray for the following…

• Pam and I will both be in the USA March 4-24. Pray for us as we seek God’s direction about permanent housing and continue to get settled.

• We will return to Costa Rica on March 24. Pray that our final two months of ministry with ECF are fruitful. We want to do everything possible to encourage our church family during this season. We also want to ensure a seamless transition for the new Senior Pastor.

• Pray, also, for what God is preparing for us upstream. In no way do I believe that God is calling me to step out of vocational ministry. I love serving and leading and building healthy ministries! So, I will be keeping my eyes open to God’s leading in the coming months.

We will keep you posted. God is on the throne. The season in Costa Rica has been phenomenal. But the best is always yet to come!

Steve and Pam

TeamWork Matters

Jim Collins is a well-recognized leadership expert. This is an iconic quote from his widely read book Good to Great: “If we get the right people on the bus, and the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we’ll figure out how to take it someplace great.”

In 45+ years of ministry leadership, this has proven to be true over and over again. Building great teams begins with recruiting great people and, then, finding optimum roles for those people to flourish.

I saw it in Chile. I saw it over and over again in the 23 years I served at Summit Christian Church. And I’ve seen it, once more, at English Christian Fellowship. If you get the right people on the bus and get them in the right seats, it’s amazing what God can do and how much fun ministry can be.

I’d like to introduce you to the awesome team God has assembled at ECF.

Caro Amador is our extremely gifted Worship Leader. Caro plays the guitar, bass, drums and keyboards as well as sings beautifully. More importantly, she has a passionate heart of worship. Caro is also conversant with the myriad of technologies that are currently used to create a contemporary worship experience.

Jenifer Palacios leads our Kids Ministry. Jenifer is one of the most organized and competent people I’ve ever met. No challenge is too big for her! Singlehandedly, she has built a great team and put together an incredible Kids Ministry for ECF. Jenifer is also very tech savvy and has helped our church to leverage Church Center, ECF’s app.

Rory de Goede leads our Welcome Team. He is always on time (like a good Dutchman), winsome, and leads our Welcome Team with an effervescent smile, joy and charisma. I’ve told Rory that if we had ten more people like him, we could conquer the world for Jesus!

Herson Quesada leads our phenomenal Tech Team. His team includes Jose, Leo and Isaac. The team arrives early every Sunday, brings our gear up from the trailers in the hotel underground parking and puts it all together allowing us to offer a beautiful worship experience with an array of lights, well-balanced sound, in-ear monitors for our worship team, online streaming and a tech station for our translation team.

Priscilla Lara is our Communications Director. She publishes our weekly email, maintains ECF’s database, serves as my Assistant, and takes care of the endless behind-the-scenes details that make ECF run smoothly.

Nicole Salgado leads our Translation Team. Several people at ECF have spouses or family members who do not speak fluent English. Our translation team provides excellent simultaneous translation which allows Spanish-speakers to worship with us. Nikki has built an amazing team.

Jennifer Perez leads our Hospitality Team. After church every Sunday we provide fruit, pastries and snacks to enhance our fellowship time. Quite often people remain talking for nearly an hour after the service is over. Jennifer’s team purchases the refreshments and prepares them for our church community. We strive to be a Love-Saturated church and Jennifer’s team helps that to become a reality every Sunday.

Rigo and Millie lead our Mission Team. They are passionate about reaching the nations for Christ. Rigo and Millie have built a strong team to oversee ECF mission efforts. They are gentle and Spirit-led leaders. Our church currently supports several local ministries, as well as mission efforts in Venezuela and West Africa.

Pam, my wife, leads our Prayer Team. They are committed to pray before and after every Sunday service, as well as praying throughout the week for ECF’s prayer concerns. As I often said at Summit, ECF will never move forward any faster than we can move forward on our knees in prayer.

David Charnock is ECF’s Council Chairman. (Think Elders) David is a close friend. We’ve met weekly since Pam and I arrived in Costa Rica. He is a life-giving ministry partner. We share openly about all facets of ECF’s ministry and our personal lives. I glean wisdom and encouragement from David every time we are together.

Karen Foreman is probably the primary person responsible for our coming to Costa Rica. She’s a long-time key leader at ECF. Karen has spent her entire career leading global organizations in community development. Along the way, she picked up a Masters at Harvard University. Karen is one of the most competent leaders I’ve ever known. She currently serves at Vice-Chairperson of ECF’s Council.

Lourdes Icaza leads both our Women’s Ministry and our Social Media Ministry. In her day-job, Lourdes works as a senior executive for one of the largest cell phone companies in Central America. She is an exceptional leader and ECF is blessed to have her leading two vital ministries.

Jon Rissmiller leads our Connection Groups which are designed to foster healthy Christian community in small groups which meet monthly throughout the Central Valley. Jon and his wife, Tammie, are also currently leading our first Rooted Zoom group.

One of my greatest joys as a senior leader has been building healthy teams to advance God’s purposes. In fact, the dissertation for my doctorate was called Biblical Teamwork: Advancing the Cause of Christ in Loving Community. God’s design for the church is glorious. When people are empowered to use their gifts and talents in alignment with the mission of the local church, great things happen!

ECF is not a mega-church by any means. But it is healthy, it is operating robustly and moving forward. I am blessed week after week by the amazing ministry team God has assembled in this corner of the world. Praise God!

Looking Back Over Our Shoulder

Pam and I arrived in Chile for the first time in mid-January, 1982. That was 43 years ago. I was 28 years-old and Pam was 26. I had a full head of bushy brown hair. We had one child, Rachel, who was 8 months-old.

We went to Chile as interns to complete a final requirement for my Masters of Divinity in Missions from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Our host-missionaries were Steve and Collen Phillips. They arranged a phenomenal experience that was, literally, life-changing. Little did we know that Chile would remain an integral part of our ministry for the rest of our lives.

After spending two months exploring various aspects of the mission field, Pam and I decided to return to Chile for full-time service. Thus, began an adventure spanning over four decades.

When we arrived in 1981, the airport in Santiago was small. There was no terminal with jetways. We disembarked from the plane using stairs and walked across the tarmac to the luggage area.

Today, Santiago’s airport rivals LAX or Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The terminals seemingly go on forever with endless restaurants and with what seems like every airline in the world.

Santiago’s airport is an apt metaphor for the phenomenal changes Chile has experienced in my lifetime. 43 years ago, Chile was a quaint, beautiful, tradition-laden country.

Today, it boasts one of the strongest economies in Latin America with a burgeoning middle-class. In 1981, having a vehicle was largely reserved for the upper class (or missionaries). Today, people in every strata of society own vehicles. And cell phones. And computers. And every other modern accoutrement that you could imagine.

I spent this past weekend visiting Chile. I was invited to officiate the wedding of Joshua Vega and Bethany Frantzen. Joshua is the youngest son of lifelong ministry friends, Santiago Vega and Mabel Fuenzalida. Bethany hails from Iowa. The experience was deeply emotional on many levels.

First, it is always special to connect with Santiago and Mabel. Pam and I have countless shared memories with the Vega family. The Vegas lead our church in Playa Ancha, Valparaiso. The congregation is thriving, innovative, fruit-bearing and kingdom-minded.

Pam and I helped to plant the church. It had humble beginnings. For a few years, Pam taught Sunday School in the open-air because we had no facility

Pam and I vividly remember kneeling in the dirt, along with the rest of the congregation, on a vacant piece of land asking God to provide the parcel for a church facility. Weeks later, our home church, Eastside Christian Church, took a special offering which allowed us to make the purchase.

Later, the church I served in Wisconsin made financial contributions to complete the first Worship Center. Still later, the church I served in Nevada made a huge contribution of $125,000 to complete a larger Worship Center.

Those investments helped to lay a foundation for the robust ongoing ministry that takes place in Playa Ancha week-after-week, year-after-year. The church is now 35 years old. While it may have had humble beginnings, we always had big dreams for what God could do in the years ahead. That future is now a reality and the church’s impact is breathtaking.

A second reason the trip was deeply emotional was because of Santiago’s repeated comments that the church organization we helped to establish is healthier, more cohesive and more mission-minded than ever before.

Along with four other missionary families, Pam and I helped to establish a church body called the Iglesia de Cristo Latinoamericana (ICLA for short). By the time all the missionaries returned to the USA, 17 churches came under ICLA’s umbrella.

In the ensuing years, a few congregations chose to become independent. But the majority stayed affiliated with ICLA. That foundation has now grown into a burgeoning fellowship of 25+ healthy congregations sprinkled up and down the length of Chile. You cannot fathom how grateful we are for what God has done and continues to do.

A recent example happened just a few weeks ago. A group of 30+ people from ICLA churches in the 5th Region traveled six hours north to the 4th Region to serve the ICLA churches in that area. These were students in a three-year missions training program designed by our church leaders to equip a new generation to be sent out as missionaries.

I spoke with one of the married couples who went on the mission trip. They were excited about where God might take them to advance the cause of Christ. Next year, as the mission training program wraps up, the students will travel to the Amazon jungle in Brazil to preach the Gospel and serve the needy.

Santiago said several times, “Steve you would not believe how gracious and supportive the churches are toward one another. This is not common in the church world. What we experience with ICLA is truly from the hand of God.”

It brings tears of joy to my eyes when I think about it.

A third reason this trip to Chile was heartwarming was officiating the beautiful wedding of Joshua and Bethany. The ceremony and reception took place in a gorgeous vineyard in the Casablanca valley. Every detail was stunning, including the bride and groom, the entourage and the five-course gourmet meal we enjoyed during the reception.

Every time I’m asked to officiate a wedding is special. But it’s extra special when I’m asked to do a bi-lingual wedding. When I first learned Spanish, I never dreamed the doors that would open in the future. Who would have thunk that I would officiate weddings in Spanish and English simultaneously? God be praised!

When Pam and I moved back to the USA in 1992, we thought we would never return to the country we had grown to love so deeply. But we’ve now lost track how many times we’ve been back. Every time is a surprise. Every time it rocks our soul.

Looking back over our shoulder, we are among the most grateful people on the planet. God has done great things and he let us go along for the ride!

One of Those Days

The pilot said it well. “This is just one of those days.” If you fly often enough, everyone eventually has “one of those days.”

I was returning from a wonderful weekend with Jennifer and her family. We celebrated her graduation with her second Master’s Degree. We talked deeply. We laughed our way through a goofy Christmas movie. We celebrated joyfully. For me, it was an absolutely perfect weekend.

My return flight was on Monday. It began uneventfully. I boarded the plane on time at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. I was headed to Dallas to change planes and scheduled to arrive in Costa Rica late Monday evening.

The first clue something was amiss was when the pilot said the weather was bad in Dallas (not unusual) and we would circle until it cleared. The pilot was a woman. She spoke over the intercom with robust confidence, “We’ve got plenty of fuel to circle until the airport is clear.”

So, we circled and circled and circled. After about 45 minutes, she came on again. “It looks like it’s not going to clear and we’re running low on fuel, so we’re diverting to San Antonio.”

Once we landed in San Antonio, we stayed on the plane while it refueled waiting for Dallas to clear up. We waited for about two hours. At that point, I was still hopeful to make my flight from DFW to San Jose, Costa Rica because its departure time kept getting pushed back later and later.

However, once the weather cleared in Dallas, the pilot announced we now had a technical problem with the plane. They called in maintenance and were unsure how long it would take to make the repair. We waited another hour. At that point, I realized I would not make my Dallas connection as the pilot bemoaned, “This is just one of those days.”

Eventually, we found out that our plane would not be ready until the next day. As a result, everyone had to get off the plane. Since we parked a good distance away from the terminal we were bussed to the baggage claim area.

Meanwhile, I was scrambling speaking to American Airlines Reservations to rebook a flight to San Jose. I called three separate times and made three separate reservations as the night wore on.

Another unfortunate consequence of it being “one of those days” was it took over two hours for the luggage to be unloaded. By this time, it was nearly midnight. My only hope of making it back to Costa Rica on Tuesday would be to rent a car and drive all night to DFW. All the flights out of San Antonio would not be in time to make a connection to San Jose until Wednesday.

So, once I finally got my luggage, I grabbed the rental car and set out toward Dallas/Fort Worth.

It’s worth mentioning that I had volunteered to be a “mule” to bring back an array of tech gear for our church. As a result, instead of traveling “light” since I was only gone for a weekend, I came back with four heavy bags. This meant that every time I moved the bags in the airports, I needed to rent a cart to move the bags from point A to point B.

You can count the airports: Orange County, San Antonio and DFW. I kept asking, “Steve, are you having fun yet?” It was just “one of those days.”

In any case, I loaded the bags into my rental car at midnight and began the four-hour drive to DFW. I’m 70 years old and I had not pulled an all-nighter in a very long time. But somehow, by God’s grace, I never nodded even once from sleepiness during the long lonely drive.

I pulled into to DFW at 4:30 AM. I returned my rental car, rented another cart to haul my bags to the shuttle bus to take me to the terminal. Once at the terminal, I grabbed still another cart (my fifth one on this trip) and finally made it to the American Airlines ticket counter. I rechecked my bags, got a new boarding pass and, eventually, laid down on the floor of Terminal D to rest at about 5:30 AM.

At the moment, I am 37,000 feet in the air flying back to Costa Rica. “One of those days” is nearly over.

However, God gave me a big hug on this last leg. I was randomly selected to be upgraded to First Class. So, I’m feeling “fat and happy” schmoozing with the upper crust with leg room and a “real” glass to drink my ginger-ale.

When I was younger, there was a commercial for Western Airlines (which no longer exists). Some of you will recall their branding statement which was spoken with flair and pizzazz: “Western Airlines…the only way to fly!”

That’s how I’m feeling flying First Class after having “one of those days.”

Christmas Peace

The day after Thanksgiving, Pam and I set out to find a small Christmas tree for our apartment. It never occurred to us that it was “Black Friday.” We never, ever go shopping on Black Friday. For us, it was a day like any other. That is, until we got caught up in the sea of cars and shoppers.

When we pulled into the Walmart parking lot, I said to Pam, “Wow, it sure looks like a lot of other people are shopping today.” You may think Pam and I are naïve…but like I said, we never, ever shop on Black Friday. So, we had forgotten all about it…until the mob-scene at Walmart.

Since Pam couldn’t find “the right tree” at Walmart, we continued our quest. This eventually led us to the “the mall.” I kid you not, there was not one parking space left amidst the thousands of spaces surrounding the mall. We drove around for about 30 minutes with dozens of other cars looking for a space. Nothing doing. Every single space was taken.

Finally, I suggested that Pam go into the mall alone to shop while I circled the parking areas like a vulture ready to pounce on the first available spot. I circled and circled and circled, but to no avail. I had at least three cars in front of me for every car that pulled out of their stall.

Eventually, Pam found a tree that she liked, purchased it, and we rendezvoused at the other end of the mall in the parking lot to load it up. I never did find a parking space.

Lesson learned…it will likely be the last time I forget the date and go shopping on “Black Friday.”

Amidst the hustle and hassle, it caused me to reflect on how I can experience more peace during this Christmas season.  In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. If this is true, then I should increasingly experience peace as I follow the Prince of Peace. And you too!

The most important step, for me, has been to learn to live consistently filled with the Holy Spirit. Whenever I do this, my personal peace index skyrockets. To be filled with the Holy Spirit means that I am consciously aware of his presence and leaning into his power and direction.

Why? Because when I am filled with the Holy Spirit I experience more of the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. An orange has several wedges or sections. In a similar way, the fruit of the Holy Spirit has nine nuances…including peace. The Bible calls this a peace that passes all understanding. It’s a supernatural gift from God.

Jesus promises this peace to his followers. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

I don’t claim to always experience this peace. I have my moments, too.

But I do know this…when I live filled with the Holy Spirit, I always have his peace. Always.

I want to enjoy peace this Christmas…even when I’m driving endlessly around a mall looking for a parking space. I’m guessing you do, too.

The key is to live filled with the Holy Spirit. Let’s begin now.

What If Harris Had Won?

Living overseas provides an interesting perspective about many things, including politics in the USA. I’ve been following closely the recent elections and I’ve noticed two diametrically opposing reactions. This has been acutely evident on my Facebook feed and, also, in the various (and often opposing) news feeds I follow.

On the one hand, some say the results of the election will lead to the end of democracy…or similar draconian hysteria.

Really?

On the other hand, people imply that the results will essentially usher in the millennium…or similar euphoric rhetoric.

Really?

I was noodling about this and it occurs to me that a helpful question for Christ-followers on both sides of the aisle is this: What if Harris had won? Another way to frame the question is this: How would a Harris’ victory have changed my responsibilities as a Jesus-follower? Would anything be different in terms of my personal response as a Jesus-follower?

This is what I see in Scripture. For those of us who choose to bow to Jesus and use the Bible as our guide, these are the truths that should inform our actions and reactions regardless of whether we vote red or blue.

We are to pray for those in authority. “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority…” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

I have lived long enough to remember President Johnson saying he would not seek election. “If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.” I remember when President Nixon resigned, when Gerald Ford took office, when a peanut farmer from Georgia named Jimmy Carter swept into office, Reagan’s landslide re-election for his second term, followed by the first Bush, then the two terms with Bill Clinton, and then two terms by the second Bush and Obama and Biden.

Throughout all these presidencies, my responsibility as a Jesus-follower has never changed. I am to pray for my leaders, regardless if I voted for them or not and regardless if I “like” them or not. This is especially true when (for whatever reason) I personally dislike the one in authority. Why? Because prayer changes me! It helps me to become more like Jesus who said from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

So, rather than wring your hands in disdain if you dislike Trump, pray for him. And, if you voted for Trump, rather than fist-bumping in jubilation, pray for him. I think this season we should be on our knees more than ever in prayer!

We are to honor those in authority. “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17)

It’s helpful to keep in mind that Peter wrote this while Caesar was ruling. Caesar was cruel and wicked. Nevertheless, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter urges Christians to honor the emperor. The same is true today. You may personally abhor Donald Trump. But if you claim to follow Jesus, you are called to honor him as our new president.

I remember when it was fashionable in some Christian circles to ridicule President Clinton. That was sin. God calls us to honor our leaders, not mock them. That does not mean we agree with their personal lives or with their policies. But it does mean that we do not speak about them disparagingly.

We are to keep our primary focus on Jesus. “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The United States of America is not the kingdom of God. First and foremost, as Christ followers, we are to love and serve King Jesus. We are to build his kingdom. We are to seek him first and his righteousness.

This means if we are spending more time with CNN than with Jesus, then we are off-base. This means if we are watching FOX news more than connecting with Jesus, then our priorities are messed up. Regardless if we vote red or blue, regardless if we voted for Harris or for Trump, if we are Christ followers, we are to keep our primary focus on Jesus.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

I was recently invited to officiate a wedding in a beautiful resort north of where we live. I set the directions in WAZE and dutifully followed its robotic instructions. About an hour into the journey, I realized WAZE was taking me on the most direct route. But it was not the easiest driving route...at all.  

Costa Rica does not have freeways like in the US. Most of the highways are two-lane. Some seem like they’re effectively one-lane. As the crow flies, I was “only” traveling about 75 miles. But it took me well over four hours.

I had to pass through several mountainous areas with hairpin turns and narrow one-lane bridges. If you have ever been on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland, you can picture my adventure. Up and down, turn left, turn right, slow down, speed up, slow down. Repeat.

At one point, I arrived at what looked like the entrance to a substantial (and less curvy) highway. I was encouraged that the road ahead might be an easier drive. However, there was a chain across the entrance to the onramp and a man in a shack off to the side. I stopped to inquire how I could enter the blissfully straight highway that seemed to lay before me.

The man in the shack informed me that the highway ended about 100 meters ahead. It was a project that had remained idle for over 25 years. It was the “new road” that was never finished.

The man informed me that WAZE and Google Maps show the highway as complete, so people pass by all day long looking for “the road that should be here.”  The man’s job was to point wayfarers like me to a dirt road that went for about five miles to connect with another very curvy road that would eventually lead me to my destination.    

The “silver lining” (I kept telling myself) was that I was seeing some amazing countryside. And it was spectacular! Also, I was not in any rush. I had planned the trip to give me a few hours of cushion for any eventualities that might come up…such as Mr. Toad’s WAZE route.

Eventually, I arrived at the wedding venue. It was a resort at the foot of Arenal, the most iconic volcano in Costa Rica. Costa Rica has 61 dormant volcanoes and 6 that are active.

Arenal is an active volcano with a perfect cone-shape…making it one of the most popular tourist locations in the country. The wedding venue was a breath-taking overlook facing the volcano. Nine days out of ten, Arenal is shrouded in clouds. But on the morning of the wedding, the iconically shaped cone was majestically visible.

The wedding was as gorgeous as the venue. The bride and groom were radiant. The family and friends who gathered were joyous. It was a picture-perfect moment in every sense.

And it was all in Spanish….and that put me through the ringer. But after the ceremony, the bride commented that my Spanish was better than she imagined (that was good) and that she could tell I was from Chile (that was even better)!

I drove back home that afternoon thankful to be serving King Jesus in such an amazing country. The roads in Costa Rica are not like the freeways “back home.” But the adventure never gets old. 

Real Estate Adventures

In our ministry journey, Pam and I have bought and sold several homes. But the recent sale of our home in Costa Rica was unlike any other. I’ve been told the sale was unusual even in Costa Rica. Apparently, some homes sell in this country in a similar manner as in the USA. But that was not our case…at all.

Now that the sale is complete, Pam and I can look back and smile. I hope you can smile along with us.

It all began when the buyer said he wanted to “look me in the eyes” before making an offer. He wanted to make sure I was someone he could do business with. Of all the homes we sold in the USA, I never even met the buyers. The real estate agents were always the go-betweens.

The buyer was a successful businessman from a Latin American country. He was looking to buy a home in a safe neighborhood in order to relocate his family. Our home fit the bill. Five US embassy families live in the subdivision and it is guarded 24/7 like Fort Knox.

So, the buyer and his family came by the house to “look me in the eyes.” We talked. We laughed. I showed him around. He and his family liked the house. So, right then and there we signed a sale/purchase agreement.

Part of the agreement included a down payment. Now, in the USA, it’s common to put down earnest money. Usually, this is a nominal amount. And, if I’m not mistaken, the earnest money is generally held by the escrow company. However, on Monday morning $50,000 had been deposited into my personal account.

“Well, this is different,” I thought to myself. But I’ll take it. It’s not every day I wake up to find $50,000 deposited into my bank account!

When we signed the sale/purchase agreement, I asked the buyer when we would transfer title to make the sale legal. He said, “Not until I give you all of the money for the purchase.”

That’s also different, I thought to myself.

Scroll forward three months. The agreement had 90 days to complete the sale. The closing date was approaching and we still had not heard from the buyer. So, our real estate broker convened a meeting with all parties to assess if the buyer was in a position to complete the purchase.

The buyer walks in with his real estate agent carrying a plastic bag with what looked like an egg carton inside. The bag was carrying $23,000 in cash. In the course of the conversation, the buyer asked me a couple of times if I would take the cash as part of the home purchase. He never explained where the cash came from. But we were all wondering the same thing, “Who walks around with a plastic bag carrying $23,000?”

Our broker wisely protected me by saying more than once that the transactions have to be through a bank. The buyer was not happy.

However, other than the bag of cash, the meeting went smoothly and the buyer assured us that we would close later that week. A date was set for the upcoming Saturday morning to sign the deed and transfer title.

On Friday, the rest of the purchase price was deposited into my personal bank account. Mind you, this was before the title documents were signed. We didn’t sign until the following day.

I’m an honest person, generally. But it crossed my mind that someone else could have skipped the country, kept the money and they would still own the house. Ouch!

However, this story ends well. We met at the realtor’s office on Saturday morning and signed the title transfer documents.

A few days later, Pam and I moved out and turned the keys over to the new owner.

We are now happily settled into our cozy apartment in an area of San Jose called Escazú.

“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!”

On The Road Again

In 1968 a rock group named Canned Heat released a song titled “On the Road Again.” I remember the song well. It has a riff with a harmonica that has echoed in my mind for over 50 years. The riff is playing in my mind even now as I write this. I didn’t realize in back in 1968. But “On the Road Again” has become a theme song for Pam and me as we have followed God’s leading through the years.

Today is moving day for us. Again. (I’m smiling.) Last week, we sold the home we purchased 2½  years ago in Costa Rica in order to downsize into a small (but beautiful) apartment. The apartment will be our home base as we continue to serve English Christian Fellowship.

Pam has, once again, packed us up. This will be our twentieth home as we have journeyed around the globe serving Jesus. We take possession of the apartment this afternoon.  We will move the kitchen and our clothes today and the movers will take our furniture to the apartment tomorrow. On the road again.

Eventually, we want to establish a residence near our daughter, Christina, in the Santa Rosa, CA area. The tug to be involved more closely with our nine grandkids has escalated in the years we’ve been in Costa Rica.  So, Pam and I are embarking on another grand adventure.

We are going to have a home base in Santa Rosa, CA while continuing to serve faithfully with ECF. On the road again.

It's an experiment. We don’t have all the details dialed in. But ECF’s Council is super excited for us to give it a go. So, here we go!

For context, in 2024 Pam will make seven trips to the US to visit family. In fact, Pam is getting on a plane again Wednesday morning to see one of our kids. We’ve come to embrace that travel back to the USA is part and parcel of our calling to serve in Costa Rica. On the road again.

But the new wrinkle is that we will now have a home base in both countries. A small apartment in Costa Rica and a home in NorCal. Our hope and goal is that it will allow us to have a bit more access to our rapidly growing grandkids and, yet, still actively lead and serve ECF.

By the way, ECF is ROCKING! Our two services are going smoothly and the ministry is progressing on all fronts. We are incredibly thankful to God!

So, please pray for us this week. Our goal is to move and get settled in the next 48 hours so that Pam can board a plane early Wednesday morning to visit one of our kids. On the road again.