Merry Christmas!

I will always treasure the memory of my first Christmas Candlelight Service. It was our first Christmas serving in Wisconsin. The church had windows along both sides of the worship center. As we held up the candles to sing Silent Night, it began snowing outside. Through the windows, I watched the glistening flakes fall as the candles flickered inside. In that iconic moment I felt like I was inside a snow globe. It was magical.

Since then, I have presided over hundreds of Christmas Candlelight Services. They never grow old. Every time we lift the candles to sing Silent Night it takes my breath away.

This year at English Christian Fellowship was no exception. A record-crowd of 235 people gathered. We kept bringing in more and more seats. We even had to “borrow” stools from the hotel bar but we still had people standing in the back.

The message at Christmas is essentially the same every year. But I never grow tired of proclaiming it: God loves us. God reached out to us in Jesus. God offers us grace and forgiveness.

This year, Pam and I are especially grateful to those of you who follow us and pray for us. Our lives are rich and fulfilling. We are incredibly blessed! Thank you!

I’m writing this blog on Christmas Day on the plane from Costa Rica to Santa Rosa, California. The Bond family will gather over the next several days to reconnect, laugh and create new memories. Pam and I look forward to some precious time with our clan.

On another note, some of you will recall the saga I began several blogs ago recounting my travails to get a Costa Rican Driver’s License. The saga continues.

Last week, I had another appointment at the Costa Rican DMV.  (To get the appointment, I paid $70 to my clandestine “DMV appointment maker.”) I had completed all the requirements the DMV-lady laid out for me three months earlier. But I’ve been around the block a few times. So, I didn’t really expect to walk out with my new license. I was not disappointed.

When I sat down with the one-and-only person who is the queen of granting foreigners Costa Rican Driver’s Licenses, she looked across her desk and said, “Well, Mr. Bond, I think I might be able to take care of you today.” At that point, she combed through my thick pile of paperwork. She carefully read each page and then even more carefully re-read each page. Finally, she took her official stamp and stamped each page...really hard.

At this point, I was thinking, “Wow, Steve, you might actually get a license today!” (I was wrong.)

When she finished, she told me to stand up and follow her. I thought, “Well, this seems strange. I guess there’s another door to walk through.” It felt a bit ominous. For some reason, I felt like I was being led toward a firing squad.

She led me downstairs and I was asked to sit across the desk from another lady. This new lady also read and re-read my thick pile of paperwork. Then, she typed, very slowly, some information into a computer. I sat quietly…waiting for men with rifles to appear.

After about 15 minutes, this new lady said, “Well, Mr. Bond, you’re all set.” I’m thinking, “But where is my Driver’s License?”

I know better, so I sat quietly until she added, “You can now make your appointment with Banco de Costa Rica to get your Driver’s License.”

I looked at her and smiled and began to chuckle out loud…a lot. How silly of me to think that I might actually get my Costa Rican Driver’s License in the Costa Rican DMV! No, that’s not the way it’s done here. “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!”

So, I made my appointment at Banco de Costa Rica. The first available date was February 12, 2024. It now looks like I may get my Costa Rican Driver’s License next year.

Pura Vida (Pure Life) is a common saying in Costa Rica that is used in a variety of situations. I’m not sure if there is an exact English equivalent. But the closest thing might be “Chill out…it’s all good.” However, my guess is the person who coined that saying never had to get their Costa Rican Driver’s License.

But it’s still good counsel. As we enter 2024, Pam and I send you this Costa Rican New Year’s greeting: Pura Vida!