Flying to Costa Rica...

Today!

​The University of the Nations will be hosting a workshop for YWAMers from all over the globe in Costa Rica from September 4th-10th. The theme of this workshop will be centered around the prayer of Jesus, “On Earth as it is in Heaven,” from Matt. 6:10. Yup, looks like I'm going.

​I received an invitation to attend several times (like most YWAMers) but each time I disregarded it. I wanted to go but because of the dates being so close to the LDC, I dismissed the opportunity. I accepted the last invitation when it came directly from Brett and Karen, our base directors. They presented the invitation to our whole leadership team and we were challenged to pray about going to represent YWAM Ships and be a part of how God wants to speak and guide our movement. 

We were encouraged not to allow circumstances determine whether we go or not. As a result, a few people accepted the invitation and jumped on at the last minute. Even though I didn’t want to make it harder for us getting to Oregon for our course, I accepted the challenge. God was encouraging me and reminding me that He was involved in bringing together all the details for Costa Rica and Oregon, and especially Vancouver Island. 

I’m flying out tomorrow from Sep 3rd-10th. We used our savings for this ticket so that we weren’t trying to fundraise for Costa Rica and for Oregon. It was money we were saving towards our move but we're trusting that as we say "YES" to these immediate steps we're taking, that God will form the path we land on.

It will just be me flying out while Tessa stays here in Kona. She will be transitioning her roles to other staff on base and packing up our home for while we’re away. Honestly, I have mixed feelings. Excitement to go, feeling a sense of "unfinished business" with our LDC campaign, wanting to make sure that Mateo transitions well to Oregon... I would much rather stay here in Kona and prepare for leaving for 6 weeks but I just keep getting encouraged from God whenever I pray about it that it's right and in Him. It would definitely be easier and more cost effective that's for sure, but alas, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "for we walk by faith not by sight."

There are five opportunities coming out of this trip to Costa Rica: 

1. I will be representing and manning our YWAM Ships Kona information table with other YWAM ship ministries from Townsville, Newcastle, Mazatlan, New Zealand, the Amazon, and the Caribbean. For the work that we need to do with our new ship, the YWAM Liberty, we're going to need more collaboration with our broader YWAM family than ever before.
2. I will be meeting up with Kevin for the first time since December last year. He will be leading our pioneering team to Vancouver Island. Our family will be reuniting with Kevin and his wife, Mary Jane, in Oregon where we will be attending LDC together. We will begin clarifying our vision, values, culture and mission in Vancouver Island.
3. There are some key leaders from the Pacific North West that we will be meeting with about pioneering on Vancouver Island. They are leaders we hope to have relationship with and whom we will be accountable to with the ministry. It will be great to hear how we can serve that region we will be in.
4. I am hoping to connect and engage with the International DTS Centre team. This group helps keep the values and heart of the DTS curriculum consistent wherever it is run by offering training and resources. I would like to see how I can contribute, having staffed more than 10 of these schools.
5. And of course, gathering with our YWAM family and listening to the main speaker, Skye Jethani, author of “Futureville” and “With.” This will be a time of receiving God’s vision of the future and what we’re supposed to do in our ministries and lives to get there. We're trying to be as intentional with God as possible with our planning for the future.