vlog 8 5 12 num 1 from Curtis Schockey on Vimeo.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Trip to the States and path to Buenos Aires
Hey everyone! We are trying something new as far as how we deliver our updates. I have been working the last few days on this video. It is my first time putting something like this together so we will see how it goes. I hope to master my skills with the next video updates. Please keep up the prayers, enjoy.
Blessings, Schockey Fam
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Well the family is getting super excited about going back to the States to see everyone! It will be 4 ½ years since we have been back as a family. We are excited to introduce our youngest Rya to all of you for the first time. We plan on visiting friends and family in California, Texas, and Colorado. We really want to see all of you, and least have a meal together. So here are the dates that coincide with the places that we will be.
May 31 – June 10 Murrieta, California (Curtis plans on attending the pastors conference the 4th through the 7th)
June 11 – June 15 El Paso, Texas
June 16 – June 18 Durango, Colorado
June 19 – July 2 Colorado Springs, Colorado
Each Sunday we plan at being at a church to share or just to fellowship. We would love it if you could contact us by e-mail or by facebook to let us know if you want to see us. That way we can get everything organized before we come, so that we can hang out with as many of you as possible.
The Lord has been so good to us in these past few months. We asked you to be praying for us in the last letter because we were going through some heavy spiritual warfare. Well thank you so much for lifting us up! The cloud has lifted and we have emerged with a greater love for those with us and those around us. We are super excited about what God is doing in the people’s lives. Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters here among us. Just like you they constantly are battling the wisdom of the world. Pray that the Lord would be seen in their lives so that others might question them about their hope. We are so blessed that the Lord would include us in His plan here.
As I was studying for the class I am teaching on Missionary biographies, I came across a truth from Hudson Taylor (missionary to China in 1800’s) which he took from Matt 25:21. “If we are faithful to God in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life.” This can be seen in the life of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. It is so encouraging that the difficult times can mean growth, depending on the response.
Anyways, please continue to be praying for the people coming to the Wednesday night study, men at Hogar Crea, and those that Darwin and I have been ministering to in town (real quick here are some of their names: Andres-drug addict 20 yrs old; Santiago-alcoholic late 30’s; Angel-alcoholic early 40’s; James-drug addict 18yrs old; Carlos-works construction 31 yrs old; German’s wife and children; Carlos and Sona’s children and spouses). Also please be praying for the Sunday service that we are going to be starting again after Darwin and I are done with our classes.
We have great news about the women in the church! The study that Annie and Chelly have been doing every other week has been a consistent interest by the women here. Next month they are planning to have a 3 day women’s retreat to the mountains. They can’t wait to see what the Lord is going to be doing in these women’s lives! Please lift them up that they might learn from the Lord how to be a light to their families.
Thank you so much for praying for us, we can’t wait to see you and sit down to give witness of the Lord’s work here. I doubt that I will get another update out to you before we leave for the States, but please let us know if you are available to meet with us. We are scheduling people on the days we are available so please let us know soon if you want to be on the list.
Blessings, Schockey Family
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Delight and Stretching
” I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you.” Philemon 4-7
To all our friends and family in the States and abroad, Thank You! We have completed 4 years here in Costa Rica and are very thankful to our Lord and Savior, and to all of you who have supported us financially and by way of prayer. We hope to have another year of serving our Savior in the work He has for us here in Costa Rica.
The last few months have been full of delight and stretching. The delightful part was all of the ministry opportunities that we have had. The stretching part has been the spiritual attacks that seem to have increased since the first of December. I don’t want to go in depth on the attacks, but I do ask that you please keep all of us here in the ministry in prayer, especially me. We are looking for direction in what the Lord would have us do here in the town or even in another. We are praying that the Lord would give us direction before we leave to visit the States in June, but we will see what He has in mind. Specifically the thing you can be praying for is that we would be patient in waiting for an answer and that we would understand the direction clearly.
Now for the delight we have had in the past few months.
• The trip to Natividad went well; remember she is the lady taking care of her 3 handicap nephews. Darwin, Zoe, and I were the only ones that were able to make the trip. She was very thankful for the clothes, diapers, and shoes.
• We had our third annual tamale cook out which went very well. I love the time it affords to spend with people in the church. There is nothing like a bunch of guys sitting around a fire waiting for the tamales to cook. The women had a good time of prepping the veggies and meat. All in all it is a great time to be able to talk with the people about their lives.
• A few days after the cook out we enjoyed the fruit of our labor at the Christmas party. Again another time to grow closer to the people and encourage them in Christ. At the end of the party, as always, we had a fire work show thanks to the help of my Dad. It is such a fun time of the year.
• One of the guys (Gerry) that came down a year ago to start a Bible college here was married to a local lady (Silvia). That was fun to watch.
• The Lord has been blessing Darwin in his ministry with Hogar Crea. As we have been trying to find more time to spend with the guys there, Darwin came up with a great idea to take them to the beach. So on the 30th of January we had a beach day with 13 of the guys from Crea. It was a great time of playing games, surfing, sleeping, and teaching about Men of Valor. Please continue to pray for Darwin and the ministry he has with the men there.
So we will see what the Lord has planned for this year. We are continuing to teach through the New Testament on Wednesday nights and have now combined our Sunday study with the guys Sunday study at the Teaching Site (aka Bible College). We plan on being back in the States for a month in June. As the time gets closer we will give you more details of where we will be during the month. We would love to meet with every one of you while we are there. It looks like the first 10-12 days we will be in Murrieta, CA; then 5-7 days in El Paso, TX; and then the rest of the time in Colorado Springs but first passing through Durango, CO. So we will see what happens.
We love you all and thank you for your dedication to us through your prayers and finances.
Blessings,
Curtis, Chelly, Ava, Zoe, Ali, and Rya
To all our friends and family in the States and abroad, Thank You! We have completed 4 years here in Costa Rica and are very thankful to our Lord and Savior, and to all of you who have supported us financially and by way of prayer. We hope to have another year of serving our Savior in the work He has for us here in Costa Rica.
The last few months have been full of delight and stretching. The delightful part was all of the ministry opportunities that we have had. The stretching part has been the spiritual attacks that seem to have increased since the first of December. I don’t want to go in depth on the attacks, but I do ask that you please keep all of us here in the ministry in prayer, especially me. We are looking for direction in what the Lord would have us do here in the town or even in another. We are praying that the Lord would give us direction before we leave to visit the States in June, but we will see what He has in mind. Specifically the thing you can be praying for is that we would be patient in waiting for an answer and that we would understand the direction clearly.
Now for the delight we have had in the past few months.
• The trip to Natividad went well; remember she is the lady taking care of her 3 handicap nephews. Darwin, Zoe, and I were the only ones that were able to make the trip. She was very thankful for the clothes, diapers, and shoes.
• We had our third annual tamale cook out which went very well. I love the time it affords to spend with people in the church. There is nothing like a bunch of guys sitting around a fire waiting for the tamales to cook. The women had a good time of prepping the veggies and meat. All in all it is a great time to be able to talk with the people about their lives.
• A few days after the cook out we enjoyed the fruit of our labor at the Christmas party. Again another time to grow closer to the people and encourage them in Christ. At the end of the party, as always, we had a fire work show thanks to the help of my Dad. It is such a fun time of the year.
• One of the guys (Gerry) that came down a year ago to start a Bible college here was married to a local lady (Silvia). That was fun to watch.
• The Lord has been blessing Darwin in his ministry with Hogar Crea. As we have been trying to find more time to spend with the guys there, Darwin came up with a great idea to take them to the beach. So on the 30th of January we had a beach day with 13 of the guys from Crea. It was a great time of playing games, surfing, sleeping, and teaching about Men of Valor. Please continue to pray for Darwin and the ministry he has with the men there.
So we will see what the Lord has planned for this year. We are continuing to teach through the New Testament on Wednesday nights and have now combined our Sunday study with the guys Sunday study at the Teaching Site (aka Bible College). We plan on being back in the States for a month in June. As the time gets closer we will give you more details of where we will be during the month. We would love to meet with every one of you while we are there. It looks like the first 10-12 days we will be in Murrieta, CA; then 5-7 days in El Paso, TX; and then the rest of the time in Colorado Springs but first passing through Durango, CO. So we will see what happens.
We love you all and thank you for your dedication to us through your prayers and finances.
Blessings,
Curtis, Chelly, Ava, Zoe, Ali, and Rya
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Last 3 Months
Hello friends and family. I hope all is well with you and your families. Sorry for taking so long to get you this update. I think it has been 3 months since Chelly wrote the last update, so bare with me as I inform you about all the fun we have had.
First of all I want to thank all of you for reading our updates and praying for us over the years. In January it will be 4 years of ministry here in Costa Rica. We have seen a lot of people come and go in that short time. We are thankful to have the time with them and pray that they are able to continue in the faith despite their surroundings. There are so many things that distract them and choke them out in this town. Things like drugs, alcohol, bad parents (as far as always looking for another person to “love”), lustful desires, the need to please men, bad doctrine, ect. I know this is all over the world but I wanted to give some specifics that you can pray for. So please continue to pray for those the Lord is bringing to us.
I am going to do the bullet list of things that have happened here over the last few months. It makes the update shorter and I think easier to read.
• We have been in contact with an indigenous community about 2 hours from the church. We were planning on having an outreach to the children in this community but ended up not having the manpower and finances needed, along with other politics in the community. We are, however, going to go down there in 2 weeks to meet with a family that we met on one of our trips. This family has 3 boys that are all mentally handicap. The parents are both alcoholics and have deserted the boys leaving their aunt to take care of them. They live in a humble little home in the jungle with other relatives close by. When we were there last time we met with the aunt, Natividad, to see what she needed for the boys and herself. So in a couple of weeks we hope to take her the stuff she needs for the boys. Please pray that this will open the door to be able to share with her. The last time we were there she was very cautious and closed because we told her that we were Christians. So we will see what the Lord has planned for her and us.
• Carlos and Sona are doing great! They were able to go with us to visit Natividad and talk with her. Also Carlos has been going with Darwin to minister to the ex-drug addicts at Hogar Crea. It has been wonderful seeing this couple grow in Christ. Please be praying for their children, that they all might come to the faith as well.
• Continue to pray for all the guys at Hogar Crea (the drug rehabilitation center). Darwin has been doing a great job of teaching the guys through the book of Galatians. We are trying to figure out how to spend more time with those that have excepted Christ. Hogar Crea has a very strict schedule so they are only able to give us once a night every week with the guys, but we will see what the Lord has planned.
• We were blessed by a family that came down from Honduras for a week. Eric and his wife Chyo with their 2 children had to leave Honduras for a week because of visa issues. Eric is a pastor of a Calvary Chapel and also was one of my parent’s students in Juarez, Mexico for 2 years. While here, Eric built us a beautiful pulpit and Chyo made some great Mexican food!
We were very thankful for their visit and hope to see them again.
• After a very busy 2 months I have finished teaching apologetics to five American students here in Costa Rica. I had a great time teaching them, but I am very happy to have my mind back in the ministry here. I appreciate the opportunity to teach given by Ryan the director of the Bible College here in Costa Rica.
• As some of you know we had a girl, by the name of Bailey, come down from the States to start a Kids Club every Saturday morning. To get the Kids Club started we had 2 Kid Festivals (aka VBS) that Bailey organized. She did a great job of bringing in the kids and teaching them. It is sad to say but Bailey had to go back to the States last month. It was great having her help and we hope she is able to come back someday.
In the church we have a couple new faces that have been coming regularly. A guy by the name of German has been coming with his daughter Bianca. We met German in the park and talked to him about Gods love for him. After that he has been joining us on Sundays, and he tells us that he is really enjoying the study because he is being challenged. Also one of the guys that Darwin and Gerry met in Crea has been coming to the studies as well. He is also enjoying his time with the church. Last night he told us how he felt he needed to be in a place that teaches the Word as it is. Please pray that he (Wendel) and German continue to come and be challenged.
We are excited about the next 2 months because of what we have planned. Like I said before we will be going to the indigenous family again. We also plan on having our annual tamale cook and hand out. Also we have the church Christmas party complete with fireworks. My (Curtis) parents are also going to be here from the 14th to the 28th. Thank you so much for keeping up with us over the years. I will write another update after the holidays to let you know how everything went; so happy holidays from all of us here serving the Lord in Costa Rica. If you want more details or would like to chat with us please email us and let us know.
Blessings,
Schockey Family
First of all I want to thank all of you for reading our updates and praying for us over the years. In January it will be 4 years of ministry here in Costa Rica. We have seen a lot of people come and go in that short time. We are thankful to have the time with them and pray that they are able to continue in the faith despite their surroundings. There are so many things that distract them and choke them out in this town. Things like drugs, alcohol, bad parents (as far as always looking for another person to “love”), lustful desires, the need to please men, bad doctrine, ect. I know this is all over the world but I wanted to give some specifics that you can pray for. So please continue to pray for those the Lord is bringing to us.
I am going to do the bullet list of things that have happened here over the last few months. It makes the update shorter and I think easier to read.
• We have been in contact with an indigenous community about 2 hours from the church. We were planning on having an outreach to the children in this community but ended up not having the manpower and finances needed, along with other politics in the community. We are, however, going to go down there in 2 weeks to meet with a family that we met on one of our trips. This family has 3 boys that are all mentally handicap. The parents are both alcoholics and have deserted the boys leaving their aunt to take care of them. They live in a humble little home in the jungle with other relatives close by. When we were there last time we met with the aunt, Natividad, to see what she needed for the boys and herself. So in a couple of weeks we hope to take her the stuff she needs for the boys. Please pray that this will open the door to be able to share with her. The last time we were there she was very cautious and closed because we told her that we were Christians. So we will see what the Lord has planned for her and us.
• Carlos and Sona are doing great! They were able to go with us to visit Natividad and talk with her. Also Carlos has been going with Darwin to minister to the ex-drug addicts at Hogar Crea. It has been wonderful seeing this couple grow in Christ. Please be praying for their children, that they all might come to the faith as well.
• Continue to pray for all the guys at Hogar Crea (the drug rehabilitation center). Darwin has been doing a great job of teaching the guys through the book of Galatians. We are trying to figure out how to spend more time with those that have excepted Christ. Hogar Crea has a very strict schedule so they are only able to give us once a night every week with the guys, but we will see what the Lord has planned.
• We were blessed by a family that came down from Honduras for a week. Eric and his wife Chyo with their 2 children had to leave Honduras for a week because of visa issues. Eric is a pastor of a Calvary Chapel and also was one of my parent’s students in Juarez, Mexico for 2 years. While here, Eric built us a beautiful pulpit and Chyo made some great Mexican food!
We were very thankful for their visit and hope to see them again.
• After a very busy 2 months I have finished teaching apologetics to five American students here in Costa Rica. I had a great time teaching them, but I am very happy to have my mind back in the ministry here. I appreciate the opportunity to teach given by Ryan the director of the Bible College here in Costa Rica.
• As some of you know we had a girl, by the name of Bailey, come down from the States to start a Kids Club every Saturday morning. To get the Kids Club started we had 2 Kid Festivals (aka VBS) that Bailey organized. She did a great job of bringing in the kids and teaching them. It is sad to say but Bailey had to go back to the States last month. It was great having her help and we hope she is able to come back someday.
In the church we have a couple new faces that have been coming regularly. A guy by the name of German has been coming with his daughter Bianca. We met German in the park and talked to him about Gods love for him. After that he has been joining us on Sundays, and he tells us that he is really enjoying the study because he is being challenged. Also one of the guys that Darwin and Gerry met in Crea has been coming to the studies as well. He is also enjoying his time with the church. Last night he told us how he felt he needed to be in a place that teaches the Word as it is. Please pray that he (Wendel) and German continue to come and be challenged.
We are excited about the next 2 months because of what we have planned. Like I said before we will be going to the indigenous family again. We also plan on having our annual tamale cook and hand out. Also we have the church Christmas party complete with fireworks. My (Curtis) parents are also going to be here from the 14th to the 28th. Thank you so much for keeping up with us over the years. I will write another update after the holidays to let you know how everything went; so happy holidays from all of us here serving the Lord in Costa Rica. If you want more details or would like to chat with us please email us and let us know.
Blessings,
Schockey Family
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Word From Chelly
Hey everybody! Curtis said that it would be a nice change of pace if you all got to hear an update from my perspective. So I’ll start with the family first. Curtis is a very busy man these days. Between preparing for each service, counseling, and all his fatherly duties has also volunteered to teach for the Bible College. There is now a Calvary teaching site located in our town. And for this, the second semester in operation, he will be teaching one of his favorite topics, Apologetics. Being a hard working man, Curtis can’t sit still all day. He usually has some project back in the church to ease his idle hands, and a lovely assistant whom he covers with saw dust.
When I’m not helping Curtis I’m usually translating home work with the kids. At this time in my life there is much less physical labor (praise God). Almost all the kids can bathe, dress and keep busy on their own! Considering that I am also comfortable with my Spanish, I feel free for the first time in ten years. That’s not to say that I’m not occupied. On the contrary, I can always count on my day to be busy and unpredictable. Only now, my work load is no more than any other missionary.
This year God has really blessed me with friends. The mother of Ali’s best friend is a sweet Christian lady who likes to hang out. Some good friends of ours are returning here to the mission field. We are really excited because not only are they our friends, but their kids are good friends with our kids as well. I’ve also had more time to be in better contact with friends and family back in the states. Not to mention I have my sister here too. God is good. My personal life is the complete opposite of the overwhelmed and lonely life the year before.
As far as ministry goes the last two months are a blur. We have been blessed with visitors, activities, new comers and new ministry opportunities. At the same time we have had crazy schedules, more families leave town and an increased work load.
Starting back in June, Baby Mery was dedicated to the Lord on the 5th just three days before her mother’s birthday. Just one more reminder how very blessed we are to have Annie and Darwin serving along side of us. In that same category, my Dad and Stepmom visited for 20 days! We all had separate times to getaway and enjoy the various attractions that Costa Rica has to offer. Their visit was a fun filled, jam packed, blast!! And of course we missed them the very day they left. On the bright side, Donna, my stepmom is planning to return at the first of the year for the birth of Annie and Darwin’s second baby!! They do not know the sex of the baby yet, but we let you know next time.
You might remember from other updates a woman named Odelva. She and her daughter attended the church until they moved south. Odelva did come up for her baby shower we held at the church. She is in her last trimester but not doing well financially. More than anything we worry about life after the birth. She’s in a small house out in the pineapple fields, and work very is scarce. Please pray for God’s provision over this special family.
At the same time that my family was here several people (including Pastor Dave Shirley and good friend Mark Schwartz) came down for the end of the semester and the Bible College graduation. That’s was just the beginning of our recent visitors. The first week of July our beloved Children’s worker Bailey returned from a sort trip to the states along with her wonderful parents. We were blessed just to spend time with them. To continue the theme of overlapping visitors a group arrived as well. A sister church in San Jose (the capital) brought a great group of American teens to evangelize in the town plaza. They made a loop and ministered in all the Calvaries south of the capital. These kids came with servant’s hearts. The ladies of the church all gathered the day before to prepare a meal that would later be dispensed by the group. We targeted prostitutes, homeless, street venders and drug addicts. One man received Christ and another man has been consistently attending the mid week service. Praise God we get to be a part of this all!
The evangelism also set the stage to promote a Kid’s Festival which we held the following weekend. Bailey and her mother even lead a group to the mall to paint faces and pass out fliers. The Festival was held here at the church for two days. We preformed the same puppet shows as last time, so we were all well prepared and excited. Everybody who came had a great time (us included). Sadly, we did not see a single person that we invited while in town. Instead, God brought families from around the neighborhood; even better. People might not be interested in coming to learn more about God themselves, but they do want their kids to. We are happy to help the children understand and know their Savior. Every week following the event we are told that the kids sing the songs at home too! Please pray that they continue coming to the weekly kid’s club, and that God can use Kid’s Club as a stepping stone to bring whole families to Christ.
Speaking of families, we’ve seen our fair share come and go all in the last two months. Last month Curtis wrote about a new family named Jorge, Gladice and their two boys. Unfortunately, they returned to their hometown after Jorge lost his job. They were with us about five months. Another family that you might remember from the very beginning of our life here in Costa Rica began attending both mid week and Sunday services. Sirly and her four kids lost their home during a tropical storm three years ago. Located on the river bank, the small house was destroyed and washed away along with all their belongings. This was the first family we were able to minister to, and we have remained in contact off and on these past years. As it turns out, they, like many others before them, only wanted “good” council. As Curtis speaks the truth the congregation is pruned.
Above all, as I look back at the last two months I see that although the enemy is trying to destroy this work of God, it is He who prevails! For this reason we ask that you pray for the leaders and members of the church that we may remain strongly united in His love. “And they will know we are Christians by our love.”
Blessings,
Schockey Family
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thoughts and Changes
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. 10 4, 5
Well since I last wrote in March we have seen a lot of change here in the church. We have a person to run the children’s ministry, a new couple, new outreach, foosball table, and other things. It has been a challenging time for us, but the Lord is leading. I put that verse in this update because for me I have been in a constant battle with my thoughts; they have not been very obedient to who I am in Christ. It has been a time of growth for me, and I thank God for correcting me. It has been taxing to see people leave the church and the changes that have taken place. Some have left because of better jobs in other cities and others have left because of the changes that have taken place. I write this so that you will please pray for the church here and for me. I want to serve this church as God has called me to, but I have been losing hope and direction. Anyways, on with the awesome work the Lord is doing here.
We have had a girl named Bailey come down from the States to help us get a kids ministry set up for the church.
She is a great girl and fits right in with our family. Right after she got here she started to plan for a kid’s outreach that would have puppet shows, crafts, Bible stories, games, and so on.
We had it during Easter when the kids had a week off of school. There was about 27 kids the first day, 20 the second day and about 11 the third day. We think that there were so few on the last day because it was the day of purification for the Catholics (A day that they don’t work or go out much so that they might take the time to purify themselves in the preparation for Christ’s death). Anyways, it was a lot of fun with the kids. We were hoping that this “Kids Festival” would start up a weekly kids club, but after a few weeks the kids stopped coming. We are going to try again soon in another neighborhood so please be praying that the festival will have an impact on the kids, and that they would want to return weekly. Also be praying for Bailey, sometimes it can be discouraging in the ministry here.
As far as people in the church we have seen people come and go. Among the ones that have left are Odelva, Camilla, Gezel, and Jennifer. Please be praying for these women. Odelva is expecting her second child and is in the process of building a little house a couple hours south of us. Jennifer had to leave due to problems in a relationship, but she is doing great in the harbor town of Limon. Keep praying for Camilla and Gezel. As many of you know they have been with us for a long time, but due to different situations they have decided not to come any more. As far as the new people, we see new people just about every other Sunday, but for some reason they never come back. However, we do have a new couple that has been coming consistently. His name is Jorge and her name is Gladis. They just had their second child. Chelly and Annie threw a baby shower for her about a month and a half ago that went great; almost all of her family came! Sona and Carlos are continuing to come on Wednesdays. Please be praying for them and their family, they are going to be changing some things soon.
Darwin and Gerry are now serving guys at a local drug rehab called Crae. They have been teaching through James and a little of Galatians on Fridays. It has been great to see how the guys are responding to the teaching. They have many questions about what it means to follow Jesus and how to follow Him. As always there is a big turn over in the rehab so be praying for the new guys that come in and the guys that are leaving. Also be praying for my friend Dennis’ rehab and the guys there. As some of you know we were trying to get into the local prison, but God has other plans. The door was shut due to space at the jail. They told us that they are full of religious groups and that we need to wait until they build a larger meeting place. So we will wait a year and try again.
Thanks for your time in reading this update and for your prayers. Please write us to let us know how you are doing and what the Lord is doing in your lives so we know how to better pray.
Blessings,
Schockey Family
Well since I last wrote in March we have seen a lot of change here in the church. We have a person to run the children’s ministry, a new couple, new outreach, foosball table, and other things. It has been a challenging time for us, but the Lord is leading. I put that verse in this update because for me I have been in a constant battle with my thoughts; they have not been very obedient to who I am in Christ. It has been a time of growth for me, and I thank God for correcting me. It has been taxing to see people leave the church and the changes that have taken place. Some have left because of better jobs in other cities and others have left because of the changes that have taken place. I write this so that you will please pray for the church here and for me. I want to serve this church as God has called me to, but I have been losing hope and direction. Anyways, on with the awesome work the Lord is doing here.
We have had a girl named Bailey come down from the States to help us get a kids ministry set up for the church.
She is a great girl and fits right in with our family. Right after she got here she started to plan for a kid’s outreach that would have puppet shows, crafts, Bible stories, games, and so on.
We had it during Easter when the kids had a week off of school. There was about 27 kids the first day, 20 the second day and about 11 the third day. We think that there were so few on the last day because it was the day of purification for the Catholics (A day that they don’t work or go out much so that they might take the time to purify themselves in the preparation for Christ’s death). Anyways, it was a lot of fun with the kids. We were hoping that this “Kids Festival” would start up a weekly kids club, but after a few weeks the kids stopped coming. We are going to try again soon in another neighborhood so please be praying that the festival will have an impact on the kids, and that they would want to return weekly. Also be praying for Bailey, sometimes it can be discouraging in the ministry here.
As far as people in the church we have seen people come and go. Among the ones that have left are Odelva, Camilla, Gezel, and Jennifer. Please be praying for these women. Odelva is expecting her second child and is in the process of building a little house a couple hours south of us. Jennifer had to leave due to problems in a relationship, but she is doing great in the harbor town of Limon. Keep praying for Camilla and Gezel. As many of you know they have been with us for a long time, but due to different situations they have decided not to come any more. As far as the new people, we see new people just about every other Sunday, but for some reason they never come back. However, we do have a new couple that has been coming consistently. His name is Jorge and her name is Gladis. They just had their second child. Chelly and Annie threw a baby shower for her about a month and a half ago that went great; almost all of her family came! Sona and Carlos are continuing to come on Wednesdays. Please be praying for them and their family, they are going to be changing some things soon.
Darwin and Gerry are now serving guys at a local drug rehab called Crae. They have been teaching through James and a little of Galatians on Fridays. It has been great to see how the guys are responding to the teaching. They have many questions about what it means to follow Jesus and how to follow Him. As always there is a big turn over in the rehab so be praying for the new guys that come in and the guys that are leaving. Also be praying for my friend Dennis’ rehab and the guys there. As some of you know we were trying to get into the local prison, but God has other plans. The door was shut due to space at the jail. They told us that they are full of religious groups and that we need to wait until they build a larger meeting place. So we will wait a year and try again.
Thanks for your time in reading this update and for your prayers. Please write us to let us know how you are doing and what the Lord is doing in your lives so we know how to better pray.
Blessings,
Schockey Family
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Known...
“O Lord, You have searched me and know me…”
It is so awesome to know that God is so personal with us. He knows each and every one of us as individuals. Read the rest of Psalm 139 to see how personal He is with us. The question God has been challenging me with is whether I have the same desire to know Him like He knows me. Now it is a given that God is all knowing and I could never come to the point of completely knowing God the way He knows me. However, the challenge is more about the desire; where is my heart. I have found it very easy to pay God lip service by talking about how great He is, but only so that others might think I am closer to Him than I really am. As of late I have been challenged to know Him by experiencing Him. As many of you know this is a huge challenge, because it means that He takes you to places that are very uncomfortable, places that you have to fully rely on Him. Needless to say, in the in the end it is a wonderful result. I am now able to say, “God is truly Merciful” with the intent to worship, and not to make men think that I am spiritual. I thank God for what He is doing in us here, and I will continue to pray for your growth in the things He has set before you.
It has been such a great time these last 2 months with all the work God has accomplished. First of all I was invited, by my friend Wil, to go on a long hike in the mountains. Wil has a friend named Honorio who is a part of the Cabecar Tribe here in Costa Rica.
He serves his people as a pastor to 3 different church locations. So Wil asked if I would like to go with him to see what Honorio was doing and if there was a need for some sort of help. It took us about 7 1/2 hours to get to his house. The trail was wide, narrow, rocky, muddy, wet, steep and everything else in between. Anyways, I made it and it was a blast! I had the privilege of baptizing 6 people, 2 of which were Honorio’s children in a beautiful, cold river.
Later that night we shared in communion with the church, and listened as they sang praises " to God in their native tongue.
Needless to say, it was a time in my life that I will never forget, thanks again Wil. (If you want to read more about our trip in great detail check out my friend’s blog www.costaricamissionprojects.com/blog/)
A few days after our trip to the Cabecar tribe we had 5 guys come down from Grace Church of Durango, CO, to pour the floor in the church.
These guys were such hard workers finishing the work in a total of 9 hours! It was so good to catch up with the pastor, Justin Ross, and talk to him about what the church was doing in Durango. He is such a great guy and it was really neat to see how the Lord has been using him. They definitely blessed us while they were here and are continuing to do so. Thanks guys!
Real quick I want to thank all of you that helped us with our car. We had some of you that responded to the last update and we were so blessed by your selflessness. We are now praying for what the Lord would have us do. We have the choice of selling this car and getting a micro bus, or keeping this car and renting a micro bus when needed. If we get rid of our Montero we will be limited on the places we will be able to go, but with the micro bus we will be able to take more people with us to the places we can access. Anyways, be praying for what the Lord would have us do and that He would make it clear to us.
If you remember in the last update I talked about Darwin and Gabe’s idea to have a soccer tournament. Well last weekend the church, with the help of the church in the States, put on a tournament for kids from 14-24 years old. It was awesome! We had such a great time with only a few problems; one broken arm and a fight. Gabe and Darwin shared messages about having a relationship with Christ. In the end we had over 10 kids respond to Jesus! This Saturday we are going to have a video slideshow for them at the church here. We hope that they will all come so that we might keep a relationship going with them. We hope to start a youth group so please be praying for these kids/young adults.
Again thank you so much for investing your lives in the ministry here. Please, if you would like, send messages to us. It is so nice to hear about your lives and to here encouraging words from you. We are praying for you, but it would be great if we knew exactly what you need us to pray for. We ask that you pray for this Saturday (the youth), for the women’s study also this Saturday, our children’s safety in school, and please continue to pray for the people’s hearts here. Many thank yous from us and the church here in CR.
In our Savior,
Curtis, Chelly, and girls
It is so awesome to know that God is so personal with us. He knows each and every one of us as individuals. Read the rest of Psalm 139 to see how personal He is with us. The question God has been challenging me with is whether I have the same desire to know Him like He knows me. Now it is a given that God is all knowing and I could never come to the point of completely knowing God the way He knows me. However, the challenge is more about the desire; where is my heart. I have found it very easy to pay God lip service by talking about how great He is, but only so that others might think I am closer to Him than I really am. As of late I have been challenged to know Him by experiencing Him. As many of you know this is a huge challenge, because it means that He takes you to places that are very uncomfortable, places that you have to fully rely on Him. Needless to say, in the in the end it is a wonderful result. I am now able to say, “God is truly Merciful” with the intent to worship, and not to make men think that I am spiritual. I thank God for what He is doing in us here, and I will continue to pray for your growth in the things He has set before you.
It has been such a great time these last 2 months with all the work God has accomplished. First of all I was invited, by my friend Wil, to go on a long hike in the mountains. Wil has a friend named Honorio who is a part of the Cabecar Tribe here in Costa Rica.
He serves his people as a pastor to 3 different church locations. So Wil asked if I would like to go with him to see what Honorio was doing and if there was a need for some sort of help. It took us about 7 1/2 hours to get to his house. The trail was wide, narrow, rocky, muddy, wet, steep and everything else in between. Anyways, I made it and it was a blast! I had the privilege of baptizing 6 people, 2 of which were Honorio’s children in a beautiful, cold river.
Later that night we shared in communion with the church, and listened as they sang praises " to God in their native tongue.
Needless to say, it was a time in my life that I will never forget, thanks again Wil. (If you want to read more about our trip in great detail check out my friend’s blog www.costaricamissionprojects.com/blog/)
A few days after our trip to the Cabecar tribe we had 5 guys come down from Grace Church of Durango, CO, to pour the floor in the church.
These guys were such hard workers finishing the work in a total of 9 hours! It was so good to catch up with the pastor, Justin Ross, and talk to him about what the church was doing in Durango. He is such a great guy and it was really neat to see how the Lord has been using him. They definitely blessed us while they were here and are continuing to do so. Thanks guys!
Real quick I want to thank all of you that helped us with our car. We had some of you that responded to the last update and we were so blessed by your selflessness. We are now praying for what the Lord would have us do. We have the choice of selling this car and getting a micro bus, or keeping this car and renting a micro bus when needed. If we get rid of our Montero we will be limited on the places we will be able to go, but with the micro bus we will be able to take more people with us to the places we can access. Anyways, be praying for what the Lord would have us do and that He would make it clear to us.
If you remember in the last update I talked about Darwin and Gabe’s idea to have a soccer tournament. Well last weekend the church, with the help of the church in the States, put on a tournament for kids from 14-24 years old. It was awesome! We had such a great time with only a few problems; one broken arm and a fight. Gabe and Darwin shared messages about having a relationship with Christ. In the end we had over 10 kids respond to Jesus! This Saturday we are going to have a video slideshow for them at the church here. We hope that they will all come so that we might keep a relationship going with them. We hope to start a youth group so please be praying for these kids/young adults.
Again thank you so much for investing your lives in the ministry here. Please, if you would like, send messages to us. It is so nice to hear about your lives and to here encouraging words from you. We are praying for you, but it would be great if we knew exactly what you need us to pray for. We ask that you pray for this Saturday (the youth), for the women’s study also this Saturday, our children’s safety in school, and please continue to pray for the people’s hearts here. Many thank yous from us and the church here in CR.
In our Savior,
Curtis, Chelly, and girls
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
