Saludos, desde JUCUM de Costa Rica

Saludos, desde JUCUM de San Jose(Greetings, from YWAM San Jose), Getting to Costa Rica was an interesting 41 hour journey starting with a 10hr hangout at YVR (Vancouver International Airport) and doing some much due movie watching. What I learned is that you can get some serious movie watching, all 3 Lord of the Rings extended versions as well as all 4 Bourne movies….Good times :) once I got to Sea-Tac (Seattle/Tacoma) I was blessed with a 13hr layover and in a small airport there is not much to do, nonetheless I got the awesome opportunity to actually meet a fellow DTS (EDE in Spanish) student via facebook messaging. It definitely helped the time pass. We got the chance to share how excited we were to see what was in store and what God has been doing in our lives and what we were expecting. Next I arrived in Huston with a 5hr. Finally I got on my plane for Costa Rica. God definitely showed His faithfulness and I got to meet a fellow who was going to Costa Rica to work with Habitat for Humanity and we shared what was happening in both of our lives. I found out He was from Illinois and was doing missions work (with H.F.H.) for a week in Buenos Aires, Costa Rica. He blessed me with money towards for my DTS and we prayed for one another and as we landed we parted ways :) sooo good!!! :) Finally YWAM (JUCUM) San Jose!! Wooohooo we play football on out concrete field, we had our first fellowship night as a DTS (EDE) which was so good.

For our DTS (EDE) All Nations All Generations we are 16, 5 men and 11 women, representing 10 Nations (Costa Rica, Mexico, Sweden, Norway, USA, Canada, Holland, Brazil, Switzerland, and Honduras). The first 2 weeks we learned Intimacy with God + The Character and Nature of God. I found both of these topics very challenging, 1) because week 1 really challenged me at a heart level to not only analyze my own relationship with God but also my relationship with others from family and friends. That knowing that God has always been in perfect relationship within the Godhead, that is why we can know that we were meant to be in relationship with one another and why we need one another. 2) week 2 challenged me intellectually (DTS= Die To Self :)love it :) ), it was so interesting how much we are taught in the box theology and not always accurately. One quote that really stuck out was, “I don’t care what you think, I don’t care how you feel, is it true.” That really challenged me so much throughout the week. Our relationship with God isn’t private= relationships are never private, as well as the importance of understanding what I believe as well, because knowledge and wisdom without understanding is death. Understanding is so important to everything we do. Relationship has nothing to do with religion. It has been absolutely amazing being here learning a new language ( as challenging as it is at times) and new culture so different and yet similar in ways to my own. I have had fun learning Spanish and conversing off-base has always been both comical and challenging at the same time. Jan 17 we got to go and do our first local outreach , we split into two teams one when to and orphanage to help out around the property, the other group (which I was in) went to a Child care center (unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures) and wow, the children there are so precious. I was really touched by this one little girl who was 3 years old and just wanted me to read to her, it hard to leaving those children that day :)

Weeks three and four (this week) the topics were Hearing God’s voice + The Kingdom of God. Both of these topics were challenging, 1) The most challenging part about hearing God’s voice takes patience as well as a process, like any relationship it takes time to tune our ears to listen to what is being said. We don’t always hear so clearly so focusing was really hard to do at the beginning of the week. Once I was able to remove the distractions, hindrances and anything blocking me from hearing what God really wanted to say. By the end of the week I got the opportunity to pray directly for a person I used to work with, Write a note of encouragement to a friend who needed it, as well as to do and act of selfless servitude so someone could have some needed them time :) 2) the Kingdom of God this week has been challenging to me by practically living out the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5:5-11 and learning to lay down my rights and serve as Jesus did. That success is not what the world defines success as but how God looks and values success. On Jan 26 we did a Bible distribution with a local church (Ciudad de Dios) for our local outreach, we had almost 200 people come out and help distribute Bibles and we got to see 7 people give their lives over to Jesus  we also got to pray over people and just hear what was going on in their lives so we could pray specifically for them. What an amazing day!!

We also had a day dedicated to cleaning around the base and just serving our family at the base as well as a great time of community and getting to know some of the other staff on the base and do some deep cleaning :) I had fun crawling around on the roof cleaning out the gutters and sweeping leaves off of the roof as well.

Please continue to pray for me and my fellow DTSers as we are looking into where we are going for our big outreach, so far we are doing 8 weeks (one month in Costa Rica, one month outside of Costa Rica) We are going into our inner healing week starting on Monday. Also that financial needs will be met That hearts would be both softened and accepting of the Gospel message and that we would be sensitive to the needs of those we come in contact with both spiritually and physically. Thank you for reading and for your support it means the world :)

This is my last week here in YWAM LA. So many amazing things have happened here at the base. For landscaping I built the composting sections in our Aquaponics farming area. We are still fine tuning our tangible missions (aquaponics) to bring a self-sustaining farming system to 2nd & 3rd world nations that don't have the soil to grow produce in their countries. "If you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, if you teach a man to fish he can eat for a lifetime." This will not only help us build a relationship with other nations, through leaving a tangible impact on different communities in the world we can also bring the love of Christ to these nations as well.

I also got to attend an international missions festival held at C.O.T.H.(Chapel of the Hill) in Sunland/Tujunga where our YWAM LA create track and a traditional Jewish dancers entertained us. There were also booths of the different missionaries around the world supported by C.O.T.H. and to invite other to share in supporting the different ministries in other countries. What an amazing day learning about what is going on in Japan, Romania, Spain, Panama, USC, and church planting. There is something so amazing that happens when we give what we have been blessed with to use it for something so much bigger than ourselves to partner with those making an impact globally :)

On November 17,2012 several of the DTS students and myself volunteered with Praxis (Christian Assembly Men's ministry) to get involve with our local community and help at one of the local middles schools Florence Nightingale Middle School. We spend 6 hours doing a variety of things, we had 6-7 diffent groups of Men doing different projects, from painting, sprucing up the gardens and replacing rail ties. It was so much fun working and building friendships with the Men from CA and being involved with a local church to help the community. What an awesome group of guys.

Lastly my final project here with YWAM LA has been working in the tree lot raising money for the base so we can not only bless our community but also put funds toward our tangible missions and other vehicles ans things the base needs to be sustaining. The tree lot is an amazing opportunity for us as a missions organization to get involved with the community and care for not only the tangible needs of those around us but also the spiritual need of those who need to be comforted and someone just to listen :) On the weekends our outreach teams come out to raise money for their special project overseas. What a blessing to be able to connect with out community on so many levels, wow!!! God sure does amazing things. I will be here until Dec 19 when I head home for Christmas. I look so forward to connecting with some of you before I leave for Costa Rica Jan 3. Thank you so much for reading my blog and for those of you who are praying for me you are such a blessing I will be posting again in the New Year. God bless :)

I can't wait to come back on staff here next September and see what I have been called here to do. Thank you YWAM LA you have been such a blessing to me and in the transformation I have noticed since I have been here. I will miss you all!!! Goodbye for now see you all soon :)

The arrival to YWAM LA to see what is in store. At my arrival I am so ex-tactic to meet so many new faces. Not only am I arriving but the Transformation DTS for the fall quarter is arriving as well.

This is a little to the base. I have been pretty busy with daily duties I haven't gotten around to taking more pics of the base. Nonetheless it was an amazing arrival. The first 2 days I was here, God confirmed that I am heading where He is leading me and to just trust ans wait on Him. I absolutely love the community here. I am so blessed to be around and apart of such amazing young people with a heart for the city of LA, the nations and to see them grow deeper in relationship with God. Ooooh so good :)

The first picture is of the other 5 mission builders that are here on the base, and we help with maintenance, landscaping, and special work duties. from left do right (Simon, Sabrina, David, Theresa, and Nicole) What an awesome group mission builders with hearts to serve both the base, staff, and students. I work landscaping, lunch prep during the week. I have been so blessed to clean up the base by trimming Palm trees, pruning/hedging plants, cutting down trees and serving lunch. We even had time to go to church on Saturdays and Sunday mornings. Our worship time from 8:30-9:30am Mon, Tues, and intercession (to pray on behalf of those who need prayer and what God has place on our hearts to pray for) Thurs, Fri I absolutely love this part of the day where we come humbly before such and amazing, gracious and mighty God. Who made a way for the DTS students to be fully paid up by providing $11,000 by the end of Friday Oct. 19. Manhattan Beach

I think that after 5 days of serving around the base for the first week, and blessed to enjoy a heat wave Cali style....It only seemed fitting to go to the beach and hangout with 2 DTS students and 3 mission Builders. I got to check-out the little museum they had on the pier which was awesome :) Just so everyone knows I have been blessed with the opportunity of helping with the YWAM LA Christmas tree lot this year and will be home Dec. 20th. Love you all, serving for His glory, Joshua