Four months

This is a bittersweet essay, for our hearts are delighted to have passed our baby´s first Christmas though on the same token we deeply missed our Bower Bunch. Something about having little Joseph touched my heart strings and I have wished to return to my roots: family, candles burning, neighbors bringing Christmas cookies, the sound of the heater coming on, Lizzy drinking Mama´s hot cocoa, Christmas in the park, advent calendar and card opening, singing around the Thomas´ piano, apple cider, etc. But my hope in Jesus has renewed my spirit as we create our new family traditions little by little.

Joseph has hit the 4 month mark today, it is true when they say you won´t believe how fast they grow! He is weighing in at more that 8 kilos and measuring more than 63 centimeters, which means he is using 1 year clothes because of his beautiful size. Poeple think he is gimoungous when they see him, usually people believe he is 6 months old rather than four. Makes mommy and daddy proud to say the least.

He seemed to have enjoyed Christmas, though I think Mommy and Daddy gave him a run for his money. He decked him out in raindeer britches and snow hat to boot. We had a special family Christmas dinne with the neighbors and a few close families. Mommy made baby special milk with turkey, smoked ham, and pumpkin pie made by yours truely! God has really blessed us this year. We went through a rough period financially and now we have enough to sow into others too, what a priviledge that we have an All providing God, whether in thin times or fat.

So our fellowship was engulfed with a banquet of laughter, close loved ones, and kind gestures of toys and pijamas for Joseph. Of course, Mommy´s plan to bed baby everyday at 8 back fired and baby got antsy to sleep, right when gifts began. This meant that baby went down only to be woken up by the festivities and cried for three hours straight. Quite the chorus of Christmas carols to serenade our festivities. Well, at least he enjoyed hanging up his stocking in the morning and bouncing from person to person during the earlier evening.

Joseph is squealing alot more, dialoguing in his own language and trying to figure out the codes we keep sending him. He smiles alot more and loves to see Daddy and Mommy. He likes to lift his head up and look around the room and talk to himself for short periods in his crib. He also is regulating his bowl movements, sorry if that is to much info for some of you but this is very good news for us. A lot less explosions through his pants now.

He also is sleeping well through the night, some nights he eats more than others depending if he is on or off a growth spurt. For a week he slept 6 hour intervals and only nursed once during the night. Now he is nursing every two to four hours, which can be tiring but he is good about returning back to sleep. Recently he has had more mucus so sometimes he lays down and forgets how to breath through his mouth, but he will learn.

He loves to hear one syllable words and laughs at mama and papa and baba. He likes peekaboo and patty cake. He is really ticklish on his sides and under his belly button to the point of cracking up out loud. He takes some short naps and often he enjoys a long two hour rest during the day. He loves to hear bedtime stories and be rocked to sleep. His skin is doing much better, he just has some whiter spots on his skin left than should clear up soon. He has discovered his hands and will "twiddle" his thumbs as he watches movements in front of him. He adores his rattles and likes to grab them and of course, shove everything he can in his mouth. He is drooling like crazy and thinks spitting up is fun to do when Mommy forgets his burp rag.

So in a summary, he is doing great. He has his immunizations coming up January 3rd. He is a healthy bouncing baby boy.

Weekly photo collage and three month milestones

We are doing great but baby is more than great! He has officially turned three months old, quite a shock for us that we see him day in day out. He is holding his head up better and smiles more and more. We officially discovered he has a ticklish spot under his arm pits and it is the greatest things to watch him giggle over and over again.

His fingers are amazingly long, could be he has inherited pianist fingers. He also has aquired dimples in more than just his knuckles, he is quite the porker. He has them on his elbows and his thighs and on his bow hunkus too.

He has discovered his hands and feets so he plays with his hands often and enjoys putting his fist in his mouth to suck on. I believe Mom told me that I used to do that so no surprise there.

He got a rash around his neck, chest, and a little but down his back and arms. So I discontinued all the products one by one to deduce what was causing the dry spots on his skin. It finally started to clear and what I have been doing is I stopped bathing him every day which perhaps the extra moisture was bothering him and I think maybe the soap I was using on his clothes is too strong. He has started to drool quite alot so perhaps the moisture affects the area? Nevertheless, his skin is doing better and last night we gave him a sponge bath. He loved it. Loves the water.

Joseph is getting the knack on sleeping through the night. He goes down between 8 and 9 and eats about three to four times before waking up between 6 to 8 am. He gives me two or three 4 block periods of rest which makes me a whole new person. He usually takes one big nap during the morning and a short one in the afternoon. When he gets over stimulated like any good man he takes a power nap so to process the information.

God has surprised us, within days He has blessed us with love offerings, food for our house, a play seat from the Branhams, and a new stroller from our Bible Study group. Today I will use the stroller for the first time, it is so beautiful! Joseph seems to like it, too.

We went to visit some family of Luis Diego yesterday and it went well. Some new members got to see Joseph in person for the first time. They loved him. I will send some shots later on.

He is weighing 7, 200 grams and measures 61 centimeters. He is one healthy boy and loves his breastmilk hahahahaha-

Two month clip

The motive behind this video was it dawned on me how fast they grow and that before I knew it, Joseph´s cry would change and I wouldn´t be able to remember this sound. He was struggling with gas and I am sure that he was experiencing some discomfort, but this is one of my favorite videos of his two-month life because it is all a memory now. God really is Life-giving and is the Only One who can fully understand the mystery of the miracle.

Couples bible study 2010

God says in His Word, “Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to[a] those he loves.
Psalm 127 says it in a nutshell, the couple´s Bible Study has become a second family for us, and we have participated for ten months in weekly meetings with other families and surrendered day by day new areas of our marriage and lives to the Lord. The study has a special dynamic that as we study together, we take turns facilitating the dialogue and group activity. Luis Diego and I shared various times in the group, learning to work together at the same time. Our lives have been enriched by the relationships and the support that flows from this small group of families. We are all in different places in life, full of diverse circunstances, and yet our Living God unites us to support each other in good times and bad. We went through a book pertaining to conflict resolution and God gave us a lot of food for thought. It is He that we need so desperately to build our house, and to watch over our families as we grow together in faith.
God surprised us with the members of the group at the end of this year. Joseph was a week old when we took him for the first time to the group, so many have seen him and built a bond with him since little tiny. At the end of this year, we had a Christmas potluck and fellowship with a small gift exchange. At the end, all the children helped Joseph open a gift for him- a brand spanking new stroller! We had been praying for one and looking for one, but when God says to wait, He always has a reason! All the couples had pooled together to bless us, we give Him all the glory and our thanks to the families who generously collaborated to make us feel in family this holiday season.
We pray the same for your families, that the Lord our God edify your homes now and forevermore.

May 2010 Kids´ Club

God had lead me to serve in Kid Clubs since my beginning with FHICR in September 2006, and 2009 and 2010 we were lead to support the Reformed Church pastor´s wife, Giannina Espinoza, in the vision and calling the Lord had on her life to raise up the women and children in the congregation. What a joy to work as a team with other missionaries and some of the mothers and older children who desired to help out. God put a burden on our hearts to reach out to those hurting and in need, with the goal to reach their families and homes.
As my pregnancy progressed, the stress level of working with the high demand in the emotional and social needs of the children wore on me, nevertheless, God gave me the strength to see the compassion and support offered through our team of servers. Sometimes the noise level was enough to make me shut down, but God has His miraculous ways of bringing me back to focus. Time and time again, God opened up doors to hear women´s stores of their families and their struggles, as well as children and youth who participated in the Bible Classes. Some of their daily difficulties leave me speechless. Only God is the One way, Truth and Life.

One story is of a young 14 year old that had began attending club and later on church services. We will call her Miriam. Miriam was a stick thin girl who looked more nine than fourteen and clung to a few of the women who served. As time went on she was less and less around, until she finally stopped coming all together. Through our prayer meetings, God laid on our heart to do some house visits and we were able to connect with her family. We discovered that she had dropped out due to a boy her age that had involved her with drugs. When she returned home, a man in his seventies that promised financial security for their family was traded her and her sister, both had gotten pregnant by the same man. The story went on and on, but I fervently ask your prayers for Miriam and her family. Who sells their daughter for food in the cupboards? What distorted mind rationalizes a young girl to get involved in such events?

They both miscarried but due to their constant moving, they are hard to locate and God seems to bring them at just the right time. The church is trying to do follow-up with this family and others. Cases like these bring me back to the perspective of how important each child is in Kids´Club, because many times God is filling them up with His Truth, His love and keeping them in a safe environment that promotes healthier living. Who am I, God, that defects and all, You would choose me to preach your good news, heal the broken hearted, set free the captive among these precious ones?

Thank you, King, for the privilege to serve these little ones in Your Name. May His seeds bring eternal and everlasting fruit in His time and way.

Six months already

2010 Summary

We pray that our greetings find you filled to overflowing with His peace, joy and faith as you continue to further His kingdom around the world and in your communities. We thank the Lord for knitting us together as you all belong in our serving those in need in Costa Rica throughout these past three years. We pray for you incessantly, anticipating God´s answer to all your requests as you seek to be obedient to His beckoning.
As for us, we wish to fill you in on a summary of what the Lord is doing in the communities where He has called us, as well as in our family. 2010 proved a broadcast of His faithfulness and diligent way of responding to our needs and petitions for guidance. Our hearts are eternally grateful for the healthy birth and growth of our first born, Joseph Abraham, who came into this world August 28th here in San José, Costa Rica. God perfectly knit together the details as well as the emotional support we needed to stand up on our two feet as parents. There is no greater calling in the kingdom of God than to witness God´s gift of life and the responsibility to direct these little ones to Him. Amidst the adjustments and surprises of a four-month-old, our lives have been enriched with the privilege of parenthood, both Luis Diego and myself are speechless in how God touches our hearts through His son, little Joseph Abraham.
This blessing of becoming parents has challenged us as a marriage to dig deeper into our hearts to love one another, to care for one another and to communicate. Most parents will relate when I mention that this is a challenge when sleep deprivation, hunger, and unknowns are thrown into the mix. Like this morning: how did something so little get poop all over his clothes and activity chair in milliseconds of time? It took two capable adults to clean up the mess. Only God knows.
This past year has proceeded to unfold as a transitory period in our serving the Lord. Kristina was serving alongside an incarnation missionary with a group of single mothers whose goal was to grow in the Word and simultaneously be trained through a sowing workshop and possibly become business women who could sell their products to support their families. Many miracles and life changes happened through the hand of the Lord leading in the group. One family composed of the mother and two daughters were attending the women´s Bible study on a regular basis. God touched their family and the youngest daughter was healed of an issue of rejectment and pain from the past family affairs. They locked together in forgiveness and were freed to worship God in those areas of past hurts. Another woman has struggled due to her immigrant status saw her daughter through the process of receiving her legal documents to be here in Costa Rica. One 17-year-old mother who had participated in cultish-like activities and wore only black before surrendered her heart and life to Christ this year and has shown change in her face and even way of dressing as she also expresses how God´s Word is moving in her heart throughout the weeks.
Also, Kristina co-facilitated Kids´ club with the local church which holds the vision of reaching out the children at risk so that they may come to Christ and bring their families to Christ. This particular church had worked together with the leaders who participated for 2 ½ years, and have seen great fruit of the children´s behavior bettering as they matured and their families that out of sheer curiosity came to the Lord because they wanted to know why their children where different. Dozens of children have received Bible training as well as Christian values through the games and activities, and we praise God for the 20 plus families that have received Christ and become members of the church congregation through this outreach. There is one boy who since he began attending the outreach activities and Sunday school has completed a 180° change in his behavior. This 9-year-old boy was rejected in every way by his father and appears to have abused his mother visibly before him on occasion. He was full of uncontrollable anger and negative emotions. As the pastor´s wife involved him little by little in the preparation of class, he has discovered his love for Jesus Christ and for the stories that flow from His Word. He participated in the Christmas play and has been a Sunday school helper for many months. His mother is floored at the change in him and how he has matured through his contact with others in the club activities.
Luis Diego for the first six months of this year served as a volunteer in FHICR distributing donations and collaborating in marketing activities. Also, he has been active throughout 2010 as a Sunday School teacher at the local church where we belong. Due to lack of teachers, he has willingly taken on all the children ranging between 4 to 11 years old. It is a small group of about 15 children, but it has been the challenge to teach on some many age levels at once. Luis Diego has been flexible and faithful to his responsibilities and the kids appreciate him being their only male mentor currently. When we are faithful in the little, God delivers in great. A new Pastoral family has arrived and is revamping the Children´s ministry. We are very pleased that the Lord has answered our need to have a stable family guiding the congregation´s spiritual health.
At the beginning of the year, Luis Diego helped out with a church plant in Cartago with the former pastor, Pastor William Zapata. He assisted in the discipleship and Bible Studies that were held among those families. Many families, parents, children and youth are coming to Christ and are starting to learn about the basic principles of His Word. There are many immigrants in the communities nearby and there has been a great need to work with the marriages so that God can transfer their homes and hence generations. Many children and youth are at risk in the conditions they live to fall into drugs, fornication and dysfunctional lifestyles. Our prayer is with Pastor William and his teams of missionaries as they weekly take God´s Word to those who are hungry to learn.
Also, he continued with the group of disciples in Los Guido community and did house visits throughout the first half of the year. We thank the Lord for the opportunity to see God moving in these families’ lives as they overcome poverty and focus their lives on Christ. He has phased out of this family fellowship as they are now participating in the local church and growing in their jobs and their children´s education. As a way to follow-up, Luis Diego will go in the next month to bless them with the paint and paint with them their front gate.
So, all of these testimonies are for the glory of God in the different areas God was using both of them, but Luis Diego and Kristina´s heart was always to serve alongside one another. Their desire to serve together for the kingdom was not far away from being fulfilled, as God has foreseen from the very beginning.
To paraphrase this upcoming testimony of how we are serving as of June 2010, allow us to mention that Kristina had been lead to participate in Hunger Corps training through KFHI in Ocean shore, Seattle, WA during March 2009. This training allowed her to build up her understanding about the principles behind Child Development Programs: an outlet to empower families, churches and leaders in communities to concern themselves with the holistic development of their children and youth and hence overcome all types of poverty. It is a way to equip these three community pillars to advance children´s development in the kingdom of God and every other aspect of their lives.
KFHI was the initial contact through this training and the prospects of opening up a center in our home country were on the horizon. As time went on, the diagnostic and international communications slowly but surely ceased to flow. By the end of 2009. Kristina said, God has timing and a reason for everything. He is telling us to wait.
In May of 2010, FHICR offered Luis Diego a position as facilitator for this ministry, and through much prayer, he accepted, Kristina was getting ready to have the baby, but the former national director assisted Luis Diego as he begin initial training with the community leaders, setting up program centers and initiating the tedious process of child profiling. Luis Diego became a full time missionary staff with FHICR in June 2010.
Now that the baby is a little bit older, Kristina will assist Luis Diego as an assistant (he calls her his personal secretary) and her focus as she works with Joseph as her first priority is to keep up international communications, database, and other tasks oriented more through the computer. Luis Diego will be coordinating more logistics and training in the communities as well as empowering the leaders and community coordinators. They are both working on their yearly plan and praying hard for this year´s challenges.
We briefly inform you that due to lack of resources, FHICR has let go of three key staff, including the former national director, and we are let a small group of missionaries and one paid staff. God is in control and we ask your prayers for a new couple to take over the administration in this time of need.
Once again, your partnership with this missionary family has meant support and motivation even in moments of trial. We incessantly pray for you. And we are excited to hear what you are in store for in this upcoming year 2011. We pray His every spiritual blessing over you in Christ Jesus, our living King. May we continue serving together for the glory of His Name.