Isa 42:16. And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
We have explained to everyone the sequence of events that led up to this point and I still get goose bumps thinking about how God works in our lives. Our plans made sure we made it to Costa Rica but from that point all those plans went awry. But he took our misfortune and turned it into a blessing. He took this group of blind people with good intentions and showed us a better path. He showed us possibilities and gave us hope in a very powerful way. He led us down paths that we did not know. He made a seemingly complicated task simple. He just laid it all out there right in front of us ready for us to grab hold.
Eph. 3:20. Now him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (21) Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The Lord took our plans and blew them to bits because he had something better in mind for us. God is faithful to bless us above and beyond anything we can imagine and we where reminded of that fact on while in Costa Rica and especially on Tuesday July 20th.
As John posted previously we had met Katia that morning and followed her to the town of Alajuela. We made a few stops on the way to pick up clothes that people had donated and food for breakfast. While Everyone else went to Katia's sisters house, Jeremy and I went with Katia and Carlos to a local Hardware/Lumber store. This was a very small business compared to anything you might find in the USA but it seemed to be very well organized and maintained. There was very little lumber at all since wood is not a primary building material down here. Just about everything that was located in the front was for display and then when you figured out what you wanted they would go and get it for you from the back area behind the counter. Theft is a very big concern in this area and it is a simple fact of life. They know it will happen so everything is set up in an effort to discourage or prevent theft or shoplifting. Katia had talked to the owners of the place previously and they had agreed to deliver whatever materials we purchased to the area we were about to visit. We soon found out that it was only about a 1/4 mile from the store. At this point we did not know for sure what these people needed most so we looked at several things we thought might be needed and took note of the prices for everything. We looked at corrugated tin and plastic roofing panels, a big roll of black plastic similar to a 4 mil vapor barrier, special roofing tape used for sealing holes in the tin roof, and various screws nails and wood framing. We were trying to figure out how we could use these materials to provide these people with shelter not knowing the exact conditions yet or how much we would need. We talked about several different options because another thing that was a concern is that the people we would be helping could be forced to move at any time. They were squatters and did not own the land they were living on. So we devised an idea that we could assemble the plastic sheeting with some small pieces of wood to give it a support frame to hold it up but yet would be easy to take down and roll up for easy transport. After we completed our recon of the supplies that might be needed we headed off to Virginia's house (Katia's sister). When we arrived Jeremy, Carlos, and Katia headed inside while I tried to maneuver the car into a precarious parking spot that left the road clear for thru traffic. The road was only wide enough for one car and it was on a very steep hill with no shoulder at all to park on. When I finally parked the car and headed inside I was overwhelmed. From the look of the house it seemed that surely these people were in need of help themselves. I walked through the gate in the front wall and into the front "yard" which was about the size of my children's bedroom and had 1 small tree, a sidewalk, a small patch of grass and a very steep, narrow, slippery concrete ramp up to the front door. The front door was actually an iron gate and bars next to the door that was sort of a window with no separation from the outside. There was a small room right inside that was big enough for a couch up against the wall and just enough room to walk past it. Then I walked down a long hallway past 2 small bedrooms and a bathroom. As I walked into the Kitchen I was greeted with a group of people that none of us had known 30 minutes earlier. But you would think that it was a family reunion, everyone was sitting or standing around a small table eating and talking and laughing.
My daughter Leia was already part of the family as she graciously allowed everyone to hold her and she would smile and look at them and melt their hearts. I took all this in, kind of overwhelmed by it all, but yet instantly relieved.
I expected to find people that were in desperate need of help but what I found instead was a group of people that was content with their place in the world. They did not have much in the way of physical possessions but it did not seem to matter to them. They at least had a home they could claim as their own and they seemed to have everything they needed.
They had found out about a large group of people that was in far more need than they were and they did not make excuses about why they could not help. They took it upon themselves to talk to their neighbors and get donations for these people. They gave of themselves and their time to go with us and find out how they could help. There are so many things that we could all learn from Katia and Virginia and Carlos and Andrea and their two friends that came along. As John has already said they were all such a huge blessing not only to the people living by the river but to us as well. We could not have accomplished half of what we did without their help.
John and Heather and Kalina taking their turn dividing up clothes by sizes and putting them on hangars.
After we ate breakfast and divided up all the clothes we packed everything and headed farther down the hill a short distance to the River. The place where we found one of the reasons we believe that God is leading us to Costa Rica. Please stay tuned for the rest of the story.
One more verse that comes to mind to think about.
Proverbs 30:7-9. Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Posted by David
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