Your Mission ~ Should You Choose to Accept it.

As I write this I am currently a single mom. Aaron is working in the states for about a month and we are hoping he will be home next week!  We have done this before but never this long. This has given me a whole new perspective and appreciation for military moms and dads that stay back as well as single parents. These people need our prayers. If you know someone like this please pray for them! And then pray again and again! 

Even though this has been a really different experience for us, it has also been an enjoyable time filled with learning and growth. Since Aaron has been in the United States, I have really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit within me. There have been countless times during these two weeks that a problem comes up or something happens and without even thinking about it a verse or a hymn is immediately brought to mind. I have had to rely completely on the Father. I have never had this many instances of comfort when I needed them. I also realized something else: the days that I make my time with God a priority are the days that these comforts are very obvious to me.  There have been times when none of my children were sleeping through the night and there was screaming and wailing... Did I mention that they were all piled in my room? Honesty, during that moment, I was sitting in my bed calling out to the Father with my arms raised in the air. I cried out “Abba, I am in another country, it’s the middle of the night, and my kids are screaming for no apparent reason?!” In that instance, who  did I  turn to for peace and rest: the Lord! I cried out to him, “Yahweh, Abba Father, please help me! Guess what?! God was there for me during that moment and He answered my plea for help and we all slept for a few hours. This whole time hasn’t been as dramatic as that particular night, but that evening was quite hectic.  Honestly, since Aaron has been away, everything has been fairly calm and I am so thankful for that peace and calmness that the Holy Spirit has given me. I know that there are numerous people praying for me and I have felt their prayers several times over this past month.

Trust in the Lord with all heart and lean not on your own understanding. 

Proverbs 3:5

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 

Isaiah 41:10

I have also had an epiphany: I have been a mom for almost 11 years! How has this happened?! That wasn’t the epiphany. I have been searching for the last several years for my “mission” in life.  Before Aaron left, I went to a Bible Study with some friends and on my way home it hit me: my “mission” is my children. Over the last two weeks, that very thought has washed over me and has sunken into my pores. For several years now, I have wondered what was my particular “thing” in ministry . I would find myself asking Aaron, “What’s my “thing?” What should I be doing with my life? I realize there are obvious, glaring things: I am a stay at home mom. I have four kids. You get the point. I have been known to say things like, “What is my mission? What am I good at? Where do I belong? Look at what she can do. I don’t do those things. I  must be of a lesser value than that person.” Things of this nature were a fairly common occurrence in my thought life. I was comparing and I shouldn’t have been. It directed my focus from my ministry.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight. 

Psalm 3: 6

Meanwhile, I have been teaching my children and also wondering why do I feel so  passionate when I teach them Biblical history or read them passages from Scripture? I find myself crying a lot because I am so passionate about teaching them the Word of God. This should have been a red flag, but some of us aren’t very fast learners or maybe good listeners or am I just a cryer? Whichever way you choose to look at it, this is the very mission that God has laid upon my heart.  My kids ARE  my mission! Why did it take so long for me to accept this thought? It’s not like I wasn’t already completing this mission, but the problem came because I was still searching for something else while doing so. I said that my children were my mission but I hadn’t fully committed to jumping into the mud puddle! Since then, I’ve jumped in and I’ve gotten mud all over me and there is a peace that comes with jumping in and being okay with the mud! If I may be transparent, the last month has shown me that things run a lot smoother when I’m content with my “mission” and I am not actively searching for something else. Don’t get me wrong there are still battles to be won and things aren’t all daisies and butterflies.  

What is your mission? Is it staring you in the face, and if so, are you embracing it? Are you wondering what God has for you? Maybe he is revealing it to you piece by piece like he did for me. It might occur slowly, but he knows each one of us and how we work and how we learn. But he will reveal it to you if you are seeking His face. He is faithful and once he shows you His mission he will give you the strength to complete it. 

Ps. We are leaving today to pick Aaron up from the airport! We are very excited!

A Blank Check

      

      It’s been a while! I haven’t written a blog in several months. That’s not to say that I haven't set down to write one on several different occasions. It’s not even to say that there hasn't been anything worth writing about. I just haven’t felt like I had the right thing to write about.... Until I read this:

“After Moses came back, he summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. Then all the people responded together, ‘We will do all that the Lord has spoken.’ So Moses brought the people’s words back to the Lord.”                                   Exodus 19:7-8

Seems pretty straight forward.  The elders of the children of Israel are saying that they will do all that the Lord commands, so that God will make them a special treasure, and a holy people, right?  

Wait! This is Exodus 19. The people don’t get the commandments of God until chapter 20 - 23. What are they agreeing to in these verses? What are they making rash statements about? Why are they signing a blank check to be filled in by the Most High in the future at some point? I mean, at this point Yahweh could have commanded ANYTHING and they had already promised to follow His commands.  

I had never before realized the level of trust that the Israelites had toward God or the depth of their desire to be God’s chosen people. We are quick to judge them when we read about how many times they fell away, or how they took the commands, added to them, and made them a burden to themselves and others.  When we see, a few chapters later, how quickly they make a graven image and worship it, we wonder how they could do such a thing. But, let’s not forget this act of faith.  

Why were they willing to follow the commands of God before they knew what those commands were? They are willing because of the things they had seen and been a part of. God reminds them about what He did to the Egyptians and how He carried them out of Egypt on eagles wings. They could sign a “blank check” because they knew, trusted, and were already dependent on the One who now asked them if they would follow where He would lead and do what He would ask them to do. 

I got to see a similar scenario play out while Faith was spending time with her family in Pennsylvania. I was the only “adult supervision” for my children. (Kind of a scary thought if you dwell on it...) We needed to clean up the house, and rather than do it by myself, I asked if my children would be willing to help me with something and promised a reward at the end.  They all agreed with giggles and smiles of anticipation on their faces.  I then told them that we needed to work together to clean the mess that had been made.  

Let me tell you what!  My kids cranked up some “cleaning music”, and in about half an hour we had a house that was close to spotless!  There was joy in the “law” because they knew several things.  They knew that I would be pleased, that there would be some sort of reward when they were done, and they recognized the wisdom in getting the house in order before Mom got home.  It was a joyful night at the Riddering home as we cleaned and sang together, and then went to the beach and got ice cream. (In case you are wondering, chocolate ice cream with fresh pineapple is one of the joys of life here in Costa Rica!)

Now back to the Israelites and ourselves for that matter... How did The God of the Universe fill in the blank of the check handed to Him? 

Our kids LOVE hanging out with their friends from the orphanages!

 Well, He said love Him!  He said love your neighbors!  He said “Remember” the Sabbath and keep it holy. (a mini vacation every week, while all the other nations had to work every day just to get by)  He also reminded them to use some common sense, don’t kill, steal, lie, commit adultery, or bow down to something that He made or that they could make.  (In our house we say it like this; “Use the good brain that God gave you!”)

I don’t see anything here that was meant to be burdensome. I see loving guidelines to keep His children from doing things that they would regret.  I see a plan for the temporary forgiving of sins through sacrifices that pointed to a permanent sacrifice that would bring forgiveness by the death and resurrection of His Son.  

 I don’t see a God who wants to impose harsh restrictions on His people, but instead One who wants us to spend time with Him and truly love Him and others. He promises blessings to those who will follow His commands and lays out what those blessings will be. This is a good life! This is freedom! This is the plan and request of our Loving Heavenly Father! This is the way of life that Jesus came to live out, celebrate, reveal, enjoy, and fulfill, but not abolish.  

“Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished”

                                                        Matthew 5:17-18

So, what does this have to do with anything?

 Well, what blank checks have we written God lately?  We get to write them as expressions of love and gratitude, and not because we have to in order to be saved or because it is demanded.  We shouldn't write them out of obligation, but out of a sense of wonder and love for our Messiah.  Once we sign those blank checks we wait with anticipation to see where and how He will lead in our lives while holding nothing back.

We have been here in Costa Rica for quite a while now. I have been without "work" for a 
year at this point. We have received many generous gifts from some of you as well as our 
home church, but looking back we see that the money that has come in has been about 1/3 
of our expenses here. It is NOW that we need to write another blank check to God, and ask 
what His perfect plan looks like in the coming year. Just like Romans 12 says, we need to 
offer ourselves as living sacrifices and we need to do it each and every day.

 We’ve seen Him work in the past!  We know He is trustworthy!  We know that He loves us enough to face and endure death on our behalf.  We know that He stands ready and waiting to forgive.  How would our lives look different if we truly held nothing back? 

 We have been very busy since we wrote last and we have much to report!  Our church here in Costa Rica has asked me to be the mission and outreach pastor.  My job is to continue to work at the youth center as well as plan out local mission trips and outreach projects for our church here.  We are excited to be planning a trip for July 7-9 to go visit the Guaymi Indians and do some work and outreach projects there with our brothers and sisters from Iglesia De La Costa.  

 My kids are already talking about an upcoming trip our Capstone Church family will be taking July 21-28!  We can't wait to spend time with friends and we are busy trying to nail down some of the details on this end. 

 We are also looking forward to more frequent trips to the orphanages this year with trips planned every other week.  And, we are trying to keep up with the other commitments we have here as well.

 Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!  Your notes, phone calls, e-mails, and gifts mean the world to us!

For His Glory,
The Ridderings


PS. Here's a link for those of you that would like to support our ministry here in Costa Rica -  www.WorldOutreach.org/donations -  you can select Aaron and Faith Riddering from the list under the donate tab.  You can also set up automatic monthly Gifts with your credit card if you choose the "Monthly" option.  Or, simply mail your check to:  World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Aaron & Faith Riddering #239. THANK YOU to those of you who have donated already and for those of you that are praying for us!

Thank you to all of you who have helped our friends at the orphanages!  We passed out some new pillow cases last week and they are always excited to have something that is their own.

Immeasurably More

“Have you talked to mom?” This is never a good text to receive. It’s even worse when you are living in another country with sketchy ways of getting in touch with family in the States. 

This was the text I received in November. The news was not what I wanted to hear. My dad would be needing open heart surgery. I was in a quandary! I didn’t know what to do. My initial reaction was to be there no matter what. But then as I was thinking about making the ticket purchase, I just couldn’t be at peace with any of it. I kept asking Aaron what about this, and what about that. His response was supportive but not terribly helpful. “Do what you need to do and we’ll make it work.” Seriously? I really wanted him to just tell me what to do. Which flight to take. How long to be in the States. 

You see this is something that has been fearful for me. Costa Rica is a long way from Pennsylvania. To have myself so very far from my husband and children wasn’t something that I looked forward to. (Okay, I may have looked forward visiting Chiptole and a few other stores.) We have 4 kids! That’s a lot to ask for daddy to undertake. But, to have myself so far away from my parents & siblings during this time wasn’t something to look forward to either.  

So, I called my dad and asked what he thought I should do. His response, after my blubbering subsided was, “Just stay there & come when the whole family can come”. Really? I reasoned that if that’s what he wanted that I could be at peace with it. It seemed like this was my answer. I would be staying in Costa Rica while my dad underwent major surgery. While my siblings were there with my mom. 

My family has gone through this particular surgery before. Twenty-one years ago my dad almost died from a heart attack. I was 13 years old and remember standing in the emergency room watching my dad being worked on while they tried to save his life. Then several months later I watched him begin the slow recovery process from open heart surgery. Keep in mind he was 21 years younger as well. Don’t think I didn’t have my misgivings, because this time around he’s 80 years old. 

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." 

Ephesians 3:20-21

This was my Facebook post on January 6 with my dads surgery scheduled for the 9th.  I was resting in that verse going into the week of his surgery. I really was totally "okay" with not being there. I was thinking I might need to have some extra activity while he was in surgery, but I wasn’t dwelling on it or fretting. I was totally at peace. 

Tuesday morning I was teaching the kids and getting ready for Ladies Group at my house when Aaron said, “Hey did you see this email?”.   The email was from dear friends saying that they didn’t think I should miss this time with my family. Wow~ Immeasurably more... that’s a lot! My Father in heaven was pouring out more than I could ask, think or imagine. I don’t think I have ever experienced a gift like this from someone. I was so shocked. 

So, we quickly forgot about school, and got the ticket purchased. Ladies from ladies group came and shared and prayed with me while Aaron arranged my shuttle to the airport, and the next morning I was off. 

I had great flight times considering that most flights the day I wanted to go didn’t get in until the next day.  I arrived pretty late at night, and since we had to get up very early to go to the hospital, my sister and I didn’t get any sleep. We just took showers and then did what any reasonable adult should do, and jumped on our dad when it was time for him to wake up! :) Yes, we snuggled with our dad before he had to go to surgery. He said he didn’t want to let us go. What a privilege it was for me to be able to be there and hug and pray with my parents. I was freezing but I was there. 

He was in surgery all day.  He was in the hospital less than a week! Immeasurably more~ I just kept thinking the whole time I was there that God was pouring out on us and on me! Now don’t get me wrong I know things don’t always turn out the way we would hope, and we always need to give God the glory in all things. God was showing me His love in His way in His time.

Ephesians 3: 14 - 21

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge --that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

We as parents want our kids to know the love of God and to understand it in every aspect of their lives.  But do we? Do we look for God’s love? It seemed during my whole trip that God was showing me his love. At every turn He was shouting, “Do you see that I care about the little details?” Maybe it was my looking for it, or that I only had myself to look out for and could focus a little better, but I could see Him working the whole time!

When I left I asked the kids if there was something that they really wanted me to bring back from the States. They all responded with, “Backpacks!”. (Theirs have gotten a touch moldy and torn since we’ve been here.) I hoped to fill this request, but I wasn’t sure I could with the exact colors that were requested. Also, have you shopped for backpacks lately?! Oh my, they are way too expensive! 

I had purchased all but one during events that were only explained by God and was speaking with Aaron before I went into the last store and said, “You know, I still don’t have the last backpack.” That was it. I don’t remember if I prayed about it or anything. Then I walked into a shoe store and as I looked at the ladies shoes a salesman CAME OVER TO ME in the corner of the store! (Remember that I had no kids with me.) He held up a backpack and said, “You wouldn’t be interested in this backpack would you? It’s $2.00.” Wow! I was blown away! I almost burst into tears! The Lord was really getting to me with these backpacks for my kids! 

God knew the colors that had been requested! 

When I got home I shared with the kids each story of how I had found or been shown their backpack. I wanted them to know that God knew their hearts and had these picked out packs for them at prices that I could afford. (I spent a total of $20 for four new or nearly new backpacks that were all very good brands!) God was showering my kids with his love as well! Please hear me well. I don’t believe that God always shows us his love with “things”, but we need to be aware of God’s love and looking for it in all areas of our lives. 

I am definitely not the writer that my husband is, but I really felt like God wanted me to tell y'all this story. (Yes, I only lived in the South a year but I really like this word.) I have learned that I need to look for the Immeasurably More  ways that God shows us his love.  Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge and filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Have you looked at the ocean recently? I mean really looked at it or really thought about it.  When I look at it sometimes I am overwhelmed by the vastness of it. Mostly because I’m freaking out when our 3 year old runs into it at breakneck speeds and throws herself without care into it as the tide rushes up to engulf her.  The same is true for God’s love we need to run at breakneck speeds straight into it and let it wash over us throwing ourselves straight into the arms and love of The God of the universe. 

Life in Costa Rica is going well. We are enjoying living here. We will be visiting family in March in California and hopefully Pennsylvania as well. We are learning Spanish slowly but surely. We are by no means fluent, but if people are patient and take it slow we can usually understand what they are saying. (Costa Ricans as a rule don’t speak slowly.)

The school year starts today here in Costa Rica and Aaron has been asked to help teach one day a week at the Christian School and is looking forward to that new part of the journey. Not much else has changed with our different activities and schedules here in Costa Rica.  We were encouraged last night to be doing ministry in our community and with our neighbors in a daily personal way, life on life.  We are all to be loving and showing God’s love to those around us in the individual opportunities that God provides. Be God’s missionaries to the lost as well as to our fellow Christians. 

Your Sister in Christ,

Faith

Troubling Thoughts

The past couple of weeks have been eventful.  We now have another trip to Panama to renew our visas under our belts.  We have gone through the preparations, church services, and fun times of Christmas in a different culture, and we have been keeping up with our current responsibilities at the youth center.  But for this blog post I'm not going to tell tales of life in Costa Rica.  I'm not going to share stories of brand new experiences or strange circumstances.

     As a matter of fact I have been putting this post off.  (You may have noticed that it's been longer than normal between blogs.)  The reason for this is that lately when I read The Word of God I have been finding disturbing things.  Things that keep me awake at night.  Things that are difficult to write or talk about, but things that I feel like I am supposed to share here.

    So, I'm going to share some troubling thoughts, but I share them as one who is on this journey and not as one who has already arrived.  I share them as a true friend is supposed to share things with those he cares about.

“On judgement day many will say to me, ‘Lord!  Lord!  We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you.  Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’  

Mt. 7:22 - 23

 I guess I always skimmed over this before and assumed that this described separating sheep from goats.  However, now that I give this some consideration I see more and more that this is a separating of sheep from those who THINK that they are sheep!  

      This is terrifying!  No unbeliever I know would claim to have cast out demons, or performed miracles, or prophesied in God’s name.  Does this imply that we may be sitting next to people in church that are not known by God?  Does this mean that we need to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling?  Are we to examine our relationship with God and encourage other Christians to do the same?

      Just when I thought this was one of the scariest things I had ever read, I came across a parable later in Matthew...  I want to type this all out for you as you may not have a Bible handy whey you read this and I want you to read what I read for yourself!  

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.  When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight they were all roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming!  Come out and meet him!’

All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.  Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us.  Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came.  Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.  Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord!  Lord!  Open the door for us!’

But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’”       Mt. 25:1 - 12

It seems like the same group of people, are again in this story, being turned away from a reward they thought they would receive.  These are people that did what they could to prepare for the marriage feast, they went out and waited with lamps burning, and when they saw they didn’t have enough oil they did what they could to keep their lights from going out.  But, the door was locked...  And they were told that they were not known by the bridegroom. 

They were too late!  They were left in the dark!  And this is where the story ends.   

So, what just happened?  Why didn’t Jesus tell a story where 9 out of 10 made it or even 80%?  In Mt. 7, Jesus uses the word many!  I don’t know about you but 50% really leaves a person with a sick feeling inside!

If these are all people that think that they are saved, what is the difference between the two groups?  What is the oil?  It seems to me that there is only one correct answer.  What is the one thing that a follower of Christ could not share with someone to help save their souls in their hour of need?  What is something that is an external source of power that we get to carry with us wherever we go?  What can be used by a follower of Christ to bring light to the darkness and to our path?  

I don't think the answer is a thing at all but a Who!  The Holy Spirit is the only possible solution!  He is the difference between those who do the right things in their own strength, but run out and burn out, and those who seem to have an extra power source.  He is the difference between the lives of those doing “good things” for God, and those being led to right things in and through the power of God.  He is the difference!

No amount of wearing yourself out for God will impress in the end.  He wants to know us!  Is it possible that the God of all creation really would not know (on an intellectual level) those who were turned away?  A friend pointed out that this word is the same one used in other places in the Bible to explain the intimate knowing between a husband and a wife.  HE WANTS TO KNOW US!  Do we allow Him to?  Do we place our relationship with Him in this type of a category?

There is nothing wrong with walking the isle and repeating a prayer after a salvation message, but I don’t see it mentioned in the Bible.  I do see that God calls us to repent and be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit.  I don’t know about you but I want to be drenched in The Holy Spirit!  Not because I fear hell (and I do) but because I want to live a life totally surrendered to His control and with His power!  I know it won’t be an easy road, but I choose The Comforter over any other comfort, and know that His ways are always better than the world’s.

This is a truth that I feel God has led me to in the past couple of weeks and I can’t shake the feeling that I am supposed to share it.  I hope that this post does not come across in any way other than a letter of encouragement from one friend to another.

In the midst of this busy season and New Year’s resolutions I’ve been challenged to take another look at my relationship with The Comforter.   I hope you will be too!  

        Please check out the column on the side for our family's prayer requests and please keep praying!  In addition to these, we are learning of some huge opportunities and praying that God will use us in these areas in His time. (We'll share more as we are able to.) 

    
        Happy New Year!
         The Ridderings

 P.S.  If you want to support our ministry, the easiest way to do it is via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations -  you can select Aaron and Faith Riddering from the list under the donate tab.  You can also set up automatic monthly gifts with your credit card if you choose the "Monthly" option.  Or, simply mail your check to:  World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Aaron & Faith Riddering #239 

Mama said there'd be days like this!

      Doesn't it look like Bella is having "one of those days" in the picture at the top of this page?  Life is hard sometimes!  (Life is real hard when you are 2 and have to take family pictures without having taken a proper nap!)

 We've had a few rough days this last couple weeks.  Not rough in ways that would tempt us to question God or run screaming into the jungle, but life has been harder than usual lately.  A very dear friend lost a spouse and we grieve with that friend and wish we could be close by.  We spent Thanksgiving without family and won’t see them for Christmas either.  Our truck continues to provide us with opportunities to work on our patience as we realize that another repair is needed when we are hours from home.  Then there is the upcoming surgery of a family member, the unexpected bill, the strained relationship, the sick child that stays up all night, the problem at the lawyers office, the strange sore on my face that doesn’t seem to heal, and the mold that is starting to take over our luggage! 

I hope it doesn’t sound like I am complaining.  I know I have much to be thankful for.  I’m just saying that those days “your mama warned you about” do stack up on you sometimes.  

        Where would a person be if this life was all they had to live for?

“....And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”  

1 Peter 3:15b

    

     “And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”   

1 Corintinans 15:19

The word “hope” in our day and age seems to have become pretty anemic.  People say things like, “I sure hope we aren’t having rice and beans again tonight!”, or “I hope that stain comes out of my favorite T-shirt!”.  It’s statements like these that minimize hope to something little more than wishing upon a star.  But, the way I read it, hope is supposed to be a driving force in our lives.  When we read the above verses our minds no longer jump to the greatness that was implied by the writers.  (At least mine doesn’t.  I guess I shouldn’t blame my problems on you...) 

I was re-reading my last blog when I noticed that I said that, “With joy I look forward to each leg of the journey and not just the destination!”  I stand by this and think that joy can be found in all hard circumstances if you view it from God’s eternal perspective.  However, if we focus solely on the journey and the “here and now”, we do so at the expense of not spending any time looking forward to our hope.  When was the last time that you and I spent a few minutes daydreaming about heaven and longing for our prize?   

I read a book called “The Slumber of Christianity” by Ted Dekker a while back.  In it he shared this interesting point:  Marathon runners look forward to, and enjoy, the little cup of water that they get from those little card table water stations that are set up along their route.  If you watch a marathon you’ll see the runners grabbing a cup and taking a quick drink or even pouring the water on themselves to cool down.  Those little cups of water are something to look forward to for a dry and thirsty runner. 

Now imagine for a minute that only a mile from the finish line the runners stopped running and started congregating around the table drinking water and swapping stories.  We move in closer only to find that they are talking about how amazing the water is and how nice the well placed table is.  Now imagine that they start setting up tents and talking about how they want to stay right there next to the table for the rest of their lives so that they can enjoy what has been provided...

This illustration is laughable, but isn’t that what we sometimes do?  We enjoy the good things that God has blessed us with here on this earth, and that is the way it is supposed to be.  But, the good things we enjoy here are only tastes or glimpses of what is to come.  The good things God provides are supposed to make us long for the day when our hope becomes sight, but sometimes we enjoy those little cups of water so much that we start camping out where we are.  We begin to look to those cups of water to bring us joy rather than to looking at our goal.  We sometimes forget about finishing the race that we started.  We know that when we finish the race we are promised eternal rewards that vastly outweigh anything that we experience here, but we tell ourselves that the water table isn’t too bad either, and we forget our prize!   

As followers of Christ we get to find joy in the “now” as God’s Kingdom invades earth in and through us, but we must not fail to look forward to the day when our hope becomes sight and we leave our earthly bodies.  

       Hope makes the bad days bearable!  It can turn a terrible circumstance into an opportunity.  The hope we have in Christ can help us find joy in our sufferings, (and the Bible says that persecution and suffering for his sake are part of the deal).  Our hope knocks the teeth out of death!   And when death looses it’s sting in our lives, no one and nothing can stop you or talk you out of following Christ wherever he leads.  (After all, what’s the worst case senario?  Death and heaven?!)

“Faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love.”          1 Corinthians 13:13

Sure, hope comes after love in the list, but my point is that hope definitely makes the list! of the "big three"!  Love will always be.   Love will be what goes on in heaven for all of eternity and is the greatest command for our lives here on earth, but hope and faith help us in our daily lives to focus on heaven and what really matters!   So, as it turns out, hope is a very powerful tool in the life of a follower of Jesus!  Maybe we all need to spend more time with our hearts and minds on the future we are promised?  Maybe we need to dwell on heaven every day?  Maybe we need more thoughts of heaven during those days that more closely resemble hell? 

       Since writing the last blog we traveled to San Vito and had a great time visiting with our missionary friends Bart, Heather, and Eden.  Bart, Kaleb, and I got to work on the school project and spend some time "camping" out in the Indian village, and meanwhile the ladies/girls got to spend some quality time in the "big city". 
  

       Yesterday, we got to spend the day with the orphans from five different orphanages!  Usually we only get to spend time with the kids from one orphanage on any given day as we work through the rotation, but for the Christmas party they all come together and we spend most of a day having a "Gran Fiesta"!  We get to eat together, play together, have water fights, sing songs, give gifts, and pass out lots of hugs!  To say that this was a highlight for our family is a big understatement! 

Fun times at a Christmas party!

Around 65 of our friends without families.

        I continue to enjoy my times at Centro de Vita (the youth center).  I have been working with some of the leaders there and the kids to get a calendar put together with some mission activities as well as some fun things too.  We are trying to get some classes going as well in the new year to expand their horizons.

       Our Spanish classes are going pretty well!  Lately we have been doing three classes a week and spending 2-3 hours in each class.  Our teacher is a great Tica friend who is helping us so much!  I know there are times when we have "glazed over" looks on our faces, but it is encouraging when we hear a Spanish conversation and understand all that is being said!

       We would appreciate your continued prayer as we are facing some big decisions!  One request in particular is wisdom in what we should do with Faith's dad's upcoming heart surgery.  Please pray for him in this time, and also that we would have wisdom in deciding if and how Faith can make a trip to be with him.

       We love and miss you all, and pray that this Christmas season is one full of hope!

                                                                                                                   The Ridderings

P.S.  If you want to support our ministry, the easiest way to do it is via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations -  you can select Aaron and Faith Riddering from the list under the donate tab.  You can also set up automatic monthly gifts with your credit card if you choose the "Monthly" option.  Or, simply mail your check to:  World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Aaron & Faith Riddering #239    

An Easy Yoke (and a little puke)

This past week I got to spend some time in a Guymai Indian village with a team on a mission trip and my friend Bart who is a missionary there.   Along with many other things, Bart and his wife Heather are in the process of helping build a school in one of the villages so that the children do not have to go long distances by foot to the next village for school.  Working on the school was the focus of the week as well as a VBS program and we all had a great time! 

A photo of the village we were in.

I got to help in some construction and be part of what was going on that week but not until after I took a journey....

   We ended up having some sickness in our family at the start of the week so we could not all go as planned.  I was, however, able to go alone midweek.  Since I needed to leave our truck for my family, my trip consisted of a long bus ride, a car ride, and a late night (pitch black) hike in the mud through the jungle.

As my journey started out I found myself again talking with God about what his intentions are for my family and me.  (I guess I would feel more comfortable if I could see the whole picture.)  Although he has shown us many things to be doing and involved in, I was wondering if I am DOING enough.  

In the past I was able to look at my list at the end of a given day and decide if I had been “successful” in that day.  Did I get enough done today?  I used to ask myself this question, but I could compare myself to other people in construction and/or insurance adjusting and see how I measured up.  This business of trying to give each day to God and allow him to have his way with me is a new experience for me.  Although I would highly recommend it to anyone, it has been difficult to know if I am measuring up.

On that bus God brought a couple verses to mind that I had read several weeks before.  I had really been struck by the verses when I read them,  but on that bus ride I began to see something totally new and different!  (Isn’t God’s Word amazing in that it truly is a living thing and is somehow new each day?)  

“Now may the God of peace - who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood - may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.  May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.  All glory to him forever and ever!  Amen.”   Heb. 13:20 & 21

These words blow me away with the greatness of God!  This benediction brings so much comfort and freedom!  Did you see it there?  I had to read it several times before I realized that God is using the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to equip me with all I need so that I can do what he wills!  It says, “May HE produce in you...”!  He is the one producing the things in my life that please him!  He is and will be actively involved in every good thing that I will ever do!  The responsibility rests on him as long as I am willing to follow!

No pressure here....  No wonder Jesus invites us to share his yoke and states that it is light.  He is going to equip us to do, and then produce in us, the good things that are pleasing to him!  Does it get better than that?  Is there a more freeing benediction?  

I see now that my walk with Christ is a little like the trip I took to visit the Indian village.  (I’m sure this analogy breaks down at many points, but just try to follow the main idea.)  I had no idea how to get there on my own.  I didn’t even know what to expect once I got off the bus.  I needed only to buy my ticket and get on.  Once on board I did not question the driver to see if he had done this before, I just trusted.    

Stepping off the bus in the dark, I was still miles from where I needed to be but I was told that there would be a car with two guys to pick me up...  Again I trusted, and sure enough they pulled up minutes after I got there.  It was not just any 2 guys that picked me up either.  I met two brothers in Christ who had stories to tell all the way to where their car could go no further.  (One was even very familiar with my tiny “hometown” in Colorado!)  Then we got out of the car in pitch darkness and began to hike in the mud on trails and over old suspension bridges and found our way to the village one step at a time.

To top it all off, (sometimes God has to “drive home” points with me as I miss some things that are painfully obvious) when I walked into the building that the group was in I found them having a sharing time.  Several of those sharing spoke on how we need only to be willing for God to have his way in our lives and we don’t have to have everything all figured out!  He wants to take us along for the ride but does not want us to forget who the driver is.  

Please keep in mind that I was not told, nor did I expect, that the journey would be without difficulty or be the most direct route to the destination.  It’s good I wasn’t told that every aspect of the trip would be lovely as five minutes into the bus ride the child in the seat next to mine threw up everywhere!  Puke splattered all over my leg, feet and bag and the smell the rest of the way was incredible!  And, there were many unscheduled stops between the start and end of my trip.  

Jesus does not promise that the journey will be without it’s problems.  As a matter of fact he tells us in many ways to buckle up!   It seems that the whole New Testament is filled with warnings about what to expect if you follow in Jesus’ footsteps and live a Spirit directed life!  You don't get into a yoke without knowing that there will be hard work and even pain involved, but the difference is that when we share a yoke with Jesus he will be as close as our next breath and he promises to never leave or forsake!

Along the way I could have been stressed about different parts of the journey, but I trusted the drivers, I trusted Bart, and I trusted my God to do what I could not.  It’s fun to be at ease on a journey!   And God calls us to live life in this way! He calls us to trust him to equip us!  Then he promises to produce every good thing that he wants to do in and through us by his all sufficient, never ending, indescribable power!  

What’s not to love about this offer that God makes every day of our lives?!  My trip to the village was a cool adventure and I learned to trust the one giving directions even more than I did before.  I know that where God calls, I can go with confidence!  Whether he calls me to adventure, solitude, suffering, or joy (or most likely a combination of these) I can have peace knowing that he will provide all I need for doing his will and then produce in me all the good that he wants to do through me!  I get to be like a kid whose daddy calls him to follow along on a grand adventure!  With joy I look forward to each leg of the journey and not just the destination!  

   I pray that each of you can find comfort in this verse knowing that the pressure to plan the course, provide what is needed, and work in us is on God's shoulders.  I pray we can all find peace in that.   I also pray that you all find a challenge in this verse to continue on or get on that "bus" and let him choose the path!  

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is the Costa Rican version of a turkey.

   Again, thank you for all your prayers!  Here are a few updates on some prayer requests.  We have had some health issues since the last blog and ask that you continue to pray for health for our family as our bodies adjust to this new climate and culture.  Please continue to pray that God directs us in the everyday things like future housing, additional vision, and physical and spiritual provision.  Please also pray for the families in our area as we are seeing a spiritual attack on the family unit here.  Finally, we are going back to the Indian reservation this coming week to help finish the school and any long trip is an unknown in a developing country with a (almost) 30 year old vehicle.

                                                                                                                    Your Friends,
                                                                                                                  The Ridderings

      

P.S.  We are very greateful to all of you that have felt lead to support us!  We are at about 60% of what our expenses are here and are amazed by that after not doing any fund raising before we came!  If you want to support our ministry, the easiest way to do it is via www.WorldOutreach.org/donations -  you can select Aaron and Faith Riddering from the list under the donate tab.  You can also set up automatic monthly gifts with your credit card if you choose the "Monthly" option.  Or, simply mail your check to:  World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Aaron & Faith Riddering #239