Flat Tire in a Border Town

     “You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead?  Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion?  Of course not!  So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”    Luke 11:11-13

 

Do you remember going places as a child with your parents?  My parents would tell me when it was time to go, they would help me get into the car, and they would drive me to places that I may or may not know.  Sometimes we did things that were exciting and fun and other times we did everyday things or even painful things (like getting a shot).  Bottom line was that I was along for the ride and my loving parent was in charge.  Knowing these things was enough for me to trust and even look forward to these journeys. 

Fast forward a bit. 

A week and a half ago I found myself sitting on a curb watching my front tire as it was going flat.  My family and I were checked out of Costa Rica but had not yet checked into Panama. (Where does that actually leave a person?)  I was watching my tire going flat because I had locked my keys in the car!  That’s right, now you’re starting to get the picture of how our day was going....

A requirement of staying in Costa Rica, without being a resident, is to leave the country every 90 days.  That is why we were on the border between two Central American countries.  This was our first trip to Panama, so before starting our trip we had lots of things to think about and some concerns as everyone that we talked to had a different story about what to expect and what is required. 

We prayed about the upcoming trip and placed it in God’s hands and we felt God’s peace come over us and our situation.

So, back to our predicament.

It was at that point, with the tire going flat and the keys locked in the car, that the old me would have wanted to scream and then fix things in my own power.  I would have stressed out and worried because, after all, it was up to me.   Right?  

Lately, though I have felt like that little child who is being led around by his loving parent.  Sure, it was my fault that the keys were locked in the car, and it was a bit rattling to be in that situation, but holding the hand of my big loving Heavenly Father helped me have a different perspective.  So, I sat there sweating, but with a smile on my face because I was anticipating what God would do next as I waited for a guy to come and unlock our car.

                                                                                          

  In the end the guy was able to unlock the door with enough air still in the tire to limp over to the tire store.  Once at the tire place we found a better deal on tires than we could have gotten in our town and were able to replace our very bald tires for about 50% of what it would have cost in Uvita.  We also got checked out of Costa Rica and into Panama, and out of Panama and into Costa Rica in less time than we had anticipated!  

As a father I have four little people that trust me to provide and watch over them.  When they put their hands in mine and want to go with me even when they don’t know where I am going, there is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them.  They trust and love me even though I sometimes have no idea what I am doing or where we are going.  How much more can our hearts be at peace with the God of the universe living in us and guiding our steps?  After all he already showed us that he loved us so much that he would die for us....  

Our God is good!  He is worthy of our trust, praise, and devotion!  He lacks nothing, and he is our everything, and it is our Abba (Daddy).  He is ready and willing to lead us, and if we ask, he will send the Comforter to dwell in us and give us true peace!  Will we let him? 

Here are some other ways that we can see/feel God’s loving hand working and directing our lives. 

Our family has been able to get on more of a schedule for going into the orphanages.  During these time we get to play games and eat with the kids as well as hear a Bible story.  It is so cool to have begun a relationship with some of these kids!  I know my face lights up when I see them and just remembering their names really makes them smile!  We don’t know yet what part these times with the orphans will play in our ministry here in Costa Rica, but it’s hard to drive away unaffected by our friends there! 

Game time at the orphanage!

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you”  James 1:27

Smiles all around!

For a couple weeks now I have gotten to go several times a week to Centro de Vida (Center of Life) and start hanging out with kids.  Monday nights are a time to play games and start relationships and Friday nights are a time with some Bible teaching.  I am really enjoying getting to know some of the kids even though I don’t know a lot of Spanish yet.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit would begin working in these lives to draw them toward repentance and a relationship with him!  

We had a week and a half between our first rental and the house that we are now moved into.  During that time we didn’t know where we would live.  God provided a place to stay through some great friends here that were going to be in the States during that same time frame!  Not only did we have a place to stay but this amazing house has an ocean view and a pool!  We are now moved into our new rental and the cool breeze is worth all the work of moving twice!

Finally, we have been humbled by some very generous financial gifts that have come this past month!  I was carrying in some groceries last week and it hit me how blessed we are.  I stood there with bags in hand and tears in my eyes!  We have been blessed by some of you, and we thank you for your faithfulness!  While not yet at 100% of what we need each month, we feel very blessed to serve a God that is our provider! 

We miss you all!   

      The Riddering Family

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!

Holy Insanity

“Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.”

1 Cor. 3:18&19a

A couple weeks ago a missionary friend of ours needed a place to stay for a night.  While we were talking he called Faith and I “crazy” several times as we told him our story.  Once we had him up to speed on our adventure and all the unknowns he said something like; “If crazy is like hot sauce, then I’m catsup crazy.  You guys are like that hot sauce that burns your lips, your mouth, and your throat, and then burns other parts of your body the next day!”  

I think that the reason for this comment was the fact that he was heading back home after several months and we are here with our family and have no plan B.  (I am pretty sure he meant this as a compliment.  At least that’s the way I’m choosing to take it....) 

“Crazy!”  A word, or rather an idea, that pops up more and more in conversations that I have with others when talking about our decisions as of late.  (I think they must mean crazy in the good way....  Right?)  There are nights that, after waking up at 3:17 in the morning to get Bella a drink, I can’t go back to sleep because part of me knows that we really are crazy!   

I am, however, finding that being “crazy” really does have some great advantages!  Since making the decision to follow where God was leading us and moving to Costa Rica, it has become hard to have “normal” conversations.  It has become difficult to talk with someone for more than 5 minutes without being asked something like; “This is a really large garage sale!  What are y’all doing?”, or “Why do you need so many suitcases?”, or “What do you need this storage unit for?”, or even “What brings you to Coast Rica?”.  It’s after questions like this that I get a big grin on my face and get to tell people (because they asked) about how God has been leading our family.  I get an opportunity to share about God’s hand in our particular circumstances! 

It has been amazing for me to have a part of my life that doesn’t make sense.  It’s almost like God brings opportunities to make much of him when we have those parts of our lives that seem crazy to others, exposed in our lives.  These insane parts of our lives are a cause for questions, they become conversation changers, and they are a gift from God!  After all, how much fun is it to have a predictable ordinary conversation?

I guess I’ve said all this to say that as followers of Christ we should all have “crazy” parts of our lives that do not make sense to this world.  Christ is working in us and his ways are higher than our ways, so there will be opportunities to share Jesus when people ask why we do the things we do.  We should not hide those parts of our lives but instead put them on display for the world to see and wonder....

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction!  But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.  For the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and discard the intelligence of the intelligent .”

1 Cor. 1:18&19

We have gotten more of a sense of the direction that our family’s ministry is heading lately.  This has really been cool to be a part of and our days are really starting to fill up.  (I now have to check my schedule before committing to any upcoming project/event...)  

After lots of prayer and seeking God’s will, Faith and I were getting a feel for the direction God was leading us.  Then we got to spend an evening talking with our pastor and his wife after they returned from the States.  We asked about needs and vision they have for the church here, and received some confirmation in seeing that some of the direction we had, lines up with needs at this time!

I got to go into the local high school with a group from our church!
(That's right, there are no walls on this part of the school!)

So, I am going to start helping with a youth center that is an arm of our church.  Our pastor has a large vision for Centro de Vida as a place for teens to come and hear about God’s love.  Right now that takes place in a casual game room setting, but the hope is to get to where the casual relationships turn into a situation where we can pour God’s love into them through teaching, relationships, and discipleship.  In addition they hope to have music, art, computer, and english classes scheduled so that many people in the community have a physical reason to be in the church, and then stay for spiritual reasons.  I am excited to partner in this way as youth ministry has been part of my background!

 There are other new areas/needs that we can help with, some of which are still being thought/prayed about at this point. We are really excited, and hope to share some additional info in coming blogs!

Thank you for your prayers!  We know you have been lifting us in prayer as we have felt it and seen answers to prayer in the last couple of weeks!  Bella’s rash has gotten quite a bit better!  Please continue to pray for our family’s health as we get used to a new country and new bugs!  Please also continue to pray that we pick up the language quickly as ministry will be so much easier when we have a working knowledge of the language!

Some fun games to break the ice...

We also found a house that we can move into on October 1st!  Not only is this house a 3 bedroom (very hard to find here), but it is closer to our church and stores.  It is also close to a river and is several hundred feet above sea level so we’ll get some cool breeze and keep our air conditioning cost to a minimum.  The house also has a place to park our car out of the sun and rain.  We feel blessed to be making this transition soon!

Finally, please pray for God’s provision in our situation.  We have been so blessed to receive support from some of you.  It is hard to put into words how grateful we are and how each gift has been an answer to prayer.  However, we have had to take a significant portion of our monthly expenses out of our savings each month so far.  For those of you that would like to support our ministry here in Costa Rica please go to -  www.WorldOutreach.org/donations .  Just select Aaron and Faith Riddering from the list under the donate tab and follow the instructions.

 

    Your Friends,

      The Ridderings

Intersections on a Dirt Road (or a surf board for that matter)

“So be careful how you live.  Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”         

Eph. 5:15-17

Some cool things you'll see when you come to visit!

  Intersections of life.  Those times that come each day when we are face to face with another human being.  Occasions when we get to affect another for better or for worse.  Who really thinks about the intersections of life?

Before our pastor left Costa Rica to spend time in the States with family and friends he gave a sermon on intersections, and how we are to be faithful each time to bring God into conversations.  I loved the series that he was preaching through, but this particular sermon seemed extra challenging.  Every intersection?  After some thought and prayer I told God that I was willing to try this out but that he would have to help me know what to say and when to say it.  

It is always cool to look back and see how God uses his word and his servants to plant seeds in our lives.  Those seeds then spring up and start to change parts of our lives, in this case it is my perspective that has been changing.  I now see opportunities where before I didn’t.  

I’d like to start off by saying that not every intersection ends with a deep conversation about God.  Some opportunities end with only asking how the other person’s day is going, but what if we look them in the eye when we ask?  What if we are sincerely interested in their answer?  These intersections can lead to deeper conversations at a later date.  

In looking back on the 5 weeks since hearing this sermon, I can see how am in the midst of some cool relationships and some great new stories because of this new perspective! 

I’d like to share some stories that have come from trying to view each intersection this way.

First there was my mechanic friend that I mentioned before who I have invited to church on several occasions and am now a good friend with.  He has not yet come to church but I honk and wave like a mad man every day when I pass him on the street and am praying for him often.  (One can only imagine what he tells his buddies about the crazy gringo in the big green truck?)

Not long after that, Faith started to see a homeless man on the side of a lightly traveled dirt road.  She became concerned and wanted to do something to help.  One day as I was walking up this road I stopped and talked with him for a while and found out bits and pieces of his story and gave him some food.  

The next day I found him again and was able to give him some more food and a ride.  During the short trip, (while I had a captive audience) I felt God saying that I should pray for him.  After asking if I could pray for him and then praying, we talked a little about what following Christ means.  I shared with him that my wife and kids had seen him and had been and would continue to pray for him.  

The next time we saw him we brought more food and Faith was able to talk with him, and he asked if we might be able to get him a Bible.  Since then we have given him a Bible and are looking for him on the road each day.  I am not sure where this relationship is going, but am excited to see what God and his power can do in a life on the side of a dirt road!  

Last week I found myself talking with a store manager about God!   Finding that we were both followers of Christ he got a big smile on his face, called me his brother and gave me a big hug!  

Finally, a couple times a week I get up early and attempt to surf....  One morning this past week I noticed that the only other person on the beach was one other surfer, but this guy could actually call himself a surfer!  After a particularly amazing ride I simply gave him two enthusiastic thumbs up and didn’t give it another thought.  Then as I walked to my car later he was standing there waiting for me.  We talked a little about surfing and I offered him a ride, but I didn’t work God into the conversation.  

Yesterday I found him again and while sitting on our surf boards waiting for the next set of waves we started talking.  I felt the Spirit pushing me to bring God into the conversation, but I reasoned that I was having trouble enough just balancing on my board and I am not known for my multi-tasking abilities.    

After several more waves and surfing attempts I found myself paddling back out and still feeling that I was to bring God up and make much of him, but I was still fighting it.  I guess I was afraid of what my new surf friend might think.  It was then that God hit me between the eyes and asked if I was going to make the most of this intersection.  (I actually have a black and blue nose from getting hit by my surf board.  I’m not saying that this was of God but the two events happened at roughly the same time.) 

So, I brought God into the conversation and got to see him open up and really start talking.  After hearing about miracles that he had witnessed, he shared about how he had had a bad experience with a Christian Church.  I shared that followers of Christ are still sinners, and church can be messy, but we have a God that will never leave nor forsake!  I told him about our church and he said he’d come if he could, and this time he accepted my offer for a ride to his home. 

Why do I fight it sometimes?  Do I not see God’s hand at work?  Do I doubt the strength of his arm or the wisdom of his timing?  Do you?  

God is looking for ways to show himself strong!  If we are willing to be used by him our lives will be truly full, and we will have countless stories of God’s strength, wisdom, glory, provision, grace, peace, and joy!  Bored with life is something you will never be!  

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to stangers, for some having done this have entertained angels without realizing it.”            Heb. 13:2

I’m not saying that I would have missed all of these opportunities before hearing that sermon, but I know I would have missed some of them!  I am also not ready to state that we have gotten to entertain angles, but I’m not ruling it out either...

And, now you have heard some of God’s words about making the most of every opportunity.  What will happen to those seeds?

In some other new news, I have had the opportunity to help out in some physical ways at a Christian School here in Uvita.  This new school has been growing so much in it's first year that they were bursting at the seams.  They just added kindergarten to all the other grades and have been able to rent the store front next to the ones they already had.  Along with this opportunity came some work that needed to be done to get ready.  Our missionary friends who run the school have done most of the work, but I was able to help out with some painting and hanging of curtain rods and marker board.   

For those of you who are praying for the Ridderings in Costa Rica, we’d like to update our prayer requests.  Isabella has developed a rash that seems pretty persistent.  We aren’t sure if it is heat, food, or soap related, but we would love your prayers as we try to get things figured out!  Also, we have a month from today to figure out a place to live as our 3 month lease runs out.  We may be able to stay in the place that we have, but would like to find something cheaper to try to keep expenses down.  We’d love to find a place several hundred feet above sea level where there is more of a breeze and cooler temperatures as we are spending quite a bit on air conditioning right now.   

Cooling off in the river on a hot afternoon.

Thank you for all the prayers you all have sent our way!  Let us know if there are ways we can be in prayer for you!  We love getting to see God working in big and small ways every day!

Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

    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! 

God of the "Small" Things

It’s a beautiful morning here in the southern part of Coast Rica on the Pacific side!  The sun is shinning, the birds are singing, the kids are busy with school, and I just drove our "brand new" 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser to the shop to get some work done.   (Work that we knew it needed when we bought it.)

       That’s right!  God has blessed us with a vehicle!  I shared a little last time about our struggle to find a vehicle in our price range with enough seat belts and a diesel engine (in order to get 20+ MPG instead of 12).  We looked all over Costa Rica on many different websites for weeks.  We found plenty of cars that were way out of our price range.  We found vehicles that were in our price range but were in terrible shape, and we found some that didn’t have enough room to get the whole family to a destination at the same time.  (We entertained thought of strapping a child to the top of a car, like Granny Clampit, or buying a bike for the 6th passenger.....)

Some mechanic friends as well as other friends that were familiar with what is available and the price of parts and repairs said that if we could find a 1980’s Land Cruiser that they would recommend buying that as a first choice.  Needless to say this particular type of vehicle is also in high demand.  We found one, but because we couldn't go right away to see it, it sold to someone else.  

Frustrated, we lowered our standards and started looking at other options. It seemed that we would have to increase our “budget” for a vehicle by at least 50% if not 90%.  Even then it seemed that we would end up with a very high mileage vehicle with a shady past.  

We had been praying about this issue all the while, but one morning Faith mentioned that we had only mentioned our need to God and not really asked that he show himself strong in this area.  We got on our knees and asked that he provide a story for us to tell.  A story that would give him glory.  We also asked that he would give us an obvious sign as we aren’t always the most observant in this area.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Matt. 7:7-8

  

Later that day a vehicle matching our “dream list” was listed for less than we had hoped to spend!  We called on it right away, and found out that it was located in a town literally named Holy Spirit!  In addition we were prepared to rent a car the next day and drive 4-5 hours to see it, but God had other plans.  We found, to our amazement, that the owner of the car needed to come this way anyway and would be happy to bring it not just to our town, but right to our door!  

As our Spanish speaking friend hung up the phone and told us all the details, we had tears in our eyes.  The tears weren’t due to the the stress of our current situation or even tears of joy.  Our tears were caused by our being able to see Jehovah-jireh at work.  We felt at that point that the God of the universe was working on our behalf and that this was all but a done deal.

I see that I have already used around 600 words to describe the purchasing of a vehicle.  I also know that I have greatly overused exclamation points thus far, but at the risk of using more, there are a few more points in this story that need to be told in order to show just how much God was at work and how he gets all glory for this story.

We talked to the owner on a Thursday night, and he said that he could probably come to show the car on Monday.  The normal me, (ram everything through and get it done) wanted to step in and just rent a car and go, but there was a peace and Faith and I both felt that this was of God and there was nothing that we needed to do to “help” the process along.  Then Sunday came and Walter, the owner of the car, called to say that his family was sick and we could not see the car until Tuesday, and again we felt God’s peace even knowing that this type of vehicle at this price would not last long.

Tuesday came and the car was just what we needed and we were able to agree on a price.  Then a mechanic friend said that he could give me a ride to San Isidro where we were to close the deal the next day!  On the way to San Isidro my friend told me some nightmarish tales about using the lawyer of the sellers choosing. He advised me to use another lawyer.  Although this advise made sense, I felt a peace about everything and felt that God had prepared the way ahead of me.  After calling Faith to see that she felt the same way, I went to the lawyer that the owner knew.  It was a great experience and we had to spend 1/2 of what I would have at another lawyers office.

When all was said and done Walter hugged me and told me that there was something different about my family.  I was able to tell him, in spanglish, that God is the difference.  I then invited him to call me if ever he was back in our neck of the woods so we could have dinner.  

On my way home I felt joy!  I felt joy at the way God had arranged things, joy that we now had another story to tell that points others to God, and a joy in the peace that he alone can give!    

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

James 1:17

Some flowers from our front yard.

       My God is huge and often overwhelms me!  He knows the hairs on my head and also that a diesel engine will last us longer and get much better mileage.  He knew that some of us aren’t real keen on picking out his direction, and he made things abundantly plain to Faith and I.  He knew that I was nervous about the language barrier as well as the legal parts of buying a car in Costa Rica, and he took those worries and replaced them with an excited interest in seeing how God would work these things out.  

God has also been faithful in giving us “small” assignments in the past weeks.  Faith has been helping out at a second hand store run by our church.  This store uses all the money raised to buy beans and rice for people in the community who are going through hard times financially and use this opportunity to provide for their spiritual needs as well.  She has also gotten to help out with the Sunday School on several occasions.  

        The pastor and his family here are currently in the States enjoying some time with family.  I get to help out in taking over the set up duties as our church has been meeting in an outdoor covered area because the building has gotten to small.  Also, our church has rented an additional space for the Sunday School program that needed to be painted and cleaned.  I have gotten to help with that work several days and have gained a great new friend in the process!  

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we are trying not to miss opportunities that God brings our way.  We are beginning to see several different areas that we would like to help with however, we don't want to rush ahead too quickly.  We also have to make a decision regarding housing. Our current lease is up in September and we are trying to find something else.  Please also know that we are praying that all of you are able to follow his plan for your lives and that he gives you His peace in doing it!  

Seeking out God’s plans,

      The Ridderings

PS. Hey y'all if you want to be a part of our ministry here in Costa Rica please check out this link...  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! 

Habla Espanol?

I can remember what I was like when Faith and I were dating.  I must have worn people out with stories about my girlfriend.  Any one who would listen would end up knowing an interesting fact about Faith, her latest story, or what we had talked about the day before.  Whether I said it or not, everyone could tell that I was totally smitten!  

I could turn any conversation into an opportunity to talk about her!  It shouldn't be difficult to bring the object of my affection up in conversation, it just happens because I love her.  I still find myself talking about my wife in casual conversation because she means so much to me and want others to know how cool she is.  If we had only met today, it would be hard for me to last 10 minutes without saying something about Faith, Kaleb, Keziah, Annah Lucia, and/or Isabella. (Kaleb pointed out that we spelled all of our kid’s names wrong according to spell check.....)  I want others to be able to share in my joy about those I love!

Wednesday I paid a mechanic and a translator to drive to San Isidro with me in a rented car to look at vehicles as we are still searching for a good car to buy. (It’s harder than you may think to locate a reliable vehicle for a good price here!)  Long story short, we came back empty handed, but the translator needed to stay in San Isidro so I drove back with my mechanic friend Martin(MAR-teen) and a very limited vocabulary on my part.  

I hit all my normal phrases such as: “Much rain!”, “How old are you?”, “How many children have you?”, “Nice day!”, and “Isuzu Trooper no good!”.  So, after about two and a half minutes I was out of things to say even though I really like Martin and wanted to talk to him about life.... and God.  After sitting in silence and frustration for 20 minutes, I finally decided that I’d give it another try.  I think I may have asked him about what he thinks about God, and if he goes to church.  After that I am pretty sure I invited him to church and he seemed excited, but I guess time will tell if these are the things that I actually said.  

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things that we cannot see will last forever.”   

II Cor 4:17&18

I am in love with God!  I have had extra time on my hands lately and have been trying to spend extra time in his presence.  I find myself falling deeper and more hopelessly in love with him.  So, it is frustrating not to be able to talk about him with my mechanic friend and only being able to hug orphans and ask about their names and ages.  

I know that others are supposed to be able to see God’s love in our lives even when we don’t speak, and this is what I am currently praying for.   I guess we thought that we would be able to use our online lessons, save a bunch of money, and catch on pretty fast, but that doesn’t seem to be working too well at this point.  We want to be sharp tools in God’s hands, so starting next week we will be starting some spanish lessons with an instructor.  

I remember the story of Moses and how he told God that he couldn’t speak well.  God made a way for him to do what he was called to do, and I know he will make a way for us as well.  Please pray that God helps us to learn the language as quickly as possible!  In the meanwhile we will continue to love on people and try to show God’s love through our actions.

In other news we are having a great time here in Costa Rica.  Since our last blog we have gotten to again hang out with some orphans at a pool party!  Talk about a good time!  Although wishing I could understand all that was said, we found that playing and fun are universal.  My whole family loves every chance that we get to hang out with these cool little friends!  When they must leave we each feel that a part of ourselves go with them, and can’t wait to see them again.  

Some of our friends after the pool party.

Faith is going to be taking a shift at our church’s clothing shop while our pastor and his family go back to the States for a month.  She is a little nervous about the money conversion but looking forward to meeting new people and helping out where she can.

We still have not found a vehicle.  We are trying not to obsess about this, but having always had one it is a big change to borrow a car every time you need one or walk to get groceries.  

We were praying about this yesterday morning and Faith told God that sometimes we just need things to be obvious as we may not be the quickest to catch his leading.  We also asked that God would use this experience for his glory.  Later that day we found a vehicle that seemed to match all of our needs, but it was in a town on the other side of the country.  In finding the town on a map with a friend we found that Esparza is also labeled and known as Espiritu Santo.  Espiritu Santo literally means Holy Sprit!!  (Is this the obvious sign that we were looking for?)

We then had a friend call to find out more about the vehicle and it sounds like what we have been looking for.   The seller also said that he needed to head this way soon, so instead of renting a car for $220 and driving across Costa Rica to see a car, he will bring it to us for $60!  It looks like this will have to be a “to be continued.......” story, but we are excited to see how God works out even the “small” issues in our lives!  

Again thank you for all the prayer support!  There are times when nothing seems to make sense (when we are missing friends and family) and we start to doubt, but then feel lifted up somehow and at peace with it all.  We know that this is the power of prayer to our Almighty God!  

We also want to send a big thank you out to those of you who have chosen to financially support us on this journey!  You have been a huge encouragement to us and answer to prayer in this scary and transitional time while we have no financial plan.  

We love and miss each one of you! 

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

A view not too far from Uvita.

Lovin it!

Surf lesson!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (minus the trains)

It’s not every day that you get a hug from the lady behind the ticket counter of an airport, but that’s what happened to us!  Here is that story as well as a few others to let you in on the latest happenings on our crazy journey.

It took a full minivan and a loaded truck to get there, but we arrived safely at the Latrobe Airport on June 21.  There we stood at the ticket counter with enough luggage to fill the available cargo space on any normal jet as well as most of the overhead bins.  (I recommend that all of you try this sometime just to see the looks on people’s faces!)  We had prepaid for all the extra luggage, but had not paid for the overweight fees as this could only be determined at the airport, so we were expecting to pay an extra $400 to $500 in fees.  

While checking in, and after praying that God would use us to glorify himself on this trip, we explained to Tina (the lady behind the counter) that in one tote there was what may have looked like a bomb as we were bringing a water filter to Costa Rica, but that she need not worry.  Upon hearing this I expected to be involved in some sort of intrusive cavity search, but instead she said, “You guys are on a mission trip aren’t you?”  We told her that we were, and she proceeded to put “Heavy!” stickers on all the bags and not charge us anything for the added weight!  

After the bags had all been loaded on the conveyor belt she simply said, “God bless you guys!”  We all got a little teared up and I told her that if she were on our side of the counter I would give her a hug, so she stepped over and hugged me!  We were on our way!  

Making the best of a very long layover!

The rest of our day was not quite so good with a 10 hour delay on the layover which ended up being a cancelled flight in the end.  So, at 4:00 am on June 22 we arrived at the Holiday Inn in Fort Lauderdale rather than our rented house in Bahia, Costa Rica.  All in all we were in no hurry and the kids got an unexpected day of swimming in between flights, and we arrived safely on June 23 in the afternoon.  

Our luggage had gotten to San Jose a day before we did, but God even had a guy there, (who spoke no english) who found us looking lost.  He knew where our bags were and helped us move our stuff all the way to our shuttle!  

Starting a life here in Costa Rica has been fun and challenging at the same time.  I wish I could report that after a good nights sleep I woke up on Monday morning and God told me why we are here and what we are to be doing.  It seems however, that he will either show us his plan bit by bit or in his own time, so we are trying to spend each day looking for ways to help take part in ministries that are already here.  

Faith was able to help some ladies from our church here (Inglesia De la Costa) with a weekend that had been planned for some older girls from an orphanage.  The purpose of the weekend was to help them get away, hear about God’s plan for their futures, and have a good time.  The kids and I got to join in a little and meet the girls on a trip to the beach.  Faith learned about how the girls are turned out of the orphanages here at 18 and how some end up on the streets as they have no means to start out.  Please keep these young ladies in your prayers as this is really heavy on most of their hearts!

We also got to help out at a VBS this past week where over 100 kids came and heard about God’s love and plan for their lives.  Our kids were able to join in and Faith and I got to help out with serving lunch.  I even got to play a little extreme dodge ball! 

Tomorrow we get to take the whole family to the orphanage that we visited last time we were here and see our friends there!  Our kids were so excited when they found out, you would have thought that we had just announced that we were heading to Disney World!

Hanging out with some old friends.

We feel very blessed to be here and to have the opportunity to look for ways each day to bring glory to our God.  At the same time, Satan uses our weaknesses to cause doubts.  When I am trying to talk to kids at VBS and can’t convey a thought in their language he says, “This was a mistake.”  When we look for a car and can’t find one in our price range that will be reliable he says, “You are a fool to be here at all.  What about the future?”  I would be lying if I said that I never let it get to me, but then I read these verses.

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God chose things the world considered foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.  And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God........Therefore, as the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.’”  1 Cor. 1:26-29 & 31

I know that we are not powerful or wealthy and I know that the world looks at us and these latest decisions and sees foolishness, and that’s cool!  It’s cool because when God does something through us, no one will be able to say that it was because of our power or wealth or our well thought out plan.  It’s cool because it will be understood that God did something in spite of us, in spite of the language barrier, and in spite of no organized funding and that he did it for HIS glory!  I hope you can see that we are boasting in the Lord, and my prayer is that you are as well!

Please keep the prayers coming!  I had several people say that they had been praying for peace that passes understanding, and that is exactly what we had during our travels!  Please continue to pray for peace, for direction, and that God provides a vehicle for our family!

We love and miss you guys!,

The Costa Rica Ridderings

P.S.  A big thank you to those of you who have sent some gifts our way!  You’ll never know how much these have meant to us and how God has used these gifts as answers to prayer!  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.