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         

Investing in the Relationship

  I’ve been praying for something for years.  I’ve prayed many times and never felt that God was answering my prayer.  My prayer was for something very good.  I couldn’t imagine God not wanting to give me what I was praying for.  I’m not gonna lie, there have been times that I have felt frustrated by what seemed like God's silence regarding my prayer!

Do you ever read the Bible and then put it down and look around wondering why things seemed different back then?  I have!  Why does the relationship that the disciples had with God seem so much different that what we see today?  I long for things in the "here and now" to look more like what I read in God's word, so I asked myself what's the difference and why aren't things like that? I looked at my own life and wondered if there was something wrong or if something needed to change, but never really got to the bottom of it.  

Stay with me here because I’m going down a little rabbit trail. 

A wise man once told me that after getting married I should keep doing the things that I had done to win my bride in the first place.  One of those things was buying flowers.  As a man I feel that dollars spent on something already dead and guaranteed to wilt and be thrown away is a waste of money.  But, because I was given that advise, I still do it.  Not as much as I should, but I do it.  I have found that sometimes I do it for her, and sometimes I do it for me.

What I mean by that is that most times things are great and I just want to do something special for her.  Then there are other times...  During those times I have found that when I “invest” in my wife, I can feel my heart turning toward her.  My heart follows where I put my investment. 

So, back to the point.  

  My prayer for all those years was simply this.  “Lord, I love you.  I want to want more of you.  Please help me to love you more!”

Now don’t get me wrong, this is a prayer that I would highly recommend!  But, after years of praying it, I felt the same as when I had first started.  I loved God before, but I wanted to love him more and couldn’t in my own strength.  I believe that God calls us to repentance in the first place and then, because of our sinful nature, has to help us even to love him.  The thing that didn’t hit me until recently was that I needed to “invest” more in the relationship for my sake.  

It was a couple of weeks ago that I started looking around at the circumstances of my life.  We have no plan B.  We haven’t sold everything, but we have much less than we did a year ago.  I don’t think God calls everyone to sell things as part of the process, but are we willing if he does?

God called us to “invest” in our relationship and now I realize that he has answered my prayer!  More than ever I find myself looking forward to my times with God!  When I read The Word it seems to be more alive than ever before!  I am depending on him like never before.  God has helped me to love him more!  

But...

I think that before God helped me to love him more, he helped me to “invest” in our relationship.  Taking this step in the process has turned my heart more toward him.  Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that I DID anything to deserve answered prayer, but he helped me through the process. 

The cool part about loving God is that it’s never enough!  He answered my prayer, but I’m still praying the same thing today.  I pray that my Heavenly Father will take me through this process again and again.  I hope that at the end of my life, my love for him will be something that I can’t even imagine now!  

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field.  In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.”                Matt. 13:44

Did you see the word excitement in that verse?  Other translations use the word joy.  Relationship with God is the treasure and spending eternity with him is worth selling “everything” in this life to get!  We get to find joy in our relationship with God and can be excited for the next time he calls us to “sacrifice” earthly things in exchange for more treasure!

My prayer for each of you reading this is that you would know the joy of investing in your relationship with the God of the universe!  In what ways is he calling you to "invest" in your relationship with him?  Will you do it?  There is joy in it!  I pray that he takes you through the process again and again and that you find yourselves closer to him but longing to be closer still! 

  We find ourselves more and more connected to the people that God has placed in our lives here in Costa Rica.  We've found a great new church home and we get to meet new "family" each week.  One of our concerns for moving down here was uprooting our kids one more time.  We knew that finding new friends can sometimes be hard, so we prayed about this quite a bit before we left.  Not only have our kids found some great friends, but Faith and I have found new friends as well as friends that we had here before!

That's right we now have no more need for diapers (during the day)!!
If you can't see in the photo, we bribe our kids with chocolate!

  Times at the Centro de Vida (the youth center) have been really good.  I've really started to enjoy and look forward to times there with my Monday night buddies as well as times spent hanging out with the youth group on Friday nights.  Our pastor here has asked that I become the director of Centro de Vida and after praying about it for a time we felt a real peace in it.  I will now be starting to schedule activities as well as looking for those willing to teach english, computer, music, and other types of classes as part of the outreach of the center.  Please pray for wisdom and that God will bring the right people in the right times to fill needs.  It is in filling these needs that we hope to have opportunities for sharing Jesus with our community!

Crazy times at Centro de Vida!

  We continue to go into the orphanages every other Friday and love it!  Some of the kids are starting to remember our faces and when you see them smiling it makes the long drive totally worth while!  Please pray for these lives!  Please also pray that we can show them the love of their Heavenly Father.

  

Craft time with our friends at the orphanage.

   Thank you so much for your support of our ministry here!  So many of you have added us to your prayer lists and are praying for us every day!  Prayer is the thing that makes the impossible possible in our lives!  Please keep praying for us and let us know if there are ways we can be in prayer for you!  Thank you also to all of you who are partnering with us financially!  You have brought grateful tears to our eyes!

                                                                                       We love and miss y'all!,
                                                                                           The Ridderings


P.S.  We are working on our budget and have found that we are around 60%.  For those of you who feel led to donate to our ministry please visit www.WorldOutreach.org/donations -  you can select Aaron and Faith Riddering from the list under the donate tab.  Or, simply mail your check to:  World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate it for Aaron & Faith Riddering #239. 

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!