 Where did I See Christ Today? I often ask myself, “Where did I see Christ today?” Many days, I see Jesus in the people we are serving. Most days, I see Christ in the folks that I am blessed to serve alongside. Some days, I see Jesus in myself. How about you? Today, I saw Jesus in the Mustard Seed Unpaid Servants.  From American Theologian, Leonard Sweet“There is a story of a monastery where the monks were not at peace with each other or with God. They were often impatient, angry or jealous. Then one day the Guest Master answered a knock on the door. A visitor stood in the shadows and whispered, "One of you is the Christ." Turning away, he was gone in a moment. The Guest Master related this incident to a meeting of the brothers later that morning, and afterwards, everyone left in silence. They had much to think about. Slowly the whole monastery was transformed, as the monks learned to deal with each other in a new way. Peace descended as they sought to be aware of the Christ among them.” Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. What if these 40 days of Lent we look for the Christ in everyone we meet? What if we remember that the sacred may be hidden in the most ordinary encounters? What if we treat each person as if they might be Jesus in disguise? Perhaps in seeking Christ in others, we might discover more of Him within ourselves as well?    March 2, 2025 Dear Friends, We pray you all are well and enjoying a little warmer weather in the States. Ray and I recently returned from Alabama and Texas, where we attended two church conferences. We had a wonderful time connecting with fellow missionaries and church members who have served on mission teams in Costa Rica. Despite the cold weather, we were grateful for the opportunity to present the various areas where we minister to some of our current supporters and to meet new people who we hope will join us in the ministry. January was a month of celebration as Ray had the honor of graduating several of his seminary students, who are now ministering within local congregations. Ray continues to teach through both online and in-person classes, and he looks forward to the day when the Seminary fully resumes in-person instruction. Furthermore, our annual church conference was a success, as we welcomed three new congregations into full connectional status, and Bishop Dr. Rev. Luis Palomo was re-elected for another 4-year term.  January kicked off the year with the arrival of our dedicated Michigan mission team. These experienced volunteers, true "veterans", poured their hearts into two weeks of impactful service. They fortified our perimeter wall and spent time playing with the children at the Home. We are deeply grateful for their tireless efforts and the remarkable progress they made.  Just two weeks later, the energetic North Carolina team arrived, ready to tackle the sanctuary project in Guapiles. In a mere four days, they transformed the site by pouring concrete for nearly one third of the church floor—a feat that exceeded even our work foreman's expectations! Our sincere thanks to our friends from North Carolina.  Also, in February a medical team from Texas ventured into uncharted territory, transforming our Wesley clinic into a mobile unit which journeyed to the Costa Rican/Nicaraguan border. Our goal was to serve a community lacking government healthcare, where, remarkably, many children had never received any form of medical/dental attention. The team set up shop at a local school and were deeply moved to even find some patients arriving by boat from Nicaragua.This inaugural mobile clinic was a success and has solidified our commitment to expanding our outreach to rural areas with limited healthcare access.  February also marked the start of a new school year, and the children at the orphanage, along with their caregivers, were excited to return to class. We're thrilled to have four teenagers in high school, eleven children in elementary school, and five in preschool, in addition to caring for the babies at home. We've also welcomed several new teachers to our school family. A significant answer to prayer has been the hiring of four male teachers, who will each be teaching various subjects one day a week, providing much-needed male mentorship for the children. We ask for your prayers for a fruitful and successful school year.  The Methodist School celebrated the start of the new school year with an encouraging increase in student enrollment. While we haven't returned to pre-COVID numbers, we're moving in the right direction. We also warmly welcomed MSc. Eduardo Goni as our new General Director. Don Eduardo, a long-time physics teacher and former high school principal, is a strong Christian who champions rigorous academics. We're excited to see what God has in store for the school this year. Prayer concerns: · A new administration at the government welfare agency has brought about overwhelming pressure concerning the children's home. This burden is weighing heavily on our staff. We earnestly seek your prayers for the restoration of a collaborative and shared purpose with the government. · To fulfill our commitment to provide funding for the children's home, medical clinic, and local church plants, in addition to scholarships for the Methodist School camp, we are diligently working to expand our support base and secure the necessary funding for each ministry. We would love the opportunity to speak with you, your church, church conference, or at your mission conference. Our family is doing well. The girls are thriving in their respective master's programs and are grateful to live only an hour and a half apart. We are deeply grateful for our good health and cherish every opportunity we have to spend time together as a family. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of you for your profound investment in our ministry through your faithful prayers and generous financial gifts. As we celebrate our 31st year of ministry in Costa Rica, we acknowledge that your steadfast support has been instrumental in allowing us to impact the lives of Costa Ricans and strengthen the Methodist Church. In Christ’s love and for His glory, Ray and Lidia I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Phil. 1:3-5  FMWM-AsiaFMWM-Asia makes disciples by crossing cultures to share Jesus, pursuing servant partnerships to reinforce national leadership, and implementing systems to cultivate flourishing Free Methodist Churches.  Mr. & Mrs. Okuda celebrated their 88th and 87th birthdays. Minori's sister and husband came from Nagoya and we all had a worship service together followed by lunch and of course, cake :)
The Japan FMC General Conference. Left: Eric Spangler, Free Methodist World Missions, Asia Area Director with Chris & Yuko Wilks, Minori, and I. Right: Bishop Baba, Eric Spangler, and Elders ordain pastor Ikumi of Machida Free Methodist Church.  Recent training in a predominately Muslim country. Our faithful leaders completed the Servanthood module. They are eager to apply what they learned to their personal life, their family, their ministry, and to their culture.  Gene's discipleship work is expanding to help countries throughout S.E. Asia create a template for making disciples that all churches will use to root new believers in their walk with Christ.
Hi Friends, Greetings in Christ. Here is the February update. A lot is going on. We are especially excited to share an amazing work of God in a creative access country. Watch Our Video Update!Thank you for your friendship and partnership in the Gospel in Japan and S.E. Asia. With all our love in Christ, Gene & Minori Praises: 1. For Minori's mother's good health. For her father being placed in a long-term care facility. He will come home for one night each month. This has been a long journey. Thank you for your many prayers. God is good! 2. For more doors opening to help countries in Asia create a plan of discipleship for the new Christians coming to faith. Prayer： 1. Pray for Sister On, our educational director in Thailand. She has been hospitalized for three weeks. 2. Please continue to pray for Mr. Okuda (Minori's father). It is a difficult transition for him to be in a facility away from his wife and home. Pray that he might lean on the presence, strength, and comfort of the Holy Spirit.  I’m sure you have heard by now of the outpouring at Asbury University over the last two weeks. What started as a few students staying after a worship service to continue to pray grew into an awakening that saw thousands travel to Kentucky to be a part of it! No bright lights, no famous Christian musicians or renowned speakers. Just simply, praying to God for a new awakening of His people and His Spirit to pour out over all creation. So simple, yet so powerful.
- Beth |
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