As another year passes I find myself reflecting on God's work in and through 6:8 Ministries. Over the past year there have been moments of tremendous joy and harrowing sorrow, times of celebrating success and moments of recovering from failure. However, the one constant was God's powerful presence and blessing upon 6:8 Ministries. I would like to recount some of these amazing blessings to encourage you to join us in praising the awesome God we serve. 

Over the past year we have experienced tremendous growth. God allowed us to host 52 mission teams, from 39 different churches. Many lives were blessed through these mission teams. He used these mission teams to build His local church. These teams constructed over twenty new homes and one playground for a local school. He also sent three medical teams to host free clinics, and one veterinary team to host a free animal clinic.  

   
God also expanded the feeding center program as we now have two churches hosting feeding centers. We also partnered with a third church to host mobile feedings. He provided us the means to  serve over 24,000 meals to the hungry. What a joy it is to be able to serve "some of the least of these".
    
The Celebration church plant continues to bless and serve the local people. The church recently incorporated live worship, and conducted over 40 baptisms last year. The greatest part is that the local people are learning the blessing of leading a "God-first Life".

    
The child sponsorship ministry has grown and we hope to provide 200 educational sponsorships in 2012. It's our hope that through providing the opportunity for these children to go to school, and equipping them for success, these children will be able to escape a life of poverty.  
 

     

The new Children's Ranch project is underway! We have found a piece of land, had it surveyed and are preparing to sign a contact to purchase the land. You can keep up with the progress and news regarding the children's ranch project at www.68Ranch.com.   

Finally, the 6:8 Ministries staff is growing both numerically and spiritually. It's not always easy living and serving in a foreign culture, but when you can experience God working in and through you, it's totally worth it! Please continue to pray for and support our missionary families, and the work God has called us to in Costa Rica. 

In closing, we would like to thank you for all the prayers and support. We are excitedly anticipating what God is going to do in and through 6:8 Ministries in the coming year.

In Christ,

Spencer

House

The 20th house build this year was for a sweet family from Juan Pablo.  A team from Cross Creek youth came and did an amazing job of building, both a home and relationships.

Handing over the key.

Prayer for the family.

First steps in the new house.

The team from Cross Creek Church and the family.

Maria was so excited to have a new kitchen table as well!

Fresh Eggs

At the new teamhouse, near Los Anonos, we have a chicken coop. While they were building it, we held the chickens at our house. We'll keep some, but most of the hens are going to be at the teamhouse to provide the mission teams with fresh eggs!! Just four weeks until they'll start laying.

Update: Feb 13th, we have our first two eggs!

Uniform Distribution 2010

This year a team from Celebration Church Jacksonville came to help pass things out. I'm still distributing a few things here and there, but so far 110 kids were sponsored this year.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Children's Christmas Party

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Hoarding Tendencies

A couple weeks ago we had a mission team help a family clean house. This family really needed a lot of help. While I did not help with this particular house, I have helped in a similar circumstance and can relate to what it was like.

This house was packed to the gills. They had a back room with piles of junk, including a shopping cart and broken typewriter. The bathroom was disgusting. No soap in the shower and feces in the sink. In the bedrooms, piles and piles of moldy clothes under which they found a bag with some unopened bars of soap.

Pastor Jorge took the family aside and had a talk with all of them. He encouraged them to clean out the old in order to make room for new blessings that God will bring.

Hearing the team talk of their experiences in this home made me think of my home: my heart. All of the baggage that I have stored in my 'back room' for a rainy day. You never know when you are going to need a broken typewriter or shopping cart? I have 'pet' sins and insecurities that I hold onto, because you never know when you might need to bring them out and dust them off, right?

I need Jesus to come and clean my house. I need Him to shine light in my dark places and clean the crap out of my sink. He is ready to get his hands dirty and throw my junk away. Why? Because He loves me. He loves me more than I could ever comprehend. He wants me to quit hoarding all of this garbage in order to make room for Him.

Christmas Party

Mount Sinai church hosted a Christmas Party for the children from the Feeding Center and the children of the Juan Pablo Sunday School.

Gifts were donated by the Celebration Church Medical Mission team and organized by the Celebration Church Family Team.

Thanks to all who contributed and helped to show a little love this Christmas!

6:8 Celebration Dinner

As soon as we arrived in the States, we began preparing for a 6:8 Ministries Celebration Dinner. We are celebrating all that God has done and how he has blessed us in our first full year of ministry. We have been awed by how God met all of our five year goals within the first year. His plans are much greater and better than ours, something that is certainly worth celebrating!

Spencer and Duke are in awe over how quickly the food processor can shred cheese. :o)

The empanada assembly line...with Candy doing the frying.

There were over 100 in attendance with 8 different Jacksonville churches represented. Dinner was followed by a time of testimony from those who have been to Costa Rica on short term mission trips. It was a great example of the Body of Christ coming together to celebrate a common bond...a love for Jesus and a heart for missions.

Photohunt: Hanging

This last week we had 2 short-term mission teams and one local youth group HANGING out together, worshipping God. God's love can be an amazing bond.

PhotoHunt

Busy Summer

We have had an incredible number of people make their way through this summer. Constantly flowing, constantly a different combination of people. Alix has loved all the college and high school students that have come for extended stays. Life is sure going to seem dull when it gets back to normal. Wait...is there a normal???

PhotoHunt: 13

Thirteen children (and 1 adult) playing basketball with the new goals set up by last week's Mission Team. Mason Community Church sent a team of children (and parents). While they were here, they put up new soccer and basketball goals, built a playground, and painted a mural at Los Filtros Elementary school. They also visited the senior center, the feeding center, and opened the Juan Pablo community center. It was 6:8 Ministries' first team of elementary aged children. You can read Spencer's thoughts on the 6:8 blog.

The mission team along with the children and teachers of Los Filtros.

Vacation Bible School ~ Juan Pablo Style

The first mission team of the year did a three day VBS in Juan Pablo. The boys enjoyed participating.