September 15th

Hey guys!

Wow so much on my heart that I want to share! 

First I would like to thank everyone who has been praying for me specifically physically. For those of you who do not know, I spend last night (Saturday) in the hospital for a couple hours. I had some tests done and IVs. I have colitis and right now my colon is really badly inflamed. So I have a few antibiotics and instructions, I'm resting and just staying in the Villa. I ate some crackers today which is the first thing I've eaten in 3 days. I'm starting the uptrend, please pray that these medications work and that, Godwilling, my body will heal. I am so thankful to have answers to a lot of the sickness I've been feeling since I got here. I know God has awesome things up head so thank you for your prayers!!!! 

Okay so two weeks of Spanish and Bible classes down! Spanish is awesome, listening and learning for 4 hours without being able to talk or speak in English is crazy but so cool! Bible: WOW! I am a new person already! God has broken me and is molding me into His daughter that He wants me to be. 

Metro is my Saturday ministry and I already know God will be using that to stretch me and break me in so many ways the next few months. This ministry will probably have the most posts about it, which I am so excited for! 

God is continually showing me that this is all part of His plan for my life. It is not a coincidence that I am here, God had this planned before I was born that I would be here, right now, in this moment.

Some prayer requests:

- Health! For myself and the 36 other people that live in the Villa. When there's so many people in one place you can imagine the hot spot it is for bacteria and sicknesses. 

- No distractions. Please pray for all of us to focus on God and for us to be seeking Him and His Word daily! That the Devil would not have a foothold in any of our lives. This place where disciples are being equipped is a battlefield. 

- Strength, energy & wisdom on the weekends. 

- A long term prayer that a lot of us are praying here and waiting on God for: Direction for all of us as to what God is calling us into. 

God is so so so good and faithful and WORTHY to be praised! We are reading through our Bibles in chronological order. (Or what scholars have put together as kind of general idea of how it seems the Bible was written) I am stoked about that! I will post it on here just in case maybe some of you would be interested! 

My prayer for you and myself: 

Let us become more aware of Your presence, let us expierence the glory of Your goodness. 

Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I love you all and thank God for you!!!!!

Hey guys!

I just want to thank you for your prayers thus far throughout my adventure! I would also like to ask for your prayers for the interns, staff and a few of us students. There’s a little bug going around, it’s not too major, but we’re losing our voices and stuff. I haven’t been able to sleep much and I know it is hindering others from giving 100% as well.

Aside from that… The weekend! I’m going to tell you a little about my weekend, what it was like and what it will be for the rest of the time I am here.

Saturday mornings are ministry mornings. All 30 of us have been put in groups that go out and do different things with missionaries or our interns. My ministry is called “Metro”, this is new this year, in a pretty rough part of San Jose. Myself and 4 others will be going with one of the interns to do some ministry every Saturday morning.

Ministry while I’m here in Costa Rica is going to be very different than all the short-term trips I have been on. Long-term missions is all about building relationships. It’s not going to a different village every week and doing a Vacation Bible School and never coming back. I will be going to the same place and hanging out with the same people every Saturday.  I know God has me going to Metro every week for a reason. I can’t wait to share it with you guys!

(A little side note: I just typed “y’all” instead of “you guys” – That shows how much I am spending time with people from different states haha!)

Saturday nights and Sunday mornings I am going to a church along with 4 other people to a church called “Impacto”. However, this past Sunday our Pastor was sick so a deaf man came and preached.  It was definitely an awesome experience, his wife translated for him into Spanish! 

Every Sunday night we will be going to an English church called "The Gathering Place" The Pastor is our Bible teacher John, so all of us GAP students will go there on Sunday nights. It was a amazing night, I realized how blessed I am to be with 30+ other people who love Jesus, want to learn more about Him, and want to learn more about other cultures just like I do. 

I am estatic to see God's plan unravel through the next few months. God is so good! 

Thank you SO much for your prayers! Today (Tuesday) is my first day of classes!

God Bless!

So this was my post from yesterday.....
I am in Costa Rica!! It is beautiful and I am so excited to explore! However, on this blog I am going to be completely honest and vulnerable with you guys…

So, I had a very hard time saying goodbye to my family and friends yesterday morning. I sobbed. The flights were great, I got to the Villa, unpacked and met more of the people I will be spending the next 9 months with. Since I woke up at 2:50 yesterday and there is a two hour time difference, I was exhausted pretty early last night. I came in my room, and sobbed again. Crying out to God for strength to get through these few days of settling in and the next 4 months without seeing my family. Having internet for an hour or two a day to talk to your family and friends, is definitely going to take some getting used to.

I woke up at 5 this morning and I’m pretty sure I was the only one awake in the Villa. I spent some time with God. I have a journal that has little verses on every page and the verse of today was Psalm 91:2. So I opened my Bible and read Psalm 91.

Verse 2: “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust’”

Verse 4: “He shall cover you with His feathers,  and under His wings you shall take refuge.”

It was like getting hit with a ton of bricks. God showed me this morning that He does not want me to be comfortable. When we are comfortable and mediocre, we are not growing. God is taking me to the end of myself so that I will rely completely on Him. He is allowing me to come to Him, broken so that He can rebuild me into the person He wants me to be.

And my post for today....
God is so good! I am making friends that I know will last a life time! He is strengthening me and changing me already. I am so excited to see what's to come. Missing home, my family, friends & Caleb! <3 you guys! Thank you for praying!!!!!!!

Tomorrow!!!!

Hey guys! Just wanted to inform you all of a few things.... 

I am leaving tomorrow at 6:15 am! And landing in Costa Rica around 12 (which is 2 pm NY time) So please be praying for safety if you think of me during that time! 

There are also some "Gappers" traveling today!

I would also ask that you'd pray for the "goodbyes" or "see you laters" that are going to take place today and tomorrow. That God would strengthen me, and give my family members and friends peace!

Also, If you would like to contact me directly while I'm down there, you can Facebook me or my e-mail is kgoldcca2013@gmail.com. I also have an address to the villa that I can receive letters to. If you would like the address you can e-mail me, and I will send it to you! 

God is AMAZING! I cannot wait to get down there and start learning, ministering, growing and serving! I have been so encouraged already by the other Gappers and my roommates! I am SO excited to meet, learn, share and grow with these guys for the next 9 months! It is going to be life-changing!!!

One last thing that God has taught me the past few days as I have been saying some goodbyes: Missing people means that there was and/or is something, a bond or love, between the two that makes you miss them. So, my perspective on missing people or being missed has been changed a little.... God has shown me that I am so blessed to have so many people that I love, and that love me; there are so many people in our lost and dying world without that love from other people. So in the midst of my tears, God has opened my eyes and I am overwhelmingly THANKFUL for the amazing people He placed in my life!

Thank you Thank you Thank you for YOUR love, support and prayers! May the God who holds all things bless you more than you could ever ask or imagine!  I will update this when I can! I cannot thank you enough! Love you! 

Kelsey :)

Pre-Costa Rica thoughts

Friends, Family, Supporters and Prayer Warriors!

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! I ask that you would continue to pray for me. I will be posting on this blog as much as I can, Lord willing. I pray that you will be encouraged, blessed and that your walks with Christ might be strengthened by the things I learn that I can hopefully share with you!

Right now, God is teaching, breaking, molding, and testing me to trust.
Trust.
Ahhh It makes me cringe sometimes. I am definitely a people person, I love easily. However, trust does not come naturally for me.
Surrender.
This is what I am learning to do. FULLY surrender my fears, struggles, short-commings, worries, nerves and lack of trust.... giving all of these things to the One, the only One who is worthy of all our trust. The One who will never let us down. Never leave us, nor will He ever forsake us. NOTHING can snatch us out of the grip of our Heavenly Father.
How comforting and assuring is that?
We just have to knock down our walls, take that step (or leap) of faith and give it all to Him.
Easier said than done...
We can try all we want to depend on others, especially depending on ourselves; but we will fail. Time and time again, we will fail and get hurt when we don't allow God to control our lives and be the Center of it ALL!
I need to trust Him to protect and provide for the people I am leaving here in the states while I'm gone. This is just some of the stuff God is teaching me before I even get on the plane.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and reading this! I would like to ask for your continuous prayers while I am gone. Some things off the top of my head which I will continue to inform you on while in CR:

-Safety
-That God would give me peace beyond what I can imagine
-For my family, that they would trust God with me and they would grow closer to Him as a result
-That God would expand my learning abilities and take me out of my comfort zone and be able to become FLUENT in Spanish
-God will have His way in me, and I would not let my flesh get in the way or distract me

I could not possibly thank you enough! God bless you! I love you and thank God for you!
I will talk to you soon! :)
Kelsey Gold