Progression

The GTD office walls are almost complete!!!

Saying Goodbye

It was an early morning, but we have arrived safely with The Seed mission team at the airport. We are really going to miss you all. Prayers for safe travel for both them and Doug. We love you!

A Post From Kim

Hey guys this is Kim, and believe it or not we are having a blast. I know that each and everyone of us walked into this trip with our own expectations, but the truth is it has truly changed our lives.  We were well received at the airport with love and excitement from Laurie, Doug, and Jessie.  They look like they knew what they were doing and their heart to help the people is contagious while the theme of the trip, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to instill the needs of others within our group and team building skills is exactly what we have experienced.

Our first full day we began the morning with our daily devotion diving deep into the word that not only verifies the days tasks ahead but the purpose in our hearts to do the work. This awesome man of God, Alfredo, joined us with his 2 oxen and the cart to pull us around the church. The excitement and the entertainment of the animals kept us laughing but once we got to a farm that's when the real fun began.  Little did any of us know this beautiful country farm constisted of lava rocks, cows, bulls, monkies, and cow poo.  Lots and lots of cow poo but somehow none of us seemed to care due to the breath taking scenery.  Our next big adventure for our group was White water Rafting.  For me I have to say I was very scared.  I can't swim that well and as we got there I was told we would be falling off of a class 5 (12 foot drop).  I began to tremble but the 2 hours it took to get to that point begain to stretch my faith to the point by the time we got to the drop I was ready.  I knew it was only the begining of what God was going to do with us.

God blessed us with bags full of shoes to pass out to the beautiful children in need but what we didn't know was it would change our lives forever. The Pastors in the comunity began to stretch my faith because they know all things with God are possible and no matter what rescources they don't posses, they know God will provide. For me that is huge knowing God will and can do amazing things in this country.

Church here was amazing! No matter the launguage barrier, we all praise The Lord the same way together as the manifest presence of The Lord was amoung us. My heart for this country and the beautiful people will always remain. Even as I type, my prayer is, Lord please let me return to Fortuna soon. -Kim



 

Morning Devos

Enjoyed our morning devotions out of Exodus 3 and 4 this morning!    Just as Moses was God's answer to his peoples prayers, you might be the answer to someone else's prayers today!  Don't let negative self talk, insecurities or self doubt stop you from being used by God.  If he calls you to something trust that he will equip you for the calling!  Many times over the past couple years I've tried talking myself out of the calling in my life to be in this ministry.  I've doubted myself in so many ways by believed that someone else was more qualified than me, smarter than me, more educated than me, more perfect than me, has more experience than me, has known the Lord longer than me, but the truth is, it's been a lie from the enemy and if God has called me, it's my job to walk in obedience to his calling and trust he will work through my weaknesses and develop the areas that need it.   I now see my excuses to be God's best reasons to use me, because they allow Him to shine!  -Laurie

It's OFFICIAL!!!

It's official, GTD will have it's own office here in Costa Rica! Today the students from The Seed church will be helping us to close two walls in on the church office to do this! We are so grateful to Buen Pastor Igelsia for giving us a space and to The Seed Church for helping us! It's going to be a huge blessing to the ministry and to future teams!

Day 5 - Carnival Day In Costa Rica (The Seed Church)

Carnival Day in San Bernardo! Praise God a few children who didn't know God as their Lord and Savior asked him into their hearts today!!!

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My Mission Trip So Far (By Eden of The Seed Church)

Hey y'all! Costa Rica has been absolutely amazing so far! We've been having  so much fun and learning a ton about the Costa Rican culture and what it's  like to share God's love.

First, we went to a local village called Pijije and gave out shoes, toys,  and tooth care kits. The people were very thankful for what they were  given, no matter how small it seemed to us. One girl named Sophie was  ecstatic when Seth Holland gave her a little angel bear beanie baby, and  immediately started to play with it. Another little boy went back into his  house before we left to color in his new coloring book. We were invited  into one family's house, which was pretty much a small, 4 room wooden  structure with a tin roof. She was so proud of it, and I must say, she had  some very pretty lace curtains on her windows. It amazed me that they were  so happy and proud of what we probably wouldn't even call a home, and made  me think about how thankful I am for my house, for my own bedroom, for  everything I have. About the time we were heading home, a few kids kept  coming up to us, asking if we could give their friends shoes. Eventually,  we had to turn them away, much to our dismay because we knew they would  have to go without something like shoes.

Despite such things as that, we have had a great time down in Fortuna. We  went trekking through a local farm with a native named Alfredo, who is  basically the  Costa Rican equivalent to Chuck Norris. We hiked through cow  poop, mud, and over rocks and hills to see howler monkeys and wade around  in the river. Lydia Womble and I stayed up in the front with Alfredo, or at  least we tried to until he disappeared over a hill close to the end. We  have also gone white water rafting. I found it both fun and challenging. It  was fun because I got to raft through a river with two of my really good  friends, Caitlyn Foster and Aaron Estrada, and my dad, Bruce Fussell. I  think it was challenging mainly because I was in the front with my dad, who  is much bigger than me, and every time we had to 'get down', I had to try my  best to squeeze into a compacted space with him. Fun, but not very  comfortable.

Today, we had a carnival in a nearby village called San Bernardo, which was  a very big success, if you ask me. I ran the bracelet-making station with  Caitlyn, and participated in the two skits we did for the kids. It was  really cool, and even though we couldn't always understand each other,  everyone had a great time. This afternoon, we went door-to-door handing out  flyers to the locals telling them about the movie night we'll be having. I  was exposed to the graciousness, hospitality, and overall joy of the people  in Costa Rica. One elderly couple had a pretty long conversation with us,  asking about our team and other things. The lady gave me a kiss on the  cheek when we were done :).

I've learned so much on this trip, everything from the language and  culture, to the lessons learned through the devotionals and opportunities  given to the team while we've been here. Costa Rica has been a great  experience. I can't wait to see what else God has in store for us in the rest of our trip!

- Eden (The Seed Church)


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Day 4 - The Seed Church Goes Rafting & More

It has been a full day today. The team spent half the day whitewater rafting down the Tenorio River where they saw white face monkeys and went down a 12 foot drop!  Rafting was followed by a typical Costa Rican lunch, time practicing their skits for tomorrow's carnival and a prayer vigil with the San Bernardo church. Today we read from Galatians 6:1-10.

Day 3 - The Seed Church Goes To Pijije

What started off as a rainy morning turned into an amazing full day here in Fortuna with The Seed mission team! Today Alfredo brought his oxen to the church for the team to see. Afterwards he gave us a tour of a local farm where everyone got to see a bunch of cows and monkeys!  It was such an amazing experience despite the fact that we had to walk through a pool of cow poop to get there!! Funny though how that became a highlight of many of the boy's day!!

Later in the afternoon we took a 45 minute car ride to a community called Pijije where the team was able to distribute flip flops and shoes they had been collecting at their church to bless families here in Costa Rica with!  It was an incredible time that touched everyone.

We also shared, toothbrushes, crayons and coloring books that were sent down from Doug's Dad and a former participant who was able to visit this community last year!  Our hearts were warmed by all the smiles from these children and their families.

Day 2 - Good Morning From Costa Rica!

It's almost 7:30am here and breakfast is about to start.

The Seed Church had quite the introduction to their mission trip to Costa Rica yesterday. Intense heavy rains hit almost immediately when they arrived in the country. Streets were flooding as we drove from the airport to the church. What usually takes about 3 hours to drive turned into a 5 hour drive. Once we arrived to the church bunkhouses we were greeted by what can only be described as a "plague of flying ants" in 3 of the rooms. Hundreds of ants took refuge from the heavy rains inside the rooms. We were looking around for Moses, but he was no where to be found. Thankfully our translator Toly was there. Armed with a full can of Raid he took on the flying ants and cleared the rooms. Although this may sound like a rough start to the trip, that doesn't mean it's a bad start to the trip. Mission Trips are all about being stretched out of your comfort zone... about God forging new growth... about faith muscles being built up. None of this can happen without be stretched; muscles don't grow until they are first torn down in small bits. The stretching has begun! But so has the blessing! The group is already experiencing the warmth and love from the local body of believers.

Today we have a full day planned including mountain side devotions, a local tour to see how coffee beans are harvested and converted into a "cup of joe", and a trip to a poverty stricken area to delivery shoes & the love of Christ.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Costa Rica!!


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Day 1 - The Seed Church Has Arrived In Costa Rica!

It's been a full day of travel for The Seed Church and  tonight they arrived safely in Fortuna to be welcomed with a Chalupa dinner and a hello from the Pastor and friends. Currently half the team is tucked into bed and the remaining few are unwinding and hanging out with some of the locals here at the church. Thanks for all your prayers!  Be sure to check back for updates, we've got a full week ahead of us!


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It's All "Dung" Compared To Knowing Jesus

"I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" - Phil 3:8

That's an amazing thing to wake up to everyday! That's why Christian NFL players say that winning the SuperBowl was incredible, but it doesn't compare to knowing Jesus! The word "loss" in this verse is actually the same word for dung & rubbish... everything seems like poop compared to knowing Jesus. That's why Christians are always posting verses and talking about God. We want everyone to know what is within a prayers reach away. We don't make any money or get any kickbacks from someone coming to know Jesus. Sure the Bible talks about an eternal reward for helping people come to faith in Jesus, but I don't know anyone who factors that in as a motive for sharing the Good News. We share these things not because we have to our because of a future reward... we share them because, quite frankly, we can't hold it in. Jesus has so radically & profoundly changed our lives we are compelled to share it. It would be like winning a new house. You couldn't hold that in. You couldn't keep from wanting to share the excitement. You just want to tell everyone because the joy just oozes out of you. So, like the Apostle Paul wrote in the verse above, I have to wholeheartedly agree... nothing compares to knowing Jesus. Christ is that good!!


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Seed Church Mission Trip Starts Tomorrow!!

Our first mission trip of the summer begins tomorrow with The Seed Church of Savannah, GA!! 

Follow all of the God-awesome daily developments on the GTD Bullhorn Blog!!

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Welcome Notes!

Some of our favorite kiddos from town helped us decorate our welcome notes for our first team!  

Passion

Are you living your life passionately or passively??? I  listened to a podcast this morning from Family Worship Center called "Passion" preached by Philip Cochran while running this morning!  If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend it...I think we all could use a little more passion in our lives, The Lord knows I can. -Laurie

New Cell Phone #'s In Costa Rica

Here are our new cell phone #'s in Costa Rica. Feel free to call and leave us an encouraging message =). Also, these are the numbers for family members in the US to call in case of emergency in order to get in contact with their loved ones.

GTD CR Cell Phone (uno): 8459-9113 (outside CR dial 011-506-8459-9113)
GTD CR Cell Phone (dos): 8459-9062 (outside CR dial 011-506-8459-9062)
GTD CR Cell Phone (tres): phone number to be added this week


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Late Night Prayers

Last night Jessie and I headed up to the mountain with some of the church leaders to pray. It's a weekly commitment they have made, and last night we were there from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m..  Some of the leaders stayed longer and often will stay until 5 a.m.!  I am deeply moved by their commitment to pray and I know The Lord is blessed by it. It makes me realize how much more I could be praying.  I pray The Lord fills me with a passion to pray like my brothers and sisters here in Costa Rica. 

"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place." 2 Chronicles 14-15

Welcome Javier and Marielos!

Today Jessie, Toly and myself stopped by Rancho Arbol De Vida to meet Javier, Marielos and their children Jeremy and Stephanie. They are the new property managers and have a great passion for the project!  We are so grateful for them and their heart to serve. The property is looking amazing and already they have done beautiful work to the property. 

New CR Shirts!!

Our new Costa Rica Mission T-shirts just came in fresh off the printing press!! And we love them! Special thanks to Heather & Paul Williamson for introducing us to Chuck Stewart of AxCelMark Corporation who poured his heart into printing these comfy tri-blend shirts on short notice and with excellence. Huge props to Jason Lazzaro for the awesome graphic art design and Laurie Finger for spearheading the concept and the theme. We are the only Jesus some people will ever meet. Our lives should be the PROOF of real & personal God.

18 & COUNTING!!

Our Grand Canyon Trip keeps growing! Currently we have 18 people who have signed up & paid for the event which is scheduled for Oct 10-15. This is an amazing trip that includes comfortable accommodations, opportunities to hike into the canyon, and incredible creation based teachings by Dr Aaron Walp. You don't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime event. We are capping the trip off at 26 people so that leaves 8 more open spots left. Sign up today!

For more details click here.

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Rio Perdido

Rio Perdido!  A new place for a GTD Adventure! Zip Lines, Thermal Hot-Springs, Pools, Tarzan Swing, Bridges and so much beauty! 

Eating For Life

Although it's 10 years old & not the most current information, if you are looking for a book on nutrition that is concise (75 pages), super easy to understand & gives you 150 simple recipes then I have to recommend "Eating for Life". It's written by the same guy (Bill Phillips) who created the "Body for Life" workout (which I also do). For me it was a life changer! He talks about how your body basically rebuilds itself each year and the materials it uses to rebuild itself is the food we eat. For too many years I had a body built by Checkers, McDonalds, & Burger King... and my body just felt crappy all the time. Our bodies were designed to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, but mine was becoming a shack. Then 10 years ago my sister & I tried this approach to nutrition and it transformed our bodies & health. I'm not a nutritional expert. I'm just a novice "do-it-yourselfer" entry level nutrition attempter. I honestly love the taste of crappy food waaaaaaaay more than healthy food. As I like to say, "The first 4 letters in doughnuts is D-O-U-G!" But, I had to acknowledge that the way I was eating was hurting my body & my ability to excel in the outdoor activities that I lead, & it was hurting my physical potential as well as my future health. With all of this I decided to try a 10 week program and the benefits were almost immediate. I felt better, less tired, more energetic, more alert, more effective. Over the past 10 years I've strayed from the plan several times, usually because of all of our travels and not being prepared to adjust to the challenges inherit with travelling. Anyways, it's not hard to do if you're willing to try. And, unlike what most people think, it's not expensive. I have a very humble budget and I have no problem affording healthier food. You can find both the "Eating for Life" & "Body for Life" books "used" on Amazon for about $5 each... it will be the best $10 you'll ever spend!! Hope this is an encouragement to someone. God bless <><

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Bird Dog In The Office Today

So blessed to have my mom volunteering in the office this week!! With many years of receptionist experience she earned the nickname "Bird Dog"... so I had to give her a promotion to "Senior Bird Dog" =)

5 Day Countdown

5 days left before I (Doug) leave for Costa Rica!! Mega amounts of office work to get done for all the other events we have going on this summer... Ministry isn't spelled "Men"istry or "Man"istry because it's not fueled by "man-power"; it's fueled by the Holy Spirit... Thanks for your prayer support people =)

"To this end I labor, struggling with all of HIS energy that so powerfully works within me." - Col 1:29

A Blood Donor Saved My Life!!!

So thankful to wake up each morning to a life of purpose, hope, wholeness, freedom, joy, forgiveness, grace, being divinely loved, & overflowing with a desire to love others. And what does it cost me??? Not a single penny. Thank You Jesus!!

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2 Hour Grand Canyon Planning Meeting

Yesterday I met with 2 pastors from Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater for 2 hours to planning for our Oct Grand Canyon Trip. We are excited about the response that we have for the trip. We will be adding a 2nd cabin & a 2nd rental van. Dr Walp is preparing for his second year of teaching about creationism and the evidence that is found in the Grand Canyon. We can't wait for this trip =)


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Lake Day Was A HUGE Success!!

We had a blast at are annual Lake Day yesterday!! 85 young adults from Smiley's & Bell Shoals Baptist Church came out for a day saturated with fun... wakeboarding, skiing, inner tubing, kayaking, swimming, corn hole, foosball, air hockey, ping pong, billiards, and a lot of fantastic fellowship!! We had a God-awesome time!! As we prove on all of our events, you don't need to get drunk, stoned, plastered, high, wasted, have sex, hook-up, degrade other people, or have a whole lot of drama in order to have fun. In fact, there's a better way to live - pure hearted & surrendered to Christ. We want to thank everyone involved in making yesterday an overwhelming success (the boat donors & drivers, the Fortes for opening their home, the volunteers that helped with the set-up & breakdown, and the pastors & their wives). THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! Can't wait for our next event!!

Laurie & Crew Arrive At Mission Base

Laurie, along with her summer intern Jessie Lucas and our interpreter Toly, arrived safely to our mission base in Fortuna de Bagaces late last night. Thanks for the prayers everyone!


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CR Bound After All-Nighter

With zero sleep after pulling an all-nighter of packing we made it to the Orlando Airport safely. Laurie is checking her luggage (including an 81 lbs MONSTER) and preparing to head down to Costa Rica for 10 weeks of missionary work. I'm so proud of her! She was so overwhelmed yesterday with an endless list of to-do's and she overcame it all. Thank You Jesus =). I go down in 2 weeks with the first team.