Gracias!

Things are fairly peaceful here this week. I’m starting to work on some grant possibilities for funding our Heredia school project and other needs. Mercifully, I have some offers of help, since I’m learning this by doing.

We had an earthquake the other night, in the southeastern part of the country. Not anything major, but enough to get my bed shaking. No reports of damage.

One of the folks I met in Panama last week was Julio Rivera, a priest from El Salvador. His parish is located in an area which is a ‘border’ between rival gangs. After he returned home he hosted a medical mission group from Houston at his church. While they were holding a clinic, some members of MS13 (the same group we have in Charlotte) broke in and shot dead one of the parishioners in front of the medical team. This is a sad reminder that discipleship does have its costs. I remember Julio telling me, “The Bible is a dangerous book, very dangerous.”

Now it’s time to say thank you to all of you who have been sending me emails and notes on facebook and this blog. While I am living in a tropical paradise, it is still very good to receive messages from home, from one’s friends. You give me energy and peace to keep doing the work I was sent here to do. I wish all of you could have this opportunity.

Here is an opportunity for one of you: The Diocese of Costa Rica needs to create its own webpage and maintain it. We have a lot of information to get out to members of the Diocese as well as folks in North Carolina and the rest of the world. If you have the skills and the time to use them in helping us get a webpage started, or know someone who does, please let me know. This might be something that could be done from your home or office in NC, but it’s also a great chance to enjoy our balmy climate in San Jose. Think about it.

Have a peaceful week.