Reflections ~ Christmas 2011
We have a pillow on our bed that notes scripture, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart”. That kind of sums up what 2011 has been for Steve and I. It has been an amazing year and we have had so many adventures. Steve took the year off from work so we could spend quality time together and seriously seek what God has planned for the next season of our life. And let me tell you, some truly God-sized things have been the fruits of this sabbatical. I continue to work part-time with Pura Vida Missions as administrator and trip coordinator with the fringe benefit of traveling down to Costa Rica a few times to help at the mission in San Ramon. This is the joy God has given me, a job that is rewarding and serves others at the same time. During the spring, Steve and I ventured down into the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica and camped in the jungle, on our friend Ted’s Pacific Ocean-beach property. We had the creature comforts of a flushing toilet and shower, and a generator (no electric down there), but the tent we had was not waterproof. This became an challenge during the night when it rained – kind of a comedy really – huddling together in the middle of the night to avoid the streams of water flowing past our air mattress… and yes, at our age, an air mattress is required! We got to experience Costa Rica and the jungle life up close and personal. Monkey’s everywhere, macaws feasting and screeching, and don’t want to forget the crabs at night that kept us company – they ventured out from the beach – it made walking around with flashlights at night a real dance, avoiding stepping on the crabs as they scattered everywhere. We survived that experience and in April traveled with Ester (a/k/a ‘Nanny’) up to Chicago for #1 Grandson Mark’s wedding to Myra. It was a wonderful weekend to see family and share in the joy of a beautiful ceremony. The blessing of that union is also scheduled to arrive in March – Baby Simon (being named after my Dad) is on the way. It makes me teary-eyed each time I think of how proud my Dad would have been to know he’s got a Great-Grandson named after him, but of course I imagine him up in Heaven with a huge smile on his face – anyway – He knows!
The month of May provided us with another amazing opportunity. We wanted to travel back to Jerico, Colombia where our friend Rocio lives, and a Professor and his wife from Medellin (who we met briefly in Florida) have a home in Jerico, which they would not be using. They offered it to us – at no charge – and that’s the kind of thing people down in Colombia just do. So, off we went. We got to travel in-country with Rocio to a couple of different places too. We went to the Caribbean coast (Steve had the pleasure of traveling with 4 women), but I will never do that again – via an 18-hour bus ride – it was painful! We decided we like the mountains and the village experience in Jerico much better. We actually like it so much, after spending the month there, we bought a little house in Jerico. The trend here in Florida is to get a vacation home in North Carolina . . . for us, it’s now a mountain retreat in Colombia! (Below-pharmacy in the town square & local mode of transportation in Jerico!)
During that month we also did a kind-of Bible study, book study, “Love at Last Sight” by Kerry & Chris Shook. It was a wonderful time to spend focusing on our marriage and contemplate the important relationships in our life. Some huge lessons, for both of us, came out of doing/reading this together . . . like, “The art of being all there starts with the unselfish act of taking what we ourselves long for and realizing that others want the same thing from us.” And, “There is something powerful about uniting for a purpose that is greater than ourselves. Nothing brings two people closer than using their gifts and strengths for a purpose that glorifies God and makes a difference in the lives of others.” Amen to that!!! Some other huge events happened this year. On St. Patty’s Day Ariel was visiting from New York and introduced us to his new girlfriend, Josselyn. Well she was actually not ‘new’ in the sense of their relationship – but now the two of them are engaged and living / studying in Barcelona, Spain . . . And have a wedding date set for August 4, 2012. I am excited about the prospect of being a Mother-In-Law, and Josselyn tells me that 2-years after the wedding they will be starting a family. You cannot imagine how thrilling that sounds to me also! One of the ironies to share also; Josselyn’s family is from Colombia! Crazy, right! I’m so happy for the two of them and we are looking forward to a beach wedding in Ft. Lauderdale next year. In August this year I traveled back up to Canada and had a wonderful family gathering to honor Ester / Nanny’s 90th birthday. She was in her glory to have family surround her for this milestone birthday. She’s still going strong, now back in Florida for the winter and still riding her bike, driving the COP car as part of the neighborhood patrol watch, and of course playing Bingo every week. She’s a testimony to ‘good genes’ and doing your exercise everyday! We are taking her with us to Colombia in January so she can see the little village that we will hope to spend lots of ‘down-time’ in the future, God-willing!
At the close of this fabulous year, Steve is back to work for a couple of months, filling in for a gal on maternity leave. God has also brought some clear introductions and placed new relationships into our lives in the past few months. We are planning a trip to Uganda in June and I am working on a fundraising project (with God’s direction and provision) to construct a mission guesthouse for Word In Deed Ministries (www.wordindeedministries.org ). Following this call, and depending on His Holy Spirit direction, we may be making a long-term commitment to serve in Uganda – once the mission house is built – to help work in an existing clinic in a remote area outside Kampala. But this is the story and God’s glorious adventure for next year! Much love, Lisa
lisa nester 