Vale la Pena

In our last blog, we mentioned we would appreciate your prayers for a 14 year old youth named Joseph. A little over two months ago, Joseph did not have a church home or a personal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ. However in March of this year, this changed when a local church started a cell group in his neighborhood. This cell group met every Friday night for seven weeks before hosting a special Maxima Mission church planting coordination with community service, Bible schools and showings of the Jesus Film.



Joseph in a meeting in late March

Joseph is very special to the Lord and very special to us because he was the first person to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior in the very first Friday night cell group meeting. Joseph is a young man of great joy and feels God has a special purpose for his life. In early April, we prayed for pain in his leg only to find out later that the cause was pelvic cancer. However, this has not kept Joseph from shining the light that Jesus Christ has brought to his life.

This past Friday, Joseph had another first. Although he was in the hospital, he became the first person from this cell group to be baptized. It was great to see the testimony of the life of Christ in the cancer wing of this hospital. We had a special baptism service in the hallway (yes, we had to have a sprinkling instead of immersion) where he also had communion. We had approximately 25 people in a worship service and celebration. Joseph testified to Christ's goodness and challenged us all to follow the Lord. He later asked about the possibility of getting evangecubes to use in the hospital! (If you haven't seen them, evangecubes are a great way to share the story of salvation through pictures)

I found out about Joseph's cancer about 6 weeks ago from the pastor of the mother church. Pastora Leyla told me that if all the work we were doing for this church plant was all just for Joseph, it was "vale la pena." Vale la pena means to be worthwhile. And Pastora Leyla is right. However, it makes me think. I wonder how many other Joseph's are out there. Not just here in Costa Rica, Panama or Nicaragua, but in the US and every other country and neighborhood. People who are so ready to receive the Lord. People who long to experience Christ's love where they live.

We ask you to pray for Joseph and for God's healing touch upon his body. Joseph is truly an incredible young man, his joy and smile are very contagious. We know God is able and can bring healing.

We also ask that you pray for our boldness and for boldness for believers all around the world to share the incredible good news of the salvation and life that only Jesus Christ can bring. Joseph reminds me that we need to make the most of every opportunity. After all, one changed life is "Vale la pena."

Many blessings in Christ our Lord,
David, Shelley, Joshua and Kayley Webb

Bridge of the World, Heart of the Universe

Bendiciones en el nombre de Jesucristo to all our friends and family around the world. As always, God has been very good to the Webbs as He continues to open doors for us to serve. Things have been clipping right along as David left for Panama on May 6 and returned on May 15. In the meantime, Shelley handled many details for evangelism as well as being immersed in child sponsorship ministries for Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Although it is never good for a husband to be gone on Mother's Day, David has another shot as it is celebrated in August here in Costa Rica (and December in Panama--man this could get expensive!).

Speaking of Panama, the trip was a blessing in many ways. The first two days were spent in evangelism training workshops as David assisted Bernie Slingerland. These workshops help identify people with a passion for planting new cell groups. Each person who feels God's call to start a new cell group in their community receives Bibles and discipleship materials to help with this new work. Materials are available to help these cell groups grow including to the point of forming new churches if this is God's plan.

One of the Three Locks of the Panama Canal

The rest of David's time was spent working with a team comprised of Malone College students from Canton, OH, and Panamanians from local Nazarene churches. The attitude of the team was fantastic as they braved heat and water deficiencies (on the days we lacked water for bathing the team agreed that God somehow took away the ability to smell each other--a true praise!) . The team worked in two different communities. The first community included painting a local basketball/soccer asphalt court, cleaning the park area, Bible schools and showing the Jesus Film.



We spent more time in the second area which is named Paso Blanco. Here we helped with the foundation and making the trusses for a building that will serve as a dining room for children and hopefully soon, a new church. The pastor of the mother church, Pastor Eduardo, shared that Paso Blanco is one of the oldest communities around Panama City. This used to be a settlement area for slaves. Unfortunately, although slavery has been abolished, the cycle of poverty and low priority for education has kept these same people in chains for many years.

However God can set the captives free and Pastor Eduardo is rejoicing in what Jesus Christ is already doing in this area. The church started offering meals in the community four years ago and is currently feeding about 150 children each Saturday. The team had over a 100 children for Bible School and saw a great response to the Jesus Film (including our bus driver's helper Rolando--God is good!).
VBS in Paso Blanco



While we rejoiced at being home together from the 15th to the 18th, Shelley left for Panama yesterday with Tami Buell, coordinator for compassionate ministries for the area, to meet a medical team in Panama. While we miss Shelley, I (David) am excited that she will be able to serve in some of the same places and meet some of the same people I was with this month. I also know that our brothers and sisters in Panama will be looking forward to meeting my "media naranja" (that's Spanish for my better half). Panama is known as the Bridge of the World, Heart of the Universe and we are so thankful for the love and friendships we have formed in Panama in a very short time.


This picture is in front of the original dining room in Paso Blanco built 4 years ago with the founders Max and Marlen with Gladys one of the dedicated helpers.

Prayer requests this week:

• Please pray for God's protection and guidance for Shelley and Tami in their travels in Panama
  
• Please pray for Joshua and Kayley (and David) as we study for the kids final tests this week
  
• Please pray for Joseph. He is a 14 year old who accepted Christ as Lord and Savior about 2 months ago during a Maxima Mision here in Costa Rica. He has pelvic cancer. I will share more about him soon.

Thanks again for the love and support of so many people...we appreciate your prayers and your encouragement more than we can ever share. May Jesus open all our hearts more everyday to the joy and life that He alone gives!

Que Dios les bendiga, (May God bless you)

David, Shelley, Joshua and Kayley Webb

Blackouts and Birthdays

Hello All,

It has been an interesting week with frequent blackouts. Apparently, the electricity supply in Costa Rica is gained through the use of hydroelectric power and since we’ve had little rain in a long time, the dams are very low. So, to conserve energy, the human powers on high have decided to shut off power to different areas of the city at different times each day. (Today is an exception; it’s the Labor Day holiday, so I guess they didn’t think they would save much electric today). It’s not that bad, as long as you know ahead. Unfortunately, we don’t always know. Yes, there is a long list in the paper each morning of the blackout schedule for the day, but here on the seminary campus we are located in 3 different areas, so we’re never for sure if today we are considered a part of Moravia, Guadalupe or Coronado. Let’s just say, it has made life interesting.

Fortunately, we had lights for Kayley’s 9^th birthday party on Monday evening. She had Paige and Jessica Buell, our neighbors for a short time longer (they are moving to Mexico in June) as her guests overnight. Kayley requested Chinese food for her special meal, so we ordered out and enjoyed lost of sweet and sour chicken. A bit later in the evening a number of missionary families came over to share in cake, ice cream and some mean Twister competitions. (You know, Twister, the game with all the colored dots on a plastic mat…). Even some adults participated which of course made for added fun. Then a movie, then bedtime silliness…you get the picture.

Kayley’s birthday is actually on Thursday, but we’ll be tied up in meetings from then until Saturday at noon, so we’ll not have much time to celebrate on the official day. On Sunday, David leaves once again, this time for Panama. He’ll return in the middle of the month, be home one day and then Shelley will leave for two weeks. All great opportunities to minister and improve our Spanish, so we’re thankful for the chance to go. But we’ll look forward to June when we’ll have more time at home.

That is about it for this week. Thanks for your continued prayers as we strive to minister and communicate here in Costa Rica. Have a wonderful week.

God bless,

The Webb Family