Below you'll find the text to our February prayer letter. If you'd like to receive these letters by email, please send me an email and I will add you to our list. If you'd like to view the letter with pictures, visit www.clfcostarica.com and click on "newsletters' Matt and Brooke...
OR...
Visit our NEW family website: www.mcclainfamily4him.org
Greetings! We write to you this month with joy in our hearts for the great things God is doing in our family and in the ministry in Villareal.
We’d like to share our ministry vision with you this month and share with you what we are asking in faith of our God.
We recently took a tally of the number in weekly discipleship with us. We were surprised that the number was just a few short of fifty! We have lived here three months and in that very short time, God has blessed our obedience to follow Him here with so many eager, energetic, and on fire disciples that we are just completely overjoyed. And so we come before our God and ask Him to bless these disciples, to make them into fruit bearers, whose fruit bears more fruit so that what has begun with just fifty will result in much fruit.
About 35 of these fifty disciples live in Villareal. We’d like to share with you a concept we first read about in a book some time ago called “The Great Omission,” by Steve Saint. For this example, let’s assume that all fifty of our current disciples live in Villareal. Let’s also assume the discipleship process lasts about six months. If after six months of discipleship with us, these current 50 disciples were to each disciple one new believer for six months [and we took ourselves out of the equation], there would be 100 active disciples in Villareal after one year. If then, those 100 each began discipling a new believer, there would be 200 active disciples in eighteen months. Using the same system, there would be 400 active disciples at the end of 2 years. After 3 years, there would be 1,600 active disciples in Villareal. And to God’s glory, after 3 1/2 years, following this same pattern, Villareal, a city of about 3,000 people would be full of true disciples of Jesus Christ, following His commandment to go and make disciples!
If you compare this to one person sharing the gospel each day every day for the next three and half years, assuming one person each day accepts the Lord, the results are drastically different. After one year of sharing the gospel and one person each day accepting the Lord, there would be 365 new believers. After two years of this same process, there would be 730 new believers. After three years Villareal would be home to 1095 new believers. Finally, after 3 1/2 years of sharing the gospel every day, there would be 1,277 new brothers and sisters in Christ. The heavens would clearly rejoice for these new believers.
Our concern is what happens to these precious new believers if no one encourages their decision, their direction, their denial of self, the dying of oneself and their devotion to Christ (discipleship). This is what drives our passion to make disciples. We pray that you can embrace our vision as well. This is why we ask you to join us in praying for true disciples to be made in Villareal.
"Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”
Luke 9:23
Just a glimpse into our lives following JESUS as He leads us to serve Him in the nations. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Update on today's discipleship group
Well, today I spent two wonderful hours with my neighbors, going over the first lesson of the discipleship book, listening to their verses, answering their questions and getting to know them a little better. It was a wonderful fruitful time spent with them. I shared the gospel with them (thank you for praying!) and they all three shared their stories of when they first believed that Christ was God's son and that He died on the cross for them because of their sin. I am praying that the years of Catholic influence will be shed and they will see the Truth in scripture, because there are some obvious misconceptions. They ask such good questions. they asked me again today if we could meet for even just a half an our every day. If I could just come over and talk with them about the Bible. What more could you ask for in a disciple? :)
I challenged them each to begin to read a chapter a day and take notes on what they've read, praying before they read and asking god to help them understand. We talked alot about the change that should be evident in our lives after we've made the decision. We talked about what that actually looks like in our daily lives and how we gain the strength to make those changes.
Relationships are so important in this culture. It is one of the things Matt and I love most about living here- the front porch, rocking-chair-sitting, middle-of-the-day conversing that used to be such a big part of daily life, but has long since been forgotten in North America. Everyone who passes calls out "Adios" as they pass by or some other friendly greeting. We never got to experience it in the city because it just doesn't happen. The bars, high walls, and the ever-present sense of danger keep you inside your home, protected by it all. One more reason for us to praise God for giving us the desires of our hearts by sending us to a community where we could experience the culture and living life amongst those we serve.
Our home church is bringing a mission team in March and so we took count of all the disciples to give them a number for a small gift they will be bringing. In both churches, the Filadelphia outreach, as well as in our community (like our neighbors) we realized we have just under 50 disciples! We have lived here three months and God has been so good! He is clearly working here and we are so excited to see what He does with these 50...and who they will begin to disciple.
(Let's just imagine that all 50 of these current disciples live in Villareal, even though about 15 are from Filadelphia. In order to have an even number for the following example: all 50 live in Villareal).
There are about 3,000 people living in Villareal.
If after six months, these current 50 disciples were to each disciple one new believer for six months, [and we took ourselves out of the equation] there would be 100 active disciples in Villareal after one year. If then, those 100 each discipled one person, there would be 200 active disciples at the end of 18 months. Using the same system, there would be 400 active disciples at the end of 2 years. After 3 years, there would be 1,600 active disciples in Villareal. And, to God's glory, after 3 1/2 years, following this same pattern, Villareal, a city of about 3,000 people would be WON for CHRIST!!!!
We can see this becoming a reality. We can feel it deep in our sols that God desires to see this place be a light for Him. We don't know where He will lead us after a year or so of being here. We are constantly praying to be guided and lead in His path. He has clearly shown us the power of discipleship in a way that is so exciting and even almost addicting- to see people come on fire for the Lord! To grow in Him and in their faith and belief and trust in Him. To be approached in the grocery store by one of the leaders in discipleship and have him name off all the verses, big smile on his face.
And what is perhaps the most amazing thing to me, from deep in my mother's heart, is that now, Ethan has caught on to the vision God has given us. He has been praying about discipling his friend Alberto, who the son of is my disciple Dinora. Alberto would like to do it and sits just inside the house listening but is too shy to come out with his mom, grandma and aunt. So he asked Ethan if Ethan would disciple him! So, next week, Ethan will begin discipling Alberto! PRAISE GOD!!!!
I challenged them each to begin to read a chapter a day and take notes on what they've read, praying before they read and asking god to help them understand. We talked alot about the change that should be evident in our lives after we've made the decision. We talked about what that actually looks like in our daily lives and how we gain the strength to make those changes.
Relationships are so important in this culture. It is one of the things Matt and I love most about living here- the front porch, rocking-chair-sitting, middle-of-the-day conversing that used to be such a big part of daily life, but has long since been forgotten in North America. Everyone who passes calls out "Adios" as they pass by or some other friendly greeting. We never got to experience it in the city because it just doesn't happen. The bars, high walls, and the ever-present sense of danger keep you inside your home, protected by it all. One more reason for us to praise God for giving us the desires of our hearts by sending us to a community where we could experience the culture and living life amongst those we serve.
Our home church is bringing a mission team in March and so we took count of all the disciples to give them a number for a small gift they will be bringing. In both churches, the Filadelphia outreach, as well as in our community (like our neighbors) we realized we have just under 50 disciples! We have lived here three months and God has been so good! He is clearly working here and we are so excited to see what He does with these 50...and who they will begin to disciple.
(Let's just imagine that all 50 of these current disciples live in Villareal, even though about 15 are from Filadelphia. In order to have an even number for the following example: all 50 live in Villareal).
There are about 3,000 people living in Villareal.
If after six months, these current 50 disciples were to each disciple one new believer for six months, [and we took ourselves out of the equation] there would be 100 active disciples in Villareal after one year. If then, those 100 each discipled one person, there would be 200 active disciples at the end of 18 months. Using the same system, there would be 400 active disciples at the end of 2 years. After 3 years, there would be 1,600 active disciples in Villareal. And, to God's glory, after 3 1/2 years, following this same pattern, Villareal, a city of about 3,000 people would be WON for CHRIST!!!!
We can see this becoming a reality. We can feel it deep in our sols that God desires to see this place be a light for Him. We don't know where He will lead us after a year or so of being here. We are constantly praying to be guided and lead in His path. He has clearly shown us the power of discipleship in a way that is so exciting and even almost addicting- to see people come on fire for the Lord! To grow in Him and in their faith and belief and trust in Him. To be approached in the grocery store by one of the leaders in discipleship and have him name off all the verses, big smile on his face.
And what is perhaps the most amazing thing to me, from deep in my mother's heart, is that now, Ethan has caught on to the vision God has given us. He has been praying about discipling his friend Alberto, who the son of is my disciple Dinora. Alberto would like to do it and sits just inside the house listening but is too shy to come out with his mom, grandma and aunt. So he asked Ethan if Ethan would disciple him! So, next week, Ethan will begin discipling Alberto! PRAISE GOD!!!!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Weekly Prayer requests
Here is the email we sent out today with this weeks prayer requests:
Dear brothers and sisters,
We write to you this week with several things to pray for.
We ask that you continue to pray for the discipleship groups at both First Baptist church and Calvary Chapel. Pray that the leaders of both churches grow in heir relationship with Christ, continue to guard His Word in their hearts and that their enthusiasm for being a disciple and making disciples continues. Each week, it is a joy for Matt to witness these adults and some youth go over their lessons and say their verses. They take it seriously and it really is encouraging to see! We are more and more convinced of the power of discipleship as we see these church leaders become built up in him, their faith is strengthened and they overflow with thankfulness for the discipleship groups. Each week, members of the churches give thanks for discipleship and it is a joy to hear their thankfulness. Pray with us that they will keep their focus on Christ and pray that they will each go and make disciples as well.
Praise God with us for the way He continues to weave our lives together with our neighbors. Pray for Brooke as she meets for the second time with Elvita, Dinora and Ana and they go over the salvation lesson. Pray for Brooke as she prepares to share the gospel with them this Thursday. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be present and they will each give their lives to Christ.
Pray for us as we travel to Nicaragua, Monday, February 1 to renew our visas. We will be returning Wednesday, February 3.
Praise God with us for really positive days for homeschooling with Brooke and the kids! Praise God that we seem to have finally found a routine that works for everyone! Continue to pray for Brooke as their teacher. Thank you for praying - we feel your prayers! :)
Continue to pray for the mission team in March. We continue to make plans for lodging, food and the schedule. Pray for those who are struggling to meet the financial needs to come.
Thanks you for praying for our family!
In Christ,
Matt and Brooke :)
Serving Christ 'til He comes back,
Brooke :)
Dear brothers and sisters,
We write to you this week with several things to pray for.
We ask that you continue to pray for the discipleship groups at both First Baptist church and Calvary Chapel. Pray that the leaders of both churches grow in heir relationship with Christ, continue to guard His Word in their hearts and that their enthusiasm for being a disciple and making disciples continues. Each week, it is a joy for Matt to witness these adults and some youth go over their lessons and say their verses. They take it seriously and it really is encouraging to see! We are more and more convinced of the power of discipleship as we see these church leaders become built up in him, their faith is strengthened and they overflow with thankfulness for the discipleship groups. Each week, members of the churches give thanks for discipleship and it is a joy to hear their thankfulness. Pray with us that they will keep their focus on Christ and pray that they will each go and make disciples as well.
Praise God with us for the way He continues to weave our lives together with our neighbors. Pray for Brooke as she meets for the second time with Elvita, Dinora and Ana and they go over the salvation lesson. Pray for Brooke as she prepares to share the gospel with them this Thursday. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be present and they will each give their lives to Christ.
Pray for us as we travel to Nicaragua, Monday, February 1 to renew our visas. We will be returning Wednesday, February 3.
Praise God with us for really positive days for homeschooling with Brooke and the kids! Praise God that we seem to have finally found a routine that works for everyone! Continue to pray for Brooke as their teacher. Thank you for praying - we feel your prayers! :)
Continue to pray for the mission team in March. We continue to make plans for lodging, food and the schedule. Pray for those who are struggling to meet the financial needs to come.
Thanks you for praying for our family!
In Christ,
Matt and Brooke :)
Serving Christ 'til He comes back,
Brooke :)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Mis disciplulos (My disciples)
It has been a great joy the last several days, talking with my neighbors. Last Saturday, they all asked me if we could spend more time together each week talking about the Bible then just the day of our study- they enjoyed it so much they want more than just one day a week! Praise Jesus! They asked me if I had time every day!
So, while it hasn't been every day, we've had several conversations and I've spent time there with them in the Word. They've asked some good questions that have sent me straight to the Word myself in search of the answers. So much fun!
They have alot of questions related to Jehovahs's witnesses because they have been visited by them many times. The really cool thing is that the seed of doubt has already been planted and they recognize that what the J.W.'s are saying is not the truth and they are asking me to show them the truth. I find the scriptures and then they read them and the TRUTH satisfies them! Praise God!!! May they fully understand, love and honor HE that is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE!
Dinora had her verse memorized the day after we did the study. Ana almost has hers and Elvita is struggling somewhat.
Thursday we meet again to go over the study. Please pray specifically for this time with them because this first lesson coves salvation. I plan to share the gospel with them in its entirety because they have strong Catholic ties.
I'll get some pictures this week and post them soon!
So, while it hasn't been every day, we've had several conversations and I've spent time there with them in the Word. They've asked some good questions that have sent me straight to the Word myself in search of the answers. So much fun!
They have alot of questions related to Jehovahs's witnesses because they have been visited by them many times. The really cool thing is that the seed of doubt has already been planted and they recognize that what the J.W.'s are saying is not the truth and they are asking me to show them the truth. I find the scriptures and then they read them and the TRUTH satisfies them! Praise God!!! May they fully understand, love and honor HE that is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE!
Dinora had her verse memorized the day after we did the study. Ana almost has hers and Elvita is struggling somewhat.
Thursday we meet again to go over the study. Please pray specifically for this time with them because this first lesson coves salvation. I plan to share the gospel with them in its entirety because they have strong Catholic ties.
I'll get some pictures this week and post them soon!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thank you for praying!
For several weeks, we have been asking for prayer for our neighbors, Dinora, Elvita and Ana. I want to thank you form the bottom of my heart for your prayers for these women.
Praise God with me that today I started discipling these women. Would you pray with me for the next several months as I walk through the basic steps of the Christian faith with them. Pray that God would work in their hearts and show them His infinite love. None of the three ladies have professed Christian faith and all have told me that they are Catholic. I am praying God that God will reveal to him the Truth in His word and their faith will become a reality and Jesus Christ will become their Savior.
It was a wonderful sweet time today and they all three seemed to really like it. As I walked back to our house after, I heard them practicing their verse together :)
By the way, for quite some time now I have been without a disciple, with our time in the states last summer, traveling, then moving and then settling in here. I am so excited to be able to be discipling again!!!! It really brings me great joy to disciple others and I praise Jesus for the privilege. What an honor!
Praise God with me that today I started discipling these women. Would you pray with me for the next several months as I walk through the basic steps of the Christian faith with them. Pray that God would work in their hearts and show them His infinite love. None of the three ladies have professed Christian faith and all have told me that they are Catholic. I am praying God that God will reveal to him the Truth in His word and their faith will become a reality and Jesus Christ will become their Savior.
It was a wonderful sweet time today and they all three seemed to really like it. As I walked back to our house after, I heard them practicing their verse together :)
By the way, for quite some time now I have been without a disciple, with our time in the states last summer, traveling, then moving and then settling in here. I am so excited to be able to be discipling again!!!! It really brings me great joy to disciple others and I praise Jesus for the privilege. What an honor!
Baby Emma update
Baby Emma update- Praise God for His hand upon her...
Well pretty much a slow day for progress here. Last night they moved the PICC and ART lines from her belly button (these were inserted when she still had the umbilical cord) into her arm and leg. For the most part, she tolerated this well although she did seem to be in a little bit of pain afterward.
This morning started with a chest exploration. Today they cleaned out the chest cavity and looked for any clotting that they could help reduce. They also removed her SvO2 line as it was no longer functioning. This line was primarily being used to measure the oxygen saturation in the superior vena cava. She still has two other lines in place that are measuring oxygen saturation in and close to the heart so there wasn't any concern removing it.
During the procedure she did have a few bouts of SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia, yes we had to google it too). This basically means that her heart beat quite a bit faster than it should. The Dr's were able to manage this with medication.
The Dr's would still like to see her produce more urine as she still has quite a bit of fluid built up on her body. She was basically flat on her fluids in and out today. This is a delicate balancing act because if they give her additional diuretics then they can adversely affect the oxygen levels in her blood. So they plan to wake her up a bit more as increased activity should help with the process. They also plan to continue physical therapy massages that have definitely helped.
So at this point we are looking to reduce the fluid in the body with the next milestone goal of being able to close her chest. It is still likely to be early next week before we reach this point.
Short update on Caleb:
He visited Dr Cava (cardiologist) for a routine check up. Everything seems to be going well with him. He has a few more weeks of his low fat diet and reduced activity (yeah right). He was able to come into the hospital today though and see baby sister. Nurse Margret let him start Emma's blood pressure so that was the highlight of his day!
Well pretty much a slow day for progress here. Last night they moved the PICC and ART lines from her belly button (these were inserted when she still had the umbilical cord) into her arm and leg. For the most part, she tolerated this well although she did seem to be in a little bit of pain afterward.
This morning started with a chest exploration. Today they cleaned out the chest cavity and looked for any clotting that they could help reduce. They also removed her SvO2 line as it was no longer functioning. This line was primarily being used to measure the oxygen saturation in the superior vena cava. She still has two other lines in place that are measuring oxygen saturation in and close to the heart so there wasn't any concern removing it.
During the procedure she did have a few bouts of SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia, yes we had to google it too). This basically means that her heart beat quite a bit faster than it should. The Dr's were able to manage this with medication.
The Dr's would still like to see her produce more urine as she still has quite a bit of fluid built up on her body. She was basically flat on her fluids in and out today. This is a delicate balancing act because if they give her additional diuretics then they can adversely affect the oxygen levels in her blood. So they plan to wake her up a bit more as increased activity should help with the process. They also plan to continue physical therapy massages that have definitely helped.
So at this point we are looking to reduce the fluid in the body with the next milestone goal of being able to close her chest. It is still likely to be early next week before we reach this point.
Short update on Caleb:
He visited Dr Cava (cardiologist) for a routine check up. Everything seems to be going well with him. He has a few more weeks of his low fat diet and reduced activity (yeah right). He was able to come into the hospital today though and see baby sister. Nurse Margret let him start Emma's blood pressure so that was the highlight of his day!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
PRAISE GOD!!!! Update :)
We would like to thank you for your prayers! Today we received an answer to a long time prayer request- 2 and a half years long, actually! Scroll down to see our NEW CAR!!!!!!!!! :)
Today, we received the paperwork in our name along with the keys and the car! (Title will come February 2nd!)
Thank YOU for praying for this to come to fruition.
We are strengthened, supported, encouraged and above all BLESSED!! by your intercession on our behalf.
MUCHAS GRACIAS!!! Thank you so MUCH!
Love,
Matt and Brooke :)
and kiddos ;)
Today, we received the paperwork in our name along with the keys and the car! (Title will come February 2nd!)
Thank YOU for praying for this to come to fruition.
We are strengthened, supported, encouraged and above all BLESSED!! by your intercession on our behalf.
MUCHAS GRACIAS!!! Thank you so MUCH!
Love,
Matt and Brooke :)
and kiddos ;)
Baby Emma Update
Another update on Baby Emma:
"Another calm day of rest here for Emma today. She is continuing to really like her massages. The doctors weaned her Fentanyl in half to get her off narcotics so she is relying now on Morphine and Ativan to help keep her calm and pain free. The massages seemed to play a dual purpose today in relaxing her from the drug change and also remove fluids. The change in swelling is more difficult to distinguish today, but is still happening. The biggest sign of fluid loss today seems to be the wrinkling of skin and tape where it used to be taut. The next few days appear to have the same in store as today, just keeping her comfortable and allowing her to slowly get rid of what excess swelling remains. After rounds today the nurses started her feedings through the ng tube. She'll get about the equivalent of almost an ounce of milk in a 24 hour period now on top of IV supplements."
"Another calm day of rest here for Emma today. She is continuing to really like her massages. The doctors weaned her Fentanyl in half to get her off narcotics so she is relying now on Morphine and Ativan to help keep her calm and pain free. The massages seemed to play a dual purpose today in relaxing her from the drug change and also remove fluids. The change in swelling is more difficult to distinguish today, but is still happening. The biggest sign of fluid loss today seems to be the wrinkling of skin and tape where it used to be taut. The next few days appear to have the same in store as today, just keeping her comfortable and allowing her to slowly get rid of what excess swelling remains. After rounds today the nurses started her feedings through the ng tube. She'll get about the equivalent of almost an ounce of milk in a 24 hour period now on top of IV supplements."
Weekly Prayer Update
Weekly prayer update sent by email yesterday:
"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound." Psalms 4:6-7
Dear faithful family and friends,
Blessings to you this day!
Today we have quite a bit to praise Jesus for and be thankful for as well as many things that we seek your prayers for. Much has happened this past week and so today we write to you asking that we as the body of Christ come together in prayer for the following:
Please pray for our neighbors, Elvita and Dinora. They have been coming to Calvary Chapel church with our family on Sunday evenings and have also expressed interest in discipleship. We have asked for prayer for them many times, specifically in the relationship of Dinora and the father of her children. Last night Dinora asked Matt about her boyfriend (they have been together 12 years) Ronnie. Matt has been praying about strengthening his relationship with Ronnie, although at this time Ronnie wants nothing to do with things of the Lord. Praise God that last night both Dinora and Elvita committed to starting discipleship with Brooke. Pray for that to start this week. Pray also that God would work in the heart of Ronnie and he would be willing to meet with Matt. Pray that God would open his eyes to his sin and that he would desire that God heal him from alcoholism. Pray for him to rid his life of alcohol, become the head of his household and give his life to Jesus.
Please pray this week for the the purchase of our vehicle. Everything is ready on the states end, but we are waiting on the papers to be finished by the lawyer here. Today being a US holiday, we are praying that we might be able to get the paperwork here finished today so the wire transfer could be made tomorrow and we can get the vehicle in our possession in the next few days!
Praise God for a great week of homeschool last week. Pray for this to continue and for God to honor our decision to use His word as the foundation of our schooling and our teaching. Pray for our daily family devotions that we refer to throughout our school day. Also pray for wisdom for Brooke as she prays about different schooling options that have been offered, including the possibility of a central location for the schooling of at least two families and the sharing of the teaching responsibilities.
Pray for the FEPC mission team coming to serve with us at the end of March. Please pray for God to work miraculously in the lives of some interested in coming that difficult things may be worked out in order for them to make the trip, including finances. Pray for us as we continue to work on our end to make arrangements and work out details. Praise God for technology like Skype that make planning so much easier! :)
Praise God for continued interest in the ministry here. Pray for us for wisdom as God brings more people desiring to serve God to us in the form of mission teams. Pray that God would bless these new partnerships and He would bring teams that share our vision and passion and yet understand our commitment to our family and the daily ministry as well. Again we praise Him for technology that allows connections with others through the internet.
We ask for prayer for the church in Los Guido and for our teammates there. This week a young girl named Natali was brutally murdered in her home. Her younger sister, Thalia, found her body. Her youngest sister Michel serves on the Los Guido leadership team. Please pray as the church heals and tries to come to terms with the crime. Pray for peace in their hearts and for there to be no more violence in response to this crime from the gangs in the area. Pray for healing for the family as well. Praise God that Natali is now with the Lord.
If any of you read our family blog, you have read about the grandchild of our close friends, Tim and Sue Wolfe. Baby Emma is doing well, but she still needs your prayers. You can read her story at CaringBridge.org and type in 'wolfekids" or check out our blog at www.costaricamcclains.blogspot.com
Lastly, although we are sure that you have all been following the news and praying, we ask you to pray for Haiti. Pray for all who are without food, water, shelter and have literally lost everything to the earthquake. Our hearts have been burdened this week especially for the many children who have been left as orphans due to this disaster. Pray for the missionaries that have been working to further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ there. Our sending agency, Christian Light Foundation has missionaries there, as well as many people we have connections with. We have received many prayer updates this week from missionaries there and their stories break our hearts. Please pray for God's light to shine and the hope of Jesus Christ to be present in the midst of the great suffering. Pray that in the desperation, the words of Isaiah 61:1 would be a reality.
We love you all and pray for you, too. We realized this week how many of you there are praying for us and we are so grateful and full of joy when we think about you all! May you be blessed this week! :)
Serving Christ 'til He comes back,
Matt and Brooke :)
Check out our family blog:
www.costaricamcclains.blogspot.com
"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound." Psalms 4:6-7
Dear faithful family and friends,
Blessings to you this day!
Today we have quite a bit to praise Jesus for and be thankful for as well as many things that we seek your prayers for. Much has happened this past week and so today we write to you asking that we as the body of Christ come together in prayer for the following:
Please pray for our neighbors, Elvita and Dinora. They have been coming to Calvary Chapel church with our family on Sunday evenings and have also expressed interest in discipleship. We have asked for prayer for them many times, specifically in the relationship of Dinora and the father of her children. Last night Dinora asked Matt about her boyfriend (they have been together 12 years) Ronnie. Matt has been praying about strengthening his relationship with Ronnie, although at this time Ronnie wants nothing to do with things of the Lord. Praise God that last night both Dinora and Elvita committed to starting discipleship with Brooke. Pray for that to start this week. Pray also that God would work in the heart of Ronnie and he would be willing to meet with Matt. Pray that God would open his eyes to his sin and that he would desire that God heal him from alcoholism. Pray for him to rid his life of alcohol, become the head of his household and give his life to Jesus.
Please pray this week for the the purchase of our vehicle. Everything is ready on the states end, but we are waiting on the papers to be finished by the lawyer here. Today being a US holiday, we are praying that we might be able to get the paperwork here finished today so the wire transfer could be made tomorrow and we can get the vehicle in our possession in the next few days!
Praise God for a great week of homeschool last week. Pray for this to continue and for God to honor our decision to use His word as the foundation of our schooling and our teaching. Pray for our daily family devotions that we refer to throughout our school day. Also pray for wisdom for Brooke as she prays about different schooling options that have been offered, including the possibility of a central location for the schooling of at least two families and the sharing of the teaching responsibilities.
Pray for the FEPC mission team coming to serve with us at the end of March. Please pray for God to work miraculously in the lives of some interested in coming that difficult things may be worked out in order for them to make the trip, including finances. Pray for us as we continue to work on our end to make arrangements and work out details. Praise God for technology like Skype that make planning so much easier! :)
Praise God for continued interest in the ministry here. Pray for us for wisdom as God brings more people desiring to serve God to us in the form of mission teams. Pray that God would bless these new partnerships and He would bring teams that share our vision and passion and yet understand our commitment to our family and the daily ministry as well. Again we praise Him for technology that allows connections with others through the internet.
We ask for prayer for the church in Los Guido and for our teammates there. This week a young girl named Natali was brutally murdered in her home. Her younger sister, Thalia, found her body. Her youngest sister Michel serves on the Los Guido leadership team. Please pray as the church heals and tries to come to terms with the crime. Pray for peace in their hearts and for there to be no more violence in response to this crime from the gangs in the area. Pray for healing for the family as well. Praise God that Natali is now with the Lord.
If any of you read our family blog, you have read about the grandchild of our close friends, Tim and Sue Wolfe. Baby Emma is doing well, but she still needs your prayers. You can read her story at CaringBridge.org and type in 'wolfekids" or check out our blog at www.costaricamcclains.blogspot.com
Lastly, although we are sure that you have all been following the news and praying, we ask you to pray for Haiti. Pray for all who are without food, water, shelter and have literally lost everything to the earthquake. Our hearts have been burdened this week especially for the many children who have been left as orphans due to this disaster. Pray for the missionaries that have been working to further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ there. Our sending agency, Christian Light Foundation has missionaries there, as well as many people we have connections with. We have received many prayer updates this week from missionaries there and their stories break our hearts. Please pray for God's light to shine and the hope of Jesus Christ to be present in the midst of the great suffering. Pray that in the desperation, the words of Isaiah 61:1 would be a reality.
We love you all and pray for you, too. We realized this week how many of you there are praying for us and we are so grateful and full of joy when we think about you all! May you be blessed this week! :)
Serving Christ 'til He comes back,
Matt and Brooke :)
Check out our family blog:
www.costaricamcclains.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Continued improvement for Emma
Praise Jesus for continued improvement for baby Emma!
It appears that Emma is on the very slow road to recovery. She has stayed stable all night and they have been able to start weaning some of her meds. I think they are going to try to pick up the pace of that as long as she remains stable. She looks SO much better just in the last 12 hours. The drainage tube they put in last night has definitely been the key to her turnaround. She has increased her urine output which means her body is working to get off additional fluid too.
Dr. Mitchell was just in and is pleased with her progress as well. He's very pleased that the swelling has been significantly reduced in her head and mentioned this bodes well for how successful her Glenn will be. When he had her in the OR yesterday he put a strut in to help keep her chest cavity open more to help relieve some of the pressure on her heart. He indicated he would like to wait until Monday to take that out unless something indicates it should be done tomorrow. After the strut is out we are looking at a couple additional days until they will completely close her. We're not sure yet how long they will keep the paralyzation drugs going, but know that she will be highly sedated until the chest cavity is closed. Once the chest cavity is closed they will work on getting the breathing tube out. It's all baby steps, but each one gets her closer to the end goal.
It appears that Emma is on the very slow road to recovery. She has stayed stable all night and they have been able to start weaning some of her meds. I think they are going to try to pick up the pace of that as long as she remains stable. She looks SO much better just in the last 12 hours. The drainage tube they put in last night has definitely been the key to her turnaround. She has increased her urine output which means her body is working to get off additional fluid too.
Dr. Mitchell was just in and is pleased with her progress as well. He's very pleased that the swelling has been significantly reduced in her head and mentioned this bodes well for how successful her Glenn will be. When he had her in the OR yesterday he put a strut in to help keep her chest cavity open more to help relieve some of the pressure on her heart. He indicated he would like to wait until Monday to take that out unless something indicates it should be done tomorrow. After the strut is out we are looking at a couple additional days until they will completely close her. We're not sure yet how long they will keep the paralyzation drugs going, but know that she will be highly sedated until the chest cavity is closed. Once the chest cavity is closed they will work on getting the breathing tube out. It's all baby steps, but each one gets her closer to the end goal.
Praise Update for baby Emma!
Praising God for Emma's improvements! Please continie to pray as she is not totally out of the woods yet.
"It seems that little Emma may be rounding the corner. After putting in the extra drainage tube everything is showing some improvement. Her heart rate is still higher and her blood pressure a little lower than we'd like to see, but she is getting some additional blood product which should help. Her pressures are definitely better and she is urinating more. If things can stay steady as is she will not need ECMO. Still more waiting game, but temporary improvement. The surgical staff and Dr. G left tonight feeling much better about things than earlier today. Hopefully things will stay steady through the night and we can all get some much needed rest. Thanks again for all the guest book comments and prayer support. They truly keep us going through the day."
"It seems that little Emma may be rounding the corner. After putting in the extra drainage tube everything is showing some improvement. Her heart rate is still higher and her blood pressure a little lower than we'd like to see, but she is getting some additional blood product which should help. Her pressures are definitely better and she is urinating more. If things can stay steady as is she will not need ECMO. Still more waiting game, but temporary improvement. The surgical staff and Dr. G left tonight feeling much better about things than earlier today. Hopefully things will stay steady through the night and we can all get some much needed rest. Thanks again for all the guest book comments and prayer support. They truly keep us going through the day."
Friday, January 15, 2010
Emma update
Emma update:
"We just got an OR update. Emma tolerated things well. They unpacked her and explored for areas of bleeding. The suspected source from yesterday was not a cause. Her heart rate dropped after getting in the OR and being unpacked. She topped 210 on the way to the OR and is currently running in the 170's which is the lowest her heart rate has been since surgery.
Well, in writing this Dr. Mitchell just came out to speak with us. He has patched Emma back up. The bleeding is controlled and they are watching her hemodynamics very closely now. He feels the next couple days are going to be critical for her, but that she is in a period of recovery from such a long day in surgery yesterday. In retrospect he said they probably should have waited at 3 instead of doing the exploration, but at the time everything pointed to it being the right thing to do. The good news is that her heart rate has come down. There still could be a chance that they would put her on ECMO, but currently the benefits do not outweigh the risks. His analogy is that she is currently skimming the treetops and the hope will be with a little time she'll take off.
Currently the anesthesiologist is monitoring Emma in order to transfer her back to her bed -- and actually they just paged she is ready to come back to her room.
We just briefly saw Emma on her way out of the OR, but the team wanted her back in her room quickly so we'll wait for her to get settled again. Things are slightly improved than before they went in and it will just be a waiting game again now."
"We just got an OR update. Emma tolerated things well. They unpacked her and explored for areas of bleeding. The suspected source from yesterday was not a cause. Her heart rate dropped after getting in the OR and being unpacked. She topped 210 on the way to the OR and is currently running in the 170's which is the lowest her heart rate has been since surgery.
Well, in writing this Dr. Mitchell just came out to speak with us. He has patched Emma back up. The bleeding is controlled and they are watching her hemodynamics very closely now. He feels the next couple days are going to be critical for her, but that she is in a period of recovery from such a long day in surgery yesterday. In retrospect he said they probably should have waited at 3 instead of doing the exploration, but at the time everything pointed to it being the right thing to do. The good news is that her heart rate has come down. There still could be a chance that they would put her on ECMO, but currently the benefits do not outweigh the risks. His analogy is that she is currently skimming the treetops and the hope will be with a little time she'll take off.
Currently the anesthesiologist is monitoring Emma in order to transfer her back to her bed -- and actually they just paged she is ready to come back to her room.
We just briefly saw Emma on her way out of the OR, but the team wanted her back in her room quickly so we'll wait for her to get settled again. Things are slightly improved than before they went in and it will just be a waiting game again now."
Prayer for Los Guido
Our hearts our very heavy this morning for a very special family in Los Guido. We have known the family of Michel (LG leadership team) and her older sisters, Thalia and Natali and their mother Maribel, since our first trip together to Costa Rica in November 2006. We spent one long evening and into the night with them in a Costa Rican ER because Natali had a severly sprained ankle. mark had been with Marible and Natali in the area for waiting patients and matt and I had been with Michel and Thalia for about 6 hours, no Spanish, them no English, and us with a few snacks in our backpack and some paper and a 1000 first words in Spanish book that was our only means of communication other than "Loco." From that night on, the family has been special to us. Michel is constantly teasing us and has special nicknames for each of us as we do for her :)
This morning we ask you to pray for her and Thalia and their mother. Wednesday afternoon, Natali, the oldest sister was brutally killed in her home. Most of you connected to the ministry in some way know the evil that exists in the hard areas of the city. You may know some of the unspeakable things that happen to the innocent children and youth. I choose not to give any glory to what happened to this precious child, but I do ask for your prayers for the family, for Thalia who found her murdered sister, for sweet little Michel who is an example and encouragement to so many, including our family. Pray for the Los Guido church as they mourn one of their members this morning and bury her. Pray for the mother, Maribel, who has suffered the loss of her 15 year old daughter.
It may seem that because we are now in a different area of Costa Rica and not involved in the day-to-day ministries of these city areas that our hearts are no longer connected. But this is not so. Our hearts still beat for the need to bring light to the darkness in those areas, still love the churches and the people there, still long to be with them, just as we feel those same things for our home in the states.
Please join us in prayer for Los Guido today.
This morning we ask you to pray for her and Thalia and their mother. Wednesday afternoon, Natali, the oldest sister was brutally killed in her home. Most of you connected to the ministry in some way know the evil that exists in the hard areas of the city. You may know some of the unspeakable things that happen to the innocent children and youth. I choose not to give any glory to what happened to this precious child, but I do ask for your prayers for the family, for Thalia who found her murdered sister, for sweet little Michel who is an example and encouragement to so many, including our family. Pray for the Los Guido church as they mourn one of their members this morning and bury her. Pray for the mother, Maribel, who has suffered the loss of her 15 year old daughter.
It may seem that because we are now in a different area of Costa Rica and not involved in the day-to-day ministries of these city areas that our hearts are no longer connected. But this is not so. Our hearts still beat for the need to bring light to the darkness in those areas, still love the churches and the people there, still long to be with them, just as we feel those same things for our home in the states.
Please join us in prayer for Los Guido today.
Please pray for Emma
Latest on Emma:
"We are all going to need lots of prayers today. Emma is still a very sick little girl. During the night Dr. Mitchell had to do an exploration because her pressures were getting too high and she was having increased swelling as a result. They were hoping to get through the morning without having to do anything further, but after many discussions this morning felt the best thing to do for her was to go back to the OR. There is only so much they can do in an exploration in the CICU and belief is that the root cause of the bleeding may lie behind the heart where the repairs were done. In this case she will need to go back on bypass so they can definitively stop the bleeding out. We expect she'll be in the OR for a couple hours this morning. We'll post more updates when we have them."
"We are all going to need lots of prayers today. Emma is still a very sick little girl. During the night Dr. Mitchell had to do an exploration because her pressures were getting too high and she was having increased swelling as a result. They were hoping to get through the morning without having to do anything further, but after many discussions this morning felt the best thing to do for her was to go back to the OR. There is only so much they can do in an exploration in the CICU and belief is that the root cause of the bleeding may lie behind the heart where the repairs were done. In this case she will need to go back on bypass so they can definitively stop the bleeding out. We expect she'll be in the OR for a couple hours this morning. We'll post more updates when we have them."
Emma update
Latest CaringBridge update on baby Emma:
"Dr. Mitchell just came out to give us his report. Overall he said this was an unusual case with some anatomy he has never seen. Emma is a Hypoplastic Left Heart (HLHS) but he had never seen the left superior vena cava (SVC) on a HLHS. He said occasionally they see it with other defects. (This is the "opposite" anatomy they had told us about a couple days ago that was the reason they checked for the spleen) Overall this changed slightly how the aorta was reconstructed to reduce pressure against the SVC. He said the issue with the aortic patch twisting came down to attaching the coronary artery to the "wrong" side initially for her anatomy. It can be attached in two places and in the end he chose the wrong side the first time. Overall Dr. Mitchell seemed very optimistic about how things stand now with the current anatomy and said she should be set up well with it for the Glenn. The things that were complications today should not impact the Glenn procedure.
Tonight into tomorrow the staff will be watching the bleeding. There is a possiblity of needing "exploration" which means they would go back in if the bleeding is still too excessive and clean the area up again also looking to see where the bleeding is coming from. They did leave the chest cavity "open" and hope to be able to "close" within 2-5 days once the internal swelling decreases. The "open" chest is covered with an opaque dressing that is fully sealed to allow the proper fluids to stay in the chest cavity and keep external fluids from entering. When they are ready to "close" Emma will go back under anesthesia and the team will wire the sternum and stitch everything up. They are also watching her blood pressures closely for the overall swelling to go down.
We saw Emma get wheeled by about a half hour ago. We just saw her head, but she looked much better than I expected. They had indicated she was pretty swollen due to higher pressures in her head. Now we are just waiting for the transfer of care to the CICU and for her to get stabilized there so we can go be with her. It could still be another hour before we can go in. Emma has been assigned 2 nurses dedicated to her tonight to monitor everything after such a long day in the OR.
Once again thanks to everyone for all the prayers and messages to help get through such a long day. It is very much appreciated.
Since it has taken so long to get this final update written for the night, Dr. Mitchell stopped by again on his way out to say that they have scheduled Emma for exploration for tomorrow morning. They plan to check bleeding and also to repack the chest based on the amount of swelling which can help better control the pressures seen in the chest cavity."
"Dr. Mitchell just came out to give us his report. Overall he said this was an unusual case with some anatomy he has never seen. Emma is a Hypoplastic Left Heart (HLHS) but he had never seen the left superior vena cava (SVC) on a HLHS. He said occasionally they see it with other defects. (This is the "opposite" anatomy they had told us about a couple days ago that was the reason they checked for the spleen) Overall this changed slightly how the aorta was reconstructed to reduce pressure against the SVC. He said the issue with the aortic patch twisting came down to attaching the coronary artery to the "wrong" side initially for her anatomy. It can be attached in two places and in the end he chose the wrong side the first time. Overall Dr. Mitchell seemed very optimistic about how things stand now with the current anatomy and said she should be set up well with it for the Glenn. The things that were complications today should not impact the Glenn procedure.
Tonight into tomorrow the staff will be watching the bleeding. There is a possiblity of needing "exploration" which means they would go back in if the bleeding is still too excessive and clean the area up again also looking to see where the bleeding is coming from. They did leave the chest cavity "open" and hope to be able to "close" within 2-5 days once the internal swelling decreases. The "open" chest is covered with an opaque dressing that is fully sealed to allow the proper fluids to stay in the chest cavity and keep external fluids from entering. When they are ready to "close" Emma will go back under anesthesia and the team will wire the sternum and stitch everything up. They are also watching her blood pressures closely for the overall swelling to go down.
We saw Emma get wheeled by about a half hour ago. We just saw her head, but she looked much better than I expected. They had indicated she was pretty swollen due to higher pressures in her head. Now we are just waiting for the transfer of care to the CICU and for her to get stabilized there so we can go be with her. It could still be another hour before we can go in. Emma has been assigned 2 nurses dedicated to her tonight to monitor everything after such a long day in the OR.
Once again thanks to everyone for all the prayers and messages to help get through such a long day. It is very much appreciated.
Since it has taken so long to get this final update written for the night, Dr. Mitchell stopped by again on his way out to say that they have scheduled Emma for exploration for tomorrow morning. They plan to check bleeding and also to repack the chest based on the amount of swelling which can help better control the pressures seen in the chest cavity."
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Baby Emma update
Please continue to pray for Baby Emma Wolfe. You can read an excerpt below from an email update I received early.
"Please continue to pray for little Emma and for the Wolfe family and the medical personnel. The short story is that Emma is still in surgery due to problems when it was time to restart her heart, then the realization that the aortic patch could be problematic. Apparently they have re-done that patch, but are now working to control bleeding. Surgery is expected to take a couple more hours, and then the dr. will be able to talk with them. More details can be found at the caringbridge.org website by typing in "wolfekids" in the search space. your fervent prayers are needed now and overnight as you are able."
"Please continue to pray for little Emma and for the Wolfe family and the medical personnel. The short story is that Emma is still in surgery due to problems when it was time to restart her heart, then the realization that the aortic patch could be problematic. Apparently they have re-done that patch, but are now working to control bleeding. Surgery is expected to take a couple more hours, and then the dr. will be able to talk with them. More details can be found at the caringbridge.org website by typing in "wolfekids" in the search space. your fervent prayers are needed now and overnight as you are able."
Please pray today
Would you please pray today at 8:30 am (Wisconsin time) for Baby Emma. She is the granddaughter of our dear friends, Tim and Sue Wolfe, and she was born without a whole heart. Baby Emma was born on Monday, January 11, 2010 so she is just 3 days old. This morning, she will have surgery to construct the other half of her heart and reconstruct a passage way for her blood flow. The surgery will take all day long. Her chest will remain open for some time after the surgery because the swelling will be intense and it must decrease before they can close her chest back up. This procedure is called a Norwood. Please pray for Baby Emma, her parents and her grandparents and her two older twin brothers who just got to meet her yesterday for the first time.
Also can you please pray against the continued violence and evil against the youth in the areas of Los Guido, Tejarcillos and La Carpio. Pray for wisdom, strength and endurance for our teammates there. Pray for protection from all that the enemy intends for bad from the youth, church families and the local team there.
Thank you for your prayers today.
Also can you please pray against the continued violence and evil against the youth in the areas of Los Guido, Tejarcillos and La Carpio. Pray for wisdom, strength and endurance for our teammates there. Pray for protection from all that the enemy intends for bad from the youth, church families and the local team there.
Thank you for your prayers today.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Weekly Prayer update
Below you'll find our weekly prayer update just sent out to our email prayer partners. Please join us in praying this week. Thank you for praying!
Dear family and friends,
We write to you this week with several prayer requests and praises. Please join us this week as we pray specifically for these things.
Please pray specifically this week as we prepare to purchase a vehicle! Praise God with us for the funds that have been generously given to us and for those that we have been able to save to put towards the purchase of this vehicle. Please pray for a smooth transfer of funds from our US bank to the owner's Costa Rican bank, affordable legal fees and a trustworthy lawyer, and that the vehicle run well and be dependable for our family.
Please pray for the new discipleship group starting at Calvary Chapel this Thursday, January 14th. Praise God with us for this group as well as the First Baptist group and the Filadelphia group. Praise God with us for the ministry of discipleship.
Please pray for Brooke and the kids as they restart homeschool this week. Pray for positive attitudes for both mom and children, a hunger to learn and a desire to work hard, and for the days to be blessed. Pray also for the possibility Brooke has of working with two other homeschooling moms and sharing the teaching of the arts as well as science to the combination of five children. Pray for wisdom and God's direction.
Also pray this week as we plan for or first ever mission team in March! Praise God for this long time prayer finally being answered of hosting a mission team! Pray as we discuss details, look for lodging and plan meals, and pray about the schedule for the team! Join us in praising God for His faithfulness and asking for His blessing on the planning, affordable airfare, the funds needed for those committed to coming, and especially for His purpose for this specific group of servants for this specific time in Villareal.
Pray for good health for our family. The dry season here has brought a period of heavy winds which help to cool things off but dramatically increase the dirt, dust and debris flying around and into our home. This has affected each of us in different ways, but mainly with bloody noses, allergy attacks and headaches. Please continue to pray against any asthma related issues in Isabelle.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer, faithful warriors!
In Christ,
Matt and Brooke :)
Serving Christ 'til He comes back,
Brooke :)
Check out our family blog:
www.costaricamcclains.blogspot.com
Dear family and friends,
We write to you this week with several prayer requests and praises. Please join us this week as we pray specifically for these things.
Please pray specifically this week as we prepare to purchase a vehicle! Praise God with us for the funds that have been generously given to us and for those that we have been able to save to put towards the purchase of this vehicle. Please pray for a smooth transfer of funds from our US bank to the owner's Costa Rican bank, affordable legal fees and a trustworthy lawyer, and that the vehicle run well and be dependable for our family.
Please pray for the new discipleship group starting at Calvary Chapel this Thursday, January 14th. Praise God with us for this group as well as the First Baptist group and the Filadelphia group. Praise God with us for the ministry of discipleship.
Please pray for Brooke and the kids as they restart homeschool this week. Pray for positive attitudes for both mom and children, a hunger to learn and a desire to work hard, and for the days to be blessed. Pray also for the possibility Brooke has of working with two other homeschooling moms and sharing the teaching of the arts as well as science to the combination of five children. Pray for wisdom and God's direction.
Also pray this week as we plan for or first ever mission team in March! Praise God for this long time prayer finally being answered of hosting a mission team! Pray as we discuss details, look for lodging and plan meals, and pray about the schedule for the team! Join us in praising God for His faithfulness and asking for His blessing on the planning, affordable airfare, the funds needed for those committed to coming, and especially for His purpose for this specific group of servants for this specific time in Villareal.
Pray for good health for our family. The dry season here has brought a period of heavy winds which help to cool things off but dramatically increase the dirt, dust and debris flying around and into our home. This has affected each of us in different ways, but mainly with bloody noses, allergy attacks and headaches. Please continue to pray against any asthma related issues in Isabelle.
Thank you for standing with us in prayer, faithful warriors!
In Christ,
Matt and Brooke :)
Serving Christ 'til He comes back,
Brooke :)
Check out our family blog:
www.costaricamcclains.blogspot.com
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