Keeping an Eye on Paraguay

Women's Tea Part II

2010-09-25T17:55:00.007-06:00

Last week we hosted our second women's tea for 2010. It was a great success. We had over 40 women with over 10 new faces and 5 ladies responding to the gospel!!!

This year, our hairstylist neighbor donated prizes and we even had a traditional Paraguay Bottle Dance. What a privilege it is for us to be able to share the gospel here in Paraguay! Thank you so much for your prayers and your support. Enjoy the video below (btw - the woman talking on the cell phone during the dance is not a part of the tradition :)

peace!

Our First Wedding

2010-05-28T13:53:00.005-06:00

Adrian and Miriam first walked into the church (Mi Esperanza) about a year ago. They both recognized their needs for God in their lives and slowly began to surrender their lives to Him. A few months they both recognized their need to honor God by being married. On May 23rd we joined them in celebrating their wedding after the church service! It was an incredible day of sharing, laughing, and enjoying a great time celebrating a Great GOD!

Thank you so much for praying - God is moving! Below are some pictures!

Peace!

Women's Tea 2010

2010-05-28T13:50:00.006-06:00

On May 8, we celebrated our first Women's Tea. Lisa has been hoping to do a tea for a long time and with the help of fellow missionary Joy Brougher, the ladies in our church and a lot of help from the ladies at the San Lorenzo (CMA) church they had great success!!

We don't have many pictures - but there were over 30 women there with 12 first-time visitors. It was so great to see the women of our church inviting all their friends.

Thank you so much for your prayers - below are some pictures.

Peace!

Distinguishing the clapping...

2010-05-05T16:41:00.003-06:00

One of the most peculiar parts of Paraguay is how to "knock on the door." Some houses have buzzers, which you can press and usually hear ringing in the house. But, this takes away all the fun. The usual way to "knock" is to clap.

I don't believe there is any particular method to the clapping. Some are louder than others. Some people clap three times to announce their presence at the gate and others keep clapping until someone comes out. Usually friends clap a few times, but venders, as you can imagine, clap until you come and talk with them. As you can imagine, when you live near-by to other houses the claps get hard to distinguish. Many times, we will go outside assuming the clap is for us, but only to find that the clap is for our neighbor.

I think by the time we are here for 5 years or more, we will know the distinctive clap of people that are outside our gate and beckoning only our family. Then we will know that we have arrived. Personally, in order to help others with this potentially confusing problem, I (john) like to put a little boogie in my clap and usually try to tap out a "funky beat." :)

Peace!

Labor day in Paraguay

2010-05-01T11:08:00.002-06:00

Today is May 1st - can you believe it?!?

Today, in Paraguay most businesses are closed and workers are home enjoying time with their family. In our neighborhood kids are playing soccer, loud music is blaring and some men are drinking pretty heavily. Aside from the radios, the day is pretty quite with most people relaxing outside in this beautiful fall day.

One of my favorite parts of Paraguay is the "relaxed" atmosphere. Sometimes, there doesn't need to be a reason to pull out a chair and enjoy the shade. But, on these special days, when most are home from work ... well... on these days, relaxing becomes a true art form!

I am reminded that God said that we should relax (or at least "be still) so that we can hear His voice. I trust that you are enjoying your day - I am going out to find my chair and my spot in the shade!

Peace!

Making a difference...

2010-04-15T12:12:00.004-06:00

Sometimes it is not easy to know how you can make a difference. But, the reality is, sometimes helping out is as simple as seeing a need and being willing to fix it. Usually, as in my case, it requires that you jump in without much idea of what you are doing :)

A few months ago a Short-Term Missions team came here from three churches in New Jersey. They had a wide variety of experiences, gifts, temperaments, abilities, etc... but they all came with the greatest quality of all: Willingness. The C&MA church in San Antonio, Paraguay was in desperate need for a new roof. The old one was falling down and would not repel the heat of the sun, causing it to be way too hot to meet in the church during the day.

In less than a week, the team from New Jersey along with the C&MA Missionaries and some very capable Paraguayans replaced the roof and repainted the church. The difference was astonishing. Well done, my friends.

If you would like to bring a team to help with the ministry here in Paraguay - please send me an email and let's talk. Until then, enjoy the video below.

Peace!

Would you like gum or matches?

2010-04-10T04:58:00.002-06:00

One of the most interesting places in Paraguay is the local Almacen (the little store around the corner). Every neighborhood has at least one - sometimes there are more than one on each block. Sometimes, they are stand alone little stores and sometimes they are simply a room in someone's house where they sell things. The sell everything from fruits and veggies to flour and sugar. They also have all sorts of candy, frozen chicken, milk products, and wine. In fact, they have an impressive stock of wine - really cheap stuff - just enough to get a person drunk (which unfortunately is the reason).

You can buy most everything you need at the Almacen. Every day our neighbors go and buy what they need for the day. 3 eggs. 1/4 cup of flour. 1 bag of milk. Last week a woman came in with a 4 or 5 month old in tow and bought two diapers. That one was a shocker to me. 2 diapers!! What are you going to do with 2 diapers!?! It has been a couple of years that I have had a baby that young in the house, but I remember that 2 diapers would last about 3 hours. Does that mean that she will come back to the store again later and buy two more?

The one thing they don't have is change - so, regardless of what you buy you are "supposed" to come with exact change. And you are not supposed to give a large bill (about the equivalent to $10.00). Today, I went to the store and bought a Kilo of sugar. It cost about $.90. He didn't have change for my $1.00 and offered me a box of matches instead.

Alison, who was with me and usually is the one we send to the Almacen to get our groceries told me afterwards. "Dad, your supposed to bring exact change. They do that to me all the time. But, for me they ask, 'Would you like gum or matches?'"

Bummer - I could have had gum!

Peace!

Red Light, Green Light

2010-04-05T09:03:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite parts about living in Asuncion is driving! It reminds me so much like driving in New York City.

One of the fun parts about driving on the Paraguayan streets is how often the traffic lights do not work. Well, they sort of work. For instance, they can be red and then when they change to green the green light doesn't illuminate and therefore there is no signal. Of course, it can also go the other way and so, when the red light should be "on" it isn't.

So, here is the fun part. As you drive down the streets you often come to lights that have no signal on them. It isn't bad when there are other cars ahead of you, because then at least you can go by the assumption that if they go through it must be green. But, when there are no other cars with you - it becomes a dangerous game of Traffic Light Roulette. Is it green or red? Should I go through or should I stop? This, unfortunately is a part of daily life.

Life in Paraguay is never dull :)

Peace!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

2010-03-17T12:00:00.004-06:00

This week we celebrated Caleb's 3rd birthday. We enjoyed a McDonald's lunch and a cook-out dinner. We invited a number of families to help celebrate and Lisa made a very yummy Lemon Frosted Angel Food Cake!

Little Caleb is growing up so quickly. He is starting to really ask intelligent questions and has become very expressive in his love. Many of the Paraguayans will greet each other with a kiss on each cheek. Caleb runs right up to people and throws his arms around them and gives wet, sloppy kisses. He is well appreciated by all!

Below is a quick video that we took early on his birthday. He just woke up and was clearly not in the mood to be serenaded so early in the morning...

Peace!

Baptizing Juana...

2010-03-08T22:54:00.003-06:00

On Sunday (March 7) we had the privilege to see Juana be baptized. Juana accepted Jesus as her Savior and her Lord and has decided to take her step public in Baptism. This is a wonderful way to declare to everyone that you are following Jesus. The old you is buried with Jesus (symbolized by the going under the water) and the new you is now alive triumphantly with Jesus (symbolized by the coming back out of the water).

What a moving experience it was to see the tears of joy wash down Juana's face as she shared her testimony (someone else read her story because she knew she would never be able to get through it) and then was baptized.

My friends, God is building his church in Paraguay. This past Sunday, while we baptized Juana, the Alliance church in Asuncion baptized two young men and the church in San Lorenzo baptized 12. Please keep praying. Specifically for Juana and her family, but also for what God is doing in and through us all!!!

Peace!

BTW - due to recent health problems, Juana was not able to plunge underneath the water, instead the water was poured over her. The system was different, but the symbol was the same. :)

Here is a short video of Sunday's Baptism at the Mi Esperanza Church.

I once was blind...

2010-03-07T13:01:00.004-06:00

Last fall we received the great news that the students from Nyack College were beginning to raise funds to help with the work in Paraguay. Spurred on with this information we began to dream of practical ways that we could help touch lives and share the gospel. One of the events that we have done is a vision clinic. We are working with a local foundation, whose goal is to make quality eye care affordable to everyone. In November, we held a clinic in Mi Esperanza, then once again February in both the churches in Lambare and in San Antonio and coming soon another clinic in April in the church in Downtown Asuncion. To date, we have seen almost 200 people go through the clinics, each receiving excellent eye care and the good news of Jesus Christ.

One great success story is Alejandra. Alejandra's family could never afford to pay for eye exams and was unaware that her increasing blindness was due to her defective corneas. Since, age 13 she has been led around and has been unable to cross major streets alone for fear of not seeing the cars. Thanks to the generous donation of some excellent supporters Alejandra visited the clinic in Mi Esperanza, her condition was diagnosed and was operated on last month to replace one of her two corneas. The Doctor flew in from the United States with the replacement corneas and did her operation along with 13 others during the week that he was here. Alejandra is recuperating, but doing very well. She has told us that she can now see better out of "that eye" than she has been able for the past 15 years! After she is completely healed, the doctor will return to replace the other cornea. By the way, each operation cost $500.00. So, we are very grateful for Your support!

Here is a video that we made with Alejandra on the day of her surgery (in January). I will soon return to her house and make a follow-up video... Until then, I'd like you to meet Alejandra:

Where have you been?!?

2010-03-04T11:02:00.002-06:00

Every time I send out an email there is a signature line that says to check out blog because we are updating it. Although, that is put their automatically for me - I have been thinking about those words and realized, "man that just isn't happening."

Unfortunately, due to some network problems and some very, very busy weeks, we have not updated our blog in a few months. I am sorry about that - I will try to do better.

Thank you for you continued prayers and support - in the next couple of days I will put on some more pictures and blogs to let you know how things have been going here in Paraguay.

Appreciate your prayers and support!

peace!

Operation Vision Care

2009-11-10T18:51:00.002-06:00

Below is a video that we made to promote a really great ministry opportunity that we have coming this Saturday. The students of Nyack College have raised enough money for us to have the 1st (of what I hope to be many) Vision Clinics. We are working with a Paraguayan Vision Care ministry and we are able to offer eye consults and glasses for incredible cheap prices (like $2.00). Hope you enjoy the video - sure would appreciate you prayers.

8 years and counting...

2009-11-08T10:13:00.002-06:00

When we first arrived in Paraguay we worked at the San Lorenzo Alliance Church. This wonderful church just celebrated its 8 year anniversary!!! With this celebration, they baptized 8 new believers.

We are so excited to be a part of the work that God is doing, here in Paraguay

The Ladies Tea

2009-10-19T11:42:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, I (Lisa) had the privilege of speaking that the Ladies Tea at the San Lorenzo Alliance Church. They asked me a few weeks ago and at first, I was going to say, "no." Speaking in public is not my favorite thing to do... how much more so speaking in Spanish. But, I could not find a good excuse I agreed to speak. When I agreed, I completely forgot that the week before the tea I had committed to go with Alison and her school to camp. That meant that I didn't have the time before-hand to worry about speaking. The camp went great and I enjoyed spending time with my precious daughter. When I came back on Thursday, John and I spent the next two days finishing up my talk.

In fairness, God used both my willingness and my weakness on Saturday. In the end, I am glad that I didn't have an excuse to decline the invitation. I was blessed, the ladies were had a great time and three woman gave their hearts to Jesus.

Thank you for your prayers... I could feel the support that God gave me through your prayers!!!

Lisa =)

School Ministry...

2009-10-17T10:45:00.002-06:00

Recently we (John, Rodrigo and Adrian - both are seminary students and part-time CMA Pastors in the Asuncion area) have been asked to come to a local public Middle/High school to teach the 7th graders how they can find true identity in God. This past Wednesday was our last week and we spoke about how Jesus has provided for our "real" identity.

The video below shows glimpses of our 1 hour long teaching. Using clay jars we spoke about how like Adam we, because of our sin, are broken and cannot be what we were intended to be. We also talked about how God has provided a well of pure, Living Water through Jesus Christ and that each of them could enjoy this Water. Surrendering our lives to Jesus is the only way to truly become all that we were created to be.

Thank you to the many who have been praying! These opportunities are a direct response to your prayers!

Enjoy the video:

Sexual Purity...

2009-09-23T12:52:00.002-06:00

As you know, last Friday (9/18) we were in the public high school giving a talk on Sexual purity. It was amazing!!! We did our presentation three times to a total of 250 students (ranging in ages from 12-20). The students, who normally are very "unruly" were very attentive and really seemed to be listening and learning. We started out the presentation with a moving skit (first shown to me by some wonderful teenagers in West Palm Beach) about the consequences of protecting or not protecting God's gift of sexuality. Then I (John) shared about how the Bible tells us that sex is a gift from God to be enjoyed within the protection of marriage. In between my points of saving our purity we had two powerful testimonies, one from Rodrigo (seen on video), who shared about how he guarded his purity until his wedding night and the other testimony was from Teresa (not captured on video, sorry) who did not guard her purity and who now has two children and AIDS. (Teresa volunteers for a Christian organization in Asuncion that ministers to people with AIDS).

Thank you so much for your prayers for what is happening at Mi Esperanza and in Paraguay.

Our First Baptism!!!

2009-09-14T19:07:00.003-06:00

On Sunday, September 13th we celebrated the baptism of Andi. Andi has been a part of the Mi Esperanza church since the beginning. She is a wonderful teenager with a contagious love for Jesus Christ. Andi surrendered her life this past year as she passed through some serious difficulties.

Please pray for Andi... we are very proud of her!

Peace!

Megan's Mouth

2009-08-31T18:36:00.003-06:00

Our precious daughter, Megan had an expander put in her mouth to, well... expand her mouth :)

In order to do this, it requires us (as parents) to stick a metal "key" in her mouth and crank it a full turn 3x a day. An adult friend of ours just had his removed early because he couldn't "handle the pain."

Megan, on the other hand - literally would run to the couch, throw her head back and say, "I'm ready to be cranked!"

Here is a little bit of her life from her side of it...Peace!

Children's Day in Paraguay

2009-08-17T17:26:00.002-06:00

Thank you so much for your prayers for our the ministry that we had last night (8/16/09) at the Mi Esperanza Church. Please enjoy the video below and know that God is moving in Paraguay - Thank you for your prayers!!! We sure appreciate your support...

It works!!

2009-08-14T06:31:00.002-06:00

As you can tell from our lack of posts lately, we are having some major technical problems with our blog. I am not sure if this is a universal problem, or if we are just lucky! But, I think we figured out the problem and we should be able to log on and post more often.

Until then, I would like you to get a little glimpse into and important facet of our life. One of our favorite things to do is to connect with churches in the states. This weekend (Sunday - 16th) the Neighborhood Alliance Church in Orlando, Florida will host a "Prayer Day" focusing their prayers on our family and on Paraguay - HOW COOL IS THAT!?! (Speaking of which, if your church would like to connect with our family through SKYPE, video, or a Prayer Sunday - please let me know).

Anyway, below is a video greeting that we were going to send. We were so thrilled that Caleb sat well and the family just really pulled it together and we were able to "shoot the video" in only two takes.

Three hours later, I went to edit the movie and found out that behind my back - Alison was not behaving as good as I thought she was :)

Enjoy - and thanks for your patience with our site!

Peace!

Clothing Give-away

2009-07-05T20:21:00.003-06:00

First of all, please accept my apology for not updating the blog in a month. For some reason my computer was not able to access the blog until today. Which, in reality is good timing because I wanted to put on this video of the clothing give-away that we did yesterday!

Thank you for all your support and prayers for our family and for Paraguay!

OANSA = AWANA

2009-06-02T18:53:00.005-06:00

Each Saturday, we have a wonderful children's ministry called OANSA. We start at 4:00pm and go until 6:00. Lately, we have been having around 50 kids each week, and believe us, that means a lot of fun... but a pretty crazy two hours.

The picture below is our leadership team. Please pray for these great people. They come faithfully, giving up their free time to care for the children of the neighborhood.

And here are some of the faces that we see each week... Thank you for your prayers for our family and for Paraguay!

Mother's Day Celebration

2009-05-20T10:53:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday, we had a celebration for Mother's Day at the Mi Esperanza (My Hope) Alliance Church in Paraguay. Thank you so much to the many of you who are praying for the ministry that we are working with here in Paraguay. We are so thankful for this.

If you are reading this and you are not receiving our weekly prayer emails and would like to... please send me an email and I will start sending them to you!

Again, thank you so much!!!

peace!

Check out the video for that service.

Up and Coming Rock Star...

2009-05-19T17:55:00.000-06:00

Andrew is one funny kid. We bought he a little guitar for his birthday. He wanted one and it was an inexpensive purchase on the streets of Asuncion. We figured he would play with it three times and then move onto something else. But, Andrew plays with his guitar all the time.

Now he is giving concerts... Enjoy!

Living on the rock...

2009-05-06T07:34:00.004-06:00

Today a friend of mine reminded me of a song that I have not heard in a long time. The words of this song call attention many promises that I have made. A promise to have and to hold until death do us part. A promise to all of my children, made at each of their births that I will be the best Dad I can be for them. A promise to serve as a Pastor and Missionary faithfully.

These promises are based partly on my abilities to carry out what I am responsible for, but mostly on my Dependability on Jesus for what I cannot carry out. I have chosen to live my life on the words of Christ. To build on that foundation. Come what may: rain, storm clouds, even hurricanes, He will be my rock. And I will live on the rock...

Today, as I watched the video below I was reminded of that and I was reminded that my feet really ARE on a strong foundation.

Peace!

Here's an idea...

2009-04-30T10:37:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago a friend (Hector) gave us a Bible to give away to "anyone who needs one." Our neighbors, Felipe and Isabel, got that Bible yesterday. Below is a quick video of them thanking him personally. Most people in Paraguay have a "family Bible" but it is not really available to read. Some would like their own personal, readable Bible. If you would like to help us purchase some Bibles to have on hand to give away when needed, please let me know by sending me an email at jlsappia@gmail.com
As always, thank you for your support!

We'd appreciate your prayers...

2009-04-29T13:22:00.002-06:00

This week the Paraguayan Pastor, who works and lives at the church plant (Mi Esperanza - MY HOPE) went to check the electric meter for the church. While checking he noticed that something was stuffed in there, by someone?!?

What he found was a clay "vodoo doll" with leather cords tied all around it and little sticks poking out of its body. Here in Paraguay, this is an item of witchcraft to try to intimidate and scare those that receive it. Basically, this means that someone, or group of someones have been praying curses on our church and us, as Pastors of the church.

When we got together, we prayed and destroyed the item. In the midst of prayer the Lord reminded us of what happened to the god Dogan and the people of Ashdod in I Samuel 5. If you remember, these people got more than they were bargained for when they tried to humiliate our LORD.

We have been praying that for God's protection and for those who placed this item that they would turn their lives over to Jesus! Please stand with us in prayer.

If you are not getting and would like to receive our weekly email prayer updates, please send me a note at jlsappia@gmail.com

Throwing Roof Tiles...

2009-04-20T14:03:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we had a terrible storm here in Paraguay. The clouds got dark like any other storm. The temperature dropped a little, like normal. And then it changed. To this day, I am not sure what it was, but the sky went black. You could see the darkness creeping across the sky like so much spilled chocolate pudding moving across a table (I don't know what that means). Anyway, when we saw those clouds forming we all began to run.

For the next 1/2 hour it was DARK. Ominous! The wind beat against everything and the rain fell, very hard. Days later everyone was talking about the Humo Negro (Black smoke) and how they thought Jesus was coming back. Wouldn't that have been the best?!?

But, instead, we had to clean up. We picked up pieces of debris and many of the fallen tiles from the roof. Then a few days later we had to repair everything, including about 15 roof tiles. Below is a video of how we got the tiles on the roof. Not sure why this is the chosen method, but it sure was fun!

Peace!

Happy Birthday Lisa!

2009-04-18T12:03:00.002-06:00

Today, is a special DAY

2009-04-12T07:52:00.003-06:00

I believe that today is the most important day in our calendar. Now, you can argue for Christmas, New Years Day, Thanksgiving or any of our other holidays. But, I am convinced that today is above them all.

New Years Day has marked the turning of years and decades and centuries and even millenniums. Thanksgiving reminds us to be, well thankful. And Christmas we celebrate the birth of the greatest man that ever lived.

But, only on this day... Resurrection Day ... do we celebrate a miracle that occurred only one time in history and only for one person. Only on this day can we say that Jesus, with His own power, raised from the dead! On this day, we celebrate the fact that Jesus, who was once dead, is now alive! On this day, we rejoice because we know that since He lives, we also do not fear death. Because he lives we know that we will live once more. Because he lives, the payment for our sins has been accepted and we can be forgiven and have Eternal life. Because He lives... all things are possible!

Today, we celebrate! Why? Because He is alive!!!

peace!

Please enjoy this video from youtube, it is one of my favorite songs about the Resurrection:

Good Friday in Paraguay

2009-04-10T08:55:00.002-06:00

Today is Good Friday. It is a little surreal. All the stores are closed, the buses are not running, people are off of work, but few are outside. There is no music blaring, there are no children playing and conversations are hushed.

The country is in mourning. Today, as far as I understand the country is mourning for the death of Jesus Christ. Many will not eat anything, some will eat local foods such as Chipa and Sopa Paraguaya.

Good Friday has always been one of my favorite days of the year. I try to put myself in the events of history and constantly ask,"what was happening at this time during THAT day." "What were they thinking at this moment of THEIR Friday."

But, I believe in the end, for me Good Friday is complete only when we consider that, as Tony Compolo once preached, Sunday's a Comin'. You can't understand Friday without Sunday, and you can't appreciate Sunday without Friday.

May God bless you on this day! And remember - Sunday's a Comin'!

Here is a video for you to enjoy, it is one of my favorite songs about Good Friday.

Thank you New Jersey

2009-04-03T06:49:00.001-06:00

Last week, two Alliance Churches sent 11 stalwart adventurers to minister here in Paraguay. While the team only spent 8 days on the ground, what they accomplished will last a very long time. Between laying the foundation for Pastor Fermin's house, fixing up a local playground, giving basic dental instruction, creating a stage, playing soccer, and sharing the gospel with everyone they could, (and even, eating ice cream) there is no doubt that the affects of the team's ministry will endure.

Thank you so much for coming, for working so hard and for being such an encouragement to all of us in Paraguay! We can't wait to see you all again.

Check out some of the photos:

2 for 2

2009-03-23T19:59:00.003-06:00

This week we had two Caleb-sized events.

1st - Caleb turned 2! March 14 (3.14) - otherwise known as PI Day (Thank you Whitney)

2nd - Caleb got 2 stitches - More importantly, in the competition between the Schells and us to see which of our kids can go to the hospital most - we are winning. Caleb Rocks!

2 quick but important things

2009-03-13T06:55:00.003-06:00

I have two things to share today... one is a request for prayer and the other is something that YOU HAVE TO SEE!

1) First of all... please pray for the Mission's Team that is coming from New Jersey. They arrive on Saturday (March 14th - which is also Caleb's 2nd birthday) and work like crazy until next Sunday. They will be working in schools, sharing their stories, preaching (the one's that speak Spanish), and constructing all sorts of things. Please pray for their health, for a loving atmosphere at all times and for the impact the God will have through their ministry and on their hearts!

2) Second... some of you know that my brother is a Missionary in Thailand. You have to check out what God is doing over there. Just a quick explanation. Thailand is like 98% Buddhist and really to be Thai is to be Buddhist. So that means, when he tries to share Jesus those who would accept are most times seen as betraying their culture and their country and will often face economic and family persecution. For this reason, there have been very, very few people who have come to Jesus in Thailand. But, recently God has been doing amazing things!!! First my brother went into a prison and led a dozen or so to Christ. Then those who came to Christ led another dozen or so to Christ. And it just kept multiplying. Now, two of the men who were in the first group that came to Christ have been released from prison and are going into villages sharing Christ. Recently, like last week, they baptized a number of people from the first village that they entered. Check out the video here: www.isaan.org

Jim and Kahty have an amazing email network for prayer requests and praise reports. Send them an email an hop on their prayer list and be apart of what God is doing around the world!

As always, thank you for your prayers for us here in Paraguay, too! We are thankful that you are on the team

Phew - finally finished!

2009-03-06T19:11:00.002-06:00

Today I spent a couple of hours this morning wrestling with Gmail trying to get our newsletter out. Even with the frustrations of it all, the truth is today's technology never ceases to amaze me.

I remember reading letters from Missionaries while I was a teenager in a C&MA church in Brooklyn, New York. I remember reading about the adventures they were having and drifting off in my imagination to these far away lands that I thought I would never see.

Now, everything is different. The world really is 'smaller.' Most of the teenagers (and adults) I know have Facebook accounts that include friends from other countries. If you want to know about a country you don't dust off the encyclopedia (???) or National Geographic, instead, with just a few clicks of the mouse you can look at live videos from almost any country in the world. Want to see the Galapagos islands, the Patagonian Rain Forest, the Taj Mahal or the Great Barrier Reef. Google them!

But, in the end, what impresses me most about today's technology is how 'instant' our communication has become. It wasn't that long ago that missionaries would board ships and sail across the oceans to reach the foreign ports of call. They would write letters and mail them back to their families and the letters would take 2 months to arrive, and even longer for the response to get back.

I love being a missionary in THIS time period. I love being able to call my parent's cell phone and talk with them while they are eating at Dunkin' Doughnuts. I love being able to 'skype' my brother in Thailand and ask him computer advice. I love being able to shoot videos, write blogs, and create newsletters that, with one (or really 15) click of the mouse, can be whisked away to over hundreds of homes, filled with family and friends who are praying for the ministry here in Paraguay. I love that!

So, it was worth the fight. And, in the end, I won and the newsletters were sent out. Speaking of which... if you are reading this and did not get a newsletter, but would like to, just send me your email address and I will make sure that you get all the fairly recent, up-to-date, information about what is happening with our family and the work here in Asuncion.

Thanks for being on the team!

Peace!

Back on line

2009-03-03T06:17:00.003-06:00

We are back in business. Can I tell you how thankful I am that I bought the warranty for my MAC. In the end, they replaced the hard drive and the keyboard and the casing for the whole computer. Although, we lost a bunch of pictures and videos, it is like I have been given a new computer.

More importantly, we are back on line and I will be updating the blog and newsletters again! Thank you so much for your patience. I am very thankful for the many of you who continued to pray, support and contact us even though it was so hard to get on line to respond back to you.

One quick prayer request for you. We'd appreciate you praying for Caleb. For some reason he is not sleeping. There are times when we put him in his room and he just cries and cries. We are not sure if he is having bad dreams or if he just doesn't want to sleep. We'd appreciate your prayers for him!

On a bright note, in order to help him sleep, we have found that after crying, he will crawl into bed with his big brother Andrew. We asked Andrew about this and he says, "Oh, I don't mind. I love my Caleb." God is good!

Peace!

On a Mac?!?

2009-02-04T03:00:00.002-06:00

Well, I don't think I broke any records, but that which is not supposed to happen has just happened. My Mac crashed!

Yep, the Hard Drive went kaplooie (not sure if that is how you spell that word, but it sure is fun to say). The tech geeks are trying their best to save as much of my data as they can, but the status report as of yesterday was not very encouraging.

So, I have dusted off the not-so-trusty-but-functioning PC and trying to stay in the loop.

I did however, find an old picture on this computer to share. This is when we first got here to Paraguay. This picture was taken after flying almost 24 hours. Good times!

I can't believe that we have been here for almost 7 months. It sure has gone by fast and it sure has been fun to watch as God has met us in every way through the transition, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

Peace!

Today, I watched in amazement...

2009-01-20T16:18:00.004-06:00

as Barak Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

In reality, I don't believe it matters what side of the political spectrum you find yourself, in the end, today we witnessed a truly historic event. Today, we inaugurated the four year presidency of the first African American President. And I hope that you too are feeling a little amazed.

It was not that long ago when black Americans were not allowed to enter in the same restaurants as white Americans. They were not allowed to go to the same schools, sit on the same seats of a bus or even drink from the same water fountain.

It was less than 200 years ago when whites owned blacks as slaves. "OWNED THEM." I have read historical accounts where slave owners described their slaves in the same way that they would a rake or a fork. Tools to be used for a purpose. This is absolutely disgusting to me.

I once heard a man say, that the civil war was fought to set men free because all men have VALUE. This sentiment was personified in a tall man from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln. This 16th President, as I am sure you know, signed the Emancipation Proclamation and officially declared that all men were indeed free.

And today, an African American put his hand on the same Bible and swore the same oath of office as President Lincoln did so many years ago. The imagery is powerful. And, in my opinion, entirely appropriate.

In his speech, President Obama spoke about Hope and Change. It will be interesting to see if his political strategies bring the kind of change that everyone is hoping for. But, in the end, today, we have seen the hope of many people throughout many years, come to light in the changing land that we call The United States of America.

May God continue to shed his grace thee!

"Man Trip" in the Chaco - Part III

2009-01-06T10:18:00.003-06:00

Ah, the Chaco. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I am going to attach another quick video and some pictures so you can experience the Chaco!

"Man Trip" in the Chaco - Part II

2009-01-03T18:13:00.002-06:00

Another video update from our trip to the Chaco. By day the dusty roads stretched as far as the eye could see and by night the sky gleamed with more twinkling stars than anyone could count. Ah, the Chaco!

"Man trip" in the Chaco - Part I

2009-01-01T14:50:00.003-06:00

This past week, Andrew and I took a Man-Trip (with CMA Missionary Forest Schell and his son, Caleb). Our Man-trip consisted of three days in the vast Paraguayan Chaco. The Chaco is a hot and dusty place filled with German Mennonites, Native Paraguayans, and towns that resemble the wild-west. In short, a great place for a man trip!

Here is a quick video - pictures to follow soon:

Peace!

A Final Summary

2008-12-24T09:08:00.002-06:00

Thank you so much for all your prayers for the Youth Conference that we had last week!

We had a great conference and are currently in process of following-up on all the contacts that were made during the week.

Just to give you an idea of the success, the first week, the new church had 13 people in attendance, after the conference, there were 25.

God is good!

Thank you for your prayers for this conference... we could not have done it without you!

Here is a quick video to summarize the week:

Paraguay Youth Conference - Day 5

2008-12-14T21:30:00.002-06:00

Once again, thank you for your prayers! Today was our Christmas Outreach...

Please watch the video to see how it went.

(I am sorry, the video took a lot of mg to make, so it might pause while watching)

Paraguay Youth Conference - Day 4

2008-12-13T20:16:00.000-06:00

Today we had our first outreach into the Park and our regularly scheduled AWANA meeting (at the same time).

Thank you so much for praying - tomorrow we have our Christmas Party Outreach. Please keep praying!

Paraguay Youth Conference - Day 3

2008-12-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

Today, I have a special prayer request...

Please watch the video below:

Paraguay Youth Conference - Day 2

2008-12-11T19:19:00.003-06:00

Below is an interview with one of the students at our Youth Conference. (I am sorry that the video quality is not very clear)

Thank you so much for your prayers:

1st day of Youth Conference

2008-12-10T19:59:00.002-06:00

Below is a quick video of our first day at the Youth Conference... thank you so much for your prayers!

A New Youth Conference???

2008-12-08T19:04:00.002-06:00

That's right. This week (December 10-15), we are going to host the first Alliance Youth Training Conference in Paraguay!!!

We have 15 students (ages 17-25) registered and excited to come to learn evangelism, apologetics and leadership development. Not only that, but in the evenings we are going to send these students out into the communities surrounding the new church plant (MI Esperanza - My Hope) to meet contacts and share about Jesus.

We are so thrilled to be a part of this conference!

But, we need your help. Would you be willing to pray?

If you can pray specifically for this ministry, whether it be "when you can" or on a specific day(s), would you please leave a comment and let me know. I want to pray for you, while you pray for us :)

Thank you so much for being on the team!

peace!

On the way to Caacupe!

2008-11-30T16:46:00.003-06:00

(BTW - it is pronounced Ca-a-cu-pay so it rhymes)

Below is a video of our family in Caacupe, Paraguay that we taped when we visited the city about 3 months ago (hence the jackets).

Caacupe is a "holy place" for the Paraguayans. In the Basilica, is a statue of the Virgin Mary. Every year hundreds of thousands traverse the countryside - BY FOOT - to lay prayers and petitions before the statue. The road to Caacupe is not an easy stretch of ground, it is very, very hilly and right now it is very, very hot (around 100 degrees). Many have already made the pilgrimage, but on December 8th the roads leading to Caacupe, from as far as 100 miles away, will be crowded with eager and devoted people making pilgrimage to this city. Please pray, that these good people would be safe on the road and that while they are walking, that Jesus would draw them close to Himself!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T06:30:00.002-06:00

This year, we are very thankful!

These are some of the things that we are thankful for:

Peace in Paraguay (A rare commodity in this world)
Candy and Pumpkin Pie (Andrew is really looking forward to them)
Air conditioners and fans (It will be over 100 degrees today)
Internet (So we can talk with our friends and family in the states and all over the world)
Summer vacation (after next week the girls are off until February)
Chipas (this is a Paraguayan bread that Caleb loves - and his favorite new word)

And we are thankful for you! Thank you for your prayers and care for our family. It is our pleasure to serve on the same team with you and your family! May God bless you!

Peace,

John, Lisa, Alison, Megan, Andrew and Caleb

...it's good to be back

2008-11-22T17:00:00.002-06:00

We are back online!!!

Internet has come back into our lives and we are pretty thrilled to be able to catch up with many of you! Thank you for your patience...

Also, feel free to SKYPE us at jlsappia

Peace!!!

Some pics of our life...

2008-11-18T14:19:00.003-06:00

Phew!

2008-11-18T13:55:00.008-06:00

Ok, so I had the chance to pop on line and I saw that the last blog entry I posted was over a month ago and I was talking about trying to keep up with the blog. Get a life!!!

In reality, not having internet at home has been difficult and we can't tell you how much we miss our friends and family back home. I keep trying to encourage myself by thinking of the missionaries in the past who would leave "life" behind and travel by steamer ship across the ocean. The journey would take months and the mail would take longer. Life, thanks to technology, sure has gotten easier. Well, faster at least!

Really, we want to thank you for your patience. Many of you have still be emailing, writing through Facebook, and even sending gifts to our car fund and packages filled with goodies for our family. And this does not include the times when you are praying for us! We love you all very much and are so thankful that even though we have not been able to connect, you have been "hanging with" our family.

Internet, according to the guy, should be here in two days. Mind you, he said that 2 weeks ago! Appreciate your prayers, we are looking forward to reconnecting with you on a regular basis.

I am going to make a slide show of some random pictures (above) so that you can see a little bit of what has been happening to us! (the pictures are of a new haircut, the new church building, the new house, the new car - all sorts of NEW STUFF... can you say transition overload :)

Peace!

John and Lisa

Get a life!!!

2008-11-18T13:55:00.001-06:00

Wow - has it really been a month?

2008-09-25T08:42:00.003-06:00

I am so sorry that we have not updated the blog in so long. Not having internet at the house - really slows down our progress on the things that are important. And, keeping this blog updated is very important, so that you know what is happening with our lives... and of course, so that you can be praying! Thanks for your patience. We are still without internet, so I can't promise to do much better, but I will try :)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS...

As most of you know, our family was hit hard by some virus last week. All of us felt the not-so-fun affects of this virus, but Andrew was the most affected. The poor kid spent two nights in the hospital attached to an IV that was giving him medicine and fluids. In the end, he threw up about 100 times, drank about 5 bags of solution and had five different shots… and he looked really cute shuffling down the hallway in his hospital gown and slippers. We are pleased to say that as of today, we are all virus-free and back to eating more than just Gatorade and unbuttered toast. ☺

Ouch!!!

2008-08-12T13:27:00.003-06:00

Well, we've seen a bunch of Asuncion so far, and now we have one more attraction to add to our list: the emergency room.

Andrew was having a bit too much fun and tripped and fell into the wall and split his head. Fortunately, there wasn't too much blood, but it did require two stitches. Megan went with me (John) to encourage the lad but ended up having to sit on the other side of the curtain as she was freaking out more than he was.

Below are some pictures... not much too look at, just a white line where the medicated ointment was applied. I was going to take pictures of his head while it was still bleeding but I couldn't find the camera. As you can see, it didn't stop him from wrestling with his brother the next day... which didn't make mommy happy :)

Peace!

Estamos Aqui en Paraguay

2008-07-30T09:17:00.002-06:00

"We are here in Paraguay!"

Thank you so much for praying for our family as we flew here. The flights were long, but uneventful and that is the best way to fly. :)

We do not have internet in our house yet, (probably won't for at least a month) but we are able to check in on our friend's computer.

Appreciate your prayers for our family... please continue to pray as we adjust to our new life.

I will post pictures soon.

We love you all, thank you for being on the team!

The Missionary life...

2008-07-15T13:41:00.002-06:00

Someone once told us that the life of a Missionary is full of "hi's" and "good-byes."

Although, we haven't been missionaries very long, we certainly can attest to the truth of that statement.

I don't know if it gets any easier, but I can tell you that this part of being a missionary sure hurts.

We have three more days here in Costa Rica and we are saying good-bye to some great friends. It's pretty wild though, in one year we have seen Missionaries leave from here to bring the gospel to the entire Latin American world.

No, it isn't easy saying good-bye, but It has been our privilege to be counted among such amazing people!

Peace!

OUCH!!!

2008-07-10T06:18:00.002-06:00

Today, has been labeled the "Day of Pain."

Today, we get our immunizations for Paraguay. Perhaps a wiser family would have spread them out during the course of this year. But, not us! Oh no, certainly, not us

Today, all of us get our shots. Here is the tally: (In ascending order of pain...)
Alison - 2
Caleb - 3
Megan - 3
Andrew - 3
John - 3
Lisa - 5

Did you catch Lisa's tally? She is the queen of Pain!
(It is probably best that we not tell her I called her that) :)

The good news is after the pain, we all go for ice cream!

Peace!

Water, water everywhere...

2008-07-06T18:19:00.002-06:00

And not a drop to drink!

That is how it has been for the last couple of days. For some reason, we have not had more than 4 hours of running water each day since Wednesday of last week.

The good news is that we do get water for a few hours a day. The down side is we never know when that will be. But, I can assure you, we jump for joy the moment we hear the toilet filling with water.

You know Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice." It is easy to rejoice in the good times... when things are going great. But, when things aren't nice... that's usually a different story. But, our little water-crisis has been teaching us to rejoice in these times even.

It's not easy, we would appreciate your prayers that we would be more and more like God wants us to be! Even without water ;)

Peace!

Good Theology

2008-06-24T21:40:00.003-06:00

Tonight as we were walking back to school for Spiritual Emphasis Week, Megan was telling Andrew about Jesus.

Aside from being incredibly cool for us to watch, Megan was pretty excited about the chance to tell her brother about her friend, Jesus. In reality, I have no idea what Andrew can understand in his 3 year old way of thinking, but the reality is, Megan knows that she needs to share Jesus with her family and her friends.

Point 1 - Tell people about Jesus! (Matthew 28:18-20)

Then she was talking about how Andrew can follow Christ. She said that if He followed Christ, then he could tell someone else about Jesus and that person could tell someone about Jesus and then that person could tell someone about Jesus.

Point 2 - This is good discipleship - take what you have learned about Jesus, teach it to someone else so that they in turn can teach it to someone else. (II Timothy 2:2)

Then she said... and if you tell someone and they tell someone, etc, then the whole world will hear about Jesus and then Jesus will come back!

Point 3 - When the whole world has heard Jesus will come back! (Matthew 24:14)

So, what does a six year old know? A whole lot! In fact, I'd say (even as a proud father) that she has a good grasp on her faith and how it is all supposed to work.

1) Tell People about Jesus
2) Teach others to tell people about Jesus
3) Bring back the KING!

Way to go Megan... Daddy is proud of you!

Peace!

"Necesito un Salvador en mi vida!"

2008-06-19T19:14:00.006-06:00

For the past 5 months I have been preaching at an alcohol and drug rehabilitation home called the "Casa de Restauracion." My friends, John Pham and Henry Clary (fellow students at the Language school) go there every week to disciple the men there, while I go once a month to preach. Now, the fun part is that I get a chance to preach in spanish... and not always well either :)

La Casa de Restauracion is a six month program and has only a few men who make it through the whole time. Unfortunately, every time I go there is almost an entirely new crop of Men.

On Monday (June 16th), I was preaching from Matthew 14 where Peter walks on the water. My first point was an analogy of the boat of the disciples and our "boat of sin," and how God is calling us to leave our "boat of sin" and come to Christ. I told them that they had the same choice that Peter had, to stay in the boat or to get out and go to Jesus. Then I moved on... for I had 2 other points in my sermon.

As I began to preach the rest of the sermon, God shared His thoughts to me. The conversation went something like this:

"John, is that all you are going to do?"
"Um yeah, that is all I wrote for point 1."
"John, I have more to do..."
"But, I have two more points to make."
"John, make them quick, I have more to do..."

That is just a rough outline of the conversation that went on in my head as I continued to preach through points two and three. Needless to say, I preached quickly and returned to the first point. I told the men that they each had the choice to leave their life of sin and come to Jesus and that this choice was the most important decision they can make. I told the men that Jesus provided for the penalty for their sin by dying on the cross and that he could be their savior. Then I asked the men, if they were ready to come out of the boat and come to Christ to call out, "I need a savior in my life."

... after a few moments of silence, about 6 men called out, "Necesito un Salvador en mi vida!" (I need a Savior in my life)

What followed next was a wonderful prayer time where the men prayed for each other and those who called out prayed for Jesus to clean their lives of their sin.

ALL IN SPANISH!

God is good. I keep thinking of the boy with the fish and the bread (John 6). We bring the little things to God and He makes big things from them. If He can use me, in my broken spanish, He can use anyone!!!

Peace!

My Dad

2008-06-15T22:14:00.003-06:00

Today is Father's Day!

Almost 14 years ago, I stepped from a back room of a church to await my beautiful bride to be with my brothers as my groomsmen and my father, my best-man.

I've worked in Youth Ministry long enough to know that when you are in a group of students all you have to do is mention the word, father, and people start to stare off and the tears begin to come. In a world of broken relationships and pretty cruddy fathers, my dad is a shining example of what a dad should be!

When we were kids, my father was at everyone one of our games. He would leave work early, travel hours by train, just to meet us in some remote corner of the city and watch us play volleyball... and then sometimes return to work.

When we had no money and the creditors were calling, he was laughing and telling jokes with them on the phone. (It drove my mom nuts).

When we had no idea what to do next he always seemed to know what to do (he probably didn't have a clue, but he always looked like he did.)

When we lost something, broke up with someone, or just got really hurt, he always had a Life-savor candy (usually, Butter rum) for us to eat.

When I read in the Bible that God is our Heavenly Father, it is easy for me. I know that is the hardest reality for some people to understand, but for me that one is a gimme. God rocks, God loves, God is patient, God is kind, because God is like my dad, Jim Sappia.

What scares the pants off of me, is when I see the same look in my kids' eyes that I had in my eyes when I was a kid. Now, I pray... Lord, make me like my dad, so that I can more like you!

Well, Happy Father's Day, Dad! You are still my best-man!

Waterfall of Peace

2008-06-08T19:55:00.003-06:00

Below is a video we took at the LA PAZ Waterfall gardens. Thank you for praying for Costa Rica and for Paraguay! We are so glad that you are on the TEAM! (At the end of the video, are other video options... those are from You-tube and NOT from us)

My son...

2008-06-04T21:27:00.003-06:00

Tonight I was doing my homework when I heard a faint voice calling my name, it was like listening to Little Lucy Lu who was no more than two... except it was Andrew. He had to go potty and we had a few moments to talk while he sat :). Anyway, no to embarrass the poor kid, but in those few moments we had a great conversation.

It started out like this...
John - "do you know who loves you?"
Andrew - "You do, daddy"
John - "do you know how proud I am of you?"
Andrew - (smile)
John - "do you know that I can't be anymore proud of you than I am right now?
Andrew - (smile), "I'm done daddy, can I go back to sleep?"
John - "Sure, come on... I love you son."
Andrew - "I love you, Daddy."

You know, sometimes I feel like I am living a Hallmark commercial? I can't tell you how much I love my kids. I mean, each of them are amazing. Sometimes, Caleb and I laugh for ten minutes at a time for no reason, he just loves to laugh! Megan, lost both of her front teeth and she can still blow a mean bubble. Today, Alison, did a cartwheel off a balance beam in a gymnastics show at school!!! And Andrew, well, he just loves his daddy!

I used to watch the Amazing Race and other Reality Shows and wish I were on those programs... running in the sand, climbing the mountains, doing cool things... Then I realized the real REALITY... my life is already AMAZING... not because it is always perfect (yeah right), but because God has been good enough to bless me with four wonderful kids and a fantastic bride.

Life is funny isn't it? It passes so quickly and we forget, that which we thought was unforgettable. Tonight, near the potty, I was reminded of the simple things... and the greatest of these is love!

Peace!

What's shakin...

2008-06-03T06:51:00.003-06:00

We were.

On Sunday, we felt the biggest earthquake since we have been here in Costa Rica. In reality, there are earthquakes here all the time, but most are teeny and too small to feel.

But this week you couldn't miss it. First, the dogs barked (which is nothing new around here). Then there was a noise, like an explosion. Then for 2 seconds the house shook like it was hit by a big wrecking ball. Fortunately, nothing was wrecked!

In the end, only Megan woke up concerned about the big noise. As we all know from reports about China and all around the world, earthquakes are not matters to laugh at. Praise God, He has kept us safe once again.

Peace!

Happy Birthday Jim

2008-05-18T17:29:00.004-06:00

Today is my (John's) brother Jim's birthday and that got me thinking about the following...

Jesus said that a prophet has no honor in his own town. You see, although Jesus was perfect in every way, even as a child, He still grew up as a little boy in his dad's carpenter shop in Nazareth. I would guess, He skinned his knee and He banged his finger. He grew up with the other boys from Nazareth. And for this reason, when He claimed to be the Messiah, the people of Nazareth did not or could not believe Him. In fact, Jesus marveled two times in His life on earth. Once, He marveled at the Centurion's great faith and the other time at the "lack of faith" of the people from Nazareth.

It was hard for them, after all... He grew up right here and played with our children. We know his parents, how can he be the Messiah?

Now, the reality is too many people have a different kind of problem. After telling everyone that they have a "relationship with Christ," their family members are the ones who don't believe it the most. Why?

Not so much because of the simple fact that they grew up and played in our house, but because of the WAY they live after they come to Christ. I can't tell you how many people have complained, "my son/daughter/husband/wife/etc says they are Christians, but with the way they act... who can believe them?"

You want to now how you are doing with your walk with Christ? Ask you parents, your wife, your children. Our families are the real testing grounds of our faith. And that is Just something to think about!

By the way... Based on my brother Jim's life... I know that Christ is real! My brother has always showed me that! No, he isn't perfect, but he was always true to what God called him to do. Thank you, Jim for being the genuine article. I love you and...

Happy Birthday!

The Ultimate Gift

2008-05-10T20:35:00.007-06:00

Tonight is pizza-movie night. We started this tradition about two years ago and it continues today. (I expect we will have pizza-movie night in Paraguay, although I do think the pizza will not be quite as good). Usually, we choose a kid's movie and have a good time laughing and hanging out with the kids.

Tonight we watched a movie called, "The Ultimate Gift." If you have seen it, then you know it can be quite a tear jerker. If you haven't seen the movie, it might be worth looking into. (Btw - I no longer officially recommend movies after a Tommy Boy fiasco many years ago - I won't go into that... but, thanks Stuart Jones!)

Anyway, without giving away too much of the plot, it boils down to a story about a rich guy who has to find himself by working hard and enduring problems. In the end he becomes richer but, in many ways other than money. (oops, there goes the plot)
It is funny, his whole life he had things handed to him, but it was only through pain did he really know what it is like to be RICH.

My mom once asked me if I (John) have come to a place in my life where I am truly thankful for all the things that have happened in my life (good and bad) because that is what made me into the person that I am? Good question, huh?

Side note - the indians (er, Native Americans) were famous for many things, one of which was not wasting anything. In fact, history tells us that the Indians used every part of the Buffalo. Every square inch. In contrast, the Settlers killed the buffalo, by the thousands, only to skin the hide and leave the carcass to rot in the rising sun. This lovely image has a point.

God uses everything. He uses everything in our lives... every square inch! The good, the bad and well, you know. God is the one who originated the recycling program! In fact, I have found that it is the worst times in our lives that God uses best. I don't necessarily like it, but I can't escape it. With God nothing is unusable.

So, now I ask you the same question that I have been wrestling with for the past 15 years. Have you come to the place where you are thankful for all the things in your life because that is what has made you into the person that you are?

And maybe to follow that up, have you asked God to show you how He has used those good, bad and ugly times?

Not a bad thing to do, if you have some time and a good hanky. ;)

PS... Tomorrow is Mother's Day... Thank you Mom for always challenging me! I love you

Ox Cart racing, anyone?

2008-05-03T14:17:00.004-06:00

One of the customs here in Costa Rica are painted Ox Carts. This past week we had some great friends visit us (Thank you, Rett, Becky and Jeanne, for the good times!

One day, we went to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and Lisa and Rett were able to ride on one of these beautiful devices. Below, our valient Lisa takes us on a journey, at break-neck speeds, in the painted ox cart.

Parque De Diversiones (Park of Fun!)

2008-04-19T10:26:00.006-06:00

Click on the arrow in the movie and

see Lisa's introduction to our pictures.

Thank you for your friendship! We appreciate you.

The Hike to the Cross

2008-04-12T16:04:00.002-06:00

Today, Megan and John climbed to one of most beautiful vantage points of San Jose. We have the video below so that you can experience what we are experiencing here in Costa Rica!

PS. Today, April 12th is John's father's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad/Papa. We love you very much!

The Cows are Taking Over

2008-04-06T16:45:00.006-06:00

About 150 painted cows have been scattered throughout downtown San Jose. We spent the afternoon on Saturday wandering around, with thousands of others, enjoying the "cow parade." (Gary Larson would have loved it!)

Enjoy the pictures... welcome to Costa Rica...

Weekend in Paradise!

2008-04-02T15:53:00.006-06:00

Well, it was time to renew our visas once again, and that means leaving Costa Rica for 72 hours. Our first plan was to take an 8-hour bus ride to Nicaragua, but when we found out there wasn't any more room, we were left with only one option: Fly!

So, what did we do? We prayed and God answered. Thanks to Ed and Wendy Mastellone and their amazing family we spent a weekend in El Salvador with Julia, Wendy's sister-in-law. Already having a special place in our hearts for El Salvador (since John has been down there 3 other times on Mission's trips) we were excited for the opportunity to return. However, we had no idea just how awesome God's blessing was going to be!

It didn't take us too long, after arriving, to realize that we were in for a very incredible weekend. The house where we stayed had 5 bedrooms, a swimming pool, lots of relaxing lawn chairs, and through the back gate, the Pacific Ocean.

So, thank you Dino, Julia, Ed and Wendy! We had a great time!

Check out the pictures:

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

2008-03-21T21:18:00.002-06:00

Tonight our family went to a neighboring area called, Desamperados. Desamperados means deserted or abandoned in spanish. In fact, when translated to spanish, Desamperado appears in Jesus's words from the cross, "My God, My God why have you forsaken me."

Today is Holy Friday. Holy (or Good) Friday is a big deal in Costa Rica and most of the Spanish world. In San Jose, everything shuts down and even the buses and taxis stop running. Throughout the city, there are two processionals during this day. First in the morning to reenact Jesus going to the cross. Most processions are small and only statues are carried through the streets. Some, however, are very elaborate, including many actors and fake blood. It can be very "real."

The second processional, comes later in the day when Jesus is taken down from the cross and carried through the street to be buried in the tomb. This is the processional that we saw in Desamperados and that is on the video below.

As you watch the video, notice the large amount of people gathered to watch and walk in this processional. As you do, I want you to realize that there are many people in Costa Rica who genuinely love Jesus Christ. But, I also want you to pray, for many of these people mourning do not know the life-giving reality of Jesus Christ. Many only know the death of Good Friday and have missed out on the LIFE of resurrection Sunday. Please pray that many here in Costa Rica, AND IN PARAGUAY, would come to know Jesus Christ as the Savior for their sins and the LORD who reigns over their lives.

Scenes from Costa Rica

2008-03-18T11:32:00.010-06:00

This is why people say Costa Rica is so beautiful!

Breaking Through...

2008-03-12T21:43:00.004-06:00

Hello there...

Tonight I was thinking about Jesus' resurrection. As I was thinking about that I was thinking about a struggle that I have been having over something. It is one of those things in life that you just seem to struggle with. You know those things?

Well, I was thinking about both of those realities, my struggle, and the vast amount of power it must take to raise someone from the dead. I mean, think about it. Jesus was dead. Beaten, hair pulled out, mashed to a bloody pulp, stabbed, smacked, punched, pierced, battered and bleeding everywhere. And then in three days... he was alive! Walking, talking, eating... ALIVE!

Imagine the rumble of the earth as the power of God broke forth upon the land of the dead. Imagine the coming of our Lord, to place his nail-pierced foot once more on our earth. Imagine the angels watching in wonder... the long silence of the weekend shattered by the awesomeness of the reality that the SON was back... Imagine the power that must take.

And as I was thinking upon such things... I heard a quiet voice in my heart. John... don't you think, if I can exert enough power to raise again from the ash heap of death... That I can exert enough power to get you through this struggle in your life?

Of course, the answer is YES! Yes, God you can do it. Yes God you can do it!!!

Don't look now, but I think there is some rumbling in my heart... I wonder what God will do?!?

Getting Started

2008-03-04T20:08:00.003-06:00

Hello there...

The new elder plugged in the overhead projector and the pastor said, "well, we have finally stepping into the 1980's." The elder shot back, "but, Pastor, we are living in 2008."

"Well," the Pastor shot back, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Lisa and I figured it was a good time to start our blog. Thanks to the help of a great friend (John Pham) we are up an running. I trust that one day, this site might be somewhat full of pictures and fun... but alas... let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, we are content that we are even here.

So, Thank you for visiting... Thank you for being on the team!

Peace,

John and Lisa Sappia (and Ali, Megan, Andrew and Caleb)