Finally home

   We are back in Costa Rica! After a month and a half in Colombia Nicholas and I made it home. We spent most of that month and a half in Santa Marta working on a farm and spending time with the neighbors. There is so much to say but I don't know where or how to start so I guess I'll just point out the highlights of the whole trip in general.

   I can honestly say that my favorite moments were those with Sam and Nicholas. The nights we'd be in the hostels laughing really hard or having really deep conversations. Reading the bible and praying together. Seeing nicholas and Sam get excited every time we prayed for someone to be healed. The faces and reactions of the people we encountered after they got healed were priceless. I'll never forget the reaction of one guy that we prayed for while in Panama. His name was Julio, he had knee problems and it was hurting him. After we prayed for him he looked at us with a very serious look on his face and said, "what did you do to me?"  He was so surprised. Of course that opened a door for us to be able to tell him that we didn't do anything, it was all God. 

  Some other times I'll never forget are the times we got to spend with the Ulloa family, getting to know them and become a part of their family. I saw God change us and bring us to new places with Him. We learned how to face problems and challenges and not run from them; to trust and lean more on God than on our own strengths or those of the people around us. We grew in confidence and boldness. The amount and diversity of people we met and got to share with was big. We met so many different types of people, some a little stranger than others. We even had some people run away from us when we approached them. 

   I could go on and on about how we've changed/grown and how God spoke to us or how we were challenged and how we faced our challenges but in the end it all comes to this: We fell more in love with our Father in Heaven. He is what made this trip happen. He's the one who gave us the strength to keep going and the motivation to never give up. He's the one who provided for us, guided us and protected us. He's the one that never left us and never stopped speaking to us. 

   There are four things that I grew in a lot on this trip. Four things that God has really brought me to realize and understand in a deeper level. Four things I had to practice daily while I was out there. 

  1. I learned how to be truly patient with lots of love and joy. 

 2. I learned to receive peace from God. A peace I've never felt before. A peace that comes when everything around you and in you says you should be worried and scared. A peace where God says, "everything is gonna be alright, it doesn't matter how bad things turn out, I'm still taking care of you."

 3. I also learned to forgive and the importance of forgiveness. I not only learned to forgive others but I learned to forgive myself. It's easy to put yourself down and blame things on yourself when everything goes wrong but what good does that do? We shouldn't focus on our mistakes but on how we respond to them. 

   4. Most of all I learned to really trust God. No matter how scary things seem or how wrong things seem to be going, He's always right by our side and He's always in control. 

  Some people have asked me if I think the trip was a success. Yes, I believe with all my heart that it was a success. When God first told me about this trip the goal wasn't to get the world "saved" the goal was to get closer to God. My heart from the beginning was to see my team and I changed and grown at the end. To see us draw nearer to God and to fall more in love with Him than ever before. God is faithful and He finishes what He starts. 

  Now comes the big question: what are you gonna do now? After all that I've gone through and experienced, what am I gonna do? Well, to answer that question, I don't know... I have no idea what I'm gonna do now. I don't know what I'll be doing a month from now. I don't really even know what I will be doing tomorrow. All I know is that at this moment I'm in Costa Rica waiting on and seeking God in all of this. What does He have for me? For my future? It turns into a big question mark when I think of what my plans and Gods plans for my life could be. It's a big mystery for me.        Now, the next question: will I be going back to Colombia? Yes. I don't know when, but I do know that I will be back and hopefully sooner than later. 

  Thank you so much to all of you for your prayers, support, encouragement and love. May God bless you and be with each one of you. I love you all! 

                              Chrystel

       After four days of traveling on a bus through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru we finally made it to Lima. It wasn't an easy trip but God helped us through it all and we had fun. But the bus rides weren't over yet. We still had to make it to Machu Picchu. From Lima we went on another bus for 24 hours to reach cusco and from cusco we took another bus for 7 hours and then had to hike for two and a half hours to make it to Aguascalientes. From there it's another two hour hike up Machu Picchu. But we made it! And it was fantastic. We've definitely learned to make the best of our time no matter where we are and no matter what happens. When we got to Lima Sam's bag went missing and never came up. He spent the last two weeks of the trip with the same clothes and of course some of Nicholas' clothes that fit him. Spending four days in a bus and losing your bag can easily get frustrating and extremely tiresome but I didn't hear Nicholas or Sam complain once. On the contrary we had a wonderful time. And made the best of every situation. 

  I can't express or write how excited we were when we made it up Machu Picchu. God is so faithful and so full of adventure! He's the best Father and friend we could ever have. It was fantastic! 

    Although reaching Machu Picchu was amazing I know that the greatest memories I'll have from this trip won't be when we got there but our journey to get there. The places that God took us and the people He brought us to. The friendships wee built and the amount we've grown. The different ways God showed Himself to us and the ways He challenged us. I keep falling more and more in love with God everyday!

  So the journey home has begun. We went back to Lima and spent a few days there. We met and prayed for a variety of different people. From a monk to street evangelists to a blind beggar to teenage girls to Chilean backpackers. It's amazing the different kinds of people you can meet in jut a few days. 

  Sam left on the 24th. Nicholas and I spent the night at the airport with him and sent him off at 3 am. It wasn't easy letting him go. We miss him a lot.

     It's just me a Nicholas now and to make it back to Colombia we had to go through all those bus rides again. We talked with the Ulloa family here in Colombia and after praying and talking about it we decided to go back to Santa Marta. They've been doing some construction and farming up there and said we could come and join. It's been a long trip but thanks to God border crossing was easy and nothing went wrong. We even made friends with the bus drivers and were invited to have meals with them. 

    We finally made it to Santa Marta and It feels so good to be back in Colombia. It's become very familiar. And It feels even better to be with the Ulloa family once again. They have become family to us. It's like another home. :) we will most likely be in Santa Marta for about three weeks and then head back to Bogota where the rest of the Ulloa family are. Nicholas and I still don't have our tickets back to Costa Rica but from the way things are going it looks as if we won't be heading back till the mid/end of November. 

  God is amazing! It's not difficult to see that. His greatness is shown in all creation! And His love for each one of us is so great! If only others could see it. If only the world could open their eyes and see how great Gods love is for them. 

         Love you all and thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Your the best!!

                             Chrystel :)

 We have been on this trip for 7 weeks now. The family we had been staying with in bogota have a farm up in The northern part of Colombia and We drove up with the mom, Rosita, and her youngest son, Pedro, to meet up with their dad, Pedro. I absolutely love it there. It's beautiful! Far from the city. Mountains all around. The weather is really warm but it was raining almost every day so it would cool off a little. We were helping them build a chicken coop while we were there and are now headed down to Ecuador.

 We have definitely spent a lot more time in Colombia than expected but God has done so much that now I can see why. It has been such a blessing to live with this family. It's incredible the way they have taken us in. I thank God every day for them. God has been so faithful and so good. The way He has lead us and spoken to us has been wonderful to see and be a part of. Sam, Nicholas and I are in so much awe at what God has done and is doing.

One goal we made a few weeks ago was to make it to Machu Picchu, Peru before Sam leaves. He has to be back in Canada by the second week of October for a wedding. Not his own ;) so we are on our way down praying that we can make it there before he has to go. 

We Love you all very much! Thank you so much for all your prayers. 

                                God bless,

                                       Chrystel :)

John 14:12-14

  "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it." 

           John 14:12-14

    Tomorrow we are heading up to a northern part of Colombia called Santa Marta. We have been in Bogota for four weeks now. The family we have been staying with has taken really good care of us. They have taken us in as if we were one of their own. It has been such a blessing to live and share with them. God has done so much here in Bogota. He's worked in our lives as well as in the lives of the people around us. We've been able to witness Him mend broken hearts, heal aching bodies and calm wrestles minds. It's been amazing to be here with Him but the time has come to move on and we are so excited to see what God has for us there. We serve an awesome God!!

    Here is a testimony from Sam that he wrote while in Bogota. 

  "Yesterday we were at Ex!to, the super market. I saw a lady walking with a limp and a cane, so I asked Nicholas to translate. I went and asked if she spoke English and she said no and so Nicholas translated, and I will never forget how bright and beautiful her old eyes were. Like a child's. I asked if I could pray and what was wrong and she said her hip and knee had been hurting since an accident. I put my hand on her knee and thanked you for your love, and you took the pain away. It wasn't gone but it was 'mostly better'. So I prayed again and you completely took it away. I have never seen that before and I am so in love. Thank you for your promise that this would happen and that you would do it because you love us all. I have been asking you that my motive would be love, not to see miracles or signs and wonders for the sake of seeing them. I was so overwhelmed and just wanted to tell her how much her Father lovers her and thinks about her. Thank you, Dad, for how much you love her. Thank you for healing her and for letting me be your hands and feet. Called to be salt and light, I love you. You are so good and you do such beautiful things. 

Her name is Maria and you love her with your whole heart."

   Thank you all for your prayers. God is so good! We love you all and appreciate you all very much. 

                                   Chrystel

I can't believe it! We are in Colombia!

   A little over a week ago it all seemed so far away. A little over two weeks ago it all seemed impossible. There was a time I didn't think these days would come. But it's here. It has started. It's happening. First panama and now Colombia! I have to admit that the week we spent in panama was very difficult and challenging. Traveling all day almost every day on buses, taxis or foot. Sleeping in bus stations that don't let you lay down or buses that put the AC on extra high. Most of the time it all seemed to go wrong. We went the wrong way. This is not the right place. Wrong name on the ticket. We lost our bags. We got lost in the city. Walked for hours in the heat and humidity of panama. Hunger and lack of sleep followed us most of the way. But with those challenges and difficulties came a lot of joy, peace and love. It doesn't matter what goes wrong because our circumstances don't define Gods blessings. Our plans may be completely changed every second of every day but that doesn't mean that Gods plans have changed. He said He would lead us, guide us, provide for us. He just told us to trust Him. I've been stretched so much already. Wondering what I am doing. Thinking I'm crazy for doing this. Going off into places I don't know without knowing basically anything. Where do we go? What do we do? I can only stand on the fact that God is faithful. He keeps His word. 

 Yeah, we spent a majority of the time on buses going all over panama looking for boats. What for? Only to find out that we gotta go somewhere else on the other side of the country? Why would God tell us to go there only to bring us back to the same bus terminal or why would He have us go to the city only to see us get lost in this city we know nothing about. Did we hear Him wrong? Should we have looked for plane tickets earlier? Maybe. Or did we hear Him right and just assume that meant that we would find what WE were looking for.  Maybe He lead us there to stretch our faith. Maybe to speak to that man or encourage that lady. What about the healing we saw or the others we prayed for? Maybe to comfort that girl or talk to those backpackers. Express that joy and give others a reason to smile as well.  Maybe it was just for us. To have us grow. And see us change and lean more and more on Him. 

   I may not know His way of thinking or understand why He does it the way He does but I do know this: it's all for a reason. The time in panama has ended and now the journey continues on in Colombia. It's been awesome and Im excited to see what else He has! God is so good! And so faithful! 

Hello my friends,

  So it turns out that we didn't end up leaving on the 10th(last Thursday). Things kept happening, plans kept changing, people were not able to come last minute, others were brought into the team last minute and in the end we needed to push the dates a little further. It actually was pushed forward several times. But it finally happened! We left at 7 am this morning, Wednesday, from my house and after a long day of traveling we are finally in Panama and will be on our way to Colombia tomorrow! I have to admit that this was a hard week with so many changes but looking back I see how we needed the extra time. God knows what we need more than we do. His plans are definitely better than mine. It's been hard having to let some of the team members go. But God is in control. God is good. 

   The team has changed quite a bit. We are only three now. Vanessa and Khori were not able to come with us and last minute a really good friend of my family decided to join. So the final team is me, Nicholas and Sam. It's crazy how quickly everything changed. But I know that this is the team God wanted from the beginning. Who knows maybe someone will join us half way through the trip. We are so excited to see what it is that God has for us! Pray that God gives us strength and wisdom. We still have a lot of traveling ahead of us. Pray. Thank you all so much!

  I love you all and God bless. 

                                   

                                  Chrystel 

Hey everyone,

   We head down to Panama and then to South America in a few days! I don't know how to express my excitement. God has done so much in these last few months. He's awesome and I love Him. 

   I thought since this is my last blog before we leave I should explain a little more of what it is that God has been doing from the beginning. It's been a growing experience for me since the beginning. I was in Germany when It all started. I had a few weeks before we left to the Philippines and I was praying and walking through the woods. That's when He told me about it. He called it a "faith journey". It consisted of a small group of people who are really hungry for more of God and are wanting and willing to serve and love the people around us. Trusting in God to provide, guide and take care of us. Taking advantage of every moment to tell others about God. To be changed and challenged in new ways. To grow in Christ and see others grow as well.  I decided to wait until I got back to Germany from the Philippines before I really said anything about it, I had told a few people but for me at that time it was just a thought in the back of my head that(I thought) would never happen. I left to the Philippines for two months thinking that through the excitement of a new country I would forget or not be as excited about this "faith journey". But I was wrong. I got back to Germany with even more excitement about it than when I had left. I had a strong desire to see it happen but I didn't know where or how to start. Right before I left Germany to go to Florida I had my first team member. It happened through a series of random events but long story short I had my first recruit. Now at this point I hadn't told my parents yet. I had a few days left in Germany and then ten days in Florida visiting my grandparents. I wanted to tell my parents face to face. I knew it would be hard for them to let me go again especially considering that it's not through an organization or church but it's something that I am starting/organizing myself. So I asked God that If this was really something from Him and not from my own head that my parents would back me up 100% no questions.  I wanted to wait till I saw them before I told them but little did I know that God didn't want me to wait. I was skyping my dad one morning during the first few days in Florida and before I knew it I had told him all about it. I was scared at first thinking he might reject the idea of it but to my surprise my dad was all for it. That was when I realized that it was really going to happen. It was no longer just a thought in my head but it was about to become a reality. I returned home to Costa Rica and started the preparation. Of course I had no idea how or what to prepare but I knew that praying was a good way to start. I sent out a letter. Nothing happened. It was the end of April and I only had one person coming. There were a couple of people that said they were thinking of it or they might come but in the end there was still no one else. I decided to take 2 weeks to fast and pray for the trip. Those two weeks were one of the most difficult times while preparing for this trip. I can't explain what it was that was happening because even now I don't understand what was going on I just know it was very difficult in those days physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. But every time I wanted to give up God brought me back up again. He gave me the hope to keep going. And by the end of May I had three others. One of them being my sister. You would think it would all get easier from there but in reality it didn't. Plans were constantly being changed. It was still very difficult but God never let me stay down, He always helped me back up to keep going. Things eventually got more organized. Plans started coming together. In June more people signed up for the trip. Contacts were made in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. More people were supporting our trip. Everything was going great or at least I thought so. Even though it all looked as if it were going smoothly from the outside I was still being stretched and challenged in so many ways on the inside. Eventually it could be seen. People started leaving the team for various reasons two weeks before it was time to leave. It was chaos. I had to make some really hard decisions and take some very difficult actions. But I knew and still know that it has all been in obedience to God. God is so good and faithful! We are so privileged to serve such a wonderful God.  We are now four that are going(unless God says otherwise): Vanessa, Khori, Sam and myself. Khori and Sam have been in Costa Rica for a week now and we have been praying and preparing for the trip. We will be on our way to Panama tomorrow. Thank you so much to all of you who have joined us in our trip in some way wether it be through giving, praying, going or encouraging. I am so thankful. Please continue to pray for each one of us as we take the next step. I love you all so much. 

And to my family I want to say an even greater thanks. They have seen all the good and the bad. They have walked through it with me. God has blessed me with a wonderful family. 

  God bless each and every one of you.  

      With much love, 

              Chrystel

 Ps. Can someone from Costa Rica make sure you read this to Aunt Ruth? I know she wants to know what is going on.