After Easter - Costa Rica

What do I write about first?

The unbelievably meaningful, record breaking, Easter weekend? Or the unbelievably meaningful, record breaking missions trip I’m on in Costa Rica.

I’ll just do it in order, I guess.

Easter was phenomenal, again. I really wondered how we could follow up the service the “Goat Has Left the Building” from last year. But this Bridge thing was so cool.

We stole the idea from other churches – as usual – but we are the only place that left the chasm in the bridge and put it all together for people in the service. It was so powerful. We had 7375 people, another Easter record, and we estimate that at least half of them walked across the bridge. Which symbolized different things for different people, but it was a step of faith for all of them. Some will come up to us in heaven and tell us that it was this weekend that they took the beginning step of faith in their journey with Jesus. (We put the service online, so check it out if you weren't able to make it.)

Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who worked weird hours and long hours to make this weekend happen. Especially right after the big Great Investment Campaign. We’ve been a bunch of busy beavers. And by the way, the campaign is going great. We’ll announce totals April 5. So if you aren’t in yet – come and join us!

Let me tell you about Costa Rica. I’ve just come from a service at our sister church here – CCA. Sean Mixson, our student/missions pastor, preached through an interpreter and did a great job. We have 29 total people down here on a medical mission trip. Let me tell you the most meaningful thing for me today. This church is so cool, because they are in one of the poorest areas you will ever see, and they’ve chosen to minister TO those people instead of moving away from them. So they have a drug rehab center for men and one for women and an elderly home as well as a bunch of other ministries to the community. They are a model of “being Jesus to the world.”

Today, Sean and I met with the guys at the men’s drug rehab center where we saw the most remarkable guy. He was so strung out on drugs that he resorted to any means to get money for his habit, which led him to try to steal copper wire from a power plant. This almost cost him his life when he grabbed a live wire and took a hit of 35,000 volts. It blew off his arm, disfigured his face, and left a bunch of holes where it shot out of his body. He was in a coma for 4 months – and lived. And tonight he was kneeling in prayer at the altar while worship was happening – so grateful to Jesus for saving him in every way. This is ministry to people on the streets. Every guy in the center had a bullet scar or a knife scar. It’s rough. But Parkview is here – through CCA. Our Celebrate Recovery ministry paid to get the Men’s Center set up to run a bakery which generates income for them and teaches the guys a trade. It’s so very cool.

The rest of the team got down here on Friday. Saturday they set up in the park and had a “Day of Mercy” – which was a way to minister to the homeless and street people of the area. They set up showers and shaved them and cleaned them up. Our doctors and nurses were there to give medical care. It was an incredible day for them.

One man who had been living on the streets for 14 years came to the park in pretty bad shape. They got him food and got him a shower and a shave and people prayed with him. But by the time he got to the doctor he had passed out. He died in Dr. Bruce’s arms as they tried to resuscitate him. About the time we were starting our Easter service on Saturday night, this man was leaving the world in the arms of Parkview people in a far away country. And instead of dying on the street with no dignity and no care, he received love and care and treatment like Jesus would have wanted. And he was prayed for. The team said it was a very emotional time for them, as you would imagine. His family came to claim his body and was so amazed to see him cleaned up and looking so nice.

I just think that’s what Jesus would ask us to do. I think Jesus is so proud of CCA and so proud of Parkview. I know he is. He said when we do anything for the “least of these” we are doing it for him. I don’t think you get any lower than these two stories. So we must be on the right track around here.

I’m so stinking proud of Parkview. For all of you. IT JUST DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS.

Dios te bendiga (God Bless You)

Tim

Comments

[Debbie H.]

The goat has left the building was a great service last year. Crossing the Bridge was great this year. As usual the service had so much meaning. Each service I attend I seem to learn more and more. Thousands will continue to cross the bridge as the Harvest continues..... Thousands more will learn of Christ and His love and forgiveness. All because of the sacrifices being made each day at Parkview in HIS name.