| Overholt Newsletter November 2011 |
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Hello to all our Family and Friends,
Today, November 15th, we celebrate 5 years since coming to Costa Rica to work full time.
What an adventure, what memories we have made, and what wonderful people we have
encountered! 2006 seems like a long time ago and yet, as well, the time has flown by. We
started in San Jose - the capital, where we lived for 10 months and attended language school
for 8 of those months. Living in a large city was quite an adjustment, coming from a small
town of 35,000 - Campbell River, Vancouver Island where we had lived for 25 years and
raised our family. But we soon found our way around and began to learn the language. Our
school was Monday - Friday from 7:30 am - noon and then we had homework. It was a 4 month
semester with a small break between the semesters. We were able to meet other missionary
families who were also learning Spanish and getting ready to go to different countries to
serve. We became involved in a small Foursquare church near to us and began to build
relationship with the people there. John led worship and we prayed for people and helped
where we could - great memories.
Then in Sept. 2007 after finishing two semesters at the language school we moved to the
Western province of Guanacaste and settled in Playas del Coco. We wanted to help and
serve the pastors in this province in whatever way we could so we made ourselves available
and visited the churches. We also got involved in a local English church that was near Coco
and were able to be involved in their Bible studies and have some fellowship.
Since then God has opened the door for us to be involved in church planting and raising up
leaders as well as connecting us with some great national pastors who can oversee these
churches. As well, we have hosted teams and have had the joy of introducing them to Costa
Rica and serving the people here. We have been to national conventions here and
leadership training events and lots of meetings. Some of you have followed us in this journey
from the beginning and have prayed, supported and encouraged us so much. We thank you
for all of this and for the great priviledge of being able to be here and see the hand of the
Lord working in the hearts and lives of people: very, very exciting.
We are thankful for health and strength to serve, "More Lord, more."
This coming year we have our friends, Jim and Beatrice Saxby, coming for 3 months
starting Dec. 7th. They were part of our church in Campbell River and so look forward to
working with them and spending time together showing them the beauty of this country. We
have pastors, Tom and Lottie Gardner from the Sunshine Hills Foursquare church, coming
down for the first time in January and we look forward to them staying with us and
introducing them to our church families here in Costa Rica. As well, short term mission teams
are making arrangements to come and so we are looking forward to another full year in 2012.
The Lord is beginning to move upon the local pastors from various churches to get
together for interchurch events and John is helping to spearhead a festival coming up in
January - a Jesus March and a Christian Fair in our downtown park. We really appreciate your
prayers for all of these things. Tthe English church, Hope Fellowship, is growing and
continuing to reach out and minister to the needy with food, backpack project/school
supplies, teaching women various courses like esthetics, cooking, massage etc. so they can
supplement their income, and also ministering in rehab centers and with the Salvation Army -
so its busy, full and very rewarding.
Please continue to pray for Pastor Juan Zepeda as he continues to heal from his brain
surgery and pray for his wife Sandra and their family. Also Pastor Juan Carlos and his wife
Alejandro as they begin a feeding program in their church in Filadelfia. Please pray for Pastor
Pillar and her husband Juan in La Guinea and Pastora Rosa in Los Lomas, Playas del Coco.
We would love to hear from you and what is happening up your way. We hardly get any mail
- at the post office that is - but love being able to connect through email and facebook.
We wish you all a very Feliz Navidad as you prepare to celebrate the King of Kings and Lord
of Lord. We love this time of the year.
Today, November 15th, we celebrate 5 years since coming to Costa Rica to work full time.
What an adventure, what memories we have made, and what wonderful people we have
encountered! 2006 seems like a long time ago and yet, as well, the time has flown by. We
started in San Jose - the capital, where we lived for 10 months and attended language school
for 8 of those months. Living in a large city was quite an adjustment, coming from a small
town of 35,000 - Campbell River, Vancouver Island where we had lived for 25 years and
raised our family. But we soon found our way around and began to learn the language. Our
school was Monday - Friday from 7:30 am - noon and then we had homework. It was a 4 month
semester with a small break between the semesters. We were able to meet other missionary
families who were also learning Spanish and getting ready to go to different countries to
serve. We became involved in a small Foursquare church near to us and began to build
relationship with the people there. John led worship and we prayed for people and helped
where we could - great memories.
Then in Sept. 2007 after finishing two semesters at the language school we moved to the
Western province of Guanacaste and settled in Playas del Coco. We wanted to help and
serve the pastors in this province in whatever way we could so we made ourselves available
and visited the churches. We also got involved in a local English church that was near Coco
and were able to be involved in their Bible studies and have some fellowship.
Since then God has opened the door for us to be involved in church planting and raising up
leaders as well as connecting us with some great national pastors who can oversee these
churches. As well, we have hosted teams and have had the joy of introducing them to Costa
Rica and serving the people here. We have been to national conventions here and
leadership training events and lots of meetings. Some of you have followed us in this journey
from the beginning and have prayed, supported and encouraged us so much. We thank you
for all of this and for the great priviledge of being able to be here and see the hand of the
Lord working in the hearts and lives of people: very, very exciting.
We are thankful for health and strength to serve, "More Lord, more."
This coming year we have our friends, Jim and Beatrice Saxby, coming for 3 months
starting Dec. 7th. They were part of our church in Campbell River and so look forward to
working with them and spending time together showing them the beauty of this country. We
have pastors, Tom and Lottie Gardner from the Sunshine Hills Foursquare church, coming
down for the first time in January and we look forward to them staying with us and
introducing them to our church families here in Costa Rica. As well, short term mission teams
are making arrangements to come and so we are looking forward to another full year in 2012.
The Lord is beginning to move upon the local pastors from various churches to get
together for interchurch events and John is helping to spearhead a festival coming up in
January - a Jesus March and a Christian Fair in our downtown park. We really appreciate your
prayers for all of these things. Tthe English church, Hope Fellowship, is growing and
continuing to reach out and minister to the needy with food, backpack project/school
supplies, teaching women various courses like esthetics, cooking, massage etc. so they can
supplement their income, and also ministering in rehab centers and with the Salvation Army -
so its busy, full and very rewarding.
Please continue to pray for Pastor Juan Zepeda as he continues to heal from his brain
surgery and pray for his wife Sandra and their family. Also Pastor Juan Carlos and his wife
Alejandro as they begin a feeding program in their church in Filadelfia. Please pray for Pastor
Pillar and her husband Juan in La Guinea and Pastora Rosa in Los Lomas, Playas del Coco.
We would love to hear from you and what is happening up your way. We hardly get any mail
- at the post office that is - but love being able to connect through email and facebook.
We wish you all a very Feliz Navidad as you prepare to celebrate the King of Kings and Lord
of Lord. We love this time of the year.
Now that Debbie and I have been doing this since Nov. 2006, we have learned that a missionary
| Chris & Liza Jordan Team July 2011 |
| Craig & Shanda Millar Team June 2011 |
Generación de Luz
Nicaragua video en Español
Nicaragua video in English
| Debbie's Corner |
June Newsletter
Click here
Click here
| Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a missionary in a foreign country? |
2).visiting people,
1) spends a lot of time talking with the Lord,
3). speaking 4). leading worship.
5). driving 6). going to meetings
7). setting up equipment 8). taking pictures
9). reaching out 10). serving
11). going on adventures 12). interpreting
13). raising up leaders 14).eating fine cuisine
plus we are planting churches, pastoring Hope Fellowship, working with mission teams from
Canada and the US, as well as, taking local mission teams from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and a
myriad of other things that keep our journey full, interesting and very fullfilling.
Canada and the US, as well as, taking local mission teams from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and a
myriad of other things that keep our journey full, interesting and very fullfilling.
| "Seeds of Hope" is a food distribution ministry out of the Hope Fellowship church in Costa Rica. During October 2011 Costa Rica experienced a lot of flooding with several communities in Guanacaste left isolated. This short video looks at how "Seeds of Hope" partnered with the Red Cross to distribute much needed food supplies to a small community called La Guinea. The foursquare church in the neighborhood helped with the food distribution. |
August Newsletter
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