Who would have thought?

We visited a volcano today.

We drove about two hours straight uphill to get there.

Have you ever seen a volcano? Its not like you might expect. In fact, it´s a huge hole in the top of a mountain with a lake of pea soup at the bottom. Mt. Irazu (elevation 10,200 ft.)last erupted in 1963 while President Kennedy was in Costa Rica on a state visit. As dangerous and devastating it can be to be near a volcano when it erupts, the mountain is teeming on all sides with farmers growing potatoes, asparagus, hay and other crops, (as well as their livestock) which thrive in the cool temperatures of the high altitude - to take advantage of the rich soil which comes from the eruptions. These same crops do not fare so well in the tropical clime of Horquetas. (Thanks Tom Ralston for this paragraph!). Who would have thought that a piece of earth like this could do what it does?

In the afternoon we toured CEDCAS (please read the note below written by Lillian Solt, founder of Cedcas). What you have to understand is that this all started with her house. I´m not sure where or when she grasped the vision, but it took hold. She didn´t worry about how it would end, she only knew that God had called her to begin. So she did. Today she toured us around the reception area, the optometry office, the dental and orthodontic stations, and she even let us peak in at a surgical room. At the end of the tour she took us to the little room where instruments and linens are put in machines for sterilization. This room was once meant to be an apartment for when her parents visited. "We could never have imagined this room being used for this. Who would have thought," Lillian smiled,"that God would use this place to do this?"

I wonder, what with the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us, not the least of which being a building project of our own, how is God urging us to move forward? I´m not altogether sure. But I do know that people like us usually stumble upon these answers as we gather and practice prayerful discernment together, as we intentionally invest in the nurturing of our Christ-community, and as we find ourselves caught up with and rejoicing in the current of God´s reaching-out. Then friends, it wont be long before we´ll all step back and say, "who would have thought!"

Many thanks to our friends here in Costa Rica for giving us inspiration, direction, and a new sense of God´s presence. Peace in every step....N