Day One - Ministry and Laughter

So today was our first day of ministry in Cariari. We headed to the church to meet with the pastor and have breakfast with his family. Before the service began we had a meeting with Daniel, our translator/guide extraordinaire. He gave us some rules for our time in Costa Rica.

Number 1 rule of the trip? Don't die.

He went on to explain how to maintain rule number one and gave us a few more guidelines for our time in Costa Rica. As one of our team members, Shane, said, if Daniel ever desides to  stop being a missionary he could probably have a pretty successful career in stand up comedy.

Needless to say, we laughed today. A lot. It was so fun to just enjoy being with people who all have one goal in mind. We made new friends and practiced our Spanish.

-After some rest time this afternoon, we headed hack to the pastor's house and got ready for our first night of ministry. Splitting into two groups, we headed down the road to invite people to the church to watch God's Not Dead. With the help of one of our translators, Pablo, I was able to practice my Spanish and invite people to the church. I have to chuckle because I had the whole invitation down pat and would rattle it off and then the person would say something in response and I'd have no idea what they said. Thankfully Pablo helped me out with that.

I learned a new word today: palomitas. It means popcorn in Spanish. We had palomitas for the movie this evening.

A day of traveling and answered prayers

Today has been a whirlwind of a day. It began at 3:45am with a blaring alarm and an instant panic attack. Through prayer after prayer and some encouraging words from Andrea, I made it down to the shuttle and we headed to the airport.

Upon arrival, our group was waiting for us, having arrived early from Hershey. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe, but I was feeling much better. We got checked in and headed for security. It has been about 4 years since I had traveled via airplane, but the airport regulations quickly came back to me as we stood in the TSA line.

We got to our gate with about a half an hour until boarding. Having never flown Jet Blue before, I was unaware that we didn’t get our assigned seats until we got to the gate, and there was a very high chance we would all be scattered throughout the cabin. Our leaders took care of getting those for us and I was so very happy to see that Andrea was right across the aisle from me for our first flight to Fort Lauderdale. Once we got on the plane, to my pleasant surprise, we were also sitting with other members of our group. God couldn’t have planned it better. 

I took some Dramamine before take off, closed my eyes and prayed until I fell asleep. After a successful landing, we traipsed a few gates down for our next flight which was set to board shortly. I had been concerned that we would be rushing to our next flight since the layover was less than an hour, but we arrived at a gate in the same terminal, so there was no rushing needed!

The assigned seat situation was the same with this flight – we didn’t get them until we were at the gate. Andrea was sitting in the row in front of me this time, and I was with two other members of our group, completely putting me at ease for the flight. I slept most of the way to Costa Rica.

Upon arrival, everything went smooth through customs – we made it just in time before a large group of people entered the line. We waited for our last team member who was coming in from Kentucky, and then we met up with our contact outside of the airport.

Once our luggage was loaded onto the bus, he informed us that the road to Cariari (where we were headed for the week), was closed due to a mudslide. It was scheduled to reopen in the afternoon, but we couldn’t be sure. So, our plans changed a little bit and we headed to dinner. 

The restaurant we went to is one I have heard my team members rave about. It didn’t disappoint. I was able to eat a bit of rice and chicken – the first food I’d eaten since 6:30pm yesterday. We then headed to Wal-Mart (yes, they are very similar to the ones in the US) to pick up a few things and then headed down the road for the 3 hour journey to Cariari. If the road was still closed, that three hour journey would turn into a 7 or 8 hour journey. So, closing my eyes and praying while I was conscious, we headed down the road.

We came to the tunnel that was right before the closed section of road, and I just happened to be conscious for it – the road was open! I cannot tell you how relieved I was that we were able to continue our journey and not extend it too much longer.

We’ve now arrived at our hotel for the week and I’m just reflecting on all of the wonderful things God did for me/us today:

-       Made our flights with ease – no rushing around, no hiccups

-       Arranged our seating with favor

-       I made it through all the travel without having to take my anxiety medicine!

-       The road was open for us to travel the more direct route to Cariari

-       I didn’t get sick at all today, and after this morning, my anxiety was manageable all day

-       We made it safely to our hotel with plenty of time to settle in and rest up for tomorrow

God is so very good, and he listens to the prayers of his people!​

Anticipation and fading into the background

I created a to-do list this morning, and despite it being a mile long, I still feel the compelling urge to take a few moments out of the chaos to write a little.

Friday evening I head to Baltimore to board a plane Saturday morning to head to Costa Rica.

I've been planning for this trip since last summer and while I am extremely excited, I find myself experiencing a vast array of conflicting emotions.

Wednesday ends the 2016-2017 school year and with all of the excitement from the past few weeks and the few weeks forthcoming, I am finding this conclusion simply fading into the background. While I am ready for the "break" from work, I find that the end is not as full of anticipation as previous years. Tomorrow is just a Wednesday. I will see my students in the morning, send them off home before lunch and then wave to them in the hallways next year as eight graders.

And then Friday I leave.

Despite not experiencing a conscious feeling of anxiety, I can tell that my body is reacting to the stress and unknown of it all. My brain spins in constant motion as I work to complete my grad work before I leave as well as compile all of the supplies I could possibly need for a week in a foreign country. As I work I constantly have to remind myself that I have no more weekends in which to catch up before I head off on my venture. Balancing my time between school, grad work, my apartment (which is desperate need of a cleaning before I leave), and my hometown, I find the hours dwindling to minutes.

I'm spending a lot of time thinking about what needs to be done because I can't muster the energy to begin. So, with a firm deadline in sight and only a day and a half more with my students, it's time to embrace each minute - sucking as much life from the seconds ticking by as I can.
This week is short, but I am absolutely sure that next week will feel infinitely shorter and infinitely longer than the ones before it.

2 Friends, a New Country

Over the past two summers, I have had the opportunity to work at a local coffee shop called 3J's.
Being family run, the atmosphere is amazingly positive and the mangers/owners are fantastic. Every two years, the two owners take a trip to Costa Rica to work with a church plant that has been established. This year, they invited their employees to go on the 2017 summer trip.

Working with CiM (Churches in Missions), this trip aims to help and support, not only the church plant, but the local community of Cariari, Costa Rica as well. As a team, we may be completing construction projects, children's ministry, pastoral conferences, or other miscellaneous outreaches, but all will be acted out through the love of Jesus Christ.

In talking to my friends and family about this trip, my best friend (and soon to be sister-in-law) Andrea, expressed interest in going along as well. We haven't been on a missions trip together since 2002. In fact, I went on my very first missions trip with her in 2001. We are both very excited to be traveling together to share the love of Christ once again.

So why am I telling you this? Well, our team is in need of partners - partners in prayer and partners in finances. While yes, I am saving money and conducting fundraisers to aide in my funds for this trip, reaching out to others is a way to get more people involved.

If you are reading this I would ask you to consider partnering with us - either through prayer or finances (or both!). We need prayer partners to lift us up as we prepare and as we go next summer. By joining us in prayer, part of you goes with us as we minister to the people in Costa Rica. Even though you do not travel with us physically, you do travel with us spiritually. Your prayers go forth and prepare the way. Will you pray for us?

We are also looking for financial partners. Andrea and I have joined together to fund-raise. We are making crafts to sell, saving our pennies, and reaching out to our friends and family. We have created a GoFundMe account to help us collect funds. This site shares a bit about our story and our upcoming trip. To access the site, click here. Or you can copy and paste the follow address into your web browser: gofund.me/JandA2CR
*** If you are interested in giving a tax-deductible gift, email me at jgdancer89@comcast.net for information on how to do that.

We cannot do this alone. I mean literally we can't. There is so much going on behind the scenes that we don't even know about - the planning of flights, the organization of itineraries, the prayers of people who don't even know what they are praying for, but just know that something is coming. Will you be a part of our team by praying or giving?

Our deadlines are coming up fast. Our airfare is due in December with the rest of the funds due in February and April. We are believing together, not only for funds to come in, but for prayers to be answered and lives to be changed. As you pray and give to us, we want to pray and give to you as well! Please let us know of any prayer requests you have so we can join with you in prayer! We also want to give you updates periodically on our progress and on our outreach once the trip comes around. Look for information here and on the following social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (2 of them).

Shifting Focus

I first heard about Loveology at church. I'm not exactly sure what the circumstances were, or who else was around, but I remember begin very intrigued by the description my friend provided. I asked her if I could read it when she was finished and then shortly after, she put it in my hand with a "just get it back to me when you're done."


It took me a while to begin, but I remember being intrigued by the first few pages. Little did I know, this book would completely refocus my thoughts on love, marriage, relationships and sex.

In past months, I'd come to realize that my view on marriage, sex and relationships had been so skewed by pop culture and the media. I even found myself on certain occasions rooting for various situations on TV shows that I never would image condoning in my own life. I would catch myself and think why am I rooting in favor of this? I would listen to a song - I mean really listen to the lyrics and think, why am I putting this in my brain?

I began reading Loveology and found my perspective being turned back to where it all began - to who began it all: God. 

John Mark Comer presents 5 parts to help the reader better understand the origins of male-female relationships: Love, Marriage, Sex, Romance, and Male and female. Each chapter orients the reader in scripture and then dives into the difference between what our culture views as appropriate and "normal" and how God originally intended for it to be.

I found myself, not only shifting my focus, but also feeling better prepared for if/when God brings the right man into my life. I found that I have been viewing marriage through a set of fairy-tale glasses, and while I will probably never gain an accurate view of marriage until I'm in one, I think the rose-colored glasses have faded a few tints.

Comer goes on to talk about the calling of marriage and the calling of singleness and how we can be called to one or the other at different times throughout our lives. So often, I have been simply waiting until the right man comes along so that I can really start my life once we're together. This is such a blinded perspective! Right now, I am called to be single - so I am going to take advantage of all that comes with that calling. I have opportunities now that I may not have again once I am married and have children. Being single isn't a bad thing, or a disappointing thing - it is a gift and a calling that I have on my life right now. I am hopeful it will change (sooner rather than later), but if it doesn't, there is still so much I can do for the kingdom of God - which is why I'm here on earth to begin with.

There are so many little nuggets of awesomeness crammed into this book. I would be reading and come to think of 5 different people who would benefit from a particular passage. Usually, I am not a fan of books that aren't novels, BUT this one was worth the time to really dig deep. It fostered thoughts, conversations, and most importantly, it fostered my relationship with God. I found myself praying new prayers and new ways to the Lord as I was reading. While this book may not be for everyone, it certainly came at the right time for me.

Amazon: Loveology

Today I failed

It's day 7 of my 21-day fix 

and I failed today. 

I set my alarm nice and early so that I could get up and do my workout before church. From the moment it went off I grumbled. I decided to hit snooze one too many times and them contemplated not getting up at all. 

But I did get up. And I grumbled my way to my living room. And I grumbled my way through clearing a space for my workout because I forgot to do it the night before. And I grumbled my way through switching to the DVD player and switching the disc and reading through the warnings and blah blah blah. 

When the workout finally came on I was in no mindset to actually work. I set myself up for failure from the moment I decided that my laziness was more important. 

I went through the motions of the warm up - trying to cheat here and there, and then it was time for round one. 

I did my best through the first set - but it was hard. 

The second set came along and I tried, but then I felt like I was going to puke. 

Instead of pushing my way through it, I gave up. Immediately I turned the DVD off and went to lay down, grabbing a trash can in the process just in case. 

2 minutes later I was fine, but I had already given up so I stayed where I was. 

I failed. 

I failed because I forgot why I am doing this. 

I'm not doing this program to look good or feel better, although those are great side effects to it. 

I'm doing this program because I want to honor God with my body. 

I want to be able to do whatever he calls me to do and not have to worry about if my body can handle it. 

I don't want my body - or myself - to get in the way of what God is calling me to do with my life. 

THAT is why I'm doing this. 

And this morning I lost sight of that. 

Throughout this week, I've been reminded of the verses that talk about doing everything as if unto the Lord. 

That includes my day to day work; 

that includes my job; 

and yes, 

that includes my workouts. 

I did not work as if unto the Lord today, and that is why I failed.

But. The good news is that even though I failed, the day is not lost - the war hasn't been won. Every moment is a choice. I am choosing NOT to be defeated but rather to persevere onward to what God is calling me to do. 

Be encouraged. Even if you fail - it is not the end!

Coney Island Shenanigans

So, as part of my #beINTENTIONAL year, I want to begin taking steps out into new waters.
This last week, my adventures took me to Coney Island with some amazing friends/coworkers! :)

For the past couple of years, I have been struggling with anxiety. I saw a therapist and have meds as needed in case it gets out of control. I believe that most of it stems from some health issues I have had in the past, but I have been doing phenomenally better in recent months.

This summer, I have been spending awesome time with great people. This group decided to road trip to Coney Island this past Monday. In the past, trips over 30 minutes made me extremely nervous - especially trips that lasted for several hours. As the date approached, I felt my anxiety rising in a way it hadn't in months. Thankfully, I shared this with my friends, and they were gracious enough to help me through it. With just a minor hiccup on the way there, the day went swimmingly!

Upon arrival to Coney Island, the first stop had to be Nathan's Hot Dogs for a famous bite to eat. I was unimpressed, but to each his own. :)
We ventured around some stores - finding some interesting candy along the way - and continued down the boardwalk. I was pleased to find that yes, there are numerously different types of Pokemon in different geographical areas. :)

We then headed to the Ferris Wheel. Now, as I said - anxiety = awful and this Ferris Wheel looked like it might be a trigger. I went back and forth for a long time until finally something clicked.

I do NOT have let my anxiety control me! 

With that, I took a deep breath, said a prayer and bought my ticket. We waited in line for several minutes, watching the gondolas go round and round until it was finally our turn. We climbed in, two in the back and two in the front. We began to go up and the view was amazing. What we all happened to forget was that we opted for a swinging car - one that rolled down a track similar to a roller coaster at various points throughout the ride. After a bout of laughter, several explicatives from my riding partner, and two full cycles around the wheel, we made it safely back to the ground.

The rest of the time on Coney Island doesn't compare and I left feeling satisfied and proud of myself for taking the plunge and not giving in to the negative emotions that have controlled me for so long.

We made a rainy trip through the financial district and ended up soaking wet in Hoboken for Carlo's Bakery - home of the Cake Boss. We finished the trip with a pit stop at WaWa and Chickfila and headed home.

Another summer adventure came to a close and I am a better person for it. :)