Pre-Field Devotional We are very excited about you joining us in just a few weeks. As you look forward to this time, we would like to ask you to prepare your heart before you come to Costa Rica. This short devotional will help you do that. If you are already involved in a daily devotional or a quiet time schedule that helps you draw near to God with similar topics as this devotional, you may continue to use it. Again, our goal is not the method of drawing near to God, but getting to know Him better. This devotional is designed to cover topics that are probably not new to you, but they will encourage you in certain areas that will help prepare you for this mission trip. These topics were specifically chosen because of the nature of the ministry you are going to be doing. They will challenge you, encourage you, and give you tools to use during your time in Costa Rica. Keep in touch with your mentor or team leader and share with him or her what God is showing you about yourself during these devotional times. "Fulfilling God's external plan for us is secondary to what we become to Him in the process." Francis Frangipane Students International 2018 Page 1
Character of God Week One / Day One Sailors of old would navigate their way at sea by an instrument called a sextant. The sextant would enable the sailors to find exactly where they were based upon a specific star. If a sailor got confused or lost he could find this star and get his bearing and then set his course. He was able to do that because the star was always in the same place every night, year after year. God is like that to us. During your time of preparing to go and even during your time in Costa Rica, there may be all kinds of feelings--like you may doubt that the money would come in and be concerned, be fearful of going to another country or simply feel unsure of yourself. Unfortunately, these are pretty normal feelings for most of us. We often have these feelings because we look at situations from our own puny thinking or our feelings are based on past experiences. Instead, we should get to know who God is and how He views our situation or how He thinks about you going to Costa Rica. Someone once said that our greatest need is to have a greater revelation of who God is! Write the adjectives of God's character from the following scriptures: Jer 10:6-10 Psalm 145 Psalm 139:7-10 1 John 4:16 James 5:11b Psalm 31:19 Titus 3:4,5 Nehemiah 9:17 Deut 32:4 Write three things that you tend to get anxious about, make you fearful or worry you. 1. 2. 3. Take some time right now to ask the Lord to give you a deeper understanding of who He is in relation to any concerns you may have toward going to Costa Rica. Students International 2018 Page 2
Thought for the day: Do you form your idea of what God is like by the things that happen around you? Or do you think of the things that happen around you based on who God is? Students International 2018 Page 3
Worship Week One / Day Two Yesterday's devotion is one of the most foundational concepts for a successful Christian life knowing the character of God. Today we will look at the importance of our response to knowing Him. There are many misconceptions about worship. Worship is not flattering God so that we can get something out of Him. Worship is not an escape from the problems of life. Worship is not an empty ritual. Worship is your response from all that you are mind, emotion, and spirit to all that God is, says and does. Worship is a tremendous weapon in the heat of the battle. When we ask God to use us in missions, the enemy doesn't like it and often tries to discourage us, cause confusion and/or bring fear to cause us to retreat. If we do not take time to frequently worship the Lord throughout the day, then we may easily succumb to those thoughts of fear, doubt, and discouragement. Worshipping the Lord brings our minds and hearts in line with the greatness of our God and gives us a correct perspective of what we face. Read Exodus 15:1-18 In chapter 14 of Exodus, the Israelites faced an obstacle that their minds could not think of a way out and it caused all kinds of bad emotions. Then God worked a miracle on their behalf and saved them out of their trouble. In Exodus 15, we see their response to God's greatness and His love to His people. This is a perfect example of worshipping God. Read Exodus 15:1-18 again, but this time think about things that might be troubling you, fears you might have, or people you are concerned about. As you read this chapter, worship the Lord in the midst of the things you face and praise Him for how He will come through for you. Worship is a powerful tool to help us face uncertainties, doubts, fears, problems, etc. because it helps us place things that trouble us into perspective with the greatness of God, thus allowing us not to be overwhelmed and lose heart in following God. Students International 2018 Page 4
Prayer Week One / Day Three Prayer is one of those things that we can easily feel guilty about, because we could always pray more than what we've done. According to the Koran, Muslims must pray to Allah five times a day and if they do that then they have fulfilled their obligation. As Christians, we don't have a set amount of daily prayers. Jesus never said that if we give thanks before every meal and say prayers before going to sleep every night then we have made it. The reason why there is not a set amount of time to pray or say certain types of prayers is because prayer is simply relating to God. Prayer is a dialogue with God. It is sharing with Him about your life and listening to His response or listening to what He wants to say about something and us responding to Him. Prayer is the essence of relationship with Him. Without prayer we don't have relationship. For example, do you have a relationship with someone that you never talk to? No. As you prepare to come to Costa Rica, God wants to share with you all kinds of things. Your role is to be constantly listening to what He has to say. It's okay if you have difficulty knowing whether it was His voice or just you thinking. It takes time and practice to hear God's voice but as you step out in what you think is God's voice, then you will learn His voice and your relationship with Him will deepen. (There is an important note about listening to the voice of God and that is when you think God is telling you to do something, He will never ask you to do something that is against what He already said in the Bible). Coming to the Costa Rica will be an exciting trip for you. You will meet special people, have wonderful experiences, and do some good things for people. But if you are not praying for people and asking the Lord to guide you, and if you do not take time to listen to Him about things you experience and people you meet then your missions trip has turned into a vacation and you've lost an opportunity to affect the Kingdom of God in people's lives. Begin today, if you haven't already, to pray for what God wants to do through you in Costa Rica. For today's devotional ask the Lord three things: 1. Lord, search my heart for anything that is not pleasing to You as I prepare to go to Costa Rica. 2. Lord, in what ways do you want me to be a blessing to those I am going to serve? 3. Lord, open my eyes to see You more clearly. As you pray along these lines, allow the Lord to give you thoughts and prompt your attention to something He wants to communicate with you. You will find that He has a lot to say! Remember that intimacy with God should be your greatest measure of success and it is in the place of prayer that we get intimate with God. Students International 2018 Page 5
Bible Week One / Day Four We are constantly faced with all kinds of opposition to the truth. From subtle lies about who we are in Christ to blatant attacks on the divinity of Christ. The world says there are no right or wrong answers or there is no absolute truth to which we can live by. Well, God says differently! God wrote His word down and gave it to us in the form of the Bible. As we start talking to people about Jesus, it is important to know what the Bible says about what we believe. For example, your role on this missions trip, and for that matter at home, is to share the Gospel and minister God's grace with others. What does the Scriptures say about the Good News. So, let's go to the Bible and look up scriptures that support our belief about the Good News. Write one or two references under each topic. If you have them memorized, take some time to re-read them and allow them to minister to you afresh. Who sins God's view toward sin Consequences of sin God's provision for us to escape the consequences of sin What we must do to be saved End your devotion today by praising the Lord for His love toward you by providing the Bible for your guidance. Students International 2018 Page 6
Costa Rica Week One / Day Five We have included three days during your devotional to learn about and pray for Costa Rica. The information about Costa Rica comes from the book Operation World, by Patrick Johnstone, 2001, Zondervan. (This is a dynamic book, giving you a brief understanding of every country in the world and helping you know how to pray for the world.) Costa Rica has over four million people. The principle groups of people that make up its population are: 95% are Spanish-speaking Of these, 3.2 million are Caucasian and 300,000 are Mestizo. 2.5% are English-speaking Afro-Caribbean 120,000.7% Amerindian - Eight peoples, only four still use their indigenous languages: Bribri 7,700; Cabecar 10,700; Guaymi 1,900; Maleku 500. 2% are Other These are Chinese 66,000; Europeans 23,000. Refugees More than 600,000 Nicaraguans - resident or working in Costa Rica. Take some time to pray for the people in Costa Rica. Here are some prayer points: 1. Nicaraguan immigrants who have come to Costa Rica looking for work, better education and health care. They are often discriminated against and find themselves in difficult situations and living in slums. 2. Pray that God will continue to raise up the church in Costa Rica and give wisdom to the leaders. 3. Drug addiction and alcoholism have become serious problems among young people. Pray that God would call strong leaders to reach and disciple this generation. Students International 2018 Page 7
Spiritual Warfare Week Two / Day One When it comes to spiritual warfare most people are too hot or too cold. They are either the ones that say "there are demons behind every bush" or "I haven't noticed there was a devil and let's not talk about it or he might start picking on me." Often times we get out of balance when it comes to spiritual warfare. On a scale of one to ten, with one being no awareness of spiritual warfare, where do you fall? Read 1 Peter 5:8. How does Peter describe the devil? What things does Peter tell us to do in verses 8 and 9? What things should you be alerted to while preparing for this outreach? Read Ephesians 6:11. What ways do you think are the schemes of the devil for your team? Read Ephesians 6:12. What do you think it means to not struggle with flesh and blood? Who should we struggle with? Think back to the last time you got angry with someone or some situation. How could have you struggled with the enemy instead of flesh and blood? Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. How do people deal with things in a worldly way? What type of weapons do you think Paul wants us to fight with? (See Eph 6:13-17; 2 Cor 6:7.) Students International 2018 Page 8
Take a moment to ask God to show you some areas that you and your team may be under attack and then pray for that person or situation. A thought to reflect on: Are you impressed with Satan and only aware of God or are you impressed with God and aware of Satan? Students International 2018 Page 9
Your Authority In Christ Week Two / Day Two When we read about the devil and the principalities of evil it could get kind of scary. Sometimes it is tempting to think if we don't bother the devil, he won't bother us. Here's some good news and some bad news. First the bad news--it doesn't work that way. The devil has declared war on you and if you didn't know it then he's been having a heyday with you. The good news is that the devil has been stripped of all his power at the cross and Christ has given us authority over him and the sin he wants us to do. Read Heb 2:14,15. Our authority over the enemy doesn't come by how old you are, or how long you've been a Christian, or how much you've read the Bible. God gave us authority the minute we asked Him into our heart. Most non-christians think that God is equal but opposite from the devil. It is like a big tug-of-war with equal and opposing forces. This is a lie from the pit, trying to give us the image of a puny God and a powerful devil. The fact is that it is God who created Lucifer, who then rebelled and became the devil. It is God who the devil has to answer too. It will be God who will put the devil in his place in the lake of fire. If we want to compare God and the devil it would be like comparing Niagara Falls to a drip from a faucet, or the heavy weight boxing champion to an ant, or a brilliant sunset to a pile of ashes. Read 1 John 4:4. God has given us authority over the enemy. Is there anything in your life that this truth doesn't apply too? Take some time and reaffirm God's truth to situations in your life which you may struggle with. Remembering that God who is in you is greater than anything you face. Students International 2018 Page 10
Identity Week Two / Day Three Many people in the world think of themselves as an animal just like all the other animals around them. Most non-christians have an identity crisis which causes them to go through life with no direction or meaning. But the truth is that God has given us purpose in life. There are two truths the scripture expresses that show how important we are in creation. First, we were created by Him and second, he has given us purpose in life. We get our identity not in what we do, but in what God did. We get our identity not in the things we buy, but God purchasing us at the cross. We get our identity not by our position at work or our status in our town, but by God giving us a position in the heavenlies with Him. Read Psalm 139:1-18 and Ephesians 2:4-10. Take some time now and worship your Creator and thank Him for what He has done and will do in your life. Students International 2018 Page 11
Missions Week Two / Day Four The Bible makes it clear that the Gospel is to be taken throughout the world. To sum up the Bible in one sentence it would be -- God created the world, man rebelled, God sent Jesus to provide a way back to God, God commanded His Church to tell the world, and there is an end coming. Missions isn't just one verse in the Bible, but it is the very heart of God for His Church. God's heart is for every tribe, every culture, and every person on the earth. When we think of missions we might think of an old person translating the Bible in the jungles of Africa. Well, there may be someone like that, but that is not at all the extent to missions. Missions can be various forms of ministry here in the United States or abroad. Take some time to pray for missionaries from your church and ask the Lord for a renewed spirit in you to take the Gospel wherever He wants you to. Students International 2018 Page 12
Costa Rica Week Two / Day Five The country s economy depends heavily on exporting basic produce like coffee and bananas Costa Rica s economy relys heavily on exporting basic produce like coffee and bananas. Tourism is also important. 20% of the population lives in deep poverty. The average income is just under $5000. Take some time to pray about this situation. Here are some points to pray for. 1. Pray for the newly ratified CAFTA trade agreement. That it would indeed help the poor and not create further division between rich and poor. 2. Ask the Lord to raise up godly men in the government. 3. Ask the Lord to use you to show mercy and grace to the poor when you come to Costa Rica. Students International 2018 Page 13
Community Week Three / Day One When you are in a small meeting or class, do you ever feel like you are the only one struggling with something? As you prepare to come to Costa Rica, do you feel like you will be the only one who is not prepared or can handle what is expected of you? Well, you are not alone! Most people when they come to do something like this, have those feelings of inadequacy or fear of not making it or fitting in. Often times, if you're like most people, we'll put on a mask or put up walls to hide our feelings or protect us from letting others know how scared we are or insecure we are about things. God has given us the Body of Christ to minister to us in our times of weakness. As you come to Costa Rica, you will come with weaknesses and strengthens. We want to encourage you to share with one of the staff or a fellow teammate if you need prayer for something instead of holding it in and struggling with it alone. In this way the community of Christ will know how to be there for you and you for them. It is easier to share your fears or struggles with brothers or sisters when you know a few basic facts of life: 1. God loves us no matter what we've done or how inadequate we are. He will never change His view toward us. God will always accept us. 2. We all are sinners saved only by God's grace. You are no different than I--we both have weaknesses and insecurities that we are working on. 3. God says that whenever two or more are gathered, He is there. If you are struggling with something that you have never told someone about, ask the Lord if you should share it with your mentor and take the step of faith to share it with him or her. Students International 2018 Page 14
Conflicts Week Three / Day Two Wherever you have people, you have conflict. Perhaps even more so with Christians, Satan is working overtime trying to cause disunity, mistrust and hurt in the Body of Christ. We can cut short Satan's desire by recognizing the problem and knowing how to resolve our conflicts. In Costa Rica, there may be times when you don't get along with a teammate or understand why a certain decision was made and it starts bothering you. We can cut short all of this by applying certain principles to our relationships. These principles will guard your relationships and keep the enemy from getting a foothold in the Body of Christ. Principle #1 -- Pray against the enemy Paul wrote in Eph 6 that we are not to wrestle with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and powers of this world. So take time to pray for the other person or situation you are struggling with and ask God to change the relationship or situation. You might find that as you pray God wants to show you some things to change as well. Principle #2 -- Initiate If you sense something is wrong and after you have been praying about it, then approach the other person and share what you sense is happening. Don't let it fester. Principle #3 -- Listen As you begin your conversation with the other person don't talk much, listen to the other person and try to understand where he or she is coming from. Principle #4 -- Speak truth with love Paul writes in Eph 4:15 to speak truth in love. Ask the Lord to give you that love before you start sharing truth. Principle #5 -- Give forgiveness Forgiveness is a powerful thing between people. Be ready to give forgiveness and to ask for it. Ask the Lord if there is anyone you are in conflict with that you need to do something about it. Then do it. Students International 2018 Page 15
Humility Week Three / Day Three Humility may be one of the most misunderstood character traits God desires for us. We have a hard time viewing God as humble and the all powerful authority of the universe at the same time. We're not entirely sure that humble is something we want to be. If we are humble are we to be shy, quiet, unassertive, backward, and/or socially withdrawn? Humility is being known for who you really are! It is that simple. Lucifer is the most proud being in the universe, he is trying to be someone he isn't. When we act proud, we actually are trying to be someone we aren't. How often do we sit around in a group of people and try to convince people we have it all together. That is pride. Being humble is portraying strengths as well as weaknesses. Think of people in your church who you think are humble and they are people you usually admire. Why? Because they are not people who are trying to prove everyone wrong or drive their own agenda. They are people like you and me, people with weaknesses and strengths. Ask the Lord to show you areas in your life that are hard for you to let people know who you really are. Then ask the Lord to give you a new perspective on how He sees you in those areas and give you the strength not to cover up those areas again. Students International 2018 Page 16
Servanthood Week Three / Day Four It is easy to go on a missions trip to a third world country with a helping mentality. A mentality that communicates to the people, "I am better than you are, therefore, I have come to help you with your problems." How does Paul in Rom 1:1 describe himself? How does a person who becomes a servant to others have a different attitude than a person who just wants to help? Read Mark 8:34-36 Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him. What are practical ways we can take up our cross and follow Him? Being a servant means you have no rights to things. For example, a servant doesn't have the right to tell his master what type of food he should have. A servant doesn't have the right to tell his master when he is going to work or not. A servant doesn't have the right to tell his master that he is going to do this but not that. When we gave our hearts to the Lord, we became His servants with no rights whatsoever. But it doesn't stop there! As we give up our rights for Him, He in turn gives us a relationship with Him that no one can shake or steal. Ask the Lord to show you ways you can go to Costa Rica as a servant and not someone who just wants to help. Students International 2018 Page 17
Costa Rica Week Three / Day Five The major religious groups in Costa Rica are: 76% of Costa Rica are Roman Catholic Roman Catholicism is the official state religion and all limitations on the free exercise of other religions are illegal, but in practice other religions are not yet equal before the law. 15% of Costa Rica are Protestant Between 1970 and 1988 there was a dramatic growth in the number of evangelical Christians, from 3% to 11% of the population. This exciting time also inspired many Christians to get involved with mission overseas. 2% of Costa Rica are Chinese 1% of Costa Rica are Traditional ethnic Issues to pray for: 1. The majority of Costa Ricans have grown up in a Catholic society, but most do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Some Catholics, however, do have a personal and living faith in God. Pray that many more Costa Ricans in the Catholic Church will be impacted by the gospel and give their lives to God. 2. Pray for love, humility and oneness in the Spirit to characterize the leadership in churches. 3. Pray for Bible-believing churches to be established amongst all Amerindian tribes. Pray that these churches would encourage indigenous leaders and express the unique languages and cultures of each tribe. Students International 2018 Page 18