Jesus in the Mountains and Jesus by the Beach

In the last newsletter I informed everyone that we were having lots of trouble with our transportation.  Instead of being frustrated constantly we modified our mission strategy: “If the enemy attacks our vehicle and keeps us in one place, let’s do some damage wherever we are.”

Going down to the Selva, the mission trip begins

We spent the first two nights of our trip in Las Nubes, it was hot even up there. Marlon told me in advance that we would be spending a lot more time down at the cabins in the family neighborhood.  It was hard to leave Las Nubes but this was no pleasure trip.  As soon as we arrived in La Selva everything felt very different.  Spiritually, the atmosphere was heavier.  Physically the heat was much more intense, and the mosquitoes were abundant. We never have had so many bugbites, not even when we lived there.

While there, we spent time sharing about Jesus with Marlon’s sister who is a worship leader at a church in the mountains across from Las Nubes.  Helen and Pablo were both excited to hear more about all that Jesus is for us.  I mean if you love Jesus, you don’t get tired of talking about him.  Jesus produces a desire for more Jesus.  The same happened when we met with our ministering friends Josue and Marilyn.  We had a great time.  Marlon and Josue grew up together.

I heard our French neighbor calling me from their property.  I was happy to see him.  I walked into their house and his wife was busy getting ready for work.  We all sat down for awhile and I started telling them how at this time of our lives our new mission is to focus completely on preaching Jesus.  They were very polite even though they have opposed our church so much.

When she left, we kept talking.  He was telling me that every branch of science has missing links, or things that they cannot comprehend.  I said, Yes! That is why there has to be a creator.  Now He was struggling to figure out who the creator was because he wants to be inclusive.  We had an amazing conversation.  I found a French Bible on the Bible app.  I am so in love with the first Chapter of John. It is so deep!  The whole message of Salvation, Sonship and the Supremacy of Christ all in the first 14 verses!!   I handed him my phone and he asked if he could read it aloud.  Of course!

He read slowly in French and He looked up at me when he came to the part about the Light being rejected by his own and said, “That’s Jesus.  This is talking about Jesus!”  I was amazed and wanted to cry.  I had the honor to witness someone reading the Gospel for the first time in their lives!!!! And Him of all people!!  Pray for him, he has been fighting lots of depression.  Pray that the seed planted would grow deep and the Holy Spirit guide him to faith.

Marlon’s mother was so happy that we spent so much time with her.  She cried and said she never thought it would be possible to have all of us loving her and eating together under her roof.  It was amazing.  I know that Jesus saved me because in my flesh I could find lots of reasons to not be with her. Instead I felt so much compassion and love.

Barely making it to the Caribbean

After the short lived victory from the vehicle inspection. On the way back, Leo and Marlon hear a loud, Bang!  They had no idea what had happened.

The next day it became clear that something else was wrong.  We were hoping to get it ready by 12pm and head to the Caribbean but it was very difficult to find the part and the mechanic became unavailable.  Marlon spent hours under that car singing and taking everything apart.  By the time Leo joined him the old differential was open and we could see how some of the metal “teeth” had broken off. They went to pick up a used part and were out there combining bits of the old and new. Everything was reassembled by 8 p.m.  Too late for our Monday appointments.  Our Caribbean friend, told us not to worry that she would take us to meet some people the next day.

We got up very early On Tuesday and finally arrived at her house by 10 a.m.   We spent awhile with her mother talking about Jesus and encouraging her.  Fellowship is great!  I think it is even sweeter under a tin roof.  Even though she is of Jamaican descent, her father’s side of the family comes from Bribri.  (Bribri is an indigenous area on the frontier with Panama.  We went there many years ago to pray for a sick woman)

Her grandfather was a shaman deep in the mountains.  The shamans were all required to

sacrifice a daughter.   He was not able to however, the Spirit of the Lord intervened.  Now the whole family are followers of Christ.

When we got back to the car, Marlon saw that a axel seal had busted.  Marlon thought that was very bizarre.  He had to head straight to the mechanics where a man who didn’t know what he was doing took 5 hours to change the seal.

Felicity took a nap at the cabin with the air conditioner full blast and I wandered around the neighborhoods chatting with Shirley.  We came to a house and she said, "my best friend lives here."  She opened the door of the house and we saw sleeping children spread out in the living room on tiny mattresses with a fan blowing.  We wandered through the maze of sleepers and came to a door.  A woman called, “Come in.”  It was her best friend, she was so happy to meet me.  It turns out that she is a pastor’s daughter and in charge of the Sunday school.   

I looked at Shirley as we ate lunch at our tiny cabin and said, “Sister,  I believe that you are the biggest part of our mission.”  She looked perplexed.  I said, “Look how many people you know, you unofficially pastored a church in your early 20s when the pastor fell away.  And you say, ‘woe to the man that tries to get in the way of me serving Jesus.’  I know that God is going to use you greatly.”  She was very touched.

Due to the repair, we were late to our appointment with the first pastor. It was wonderful to briefly meet their young family.  They have several churches and most of their work is concentrated in Bribri. We are keeping in touch with them.

That same night we met a sister who supervises the three Baptist churches in the Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo area.  She has jungle cabins, and teaches Caribbean cooking classes.  We sat down where she gives her classes and she gave us chicken soup with chicken feet and star fruit juice.  We spent two hours talking about Jesus and how great He is and how He has big plans for Puerto Viejo.  God first brought us here with our babies in 2009 and we were eager to start something then.  Now I see a pattern of Him bringing us back to places we first scouted out in 2009 and it’s exciting.  The church we founded is being well pastored and now we have more freedom to visit these other places and with the local brothers and sisters in Christ see what the Lord is planning.

And for the curious, no, I didn't even put my feet in the water. My right foot is still suffering from an incident I had with a seashell in 2021. We did have one river day with Leo's family. Thank you Jesus!

We both spoke at our church and Marlon was able to preach 6 times. As usual, we also spent time discipling Pastors Lily and Leo. It's amazing how the whole family gathers around. No one wants to miss anything about Jesus.

There are so many stories I left out and the ones that come with a video I'll try to edit in the next weeks and put on social media.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PRAYER REQUESTS

WE ARE HAPPY TO SAY THAT OUR WEBSITE AFTER MUCH WORK AND RESEARCH IS ONLINE. VISIT mapcostarica.org

We are also excited about Map Costa Rica's YouTube channel where we will be sharing testimonies, teachings and the Word of God. Please subscribe to the channel so that more people will be blessed. We will post in English and Spanish. Please please follow us Instagram and Facebook if you have social media.

PRAYER REQUESTS

This summer Pastor Marlon had the pleasure of ministering to the youth during their summer camp at Mo Ranch. It was a time of blessing, through music and prayer.

Pray for the continual financial provision as we continue to be full time ministers of MAP COSTA RICA , WHEREVER THE LORD HAS US.

Pray for Pastor Leo and his family as they continue to pastor the church in Costa Rica.

Pray for more connections with pastors and leaders in Costa Rica so that the Lord can use us to bring the unity Jesus wants for the Church there.

Keep Praying For all These Places: Puerto Viejo, Limon, Tres Rios, and Turrialba

We bless you all in Jesus name and pray that the Lord will keep you and give His peace !!!

For the kingdom

Pastor Marlon and Jessica Obando