Powerful and Effective

About 3 blocks away from our main team house in Alajuelita is a place called “the cafetal” (means coffee plantation).  About 60-70 years ago it used to be a field lined with coffee plants with the purpose of making a living and supporting Costa Rica’s prime export. Since then, the plants have long died and the field was abandoned.

Now the field is overflowing with garbage and it is common knowledge that the cafetal is a place of evil. Within the rows of dead coffee plants and garbage, people are living in here. Some have constructed makeshift living areas, while others unfold old cardboard boxes so they don’t have to sleep on the dirt. Drugs and alcohol run rampant through here and this is a very common place to use.

Unfortunately, crack is one of the most used drugs within Alajuelita. It is dirt cheap, easy to come by, highly addictive, and runs about $1 a rock here. Prostitution is another common evil practiced in the cafetal. Starting as early as age 11, it is not uncommon to see girls enter and leave the cafetal at all times of the day with random partners.

 

It is heartbreaking to hear of stuff like this. It is even more devastating when it happens just minutes from your house. You can’t help but to feel helpless because there isn’t much that we can do. What do you do with a situation like this? What can you do? Pray.

Close to 98% of the short-term mission groups that come down here go on prayer walks. We walk, we pray, and God always brings somebody or some family across our path that needs a miracle. One stop that we almost always make on our prayer walks is the cafetal. We explain the evil and the injustice that happens on a daily basis and then saturate the place with prayer for change of hearts and revelations. As long as Amanda and I have been on staff at 6:8 (about 2 ½ years now) we have been bringing teams to pray over this area.

 

Local pastor, Pastor Miguel, was talking of an experience yesterday. He said that a big, angry man came into one of the feeding centers wanting food. Before food is served, we will have a short time of worship and a brief message. When we started sharing the message before the meal, this guy stood up angrily and said, “I don’t care! I don’t believe in God! Just give me my food!” Pastor Miguel said, “That’s okay, you’ll see and meet God, then you’ll believe.” The message continued, the food was served, and once the angry guy finished his meal, he left as quickly as he could without thanking anybody.

About 3 weeks past and the same guy came back into the feeding center for a meal. Pastor Miguel was already preparing for another confrontation with this man. During the worship, the angy guy was raising his hands in praise. Tears were trickling down his cheeks. After the message was given, they were about to pray over the meal when the man stood up again and demanded, “I’ll pray over it!” Confused, Pastor Miguel consented. The meal was served, everybody ate, and right before the man left Pastor Miguel asked him for a quick conversation. “What happened to you?” was the opening to this conversation. The angry guy smiled and said told how he was in the middle of the cafetal getting high and God came to him. He realized that God was in fact real and that something in his life needed to change!

Hearing this touched us so powerfully. Sometimes it feels like we just pray because “we’re supposed to.” It is awesome to hear stories like this to remind us that prayer is effective and that God still works! I can’t help but to wonder how many other lives may have been changed but we have never heard the testimony….

 

 

 

 

 

A Change of Perspective

3,2,1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Every year we witness the same thing. The ball drops, champagne is opened, we kiss our sweetie, and we make our New Year’s Resolutions. Normally, resolutions are centered around things that benefit us. Exercise, saving money, quitting smoking, eating better, promotions, etc.  I’m not saying that any of these things are bad or that we shouldn’t take care of ourselves, but I do think that we are missing a huge part of what God has called each of us to do: to serve and love others.

On the day of Christmas Eve, Amanda and I had the privilege of bringing a poor family of 5  some tamales (a traditional and anticipated Christmas meal) and some Christmas gifts for their 3 little boys to put under their Christmas tree. We knocked on their door and were invited in. After a brief scan around their home, we realized that they didn’t have a tree. They didn’t have pots of delicious Christmas food on their stove and we couldn’t find a single present anywhere in the house. We don’t think that this family was going to celebrate Christmas this year.  There was a look of surprise and relief in the parent’s eyes as we told them that we brought some presents for their kids. The kids, as was expected, were ecstatic that they had gifts!  When we arrived, the boys just finished their baths. All but one of the boys were stark naked with the exception of a towel that they wore as a cape! The mother tried to apologize that her boys were streaking around their presents, but we just smiled and told her it was okay because we’re like family. The mother smiled and agreed. Excited herself, mom gave the boys permission to open their gifts. Soon, the wrapped presents were as naked as they were and the boys were showing each other the new toys they got.  We hugged the family, wished them a Merry Christmas and left.

After we left the home of our friends, Amanda and I were blown away at what God had just did.  What we thought was a simple act of kindness actually became a provision for a family that wasn’t going to have anything. We were so humbled and thankful that God had laid that on our hearts.

I look at this situation and I wonder to myself how did I get so wrapped up in my wants and desires that I stopped seeing the people around me?  I assumed that everyone in all of Costa Rica would have their traditional meal. I assumed that everyone would have at least SOMETHING to open up for Christmas. I assumed that God would have sent someone else to provide for a family’s needs.
This year, my prayer for myself, Amanda, and you, is that God would open our eyes to those around us (not just here in Costa Rica, but in the United States as well). That He would use each of us for His purpose in practical and impactful ways. And most importantly, that we would be obedient to Him when He leads us to love and serve others.

In the time of resolutions, consider adding one that doesn’t benefit you. Maybe God wants to do more through you than in you.

We love you!   Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
~Brian and Amanda

Relationship is the Key

The longer that we are down here, the more we realize just how important relationships are. Matthew 22: 35-40 is a very common scripture we hear preached. Within this scripture, we see a very simple truth expressed by Jesus.

  ³⁵ One of the Pharisees, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So what is the most important thing we can do? Jesus says, “love God” with your everything. He even adds to that saying that the second-most important thing we can do as believers is to “love your neighbors as yourself.”

In simple and practical terms, Jesus is telling us to focus on relationship. First with God, then with people. A healthy relationship looks like love. It looks kind, patient, selfless, trusting, hoping, and never failing. As we start to develope these kind of relationships, God starts to move!

Joshua 5yrs

Bryan 6yrs

In our group ministry outings , Amanda and I have met an incredible family of 5 living in some extremely impoverished conditions. Jose, Joanna, and their 3 boys Bryan, Joshua, and Steven. Immediately, Amanda and I felt drawn to them. Mom and dad are in their early to mid twenties and the boys are 3-6 years old. The boys love playing with sidewalk chalk, coloring pictures and playing soccer. Steven especially loves blowing bubbles! Although this family is super sweet and incredibly humble, they were rather distant with us.

We have only seen Jose (dad) a total of 3 times due to his work schedule trying to support his family. Both he and Joanna (mom) are very shy people. Joanna would bring her boys up to play with us gringos, but would immediately walk to the sidelines to observe. Amanda would continue to talk to Joanna each time we were down, which gained her trust and confidence. At first, I think Joanna was a little weirded out by Amanda and I (common reaction to us, haha)!

Steven 3yrs

After a short time, Joanna began realizing that we genuinely loved her kids. As a result, she began opening up. She asked us why we come down and play in her neighborhood. After explaining briefly showing God in practical ways, she proceeded to tell us that she isn’t a believer. She told us that her siblings go to church but that its “just not for her.”

We didn’t go into “hyper-getting-her-saved-mode,” we just loved on her and her family. After4 months of visiting her neighborhood and talking with her, we offered her some help with one of the construction teams scheduled to serve for a week. The team that came down fixed up some of their living conditions, provided them with a washing machine, and a bunk bed for the boys. They were so blown back by this. We let them know that this was a gift from God, not us.

They didn’t really understand it, but they were grateful.

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Joanna with her new washer

New bunk bed for the three boys

A week later, a new group came down to Costa Rica to host a “God-first” marriage conference to the general public at the local church. We went into all of our neighborhoods handing out invitations. To our surprise, Joanna showed up to church for the conference and attended both days! You could tell that God was working in her! The following Sunday, she showed up for church service and brought her 3 boys. Since then, she has been attending normal church services on Sunday!

Just recently, Amanda has offered her time to watch Steven for a couple of hours (while the other brothers are in school) so that Joanna can work a small, part-time job cleaning apartments. The fact that Amanda watches Steven for free was something that Joanna could barely grasp. She has been so blown back by everything, she can’t help but to wonder that maybe God really does love her!

Joanna’s husband has walked over to the church a couple of times, but has yet to come in. We still love on him and don’t look down on him for his lack of enthusiasm for church (I used to be an atheist, so I can relate). We decided to hook him up with a tattoo for free as a practical way of reaching out to him. We had NEVER seen Jose smile until this moment! He said he always wanted one (specifically, a snake or dragon), but couldn’t afford it. So we invited him to the shop and let him pick out his design. To my surprise, he chose a cross! I  don’t fully understand what was going through his head when he strayed from the typical snake or dragon piece and chose the cross. But I’m thinking that he is beginning to see God at work in the most unexpected ways in his life! And the constant smile he now wears on his face is proof that maybe God is doing more in that guys’ heart than we know!

It is amazing to me to see how God uses the most practical things like relationship to draw people closer to Him! God rocks!

 

We are still praying for a few more people to come alongside us as monthly supporters. If you would like to get involved and help out financially, please visit our “Donate” page!
Thank you! We love you guys!!

Summer Update

Wow! What an amazing summer! We just got through the busiest part of the year for teams. Within 12 weeks we have hosted 26 teams! Needless to say, we have been incredibly busy this year!
Just this summer alone, God has provided 12 new homes for 12 families who were hurting and in desperate need of a better home. As a result, the local, spanish-speaking church is growing with people who are starting realize just how wonderful and merciful God is!

Despite the emphasis on construction for these past 3 months, the feeding stations have not slowed down a bit! On average, we give out about 1,000 plates of food every month to the hungry and homeless. One new thing that we have recently added is mobile feeding stations. We will make up pots of food and bring them down into the poor neighborhoods where we minister and feed the people therein! It has had such an awesome impact on the people here!
Now that the “summer rush” is officially over, we have a little extra time to focus on some of the other things God has called us to do. Amanda is working on some graphic design projects for 6:8 Ministries as well as the tattoo ministry. We also get to spend more time in the tattoo studio and develop deeper relationships with some of the locals here. Because of Waking Dead Tattoo, we have developed an awesome relationship with a Goth/Heavy Metal couple named Stanley and Gabriella. We met them in the market one morning, invited them to the shop and shortly after, found out that they have been searching for a church that wouldn’t judge them based on their appearance. This has been such a God relationship! They have been coming to church and have been finding ways to get plugged in to help!
We are so blown back to see how God uses the simplest, most practical things to reach people! And here we are thinking that we cannot be effective unless we are doing some complicated, planned out endeavor. Sometimes, giving someone a plate of food can speak louder than any evangelistic revival could. When people realize that they are truly loved, that is when God starts speaking into their lives.
Please continue to pray for Amanda and I. Pray that God will continue to provide for all of our needs and that He would protect us here in Costa Rica. Please pray for Amanda, she has been battling with a severe anxiety and panic attack disorder. We are believing for her freedom from this.  Thank you to everyone who continually supports us out here! Without your offerings to us, we couldn’t be here doing the will of God for our lives!  THANK YOU!!!

We put together a short video for our family, friends, and supporters!

God Rocks the Blalocks! 2011 from Brian Blalock on Vimeo.

Changing of the Seasonal Winds

Time flies and before you know it, 2 months have past since you’ve last wrote a blog! Amanda and I are doing great! We have officially started our busy season now that summer break is in the States. There are several teams coming down from various churches on a weekly basis now with no down-time separating them. It will be like this until August.
It really is amazing to watch how God orchestrates things. It seems that He works in seasons. Some months it seems that every group that comes down is focused on social outreaches that minister to the community with arts, crafts, games, and playing with the kids. Other months we see an abundance of medical teams come down to provide clinics of all sorts to the community. I really feel that this particular season we’re in is focused around rebuilding people’s homes.

Since our last update, we have had five separate teams all build or rebuild 5 new homes for 5 different families. We are now planning for 8 more teams to come down and build 8 more homes throughout this summer!! I think it is safe to say that we are in the season of “life remodeling!”

This will, no doubt, be a very busy summer for us! But we are so pumped to be working alongside so many teams to reach out to our hurting and broken community and we pray that God uses these times to edify and draw more people closer to Him!

God has closed and opened some doors with Amanda and I within the past few months. As some of you know, the men center that Amanda and I were running had to shut down. We finished out the program with the last of the men and saw much fruit from them, but we feel that God brought it to an end. We were losing our on-site director and, despite our best efforts, we could not seem to find a replacement or the necessary funding to keep the center going. After praying about this, we all felt that God was closing this door. It is encouraging to us to look back and see how God used that time to impact some of the men that lived at The Refuge. If nothing else, the center was solely for those few guys who genuinely got a hold of God.
I also made mention of God opening doors. As most of you know, Amanda and I are…. lets say, “different.” As a result, God uses the way we are to reach those who are all weird like us! One of the things that God has been showing us is how He can use our giftings, talents, and passions for His glory. One of the passions that God has given us is art and tattoos. God has systematically opened doors for us to open a small tattoo studio here in Alajuelita as a side ministry to leading short-term mission teams. The studio’s name is “Waking Dead Tattoo.” We believe that through the doors of this tattoo ministry, we will be able to minister to many people that would never step foot in a church.

Click Here For More Info

I would venture to say that this tattoo ministry will no doubt be controversial. But I would also say that many times God will use radical means to reach some of the lost! When we look at Jesus’ ministry, most of what He did was considered very radical and controversial! Jesus only seemed interested in one thing; their heart.
We have had the shop open for only a couple of weeks now and we are already seeing the tattoo community turn their heads at the idea of God-loving, bible-believing christians doing clean and inexpensive tattoos! In this culture, tattoos automatically tag someone as “dangerous,” or a “criminal.” Unfortunately, most churches and religious people will condemn those with tats, thus pushing them even further from God. Of course, that doesn’t stop people from getting a tattoo because they like the artwork. We firmly believe that as people see Godly role-models who share the same passion for God as they do for tattoos, they will realize that they won’t have to conform to the mold of everyone else’s assumptions and go down that path. You really can love God with your whole being and have tats!

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7)

Amanda and I want to thank each of you who continually pray for us and support us financially! God is doing some amazing things down here and thanks to you, we are able to continue where He wants us to be!
Please continue to pray for our safety, our finances, the teams coming down to serve alongside us, as well as the new, radical tattoo ministry!

A family standing in their new home

Practicality

Sometimes doing the most practical things can speak the loudest to the people we are around.  Within the past 3 weeks, we have helped host 3 separate mission teams, all with separate focuses, giftings and talents. We did a small group of veterinarians who hosted a free pet clinic, a larger group of high schoolers whose focus was on social outreach, and another large group of high school/college kids who built a house for a less fortunate family.

Sometimes, we as christians can feel like we aren’t doing anything worthwhile if we aren’t on street corners preaching or doing some direct form of “traditional ministry.”  When a group comes down and builds a house, it is easy to feel like you just did something big for God.  This past month, we watched God reform our outlook on what “effective ministry” looks like.

It started with the vet clinic.  Truth be told, at first I thought doing an outreach where the focus is on people’s PETS and not the people themselves was stupid and a waste of ministry resources. I questioned why we were doing this and wondered if there wasn’t something more worthwhile we could do instead.  God quickly challenged me on this in the staff meeting before the group’s first day. As we were praying over the day, I heard God quietly whisper a single word. “Practicality,” He said.  Within that one simple word, God showed me how sometimes the most practical form of ministry can be the most impactful.  People’s pets are considered part of the family in most households. I have even heard of certain family’s dogs getting expensive operations just to keep the furry member of the family around longer

Translating for the vets

We watched the first day as 83 animals with their owners made their way through the building we held the clinic (there were close to 60 animals the second and final day). To my surprise, we only recognized 15-20 of the pet owners who came. God was using the clinic to reach people of the community that we have NEVER had relationships with! This is practicality in action. Use something simple to bless people. When they wonder why veterinarian doctors come down from the States to spay, neuter, and vaccinate foreign animals for free, then they start to understand the love of God. As a result of this group using a gifting and passion they already possessed, God developed new and meaningful relationships with people and the local church! People got to see Jesus in a practical way!

 

We were leading the 2nd mission group (the social outreach high school kids) and we decided to do something we never did before, pick up garbage.  About 3 blocks away from the mission team house there is an old coffee field that has been abandoned by farmers and reclaimed by garbage, crack heads, and drug addicts. The field is FILLED to the brim with garbage, random car parts, and old furniture.  We asked the mayor of Alajuelita if there was a certain area he would like us to hit and he suggested this coffee field.

We spent only a short time cleaning the area (goes a lot faster with 19 people all working together).  We bagged all of the loose trash, piled the old furniture and car parts in one area. As we were working, I watched as several cars slowed down to drive by the site.

Working with the team to clean the coffee field

After they realized what was happening, they honked, gave a thumbs up, and went on their way.  A man and a woman approached me at separate times flabbergasted that people would come to a foreign country to pick up other people’s trash.  They asked why we would do such a thing and I got to explain how we are missionaries and wanted to show the love of God in a practical way. They explained how they grew up next door to this area and watched as everyone used it as a personal trash heap.  Never once in 53 years had someone tried to clean it up.  They said that it was a huge blessing and that it meant the world to them.

God has equipped His body with different body parts. Each body part has a different function. Some are great functions, some seem less significant, but all parts and roles are equally important.  This month, we watched average christians do things that were within their abilities to do. They did what God had given them the ability to do and, as a result, people were touched.  Too many times we look at ourselves and think, “I’m not qualified enough to pastor a mega church,” or “I don’t think I can move to a foreign country to be a missionary.”  We need to get out of this mindset and start looking at what God has given us the ability to do!  We can serve God with our mechanic abilities, our art talents, our computer know-how, heck, even our clothes ironing abilities!!  We should start asking God how He can use us the way He made us. He made us the way we are for a reason. We should trust that He knows what He is doing! I truly believe that when we start using our talents in practical ways, we will see God in ways we may not have ever expected!

Before

After

 

Belief vs Trust

God has been showing Amanda and I the difference between believing and trusting. When asked, “What is faith?” There are a ton of answers that we could hear. Faith is believing in the unseen. Faith is the next level of just believing. Faith is blindly walking. You can add your own ideas of faith here as well.

As of recently, a wonderful story of The Great Gordini touched Amanda and I’s hearts. Back in the turn of the 1900′s, a man by the title “The Great Gordini” came to the United States. He was one of the most famous tight-rope walkers of his time and decided to make his claim in the States.
To prove his ability, he ordered a steel cable stretched across the American and Canadian border at the Niagara Falls. Once in place, he made an announcement stating he was going to tight-rope walk across this wire. As you can imagine, hundreds of people and the media gathered to watch a foolish man fall to his death.
At the top of the Falls, the winds are very powerful. At the bottom of the Falls, the water is shallow and littered with sharp rocks. This endeavor was not likely to go in Gordini’s favor.
The Great Gordini began his walk across the wire. One foot in front of the other, ignoring the wind and the roaring sound of the falling water. Finally, he accomplished his final step. He stepped on solid ground. The crowd was amazed (and slightly dissappointed he didn’t fall). He then made an announcement that he would walk the cable again, but this time carrying a weighed down wheel-barrow.
The following week, The Great Gordini was at the high wire yet again, this time with a wheel barrow filled with sand and rocks. This time, even greater crowds were there with even more media coverage. The Great Gordini was foolish, this was the time everyone was going to witness the death of a stupid person pushing a wheel barrow across a windy high-wire with no safety precautions.
Much like the first time, Gordini stepped out onto the wire and placed one foot in front of the other. The only difference was that now he was balancing a heavy wheel barrow in front of him. If the wheel barrow would slip off the cable or fall, the cable spring in random directions due to the lack of the extra weight. Gordini would lose his footing, and if he were lucky, might be able grab the cable with his hands as he fell.
Gordini continued his walk with one foot in front of the other cautiously pushing the heavy wheel barrow in front of him until he made it to the other side. The crowds erupted in cheer and praise at the exceptional feat just demonstrated by The Great Gordini! The media swarmed Gordini with an onslaught of questions. They just witnessed the impossible, this man really is capable of doing what he says he can do!
In the midst of all of the madness, the Great Gordini silenced the crowd and asked them, “How many of you believe I can do it again?!” The crowds exploded in applause and affirmation! They were all believers now. At that moment, Gordini took his wheel barrow and dumped out all of the sand and rocks and asked the cheering crowd, “Who will go with me?!”  …the crowd fell silent.
There was not a single person in the crowd that doubted Gordini’s ability to walk the cable again. They all believed he could do it. But, when asked to  go with him, no one trusted The Great Gordini for their well-being.

I look at this story and I see such parallels into our own spiritual walk.  Yeah, I believe God can provide. Of course I believe God can heal me. Sure, I believe God can set me free from my addiction and sin.  Almost everyone who believes in God also believes that God can do the impossible. However, very few people ever step out of just believing and step into trusting that God will get them to the other side unscathed.
It was once told that when Gordini asked the crowd, “Who will go with me?” A young boy stepped out of the crowd, raising his hand saying, “I’ll go!”  The mere believers stopped the boy and asked him, “Aren’t you affraid of dying?” The young boy smiled and replied, “No, I’m not scared. Thats my daddy!”  This young boy stepped out of believing it was possible and stepped into trusting.
Granted, it probably wasn’t wise to climb into The Great Gordini’s wheel barrow. But it is wise to climb into our heavenly Daddy’s wheel barrow.  There should come a time when we as believers step out of merely believing that God can do what He says in His word and step into trusting that He will do what He says in His word.  Just believing God is sitting on the side-lines hoping to catch a lucky foul ball. Trusting God is rolling up your sleeves, putting on a glove, and becoming active in the game of faith.