Resurrction Day with a New Heart

So, as most everyone knows, I was converted this summer. That means a lot of things are really coming alive to me on a spiritual level like they never did before. One of those things is definitely Easter! It's even more different being in a foreign country, but such a blessing at the same time to spend it with spiritual family. Saturday night we had an Easter dinner here at the Villa, we played games, had an Easter egg hunt, ate a big meal and watched The Passion of the Christ. This was the first time I had seen this movie in awhile, and definitely the first time since my conversion. Everything about it was so real, it put a beautiful image in my mind of what my Jesus, my Redeemer, my First Love, went through. A piece of my heart broke with each slap, each punch, each drop of blood. I really did not believe I would cry because I never cry in movies, there were times when I had tears streaming down my face. I guess it goes to show He took my heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh, huh? All I could think about when the nails were being driven into his hands was how that was supposed to be me. While He cried out for His Father, that was to be me. He did that all, because He loves me. I was in His mind while He was hanging on that cross. You see, this is where the story really picks up, the grave did not hold Him. He's not still in the tomb. At the very end of the movie you see the character who played satan in what I suppose is hell, screaming this blood curdling scream. In the next scene you see the stone being rolled away, the burial garments, for lack of a better term, deflating, with Jesus sitting next to them with the sun shining on His face. When He stood up the camera got a shot of His nail pierced hand. Okay, I know that was just the movie, but this actually happened! For a disclaimer, this blog is not a post about how you should "turn or burn" so please, do not get that idea. I will say, this is my experience, this is what Jesus has done for me. Before I was a self-centered, angry, broken, unhappy mess. Now I, at least try more often, to think of others, I have the joy of the Lord, and have a new whole heart. It is not even because He died, obviously that had a huge part of it, but it is because HE LIVES. He saw what awful messes we were, so he put on, not even figuratively, but physically looked like our sin. Historical reports say that He did not even look like a man when they got done beating Him. He looked like my sin. Like your sin. That is what sin does, it makes the things that were once whole, beautiful and perfect and completely destroys it. Do you remember what I said about how at the end of the movie Jesus was back to His perfect state with the sun shining on His face? Yeah, that my friend is a picture of what His payment of sin did and still does. I know because I am living proof. This is what Jesus does. This is what He did. This is the work He has started in me.

Blessings,
Allysa

Turrialba, Elections, and eventful trips to San José!!!

We have only a few weeks left of GAP 2014! I absolutely cannot believe it. I’ve waited for this year for so long, I cannot believe it’s actually almost done. I have been so blessed with many once in a lifetime opportunities through this year. One of them being I’ve been blessed to be a (Very) small part of Primera Batista Iglesia de Turrialba! I love that church and community so much, I cannot imagine life without knowing them at this point! They are so sweet and growing and anointed, I cannot wait to see what other amazing things happen through them in that community. This last weekend I was allowed to go on my last trip there, it was sad, but oh so joyful. I got to visit friends I made back in January. Maryellen and I stayed with Lynn and Manfred in their apartment. We had such a good time visiting with and getting to know them. They educated us on the election that just took place on Sunday, the day we left. Now Maryellen and I really want Luis Guillermo t-shirts, so if any Ticos reading this would like to donate a couple, or even if you want to sell a couple, let me know! Anyway, that was a lot of fun. Also, Sunday morning at church I learned SIX completely new songs in Spanish and sang them with Joy and Ruben. That was helpful to my Spanish, but really made my brain hurt! That night, back in San Jose, after GGP (Our Sunday night English church) the ENTIRE country had a huge party, and being in the capital I think we got to see the best of it. I was going to go downtown with some Tico friends and join the party, but that fell through. Which was okay because on the way home from church we walked home waving Luis Guillermo flags and yelling “Pura Vida!” “Costa Rica” and other Costa Rican slang. That kind of made up for not going out, and I still got to bed at a decent time, win-win. Monday was a good relaxing day that ended with a four hour very eventful trip to San José. A group of us went downtown to film a video for graduation, however as soon as we stepped off the bus it started raining. We squeezed in a few shots before it started pouring. Some people left but some of us stayed and got dinner in San José. We found our other group of GAP students and took some more shots for the video because it had stopped raining. When we got done with that, Danita, Hope, Zack and I stayed in downtown a little longer and stumbled upon a reggae concert. THAT was interesting. I am fairly positive that I got a second hand high from that, not sure how I feel about that, but in the city not much you can do about it. How many people can say they’ve lived in Costa Rica and been to a legit reggae concert where everyone around you is high as kites? Let’s be real here, it will not be a night I easily forget. So that was my weekend, I only have about three more here to spend with my GAP family. Keep praying for us so that we might finish strong with our studies, with our devotions, and with each other. I can already see some people getting that end of the semester itch, living with people for nine months starts to wear on you after a bit. Pray that we remember that we have a short time here to be with each other and that we enjoy every moment of it. As far as an update on plans for summer and next year, I am getting some answers, but waiting on some more before I can really talk about them. If you’re in serious suspense pray harder! ;)

Love & Rockets,
Allysa