Behind ever story is an influence

Hey Everyone I know I just posted a blog this morning but I feel like I need to post another one just to give you all a little vision and glimsp of what goes on in my life, living here in Jaco and what we as a team face daily and why we need so much prayer honestly can't get enough I hope after this you can understand better know how to pray for us. Here is just a little bit of a story of our team something about each one. This Skateboarding ministy was started by Scott and Leslie Freeman a couple with 4 little boys who had a heart for the people and kids here in Jaco Costa Rica they wanted to serve Christ and make him known throughtout this place and well giving the kids a passion and a safe place to come was the solution not as easy as it might seem, but God has given them grace to continue on this path and their ministry continues to grow daily . They have had a few inters come along side them and help out but it started out with a family with a heart and love for at risk kids . In June I came to San Jose to do my Children at Risk school and also met Hannah Kauffman from Michigan who did the school with me and in Sept we both came to Jaco to help with this ministry . Just this past month another guy named Jonathan Christie from Canada joined our team he did his Children at Risk school 2 years ago and decieded to finish his outreach now. It has been a blessing to get to know these people and to work along side them everyday and to bless Scott and Leslie and support them in this awesome ministry. We are a team of 5 set out on a mission to serve Christ and to make him known in this place we want to shine the love of Christ ,We want to see lives changed. I am going to share some of the issues the kids face, most of these kids sadly do not have a dad in the picture they are from singal moms or if the dad is there he is still not really there sadly alot of these kids fend for themself. I am so sad to say this but honestly most of these kids have seen more and been through more then I ever have and will experience. Most of their innocents has been lost and most of their trust has been broken they don't trust anyone because anyone every that was suppose to be there for them did not fulfill the role and sadly the ones that are suppose to love and protect them are the ones hurting them the most . It's a trickle down affect trickling down from generation to generation sadly these poor little kids and teens don't know how to accept love and they in some cases thrive on pushing our buttons which is why we have to be on gaurd all the time knowing they do it on purpose so we don't loose our cool and lash out . Some of them deal with their pain by hurting others because hurting people hurt people that is just the truth so if they can get another kid annoyed or upset even to tears it makes the one hurting them in some ways well at least they think they feel better which is never true the more they hurt others the more they hurt . It's sometimes unbearable to watch even the teens wanting love and acceptance for who they are but not knowing how to ask so they might act out for attention because SADLY who know that might have been the only way they could get it . As I look into the eyes of all these teens and kids my heart is broken for them the pain and hurt that I see is overwhelming at times and all I want to do is take it away from them and shower them with love letting them know this isn't the way God designed it. God designed families to be there forever ,parents are suppose to love their kids . It's kinda funny how God works but the teens that are the hardest to love the ones that seem so tough and nothing bothers them the ones that kinda like to be annoying are the ones that I love the most. It didn't happen at first of course not when I first met them and started working the ramp with them by the end of the nigh I was ready to pull my hair out and well I just wanted to slap them silly.lol I prayed and ask God for more love for them and he gave me that and more he showed me the bigger picture he showed me that the reason they act out is because they are truly hurting and broken and so rather then to get annoyed I need to love them smile at them and most of all pray for them ,they need tons of prayer. On Sunday as I sat in church and started thinking about the ramp ministry I started to wonder why all the teens always want to come to the ramp and well it just hit me that maybe this is their only joy they have in the whole day maybe this is the only fun they have,maybe this is the only time they can for at least a little bit forget about the pain and hurt they have . I thought to myself if this is truly the case I can sacrifice my time to give them to give them some joy in their night to help them destress if that is the case just to give them some love. Not that is usually is a sacifice because I truly do love watching them skate and I don't mind opening it up for them. So please continue to keep all of us staff in your prayers we need it big time we need others backing us up this is a tough place to live I feel like I am on the battle field and we need to be on gaurd at all times with the amor of prayer on yet none of us would change it for anything . The kids and even the teens are all so cute and seeing them everyday is so much fun. We have our ministry ramp hoursfrom 2-6 Mon-Friday we have crafts books toys and all kinds of things for the kids to do and of course the all time favorites of Skateboarding, American football, Football (soccer) ,frisbee or even the most creative games of playing tag on the ramp and just chasing the kids around which the guys are great for. On an average we can have 5-25 kids and teens here at a time ages rang from 5-20 some times we have older people it always depends on the day and whats going on .it's always such a joy to be hanging out at those times yes by the end of the night we are all tired and ready to be done but by the nexts day we are again excited to watch and see just who and how many will show up . We have a swing that the inters before us put up that the kids love to swing on and it goes so fast ,never a dull moment here at the ramp always someone to watch and kids to play with we have tons of games and crafts that range from braclet making to coloring and much much more. My favorite thing to do is to stand or sit back and just watch as each child or group does their own thing and to watch as the staff play with the kids and just join right in doing crafts I love to watch as the kids skate we have as young as 6 years olds skating like pros . So I hope this gives you an insight to a little of what our days look like here of couse no day is ever the same as the nexts which is great . God bless all of you and thank you so much for all your prayers .