Sunday, May 13, 2012
Exciting news ! :)
Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to post a very quick but exciting blog post and share a video that I made to go with it.
As most of you know June 24th 2011 I set off on a adventure that would change my life forever. I left for Costa Rica to do a Children at Risk school at the YWAM base in San Jose.
After a very life changing 3 months God led me to Jaco a small beach town about 2 and a half hours away from San Jose to help a young family with there Children's ministry called EL Refugio.
After 4 intense,fun ,challenging , awesome months I left Jaco with a heart to head back in April and continue on helping with the ministry and go on to make a long term commitment !
I returned January 25th ready for some refreshment to see my family after 7 months and to raise support.
Alot of unexpected circumstances came up and my trip to Jaco was post poned until only God new .
I got my job back I had prior to going to Costa Rica and started saving up bought my laptop and just prayed and asked God what he would have for me.
About a month ago I felt called to move to Baltimore, MD and pursue a nannying position so I filled out the application online and sent it in and started praying for the right one to come up and for a date to move, things looked good at first I got a reply right away wanting an interview that weekend :) Well of course I was not ready to leave just that soon and so I wrote them back and explained what was going on and that I would get back to them as soon as I knew. Applied for a few more and got a reply and all looked promising. :)
Well about 2 weeks ago I was over at my Pastor's house for Lunch he started asking me about my time in Jaco and what all I did. He also asked me if I felt called to missions for a life time on which of course my answer was "yes!"
He said he wants to meet again with me and get more details of my time there and what I will be doing when I return! you might say "what your returning ?" and my answer is it's only God!
He said he wants to help support me so on that thought he goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am returning to Jaco Lord willing in July and this is where all of you come in. Please pray and consider supporting me in my mission to help bring hope to the hopeless . and this is where my video comes in. Please take a few minutes and watch this and get a heart for what Jaco faces !
Thank you all for your time!
Sincerly Aimee Griffin
Contact me: Aimee Griffin
Livingwithapurpose@aol.com
Friday, March 2, 2012
Food for thought!
Hey Everyone,
Here is just a really quick thought I was reading one of my friends statuses today and she was posing some everyday thoughts. They really got me thinking so I decided to blog my thoughts down. Here goes we all have done it complained because we have to do another sink load of dishes, "I just did them last night" we might say. Or "I have to clean the house again? Why can't it stay clean?". I get so tired of having to do this everyday or some times we feel we clean all day and at the end of the day it looks like we didn't do anything all day. lol We all have had those times. Recently in Novemember while living in Jaco I offered to help a friend clean and organize her house. It was a bigger job then either one of us had bargained for but after the 2 days of completly dumping room after room into the middle of the floor and getting rid of bags and boxes of things that weren't useful to them anymore. The reward was so great the house looked beautiful and totally new we were exhausted but it was a satifactory tired we both sat down at the end of the second day and just smiled we had had so much fun getting rid of stuff and cleaning up so we could see the beautiful place that it actually was . The thing that came up time after time was "wow we have alot of stuff " Do I really need to keep books from my school I did in 1999? " I was like "if you haven't looked at it in the past 12 years chances are you never will" so if something was hard for her to part with I just took it from her hand and did the dirty work from her throwing away cute papers from her kids yes they were adorable but they were just laying around . Sometimes in life we need someone to come in and show us what to get rid of, to do the dirty work. It's not always easy but in the end it so awesome. Getting rid of the junk that fills up our lives so many times. Junk that clogs us up so we can't see the pretty things and enjoy the whole picture because all the junk is in the way. It's the same as in our personal life we have to stop and let Jesus clean and organize it let him get rid of all the junk so we can freely live in peace and be able to see his beautiful creation without having to look through dirty windows persay. The point of this blog is lets be thankful that we have to clean because that means we are blessed and have a roof over our head, out of the rain ,snow and heat, Lets be thankful we have to wash another load of dirty dishes because that means we just enjoyed another meal. Lets be thankful for what we have because that means we are blessed and that someone cares for us. Next time we think about complaining about having to go to work again lets remember that there are people out there that would do anything to have a job but unfortanantly there just isn't anything available. Nexts Time we feel like complaining about anything lets remember to be thankful for everything we have because it was given to us for a reason and by someone who cares for us.
Here is just a really quick thought I was reading one of my friends statuses today and she was posing some everyday thoughts. They really got me thinking so I decided to blog my thoughts down. Here goes we all have done it complained because we have to do another sink load of dishes, "I just did them last night" we might say. Or "I have to clean the house again? Why can't it stay clean?". I get so tired of having to do this everyday or some times we feel we clean all day and at the end of the day it looks like we didn't do anything all day. lol We all have had those times. Recently in Novemember while living in Jaco I offered to help a friend clean and organize her house. It was a bigger job then either one of us had bargained for but after the 2 days of completly dumping room after room into the middle of the floor and getting rid of bags and boxes of things that weren't useful to them anymore. The reward was so great the house looked beautiful and totally new we were exhausted but it was a satifactory tired we both sat down at the end of the second day and just smiled we had had so much fun getting rid of stuff and cleaning up so we could see the beautiful place that it actually was . The thing that came up time after time was "wow we have alot of stuff " Do I really need to keep books from my school I did in 1999? " I was like "if you haven't looked at it in the past 12 years chances are you never will" so if something was hard for her to part with I just took it from her hand and did the dirty work from her throwing away cute papers from her kids yes they were adorable but they were just laying around . Sometimes in life we need someone to come in and show us what to get rid of, to do the dirty work. It's not always easy but in the end it so awesome. Getting rid of the junk that fills up our lives so many times. Junk that clogs us up so we can't see the pretty things and enjoy the whole picture because all the junk is in the way. It's the same as in our personal life we have to stop and let Jesus clean and organize it let him get rid of all the junk so we can freely live in peace and be able to see his beautiful creation without having to look through dirty windows persay. The point of this blog is lets be thankful that we have to clean because that means we are blessed and have a roof over our head, out of the rain ,snow and heat, Lets be thankful we have to wash another load of dirty dishes because that means we just enjoyed another meal. Lets be thankful for what we have because that means we are blessed and that someone cares for us. Next time we think about complaining about having to go to work again lets remember that there are people out there that would do anything to have a job but unfortanantly there just isn't anything available. Nexts Time we feel like complaining about anything lets remember to be thankful for everything we have because it was given to us for a reason and by someone who cares for us.
Monday, February 13, 2012
It's been a whirlwind!
Hey Everyone,
So here I am sitting down to catch you all up on my life and what has been happening since my last one. Well I have now been home 2 1/2 weeks and it's been a time of adjusting to cold weather and the business of living in america after living in Costa Rica for 7 months where everything is so tranquila (calm)it's been an adjustment but it's good. I flew back to the states on Jan 25th and the nexts day, I went into my old job to see if I could get my job back and before I got a chance to ask my boss she asked me if she could call me if she needed an extra person! so the following day I got my first shift being on call Friday night and then again on Sat night God is awesome then I got a day off and worked again the nexts Monday I love my life then I got a few days off and was again called in to work on Friday the 3rd and Sunday the 5th Can I just say my God never ceases to amaze me with how he works. Ok going back a few days On Friday the 3rd Our church was having a weekend Youth conference and I had the privileged of being apart of that Chaproning a room of 4 girls it was a weekend of many blessing meeting new people and hanging out with about 57 youth and seeing God move in their lives it was a AWESOME time! My love for working with youth just continues to grow yes Gods ways are not my ways. :) I am now back on the schedual at my job and Sat I worked a 10 hour shift yes I believe they missed me .lol My life here at home has been so different then normal now that all my sibilings are in school and my mom is helping at the school a few hours most everyday. I find myself wondering what to do with my time it has been good to sit and relax after 7 months of intense days but it is also a weird adjustment to have so much free time still thinking I like the busy schedual better but all in Gods timing . Ok so you might all be wondering whats next and well that is my same question when you think you have your life all planned out and it gets turned upside down over night I just have to sit and wonder, God what is next which is the place where God always wants us to be in and he seems to do this to me every year. I can't give anyone any answers all I can say is in Gods timing he will reveal himself to me and I can then tell you all. In the mean time prayers for direction would definantly be appreciated I still want to go back to Jaco ,Costa Rica and serve if that is Gods will but I don't know when that will be . In the mean time I just want to grow in my relationship with the lord, and be here for the girls he has given me the privlege to be friends with while charoning the girls for the weekend youth confrence just made me realize just how much pain and rejection that even the youth here in America face some of the same issues that they are dealing with here are the same as the youth in Jaco yes we have a better life experince here but pain and rejection is something the whole world faces and it's tough to watch as people go through it on a daily basis. Thankfully we serve a God of love who can free us of all pain. Being in this place of unknown is hard but it's the best because I just want to follow Gods plan for my life and don't want get ahead of him.
Prayers request:
Direction for my next step.
Monthly support for if it is Gods will to go back to Jaco which is where my heart is.
Oppertunities to serve here in my home town and church while I am here.
More hours at my job so I can continue to build up my bank account.
Patience as I wait for God to reveal his plan for me.
Thank you so much for your time and prayers if you have anny questions please feel free to write me I would love to hear from you all.
sincerly in his service Aimee Griffin
So here I am sitting down to catch you all up on my life and what has been happening since my last one. Well I have now been home 2 1/2 weeks and it's been a time of adjusting to cold weather and the business of living in america after living in Costa Rica for 7 months where everything is so tranquila (calm)it's been an adjustment but it's good. I flew back to the states on Jan 25th and the nexts day, I went into my old job to see if I could get my job back and before I got a chance to ask my boss she asked me if she could call me if she needed an extra person! so the following day I got my first shift being on call Friday night and then again on Sat night God is awesome then I got a day off and worked again the nexts Monday I love my life then I got a few days off and was again called in to work on Friday the 3rd and Sunday the 5th Can I just say my God never ceases to amaze me with how he works. Ok going back a few days On Friday the 3rd Our church was having a weekend Youth conference and I had the privileged of being apart of that Chaproning a room of 4 girls it was a weekend of many blessing meeting new people and hanging out with about 57 youth and seeing God move in their lives it was a AWESOME time! My love for working with youth just continues to grow yes Gods ways are not my ways. :) I am now back on the schedual at my job and Sat I worked a 10 hour shift yes I believe they missed me .lol My life here at home has been so different then normal now that all my sibilings are in school and my mom is helping at the school a few hours most everyday. I find myself wondering what to do with my time it has been good to sit and relax after 7 months of intense days but it is also a weird adjustment to have so much free time still thinking I like the busy schedual better but all in Gods timing . Ok so you might all be wondering whats next and well that is my same question when you think you have your life all planned out and it gets turned upside down over night I just have to sit and wonder, God what is next which is the place where God always wants us to be in and he seems to do this to me every year. I can't give anyone any answers all I can say is in Gods timing he will reveal himself to me and I can then tell you all. In the mean time prayers for direction would definantly be appreciated I still want to go back to Jaco ,Costa Rica and serve if that is Gods will but I don't know when that will be . In the mean time I just want to grow in my relationship with the lord, and be here for the girls he has given me the privlege to be friends with while charoning the girls for the weekend youth confrence just made me realize just how much pain and rejection that even the youth here in America face some of the same issues that they are dealing with here are the same as the youth in Jaco yes we have a better life experince here but pain and rejection is something the whole world faces and it's tough to watch as people go through it on a daily basis. Thankfully we serve a God of love who can free us of all pain. Being in this place of unknown is hard but it's the best because I just want to follow Gods plan for my life and don't want get ahead of him.
Prayers request:
Direction for my next step.
Monthly support for if it is Gods will to go back to Jaco which is where my heart is.
Oppertunities to serve here in my home town and church while I am here.
More hours at my job so I can continue to build up my bank account.
Patience as I wait for God to reveal his plan for me.
Thank you so much for your time and prayers if you have anny questions please feel free to write me I would love to hear from you all.
sincerly in his service Aimee Griffin
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
It's all a process
Hey Everyone
I just wanted to update you all on my life and all that has since my last update .First of all I will just bullet point the happening an explain a little on each one to hopefully make it easy to understand.
Ramp ministy
Discipleship classes
Ministry in daily living
ie
Alright so here is how RAMP MINISTRY works everyday from 2-6 we open up our ministry property gate for anyone needed a safe place to come away from any form of temptations that faces the youth an children and adults here in Jaco The family that I am working here with started this ministry last April because they heart have a for kids and want to make a difference in there life giving them a hope and purpose. well they have never advertised or anything it has always been by word of mouth and they have always had lots of kids show up on any day we can average 5 to 25 kids here at a time.Well with the holidays and all we were having less and less kids which is never a problem being that Jesus would have died even if there had been only one person so even if only 1 or 2 kids show up they need love just as much or more then 25 kids do . We ended up making fliers a few months back to invite kids and also so parents would know for sure what their kids were doing but we never got around to handing them out. On Monday we finally had some time so we took the opportunity to go invite kids so we went into this one neighborhood which is just one of the many super poor parts and that afternoon we had over 20 kids all under the age of 13 can you say crazy? lol but it was awesome as well because a few of the moms also showed up bringing there kids and hanging out . God is truly blessing this ministry and it is such an amazing blessing to be apart of it.
DISCIPLESHIP CLASSES : The first weekend in Dec we had a team from Trinity Bible college out of Tampa Florida come to minister here in Jaco for a month they gave classes for the month every Mon,Tues,Thurs just sharing their testimonies and just coming here and giving encouragement to all of the youth here who need it so bad giving them counsel and just being there for them and I had a blessing of being apart of it helping out sitting in all the classes and just seeking counsel from other godly young people who are fully sold out for the lord and wanting to help others do the same. On Sunday they did a free concert in the Park with 2 of the guys rapping and they also invited other dancers to come out and share the love of Jesus to the town of Jaco. It was amazing to be standing in the same park that is used as a place where all the prostitutes will walk by where all the taxi are line up ever night ready to be of service for the girls and instead even with all that still happening to be worshiping our lord.
Daily Life in Ministry:
Everyday is ministry whether it looks like it or not everything you do reflects who you are and what you are living for from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed people are and will be watching you and making assumptions on your actions. There is this saying; Only one life will soon be past only whats done for Christ will last. it doesn't matter who you are or what you have done at the end of life the only thing that will matter is if you lived your life for the lord and followed his commands and one of those commands is to preach the gospel to the lost an to spread his love to the nations Isaiah 1:17 we are commanded to learn to do good seek justice help the oppressed defend the cause of the orphans and fight for the rights of the widows. it doesn't say if you want to or feel like it or if you have time to it tells us we have to with no options. We all at one point or another were lost and only by Gods grace are we saved not of our self but the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The ministry we do here at La Ola Jaco is a tough ministry and we may not always see fruit but by loving on the kids and letting them know that they are special and that they have a purpose and God has a plan for them that he love them and that is what they really need to hear so even at the end of the day when we are tired and ready for some chill time we are always to know that we can make a difference in their lives giving them a sense of hope and just showing them that the can do whatever they put their minds to do.
I am so sad to admit this but as I realize I only have 2 more weeks left in this amazing place that I have had the privilege of ministering in and serving the lord in whatever he wants the pain is to much the thought of leaving my friends, my home, my church and the ministry is to much and I just don't want to think about it I have been so blessed by everyone here it hurts to know that my time is so short to think of leaving this beautiful beach town of Jaco which has been my home for almost 4 months to leave this beautiful country of Costa Rica which has been my home for almost 7 months is over whelming. Yes I of course want to see my family and friends back in the states but that doesn't mean it makes it any easier. Lord willing I will be returning in April for long term to continue on helping with the ministry at La Ola and working with Radical which is my home church here in Jaco helping with the youth and also joining the worship band as on Sunday all of us youth were just worshiping after church and I was up front just having fun singing in the microphone as I have missed being on the youth group band that I did over 3 years ago , the worship director was sitting there listening and he heard me singing and said I want you to join the team which was so awesome and yet shocking that I didn't even know how to respond,God has blessed my time so much here I am just so grateful to him for bringing me to this place of complete peace where I have found what it is I want to do with my life and that is to blessed and help others serving Christ in the church and in everyday .Thank you so much for your prayers and please keep them coming and consider helping me out so I can come back here as soon as possible I will be flying back to the states on the 25th and will be sharing my experiment and also sending out support letters and fundraising along with hanging out with my family and friends. Please also pray for me as the goodbyes are going to be tough and I will need the lords strength to get me through . Thank you and God bless sincerely in his service Aimee
I just wanted to update you all on my life and all that has since my last update .First of all I will just bullet point the happening an explain a little on each one to hopefully make it easy to understand.
Ramp ministy
Discipleship classes
Ministry in daily living
ie
Alright so here is how RAMP MINISTRY works everyday from 2-6 we open up our ministry property gate for anyone needed a safe place to come away from any form of temptations that faces the youth an children and adults here in Jaco The family that I am working here with started this ministry last April because they heart have a for kids and want to make a difference in there life giving them a hope and purpose. well they have never advertised or anything it has always been by word of mouth and they have always had lots of kids show up on any day we can average 5 to 25 kids here at a time.Well with the holidays and all we were having less and less kids which is never a problem being that Jesus would have died even if there had been only one person so even if only 1 or 2 kids show up they need love just as much or more then 25 kids do . We ended up making fliers a few months back to invite kids and also so parents would know for sure what their kids were doing but we never got around to handing them out. On Monday we finally had some time so we took the opportunity to go invite kids so we went into this one neighborhood which is just one of the many super poor parts and that afternoon we had over 20 kids all under the age of 13 can you say crazy? lol but it was awesome as well because a few of the moms also showed up bringing there kids and hanging out . God is truly blessing this ministry and it is such an amazing blessing to be apart of it.
DISCIPLESHIP CLASSES : The first weekend in Dec we had a team from Trinity Bible college out of Tampa Florida come to minister here in Jaco for a month they gave classes for the month every Mon,Tues,Thurs just sharing their testimonies and just coming here and giving encouragement to all of the youth here who need it so bad giving them counsel and just being there for them and I had a blessing of being apart of it helping out sitting in all the classes and just seeking counsel from other godly young people who are fully sold out for the lord and wanting to help others do the same. On Sunday they did a free concert in the Park with 2 of the guys rapping and they also invited other dancers to come out and share the love of Jesus to the town of Jaco. It was amazing to be standing in the same park that is used as a place where all the prostitutes will walk by where all the taxi are line up ever night ready to be of service for the girls and instead even with all that still happening to be worshiping our lord.
Daily Life in Ministry:
Everyday is ministry whether it looks like it or not everything you do reflects who you are and what you are living for from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed people are and will be watching you and making assumptions on your actions. There is this saying; Only one life will soon be past only whats done for Christ will last. it doesn't matter who you are or what you have done at the end of life the only thing that will matter is if you lived your life for the lord and followed his commands and one of those commands is to preach the gospel to the lost an to spread his love to the nations Isaiah 1:17 we are commanded to learn to do good seek justice help the oppressed defend the cause of the orphans and fight for the rights of the widows. it doesn't say if you want to or feel like it or if you have time to it tells us we have to with no options. We all at one point or another were lost and only by Gods grace are we saved not of our self but the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The ministry we do here at La Ola Jaco is a tough ministry and we may not always see fruit but by loving on the kids and letting them know that they are special and that they have a purpose and God has a plan for them that he love them and that is what they really need to hear so even at the end of the day when we are tired and ready for some chill time we are always to know that we can make a difference in their lives giving them a sense of hope and just showing them that the can do whatever they put their minds to do.
I am so sad to admit this but as I realize I only have 2 more weeks left in this amazing place that I have had the privilege of ministering in and serving the lord in whatever he wants the pain is to much the thought of leaving my friends, my home, my church and the ministry is to much and I just don't want to think about it I have been so blessed by everyone here it hurts to know that my time is so short to think of leaving this beautiful beach town of Jaco which has been my home for almost 4 months to leave this beautiful country of Costa Rica which has been my home for almost 7 months is over whelming. Yes I of course want to see my family and friends back in the states but that doesn't mean it makes it any easier. Lord willing I will be returning in April for long term to continue on helping with the ministry at La Ola and working with Radical which is my home church here in Jaco helping with the youth and also joining the worship band as on Sunday all of us youth were just worshiping after church and I was up front just having fun singing in the microphone as I have missed being on the youth group band that I did over 3 years ago , the worship director was sitting there listening and he heard me singing and said I want you to join the team which was so awesome and yet shocking that I didn't even know how to respond,God has blessed my time so much here I am just so grateful to him for bringing me to this place of complete peace where I have found what it is I want to do with my life and that is to blessed and help others serving Christ in the church and in everyday .Thank you so much for your prayers and please keep them coming and consider helping me out so I can come back here as soon as possible I will be flying back to the states on the 25th and will be sharing my experiment and also sending out support letters and fundraising along with hanging out with my family and friends. Please also pray for me as the goodbyes are going to be tough and I will need the lords strength to get me through . Thank you and God bless sincerely in his service Aimee
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