Week 3

“The love of Christ controls us, because we know that One died for all, so all have died. Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him.”
~2 Corinthians 5:14-15, NCV

I have been in Costa Rica almost three weeks. I would call these weeks a time of transition, celebration, and serving. God has been so good to me while I have been transitioning to “YWAM base living”. I am living in a container again with a roommate, eating rice and beans daily, and meeting all sorts of new people all the time as new people are always coming and going.

50th Celebration of YWAM
As soon as I arrived at the base we started getting ready for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of YWAM. People from all over Central America and the founders of YWAM came to our base to celebrate. While everyone was here (about 250 people) the founders of YWAM spoke to us about what God has been doing in YWAM and really encouraged us in what God is calling each of us to do. Personally, during this time, I was reminded about the “big picture” of what I am a part of. Going to all nations and spreading the gospel to people of all backgrounds and cultures!!

Serving on and around the Base
One of the things I have been assigned to do is work in the snack shop at the base, which is called El Chinamo. The money that is raised in the little snack shop goes toward paying for electricity, gas for transportation... It gives me the opportunity to meet everyone and everyone knows who I am now that I am “the Chinamo girl”.
I have also volunteered to help with a ministry at the base called Metro Ministries. They take this truck out to two different neighborhoods each week
and put on a little program for the kids in the neighborhood. The kids expect and look forward to the program each week. This weekend in Costa Rica was Mother's Day, so the message for the kids this week was honoring their parents. We open in prayer, sing some songs, and put on a little skit/message.

School of Foundations in Community Development (FCD)
Yesterday was our first official meeting to start planning for the FCD school that starts at the end of September. It got me so excited to start planning and talking to the other staff members about the different responsibilities we each will have. There are three other staff members with me. Kristi is from Mexico and the two others are a couple who is getting married soon from Colombia, Johan and Elsie. As the only English-speaker of the group, my main responsibility will be to translate all the classes. It can be very exhausting to translate, but I am excited to do it and trust that God will give me the ability to do it well.

I want to thank you again for your prayers and support. I know that I could not be doing any of this without the strength that God gives me through your prayers and encouragement. Also, thanks to my home church, financial support is now tax deductible. If you wish to give a tax-deductible donation in the future, you may make a check out to Immanuel Lutheran Church and enclose a note saying the donation is to be used for Elizabeth Koenig's YWAM missions, do not write my name anywhere on the check. The check can be sent directly to the church at: 12760 Lee Road Hinckley, IL 60520.