Transitions

The weeks fly by, and we still feel like we live in transition mode. Primarily in the health department, but in every other way as well.

Kevin's physical therapy continues very well. He generally uses a cane to get around, but he can walk without it. The gait still needs improvement as the muscles in that leg strengthen, and it's happening!

Pray for our transitions at school, where Kevin and Tia work together in the directorship (and Tia teaches twelve classes per week). Pray for the students there and the teachers. As you can imagine, our school revolves around transcience -- kids coming and going, some teachers coming and going, and currently our secondary math teacher, Val Wood, is on medical leave in the states--please pray for her.

Check out our photos on http://picasaweb.google.com/Tialrreilly from our culture day program. (Pictured here: Abby Graef, ABWE mk-er from first grade, representing Venezuela)

Please pray, too, for ABWE team efforts and for church where we continue to need larger facilities.

Five months plus a day!

We are very excited! Five months and one day after the amputation in late April 2008, Dr. Dino Cozzarelli fitted Kevin for his new lower leg and foot (Dr. Dino's site: http://www.protesisavanzadas.com/).

Kevin spent all day on Friday at the offices there in Alajuela, Costa Rica (another city on the other side of the capital). In the morning a mold was made and by the afternoon he was walking with crutches, and even with just one crutch.

He feels so much better and more secure in getting around. We are just so happy to be at this point, and PRAISE THE LORD!

Also, this week, Tara celebrated her 14th birthday. We also received a note from the family which Katy is helping in Honduras--she is doing very well and an excellent job. We'll see her at
Thanksgiving.

Reilly Ps&Ps – August 2008

(Praises and Prayer requests)

 The summer has flown by, and now school starts up with the busy-ness of school and other activities, we remember the words of II Corinthians 4:5-6:  For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

 It is not about us and what we are busy with—it's about the message we were commissioned with.

 We praise the Lord for the continued healing of Kevin's leg—it's so much better now.  Although it has taken a long time to heal, we have seen a phenomenal change over the summer.  We will soon be at the next step in the process—the shrinking of the residual limb—and after that the temporary prosthetic. 

 We need prayer for wisdom in knowing which part of the process should be done in the States and which should be done in Costa Rica.  Still in Ohio, Kevin has two more appointments in these next ten days, which may help us answer some of these questions, and we are also waiting for complete approval for funds to be approved through the VA's Foreign Medical Program (FMP) in Costa Rica.  We do want to be all together again – SOON. 

For our Costa Rica ABWE team, we continue to request prayer for various projects underway, and toward recent meetings regarding strategy.  Please pray specifically for the churches:  Iglesia Bautista Impacto Vida Nueva, Iglesia Bautista El Camino, and Iglesia Bautista Roca Viva.  (The names don't sound quite as good in English, but translated they are New Life Impact Baptist Church, The Way Baptist Church, and Living Rock Baptist Church.)

This week, Sojourn Academy starts up in full swing.  Please pray for

• The new teachers and student teacher:  Gary, Kim, Kate, Tricia, and Kim (yes, two "Kim's"
  
• The new missionary students starting up language school and for their children to whom we minister – 67 new mks start on August 27, all the way from cradle to 12^th grade.
  
• All of us ministering together—lots of details to manage, and lots of unknowns to face.
  

 
 

Praise the Lord for

• Safety throughout Katy's summer of work in Illinois – now she's off to minister in Honduras.
  
  
• Kevin's continued healing.
  
  
• Sean and Christina's adaptation to not getting married this summer and continued growth in their relationship
  
  
• Colleen and Tara continue to minister at church with children of varying ages
  
  
• Tia's graduate coursework over the summer:  it was very interesting, but she's still got about a third of the home projects to complete.
  
  
• Successful summer camp program at Sojourn—thanks to all the work that the team here put together while we were gone.
  

With faith in Him,Kevin, Tia, Kaitlyn, Colleen, Tara

Psalm 37...Rest in the Lord

Wait patiently for Him.

We know how easy it is to get caught up with the demands of life--the busy-ness of life. Don't let your list of things-to-do determine your priorities. Realize that your priority is resting, waiting on the Lord and let everything else filter through that fact.

Andrew Murray said, "The power of the world, the spirit of its literature [media], the temptations of business and pleasure, all unite to make up a religion in which it is sought to combine a comfortable hope for the future with the least possible amount of sacrifice in the present."

Instead, "Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated on the right hand of God." Colossians 3:1

I'm Back

After you live in a foreign country you began to not see the differences . . . pretty soon, it's just home, perhaps with some twists, but not really differences.

Then you return to that passport world of yours, try to feel-at-home in what used to be so familiar. That takes a few weeks, and then wham, you leave again.

Now I land back in Costa Rica--and believe me, "landing" takes a few days. But what I do see suddenly are the differences: a palm tree in my courtyard, walls and gates around every home, men pushing their fresh fruit juice carts along the streets, others walking their horses, bright pink or orange or orange house facades, parrots flying overhead in flocks, and rain every day for a few hours!

Now I know I am home.