Merry Christmas y Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas to all, I do not have a picture for this blog, but I wanted to write and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope and pray that this Christmas season is a great one for each and every one of you. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. 

We are all doing well. We are celebrating Christmas today with almost all of our family. It is fun and loud, but hey, it is family. The kids are running around having fun, and the adults are trying to think and doing stuff on computers. I think there will be a lot of playing games here in a little bit. I know there will be turkey, ham, and all the fixin's. 

Don't forget to celebrate Jesus today. He is the reason for today. One good way is to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. We like to read the Christmas story, speaking of which, I need to go. We haven't read it, yet. I need to make sure that it happens.

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año a todo de nuestro amigos que hablan español. Uds. son muy importantes a nuestra vida. Quisieramos que este Navidad es muy feliz y uds. podrían tener mucho tiempo con su familia. Nosotros estamos aquí en los estados unidos con la familia de Charley. Es muy importante estar con su familia durante la Navidad. Gracias a todos por su amistad y su ayuda en nuestra vida.

Feliz Navid y Merry Christmas,

Charley

Graduation

Well, we finally made it. We have graduated from language which basically means we have learned all we are going to learn here in Costa Rica. Now, we go to Paraguay to continue learning Spanish as we try to adjust to a new life in a new country. Please pray for us as we learn how to live in Paraguay.

Please pray for the kids as, once again, they have to adjust to a new school, new church, new friends, new house, new country, new city, new culture, new food, and new life. As parents, Sherry and I always want to protect our children, but there are some things we cannot keep them from. One of those is growing up. Chariti is now 14. She is an awesome young lady. Please pray that she continues to allow God to work through her. Kaylee is almost 13, and she is amazingly talented. Please pray that God helps us mold her talents to be used for him. Chaz is now 10. He is amazingly gifted in "communication" and love for people. Please pray that God helps us shape this "gift of communication" into something that God uses for His glory.

Graduation came and went so fast. We had an exam the day before graduation. So, there wasn't really time to sit back and reflect. Today, we are in the process of packing and cleaning our apartment. I am taking a break while Sherry is still working. Shh! Don't tell her! Anyway, it is a sad and happy process. We are sad to be leaving great friends and teachers here at Cincel. (I would like to give a shout out to the Ghetto Crew here, you know who you are!) Also, we are excited and happy to be heading out on a new adventure with God.

Why would I say adventure? For me, every day is an adventure with God. Some people have more extreme adventures than others. For example, Sherry is crazy. We went to a National Park here in Costa Rica. There were many trails to choose from, but Sherry chose one that was rough! Again, she tried to kill me! It was muddy, slippery, wet, and we had to climb up and down rocks, logs, and through more mud. Several times, I fell or slipped and caught myself on a branch. But you know what, if we wouldn't have gone on that trail, we would not have see the beautiful view of the ocean that we saw.

An adventure with God might not take you to the jungle or language school in Costa Rica, but I guarantee it will take you places you never thought you would go. Maybe God is challenging you to step out of your comfort zone and take on the nursery at your church, children's church, lead a Sunday school class, start a Bible study group, talk to your co-workers about Jesus, or simply make a meal for a hurting family. All of these adventures will change you life. So, if you want to remain the same, don't do them! But if you want a real adventure, step out in faith and start working for God. I promise you one thing, your life will NEVER be boring.

Blessings,

Charley

Living Word Assembly of God Church in Ontario, New York

I can't believe I forgot to post this blog. I wrote it almost a month ago, but I never posted it. So, I added a little more to it, and I am posting it today.

We had this amazing group of people come to Costa Rica for a week or so. They were on a short-term mission's trip. Some of them went to help build a church that needed a building, badly. Several of them stayed here at the school to work on our apartment.

Before they arrived, our apartments was basically all white. It was nice, clean, and comfortable. However, when they left, the apartment completely changes. It is colorful, bright, and warm. It is more like a home that you feel good about inviting people over to see.

This team is an amazing group of people from Ontario, New York. They are from a church that I would love to visit because of the heart, passion, and love the team members showed to our family. This church, Living Word Assembly of God, must be an amazing place to go to church. If they have people like this team in their church, then they have the type of church that I would love to attend. If you are ever in Ontario, New York for vacation or if you live near there, you need to go and check out this amazing group of people.

Thank you, Living Word, for your dedication to the work God has called missionaries to do. Thank you for making our lives a little more comfortable. Most of all, thank you for being so encouraging and kind to the Mattix family. We pray that God continues to bless you all as you continue to serve Him.

Blessings,

Charley

Zanahoria Grande or Big Carrot

The other day, I went to the feria or market here in San Jose. I should have taken my camera. There was this huge table stacked about two feet high with a bunch of these huge carrots. I bought one just to see if it tasted any good. It was just like a regular carrot, but it was huge.

Chaz thought it was awesome. So, I had him pretend to put it into his mouth while I snapped a picture of it. He couldn't stop laughing.

It's amazing what you can find at the feria. There is this fruit that looks really disgusting, but it tastes really good. When you open it, the fruit (that you eat) inside looks like snot. I'm not kidding! If this type of stuff came out of my son's nose, I would put him on an antibiotic. For me, it is hard to get past what it looks like to eat it. Sherry and Chaz love them. I finally gave in to the peer pressure of Sherry, and I tried it. It really tasted good, but I think I will stick to the pineapples and bananas.

Sometimes, there are things that don't appear to appetizing. In other words, we don't really want to do it just because it seems too difficult, or maybe, it doesn't look inviting. There are things in my life that I thought I could never do. I remember thinking about 12 months ago that there is no way I would every be able to speak Spanish. Well, a little over two weeks ago, I preached my first sermon in Spanish. Was it perfect? No, but God helped me do it, and I actually preached in Spanish. It didn't seem possible. It seemed too difficult, and I knew it was going to take a lot of motivation and hard work. With God's help and a whole lot of patience from my teachers, I can honestly say that I can communicate (a little) in Spanish.

So, if there is something difficult, and let's just say it, ugly that you are facing today, have a little chat with God. Ask for his help and jump right in. Who knows? Maybe you will find it is much better than it first appears.

Blessings to all,


Charley

Trust or Stupidity

We took our last little trip with our Costa Rican friends to Arenal. On the way home, we saw this big, bungee-jumping tower. We pulled over on the side of the road, and I snapped a picture of this guy jumping with a bungee cord wrapped around his ankles. At the bottom, there was a pool of water. He went about waist deep into the water and up and down. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't think I could do this. I don't know if this man had placed his trust (not to mention his life) in the hands of the owners of the bungee cord, or if he was acting with stupidity.

Now, I am not using that word to be mean, and I am not trying to put him down at all. To me, I do not know if I could place my life or the lives of my family in the hands of someone else. I am not afraid of heights, but I am terrified of the landing:)

It made me think of our life here on earth. We can act with stupidity and place our lives and souls in the hands of the owner of the bungee cord of lies, deceit, wickedness, worldliness, false idols, discontent, and disunity. You know the enemy I am talking about. He seeks to destroy our lives through many deceitful ways. Sometimes, he comes at us full force, and we know he is seeking to harm us. Other times, he sneaks up on us by using people to speak into our lives things that can harm our spirit. It's kind of like the bungee cords. You never know for sure if they are going to keep you from hitting the ground. Why place your trust in something that ends uncertainly?

Or, we can place our trust in Jesus Christ. We can place our lives and souls in the hands of the owner and creator of the universe. The creator of unity, truth, love, honor, justice, peace, Godliness, and contentment has made it simple for us to make sure we are safe. You don't need to climb the tower, strap on some unsafe bungee cords, and jump off the tower to find excitement in your life. The only true, pure, and everlasting excitement is a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are not sure, just keep reading our blogs and see what God is doing in our lives. Why not place your trust in Jesus Christ today? Step out in faith and see what He can do in your life and through your life.

Maybe God has asked you to step out in faith and do something you don't think you can do. You cannot do it at all, WITHOUT GOD. Seek God's heart, seek God's face, and let Him work through your life today. Who knows? Maybe you won't need a pool to keep you from hitting the ground because you won't have to jump from a tower to feel excitement.

Blessings to all and Happy Thanksgiving,

Charley

Crazy Faces

Some of you have been wondering what happens to missionaries after almost a year at language school. Well, here is proof that it is not pretty. I think we all feel like this every now and then. If you cannot tell who in the world this is, don't worry, neither can we.

We are almost done, and we will be stepping foot in Paraguay for the first time in less than two months. We are excited and nervous at the same time. We are looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in our lives.

This past year has been tough, and it has stretched us in ways we did not know we could stretch. Sherry and I have actually preached our first sermon in Spanish. It was hard, but it was an awesome experience. It was neat to see our teachers crying. They have done a lot of work in our lives, and they have ministered to us in more ways than just learning Spanish. I will try to get some pictures of all the teachers and post them to our blog.

Thank you to all of you who are praying for us and supporting our ministry. You have made this year a successful one. You are amazing, and we thank God for you every day.

Blessings,

Charley

50th Birthday Party

No, I am not 50 years old, and neither is Sherry. It was the 50th birthday party of our academic director here at CINCEL. His name is Luis Solano. Here in Costa Rica, 50th birthdays are HUGE. There was a big celebration. The teachers catered in food, had a big birthday cake, brought in a string band, and we all joined together to celebrate Luis' birth. It was really a nice time, and he was completely surprised.

There are a couple of traditions that took place. A couple of weeks before, Sherry asked one of our teachers what a traditional gift was for someone turning 50. Here is the tradition. Years ago, a 100 colones bill (the money in Costa Rica) was the color of a roof tile. You can see that color on the edge of the piece of tile painted with a picture of Don Quixote on it. Because of the color of the tile and the 100 colon bill, the bill became known as Teja, which is tile in Spanish. The tradition is that for a 100th birthday someone would paint a tile and give it to you. The gift is called a Teja. For the 50th birthday, it is a tradition to receive a Media Teja, or half tile, painted. So, Sherry had a teacher bring a tile to school, and she broke it in half, painted it, and gave it to Luis for his birthday. He really liked it, and he was pleased that Sherry thought to ask what the tradition was.

One other interesting tradition is the piñata. Now, the reason why I am sharing this is amazing. Many birthdays in Costa Rica include a time for breaking the piñata. Luis, who just turned 50, had never had a piñata for his birthday. So, what do the teachers do? Of course, they buy a piñata, blindfold Luis, and have him hit it until it breaks. It was a lot of fun to watch. He was having a lot of fun, and for the first time in his life, he had his very own piñata.


Remember to take some time, laugh, have fun, and make a memory with your family and friends,

Charley

The Kids Having Fun!

This past week was a fun one for the kids. On Wednesday, October 31, we had a party at the language school for all of the missionary kids. So, all the kids dressed up and had a good time. Kaylee dressed up as a La Liga player. La Liga is the name of a soccer team in Alajuela here in Costa Rica. Chariti dressed up as an Oklahoma Sooners fan (we used 2 rolls of toilet paper for her shoulder pads). Then, Chaz dressed up as an Hawaiian fire dancer.

At CINCEL, we set up a lot of games. Bob & Teresa McKay really worked hard for the kids to have a lot of fun. At each game, they 'won' candy. There was bobbing for apples, go fish, sugar cookie decorating, bite a donut off a string, and coin tossing. Then, all of the older kids had some contests. The final contest was digging for M&M's and Skittles in a plate full of flour. They could only use their mouths. Here are some pictures of what they looked like
after the contest.




I think it looks like they had more flour than they did candy, but they had fun.

Then, on Friday, it was "Crazy Day" at their school. Chaz wanted to have a Mohawk. I don't know what happened to Chariti and Kaylee's hair, but it sure was crazy. Then, they turned their clothes inside-out, miss-matched, and wore different shoes. It was hilarious! I will try to put some more pictures of the kids on our website this week.

Just remember to laugh every now and then,

Charley

Patience and Perseverance

There is a town here in Costa Rica called Sarchi. It pretty much sounds like it is spelled (Sar-chee). It is a neat little town. Here are three pictures of three pretty cool young people. These three missionary kids are depicting a big tradition here in Costa Rica. They are pretending to paint the wheels on a painted cart. Painted carts are a national symbol here in Costa Rica. It looks like it takes a long time to do. I was talking with a gentleman at this place the last time we were there. He is 77 years old, and he has been painting cart since he was 7. He introduced me to his son, grandson, and great-grandson. They were all there painting. He said from start to finish, it takes 7 days to paint one cart. So, you can imagine the work put into each cart. He also told me there is no pattern or stencil made to trace or paint with. It is all done by hand and imagination. What is really neat is that each side is an exact duplication of the other side. I don't know how they do it, but it is really impressive.

I imagine it takes a lot of patience and perseverance. I have been thinking a lot about these two fruits of the Spirit lately. The Spanish language is beautiful, but man is it hard to learn. There are so many words that are close to English, but they are pronounced different. Sometimes, they mean something totally different. It takes a lot of patience (which I am learning) and perseverance. I just keep on keeping on, and eventually, I will be able to speak this language well. That is my goal.

Ministry is another difficult, yet beautiful thing in life. If we call ourselves Christians, then we are also ministers of the Gospel. We represent Jesus Christ wherever we are, at all times, and to a world that desperately needs Jesus Christ. What a responsibility! Sometimes, we get tired, frustrated, or we just don't feel like ministering to people. We don't feel good, and we don't want to show people the true love of Jesus. Well, ministry, just like learning a language, requires patience and perseverance. As we learn to trust in God and to be patient with others and with our self, then we can minister more effectively. Also, if we just keep on keeping on, we can win people to Jesus Christ.

I received an email, yesterday, from a very dear friend here in Costa Rica. His name is Jose Antonio Perez. I have written about him before, but this email really touched my hear and gave me a great deal of encouragement. In the email he writes, in Spanish of course, about our friendship and how much I mean to him. He encourages us by telling us that God is going to give us many blessing in the work we are about to begin in Paraguay. He also told me that I am the friend he never has had here in Costa Rica. Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't feel like I really do that much to deserve such kind words. I do know that this man is like a brother to me. He has helped me, encouraged me, blessed me, taught me, and shown me many things. I would not have had this friend without patience and perseverance. Patience to learn and understand what I know of the Spanish language. Patience in trying to speak it and communicate with Jose Antonio. Perseverance to keep trying even after I fail or mess up with trying to speak. Perseverance in going to their house and visiting even though it takes a long time to get there. Patience and perseverance in developing a friendship that I believe will last a lifetime.

Did this friendship happen overnight? No, just like it takes a long time to paint carts here in Costa Rica, it takes a long time to develop true friendships, especially when you are trying to communicate in another language. With God's amazing grace and help and with a lot of patience and perseverance, I have a new friend. I am really going to miss seeing him every week. Con mucha paciencia y con la ayuda de Dios, yo tengo un amigo nuevo. Él es mi hermano en Dios y yo voy a extrañarlo mucho.

Blessings to all,

Charley

Friendships/Amistades

Friendships are important in life. When we first came to Costa Rica, we did not know anyone. Now, we have several friends from Costa Rica.
On the top left are sisters, Francini (right) and Natalia (left). This picture was taken on Chariti's birthday. Can you believe Chariti is 14 years old now? I know, I cannot believe it, either. The little baby is Fabiana. Isn't she adorable? I am her Gringo Uncle. She loves when I hold her and talke to her. She has me wrapped around her little finger. The picture in the middle is my friend, Randy. I call him "big" brother, and he calls me "little" brother. The picture on the top right is Fiarella. She is the oldest daughter of Francini. Fabiana is her baby sister.

The picture on the bottom left is my friend, Jose Antonio. He has helped me tremendously with my Spanish, and he has taught me a lot about Latin American culture. On the bottom right is one of our teachers and a good friend of ours, Roxanna. She is a riot! We have lots of fun with her and her husband, Jose Antonio. They live in Ciudad Colon, and we visit as often as we can. She can flat-out cook! Wow! We eat more than well when we visit there home. They have three children: Marianell, Jose Andres, and Gabriel. If you would, add their names to your prayer list. They have such big hearts, and they really want to minister to as many people as they can. Their immediate nees are health for their children, money for a micro-bus for taking people around Costa Rica and teaching them about their country, and another prayer request is for their business. There is a piece of land near their home that they would love to purchase. They want to use this land to build a cabin. They want to use this cabin to bless missionaries and students while they live here in Costa Rica.

Friendships are very important in life. Friends help us through tough times. In fact, a true friend loves us when we are ugly and when we are beautiful. A true friend will not kick us when we are down. A true friend will not put us down or build us up too high. These people are examples of true friends, and I am proud to call them my friends. They have blessed our family in more ways than I can count, and we are going to be sad to leave them in a couple of months.

Blessings,

Charley

El Dia de la Independencia

I finally downloaded the picture from September. These pictures are from the 14th and 15th of September. September 15th is Independence Day in Costa Rica. On Friday night at exactly 6:00 p.m., all of Costa Rica stops and sings the national anthem together. If they are in their homes or in the cars, they stop and sing. Then, all of the children gather and parade through the streets with "faroles." The picture on the left is of Chaz and his friend, Gabriel. They both have a "farole." The only word I can think of that can be used to translate "farole," is lantern. The story behind the farole is that on their day of independence, there wasn't any light. So, all of the children lit candles in a farole, or lantern, in order to read the letter of independence from Spain.

The other picture is of Gabriel in the parade on Independence Day. He was playing drums in the parade. Pretty much all of the children are in the parade. If you didn't know before, Costa Rica is one of two countries in the entire world that does not have an army. Our friend, Jose Antonio Perez, told me that this is their army. When I asked him what he meant, he said that our children make up the army of Costa Rica. Our army is education, the schools. The children even greet foreign dignitaries like armies do in other countries. When a foreign dignitary visits Costa Rica, the streets are lined with children welcoming them.

The national pride shown during this time was amazing. It was awesome to see children singing, dancing, and marching through the streets. Chaz was able to take part in this with his friend. He had fun, and he also was able to learn a lot about Costa Rica.

Do not forget where God has placed you. If you live in the United States, give God praise for allowing you to live in a free country like Costa Rica. Democracy and independence are great, but they will not last unless we stand up for them. The best way to stand up for democracy and freedom is on your knees. In Costa Rica, there is an important agreement up for vote this weekend. It is a trade agreement with the United States. In the United States, next year is an important presidential election. Both of these votes could change the future of both of these countries. We all need to get on our knees and ask God for His guidance.

May God bless you! May He keep you safe! May His face shine upon you, and may He give you peace!

Charley

Wow! How beautiful!

I realize it has been a long time since I last posted a blog. It has been busy here as we have begun our last trimester of language school. There is a lot of work to accomplish before we can graduate from language school. We have projects to start, finish, and present (all in Spanish). There are sermons to write and preach (in Spanish). Also, we have been asked to help teach some really neat kids in Ciudad Colon. We will be helping one of our professors teach English in her school. Last Friday, we started, and we really enjoyed it. We hope to be able to go every Friday and help teach.

On Monday nights, we have a dinner with some Costa Rican friends. I believe I have blogged about them before. There names are Randy, Nati, and Francini. We were honored to attend the wedding of Randy and Nati back in May. Anyway, this evening Randy told me that our pastor asked him to ask me if we would talk about missions in church one Sunday morning before we leave. I don't know whether to be nervous or excited. However, I do understand what an honor and privilege this is. If you can imagine what it takes to allow someone who doesn't really speak the language to get up in your pulpit and speak, then you can almost understand the privilege afforded to us.

As you take a look at the pictures above, notice the green frog on the left, and the very colorful frog on the right. Believe it or not, they are one and the same. It is an amazing creation by God. It looks all bland and kind of boring as it rests, but when it moves, it has vibrant colors and really looks amazing. In fact, in order to confuse it's predators, it moves quickly and leaves a ghost-like image in the space that it left. This gives it time to escape and survive.

As I look at the pictures, I think about my life before and after following the will of God upon my life. I was leading (what I thought to be) a good life. I was working for U.P.S. (making good money), and we really could have purchased any thing we wanted to. I was like the bland, boring, green frog on the left. I didn't know it, but my life was pretty slow and lazy. After we began the mission's process with the Assemblies of God, our lives changed forever. No longer do we have a normal, routine, easy day. We are in a foreign (to us) country, trying to learn a difficult language, making new friends, saying goodbye to some friends, trying to learn the METRIC system, and eating all kinds of strange and new foods. Our life, my life, is now much more colorful than it ever has been, and we are just getting started.

What is amazing about God is that He never fails us! He always keeps Him promises. Jesus came to earth and promised us an abundant life. Life is not meant to be lived in a normal, easy, lazy, routine way. I thought our life was awesome, and it really wasn't that bad. Now, I never know what to expect, and I love it. Is it hard? Yes. Is it fun? Yes. Is it worth all of the hard work? Yes. Is it worth the time? Yes. Is it worth giving up a good paying job? Yes.

To follow God is to really live. Am I telling you all to quit your jobs today and go to another country to tell people about Jesus? Yes, only if God tells you to. If you do not feel compelled to move to another country, you can still live for and work for God. Let me give you a quick lesson about missions. If you call Jesus your Lord and Savior, then you are a missionary whether you choose to be or not. How? Jesus is the Lord of your life, and He has told all Christians to GO and PREACH the Good News to all the world. I personally believe that the WORLD is wherever you are at RIGHT NOW! If you live and work in a community, then that community is your mission field. If you are married with or without children, they your family is your mission field as well. If you attend a church (if you don't, I recommend you start this Wednesday), then there is another mission field.

God loves you, and He would love for you to be a part of the team. It's football season, and you cannot score a touchdown if you don't get off the bench. Join the team! Support your local church with your attendance, prayers, tithe, and work! Support your missionaries with your prayers and finances! As a team, we can work together to spread the Amazing Message of God's unfailing love all over this world. Your life can change from a normal, green life to one that is full of color. You can be like the frog above. When you move in the will of God and work for God in YOUR world, you can leave an imprint on this world that will confuse the enemy and spread the love of Jesus.

Blessings to all,

Charley

A Visit from Friends

Last week, we had a visit from a couple of our friends from Ozark, Missouri. We had such a good time. This is a picture of them in Sarchi. Sarchi is a city that has kept alive the tradition of painting carts. i believe there is a picture on our website of an orange painted cart.

Carlos and Karen Aviles have been family friends for over 10 years. In fact, when Sherry and I went on our first mission's trip, Karen was a nurse in the medical clinic, and Carlos was an interpreter. Carlos is from El Salvador. I learned something new about Carlos this trip. I always knew that he was a Christian, but I never asked him about his testimony.

He told me the story of how he was invited to a small Bible study. He went because one of his friends went. Then, John Bueno, our executive director of World Missions, began to talk to him about Jesus. Carlos said that he wasn't interested because he was catholic. John Bueno invited him to his church. Carlos went with his family. At the end of the service, John Bueno was giving the altar call. Carlos' daughter elbowed him and told him to raise his hand. He did, and he went forward to accept Jesus as his Savior.

How amazing that God would use a missionary to reach out to Carlos in El Salvador? How amazing that God would use his daughter to tell him to raise his hand for salvation? Carlos' life, personality, and character are amazing. He loves God, his wife, and he loves to help people. Currently, he works at Cox Hospital in Springfield, Missouri as an interpreter for Spanish-speaking patients. He selflessly gives of himself to help others in whatever way he can. He is a great blessing to our family. Please do not get the idea from this blog that Karen is not a blessing to our family and other people. She is an amazing nurse.

They both travel the world together, reaching out to hurting people. I do not know for sure how many mission's trips they go on each year. I do know they go all over the world. I believe Karen told me they have been to 14 or 15 countries together. Can you imagine the number of lives they have touched? I want to be there the day that they stand in front of our Lord! I can only imagine what that would be like. I don't know exactly what God will tell them. I am guessing it will be something like this: "Welcome home! Welcome home, my good and faithful servants! Enter in to your rest! You deserve it!"

Blessings,

Charley

Two Down, One to Go!

This past Friday, we attended our second graduation ceremony at CINCEL. Several of our good friends graduated and are headed to Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. This picture is of all the faculty and the graduating students. I will try to name them all for you right now: from left to right; Alex, Maria Rosa, Rosita, Nicky, Janie, Paul, Kristi, Caitlyn, Ryan, Vicky, Kate, Guiselle, Yorleny, Lizbeth, Luis, and Roxana.

You can probably tell the graduating students from the professors. Our friends, Nicky & Janie Rider, Paul & Kristi Robinson, Ryan & Caitlyn Jordan, and Kate Freeman all graduated. The Riders are going to Mexico, the Robinsons are going to Colombia, the Jordans are going to Colombia, and Kate is going to Argentina. We will miss them all, but we will remain friends for life. They have all added something special to our lives, and we will never forget them.

To all of you who faithfully support us with your prayers and financial support, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are almost done. We can almost feel and smell Paraguay. Although we are excited about going to Paraguay, we know that we need as much Spanish as possible before we leave Costa Rica. We will be working very hard for the next 4 1/2 months, and then we will be graduating from language school. We could not do this without your prayer and support. Again, thank you so much. Your investment in our lives and ministry will touch many lives in the jungles of Paraguay.

Blessings to you all,

Charley

A Simple Prayer Answered

Here is the blog I promised. A few days ago, I just had a bad day with Spanish. I had not done well in my phonetics class. Then, I had a grammar test that I felt I did really poorly on. As I was running downtown to run an errand, I just felt like I had lost all of the Spanish that I had learned. I couldn't understand a thing the clerk was telling me at the store, and I just was thoroughly frustrated. As I was leaving the store, I asked the gentleman if he would call a taxi for me. He said he would, and I went outside to wait.

Now, here in Costa Rica, it rains pretty much every day. I think it will be this way until about October. Well, on this day, I had at least remembered to bring an umbrella. As I was standing outside, it started pouring. It was one of those rains where an umbrella does not keep you completely dry. My shoes and socks were soaked, and I was getting cold. You may ask why I didn't go back inside. Well, I didn't want to miss the taxi if I didn't wait outside for it.

I was standing there feeling sorry for myself, and I looked up into the rain and said, out loud, "God, if you can hear me and see me, please send a taxi driver I can understand and be able to talk to!" What happened next was amazing!

As I got in the taxi from the pouring rain and told my taxi driver where my home was, I just made up my mind to at least try and practice Spanish with him. He was very patient and seemed really interested in talking with me. Our conversation turned to why we were here. I explained about learning Spanish so we could start a medical clinic in the jungle of Paraguay. His head shot around as he heard this, and he began asking questions like: why? who for? who are we working with? etc.

Well, it turns out that he is a Christian. He attends a Baptist church not too far from our apartment, and his church loves helping the poor kids in their neighborhood. In fact, he gets up early every morning to serve breakfast to the kids and make lunch for them if they don't have any for school. His church believes in feeding, clothing, and ministering to the poor.

As we talked, he let me know that he had been having a bad day. He had a lot of customers that were rude to him, and he had just asked God to please send a Christian along to ride in his taxi. As we pulled up to the apartment, I did not want to get out, and he did not want me to leave. We talked for a few more minutes, and he thanked me for being an answer to his prayers. I thanked him for being an answer to mine. Then, just before I got out, I handed him a prayer card. He promised that he and his family would pray for us. Then, he looked me in the eyes and said, "May God bless you, your wife, and your kids. May He bless your ministry! May many people come to know the Lord as a result of your ministry! May He bless your medical clinic, and may His Holy Spirit lead, guide, and protect your family!"

If you are having one of those days, don't think that God doesn't see or know. Who knows? Maybe he will send someone that needs you just as much as you need them.

Blessings to you all,

Charley

Carts/Carretas

Here are some pictures of three different types of carts. The colorful one is the traditional cart of Costa Rica. These carts were used to take the coffee beans to the different ports for export to other countries. The farmers and indigenous people used them for hauling many things all around the country. There is a lot of pride placed into building and painting these carts. I met a man named Carlos in a town called Sarchi. His grandfather, father, sons, and now his grandsons have all been painters of these traditional carts. Carlos is 75 years young, and he is still working. He and I talked, in Spanish, of course, for about an hour. He was very nice, and he taught me a lot about these carts.

The other picture with the oxen, cart, and the man was taken on a small road near the Peace Waterfalls (Cataratas de La Paz). He was a funny man. He saw my dad taking pictures of him. So, he posed like that for this picture. Then, he waved and smiled as he drove the cart up the hill. It is a "little" different than the traditional carts, but I think it serves the same purpose. It looked to me as if he was heading home from a long day of work.

The other cart was at the Royal Rangers father/son campout. This was the camp workers and leaders cart. This was used to carry around the Roman leader, Caesar. Then, at the end of the camp on Sunday morning, they had a chariot race. This cart became stuck in the mud hole and didn't finish until well after the other carts. It was a lot of fun.

All different types of carts with many different uses. Some for recreation and some are used for working. Just like people! There are many different types of people. Some are hard workers, others like to play a lot, some are a mixture of both, but we are all important in life. There are some people who understand the importance of doing what God has called them to do. There are others who still are trying to figure out what God wants them to do. I do not know all that God wants me to do, but I do know this. He wants me to be ready for when He calls. I strive to hear the voice of God! I strive to be ready for the times He wants me to do something.

To hear about a time when God answered a simple prayer of two men from two different countries and two different languages, then be sure to read the next blog: A Simple Prayer Answered!

Blessings to all,

Charley

A THIEF IN THE JUNGLE

Hello again! This post is a different kind of story. Last weekend, we had a three-day weekend. So, we took advantage of the opportunity, and we took a trip. We went to an area of Costa Rica called Manuel Antonio. It is about four hours from the language school in San Jose. We really had a good time.

One of the reasons for this trip was to take a final big trip with a couple who have become really good friends of the family. Their names are Nicky and Janie Rider. They are missionaries to Mexico. They will be leaving language school in a little over a week and head off to Mexico. Also, we invited our friends, Randy and Nati, to come with us. They agreed, and we spent a couple of days together playing games, eating lots of food, going to the beach, and practicing our Spanish with them. If you do not remember these two people, then here is a reminder. They are our Tico friends who come over once a week for dinner to help us with Spanish. Also, they are the same friends that invited us to their wedding. What an honor!

The two pictures above are the reason for this blog. The place we stayed at was not enclosed. The bars on the windows kept humans out, but it did not keep our little friend here out of the house. He, and his buddy, ran across our roof, down the other side, in the kitchen window, and he stole a banana. (I think he has done this before) Anyway, it was a sight to see. I can be pretty sure when I mention that most of you have not had this happen to you in the States.

We had a good time just getting away from it all. The kids enjoyed the beach and seeing all the animals at the National Park. Here are some pictures of some of the animals we saw:
WHITE-FACED MONKEY













RACOON













CRAB (Look at the colors on this one)

Traditional Dance

Last Wednesday evening, we had the privilege of being invited to a celebration for Guanacaste Day. This is a day that Costa Rica celebrates every July 25. It is a day to remember the annexation of one of Costa Rica's provinces. The name is Guanacaste.

This picture is Gabriel, the youngest son of one of our teachers, Roxanna. He is doing a traditional dance from Costa Rica. Gabriel is 10 years old, and he has become a friend of Chaz'. In fact, the entire family has become close friends. When my mom and dad were here, Roxanna invited us to her home for dinner. They are a really neat family with big hearts.

It is there desire to help as many people as they can with whatever they have. Roxanna's husband, Jose Antonio, has told me that their desire is to purchase a microbus (basically a large passenger van). The reason they want to buy one is to be able to take students to different places in Costa Rica and learn more about Latin American culture. Jose Antonio also was dancing and teaching about the cultural dances. He desires for students to not only learn the language, but he really desires for them to learn his culture. He wants students to understand Latin Americans and the way of life here in Costa Rica. He also wants to keep the traditions alive so that others, in the future, will learn about what life was like in the past.

It was a great night! The dances were beautiful and they taught us a lot about Costa Rica. In fact, during one dance, all of the dancers came off the stage and grabbed a bunch of us up on the stage to dance. I didn't know what to do! I do not have any rhythm. Sherry did really well. I think she could really learn some traditional dances. Who knows? In Paraguay, the girls might learn some traditional dances and show them when we come home for itineration.

We hope and pray that you are all doing well. Every now and then, we receive emails or updates from the States about someone going through an illness, injury, or a tough time. Please be reassured that you have a missionary family praying for you. We know and understand the power of prayer. If you have a need, or you would just like to ask a question or update us on how you are doing, please drop us an email or give us a call.

Blessings to all,

Charley

Visiting Parents

The last couple of weeks have been very busy. As I announced on our last blog, I was going to write several blogs and post them. Well, I did write several blogs, but I failed to save them. Now I have figured out how to set the automatic save. Hopefully, there won't be anymore mistakes like those. I am planning on posting some more this week. So, please keep checking back.

My parents flew into San Jose, Costa Rica on July 9th and stayed for 10 days. This is a picture of them with our kids at the Cataratas La Paz, the Peace Waterfalls. The river is called La Paz, and in this area it has a lot of waterfalls, hence the name.

Anyway, we had a really good time. My dad loves to take pictures as well. So, between the two of us, we have a lot of pictures. I hope to get some more posted on our website soon.

During my parent's visit, we went all over this country. Well, not entirely, but we went a lot of places. They were able to visit the volcano, Arenal, downtown San Jose, Cartago, Alajuela, Heredia, Puntarenas, and many other locations. My dad's favorite part of the trip (besides spending time with the grand kids, of course) was the time the entire school went to Cafe Britt. Cafe Britt is a place that makes coffee. They harvest the cherries, separate and classify the beans, roast, package, sell, and deliver them to stores. It was a neat experience, and my dad, being a coffee-lover, loved the entire time we were there. I enjoyed it as well, and I learned what a really good cup of coffee really tastes like. The picture on the right is Sherry holding some seeds that can be planted, and if they are watered, fertilized, and have the correct temperature, you might have 25 pounds of coffee per year starting 4-5 years after you plant them.

Anyway, we really enjoyed our visit, but we miss them greatly. It was hard saying, "Good-bye" at the airport. When you think about, we are not promised tomorrow. So, will we ever see them again? I sure hope so, but if not, then we have tremendous memories. My dad is fond of saying, "Go make some memories!" I think he is wise in saying that. It is important to make some good memories with the ones you love.

Go make some good memories today with your family and friends,

Charley

Retreat to Arenal

Hello everyone! Sorry it has been so long since our last post. I will be writing several posts in the next few days. So, hopefully, I will get you all caught up on what is going on in the lives of the Mattix gang.

This picture is at Arenal. Sherry and Chariti, two beautiful young women, posed for this shot as the clouds moved away from the top of the volcano, Arenal.

We went to Arenal for a yearly retreat that the school, CINCEL, has, and it was really nice. The entire school went, and we had a really good time. We rested, a little, and then, we had several different training sessions. It was a good time of getting away from Spanish and spending a few days getting to know the other missionaries better.

Sometimes, we need to "get away" and allow God to speak to us. Now, I am not suggesting you need to get away from your family to hear from God. What I am saying is that we all need some time in our week to spend with God. How else are we going to hear from Him. We must have time to spend with Him.

Today, in chapel, a pastor from Texas spoke about staying connected to the power source. His illustration had to do with the jaws of life that firemen or rescue workers us to help recover people who are trapped in their cars after a wreck. He explained that one time, he and his partner were working to get a young person out of a vehicle. He heard his partner fire up the generator, the power source, but the jaws-of-life would not work. He looked back and saw that the power cords were not plugged in to the power source.

He went on to explain that many people in the church come every week and hear the power source. They know the power source is there, and they see Him working in other people's lives. Yet they don't feel like God is working in their lives. You know what? Maybe, we should stop and make sure we are CONNECTED to the power source.

So, today, take some time to check your power cords. Are they plugged in to the power source?

Blessings,

Charley
Don't forget to check out our website. As soon as I figure out what is wrong with my Adobe Acrobat PDF maker, I will post our newsletters.

Volcano "Eruption"

Here is another picture of the volcano, Arenal. This past weekend, the entire group of students at CINCEL went to Arenal for our yearly retreat. We stayed at Hotel Paraiso. It was a nice place with a great view of the volcano. A few times over the weekend, the clouds parted, and we were able to see the volcano. During one of those times, the volcano "burped" or had a small eruption. This is a picture of it a few seconds after it happened.

This was the first time we actually were able to see a volcano "erupt." The feeling of being so close to a live volcano is interesting. I don't know if I would call it fear, but you definitely think about how to get out of there if it would really erupt.

The retreat was good for us. We got away for a couple of days, and we attended classes on Conflict Resolution and Personal Communication skills. Now, you might be thinking, why would missionaries need this kind of training? Well, for one thing, it is much different communicating here in Latin America than in the U.S. Also, when several leaders get together and work in the same country or region, there can be communication problems or misunderstandings. This retreat gave us some tools on how to communicate and work through any personal issues that might present themselves.

I am reminded of how important it is to communicate to each other. We need to let each other, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, know about our needs, answered prayers, struggles, joys, valleys, and mountaintops. The more we tell each other about what God is doing in our lives, the more we can build up the faith of the body of Christ. It is very important to communicate our needs to one another, but I also think it is just as important to communicate the triumphs in our lives.

Yesterday, in prayer chapel, I was leading the prayer time. Every Friday, we write needs and prayer requests on the board, and all of the students join together to pray for these needs. I really felt like God wanted us to share what He has done in our lives. So, for the first 10 or 15 minutes, we went around the room sharing answered prayer requests that we had been praying for. It was an amazing time of sharing with each other. Then, after we praised God, we took each others burdens to the Lord. We laid hands on everyone who had a need, and we prayed for them. It was a sweet time in the presence of the Lord.

Take time today, and this weekend, and think of the things God has done for you this past year. Thank Him and give Him praise for working in your life. Also, take some time to encourage your brothers and sisters. Let them know what God is doing.

Blessings to all,

Charley

What Kind of Trees are These?

I have a question for everyone. We walk by these trees quite frequently, and I have always wondered what they were. They look very interesting, and the feel really soft and mushy.

DOES ANYONE KNOW THE NAME OF THIS KIND OF TREE?

If you do, please post a comment about it. I sure would like to know what kind of tree it is. Every time I walk past them, I wonder what they are. They are very different than any tree I ever saw in the United States. If you have any information, please let me know.

Blessings to all,

Charley

Toucan

Good morning, afternoon, or evening (whichever time you are reading this)! It is 7 a.m. in San Jose, Costa Rica, and I have been up for over an hour. I know this is not "early" for a lot of you, but I would much rather sleep in until the last possible minute. Here, it is almost impossible to sleep past 6 a.m. because of the variety of birds, and the early rise of the sun. We have several birds that decide to wake us up around 4 a.m. The national bird is called: Yiguirro. The "y" is pronounced like a "j," and you can take a guess (like me) how to pronounce the rest. All I know is that it is one loud bird, and it likes to hear itself talk.

The picture on this blog was taken at a place called "Cataratas La Paz" or The Peace Waterfalls. It is a beautiful place with lots of wildlife and waterfalls. This toucan is found in the rain forests of Central and South America. Take a look at the bright vibrant colors on this bird. Isn't it amazing?

We have seen so many different and beautiful species of birds here in Costa Rica. I can only imagine what we will see in Paraguay. As I reflect on the variety of birds here, I cannot help but think about how amazing God is. This past week has been difficult, yet rewarding. New themes, new vocabulary, new verb tenses, and many other things have added to the stress of trying to communicate in Spanish. Yet, among all this, God still meets us here. In Spanish chapel this past Wednesday, the director of the Costa Rican Assemblies of God Bible School preached from Philippians 4:6,7. Let me quote it here from the NIV, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

This past week, I was really beginning to "worry" or become anxious about whether or not I am going to be able to communicate in Spanish. My personal struggle is the VERBS. Will I ever be able to master the different verb tenses and uses? For example, there are 5 different verbs just for "to be." How am I going to be able to speak?

The director talked about worry or anxiety, and how it does not do anything good for a person, spiritually or physically. He talked about praying and giving thanks for stress in your life. By praying and thanking God for the worries in your life, you are allowing God to work in your life. When we immediately give everything, everyday, to God, then the peace of God takes over and controls our every thought, our every purpose, our entire being, and our entire walk with Him. The "peace of God, which transcends all understanding," what a statement.

How do we get this peace? By prayer and petition with thanksgiving, presenting our requests to God: WE ASK FOR IT!

Will there never be fear or anxiety in our lives again? Yes, but when we start to feel anxious or worried about something, we just have to give it to God. Pray, and ask the Author of Peace to fill your life with peace. He is faithful and just to give you His eternal peace.

May the Lord make His face to shine upon you today, and may He bring peace into your life,

Charley

Father Son Campout

Greetings to all! We just returned to San Jose from the jungle for another ministry opportunity. We went for the Exploradores del Rey Father and Son Campout. Don't let the name fool you! There were a lot of fathers and sons there. The theme of this camp was Roma (Rome). Cesar was there along with his soldiers. It was really an interesting camp.



The first night of the camp, as the kids were coming of the bus, we had an attack on Rome. There is a picture showing a catapult launching something on fire. Yes, we launched flaming coconuts (that's me drinking coconut juice on the left) at the attackers. No, we did not hit anyone. They were 200 yards away, and the catapult (when it worked) only launched the coconuts 50-75 feet. It was fun for me to play with a catapult. I do not know if we could do this in a church parking lot in the U.S, though. Yet, it served it's purpose to really get the boys attention.

During the day on Saturday, a Roman soldier kept going around to all the boys to try and get them to drink "beer." It wasn't really beer, but the boys did not know it. He kept talking to them about how Cesar was the god above all gods, and it was interesting to hear what the boys were saying to him. They kept witnessing to this Roman soldier.

That night, there was a service at the amphitheater. Pictured here is Cesar with his Roman soldiers. The soldier on the left (not the boy sneaking in the picture-MK Jonathan Dallagher) came off the stage and into the audience and started talking to a Royal Ranger commander about Jesus. Then, he knelt and gave his heart to the Lord. The boys and dads all cheered.

Cesar appeared and figured out that he had become a Christian and had him "beheaded." The boys learned how to stand up for their faith and what they needed to be able to contend for their faith in Jesus Christ. Many came forward to give their hearts to Jesus, rededicate their lives, or to seek the in-filling of the Holy Spirit. It was an amazing time at the altars. I have put more pictures from the camp on our website: www.mattixfamilynews.com.

Here are some more pictures of the kids. There is a picture of Chariti with her new friend, Naomi. She is a really sweet girl. She ran around with us for most of the weekend. Also, Sherry was the camp nurse. She took care of a boy that had cut his head open on a low-hanging tin roof. He had to be taken into town to get some stitches and a tetanus shot. The rest of the time, she mostly had to pass out Tylenol for headaches. She was a good nurse, and she was able to talk with a lot of people.

This camp was better than the last in one major aspect: I understood most of what was going on. So, I guess I am learning Spanish here. It was fun to listen and talk with a variety of people. God is really helping our family learn Spanish.

Blessings to all who read this,

Charley