Mt. Chirripó

So as I prepared last night and continue preparing this morning to climb the tallest point in Costa Rica; Mt.  Chirripó with three other interns I'm surprisingly not nervous nor afraid; rather, excited.  Be in prayer for safety and wisdom. It is no easy hike; but definitely one to remember!

Standing at 3,820m [12,529']; an 11 mile trail; and 7,000' of vertical elevation gain, this mountain stands as Goliath, and myself David.  I have never done any hiking/ climbing of this magnitude. Questioning whether i an physically fit to endure the grueling task ahead of me, or whether I have the appropriate gear for a trek of this magnitude.

All I know is I will try to enjoy every moment of this experience enjoying God's incredible creation.  Be looking for a few blogs and photos upon my return Monday!

Goliath [aka Mt. Chirripó]:

Ought to be a man.

So last night we had our final Bible study under the topic "Biblical Manhood". Preparation for this study was to come up with a creative way to share the work that God has been doing in our life throughout our time here in Costa Rica.  I thought I would share the poem I wrote:

Ought to be a Man

Life full of purpose,

Life free from the curse.

Consumed man,

Trading truth for lies.

Bearing the worlds image,

Instead of Your image.

The downfall of man.

To live a life of selflessness,

Rather than selfishness.

Of dignity,

Of honor.

Doesn’t take fame in power nor greed nor pride,

But runs after God’s own heart.

That is what a man ought be.

searches for and finds,

fights and wins,

trusts and lives,

loves and sacrifices.

Lets go of the world,

Like David searching

Runs for his life,

Not to be filled with strife.

A servants heart

God planted from the start.

That is what a man ought to be.

Walking in the dust of a savior,

man’s heart truly savors.

Man can do nothing but kneel,

letting God take the wheel.

Sacrifices his life,

So to give another life.

That is what a man ought be.

Cries out to God

That he might be sought,

He utters from the top of his lungs,

Ready for his life to become undone

know me,

see me,

examine me,

test me,

investigate me,

question me,

protect me,

show me,

watch me,

have me,

hold me,

help me,

keep me,

change me,

create in me,

break in on me,

break in on me.

For he knows what a man ought be.

Chooses to love without fear,

It’s alright to shed a tear.

That man is not judged by man,

Nor shall he lift any hand.

For the true judge is the lover himself,

That truly gives of himself.

That is what a man ought be.

Builds a foundation with a cornerstone of Christ,

Leads an example for those who don’t know Christ.

Builds the house on His solid rock,

All starting when Christ went, knock knock.

It is the world that has been mistaken,

It’s by God’s strength he wont be shaken.

Power to lead and love,

Comes only from above.

That is what a man ought be.

So madly in love with you,

He has no fear in what you, the guide, might do.

But commits his life,

Through the peril he’s met.

For life comes from the one above,

And he must truly learn to love.

For love itself is Christ,

And Christ itself is love.

That is what a man ought be.

In him he finds security,

And that is 100% certainty.

That a life without Christ,

Is a life without reason.

I have thanked God for such a miraculous season.

One particular reason.

He thought me,

Then brought me,

And He has taught me,

What a man ought be.

Cienega Update

**Check out update of the building I have been working!! Click here: La Cienega God is good!!**

100-4-20 Project

One month left--it cannot be true!  It is amazing to me that 5 months have already passed by. Wow! That being said I need your help! I have been so blessed by many of you for your prayers and financial support over the past 5 months. It has allowed me to let God work in and through me, no strings attached.  That being said, I am on the home stretch and I am in need of financial support.

The Lord laid the 100-4-20 Project [One Hundered-for-Twenty Project] on my heart the other night when I was asking Him and praying to Him, anxious and worrisome of finances. At the moment I am $2000 shy of my budget.  Your support time and time again has allowed the mission that God has me here in Costa Rica with EMI to take full speed.  Serving the community, partnering with the local church, serving in Mexico and for Amor ministries with the design of Cienega [a new Christian University south of Cancun that will be the seed of Christian education in the Yucatan Peninsula].

The 100-4-20 Project looks something like: 100 people pledging to support for $20.

God says there is power in numbers. I am asking for support and continued prayer from continuing or new supporters that are excited about expanding God's Kingdom.  At first I thought I was a little out there with the idea--but when are God's ideas within the realm of our understanding.  After chatting with a few people of great wisdom in my life, God continued to affirm this prompting on my heart.  I have started pursuing and God has continued to provide.

I am asking, are you willing to give a $20 bill to expand God's Kingdom. Together, can we gather 100 people who are passionate about Christ and the work that He has sent me to in Costa Rica?

Information for sending donations:

- For easy online donations view the "How to Donate" tab at the top and follow the simple instructions.

- Cash: see Address below and include a note stating: For Grant Larsen #2851

- Check:
           > Make donations payable to EMI or Engineering Ministries International
           > Only put #2851 in the memo; DO NOT include my name on the check

Engineering Ministries International
130 E. Kiowa, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

I would love to hear from you if you have questions or just want to hear what God is doing here in Costa Rica.

Shoot me an email! pgrantlarsen.cr@gmail.com

Together, with the power and trust in the faithful provider of our God, much can be achieved.

"...Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hope of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf…"

Hebrews 6:16-20

Contentment.

I once heard that "it is impossible to be content."--At the time, I thought that was a logical statement. How often am I in one place, no matter how cool it is, that I am always planning something ahead. I'm worried about something in the future. I'm trying to figure everything out--distracted from what is in front of me.

For the Christ says in Matthew 6: 25-34:


"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
   “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."


This past week I came down with some kind of sickness--it consumed my whole body.  There was no other place I'd rather be than home.  Soon my perspective change, here, in Costa Rica is home. This is the place the Lord has provided for me. 


                                                                                                              A 'mother' to care for me. 


            A roof over my head [very important during these rainy, rainy days].


Food. 
                                                                             A warm blanket.  


                             Spanish TV [though takes a lot of energy and not worth the trouble when sick].


And soon--there was no other place I'd rather be than right where I was--sick and all.  I was content.  There was nothing more I needed nor wanted.  He provided everything.


Impossible to be content?  I think not.


How often do we miss our blessings because we are caught up in the, 'not yet happened'?


By day 3 I was ready to be back in the office--and when I showed up I was ready to work.  Needless to say, for missing a whole day and half of work--you would never even know.  It is amazing the way we respond and react to the 'trials' that we face daily when we are content in Christ. When we are content and obedient to his call on our life.  Who actually wants to go to work? I DO.  I get to use my gifts, my passions, and abilities to do His work--there is nothing more satisfying than that. I need nothing more and want nothing less.


May we become content and obedient to Christ and gorge on the blessings that come from Him daily.

On the Home Stretch.

What a crazy past two weeks it has been.  With my parents in town, hitting the 2/3 mark of my time here in Costa Rica, and as the work piles up as we try to complete the project by the end of July, it has been a trying period to stay organized, manage time, and get the things that need to get done, done.

My parents came to visit!  What a blessing it was to spend a few days with them and share with them some of the familiarities of my life, right now.  Taking them to 'hole-in-the-wall' restaurants, being their translator, as they do not speak any english, helping them get acquainted with the Latin American culture, are just a few of the fun and exhausting experiences we had.

I had the opportunity to take a day off and travel to Guanacaste, located in Northern Costa Rica.  We went to a few beaches, enjoyed some great fish, went snorkeling, endured a incredible amount of rain [at times 1.5 feet on the roads--which seemed more like rivers], and my dad even spoiled me and got me a surfing lesson!!  As many of you know, I LOVE snowboarding--I can never seem to get away from it--so what better than to try surfing.  I found it to be a difficult task, but take a look--I even got up a few times:

Last Thursday my parents came down to Atenas and my host family had them over for dinner--talk about an exhausting night.  As my host parents practiced a little bit of their english, I was responsible for translating anything that wasn't understood.  It was a blessing to be where I am at with Spanish to be able to have conversations. At times I would start talking to my parents and it would be in Spanish, shortly after realizing that my parents had NO idea what I was saying--embarrassing. BUT, how amazing that I don't even have to think anymore--it has been a huge blessing.

Have reach a conversational level of speaking Spanish, this has allowed for more opportunities to relate with the people throughout the community.  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to accompany a fellow intern and we went out into the park to find someone to strike up a conversation. Simply to talk, get to know them, introduce ourselves and let them know what we are doing here in Atenas.  As we talked with a few people it wasn't as awkward as i thought it would be.  My initial thoughts were of fear, judgement of man, embarrassment. but as we just had conversations with people it was so, comfortable.  We had the opportunity to talk about Christ. Sharing who He is and what He had done in our lives.  My thoughts soon vanished and I cannot wait to go out and do it again. The awkwardness is quickly taken away when the person realizes you can speak at their level--I find this parallel to Paul's statements in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to may win those under the law. To those no having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

As the weeks start rolling into the finish, pray that God would give us opportunities to become like those around us, [not of the world but IN the world] so that we may share the gospel of Christ and its blessings to the community of which we have been put in.

Also, please pray for financial support. As my time comes to an end I still have finances that need to be filled. I have yet to look to the finish line of my work here in Costa Rica and I know that our God provides for whatever we need, wherever He has us, IF we are obedient to Him. If you would like to support Christ's mission that I have embarked on click the "How to Donate" tab at the top and follow 1-2-3. If you would like to do it through mail, contact me [which I would love anyways] and I will help you out with anything needed.

It has been my pleasure to continue sharing with you the work that God is doing here in the Community of Atenas, as well as throughout Central and South America as I serve with EMI to help build hope into people's lives that they might know to come and love the God and Savior for whom I serve so diligently.

In Christ's unfailing and everlasting love,

P. Grant Larsen