Ron and Jeanie Burgin
Campus Crusade for Christ
Latin America and the Caribbean
http://www.burgin-costarica.blogspot.com/
One step forward . . .
Dear Friends,
Greetings from San Jose, Costa Rica! When I wrote to you last month, I shared our plans for the fall and some of our travel schedule. We moved through September pretty much as expected: Ministry is growing here. We went together to Jamaica and had a great time ministering to our staff there. I went to Orlando for a meeting of our Global Operations Team. Jeanie continued her recovery from hip surgery, and was walking better every day with less pain.
Two weeks ago, things changed considerably. We were both at the office with our colleague Sebastian. Around 9 am Jeanie stepped out of the office to go down the hall use the rest room. Unbeknownst to her, the cleaning lady had just wet-mopped the porcelain tile floor outside our office. She took just a couple of steps and then took a very hard fall onto the floor. We could hear Jeanie’s scream. The security guard was there in the hallway and saw her fall and ran to get us. He also fell on the way.
After a trip to the emergency room, we are happy to report that she only suffered a severe pulled hamstring and no damage to the hip implant. God was definitely with her as she slipped down the hallway!! She had a LOT of pain, but she is improving day by day. We are so THANKFUL to God for His care for Jeanie, that she has suffered no long term injury.
By the way, last week she insisted on returning to the Bible Study she is leading, and this week she is back to the full schedule (just a little slower :)
- Please join with us in praying for Jeanie's complete recovery
At our Global Operation Team meeting. I'm not sure what I was so happy about :)
Global Operations Team
I had a great time in Orlando with the Campus Crusade Operations leaders from the 13 geographic areas around the world. I, of course, represented Latin America and the Caribbean with 28 countries.
Our new Operations Vice President, Erik Butz, worked for a dozen years as a missionary in East Asia. He has a heart to see effective operations to support our missionaries in all areas and countries. Here are the three goals he laid out before us:
- Powerful Teams – All areas have powerful Area Operations Teams fulfilling a common purpose.
- Core Systems: The right accounting, database and measurement systems are in place and operating effectively in all national and area offices.
- Leading with Information – All of our national ministries are using financial reports and ministry statistics to set goals and measure results.
I don’t mean to give you too much of the nuts and bolts, but rest assured, to the degree we reach these goals, our missionaries will be powerfully equipped to connect more lost people to Jesus.
Thanks for praying for my trip and your continued prayers for our ministry!!
Our daughter Patty, son-in-law Luke, with Caroline and Anna Kate.
A visit from family
We have been here for nearly two years, and our only visit from family has been our son Andrew (who we are always thrilled to receive). This month our daughter Patty, son-in-law Luke, Anna Kate and Caroline Tolbert came for a long visit! It has been great to show them around Costa Rica!
We spent five days in Cahuita on the Caribbean coast - our favorite place! The national park there is like an open air zoo with monkeys and sloths and, well, the list is too long. The girls loved every minute, and we loved every minute with them! We're hoping to see more grandchildren (and their parents) here next year!
Here is a link to some photos from our time in Cahuita with the kids
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:33-36
