Due to this site being difficult to use and very limiting on what we can do we are moving to
http://splechters.com/. Please feel free to sign up for email updates at the bottom of the page. We will continue to post our blog on Facebook. But if you would like to keep up with all that is going on, visit our site for updates on our calendar and check out our short videos.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Simple Service
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
The thought of growing up without a place to live and parents is a scary idea. However, for many children here it is a reality. There are many children living in the streets of Costa Rica without parents. These children resort to living however they can. The need is great and some of there stories are overwhelming. A man, I call Pastor Steve, was a missionary here at one time. Now he lives in Birmingham, AL and is a minister there. While living here in Costa Rica, he had no thought of moving back to the states. However he felt as though God was calling him there and maybe for this very purpose. Although he moved back he was still broken for the children of Costa Rica and felt real conviction to act. So God placed certain people in his path and he is now undertaking the construction of a christian orphanage.
We were privileged to work with a church from the U.S. in constructing an orphanage. God says when we look after orphans it is considered a pure and faultless act. This group of men and women were absolutely servants of God. They dedicated themselves to selfless service that was back breaking as well as physically and mentally tiring. There were days of non-stop rain coupled with cold weather and long hours. However, there were no complaints simply service. God has called us to this type of service. There is no time for complaint. What is there to complain about? After all, the wage of sin is death. This is what we all deserve, but God has granted us grace. Grace enough that we could even partner with him in his ministry. Serving God is not easy, however we do this out of love for what he has done for us. Not seeking praise but only for him to be praised. Things can get rough, but when you can look and see the heavenly vision all things of this world pass and we can see him clearly. All of our wants fall to the will of him and only then can we be like minded. These were the qualities I saw in these people. May God bless them for their acts of selfless service.
These are our prayers at this time that we ask you be in prayerful partnership with us. First, we have more students for the training school in August! Pray for them and for God to speak to them as they seek him out. For many of these students this can be a life altering experience. So be in prayer that they will seek his will in their lives. Second, God is opening doors for us to take the Multiply material to many churches here. Pray for guidance and how to partner with these churches so that he is most glorified. Lastly, God is opening other doors that we are praying about. Please pray for continued guidance in how we respond to these doors and how we are to partner with these opportunities. Also pray for us here that we are bold and never fail to show and speak the word boldly. We want to glorify him in all that we are. Thank you so much for your partnership with us. We appreciate each one of you that takes the time to read what God is doing in our part of the world. The phone calls, letters, emails, Facebook messages, Skype calls, and words of encouragement do not go unnoticed! We appreciate them all!
Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Thanks for your continued support and prayers! We really appreciate all of it.
If you would like to contact us, you may do so by phone: 011-506-2269-7711, email: ksplechter23@gmail.com or splechter1@hotmail.com, Facebook: shaun patrick splechter or kimberly knapp splechter
If you would like to donate financially, you may visit feedthecrave.org
Our mailing address in Costa Rica is:
apdo 44-3011
Heredia Barva
Sunday, March 29, 2015
GOD IS GREAT AMONG THE NATIONS
God is good and always faithful! The first mission training school is coming to a close. I can’t say enough about how it has been a blessing to watch the Lord grow in Dominique’s life. Not everything has been perfect. There have been times of frustration and times of utter amazement of what God is doing in and among us. As Dominique leaves Costa Rica on the 31st for the States, his stay there will be short. He will be finishing up his internship in Effingham at Christ’s Church. At the end of May, he will be headed to Brazil to play football. However, God has opened doors for him to do ministry there, in the team as well as the church. So in the coming months, please be praying for Dominique. Pray for strength. Pray that he stays close to the Lord and that football does not become his idol, but God stays first in his life.
Teams are beginning to come more frequently. Soon we will be very busy with teams and preparing for teams. This is a time of year that everyone is stretched with the busy schedule, fatigue, hunger, hot weather, long drives, and close living quarters. Who said being a disciple of Christ was comfortable? Through these times we see our savior come to life in many different ways. Please be praying for the teams that will be coming and for God to show himself to them while on mission here.
In the midst of all that is happening here, this scripture is on my mind.
Malachi 1: 10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
God wants our best our very best. Not only does he want it he demands it. In this scripture he says if your not going to give me your best, which is what is due, just close the doors of your temple, because my name is great among the nations. There are people who get who God is and that he deserves our best. We should not sing or do anything out of routine. God has not asked us to practice religion. He has asked us to live as a living sacrifice for him. Give to God our best so that God will accept our offerings and be pleased with our worship. God deserves all of us. Who are we to think he will be pleased with the scraps that we have left over?
Let’s vow to give God our best in every aspect of our lives. FOR OUR GOD IS GREAT AMONG THE NATIONS!!
Its always special when a family member or friend comes with a team, but extra special when your brother comes and has the privilege of sharing the message!
In LaBarra, trying to catch fish for supper!
Dominique with his college roommate Tim!
Laying hands on and praying for Dominique before his college team returns to the States and he remains for the mission training school.
A team from Effingham preparing school supplies for a week of school giveaways! Just in time for the first day of school! Thanks to all who sent supplies! It was greatly appreciated!
This is a 16 year old girl named Stephanie! No one in her family has made it this far in school. Please be in prayer for her. Her mom said she is a fighter and she just wants her to get a good education.
Stephanie’s family members. They were so excited to get their school supplies!
Feeding the homeless in the park and showing the love of Christ. Praying for God to break the bonds of drugs, alcohol or whatever there needs are.
Thanks for your continued support and prayers! We really appreciate all of it.
If you would like to contact us, you may do so by phone: 011-506-2269-7711, email: ksplechter23@gmail.com or splechter1@hotmail.com, Facebook: shaun patrick splechter or kimberly knapp splechter
If you would like to donate financially, you may visit feedthecrave.org
Our mailing address in Costa Rica is:
apdo 44-3011
Heredia Barva
40201 Costa Rica
Sunday, February 15, 2015
The New Year
The New Year
It is hard to believe that we have started a new year
here in Costa Rica. I want to look over
some of the past year and give thanks to God for what he has accomplished. Although my family and I are here, you must
know that it is not us doing the work but God acomplishing his mission through
us. This past year has been hard for us
to adjust and find our place in this culture.
We are far from our family and many times far from our comfort
zones. However, we rest in the fact that
we are following the call. God has not
called us to live in comfort or stability, but to wrecklessly abandone
ourselves to him. He states in Luke
14:26 says "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life such
a person cannot be my disciple. It does
not literally mean to hate but we must love Christ more. So as we follow this truth we rest in the
fact that God is with us and will provide our every need.
First I
want to thank our supporters for over the last year you have made this ministry
possible. I am so glad that we have the
supporters we do. When we were able to
come home for Christmas, our fellowship with you was a true blessing from God. Being overseas is not a glamorous life and it
has its ups and downs. Our trip home was
refreshing and encouraging. Thank you
for your support!! As we work here we keep your ministries in our prayers as
well. May God continue to bless you
though our partnership like he has blessed us.
Before
we came home we were able to partner with two churches in Siquirres. We were able to provide a leadership ministry
through Multiply. It is a discipleship training book by Francis Chan and
David Platt. It was such a blessing to
work together in these churches and partner with what God was already doing
there. We drove 3 hours one way twice a
week to be with the churches in Siquirres for 3 months. What joy we had watching them grow in
knowledge and how they thirsted for the gospel.
When the time came for graduation everyone was excited including
us. We were so proud of our brothers and
sisters and how much work they had put into this program. And when they received there certificate of
completion words will never express the gratitude they had. If this was a mere program I would not have
enjoyed it near as much. What we need to
understand is this was life changing events and revelation of what God has
called them to be. The opportunity we
had in partnering with them was a pleasure.
We were able to build relationships with people that grew real loving
God centered relationships.
We now
have our first student for the mission training school. His name is Dominique. What a joy he is to
have. He has an infectious laugh and an
attitude of in awe! He is already talking about what he feels God is calling
him to do and where. I hope you will
pray with us for this young man and the up and coming decisions to be
made. We are only a few short weeks into
the internship, but I can see God working in his life as well as ours. Continue to pray for this school that God is
glorified through it and that his will is done in it.
GOD Bless you all, The Splechter Family
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