Just Another Day in The Jungle

It’s been a little over a month since I arrived to my new home here in the jungle and I find my new norms humorous at times. Like living in a cabin by myself and being awakened by the symphony of birds at 5am, opening my front door to find horses in my front yard, ducking under a barbed wire fence to go running on a gravel path through the middle of a jungle, watching iguanas fall from the trees and skimmer into a pile of leaves, showering with a cup cause the shower head is broken, constantly wiping off the dirt from the sink and toilet that falls from the termite tunnels on the ceiling logs above, walking a quarter mile to the missionaries’ house for my meals, working in a chocolate factory, having a schedule but no two days are ever the same, being in a constant state of sweating, constantly fighting off ants from everything, being driven down to my cabin at night from the missionaries’ house so I don’t have to walk back in the dark, and falling asleep at 8:30 to the sound of geckos talking to each other across the cabin. I have truly been so content and blessed to have my own casita and the Lord has surrounded the cabin and land with His protection and peace. Excluding the first couple nights, I’ve never been afraid at night and have been sleeping super well. I’ve also become a morning person again which I love and have been enjoying going for early runs or doing some floor exercises each day. 

Progress on the Women and Children’s home, which has officially been named Dorcas, is being made day by day. A week ago they started laying tile, and are almost finished with the electric and plumbing. Once the flooring is finished we can start on the fun things! The men from the Teen Challenge center have already been working for several weeks making window frames and doors. I’m excited to start moving furniture in and making it a home. So much still needs to be done before we expect to open the first of November and it seems like the amount we need to raise to furnish the house is impossible but we serve a God of the impossible. That’s His specialty. There are obvious things that the house must have before it opens like beds, basic furniture items, tables and chairs, clothes for birth to 5 years, nursery items, kitchen appliances, basic office supplies, etc. In a recent meeting I had with the missionaries I am working with, we discussed future projects for the home after it opens including a covered playground area, office, outdoor sitting area, and even separate homes on the property as the center grows. All of those things take finances, hard work and time to make them a reality. I have the blessing of being here on location to give my part in manual labor and time but the finances are limited. This is where the body of Christ comes in to make this possible. There is so much need in the world not just internationally but within our own country, our own churches, and families. But God is on the move everywhere. I know for me it was hard at first to discern where the Lord wanted me to serve and when He finally gave me the answer “Teen Challenge in Costa Rica” I almost wanted to put up a fight. Costa Rica is a fairly well reached country with somewhat decent and stable economics and government. However, if God can use me here then that’s where I want to be and where I know I need to be and while I am here I want to give everything I can. Use every gift, every ability, every resource so that when I leave, the ministry can continue to effectively reach people for decades and decades on. I’ve seen first hand how the Lord has used Teen Challenge to literally take men and women living on the streets, eating from garbage cans, smoking x, y and z substances, drinking themselves into oblivion, following the flesh in any and every desire and lead them into the Kingdom of God. Taking the sick, broken, forgotten, abused, ashamed and turning them into soul winning Pauls and Mary Magdalenes.  

Most of the leaders at the centers are graduates of the Teen Challenge program. The discipled making disciples. What Teen Challenge does works because its focus is Jesus, its textbook is the Bible and its psychology method is scripture memory. I feel so privileged to help lay the ground work of a new center that will focus on ministering to women with young children and leading them to the cross of Jesus. If you know anything about me, you know I highly value family, I love working in and around the home and my family calls me the baby whisperer. I’ve grown up learning all the in’s an out’s of how to run a household well. Thanks mom! However, if all I ever get to do during my time here in Costa for this center is pray over the land and use the resources that are provided to prepare this home to receive women that would be enough. God doesn’t need me to do anything but He’s allowing me the blessing to be a part of what He’s doing here. God doesn’t need your money for this ministry, he can get it any way He wants, but oh what blessings will follow if He is calling you to give and you walk in obedience. The Bible says God told Abraham he will be blessed so that he can be a blessing to all. I love that! This has been a scripture I have been learning how to intentionally live by for the past year. Even just reflecting back on the past four years of my life and all I’ve been able to experience and see the Lord provide has been so humbling. What a life I get to live. There have been many days here where I have felt like I’m living in a dream or living as a character in a Hallmark movie.  Even now I sit in my hammock chair being swung by the wind on my front porch, while listening to the rain on my tin roof, acoustic Phil Wickham songs, and the howling monkeys in the trees across the pond thinking “is this even real life”? So many days on the field however are not as glamorous, so trying to soak up each one of these precious moments helps fill me and sustain me through the hard days. 

As I shared in my last blog post, I am self-funding for my minimum four months here in Costa Rica and shared there may be opportunities later on to financially give to support the new center. Well now is the time and the need is great and the opportunities to give are numerous. The Lord has specifically laid on my heart to fundraiser for the nursery. As we budgeted out the needs for each of the projects, we budgeted the nursery for $2,000. This will include toys, clothes, furniture, beds, blankets, car seats, high chairs, rocking chairs and a small play area. Basically all things baby up to the age of five. We want to supply the home with things that will be sustainable for years and not need to be replaced frequently. This is tricky due to the rainy climate and constant moisture in the air. But I already have so many ideas (thank you Pinterest!) and can hardly wait to start piecing this part of the home together. If the Lord is calling you to be a part of the ministry of this home first we need your prayers. Prayers over the land and house for safety, peace, joy, love, hope, and above all salvation! Prayers for the Lord to bring the right women to the home to work as staff. Prayers for the women who will come to this center when it opens but are currently living in the streets or in an unsafe home environment. Without the Spirit of the Lord taking center stage in this home, then all the furnishings and kitchen equipment and decorations are for naught. The second thing that is needed is if the Lord impresses on your spirit to give financially there are a number of ways to give. For non tax deductible gifts you can give directly to my Venmo, cash or checks can be mailed to my home address or for any donations you would like to be tax deductible, you can give on the Teen Challenge link below that goes through the missionaries, Max and Tara Martin, whom I am serving with here. (If possible, in the comment box you can put ‘Khurry-nursery’ so they know to pull this money aside specifically for the nursery when they check their support records. And/Or send me a message so I can have my eye out for it to come through.) With each dollar that is given I will be able to keep a running total and share updates of what the funds have been able to provide for the nursery. If there is something you specifically want to cover the costs for, please let me know and I will make that happen! If you have any questions or hesitations about how to give please let me know. I’ve never fundraised like this before so “unofficially” without having a specific platform to give through but due to this season and uncertainty of how long my time here in Costa will be for, this is the quickest and easiest way to give by means that have already been established. 

I hope this blog does a sufficient job of painting a picture of what my life looks like and accurately reflects all the goodness of God that has been poured out on me in this season. It’s been so sweet and I know its only going to get sweeter in the months ahead. Thank you for all your prayers and your investment in my life. I feel them all the way down here in the jungle. I pray the Lord continues to bless you as you bless those around you and you are experiencing more of who He is each day. Time is flying by here and I do apologize for just now getting this first update made. I’ve been taking everything in this month and adjusting to my new normals and seeing where I fit into all the Lord is already doing here. It’s so humbling to get to work alongside so many God fearing men and women who are passionate about seeing lives changed by the power and love of Jesus. If you ever want to come down for a visit, I have plenty of extra space and beds in my casita for visitors! 

Chow!

Ways to Give:

Online tax deductible 

https://www.mastersworkshop.org/giving-links 

Venmo

@Khurry-Bullard 

Address to mail checks to

14901 SE 51st St. Choctaw, OK 73020