We hope this letter finds you all doing well. If I had to sum up the following update in one sentence, it is "We are thankful". Both Stacey and I have felt very blessed in this season of life. Of course we have our difficult days, but overall, when it comes to the things that really matter in life, we feel very blessed. Thank you all for your prayers as we sense God's grace carrying us every day.
FAMILY
Olivia and Wolfgang
Olivia has been a lot of fun lately as she has learned to say a few words. So far her vocabulary consists of: mommy, daddy, oopee (short for Wolfy), caballo, agua, and of course the inevitable and ever popular among toddlers “NO”. I understand that her next word will be “mine” right??? Haha…. anyway. We’ve also come to find that Olivia is a huge fan of horses. We’ve taken her horse back riding, and she laughs/screams with delight when the guide takes her galloping in open field. Now, whenever she sees horses… in fields, on TV, or in picture books she screams “caballi”.
Wolfy is also growing into his own. Highlights for Wolfy are that he started crawling a couple of months ago, he recently got is first tooth, and that he loves his big sister.
Stacey- Stacey has kept plenty busy lately as she was recently involved with helping host the annual Womens’ Retreat held in nearby Playa Flamingo. In early April, about 150 women from English speaking churches/ministries in Costa Rica gathered for fellowship/worship/and Bible teaching. Aside form this, in addition to being wife and mom, Stacey continues serving in co-leadinging the womens' bible study on Tuesday mornings and hosting Mommy Group on Thursday mornings. Please pray for Stacey as she has huge heart for her non-Christian friends, and has been pretty bold in sharing her faith with her close girlfriends. Please keep Stacey in prayer with regard to gifts of evangelism as she desires for her friends to know the fullness of life in Christ.
Lyle- In recent months, I have been blessed with more of a sense of rhythm in life. I’ve had more regularity in my routine of taking walks and exercising, and I’ve had a good run of taking Wednesday mornings for extended time of reading/prayer/reflection. Both of these are crucial for me as they help to ground me spiritually, mentally and physically. Please keep me in prayer in this regard. I am thankful that this rhythm of life is coming back to me as it has been years since I’ve experienc a sense of routine.
MINISTRY SNAPSHOTS
Easter Sunday- we had about 225 people from our community in attendance at our Easter Service… the most we’ve ever had on a Sunday morning.
Church Building- Beach Community Church received a couple of very significant donations moving the building campaign forward. We have held a couple of significant prayer events held at the church site over the past couple of months. And this past weekend, since the floor pavers and thatched roof were completed in recent weeks, we were able to hold our first fellowship/BBQ event on the church site. Exciting times!
Agape Group- ….Stacey had been gently nagging me for several months, encouraging me to intiate a small group bible study including several couples in the area who are all involved in ministry. She, being the more relational of the two of us, took more of a sensitivity to this desire among the group. So, I think it was around Early December, we finally hosted what Stacey and her friend Jen have coined “Agape Group”. 
It has consisted of Stacey and I, three Costa Rican couples, and two couples from the U.S. Everyone involved has a local ministry or church that they lead at some level. We meet every other Wednesday night from 6:30-9:30 for a meal together, followed by worship, prayer, and bible Study. Recently I have been facilitating a study on the Sermon on the Mount taken from Martn Lloyd-Jones’ messages on The Sermon on the Mount. It’s been a blessing to all of us to be part of a group that meets on a regular basis....growing deeper friendships and deeper in faith together. We are thankful.
Café- The Café continues as a great way of making connections with people in the community. 1. A couple of months ago, a young woman came in looking for a bible, so I gave her a bible. Short of the story, she ended up attending church, bible study, and singing with the worship team. 2. Several months back a young man, recently out of a rehab program, introduced himself to me. Over the past several months, we have helped find him housing, bought him food for meals, and I spent the first couple months of our friendship discipling him 1-2xs a week through Purpose Driven Life. While he is still struggling getting on his feet and going through "growing pains" in more ways than one, he attends church regularly. Our hope is to be a community of love to him as he continues to grow. 3. Three people, in their early 30’s came into the Café. One of them, a woman, was asking if we had the book “The Secret”. She shared how it was all the rage. She expressed how she was looking for purpose and success in life. I shared with her that I am a pastor, and after having given my opinion of the book I offered her a copy of Purpose Driven Life. I told her to that she should consider it's message amids her search for answers for her life. She took it and said she would give it a read. - We are thankful to be a place where God creates encounters like these. -
Interns- On March 12th, we were blessed with an addition to the team here in Tamarindo. 
Kristina Clark, from Virginia Beach, VA., has been serving as an intern the Café as well as helping with the Youth ministry at Beach Community Church. By the time she leaves, she will have been with us for four months of service. It would take pages to convey the many ways Kristina has served while with us during these months. In sum, we just want to say that Kristina has been a huge blessing to Stacey and I, our kids, the church, and the community. We are VERY grateful for her time with us, and it will be sad to see her go.
Future Interns/Help- God has somewhat overwhelmed me with the number of folks who have recently expressed interest in volunteering/serving with us in Tamarindo. First, for the month of June we will host 3 recent high-school grads who will serve at the Café while also plugging into the Church and other local non-profits. Second, there is a recent college grad from Azuza Pacific University who will be joining us for 3 months serving in a similar capacity as Kristina has. He will be arriving in early July. And third, the Hill family will be coming to Costa Rica in August on something of a Sabbatical. They will be helping at the Cafe, with the worship team at church, and possibly in tutoring English to local Costa Ricans. How awesome...thank you Lord!
Open Mic- I recently started hosting an “open mic” night at the same restaurant where I play every Monday night: Witches Rock Surf Camp. (This extra gig has come at a time when most musician’s gigs are getting cut because of lower tourism). I pray that this will not only be a job, but a ministry to those I meet along the way.
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support.
Grace and Peace to you,
The Watsons
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Stacey- wisdom and gifts of evangelism in sharing her faith. Balance between caring for family, ministry, and the other things in life that compete for her energy, time, etc.
- Lyle- for a rhythm in life. Keeping faithful to extended time of prayer/reflection/reading on Wednesdays. Taking time for exercise/walking/surfing. For continued guidance in ministry.
- For our Family- Protection of our marriage, and blessing in our marriage. Protection of our children (found a large scorpion on the moquito net next to the crib).
- For fruit to be born in our ministries- people nurtured in faith, people coming to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
