2nd Tri Rep Here

Hey guys just a quick update as to what is going on down here in Costa Rica.  I have survived my first trimester of class, and amazingly enough did rather well.  The first four months here really just have flown by, and my Spanish is progressing very well.  Here is some proof that I have been working very hard and not just being a beach bum here in this beautiful country.  I want to say how much of a blessing it was to have some a amazing professors for my first trimester.  They all did a very good job in pushing me to be the best I could be.  I had a Chilean lady named Laura for my grammar class which was two hours a day, she also was my one on one tutor two hours a week. Where I was able to really expand my Spanish as we just talked about the past, current topics and future plans, all things that really helped me grow, language and spiritually she is the daughter of missionaries so she can really relate to the struggle and life that we live here. After chapel which also has been a super blessing getting to fellowship and be in the word and worship often really helps to keep you grounded here.  I had Oscar for language which is verbal and it was by far my favorite time.  We were a class of all men, and really grew a strong relationship with all those men, it was a time to just joke around and fell somewhat normal.  Although we were cutting up and carrying on we were still learning, because he really challenged us to use only Spanish.  I am also very excited because I have him again this coming trimester although two of my classmates have left.  Lastly was the hardest class for me phonetics was like pulling teeth, literally just practicing sounds and pronunciation of letters and words for four months straight, but I will say this I learned a lot about why certain things in Spanish are the way they are in that class.  Our professor was Ana Silvia and at first I will admit we butted heads a lot haha but as the days went by we found common ground, and by the end we shared some great laughs and memories I will keep for a very long time.  If you are wondering what the title of this post means, well I was voted in as the representative for our class this trimester.  Who would have ever thought that haha, but already I have been able to be part of some pretty cool stuff that I hope will make ILE a better place to learn Spanish.  There are not really that many duties involved with it but still gives me some more things to fill my time here while I learn.  I'm also excited to announce that I will have the privileged to preach at our first chapel of the trimester which I'm excited about and would really appreciate prays for.  Speaking of prayer please continue to pray for this whole process so far so good, but there are things like funding for next year and even rounding out the end of this year that need to be addressed, some of you may know I have two properties that I rent in the states and you can imagine how some times that an be a real pain in the butt to deal with, like coming up my good friend is taking a job in NY and will be moving out so getting someone moved in and settled not being in the states is going to be a new challenge. So just extra prayer would be so appreciated for all these things, also I want to announce that I possibly already have two of my very own teams coming to Honduras next year which is very exciting and if your interested in joining one of these teams or possibly leading your own team of men please contact me I would love to share the need the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few coy@ignitemissions.org is my email.  Lastly on this update I wanted to share that I was privileged to host my sweet mother and aunt during my break.  It was an awesome time it was the first time my mother has flown on a plane, left the country seen the pacific ocean, zip lined, saw a volcano, rappelled down a mountain, rode a horse in a jungle, seen a monkey in the wild, and most importantly heard her son translate Spanish for her.  It was such a blessing to be able to spend some time with family it has been four months since I've seen any of my family and sometimes that is tough.  I am very thankful for my aunt and how very generous she was during this time to not only help my mom, but also come and spend her time with me as well. Having them here really helped me see how far in four months my Spanish has come and they where amazed which was a super huge boost of confidence for me.  Also another thing was the reminder that people need to come and see and experience for them selves I believe my mothers eyes where open to just how good we live in America and even though Costa Rica is a beautiful place there is great poverty and need here, and Honduras where I will be serving is way worse off than here. Just a look at Gods handy work we enjoyed during there time here.

All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.

Its been a while!

    I want to start by saying sorry, sorry it has been so long since I've posted and update.  The truth is I've been on the move haha.  God has really blown the doors wide open on some awesome opportunities for me as of late.  One of the greatest is that almost every Saturday since I've been here I go to dinner with my Tico brother Ronald, during our time together we have a patterned conversation. Typically it starts off with the usual how has each others week been, what I'm learning in school, what is going on with his girlfriend and such and likewise with me and my relationship.  All these are fun and great things to have in a foriegn environment, but what I enjoy most about our time together is his growing curiosity about God and the reason I would give my life to come and serve a bunch of people that I do not even know, and I want to share that it has and is going great we have made some amazing progress.  This really brings me to a question that I often ponder, and you as my support base could help me with the answer.  What if I only won over one person to Christ, and this was the news that I shared or brought back to y'all would this be something that you would continue to pray for and support? Is not one worth more than the 99 did not the heavens rejoice when the one sinner turned from his past to the loving embrace of a saviour.  Oh how I pray for the age of numbers and statistics be broken from the idea of how well someone is serving God.  Not that I do not desire to assist in the process of bringing many to know the love of God, but lets be honest I'll only be able to do what the Lord has willed for my ministry to do.  I am also fearful to stray from where He leads because that is when you find we begin to do this on our own power and nothing has ever resulted from the work of man alone.  Just a thought that I have often as I make the transition of life into full-time missions.
   This last month I have been able to see some very amazing sites in and around Costa Rica. These photos are from a hike here called the three crosses, very tough hike but like all tough  hikes the reward is always at the top, and on this one there was three treats along the way.

 
 I am so thankful to be in a place of such beauty and have the ability to go and see the country that I am currently living in. I was also able to go with new found friend to Nicaragua for his visa renewal trip.  He has a car and needed to get a new visa to continue to be able to drive, with his wife 8 months pregnant and having two other small children he was going to go it alone. I was game for going seeing how the three day trip would be very cheap and would give me a chance to see another country.  It was quite and interesting trip, my new found amigo was a hippie well still is now just a hippie with the power of the Holy Spirit guiding him. Which was probably the reason he booked us a hostel that was only

 eleven dollars a night haha it was quite the eye opening experience.  Although it really played well into both of our comfort levels with the people that most would never think to speak to or share Christ with.  I also got a chance to

learn how to surf something I was wanting to do since getting here. Muah was the guy in Nicaragua that was my instructor and by the end of the day I had caught a number of waves and it was really and awesome experience, we were able to hang out with a small group of locals on the beach and share with the reason we where there. The border crossing on foot is one of the strangest things that I have ever done in my life. You start by paying and exit fee to the country your leaving then you proceed to about five different little tents set up that keep handing you a randon piece of notebook paper that seems to have no significance to it what so ever till they start asking you for 1$ then you pay another window 4$ then the last is the 11$ entrance fee to the country ten more people look at you passport and then finally you get an entrance stamp walk past this huge gate and that is it your in like flynn. This is a pic of San Juan del sur were we visited this is an image from the Christ statue. During what is know as holy week here in Latin America which is the week leading up to good Friday and resurrection Sunday we were out of School, because all of the Latin America shuts down. So I took the week to go to Honduras and see my lovely girlfriend which I last saw the day I got on the plane to fly to Costa Rica. While I was there I was able to throw a hand on the property that my mission bought last year, and now is begging the building process on.

Here are just a few pics of me Freddy and David getting the chain link fence put up that leads up to 

the new entrance and gate that they built last month. It was so exciting to be there and to work with my brothers. They had so many uplifting and encouraging things to say to me about my progression. It really was a great way to see how far I have come in my time here at school. The time that I got to spend with Morgan was great and very much needed, some of you that have been a long distance relationship can relate to the struggles of it, but it does seem to have an ability to grow us closer to the One that has called us.  This whole year has been such a leap of faith for both of us and I know someday our labor will not be in vain. She has made it to the mission field and has hit the ground running with her ministry, I know the Lord is going to do mighty things in and thru her so proud to have the privilege to call her mine. Upon returning from Honduras I only have three weeks of class left in this trimester, and as my flight went over lake Nicaragua I could not help to think that my life will never be "normal again". Its not a bad thing but there are times that it gets hard not seeing friends and family, then on the other side of the coin friends that I have made here will begin to leave in three weeks, them four months from now. With that being said I would not change it for the world, because I know that this is the path that the Lord has me on and in that He will never leave me nor will He forsake me. As always thank you for you love, prayers and financial support of my efforts I think about the people that allow me to be here on a daily basis.

All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.

Two months in.

Well I have been on the ground here in San Jose Costa Rica for almost two whole months, a life time if your trying to learn Spanish haha.  It is to the point where writing this blog is hard to do in English my brain is starting to split the two, although I have moment when I can not even remember words in English. So I guess what I'm trying to say is if your reading this and it makes no sense well I told you so.  Things are going really well, I was able to provide protection for a couple of women in a dangerous area, where drugs and prostitution run rampet. literately to the point of while we where eating dinner one of the women I was with was sitting next to a man that engaged her in conversation, I was two seats down from her, but could still hear what was being said. At first it was small talk where you from in the states and such, them these two women walked right up to the man and start talking to him. I could not make out all they where saying, but the mans Spanish was worse then mine so they had to repeat and and he was using Spanglish. Then around that time a car pulled up and a bulldog looking fellow stepped out, the girls quickly finished up exchanged numbers and went and got in the car of their pimp. The lady I was with had a look of disgust on her face and we encouraged her to stand in. They went back to conversing and he quickly made it known that he was into that life style showing her a picture on his phone of an naked women, saying this photo summed up his life. The other lady and myself where praying she would ask the question......then she did so proud of her. Do you have a daughter? Rolled right off her lips, he replied I do, she said what if a man was paying her for sex how would you feel? He replied I try not to think of it when I'm with the girls, I would rather think I am helping them by paying there bills. At that moment I'm glad this dude was not talking to me not sure I could have contained my self from beating the brakes off of him in the name of Jesus, but God had exactly who He wanted in the seat she replied if you cared so much you would help with out anything in return BOOM. I was quite the experience its amazing what darkness will do to us as humans the things we are capable of.  I just wanted to share that experience another thing that has happened I mentioned in my last post about desk and chairs to a remote village Chiripo. Well I was able to ride along and deliver the desk to the end of the road, It was such a long journey and the stuff has not even made it to the people. It was all of 16 hour day total, and we still have the task of getting it to the people in the remote village. Which is a 10 hour hike into the mountains one way, with something on your back this is literally like a national geographic stuff.  I am very excited for the opportunity. These will give you an idea of the beauty and remoteness of this place, and you can see how dark this man is not typical of Costa Ricans. He is half Costa Rican half Chiripo. He will act as one of our guides and translator, the people do not speak Spanish.

 

Truly was a pleasure to travel with the group that I did, was an interesting day                                 to test my Spanish I was the only Gringo there and at best on of them had about as much English as I did Spanish. Another fun little project that I have been able to do while here is bring cornhole to yet another country haha. There is a gentleman at my school that has a woodworking shop in his garage and was kind enough to let me do some wood working. Fearful I would be a bit rusty but I picked up right where I left off and still have all my fingers. So I made these for the school something to do while there and a lasting legacy of sorts. Better than other things I have left behind in other places people remember me for JK. Still got some work to be done little sanding and throw the poly to them but they should serve the purpose. Also lucked out my tica mom is an amazing seamstress so the bags came together real nice, and out of the 100 or so sets I have made this is the first time I had to go buy dry corn in a local market pretty cool experience honestly. Well another thing is that this week we are having whats called spiritual emphasis week, which is where classes are shortened a bit and we have chapel everyday, we have the blessing of a man from the US Virgin Islands as our guest speaker. His messages have really been challenging me and today I woke up at 5 with no alarm which for y'all that know me this was clearly evidence that God exist and was working, but I just met with God in His word and its something I really want to get better at. Sacrificing for things that are important like my walk with the lord. I don't have what it will take to finish this work if I do it on my own, which is what I am learning very fast. Would you in this moment right now reading this pray for me, pray for strength and the faith to lean not on my own strength and understanding. While brushing my teeth this morning I realized that someone bought that toothbrush maybe you, and the toothpaste, the soap, shampoo, deodorant, food, books, shoes....... You get it all things, honestly everything I have here is the faithfulness to what God has called people to do.  I just want to throw a HUGE THANKS to you if you are one of those people.  I want you to know your sacrifice does not go unappreciated, my classmates are thankful I could afford deodorant haah, but on a serious note next year is 10 months away, but now is when I need to start building my budget for my future work in Honduras.  I will begin to lay my needs out there in future post, but I ask in this moment would you begin to ask what part you might play in this, for these works will not go forward without you and your assistance. If you have and interest or would like to know more about what my needs are going to be fell free to email me coy@ignitemissions.org I would love the opportunity to speak with you. If you have a men's group or a desire to do a construction mission in 2016 email me the harvest is plentiful yet the labor's are few. I pray that God is moving in big ways in your life and you are being blessed for your blessing.

All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.

God is growing me!

Ok this post will not be in Spanish haha, but God willing in due time.  So far so amazing is an understatement of the century.  This is truly and amazing place to be able to live and study the language and culture.  It is a very good intermediate between life in the States and what it was like in Honduras.  I am starting to grasp some of the whys of the culture, you know the reason they do some of the things they do and we don't get it.  Also I am begging to get some of the this is why Spanish is the way it is, and having someone that can explain to you why makes it a whole lot easier haha.  Also in true fashion of my self I can't help but find needs and begin to meet them.  My first "fin de semana" weekend I found an awesome need and was so blessed to be able to bless.  Their is this lady that owns/runs a kindergarten, but this is a special kindergarten cause she will take what ever the usually single mothers can give her, so they can go work.  The Kindergarten was in serious need of an overhaul, there were broken window the door was missing the lower panel door would not open or close, their were large holes in the ceiling covered by plastic bags.  So we went in and did a number on this place and somewhere around 16 hours later this place was starting to look like a place you might find children.  We are not quite finished, but we are much closer than we were at the begging. Friend of the lady heard what Ronald and I had done, (Ronald is my Tico brother that lives in the house I do he is my age) and asked if we would be willing to sand and repaint some 30 school desk here in San Jose, that she is going to take when finished to a remote indigenous village.  So needless to say I am really busy with all this and school.  Although this is not what I was even going to share haha.  My real reason and heart for this post was to share what God is up to.  He is doing a number on me, we have a Chapel service every Tuesday and Thursday between our morning and midday classes. I must say that it seems every message that has been given has been a shot to my heart a real wake up call to expose where it is that I have not been the Man God has called me to be.  The largest of all is simply trusting that He is in control, not just of my financial situation, or the reason I'm here.  No its more than that it is the fact that He holds my everything in His hand and He has laid an mater piece out for me that I get to join in and serve it for Him.  I'm starting to see the path, like when I'm at the bus stop and a random stranger ask me if this the prada por de ciudad (bus stop for San Jose) then we end up sitting and talking for the entire bus ride and I feel that real push to tell them why I'm here, and that it was not chance that brought us to the same place in time, but it is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and He is waiting to take their hand and lead them to the water that once they drink from they will never thirst again.  Also God is placing people in my life that are being bold and steeping in and speaking truth to me.  Showing me where I fail as a witness, like when I say something out of the way about someone, this is not a characteristic of someone that walks in truth.  I am thankful to be challenged by people bold enough to hold me accountable to overcome this sin that will do nothing but hold me back from being effective and a proper witness.  Pray for this change to happen, and continue to pray for strength, because when the pressure is on and things get hard is when the flaws grow and you and I need the Spirit to guide our words and our actions.  As always thank you for you partnership in what God is doing here and all around the world.


All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.

Im here on the ground in Costa Rica

As I lay here in my bed, in my little bitty room that is rose pink, in a Costa Ricans house. I start to wander how it is that I got here. If you have followed my journey over the last ten months you will get an Idea of what it is that I'm speaking of.  I want to say one thing before I go any further in this post. This is evidence that God exist hands down all this goes to Him, because there is absolutely no way that I would have ever dreamed of this.  Not even one year has gone by and so many amazing things have taken place.  For starters my homes and my car are completely handled just like that and ten months later still are. I have some awesome people willing to rent and treat my things as if it where there own, heck no lie probably better honestly. Then in two very short months I was able to muster up the support to live on the mission field for six months, sent out by a small church of eighty people most of which go above and beyond the churches support and support me personally.  Then I am blessed enough to meet hundreds of people as teams began to come down this summer, most of which I connected with in a real way which in turn, turned into more supporters.  After returning to the states my dreams came true and I was going to be able to fulfill my calling as I was approved by the board of directors of Ignite Missions.  Thus began the process of fund raising for my next step language school in Costa Rica, and in three short months I was able to raise threw the support of amazing people over my need of $13,000.  Which again I will give all the glory and praise to the one who sits on high, cause if you have met me asking for money or help is not really my gig. I think that was another way God was showing His self in my journey for all to see.  I will tell you the blessings have not stopped I truly feel blessed and at peace here with my tico family.  They are growing me daily really pushing me to speak only Spanish, and its only my third day.  Today was my first day of school.  It was a very challenging day mostly cause I spent 4 hours on the phone with bank of America haha fun times.  I did have an oral placement exam, which I feel real solid about, but the written exam not so much.  I guess all things in due time it is only the first day.  I am eager to learn, but I do not want to miss the joy and blessing in this experience of my life.  I do pray you will join me in it or continue to follow.  Honestly more than ever is the time I must really start raising my funding for my future ministry in Honduras, so as always I will add a link to the bottom of this post, please pray about what part might have you play in this season of my life God bless.


All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.

Blessings come when you least expect it!

So I'm sitting in a dinner in po dunk Tennessee eating my lunch and the waitress says boy you smell like a camp fire and I told her I was cutting down some trees and burning the brush she asked where and I told her just up the road. She said you don't know the address and I replied no I'm not from here. Then she said what's your tattoo mean I told her it was the life of Jesus. She said you believe that and I said enough to give my life to missions. As I go to pay she says its on the house then reaches in her tip jar and hands me her days tips and says only if more people lived the life they claim all I could say was well thank you and told she was was living a life pleasing to God for giving when she felt lead. I tell you this season of life has brought me more moments like that than I can recall thanks be to God.

All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.

Praise be to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

This is the greatest season of my life.  God is really showing me and showing up in all aspects of my life.  I wanna first and formost give a huge thanks to all my finacial and prayer partners, your work has not been in vain. After the Ignite fundraising tour and my efforts since I have been home I am excited to announce that the Lord has blessed beyond my wildest imagination.  My goal was to raise the support for my tuition and housing before I left for school this was $13,000, I have reached that. I have received my acceptance letter from the school, got all my bases covered back home with my property and possessions, and I have booked my plane ticket. I will be moving to Costa Rica January 4th and will be in country till December 15 of 2015. So if anyone wants a reason to vacation I would welcome the company Haha. Although I have reached my funding goal for school the real task still lays ahead of me. I know that God will bring the people that are willing and ready to commit to support the efforts I am making in Honduras. My current and continual need is monthly supports, it is great getting one time donations, but I can not build a budget and have a plan in place for ministry till I have an Idea of what my monthly support is.  Please continue to pray what part you could play in this there is no gift that is to small literally $20 a month HELPS. I wanted t leave you with this, I have been invited to share with a men's group my vision and needs they where awesome, encouraging and very inviting. So much they have taken me in haha, they are an older group of men with some great wisdom it is so awesome to sit with the and learn. Last night God hit me with there words, we were in the text about the Centurion that came to Jesus and asked if Him if he would heal his valued servant, but told Jesus that he was not worthy for Jesus to visit his home, for Him to simply say it be done and it would be done. Because he understood authority being a man that was in a position of authority and when he told one to go he would go, or come and he would come.  So last night I feel that God really just laid it on me that in this process I should not worry with my needs and funding and people to partner with me or even me being effective on the ground there on the mission field, because its not me but the authority that I am being sent with and by. I wonder how much more effective we as a people of Christ would be if we lived and served in His authority and not our own.


All support is appreciated as this life's work cannot be done with out God and his support through His people. Prayer support and financial support are always in need. If you are able to support financially please visit http://www.ignitemissions.org/#!contact/c175r this will take you directly to the support link. Simply follow the provided directions and add Coy Houston Davis in the memo line. Thank you for your support emotionally, spiritually, prayerfully, and financially.