Author: phillipdouglasbooks

A slum or a sacred place?
An amazing thing occurred in my life yesterday. I decided to run to perhaps Costa Rica’s worst slum, La Carpio. I saw a group of people extremely removed from the rest of the Costa Rican country. After about 3/4 mile of nothing but a worn down and poorly built asphalt road lies La Carpio. Population of about 35,000 people within a very small gridlock of metal and scrap material homes. I am told that many of the people are illegal immigrants who have fled violence and war in Nicaragua within the last forty years. It is eerily set aside and tucked away from the rest of society. Almost like a people in hiding or cut off from the rest of us. Only one road in and one road out. It lies between two rivers and sits next to San Jose’s largest garbage site. Armed guards stood at the entrance of the trash heap which confused me. As I ran through I certainly felt my heart, body, and mind clutch a bit. They clutched over my own safety, for my own preservation, and comfort. Eyes instantly darted to me as clearly I was out of place from a standpoint of race, class, and culture. I have read and heard stories of great crime and disease and how we should stay out of this place for fear of our own safety. Once my nerves settled a bit I stopped running and simply walked the streets observing. I walked thru this piece-milled village trying to see its inhabitants as equals but man it was tough.

How do they live like this? How do they make it? Children just wandering the streets, the smells were God awful in some spots. Finally I felt a welcoming gaze by a family who stood on the second floor of a dilapidated structure. They greeted me and we talked for a while about family and the area. Once they realized I was a missionary they smiled with great joy and one of the women (about 65 years old) exclaimed “Oh great! We need missionaries here! We only have one priest who comes in on the weekends and there are roughly 35,000 of us here.”
I tried to explain to her that I was just passing through San Jose and that we actually lived and served in a small, rural town about 5-6 hours away from here. She clearly heard me, but once again she smiled and firmly stated ” That’s beautiful that you and your family are missionaries, but Oh we need missionaries here!”

My Takeaway
And that exactly was my great takeaway from La Carpio: “WE NEED HELP! WE NEED JESUS! La Carpio is just one of the many slums scattered across the globe and there are many. But I did not observe many lines of people waiting to get in La Carpio and bring the good and saving news of Jesus. It takes RISK to serve in a place like La Carpio. Great RISK. It takes faith and a radical trust in God the Father to serve in a place like La Carpio. You have to completely place your trust, your well being, health and safety into the hands of God to serve in a place like La Carpio. Every day. Serving and living in a slum is not safe and it is not easy. As I understand it disease and crime threatens you around many of La Carpio’s darkest corners.

Safety and unreached people
Most of the world’s darkest corners are dark for a reason. Most of the world’s unreached people are unreached for one reason: It is not safe to go in there and reach them. That is all. Whether it is one of the 6,000 plus people groups or “nations” that make up the billions of people who have yet to hear the saving news of Jesus Christ or the destitute and poor living in a slum like La Carpio- it is not safe at all to go in and reach these people. If it were safe then more people would be doing it.

So my desire for safety will keep these people from the Good News of Jesus Christ?
If you are still reading this article, please allow me to issue a challenge to you (and myself). What is your Christian Faith all about? Are you a disciple of Jesus? Why do you follow Jesus?
Do you follow Jesus because He makes you comfortable and safe and because He leads you to your comfort zone? Or because He constantly introduces you into deeper safety and seclusion from the crazy world outside?

The Great Risk of following JESUS
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever lose his life for my sake will find it”  -Matthew 6:24-25

Jesus asks us to deny ourselves and follow him. “Denying ourselves” has some extremely practical applications to it. Like perhaps leaving the comforts and safety of the bubble of life around me. “Follow me” has some extremely practical applications to it. Like perhaps “follow me”  into the slums where I am most needed or “follow me” into an unreached nation or people group to share the gospel. Is this not where Jesus is and longs for us to be when he states that he has come for the sick who need a physician in Matthew 5:31-32?  And could Jesus have been any more direct with us in Matthew 16: 25 regarding what we are to do with our lives? We are to lose them. He states this so directly. To reach the lost and unreached we will have to RISK losing our safety, security, and quite possibly our lives. He says this himself.

But that is crazy!
If all of this seems insane and crazy its because it is. It is crazy to follow a man who lists demands such as these to be his follower or disciple. But with his grace it is indeed possible and the scriptures and the history of the Church is lined with men and women who have done so.

So where is your La Carpio? How is God calling you outside of yourself? How is He calling you to lose your life? Or are we just content with saving our life?

Teach me, Father, with your grace to stop trying to save my life at every corner and show me what it means to lose for my for your sake and for the sake of those people who need you the most. 

Important Note: As for now our family has been called to serve in Coopevega, Costa Rica. That is our La Carpio for now. It is where God has placed us. I have no clue if God will ever ask us to serve in La Carpio, but I would like to acknowledge those who do serve in this destitute area of Costa Rica. I have heard of great stories of individuals, Churches, and groups who lose their lives in many ways to serve Jesus and the people of La Carpio. Although I have not met many of them I would like to acknowledge them. 

Lacy, Norah, and other missionaries praying with a lady in need in Mexico

This is a simple blog post about my wonderful and beautiful wife Lacy Linda Brupbacher. She has been the most amazing wife and mother to our children and I felt it prudent to share some wonderful highlights of her time here in missions in Coopevega.

Lacy has found a niche in welcoming women at our home. They simply knock and come in and sit and visit with her. It is a thing of beauty.

Lacy and her friend Yamilet who is a young single mom. On this afternoon Yamilet knocked on our door and asked Lacy to teach her how to cook a smothered chicken.

Lacy usually listens to these women and spends time with them- lots of time. She plays with their children and encourages them and usually will ask them if they need prayer for anything before they leave.

Lacy and Jodi. Jodi is Yamilet’s son.

Lacy and Eleezer the day before his baptism. Eleezer and his brother Lionel were both baptized recently and we were honored to be the Godparents.

Often times these women who visit Lacy have a deeper desire to follow Jesus or they hear that she is a missionary and it seems as if the Holy Spirit simply brings them together.

Dorisel and Lionel – parents of Eleezer and Lionel just before the baptism.

Eleezer’s baptism- such a grace filled occasion.

One of the things we try to do once or twice a week is to go and visit some of the friends we have made in their homes. The people here are so welcoming. we generally will bring a Bible to read with them and something for their children along with a weeks worth of food for the family.

While visiting our friends Connie and Luz Anna their bird pooped and peed on Lacy.  I took this photo just after. as you can see Lacy was thrilled.

Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of life in missions so far is seeing my beautiful bride raise our children out here. Life is never dull as we are still learning the language and culture and there seems to be an new adventure each day.

Now we are spending a few weeks in San Jose,  the capital city of Costa Rica as Lacy is preparing to deliver our newest addition in just a few weeks. We need to be here because our home in Coopevega is very far from adequate medical care, which is needed for Lacy’s high blood pressure. So we are waiting and watching her blood pressure. I have been challenged each day by her complete trust in God’s will as I do not think I would be brave enough to deliver a baby in a foreign country, but here we are awaiting his birth and I am blown away by her trust.

Please keep her in prayer as we await the baby here in San Jose. Please pray for her blood pressure to remain low and for a healthy baby and a safe delivery.

And in case you needed a refresher on Proverbs 31:10-12

“When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil all the days of her life.”

Lacy and her dad the day we left the U.S.

Can’t quite explain this one

Lacy and the girls in a tree in Mexico

Lacy doing anything she can to keep Lily quiet on the plane

Lacy, Norah, and our sweet niece Alexandra last Christmas

“Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2

This past fall while at Intake ( our 4 month missionary training ) I was challenged by some friends to consider running a marathon. We found ourselves running basically every morning and our distances kept increasing… I’ve always enjoyed running but always needed a little push- even since my fourth grade PE days at Our Lady of Fatima school (shout out to fellow 4th grade 100 mile clubbers D.J Ashy and Paul Crochet… ), but up to that point in my life I had never run more than probably 7 miles in one outing.
So I rose to the challenge and continued to train for one of my bucket list events. I lost weight and eventually most feeling in my knees and barely crossed the finish line in a December marathon in Dallas, TX. My children looked at me like I was a 90 year old hobbling around the streets of Dallas after my race, but I felt great.

Like most first time finishers I went home and googled things like “how to not die in your next marathon” or “how to fix your knees before your next marathon and shave off time.” In short, I wanted to run more! I had no clue what God had in store for me in terms of running.

In Coopevega, Costa Rica we are surrounded by miles and miles and miles of dirt and rock roads leading to the some 50 small communities we have been asked to serve. In the dry season the dust and heat create a desert like environment. Dust on eyebrows, in the ears, dust everywhere. Heat so hot I can’t figure out if I am in Louisiana or if this place is hotter than a Louisiana July.

These 50 communities make up what I call a “forgotten” people. They are forgotten because most of them don’t own a vehicle, or a home, or a bike or even a horse to ride. Many of them live extremely remote lives and are afar from the modern conveniences I have so quickly become accustomed to: vehicles, stores, churches, refrigerators, iPads, entertainment, etc. Very few people go out to their communities to see them because there is essentially no draw for anyone to venture out there… except for themselves. They are the only draw out there. Theirs are lives of simplicity, hard work, sincere faith, and poverty. They are a beautiful draw and one so worth venturing out to meet and see. A people well worth RUNNING out to see.

Sometimes I hear Gods voice in Mass, in the Eucharist and every morning in Scripture. Often times I hear His voice in my simple daily desires.
I want to run!

Click below for an extremely inspirational video on running by John Piper 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0elhYaESJkY

So I started to run. With my camel pack full of water and a banana, a pocket knife, and a few colones (Costa Rican currency) .
“Where are you running to?” Lacy would ask
“To meet some people in a new community” is often my response.

When we first arrived here I felt a need to meet so many people in such a short time and a desire to run. So I am doing both. In doing so I am finding such greatness in the “forgotten” people. Many of them are literally waiting for someone to visit them and many have been waiting for years for a visitor. You can imagine their faces when a sweaty gringo arrives at their door speaking horrible Spanish and reminding them of the love of Jesus. We have a family card with our family picture on it that I hand out and tell them that my army of gringos is coming back to visit soon to pray with them. I am logging plenty of miles – back and forth in these narrow and rocky roads.

The other day while running back from a small community my legs were aching and I was feeling all of my age of 37. I noticed that my water supply was running low and that I still had a good 5 or 6 miles to go. I usually try to ration my water supply and at the end of most runs I find that I have a good bit of water left. Water that is eventually wasted.
It dawned on me that when I die I do not want to have any water left in my tank. I do not want to have anything left in my tank. I pray that I will have given it all and not saved up a bunch for days that won’t ever come. I pray that I die having given it all.

Did I give and love freely or did I save up unnecessarily for myself? Did my wife and children know my love was unconditional or was there a doubt in their hearts? Did the poor truly know my name or did I simply see right through them? Did I speak the name of Jesus with my mouth and deeds or did my pride cripple me? Did I eat with the hungry or did I simply fill my own belly? In the end will my tank be empty or will I still have so much that I failed to give to God and my neighbor?

Now the seasons are changing here in Costa Rica and we are experiencing great downpours of rain. The dust is gone and the mud is here . The once dry and predictable roads are now tricky and tough to navigate. Time to run.

” Do you not know that all the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? RUN SO AS TO WIN.”
1 Corinthians 9:24

Sometimes God calls us to do quite simple things- like “Go and pray for a friend” or “Help your sister change her flat tire”. These things can be quite ordinary, but nonetheless they eventually reveal to us more and more in some capacity who the person of Christ is. Our lives so far as a family have been filled with these “simple things”. Take the kids to school, pray before dinner, teach your son to ride a bike, etc etc. And we have certainly seen the face of Christ in all of them. But over the last few years we have sensed that God was moving us in a deeper way- we just we not so sure exactly what that was…

We are a family of seven (at least for now) Phillip, Lacy, William (8), Annie (7), Miriam (5), Norah (4), Lily (1) and we will be using this blog to highlight the many ways God is speaking to us or revealing Himself to us. We are The Brupbacher’s or The BruCrew

About a year ago some dear friends of ours invited us to attend a short term mission trip in General Cepeda, Mexico. This was something that we have longed to do as a family but basically had always written it off because we assumed our kids were too young or simply because we were always expecting a child… But, the power of an invitation by some dear friends of ours proved to be just what we needed- just the proper amount of encouragement and invitation from God to eventually change our lives.

So we loaded up our van and made the two day drive into Mexico with a bunch of other families. While we ought to devote an entire blog to that trip we will simply state that the following occurred in our lives:
1. God showed us the beauty and truth in His words “Blessed are the poor in spirit- those whose entire dependence is based upon God.”
2. Blessed were we to even be able to dwell among them and serve them for even just such a short time.
3. Could we be called to live a life as a family serving and befriending the poor- sharing the Gospel with those in great need and learning from their simple and beautiful faith?

After our incredible week we headed back home with the question burning in our hearts “God could you actually be calling us to move to a foreign land to following you as a missionary? The question was both invigorating and terrifying. We sought out some spiritual direction and continued to ask God to move in our hearts and minds and to speak to us in this area of our lives.

Neither one of us is extremely trigger happy when it comes to these types of things so we simply kept bringing it to God in prayer. Over time we found that God continued to place this desire on our hearts and that indeed the calling was real. There was so much stirring in our hearts- “Come and follow me closer” “Come and serve those in great need” “Do not worry for I am with you” “You can trust me in the little things and now I am asking you to trust me in a larger thing”

Then one morning we were blown away by a video we saw on Facebook shared by a friend of ours- quite simply the video summed up everything that was going on in our hearts and minds.
Take a moment to view that video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2StRNNnBh4k

So, put simply, we found that Jesus was calling us to go deeper into our faith and to sell all we had to follow Him in preaching the Gospel and serving the poor. This is the calling He gave to us- and we are thrilled. We searched far and wide looking at various Catholic and Christian mission organizations and have found an unbelievable home with Family Missions Company. They are a group of lay Catholic Missionaries who dedicate their lives to preaching the gospel and serving the poor. We have joined into their formation program and will be sent out to a foreign land to preach the gospel and serve the poor in early 2017.

We will dedicate this blog as a family blog for those of you interested in following our simple little journey. We will also post prayer requests and various needs of those we serve. We have been so blessed with tremendous families and friends and we would love for you to come with us on this new journey of ours.

You can also learn more about how to support our mission at the following address:
https://www.familymissionscompany.com/project/phillip-and-lacy-brupbacher/

“I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly” -John 10:10
“Life is short I wanna live it well” -Switchfoot

Sincerely

– Phillip 10/04/16