DeCiccos in Costa Rica

New School Year at Tec

2011-02-18T12:52:00.008-06:00

A new year, a new group of in incoming freshman, and new opportunities to share Christ at the Tec! In the picture below with Shirley are Paulett, Kandra and Gabriel. They took initiative and handed out leaflets to about half of the 1,000 incoming freshman class informing them about CruTec, our Campus Crusade group on campus.

Later that week, we began surveys. One of the students we met, Francisco, opened up and told us about problems and difficulties he is having. Yesterday I ran into Francisco again on campus, and he asked me when we were starting meetings on campus. He told me that he needs "something" and that he feels "empty."

Shirley, Paulette, Kandra & Gabriel

Prayer: "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13)

We all know that prayer is essential, but far too often we don't do enough of it. Please join us in praying:

for our students, that they would grow in love and obedience to Christ (John 14:15-16, 21) -- Juan Elias, Ivan, Paulette, Kandra, Gabriel, Raul ... to name a few
that the Lord would lead us to "persons of peace" -- spiritually hungry individuals who would open up relational networks (family, friends, etc.) to the Good News (Luke 10:1-11)
the Lord would send laborers into his harvest (Luke 10:2); we believe many of these will also comefrom the harvest
for Francisco, who is searching for something to fill the void in his life, that we would be able to effectively point him to Christ; and others whom we have met through the surveys
for our students to begin Bible studies among their relational networks

Praying for student peers and open doors at the Tec

Thank you for your partnership and prayer!

Philip, Shirley and family

Update on Rigo & Gabriel -- Christmas Coffee & Elementary School Outreach

2010-12-04T00:03:00.003-06:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers for Rigo and Juan Gabriel! We wanted to give you an update of what has been going on in the past couple of weeks. It has been a busy and emotionally packed time. We thank the Lord for opportunities to minister and we have seen his hand clearly at work!

We spent last Thursday with Rigo and his family for the viewing and funeral. I put the Turkey back in the freezer -- we celebrated Thanksgiving along with the first Sunday of Advent together!

Rigo's dad, Carlos, was an usher in the church and loved by many. He always greeted people with a smile, and was quick to tease or share a joke. The church was packed out for the funeral. Rigo and his sister, however, did have some difficulties in their relationship with their dad. Rigo had just shared with me a couple weeks ago how that he had been able to speak with and come to peace with his dad. I can't imagine if he had not been able to do that! It is a powerful reminder of our need to love and forgive, and always have short accounts in life!

That same day, I called Juan Gabriel to let him know about Rigo's dad. He was in town with his younger brother, taking care of some the details after his dad's death. We were able to get together Friday morning, and he told me about what happened with his dad. His dad and 4 other men (including his dad's uncle) were going to get the village's water supply working. There was a problem with the pump. They took a short cut through a dangerous area, and as they were crossing, there was a mudslide. The men in front, just steps away from his dad and two others, were able to escape. But his dad and two others were killed. The bodies of the two other men were recovered within a couple hours, but it took 3 days to recover Gabriel's dad's body. Gabriel's dad was just 47 years old. Gabriel is the 2nd of 4 children, 24, 23, 13, and 7 years; his mom, Rosemary, is 45. I can't imagine the pain and shock the family has been going through. I was able to share with Gabriel some scripture, but mostly just tried to listen as he told me what happened and what they have been dealing with over the past few weeks. Gabriel did tell me his dad had visited his grandparents and some other relatives just the day before the accident -- and they feel it was as if he was able to say good-bye, and they are thankful for that.

Christmas Coffee and Elementary School Outreach

Last Saturday we had a Christmas Coffee to celebrate the end of the school year, the coming Christmas season, and to thank God for the activities of the past year. We specifically wanted parents, alumni and faculty to be exposed to the work, in order to gain support and even volunteers for the future. There were about 40 in attendance. We had a powerpoint and photo presentation of the work over the past several years, Juan Elias' testimony of coming to Christ through his involvement with the group, and a short drama the students put together. Despite some technical difficulties in the beginning with the electricity and the video projector, everything worked out! We started almost an hour late due to the problems, but the coffee, tamales, and homemade "pumpkin" pie (made from ayote, a local squash) from Shirley were a great hit, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the evening! We could also see that it has helped to build the group's closeness with each other.

The students did a drama based on the song "Everything" by the group Lifehouse

Tomorrow we and the students are going to San Marcos of Tarrazu, to hold the end of year Christmas party for a small elementary school with just 35 students. Paulette's mom is the school's director and one of the two teachers there. It is a poor, farming (coffee) community. We have collected presents for each of the students, and will also bring apples and grapes, which are traditional gifts during Christmas. About 12 students from the Tec will be going -- we will play games with the kids, have lunch, and give the the presents and some school supplies.

This past semester, Shirley had a women's Bible study in Paulette's house. Paulette came to faith in Christ a little over a year ago during the project from Mexico, and has really been growing since that time. One of the evenings at the Bible study, Paulette's mom, Wilma, began to share with Shirley her life and background. Shirley was just about floored by what she heard, in terms of brokenness and pain.

This opportunity to serve and bless these children, their community, and Paulette's mom, Wilma, is another open door the Lord has put before us. When the Lord brings a student, like Paulette, or Juan Elias, to himself, we are always aware that there is a context, a family, a bigger story behind the story, so to speak -- with our Lord's love for people and desire to bring them to himself.

Our prayer is that the Lord would open these hearts and bring many more to himself. Life is precious and fleeting. Shirley and I have talked for the last three years of visiting Juan Gabriel's family. His father's untimely death was a strong reminder of how urgent and important it is to continue to sow the life giving seeds of the Gospel abundantly and at every opportunity!

Thank you for your prayers and partnership with us, as we invest in these students, the next generation of leaders!

serving with you,

Philip and Shirley and the family

Prayer points:

Rigo and Juan Gabriel and their families during their grieving, that the Lord would comfort and use these tragedies to bring people to Himself
The outreach to the San Marcos children, their families, and Paulette's mom, Wilma; future opportunities to bless this community
Isaac and Carol, the new staff couple, for their support raising process
For our family, rest over the holidays and re-creation
Wisdom as we review and formulate short and long term ministry plans

New Believer at Tec

2010-09-01T15:35:00.003-06:00

Since the Mexican project has left, we have about a dozen or more new students involved in the ministry, some new believers, which is a great blessing!

At the same time, a number of our regular students, though very motivated while the Mexicans were here, have now seemed to disappear amidst the busyness of school, and this has been disappointing for me.

I am discipling one new believer, Juan Gabriel. And there are several more new believers that have yet to begin follow up. Two students who have really stepped up to the plate and are helping out are Juan Elias and Paulette. Recently, Paulette and her mom came for coffee. Paulette's mom, Wilma, just took a job as the principal at an elementary school in a rural area. She asked us if we (Campus Crusade at the Tec) could help with the Christmas party for the school. There are about 40 children who come from low income families. It looks like we are going to help out with this event sometime in early December. This will be a good opportunity to share Christ's love in a tangible way for the community, as well as being a good testimony to Paulette's mom.

In the photo below, next to me is Juan Gabriel. Juan received Christ as Pedro and I shared with him on August 6th. He is studying computer engineering, is participating in the Plasma Physics Group at the Tec, and plays in the National Youth Symphony--needless to say he is a busy person! The day he received Christ, I asked him what he thought about what I had shared with him and the decision he made. He replied, "Who would not want to do that!" (to receive Christ as Lord and Savior).

Prayer items:

for Paulette and Juan Elías who are helping lead the CruTec group
for new believers, Lanvin, Gabriel, Juan Gabriel, to recieve follow up
for spiritual growth for the students, that the Lord would create in them a desire to grow and reach out
for Isaac and Carol, as they raise funds to start full-time with Campus Crusade
for our family, that we would continue to grow faith and love, and have a healthy balance between family and ministry

Photo: from left to right: Raúl (Tec), Felix and Pedro (Mexican Project), Juan Gabriel (new believer, Tec), and myself

Men's Night

2010-07-31T18:37:00.011-06:00

Last night we had a men's night, organized by the Mexicans and our Costa Rican guys involved in the ministry. Ivan hosted the time at his apartment, and everyone chipped in to buy meat for a barbecue, a great way to attract guys!

Nine of the guys that showed up are not regulars! After the food, Ivan led a short devotional from the passage where Peter walked on--and sunk in--the water. He challenged the guys to consider the focus of their lives, and how that only by keeping our eyes on Jesus, can we navigate the storms of life without sinking in problems and sin.

The guys opened up to each other in ways that we have rarely experienced in this culture. I sensed we were on holy ground. I believe we need to pray that this group could take root and be established. There is tremendous potential for seeing these guys bond together and transformed in Christ-centered community. Just this past Monday, Ivan's apartment mate Eduardo made a decision to follow the Lord (center of the 2nd row in the photo).

In another clear example of seeing the Lord's hand at work, one of the guys that came, a freshman, is the younger brother of Sulin, a girl Shirley discipled, who now has graduated. He was invited by one of the Mexican guys, who had met and shared with him on campus!

In this picture, the guys are have been goaded by the Mexicans into eating candy made from chile peppers and tamarind! You can also see a common barbecue grill here: a car rim with rebar for legs and covered by a rebar grill!

Mexico - Costa Rica 2010

2010-07-27T23:01:00.009-06:00

This past weekend we received a group of 13 students and staff from Campus Crusade Mexico, along with one couple from Colorado, who have served in Mexico. They will be here through August 7th, working with us as we begin this new semester at the Tec.

They are using the Soularium image-based survey to talk with students, and we are seeing a very positive response. Today, we set up some of the large posters with the images from the survey in front of the cafeteria, and students would just walk over the look at the pictures. It was then very easy to engage them in conversation, and as we explained the survey to them, most were willing to take the survey.

Several students have already indicated that they wanted to begin a relationship with Christ. Please pray:

that those who have made decisions to trust Christ get involved and grow in their relationship with the Lord
for continued good relationships among the project members
for growth of the Tec students who are sharing with the project students--that they would completely give themselves to the Lord, and step out in faith to share with others
for strength and balance for us as a family during this busy time

Thank you for your prayers and partnership with us!

Theater Presentation: Broken Hearts

2009-10-30T15:45:00.023-06:00

This past Wednesday the students organized an event called, "Story of the Soul." It is an outreach using various forms of art--such as drama, poetry, short films, and music--all related to a particular theme, in order to gather and engage students in meaningful conversation, and have opportunities to share Christ. The theme for this event was "Broken Hearts."

The students performed a song, read poetry, and performed a short drama. After each segment, we projected discussion questions related to the presentation. It was great to see the students engaging in discussion. At each table, one of our students joined to facilitate discussion, and get to know the visiting students. We served coffee and "pan de canela" -- cinnamon rolls and pastry from a local bakery.

To close the event, Yoksan (below right) shared his testimony of how he came to know the Lord. He shared about his process of coming to understand God's unconditional love, and learning to like himself--instead of always looking to others to fill the voids in his life--referring to a long but unhealthy relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

Thirty-two new students came to the event, and from the comments they left, they had a great time. Several students said they wanted to join the group. Our next step will be to contact the students and invite them to talk more, perhaps using the Soularium photo survey, and look for an opportunity to talk to them about their relationship with the Lord.

It has been exciting to see the students taking initiative and wanting to reach out to their peers on campus. Please join in prayer continued growth in the students and that we could see a movement on spiritual multiplication at the Tec!

To see more photos of the event, click here.

July Update -- Never a Dull Moment!

2009-07-25T02:16:00.003-06:00

Back in Costa Rica -- Kids' school delayed

Thank you so much for your prayers and many personal emails and cards over this past month since my mom passed away. You have been a source of encouragement, and we appreciate you very much.

We arrived back in Costa Rica last Thursday, and have been getting settled in. We are in the rainy season, but our days have actually been very nice. We have had sun in the morning, and our afternoons have been overcast, but most of the rain has come during the night.
Philip and John were supposed to begin school this past Monday, but due to the fact that the swine flu has been peaking in this part of the hemisphere, school was delayed for a week across the country. It is not affecting the universities, though. This was a welcome break for them, and quite honestly it has allowed us to get a bit more on top of things, as well!

Mexico -- Costa Rica Campus Crusade Project

Tomorrow we will be receiving a group of 19 students and staff from Campus Crusade Mexico. They will be doing a 10-day project with us at the Tec--doing evangelism and other activities to involve our current students as well as identify new students. Rigo and I met with Maria Felix, from the social work department who oversees the dorms, and she invited us to meet with and plan some activities with her student leaders on Monday.

Since we have returned, we have met again with Isaac and Carol, and they continue to sense the Lord's leading to join our staff full time to work here in Cartago at the Tec. We are excited by this possibility and continue to pray for the Lord's will regarding their call. The process of making a mid-career change to enter the ministry will not be easy, but we trust that the Lord will confirm and provide according to his will!

Health Update for Phil & Shirley . . .

The results of my kidney scan showed that my kidney is functioning normally. The cyst does not seem to be causing any obstruction; but there is a large kidney stone low in the kidney, which at some point we may need to treat. The doctor does not think it is likely to cause any problem soon, but I will get another x-ray in 6 months as follow up.

Shirley's blood work came back good regarding the cyst she has on her thyroid. The cyst seems to have gotten smaller, and she will get an ultrasound to verify this--and in light of this our doctor feels like there is nothing to do at this point but continue to monitor it.

The really big news, though, is that Shirley is pregnant! We found out just before arriving in the US. Everything seems to be going well, though the pregnancy will be considered higher risk because of her three previous c-sections. The kids are very excited . . . and so, Lord willing, we will be welcoming a fourth DeCicco baby in December!

Thanks so much, again, for your partnership with us! Some points to keep in prayer:

Prayer

That we might see students coming to Christ during the Mexico project, that we would be students with open hearts
For protection for Shirley and the kids with the flu epidemic here
For our family, that we would trust the Lord day by day--with all that we have had going on, that we would know his peace and presence
For Isaac and Carol, for the Lord to continue to lead and provide, and call more laborers into the harvest
That we might see a student-led movement of evangelism and discipleship spreading not only in the Tec, but throughout Cartago
Continued growth for students, Iván, Raúl, Juan Elías, Rigo, Mirna, Juan, Sulin . . .

Praise & Thanks

For all things, both blessings and struggles, for we know the Lord is with us
For Isaac and Carol, and their call to ministry
For the fruit we have seen and students who are growing in Christ

Please let us know how you are doing, and how we can pray for you!

in Christ,

Phil, Shirley, Philip, John and Anna Maria

Soularium

2009-02-10T21:23:00.009-06:00

Today we started the Soularium surveys on campus. One group of students that came over were from the school of Industrial Design--and they loved the photos and wondered what we were doing. I spoke with a girl name Dalia. As she chose pictures to talk about, I would share with her some of my own impressions.

Afterward I asked, "Would you allow us to share with you this booklet which talks you could have a personal relationship with God?"

Without hesitation, said, "No."

"Could you tell me why?"

"Because it is something very personal," she said.

"Well, would you mind if I shared with you a bit of my story?"

"Sure, that would be fine."

I then pointed to one of the pictures and began to tell her how I had come to know the Lord. As I shared my story, how that I had always viewed God as abstract and distant, but had come to know Him in a personal way, she listened intently.

Although Dalia responed with a resounding "No" when I asked her if we could share a booklet about how to know God personally, she did not hesitate to let me tell her my "story" using the images. I was struck by the fact that by beginning a dialogue of story-telling with the help of these images led to an opportunity to share the Good News.

Join us in praying for the seed that was sown in hearts today!

Back in CR - New School Year at Tec

2009-02-07T18:13:00.012-06:00

We've been back in Costa Rica for just about 3 weeks! It has been good to be home, while at the same time, my mom has continued to have health challenges. She has been in and out of the hospital twice during this time, having had crises of with breathing difficulty--she continues to be in atrial fib. Just yesterday she went back to the rehab, and my sisters said that today she has been clearer mentally than she has been in a long time, which was great to hear!

The first week of classes begins this Monday, Feb. 9th. We are putting together a packet to give to the first year students, which will include some "freebies" that students always like: a toothbrush, a pen, maybe a pack of cookies, and some gospel material and articles related to student life. We plan to give them out to between 50-100 to students we find through surveys who seem the most interested.

We will do an outreach with a visual survey called Soularium, which we used this past year. You can see the images at mysoularium.com. This tool has proven to be a great way to interact with students about their life and spiritual journey.

Last Sunday, we met with our pastors, Dennis and Dora, and with a couple of our students to talk about some of the events we have planned. This year we are hoping to raise a significant part of our budget for the expenses for the Tec locally through pastors and friends of the ministry. Shown in the picture are: Dennis, Dora, Elba, Rigo and Mirna. Elba is a preparing to go the mission field with the Costa Rican Mission Federation--we are inviting her to work on campus part time as part of her training (we hope it will happen!). We had a great time of planning and praying together! We are thankful for the local leaders that God has been providing as a source of encouragement, prayer, and collaboration as we seek to minister to the university and professional community in Cartago.

Sunday night we will have a planning and welcome party in our home . . . many of the students are arriving for the first day of classes on Monday. Please pray for our time together, and for these outreaches we have planned:

That we would be grounded in prayer as a movement
That our students would continue to grow in relationship with the Lord and each other--forming biblical community
That the Lord would supernaturally direct us to students open to the Lord through the surveys and flyers we will be distributing

We will keep you posted!

Ministry Overview

2008-10-17T20:53:00.000-06:00

As we mentioned, a lot has happened in the past few months! Here is a summary, and in the next weeks we will expand on these with specific stories!

New Volunteer Couple

We have met a young professional couple who were heavily involved (considered coming on staff) with Campus Crusade in the 90's at the Univ of CR, and now live in Cartago and are active in a local church here. When they found out we were here, through Rigo our key student (they are in the same church) they immediately wanted to meet and see how they could help and be involved in the ministry. They will be helping start a "friendship family" program for students who live far from home and might like to be invited over for dinner, etc., by a local family. We have been forming a good and close friendship with this couple (Isaac and Carol) and they have been a great blessing to us.

Growing Disciples

One of the girls Shirley is discipling, Sulin, is growing by leaps and bounds. She went to the world university karate championships in Poland in May. We were able to put her in touch with Campus Crusade's Athletes in Action ministry in Poland, and she returned with a vision to start AIA at the Tec and serve the Lord through her sport. She went to a weekend training for sports ministry recently, and is now preparing to participate in another major karate competition in Japan this fall, as part of the CR national team. She has asked her coach if she could give motivational/spiritual talks during the trip, and he has agreed. We are helping her prepare for that.

Rigo continues to be involved, though he is now working full time as a teacher at a local private school (which happens to be within walking distance of the Tec--quite a coincidence!). He has been particularly excited about visiting students in the dorms for discipleship, just to "hang out" and been amazed at how the Lord opens up new relationships and gives opportunities to share whenever he goes for these visits. He has been continuing to sense a call to ministry, and is considering formalizing his relationship to become "associate staff" as well as taking a year off work to work with us in the ministry at the Tec.

God at work drawing people to himself!

Three weeks ago, I received a call from a student named Ivan. He had one of our flyers for some time and just decided to call--kind of out of the blue! I was able to meet with Ivan for lunch. He had worked as a translator for some missionaries from the US. He said he had a good relationship with them, and always felt encouraged when around them, but then afterwards, he would feel depressed (after his times with them ended). I was able have some really good conversation with him using the Soularium cards we talked about before. When I shared the gospel with him, he was very ready to receive Christ. Since then we have started follow-up and have stayed in touch.

Opportunities with faculty and student residents

We were able to work with the social work department at the Tec who oversee the dorms on two occasions this semester. This has been a process over the past 4 years, and we are now seeing substantial fruit in terms of trust and credibility. For example, we have been given a key card giving us access to the dorms so we can visit students without having to call someone to be let in (This is HUGE).

Betzy, who oversees dorm life, wants to meet with us this semester to plan together for next years' activities--asking what we can offer to help the students. Some of the areas we have mentioned to her are: conflict resolution, movie nights, teaching on character, relationships, HIV-AIDS prevention/abstinence.

We have been able to begin a "Movie Night" and show a movie in the dorms in order to generate discussion regarding values and the spiritual life with students.

We have been asked to meet with the social worker in charge of sex education for the dorms to discuss how we would present abstinence as an option to the students alongside their sex education program. At the last activity for the residents, we started talking with the nurse handing out the condoms. Shirley asked, "Do you have statistics as to how many students are sexually active when they start school?" Nurse: "No." Shirley: "I think that data might be very useful. . . . We know that many students at the dorms come from very rural communities. It seems to me the way you are simply teaching "safe sex" without addressing the moral issues actually goes against their family values. You are basically encouraging them to become sexually active (living in the dorms is a scholarship for students from low income families--many come from rural farming areas). Nurse: "You are probably right."

Outreach at Tec, Mexican Style!

2008-10-10T22:54:00.000-06:00

From July 20th until August 3rd, we had a visit from a team from the campus ministry in Mexico. The team came to help with evangelism and be an encouragement to our ministry here.

One of the things we did at the Tec was a Mexican cooking workshop at the dorms. We were looking for a way to provide a service to the dorms and at the same time allow us to build relationships with the students. The event was a great success! We had crowds of students come to see the Mexican students cook, and of course, to taste the food! And we were able to spend lots of time getting to know students after the event.

The workshop . . . .
and the enthusiastic (and hungry) students!

Barry, who works with Campus Crusade in Mexico, was able to share Christ with a student named Rodolfo after the event. This is his Barry's story:

"I ran into Rodolfo in his dorm. [photo below] I was standing there and he said something to me so I sat down next to him. He said, 'You are not from Costa Rica, are you?'. I told him he was right!"

"I shared with him why I was in Costa Rica and then showed him the image survey I had made as an example of what I did in my job. He told me that he had actually taken the survey the day before. I asked him what he had put for the question, 'Would you like to know more about how you can know God personally?' He said that he had marked Yes. He shared that he was a relativist and that he thought that all religions lead to God. I addressed the issue of relativism and told him about how Jesus had changed my life. We read through the Four Spiritual Laws together and he was very thoughtful about all the questions I asked him. He prayed to ask Jesus to forgive him and to come into his life. He was very grateful that I had shared with him. He told me that he felt more at peace and he just seemed to have a new sparkle in his eye."

Barry later gave Rodolfo a Bible, and suggested he begin reading the gospel of John. Late that same night, I stopped by the dorm to return a borrowed soccer ball to one of the students. I ended up in Rodolfo's room, returning the ball to his roommate. Rodolfo was in bed, and he was reading the Bible Barry had given him. I asked him, "What are you reading?" He replied, "The gospel of John." I was very excited to see Rodolfo, who had just made a profession of faith, reading the Bible! To me it was a clear sign of fruit in the life of this new believer!

Since then, we have been able to begin helping Rodolfo, and several other students who came to know the Lord during the project, grow in their new faith. We will share some of these other stories soon!

Please pray for Rodolfo, Allan, Erika, and Taijin.

Choose Three Images that Describe your Life . . .

2008-05-26T21:48:00.000-06:00

Thursday we were able to set up a table at the Vocational Fair at the Tec. One of the ways we interacted with students was with a tool developed by the campus ministry called My Soularium. By using images as a starting point, we were able to engage students in significant conversations about their life. In the photo above, Shirley is talking with Gloriela, a friend of Sulin's who came to help out at the fair. The questions are as follows:

Which 3 images would you choose to describe your life right now? What do they represent about your life?
Which three images represent what you WISH were part your life right now? Why? What desire does each image represent?
Which image would you choose to represent God? Why? What does it say about God to you?
Think about your life so far. Which image best describes what you've experienced spiritually? Why? What does it represent?
When you think about your life or spiritual journey, which image best represents what you wish were true? Why? What does that image represent?

The Soularium questions work very well. Costa Ricans tend to be very guarded about their personal lives--and we believe this tool has been a great way to get students to open up and share on a deeper level. Our students involved with CruTec loved doing this with their peers, as well! After Shirley did the exercise with Gloriela, Gloriela was off and running and doing it with students as they came by!

Overall, we had a great time at the fair! We had a constant flow of both high school students as well as Tec students stopping to see the pictures, or to dance with the PlayStation game, Dance Dance Revolution!

We also spoke with several of the teachers who brought the high school students. Manuel, a guidance counselor at a local high school, liked the My Soularium exercise, and when I mentioned other materials we have for teachers to use with teens, he was very interested.

Mirna (on the left in this photo), Sulin, Gloriela, Rigo, Carolina, and Alexis all came at different times of the day. We also had John and Anna Maria demonstrating how to use the Dance Dance Revolution PS2 game!

In addition to the coversations we had, several students gave us their information to be on the CruTec mailing list, and we hope to see them visit one of our meetings on campus.

We have been wondering, "Why does this simple exercise with photos draw the students out?" Here are a couple reasons we think may be the answer:

One--images are a powerful way to tap into our emotions and thoughts.

Secondly, all of us, deep down, have a need to be heard, for people to listen to us--and we think this is especially true of today's youth--and this exercise taps into that strong felt need.

To see more photos of the event, click on the slide show below:

Prayer on Campus & An Unexpected Opportunity . . .

2008-05-22T00:08:00.001-06:00

Carolina sharing the Gospel with high school students at the vocational fair.

For some time we have wanted to begin prayer on campus with the students. After returning from Guatemala, we gathered some key students--Rigo, Sulin, Norber, Alexis, Gabriel & Tai--for a planning time after our Sunday night dinner & Bible study in our home. The first action point was prayer on campus Wednesdays at 9:30 am! Today was our second week of prayer--and we believe we are already seeing results!

We have been praying for ways to engage the students with the message of Christ. This morning, as Shirley was reading Costa Rica's newspaper, "La Nación, " online, we saw that there was going to be a college fair today and tomorrow for 3000 high school seniors to get to know the Tec. So this morning Rigo and I went to see the fair. Even though it was last minute, we decided to give it a shot and see if we could set up an information table for CruTec--our Campus Crusade group--for tomorrow--and we were giving permission!

So tomorrow we will be at the fair from 8am to 4pm (also praying we don't get too much rain!--between yesterday and today in the afternoons we have had about 6 inches of rain!). And seven of our students have already committed to help at different times throughout the day!

Please pray:

for opportunities for the students to share the Gospel
that the Lord would bless this step of faith--for some of our students this may be the first time they are identfying themselves as followers of Christ before their peers
that we would meet prospective and present students with open hearts
that both students and faculty would recognize that there are Christ-followers on campus
for credibility and favor on campus

We will let you know how it goes with some photos in the next few days!

Thanks for your prayers and partnership with us!

Leadership Time in Guatemala

2008-05-03T02:32:00.000-06:00

I arrived in Guatemala City on Wednesday for a regional leadership time. Part of the blessing of being able to participate in this time has been the chance to meet Chema Villaseñor (that is us together in the photo!) Chema is on staff in Mexico, and will be leading a two week missions project coming to help us at the Tec in July. We are very excited about the opportunity to receive a team of Spanish-speaking students and staff to help us in the Tec!

The focus during our leadership time has been strengthening our relationships on both individual and team levels; and the evaluation, direction and growth of our regional campus ministry.

Points for prayer:

that we could be encouraged and gain fresh and clear vision from the Lord
that I would be able to connect on a deeper level and begin friendships with one or two of our national staff
for the team from Mexico, their finances and other logistical issues
for Shirley and kids as we are separated for this time--also, April 28 was the 1st anniversary of Marvin's death, and for Shirley's dad it will be May 6th--for comfort and continued healing

Thank you for your partnership with us!

Growing and Overflowing

2008-03-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people
grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.
1 Thes. 3:12

This evening, Norber, Rigo and Veronica came by and had dinner with us. Norber arrived to visit earlier, and we were able to share some good time talking with him. Norber reminds us of this passage--right now he has such a desire to grow, and it is so incredible to see!

Last week while home for Easter vacation, he wanted to share about the Lord with his mom. Finally, the day he was leaving, he said he had the opportunity to talk with her without a lot of people around. He read 1 John 5:11-13, which we had studied the week before, sharing with her that the Lord desires we have assurance of eternal life. As he was telling us the story, he became more emphatic, and said,

I really want to grow in my faith, but at same time, I don't want to do it alone--I want my family to come with me [gesturing with his arms as if he were picking up two weights]. I want them to understand, too, and to be changed by the Lord.

Please pray for Norber, his mom, and his eight-year-old brother, whom Norber is helping to raise. We gave him a copy of a new version of the Jesus Film, Magdelana: Released from Shame, to bring to his mom this weekend. The film tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of Mary Magdalena, in a desire to reach out and identify with women suffering some type of oppression.

In the midst of seeing the Lord work, we have also experienced trials and opposition. Shirley and I have both had health issues in the past month, and have also felt our safety threatened. Please pray specifically for protection and health for our family and students involved in the ministry!

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. 2 Th 3:1-2

How is Your Love Life?

2008-02-14T09:19:00.000-06:00

"Hey, how's it going? Would you like a kiss?"

[Look of shock/smile/uncomfortable moment]

"If you help us with the survey, we'll give you a Hershey's Kiss for St. Valentine's Day!"

"Oh--OK! Why not?!"

More often than not, this is how the conversations go as we catch students walking by our table on their way into the cafeteria. Yesterday we had five of our students helping out with the surveys, How's Your Love Life, and we saw a very positive response from the students.

Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray:

That the Lord would lead us to people seeking Him
That the students would grow as they take steps of faith by identifying themselves as followers of Christ in front of their peers and professors
That Christ would be glorified on campus
For health and protection of us and our students during these days

The poster in the back reads "A Kiss for your Thoughts"
From left to right: Gabriel, Norber, Rigo, Philip, Sulin, Cesar

Back in New Jersey & Thanksgiving with a new Friend

2007-11-30T15:22:00.001-06:00

To download an Adobe pdf of this post, click here: Nov. 30 E-mail Update

We arrived back in New Jersey after 8 weeks in southern California. It was a great blessing to visit friends and make new ones, but the time went by all too quickly! We sincerely regret we were not able to connect with all of you personally, but hope to be making phone calls and writing some notes in the weeks to come. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call, send us an e-mail, or note via regular mail, we would love to hear from you!

We are here now until January 22nd, when we leave for Costa Rica. It is colder here in New Jersey, and the days are short; especially since we have not fully adjusted to the three hour time change, and so have gotten up later than usual, and the sun seems to set so early!

Thanksgiving with a new friend

We celebrated Thanksgiving with close friends in California. One of the highlights was getting to know Murat, a student from Turkmenistan who joined us for dinner. I (Philip) met Murat at the mall where he worked, and learned that he had also lived and studied in Turkey for several years. So many international students never have the opportunity to be in an American home, so after talking with our friends, we invited Murat to Thanksgiving dinner. It was a very special time.

Murat comes from a wealthy family within the leading tribal group of Turkmenistan. He is a young, successful businessman. As we spoke with Murat, he told us about his family—his parents are divorced and he and his brothers have little relationship with them. During a moment of incredible transparency, he told us, “I have no problems making money, or being successful in business—but I don’t know what a successful family is like, and I am afraid I will not be able to have one.” We were able to share with Murat, that God is the source of all things—including his own ability in busines—and that by entering a relationship with God, he could find peace and wisdom, and also have a godly family. We hope to keep in contact with Murat, and are praying that the Lord would reveal Himself to Murat in a clear and powerful way.

Again, thank you for your partnership and prayers!

Here are some items for prayer:

That we would have meaningful and blessed times with family and friends here in NJ, especially with Phil’s mom, Louise.
That the Lord would lead us to new ministry partners during this time on the east coast, and provide the rest of our needed monthly pledges.
For the planning and new school year at the Tec which begins in February. We hope to gather students and volunteers to be able to pray and plan together as we begin outreach in the new year.
That we could have balance and margin during the holiday season, and as we transition back to Costa Rica.
For our staff team in Costa Rica; we anticipate some changes in the new year, and desire your prayers as we begin working together in the midst of new relationships and dynamics.

To download an Adobe pdf of this post, click here: Nov. 30 E-mail Update

Happy Thanksgiving! November Newsletter . . .

2007-11-18T03:44:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your partnership with us! Below is our latest newsletter, which you can click on to enlarge!

To download the file as an Adobe pdf file, click here:

November 7, 2007 Newsletter

May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Phil and Shirley

New Semester at Tec

2007-09-17T21:35:00.000-06:00

Before we left Costa Rica in June, we met with Rigoberto, Cesar, Catalina and Alexis to talk about the ministry on campus for the second half of the year, which began in the 2nd week of August. In the first half of the year, we had two Bible studies on campus per week, on Thursdays and Fridays. Between both meetings we averaged 10-15 in attendance. Both studies developed their own core group of students that really bonded with each other. Almost every week without exception there were visitors, usually invited by the students themselves.

This semester, as Rigo and the others are meeting on campus, please pray that they would be drawn into such closeness with the Lord that it would be contagious to their peers and family, and the ultimately Christ would be lifted up and glorified at the Tec!

August Update from Phil & Shirley

2007-08-28T21:55:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Here is our latest update; just double click to enlarge!
Blessings!

Phil and Shirley

to download an Adobe pdf file of the newsletter, click the following link:
DeCiccos August Newsletter

Guanacaste

2006-10-26T22:41:00.000-06:00

Last week I went for two days to Guanacaste. Kandy's (our neice) husband's family owns a farm there--a big one--over 400 hectares. It is a cattle farm. We went riding Monday morning, and I took some photos.

Blogged with Flock

The Table

2006-05-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

During our time of preparation and support raising before coming to Costa Rica, good friends of ours, Jim and Joanne Miller, hosted a support dinner for us. After sharing about our ministry plans, we were all talking. Joanne asked, "But what is really going on with you guys right now, what needs do you have, what issues are you facing as a family?" For us, that released us to share just the burden of the move, packing, planning, and a myriad of things we were facing. Shirley was pregnant with Anna Maria. We were planning to return to NJ for a period of months before the move to Costa Rica. We didn't know how much "stuff" we would bring to NJ, for the move to CR . . . One of our debates was whether to bring a dining table we had bought. We hadn't acquired much nice furniture, always planning to move out of the country. But the year before, Shirley had stopped at an estate sale, and found a beautiful maple dining table at a great price, so we bought it. Now one of our questions was, "Do we bring the table? Ship it to NJ, and later to CR?"

After talking, we had a time of prayer. During the time of prayer, Jim got very emotional, and began praying about the table. After we were done praying, Jim told us he had had a very clear vision--and, being a Baptist at heart, this was not completely within the realm of his normal belief system! He saw us in our home in Costa Rica, seated around the table. And with us were students and new believers God had drawn to himself through our ministry. Later, when he came to help us move, he recognized the table, which he had not seen before, as the one in his vision.

So Jim and Joanne pledged extra support for us toward the shipping of the table to NJ and Costa Rica, and it was settled that night--we would bring the table with us. As I write this, I am humbled, and filled with emotion and awe, as we see the unfolding of this vision and God's tremendous faithfulness to us. Thank you, too, Jim and Joanne, and many more of you who have believed with us and shared in God's purpose and plan, as together, we serve him who loved us and gave himself for us--to Him be all Honor and Glory, Jesus Christ the Lord, throughout all ages! Amen!