Qualified by Grace

Next month will mark the fourth year since Karina and I first arrived full-time here in Costa Rica. To be sure, it’s been a near constant flurry of activity that appears to have no end, but in the midst of all of it, we’ve experienced a quiet, unwavering sense of stability. Something “extra” ordinary, and to which we have no personal claim.

In the years leading up to our departure from California and into this missionary life, our lives and marriage were a complete wreck. I struggled with a buffet of addictions, rebelliously headstrong, that I knew I had what it took to conquer my demons. Like two drowning people, Karina and I clung to each other, socially cut off from others, and spiritually impoverished, unable to save ourselves.

So what happened? Surrender. Pure and simple. Breakdowns often lead to breakthroughs, and in that fragile, wounded place entered God’s Grace. A love so deep and literally “out of this world" lifted us up like a flood, and floated us down a long river of recovery and discovery leading into the Costa Rican jungles.

Were we qualified to be missionaries? Ordained to carry the Gospel of love to foreign lands? Graduates of seminary and well-versed in religion? Did we move in the right circles at church and have the resume to boast about our faith?

Nope. None of it. Just Grace.

All the mess, the things we thought would disqualify us from serving Jesus, have become the ground from which He has planted the Nest mission.

In my quiet times with God, I ask, please don’t let me work for the approval of others, make my ears deaf to any other praise except for the Grace of God. That is where we started, that is where we stay, and that is where we want to end up.

Outside of the Nest, I have been gifted an opportunity to weekly teach and counsel a group of 30 men living at a Teen Challenge addiction recovery center. Only Grace can turn my past ruin into a restorative lesson for others. And I’m doing it all in Spanish, no less, another miracle!

Life at the Nest lately has been very productive. Two weeks ago, we were fortunate to receive an amazing team of women from Cityview church in Texas. Together, we hosted a great two-day conference for women and teens. The weather was beautiful, the Spirit moved, and everyone left feeling refreshed and blessed.

Our weekly Saturday youth events have blossomed to 30-60 youth, with many new faces, and the message of love securing the Nest as a safe place for these high risk youth to gather and thrive.

Steven & Larkin, our newly wed couple lead our youth outreach with Edith. Together they bring their vitality and we’re just amazed at watching them grow into this ministry.

Each Sunday morning the Nest holds a church service which we call Simple Church, our resident girls and staff attend, including all our dogs too! This is not a structured program, so it includes life lessons from the Bible and lively discussions over coffee and banana bread while sitting in a circle on the floor.

When Karina first had her heart led to build a shelter for abused girls, she had no idea how complex and time consuming the process would be. There are so many hoops to jump through, legal, tribal, communal, and personal obstacles to overcome in this pursuit. It’s been very hard and frustrating. But she is uniquely gifted with a persistent passion that won’t take no for an answer.

Please do pray for her as she tries to hunt down a committed lawyer ( she’s interviewed eight so far…) who can finally present all of our pain-staking documents and requirements to the government for a license to operate.

Regardless, we continue our mission and are blessed to see the progress.

Finally, our Nest Marketplace, although not yet able to reach beyond our current monthly donations and gifts, continues to grow into a little business that makes life on the farm always an exciting and rewarding experience. Raising and selling sheep, the egg farm, coffee production and our food forest. We are praying for our first vanilla bloom in the next couple months.

Our need for full time volunteers is very urgent and we will be praying for a team of “ World Race” youth to come for a stay in this next year. If you know of anyone interested please check out the “ get involved “ section of our website.

Finally for those of you reading this who support the Nest with your monthly financial gifts,

I am so deeply grateful. Please continue to be the ones stepping into the gap and seeing the fruits of our co-labor here at the Nest.

I pray that the generosity of Gods Grace would be the foundation for a life lived with purpose and peace.

With love and gratitude

James Beach