Casa Viva Christmas Letter 2014

8/10/2019 Casa Viva Christmas Letter 2014

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TM

Then Jesus said, What is the Kingdom of God like?

How can I illustrate it? It is like a ny mustard seed

that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes

a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.

-Luke 13, NLT

This year we have been exploring

seeds as we think and work on behalf of children

separated from their families. You

ll no ce in thelogo of Casa Viva, there is one image a leaf.

Growth. Life. Connec on that grows like a vine

holding children and family together. We invite you

to read these thoughts, and celebrate with us what

God is doing in our midst.

In the book of Luke, Jesus likens the Kingdom of

God to a mustard seed. As Kingdom followers, we

would do well to ponder this thought.

We are reminded that the Kingdom is always smaller than we think . We can speak of grand plans and

strategies, but at the end of the day, the Kingdom is in mate and personal. It is within our homes, at

our front doors, in the daily ac vi es of our day. The Kingdom is Christ living in us our daily lives

truly lt history one way or the other.

On a global scale, the work of Casa Viva is smallsome 250 children have spent between nine days

and nine years living with a Casa Viva family. Thirty Costa Rican churches are currently implemen ng

this foster care ministry in their church. 150 families have been impacted as they have welcomed a

child into their home. Small numbers, yet signi cant the movement has taken root here, it is

growing, spreading its branches far and wide.

The Kingdom is o en hidden from sight. A seed burrows into the ground and we cannot see what is

happening. We know that to dig down and mess with that process would more than likely kill the

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sprou ng plant. God lives and works in

mystery like this. He sca ers seeds and

sets Kingdom work in mo on. O en we

have not the sight or understanding to

comprehend His ways, but that doesn t

mean the Kingdom is not in process. Casa Viva is taking the needs of children

o the main stage and bringing them

into private family homes and local

neighborhoods. We work very hard to

protect our children from unnecessary

exposure. We honor their private pain and need for healing. So much of the

cri cal work is hidden from sight, but it is of the Kingdom to be sure. A child wakes to the smell of

gallo pinto on a weekend morning. A father works outside washing his car with a li le one laughing

and playing. When a family takes the risk to welcome a stranger in the name of Christ, they

welcome Jesus. Time and again we have seen Him in our midst, working on behalf of the vulnerable

and weak.

The Kingdom enlarges and swells. It stretches and lls the land. Jesus tells us that the Kingdom will

grow and eagles will nest in it, that the ny speck of yeast will nd its way through the dough, and in

the warmth of the sun by the window, it will grow.

We see glimpses of this. Ten years

ago we were sent on a journey to

explore bringing children closer to

local families and the local church.

We weren t the only ones. It is

becoming obvious that this is of the

Kingdom, that God is encouraging

His church to remember the

children and widows. On an

interna onal level, organiza ons

and ministries are moving awayfrom ins tu onalized responses

and toward locally based ini a ves.

With ten years of experience, we re nding that Casa Viva has a

unique voice in this worldwide movement toward a deeper and wider spectrum of care.

And nally, the Kingdom can be awakened . I s ll remember the day that I realized that the solu on

for children separated from their family already exists. The care of children in need is connected to


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the ancient spiritual discipline of hospitality.

Casa Viva believes there is room at the table

within Chris an homes and the local church

community. We ve seen the need spread

across the broad shoulders of the church.

We

ve watched families assume theresponsibility for children in need.

We are grateful for your partnership with CasaViva. Be encouraged! The small seeds of theKingdom are growing. They have o en fallenin unexpected places, but they have takenroot and the evidences of life are everywhere.

Love,

Jill for Philip and the Casa Viva Team

A seed is sleepy.

It lies there, tucked inside its ower, on its

cone, or beneath the soil. Snug. S ll.

A seed is secre ve.

It does not reveal itself too quickly.

A seed is adventurous.It must strike out on its own in search of a less

crowded place to put down roots.

A seed is inven ve.

It clings to a child s shoestring or tumbles

through a bear s belly.

Some seeds are ancient.

Not all are eager to germinate.

A seed is sleepy, but only un l it has found a

place in the sun and it has had its breakfast

and a drink of water.

Then a seed is awake!

Taken from the child s book A Seed is Sleepy

by Dianna Hu s Aston


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Casa Viva USA P.O. Box 120, Wheaton, IL 60187 Telephone (630) 427 -4040

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On the eve of celebra ng Casa Viva s tenth year . As we look ahead to the year 2015, we stand amazed at what God

has been doing on behalf of children separated from their families.

It was ten years ago, 2005, when Casa Viva placed its rst child in a

Costa Rican Chris an family. That li le seed of an idea has grownand is now being replicated in other countries in our region.

We are well aware that our

partnership with all of you

has encouraged this work

in so many signi cant

waysyour prayers, your

visits, your gi s, your

commitment to seeing

children connected to

local families and

churches.

Gracias to our friends and family. Please pray with us for this

coming yearthe opportuni es to see more children cared

for in local families here in Costa Rica, and the wide open

door to in uencing our colleagues toward a deeper and

wider spectrum of care.

Are you receiving the Casa Viva E-Newsletter?

Did you receive a series of six e-newsletters from Casa Viva this fall, aseries called Seeds Falling in the Rich Earth? If not, we dont haveyour e-mail in our data base.
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Please help us plant seeds that will connect children to family!

We invite you to partner with us as we embark on our

tenth year of engaging local churches and connec ng

children into local Chris an families. We ask you to

please remember Casa Viva in your year -end giving plans.

Send your tax deduc ble contribu on to

Casa Viva, PO Box 120, Wheaton, IL 60187

or give online at www.casaviva.org .
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Casa Viva Christmas Letter 2014

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Transcript of Casa Viva Christmas Letter 2014