8/9/2019 Gustavo's Musings (1 of 10) - "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

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Gustavos Musings - #1 of 10

July 2001

Should I stay or should I go?

During the Summer of 2001, my family and I traveled to Costa Rica for a six-week internship withESEPA Seminary in San Jose. Prior to this time, I had been studying at Gordon-Conwell TheologicalSeminary for two years but I did not have a clear idea of what I would be doing upon graduation in

2003.Our trip to San Jose was a kind of testing the waters to see if the Lord was calling us to pursue a

ministry of theological education within the Latin American continent.Our son Emilio was three years old during this trip, our daughter Caroline was 1 and my wife

was 5 months pregnant with Natalie.

(Written after our short-term missions trip to Costa Rica.)

The seminarys mission statement was simple. The large, Spanish-lettered sign was notablydisplayed at the entrance, Preparing leaders after Gods own heart.

Seminario ESEPA (School of Pastoral Studies), located in San Jose, Costa Rica, was a prominent

evangelical seminary in Central America. The student body hailed from eleven different countries. Theyfelt called to fill a leadership gap, resulting from the historic growth of the Latin American Church.

Preparing leaders was indeed urgent and ESEPA seemed poised for the challenge.

The seminary also maintained six satellites in remote parts of the country. In places like Rio

Naranjo, with its red clay roads and towering green hills, a rural pastor could pursue theological studies.In places like La Fortuna, with its bustling soccer field and rumbling volcano in the distance, rural

leaders could mine the depths of the New Testament to strengthen their ministries. In places like these,

our family served this summer.

I had increasingly sensed Gods prodding toward a teaching ministry after graduationintheological educationin a Latin American Context. As a visiting professor to ESEPA, I was to prepare

and deliver two intensive survey courses through their extension program. And so we came to Costa

Rica to minister, almost as a trial run, with the intensity of a reconnaissance mission, seeking Godsdirection for our future.

In those six weeks we witnessed the vibrancy of the evangelical churches in Costa Rica, the

desperate need for resources and leadership development, the monumental vision of one tiny seminary

to train pastors, leaders and missionaries to minister in places like Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombiaand Costa Rica. Through teaching, we witnessed the transformation of individual minds, for the

strengthening of entire congregations, through sound doctrine and deeper biblical instruction.

God did not confirm our future as much as expand it. Life was not easy in these remote areas, yet

the Church was overcoming, discipling and growing the kingdom. In a place of such great need, onesmall seminary, one devoted professor, one committed disciple could have a profound influence. Indeed,

where faithful ministry met such desperate need, there you would find men and women after Gods own

heart. That was a call that could be understood in any language.

8/9/2019 Gustavo's Musings (1 of 10) - "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gustavo Karakey was born in Durango, Mexico and grew up in Southern California. Currently,

he lives in Boston with his wife and three children.

From 2004-2008, he served as a missionary to Paraguay, South America teaching at the

Methodist Bible Institute just outside of Asuncin.In 2011, Gustavo and his family will be moving to Medelln, Colombia, where Gustavo will

serve as a professor of New Testament at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia (www.fusbc.edu.co).

Gustavos passion is to help develop pastors and leaders for the church in Colombia and Latin

America as well as to prepare missionaries from Colombia for the unfinished task of global missions.

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To learn more about this exciting ministry in Colombia visit: http://www.karakey.com

To sample or purchase a copy of Gustavos book Making Sense of the Bible which provides a step-by-step method to better understand the Scriptures visit: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22475