I remember an old camp song that I learned as a teenager during my summers at Thousand Pines Camp in Crestline, CA that went something like this: "Love Him in the morning when you see the sun arising. Love Him in the evening when He brings you through the day. And in the in-between time when you feel the pressure coming, remember that He loves you and He promises to stay."

For the past week, both in the mornings and in the evenings during an Intensive Course on Christology, with Dr. Stan Slade from American Baptist International Ministries, we have had to wrestle with the questions of who this Savior that we so easily sing about and claim to follow really is.

A typical Christology class might have been more systematic, more analytical, using theological jargon to define the second person of the trinity. Instead, this course confronted us with the Scriptures, especially Mark's gospel, and with Jesus' invitation to follow Him and to let him define what it means that he is Messiah, Anointed, Son of Man, and Son of God. We heard Jesus asking us, "Who do you say that I am" Professor Stan challenged us to think about what that means in terms of the realities and needs of Costa Rica. He also prodded us, as church leaders, to think about what it means to follow this Jesus, this Messiah who comes to serve.

We had to admit, much to our chagrin, that we are much more like the disciples than we care to admit; doubting, at times clueless and self-centered, and wanting to define Christ in our own terms. We ended the week not just having studied, but having been opened, challenged, and drawn together by our common need and our shared commitment, or recommitment, to following our Messiah. This course was one of the first courses since the reunification of the two Baptist groups here. As we sang of Christ, studied Christ, and prayed together, we found that there is no better center for our unity than the Son of God, who came to serve, and love, and who promises to stay.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support of our work in Costa Rica,

Mylinda and Gary Baits