Fund Raising Update - April 2014

We are so humbled and thankful for the generous sacrifice of our friends and family and several churches.

As of today we have raised 55% of our total initial expenses that we need to move down to Costa Rica.  These expenses include airfare for the 6 of us, the purchase of a reliable automobile, basic furniture and the supplies necessary to home school our 4 children.

We also have ongoing commitments/pledges for 30% of what we will need on a monthly basis to live near the capital city of San Jose.  These monthly expenses include rent, utilities, gasoline, insurance, food, communications, savings for medical and Visa reset trips.

While this is great progress, we still have a long way to go to be fully funded by July 6^th, when we get on the plane for this next chapter in our service to God.  Again, we are humbling ourselves and asking for your help.  Most people are all familiar with the expression ‘Many hands make light work’.  It does indeed make a lot of sense.  We would like to take the liberty to modify that expression to say ‘Many small donors can support a missionary family in a big way’.  

We are asking you to consider making some small changes, which added together with others, will be enough to sustain us in Costa Rica.     

If you think you can commit to any amount (big or small) on a monthly bases, please click on the ‘Support us’ link on the right side of the page and boldly help us love and serve these children. 

Thank you friends!

Love in Christ,

Rob & Yvonne

Looking for Comments and Feedback from everyone!

Hello friends.  We continue to be excited about our move down to Costa Rica in 115 DAYS!!!
I have put together some pictures from our recent trip.  We would really love to hear from all of you.  Leaving comments on the blog will help keep us connected to all of you while we are gone, so please start now.

Wutka Family trip to Costa Rica - Feb 14-17, 2014

Yvonne and I had a wonderful Valentine's day surprise for our 4 children.  While driving through the snow and sleet to get to Orlando to vacation with Bestemor & Bestefar (Yvonne's parents), we sprung it on them that we were also going to bring them to Costa Rica to see where we will be living in a few short months.
It has been fun to watch as God has been in control of the whole trip.  We were originally going to

Feliz Navidad (this is the letter and pictures that we sent out this year)

Feliz Navidad Amigos y Familia!  Merry Christmas Friends and Family!                                                       December 2013

That is about all the Spanish we know but do not worry, we plan to know a lot more by this time next year.  For those of you who have not heard, we are dropping everything and moving to Costa Rica in July 2014 to serve as Missionaries.  We are so excited.  We are sad to say goodbye to all our friends and family but feel confirmed that this is what God wants us to do.  Each of the children are excited to do their part in serving God through serving the people and children of Costa Rica.  Please visit our website www.wutkamissions.com to find out all the details.  We welcome any questions you may have.

2013 has been full of more of the same.  Rob continues to be employed by The Hartford insurance company and will have to leave that job when we move.  It is our prayer that Rob will be laid off before July so that he won’t have to resign.  Whatever happens, we are trusting God for our financial support while in Costa Rica.  Yvonne continues to be self employed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the near bye town of Granby.  Although business is going well, Yvonne is excited to use her skills in a different way with the children and families of Costa Rica. 

How do we KNOW God wants us in Costa Rica?

I was recently asked the question, “How do you KNOW that this is what God wants you to do and not just something you want to do?”  I really appreciated this question because it forced me to really think about, and try to articulate, what we have been feeling.  I guess it is much easier to discern God’s will for my life when I am abiding in Him.  The dictionary definition of abide is; to remain, continue, stay, dwell, reside, rest, or stand firm.  I abide in Jesus through walking hand in hand with Jesus on a daily basis.  Spending time in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating on scripture.  By meditating I do not mean that I am sitting in the Lotus position saying, “om.”  I will often jot down a bible verse that I read in my devotional time and think about it throughout the day.  Sometimes I work on memorizing it.  I usually ask God the question, “How do you want me to use this verse or passage today?”

Financial Support 101

Hello friends.

As we have been sharing about what our family will be doing in Costa Rica, we have realized that many people are not familiar with how we will support ourselves while we are there.  (Support is just a fancy way of saying how we will pay the bills). 

Neither of us will have paying jobs while we are there.  For the first 6 months we will be living in the city of San Jose learning the language and culture of the people we will be serving.  We both need to be fully available to home school our children and to assist with the weekly mission teams.  As this is happening, the Children’s Ranch (orphanage/foster care facility) will be under construction.  We will soon move into a house at the Ranch and will become ‘Mom & Dad’ to several young Costa Rican boys.  Again, we need to be fully available to love these children (and our own 4 kids) and to help work the ranch.

How will this work? 

Pictures from Rob's 9/5/13 - 9/10/13 visit.

A shot of the lazy river
that borders the ranch
property to the East.

2 missionary children and
a local boy playing
with a top in Verbena

The feeding center
at Verbena.