Jungle Runner

Hello again amigos and readers,

     Last night's blog was a bit of a downer, so I figured I would finally write one of the good stories from the visa renewal trip to Costa Rica. First good news from today. I met two of the people on the Nicaraguan Commision of MMA. I will be getting my liscense soon. Also one of the commisioners is a Christian and he is looking to help out with my program of martial arts evangelism! Now to the fun story.
     Every three months, I have to leave Nicaragua and return after three days to renew my visa to be able to work here. So some of my friends came with me and arranged for a training camp with an associate in Acosta. We were there for three days, and our lodging and food were paid for. I was sick for the first two days, but I still trained. The last night, we were told to take our luggage with us because we would go to the mountains for a promotion ceremony and training. When we arrived there were over twenty people there. The four masters went up somewhere in an SUV. The rest of us had to hike through the jungle in pitch black to find the cabin near the the summits. It was awesome!!! There were bats and snakes, and we finally meandered our way to the cabin where the masters were waiting for us.
     When we entered the cabin, there was only one room. There were over twenty of us. We all had the same thought. "Where am I going to sleep?" At midnight we found out the answer to that question. We weren't going to sleep. We trained until five in the morning. I gave a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminar in the mud somewhere around three a.m. When five o'clock rolled around, everyone crammed in the cabin to sleep for two hours. I went outside with two others to watch the sunrise. Then I went runnung through the rain forest by myself. It's not often that life gives you those kinds of opportunities. Carpe diem.
      At seven a.m., we participated in a traditional Japanese ceremony where two of my friends were promoted to their next rank in Japanese Jiu Jitsu. All in all, it was an incredible experience. I even met a master who showed me some new ways to share the Gospel with my students in the class. Embrace your walk, and the people God puts on your path. You never know where He may lead you and what lessons you may learn on the way!

Daiwan jaini maimumbia,
Seth