Core Values
2024
Shrewdness I write on our value of shrewdness to describe a Christian shrewdness which is not negative, but positive and promotes God’s new Day. Hearts and Hands for Jesus is shrewd in the sense that we are frugal and invest our assets wisely to prosper our way through difficult circumstances. This is a point of Jesus’ parable of the Shrewd Steward (Luke 16: 1-8). Jesus knew we must be “street smart” to make it through this earthly life and that
we must use our context to promote the gospel.
Hearts and Hands for Jesus must be astute to the context in which we minister in Limon. With God’s guidance we use the system in which we live to promote agape love. This is why St. Paul took advantage of his Roman citizenship to have his day in court, when he was arrested, and to plead his case before the authorities. Eventually, Paul was allowed to appear before the Emperor in Rome and used this platform to promote the gospel around the world!
This is Christian shrewdness used for good.
But Jesus clearly teaches we must maintain a pure heart: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16)
I have clearly seen this combination of Christian values in the ministry of
Sally Jane and Crosby Johnson in Limon, Costa Rica.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” (Matthew 24: 45-47)
Wouldn’t you support the mission of Hearts and Hands for Jesus and help Crosby and
Sally Jane Johnson to “give them their food at the proper time” in Limon, Costa Rica?
You will be partnering with faithful and wise servants to
receive all the blessings and promises of God.
- Rev. Austin L. Chinault, II, Board Member -
Fruitfulness Taking the inherited provisions we have as children of God and bringing them forth into the earth.
Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring those desires to pass. See John 15:7-8.
Luke 8:43-48 The woman with the flow of blood.
She desired to be healed.
She heard about Jesus.
God gave her the answer. She spoke it, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
She courageously made her way through the crowd and touched His garment.
Jesus said, “Her faith made her well”.
She was healed by the power that flowed from Jesus. This was the fruit of her faith.
We need to feed on His faithfulness.
We should delight in the Lord, abide in His Word and ask Him what desire has He placed in our hearts.
Commit that desire to Him. Speak it out and write it down.
Follow God’s direction on how to the “touch the hem of His garment”.
Grace and Peace!
- Jim Meyer, Board Member -
Christ Centered It is hard to stay Christ Centered. We are constantly bombarded with information about all that is wrong in our world; war, hate crimes, mass shootings, prejudice, natural disasters, famine, genocide, new diseases. Each of us also face personal challenges, strained relationships, financial problems, health concerns. There is so much negativity surrounding us it is easy to become overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed.
In Acts we are reminded that Christ told us he would send us a helper, the Holy Spirit. In chapter 2 of Acts Peter's sermon talked about Jesus' unjust trial and crucifixion and reminded the people present at Pentecost they were complicit for allowing it to happen by not taking action. The crowd asked what they should do because they felt convicted for their inaction. Peter told them to devote themselves to repent and be baptized; acknowledge what they did wrong and change the way they lived. He further encouraged them to study the teachings of the apostles, join in fellowship, break bread together, and pray. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians1:15-17 that Christ is our image of the invisible God and that all things are created and held together in him.
When all we do flows from focusing on Christ; everything we think, do, and value has a more positive focus. We do not have to face anything alone when we remember that Jesus sent us “the helper (John 14:26) and we are part of a powerful community of believers. What a relief to know the Holy Spirit is present to guide us every day, especially on days when things seem impossible or frightening. When things are challenging, we have a reset button if we turn our focus to Christ. Approaching each and every day with Christ as our center we can move with an attitude of peace, grace, mercy, compassion, justice and LOVE. Being Christ Centered brings us peace and encouragement when life is overwhelming.
- Sue Crone, Board Member -
Empowerment Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)...Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Ephesians 4:12 (NIV) ...for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
1 Timothy 1:12 (NIV) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful,
putting me into service
Romans 10:5 (ESV) And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet
of those who preach the good news!”
The mission of Hearts and Hands for Jesus empowers physically through food distribution to many families. Crosby is continually planting more crops in order to give more. While combating hunger relationships are formed and the
love of Jesus is proclaimed. These are God’s hands and feet.
Likewise, Hearts and Hands for Jesus empowers through education. We don’t teach the classes but we help with required uniforms, backpacks, fees, books, school supplies, etc. Many students cannot obtain or complete their education without help. The kids, youth, and adults are forever impacted by these life changing gifts of generous donors.
Sally and the Board strive and desire to meet these ongoing needs.
Another empowerment is spiritual growth through church, Bible School, Youth Conferences, monthly Prayer and Fasting, street worship, etc. All are spiritual weapons against darkness. Satan really doesn’t want anyone realizing their true worth and identity. He doesn’t want anyone knowing are beloved sons and daughters of God.
Sally, Crosby, Herbert, and mission teams are hands and feet in mission.
Hearts and Hands for Jesus is also empowered through knowledge of their spiritual authority. Through the power of the Holy Spirit Sally, Crosby, and Herbert teach and live out the authority given to them and all believers. In order to engage in spiritual battle all believers must know they have authority in Christ.
By joining them in prayer we are the hands and feet of Jesus.
Why do I love, donate, and pray for Hearts and Hands for Jesus? By supporting Sally and Crosby in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, transforming lives, and helping people know their true identity as a precious child of God I am building and empowering God’s kingdom. I love investing in the lives of my brothers and sisters. Won’t you join me?
- Sharon Meade, Board Member -
2023
Christ Centered Our pastor was talking about being CHRIST CENTERED in his sermon today. He mentioned all
the things that are bombarding us daily, things that make it difficult for us to stay centered on
Christ…things like personal problems and mental or physical illnesses, and strained or broken
relationships between neighbors, friends and even family members. Also problems like school
and other mass shootings which occur on a daily basis, substance abuse and violence, and
prejudice and hatred of anyone who is not exactly like us. Added to all of this are the horrors of
war and famine and natural disasters and concerns for ecology. All of these things, and so many
more, are making it hard for us to center our lives on Christ, and to rely on Christ to help us t get
through each day. It can be really overwhelming at times. But we need to turn to Christ and pray
about all that is bothering us. Christ always listens and helps calm our troubled minds and
spirits. And I believe Christ hears our prayers for Hearts and Hands for Jesus, too, and will bless
this ministry if we truly turn it over to Him.
- Diane Chinault, Board Member -
Fruitfulness Why I chose fruitfulness - I love fruit.
In the bible: Fruit - Fruit of the Spirit – (Galatians 5:22) Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Delicious guidance.
Fruitful - There is a lot mentioned in the bible about fruitful. God called creation to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:22,28; 8:17: 9:1, 7)
Fruitfulness – Not found in the bible, but can be found in Costa Rica.
Crosby describes the fruitfulness of the rich coast as providing lots of food, month after month all year round.
His comments were:
Jan ‘22 “There is harvest all year round”
Mar ’22 “Harvesting and giving out food each day”
May ’22 “Mangoes being harvested”
Jul ’22 “Sweet Potatoes – Blown away by abundance”
Sept ’22 “ I harvest all the time!”
Nov ’22 “Abundance!”
Jan ’23 “Abundance! Coming fast- so much to harvest – coming daily”
Mar ’23 “Good environment – Great Ministry – Lots of need – Lots to give”
Fruitfulness can mean provisions from God, from the Word and from the Power of the Holy Spirit and from Missionaries in Costa Rica. We are so thankful for Sally and Crosby using their resources and dedicating their lives to share God’s message and work in the community of Limon to change lives. Thanks be to God for this Fruitfulness.
- Wanda Bentzel, Board Member -
Empowerment When I traveled to Costa Rica, I thought we were going to build an ecumenical worship center. The first two trips I quickly realized that if people in Costa Rica wanted something built, they wouldn't hire a bunch of slow gringos.
Yet we got much work done. As CREW members, we were given a glimpse into the lives of people from an unfamiliar place. We brought a spark of motivation to initiate projects that we believed would help the community and by having Sally Jane and Crosby serving in Limon, HH4J was able to empower local church and community members to identify needs and important projects. Therefore, I think the work HH4J does to empower the church of Limon is tangible, and amounts to much more change than any CREW team or individual leader can attain alone. The sign of great leadership is to empower members of the community to help better their lives and the lives of others. Providing sustenance from the gardens, school supplies to those who want to learn, ministry for those who want to draw closer to Christ, and connection between so many churches to the church in Limon, Costa Rica are all ways that HH4J empowers CREW members, church members and community members in Limon to know Jesus' love.
- CREW members -
2022
Empowerment is based on the fact that every human being is created in the image of God. Further, we are empowered by the divine promise that God has good plans for us in a Shalom future for eternity in God’s Peaceable Kindom.
(*Kindom is a new theological term defined as God’s eternal reign with us and all creation as family or kin.)
What has empowered you on your life journey? Who has encouraged you? What spiritual foundation has helped you, what education, talents and skills have you developed? All of this is important for any human being to have a meaningful, productive, good, and successful life. This is precisely what we support in the mission and ministry of Sally and Crosby Johnson, Harvest Tabernacle Church, and HH4J in Limon, Costa Rica.
- Rev. Austin Chinault, Board President -
Shrewdness Often when we hear the word “shrewd” many negative thoughts or images may come to mind, a shrewd person may be seen as wily and manipulative but is really more than those negative images. One that is shrewd is someone that is clever, discerning and having sharp powers of judgement. They can look at a situation and quickly use their acute perception and sound judgement to their advantage.
We choose shrewdness as a value for this mission because we know the importance of our work in Kingdom building and want to use the support we receive to the greatest advantage for those we serve. We seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our decisions on projects and use of donated funds. We know and appreciate the sacrifice of those that share gifts.
Two examples of our shrewdness in action is choosing to purchase some of this year's school supplies in the US. Prices were much lower in the US than in Costa Rica, we paid no taxes as we are tax exempt, and a work team that would be going to Limon in January have the ability to transport the items at no additional baggage cost. Some items were even purchased on Amazon using Amazon Smiles which gives a percentage of the purchase back to our mission. We pray the Spirit will continue to guide us in shrewd decisions.
- Sue Crone, Board Member -
2024
Shrewdness I write on our value of shrewdness to describe a Christian shrewdness which is not negative, but positive and promotes God’s new Day. Hearts and Hands for Jesus is shrewd in the sense that we are frugal and invest our assets wisely to prosper our way through difficult circumstances. This is a point of Jesus’ parable of the Shrewd Steward (Luke 16: 1-8). Jesus knew we must be “street smart” to make it through this earthly life and that
we must use our context to promote the gospel.
Hearts and Hands for Jesus must be astute to the context in which we minister in Limon. With God’s guidance we use the system in which we live to promote agape love. This is why St. Paul took advantage of his Roman citizenship to have his day in court, when he was arrested, and to plead his case before the authorities. Eventually, Paul was allowed to appear before the Emperor in Rome and used this platform to promote the gospel around the world!
This is Christian shrewdness used for good.
But Jesus clearly teaches we must maintain a pure heart: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10: 16)
I have clearly seen this combination of Christian values in the ministry of
Sally Jane and Crosby Johnson in Limon, Costa Rica.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.” (Matthew 24: 45-47)
Wouldn’t you support the mission of Hearts and Hands for Jesus and help Crosby and
Sally Jane Johnson to “give them their food at the proper time” in Limon, Costa Rica?
You will be partnering with faithful and wise servants to
receive all the blessings and promises of God.
- Rev. Austin L. Chinault, II, Board Member -
Fruitfulness Taking the inherited provisions we have as children of God and bringing them forth into the earth.
Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring those desires to pass. See John 15:7-8.
Luke 8:43-48 The woman with the flow of blood.
She desired to be healed.
She heard about Jesus.
God gave her the answer. She spoke it, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
She courageously made her way through the crowd and touched His garment.
Jesus said, “Her faith made her well”.
She was healed by the power that flowed from Jesus. This was the fruit of her faith.
We need to feed on His faithfulness.
We should delight in the Lord, abide in His Word and ask Him what desire has He placed in our hearts.
Commit that desire to Him. Speak it out and write it down.
Follow God’s direction on how to the “touch the hem of His garment”.
Grace and Peace!
- Jim Meyer, Board Member -
Christ Centered It is hard to stay Christ Centered. We are constantly bombarded with information about all that is wrong in our world; war, hate crimes, mass shootings, prejudice, natural disasters, famine, genocide, new diseases. Each of us also face personal challenges, strained relationships, financial problems, health concerns. There is so much negativity surrounding us it is easy to become overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed.
In Acts we are reminded that Christ told us he would send us a helper, the Holy Spirit. In chapter 2 of Acts Peter's sermon talked about Jesus' unjust trial and crucifixion and reminded the people present at Pentecost they were complicit for allowing it to happen by not taking action. The crowd asked what they should do because they felt convicted for their inaction. Peter told them to devote themselves to repent and be baptized; acknowledge what they did wrong and change the way they lived. He further encouraged them to study the teachings of the apostles, join in fellowship, break bread together, and pray. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians1:15-17 that Christ is our image of the invisible God and that all things are created and held together in him.
When all we do flows from focusing on Christ; everything we think, do, and value has a more positive focus. We do not have to face anything alone when we remember that Jesus sent us “the helper (John 14:26) and we are part of a powerful community of believers. What a relief to know the Holy Spirit is present to guide us every day, especially on days when things seem impossible or frightening. When things are challenging, we have a reset button if we turn our focus to Christ. Approaching each and every day with Christ as our center we can move with an attitude of peace, grace, mercy, compassion, justice and LOVE. Being Christ Centered brings us peace and encouragement when life is overwhelming.
- Sue Crone, Board Member -
Empowerment Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)...Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Ephesians 4:12 (NIV) ...for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
1 Timothy 1:12 (NIV) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful,
putting me into service
Romans 10:5 (ESV) And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet
of those who preach the good news!”
The mission of Hearts and Hands for Jesus empowers physically through food distribution to many families. Crosby is continually planting more crops in order to give more. While combating hunger relationships are formed and the
love of Jesus is proclaimed. These are God’s hands and feet.
Likewise, Hearts and Hands for Jesus empowers through education. We don’t teach the classes but we help with required uniforms, backpacks, fees, books, school supplies, etc. Many students cannot obtain or complete their education without help. The kids, youth, and adults are forever impacted by these life changing gifts of generous donors.
Sally and the Board strive and desire to meet these ongoing needs.
Another empowerment is spiritual growth through church, Bible School, Youth Conferences, monthly Prayer and Fasting, street worship, etc. All are spiritual weapons against darkness. Satan really doesn’t want anyone realizing their true worth and identity. He doesn’t want anyone knowing are beloved sons and daughters of God.
Sally, Crosby, Herbert, and mission teams are hands and feet in mission.
Hearts and Hands for Jesus is also empowered through knowledge of their spiritual authority. Through the power of the Holy Spirit Sally, Crosby, and Herbert teach and live out the authority given to them and all believers. In order to engage in spiritual battle all believers must know they have authority in Christ.
By joining them in prayer we are the hands and feet of Jesus.
Why do I love, donate, and pray for Hearts and Hands for Jesus? By supporting Sally and Crosby in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, transforming lives, and helping people know their true identity as a precious child of God I am building and empowering God’s kingdom. I love investing in the lives of my brothers and sisters. Won’t you join me?
- Sharon Meade, Board Member -
2023
Christ Centered Our pastor was talking about being CHRIST CENTERED in his sermon today. He mentioned all
the things that are bombarding us daily, things that make it difficult for us to stay centered on
Christ…things like personal problems and mental or physical illnesses, and strained or broken
relationships between neighbors, friends and even family members. Also problems like school
and other mass shootings which occur on a daily basis, substance abuse and violence, and
prejudice and hatred of anyone who is not exactly like us. Added to all of this are the horrors of
war and famine and natural disasters and concerns for ecology. All of these things, and so many
more, are making it hard for us to center our lives on Christ, and to rely on Christ to help us t get
through each day. It can be really overwhelming at times. But we need to turn to Christ and pray
about all that is bothering us. Christ always listens and helps calm our troubled minds and
spirits. And I believe Christ hears our prayers for Hearts and Hands for Jesus, too, and will bless
this ministry if we truly turn it over to Him.
- Diane Chinault, Board Member -
Fruitfulness Why I chose fruitfulness - I love fruit.
In the bible: Fruit - Fruit of the Spirit – (Galatians 5:22) Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Delicious guidance.
Fruitful - There is a lot mentioned in the bible about fruitful. God called creation to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:22,28; 8:17: 9:1, 7)
Fruitfulness – Not found in the bible, but can be found in Costa Rica.
Crosby describes the fruitfulness of the rich coast as providing lots of food, month after month all year round.
His comments were:
Jan ‘22 “There is harvest all year round”
Mar ’22 “Harvesting and giving out food each day”
May ’22 “Mangoes being harvested”
Jul ’22 “Sweet Potatoes – Blown away by abundance”
Sept ’22 “ I harvest all the time!”
Nov ’22 “Abundance!”
Jan ’23 “Abundance! Coming fast- so much to harvest – coming daily”
Mar ’23 “Good environment – Great Ministry – Lots of need – Lots to give”
Fruitfulness can mean provisions from God, from the Word and from the Power of the Holy Spirit and from Missionaries in Costa Rica. We are so thankful for Sally and Crosby using their resources and dedicating their lives to share God’s message and work in the community of Limon to change lives. Thanks be to God for this Fruitfulness.
- Wanda Bentzel, Board Member -
Empowerment When I traveled to Costa Rica, I thought we were going to build an ecumenical worship center. The first two trips I quickly realized that if people in Costa Rica wanted something built, they wouldn't hire a bunch of slow gringos.
Yet we got much work done. As CREW members, we were given a glimpse into the lives of people from an unfamiliar place. We brought a spark of motivation to initiate projects that we believed would help the community and by having Sally Jane and Crosby serving in Limon, HH4J was able to empower local church and community members to identify needs and important projects. Therefore, I think the work HH4J does to empower the church of Limon is tangible, and amounts to much more change than any CREW team or individual leader can attain alone. The sign of great leadership is to empower members of the community to help better their lives and the lives of others. Providing sustenance from the gardens, school supplies to those who want to learn, ministry for those who want to draw closer to Christ, and connection between so many churches to the church in Limon, Costa Rica are all ways that HH4J empowers CREW members, church members and community members in Limon to know Jesus' love.
- CREW members -
2022
Empowerment is based on the fact that every human being is created in the image of God. Further, we are empowered by the divine promise that God has good plans for us in a Shalom future for eternity in God’s Peaceable Kindom.
(*Kindom is a new theological term defined as God’s eternal reign with us and all creation as family or kin.)
What has empowered you on your life journey? Who has encouraged you? What spiritual foundation has helped you, what education, talents and skills have you developed? All of this is important for any human being to have a meaningful, productive, good, and successful life. This is precisely what we support in the mission and ministry of Sally and Crosby Johnson, Harvest Tabernacle Church, and HH4J in Limon, Costa Rica.
- Rev. Austin Chinault, Board President -
Shrewdness Often when we hear the word “shrewd” many negative thoughts or images may come to mind, a shrewd person may be seen as wily and manipulative but is really more than those negative images. One that is shrewd is someone that is clever, discerning and having sharp powers of judgement. They can look at a situation and quickly use their acute perception and sound judgement to their advantage.
We choose shrewdness as a value for this mission because we know the importance of our work in Kingdom building and want to use the support we receive to the greatest advantage for those we serve. We seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our decisions on projects and use of donated funds. We know and appreciate the sacrifice of those that share gifts.
Two examples of our shrewdness in action is choosing to purchase some of this year's school supplies in the US. Prices were much lower in the US than in Costa Rica, we paid no taxes as we are tax exempt, and a work team that would be going to Limon in January have the ability to transport the items at no additional baggage cost. Some items were even purchased on Amazon using Amazon Smiles which gives a percentage of the purchase back to our mission. We pray the Spirit will continue to guide us in shrewd decisions.
- Sue Crone, Board Member -