A Fiery Furnace…

Shalom brothers and sisters in Messiah!

 I pray that you are all doing well and that YHVH is using you for His glory!

This post is an exciting one as we are going to show you how to 

build an outdoor(Costa Rican-style) oven. Brother Eulogio and Sister Benilda used to

 have a bakery were they lived before they came here to the mountain about 4 years ago 

and they had wanted to build a new one so that they could sell bread and things like that again. 

 After talking to them about it, we decided to do it together. 

So anyway, on to the pictures!

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1 Kings 8:51

‘For they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom 

You brought out of Mitsrayim, out of the iron furnace.

 Psalms 12:6

The Words of YHVH are clean Words, 

Silver tried in a furnace of earth, Refined seven times. 

   

This is a basic, fairly easy to make oven that is inexpensive and will last

 for years(which is a plus when you live in the middle of the jungle LOL). 

In fact, the main ingredients (besides the top layer of concrete on the foundation

 and the broken clay tile) all can be found in your backyard(that is, of course, if you 

have some cows, horses, and a lot of really good black mud/dirt)!

Now, to make this oven, 1st you need a flat foundation, and preferably 

a raised one, that way when you are making your bread, 

pizza, pies, etc. you don’t have to crouch down all the time.

As the foundation is drying, you need to find some medium-length sticks

 about 1-11/4 inches thick that can bend some without breaking but have enough resistance 

to hold the mixture that will be laid over top of them. The holes where the bread and

 wood goes in is about 16 inches tall and about a foot wide on both sides

(front for the bread, back for the wood) and are outlined by pieces of old tin

 roofing that are cut into pieces about 4-5 inches wide and as tall as the hole.

*NOTE*

*Remember to put more sticks than what you think it will need. If you don’t it 

won’t be strong enough to hold the mixture and it will begin to fall before it finishes drying. 

We had to put more sticks after we began because we could 

see it begin to cave in in between the spaces of the sticks.*

Then you need to make a hole to put the mix in. It should be at least knee-high and

 2 1/4- 2 1/2 feet in diameter. Now, what exactly is this mixture? Well… that’s classified, 

it would be too dangerous to tell you…oh wait, you really want to know, 

don’t you… hmm… are you really sure?… well… OK, we’ll let you in on it, but don’t say 

we didn’t warn you. This mixture is made of a couple of ingredients, including mud, grass, water,…

COW AND HORSE POOP! …..

Well, we warned you, but you really wanted to know. But it gets even better. 

How do you mix this fine mixture? Well, you probably don’t want to

 know… ok… ok don’t make such a fuss, we’ll tell you.Well, a shovel may work 

for a while, but it won’t evenly mix everything because of how 

deep the hole is. That is why after a certain point you gotta use your…

FEET! It has to be very well mixed and very wet as you see in 

the pictures above and below, that way as it dries it will become stronger and more durable.

  

After it dries for about 7-10 days, it will be ready to use. Now, to begin

 making the actual oven part you will need to roll out the mixture. 

Yes, with your hands of course! You have to knead the mixture(like bread), 

and then shape it into an ovalish piece about a foot long…

    

 

Like this! Now it is ready to begin the building stage. You take one of these ‘loaves’, 

plop it down on the outside of the wooden sticks, and shape it to

 the mold of the oven, trying your best to make it even on top.   

 

Now, after every layer, you need to place some broken clay tile pieces 

so that it can hold each layer better and therefore make it stronger. 

   

Then it’s time to put another layer of mud ‘loaves’ on top. 

Then we add more broken tile, then more mud ‘loaves’, and we keep

 going and going and going, trying to make sure it stays in shape all the way to the top!

*Note*

*MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS IN FULL SUNLIGHT! We made the mistake 

of doing this during a very cloudy and rainy time. We got the first couple of layers 

done and then we had to stop because it began to rain. We covered it with some 

blue tarp so that it wouldn’t get so wet but after that began a week of rain and 

another 10-14 days of off and on rain, so that by the time we were 

able to continue building, it was nearly 3 and a half weeks after we first began! 

So remember, FULL SUNLIGHT!*

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Now here it is 2/3 of the way done. As it gets further up it becomes harder

 and harder for it to stay in shape, which is why we needed to put more sticks. 

 

 

Remember, this is supposed to be a family project, so enjoy it! 

It’s a lot of work but it will be worth it. Just think of all the good, fire-cooked bread 

loaves you can make… of course you might just want to make pizza

 or cake instead after all the ‘loaves’ you have already made(LOL)!! 

 

Now, once you get to the top, you have 2 choices to make. You can either just do

 the mud all the way to the top, or you can put a piece of tin roofing on the

 very top to make it a little stronger and cover it with mud. We decided to put

 a piece of tin on top. You have to cut it into a circle and shape it

 to the top of the oven, then put mud on it to help it stay there.

Now, once you are done that, the main part you have to do is done(YAY!). 

Now, there are only 2(or 3, depending if you want a roof to go over top of the oven or not)

 things to do. 1st you need to fill any indents or holes in with mud

 that way the oven looks better and cooks more evenly too.

Now, as the oven begins to dry, cracks will appear all over, like this:

 

This is normal and will happen. Just let it dry out and then there is 

a mixture you make of powdered limestone(called Cal here in Costa Rica) and cement

 to fill in the cracks and give it a very nice, finished look. We haven’t done

 that yet but will do it soon so when we finish it we will put some pictures up.

Anyway, here is the almost finished look! Brother Eulogio had a great idea 

and made a roof for the oven, that way you could cook in the rain too.

 This is a lot of fun to build and it gave us some time to talk to them more

 about the Word. Pray for them as they continue to learn and come 

closer to the Real Truth and unlearn the false teachings that they were taught. 

Until next time…

Shalom!

The Montanez Family

Servants and Emmisaries of Yahshua, Children of YHWH

HalleluYAH!

That’s SOOOOOO Cheesy!!!

Job 10:9-12

Remember, please, that You have made me like clay. And would You turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese?
11 Skin and flesh you put on me, and wove me with bones and sinews.
12 Life and kindness You have bestowed on me, and Your visitation has preserved my spirit.

 

YHVH has blessed us so much with the ability to milk our own cows and make our own cheese. 

There is a HUGE difference between the milk you buy in the states at your local store 

and fresh, straight-from-the-cow milk, not so much in taste(even though there is a BIG difference),

 but rather in quality and in nutrition as well. The stuff you buy at the store is 

ULTRA-homogenized and sometimes even worst, ULTRA-pasteurized(NO GOOD for cheese making!!!) 

Anyway, we like making cheese. We would like to make many different cheeses, but since
we don’t have all the necessary tools(like a thermometer), we can’t.

 However, there are cheeses that we can make here, and one of those cheeses are made 

from a dear husband and wife halfway down the mountain. They are a very sweet couple and love

 to read and study YAH’s Word. They also have a bunch of cows and get a LOT of milk, SOOOOO….

THEY MAKE CHEESE!!! This cheese that they make is what some would call here ‘Tico Cheese’. However, just like any cheese, or rather put, ANYTHING anyone does or makes, they will do

 it just a bit different then the next person. We have probably had 7 different types of tico cheese 

just from the couple of families that we know in Costa Rica. In fact, every time you make cheese, 

it will turn out just a little different, even if you do it exactly the same every time!

Anyway, here is how they made cheese!

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The 1st thing you do of course is milk the cow(LOL). We don’t have a picture of them

 doing it but here is Christopher with the cow getting ready to milk.

 

Once you get the milk, you can do 2 things to it. You can either make cheese right away, 

or wait for 8-12 hours until the cream has settled to the top. Now, if you take the cream off the top, 

you can make butter or cream cheese or sour cream or etc.., but if you do it will 

decrease how much cheese you make. So sometimes we take the cream off and sometimes we don’t.

Now, in this cheese, there is no fancy starters or mixers or really any of that stuff. 

All that you need to begin to make it into cheese is rennet.

When we were thinking about writing this post, Christian made an amazing point 

about how our lives are in fact very similar to this cheese:

Our lives are very similar to this cheese. Just like the milk, we appear to look white, 

we appear to be clean. But just like the milk, we are mixed in with this dirty, yucky sin, 

and we may not even know it. But just like the rennet(which is a reddish color), 

the blood of Yahshua allows us to be able to separate from the dirty, yucky sin. 

Next we have to wait about 30 minutes for the cheese to set. Just as the milk takes time to 

become cheese, so we take time to cleanse ourselves from the unrighteousness of this world. It isn’t an overnight thing. It takes time to become that perfect, white, set-apart person that YHVH wants us to be. 

But little by little, day by day, YHVH through the blood of Yahshua changes us and begins to make us holy.

Once the cheese has set, we have to mix the milk around, and then put 

boiling water into the cheese and let it settle to the bottom and come together. 

And just like that cheese having to be mixed and stirred and have boiling water poured on it, 

so we have to go through tests, trials, and tribulations. We have to be shaken so that 

we can be made better, so that we can become more like what YHVH wants to be day by day.

Then, after the cheese has set, we have to cut the cheese into 4th’s, take one of these pieces of cheese,

 and then squeeze as much whey as we can. We will see an amazing thing that happens later.

Then the cheese has to be cut up in your hands to about pin-size pieces. 

After that, we put salt in it. And just like the cheese has to

 have salt in it to have flavor, so we are to have salt in our lives. Yahshua said:

Matthew 5:13

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how shall it be seasoned? 

For it is no longer of any use but to be thrown out and to be trodden down by men. 

 

Without salt, cheese is bland and not very good. 

And without salt in our lives, we are not useful for YHVH’s purpose.

Amen!

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Before we go on, we want to say that this couple has been very gracious to us. 

They love to speak and study the Word of YHVH. But because they like to

 study so much and like to ask questions, they have gotten in trouble with their church. 

They see how their church isn’t preaching YHVH’s Word and that the church is 

falling well short of where the Scriptures teach that they should be. But just like any people 

here that we have preached to, they do not want to leave the church because they 

feel like they have a duty to go to the church. Pray that the blinders can be completely 

taken away from their eyes and pray that they can be able to take off the holding that their church 

has on them. Pray that they can learn how to follow YHVH fully. They love to study YHVH’s Word, 

so just pray that they can come to embrace and fully see what is in the Scriptures. 

 

 

This is a really interesting press that they made. All it is 4 pieces of wood made into a box, 

another piece of wood for the ‘follower’, which helps squeeze the cheese, and 2 2x4 pieces of wood. 

Then, on the end of the top 2x4, they have a notch that they made into the end of the wood and put 

a sack filled with rocks and press it down! It’s that easy! Most of the presses we see online are

 either very fancy, very expensive, or both. This was an easy press that cost almost NOTHING to build!

Next you put the cheese into the box, press it flat with your hand,

 put the follower on it, and then put the press with the sack of rocks on it. 

Let it sit 12 hours or overnight and TaDa! You have made Tico Cheese!

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Now, if you paid attention, you would have seen how the cheese

 was pressed twice, once with your hands and once with the press. This is really cool.

 Did you know that we are and will be separated from this world twice? 

The 1st time happened when we accept the blood of Yahshua. When we accept the

 blood of Yahshua, we are Spiritually separated from this world, as Yahshua says:

John 15:19

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. 

But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out 

of the world, for that reason the world hates you.

 

The 2nd time we will be separated from this world is when YHVH 

creates a New Heaven and a New Earth. There we will be physically separated

 from this world and the whole Earth will be re-made and perfected. There no man will sin. 

We will become perfect, set-apart, and white(clean), without spot or blemish!!!!!

Revelation 21:1-5

And I saw a renewed heaven and a renewed earth, for the former heaven 

and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more.
2 And I, Yohanan, saw the set-apart city, renewed Yerushalayim, coming down 

out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, 

and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, 

and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim.
4 “And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death,

 nor mourning, nor crying. And there shall be no more pain, for the former matters have passed away.”
5 And He who was sitting on the throne said, “See, I make all matters new.” 

And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and trustworthy.

HALLELUYAH!!

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And here is the finished product!

May YHVH bless you and may we one day be 

able to have ‘Cheesy Fellowship’ together too!

Until next time…

Shalom! 

The Montanez Family 

Servants and Emissaries of Yahshua, Children of YHVH 

HalleluYAH!

P.S. Someone just asked me where we got the rennet to make this cheese. I know that in Costa Rica you can get it at most supermarkets but I don't believe it will be quite so easy in the states.

 There is an amazing place online called 'New England Cheesemaking Supply Company.

Their website is http://www.cheesemaking.com/

They have EVERYTHING you could possibly find to make just about any cheese you want. 

They also have all the cultures, rennets, and things like that

 to make things like yogurt, sour cream, kefir, etc.
Hope that this helps!

Yom Teruah 2012… The Bridegroom is Coming!

Chag Sameah Teruah-Happy Feast of Trumpets

El Duruy, Valle de la Estrella, Costa Rica

Lost House of Yisra'el

Leviticus 23:2,24
 “Speak to the children of Yisraʼel, and say to them, ‘The appointed times of YHVH,
which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these:
24 “Speak to the children of Yisraʼel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month,

 you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering.

 

Our family thought we were going to be alone for these feasts.
Then we told one family about the feasts and then sent a text message to some other people.
We prayed that Abba YHVH would use us and bring who He wanted to be with us.
It has been an amazing experience to see Him at work. We started receiving texts saying that
they were coming and that their neighbor wanted to come as well. HalleluYAH!

  Matthew 18:33
‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant,
as I also had compassion on you?ʼ 

We had to drive them up and down the mountain and across the river.
It took 4 trips in the day and 3 trips at night to move them but it was worth it. 

Psalms 72:3 "
Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, by righteousness."

  

Let the children come to me....
Our hope is that the next generation come to know, love and serve Yahshua HaMashiach.
These are the last generation. Help us become a testimony to them. I asked one of them,
 "Do you know a man of God?", and he answered " you". I lost words and felt disappointed
and humbled that he could not see Elohim in any other man.
At the same time I felt responsible for the Testimony I carry.

Psalms 149:3 "
Let them praise His Name in a dance; Let them sing
 praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre."

How beautiful are the inheritance of the womb He allows us to bring for Him.

 

Zechariah 8:23
“Thus said YHVH of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all languages of the nations take hold,
yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man, a Yehuḏite, saying,
 “Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.” 

Hebrews 4:12
"For the Word of Elohim is living, and working, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
 cutting through even to the dividing of being and spirit, and of joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

 

 

Psalms 98:6
"With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Raise a shout before YHVH, the Sovereign."

HalleluYAH!!!

Jeremiah 16:19
"O YHVH, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the gentiles
 shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood,
futility, and there is no value in them.”

We have heard from those that came that they will return to be with us for Sukkot
and will bring others with them. Praise YAH for Ushpizin. Visitors for Sukkot are a blessing.
 We are preparing food and teachings and will need transportation to bring people up.
 It must be a 4x4 vehicle and we have contacted someone that will charge us a fee.
Pray for provision for that!

If you feel led to send a gift offering to cover the expenses to celebrate the feasts
in Costa Rica for the people of Valle de la Estrella and El Duruy please do so in the donation link.
Praise Abba El Shaddai and Yirei that provided for this feast and allowed
our family to reach this season of Moedim (Appointed times)

Philippians 4:17, 19-20
 "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that is multiplying to your account.
And my Elohim shall fill all your need according to His riches in esteem by Messiah Yahshua.
 And to our Elohim and Father be esteem forever and ever. Amen."

The Montañez Family

Servants of El Shaddai YHVH Elohim Tzevaot taking the
good news of Yahshua HaMashiach
 to the captives of teachings and commandments
of men in Central America. Shalom Shalem.

PS. With this said please consider these teachings on the End Times Series by 119 ministries and Passion for Truth.

The land of Brotherly Love! Part 4 of ? Week 3

Heb 13:1 

Let brotherly love(Philadelphia) continue. 

Shalom brothers and sisters in Messiah! 

Praying that you all had a blessed and peaceful Shabbat.

We got back to the farm this week but I wanted to finish 

showing you some of the things we did and saw in Filadelfia. 

Sooo... here we go!

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Songs of Solomon 2:11-12
 “For look, the winter is past, the rain is over, gone. 
12  “The flowers have appeared in the earth; The time of singing has come, 
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

YHVH's beauty is amazing! He made some incredible things, didn't he?

 From the trees that give fruit, to the flower bushes, His beauty is EVERYWHERE! HalleluYAH!!

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While we were there, we taught them how to make a few recipes, cooked and raw.
But by far everyone's favorite thing was....

 

 MUFFINS!! We made muffins 4 times on the trip. 

Everyone loved them and Briana had enough 

left over so she could take some to school everyday. Yum!!

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Then it was time for Shabbat. My mom is a good bread maker, 

but she doesn't make Challah when we are at the farm

(Mrs. Suzanne McDaniel does it most of the time). 

So she doesn't have a ton of practice braiding the challah just right. 

But finally the 3rd time she made a challah that she would let me take a picture of(☺).

 

 John 6:35,47-48

 And Yahshua said to them, 

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall not get hungry at all, 

and he who believes in Me shall not get thirsty at all.

47  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me possesses everlasting life. 

48  “I am the bread of life.

 

Spending Shabbat together. And we had a visitor once again. 

Psalms 133:1

 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity...

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The next day for lunch Mrs. Ramirez made...

SOUP!! It was cooked on the fire so it made it even better tasting.

After that, my parents and the Ramirez's went out to go look for a car. 

They have one but it isn't very big and they needed another one...

This van was "interesting". This "big" old van that can fit a bunch of people, 
with tires that are, well... not very big... Haha!!

By the time bro Ramirez came with the sales person dad had this Chevy Sold to Mrs. Ramirez! 

But we had to "switch" to a less expensive Hyundai.

She liked this one a lot, but, well, 

let's say it was a "wee bit" too far out of their price range,

 like I don't know, DOUBLE the price!! 

Sooo... this car is still for sale... ☺.

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There was one other thing we did in this 3rd week we were there.
We played...

  

 PINGPONG!! Yep on the dinning room table with candles as the middle. 

My dad, Briana, and I were the ones that played most of the time but by the end of our trip Christopher, Briana's oldest brother Alfredo, and one of his friends got into the act. 

It was a lot of fun!

Well, another week had past and we only had a couple more days to go. 

But these last few days were really good.

That though will be the next blogpost. 

Until then...

Shalom!
Christian Montanez Dodd

Servant and Emissary of Yahshua, Child of YHVH

HalleluYAH!!