Please accept my deepest apologies for not blogging for the last several months. I know that some folks read my blog, and they mentioned that they kept checking it and were disappointed to not find anything posted. So, I’m finally posting again now, and I hope you enjoy.
This first post is from last summer. Yes, I know it’s kind of weird to back-post, but it would take a ton of work to re-type everything in present tense!! I had a hard time getting onto my blog, then I started school, so it just never made it into cyber space. This summarizes my first 2 months this time around in Costa Rica.
I have to apologize for not blogging for a long time! I have been enjoying the company of the many amazing people here at the YWAM base and have been busy with ministry, not to mention that I just started bible school. I get to bed later than planned many times, and balancing rest, time with people, and time with God has been a challenge. Since I don’t visit with folks at breakfast, I try to make the most of lunch and dinner by enjoying the meal along with great conversations. There is always someone to talk to about something, whether it be something serious or fun. Some people are here for years, some for months, some for days. I find myself constantly hugging, kissing( the on the cheek, but not quite a kiss, of course), and laughing all day. Sometimes, I’m being encouraged, and other times, I’m encouraging someone. It still amazes me how people from different cultures and different backgrounds can be great friends in such a short period of time. What a blessing it is to be a part of the body of Christ!
I’m absolutely crazy about the Latinos naturally, and I obviously connect with the North Americans, but I’m super excited about my European friends. I observed many Europeans in Spain years ago working with college students, and many locals and others from Europe living in Germany on my outreach in January of this year. It is truly awesome to see Europeans with hearts on fire for Jesus, and I can’t explain how it blesses my heart to work along side them here in Costa Rica. The cultural differences are immense, and yet they adapt and embrace the culture here and thrive in it.
The majority of time here is spent with one amazing German, the director of the kids ministry. Renate has been a huge part of my relatively easy transition here, and I had no idea how well we would work together. She has been carrying the burden of the kids ministry here for over a year here with few regular and committed volunteers. I think the emotional support alone has been huge for her, and we have seen God answer her prayers yet again by bringing a man to work along side her in the ministry! Jose has committed to working with Metro for one year, and he has a heart for evangelism and discipleship. Over the past month, I had the opportunity to visit the homes of some of the kids with Jose and Renate. Typically during visitations, a group of people play with the kids in the street or on the poli (soccer field/ basketball court), and Renate visits some of the families in the community. It’s a great way to not only reach out to the kids who attend Metro weekly, but to minister to their family. I had had been playing with the kids during the visitations for the first month, but I was so blessed to visit some of the homes with Renate and/or Jose. A few times, we visited a family where a young mom (28 years old, I believe), was so ill, that her children were taken away from her. She couldn’t work to provide for them, so her kids were taken into custody. She lives with her mom, siblings, and cousins, and they take care of her, as best as they can. They don’t have much income, and live in a small house, with pretty much only beds for furniture. It’s really hard to see families like this struggling, and she can’t get better because they have little money for food, let alone healthy food. We prayed with them, and ask the Lord for healing and provision. Last week, we prayed for one of the young men to get a job.
One of their neighbors is another mom with several kids. I can’t remember if she is single, but most of the families we visit do not have a husband/father. If there is a man in the house, many times he is not a good provider or role model. (One family shared that the dad left for 3 weeks and did not leave them any money for food). Out of all the visits, this family impacted me the most. The mom shared that her son, about 8 yrs. old, has had some eye problems. He had really strong glasses, and they were just given another prescription that was even stronger. His pupils are triangle-shaped, instead of being round. We also listened to a 14 yr. old young man, I believe he was their cousin, about his experiences in their neighborhood. They are a lot of drugs in the area, and when he was 12, the drug dealers wanted him to be a part of their local group, but he refused. His punishment? They beat/whipped his back, and as he lifted up his shirt to show us the scars, I cringed. This young man went on to share how the Lord had spoken to him, and shared more of his testimony. He loved Jesus, and you could tell his faith was genuine. We prayed for God to heal the little boy’s eyes, and for their family as a whole. When we finished praying, the teenager wanted to pray too. As he prayed for his little nephew, he placed his hands over his eyes. That prayer was so beautiful, and I knew the Lord was there with us, and heard our cries. I was deeply moved by the prayer, and couldn’t hold back the tears. We have seen the boy a few times since then, and he said his eyes were a little better.
God has taught me so much in the past 2 months, and has humbled me yet again. I complain about not always having a hot shower, that bugs are in my bed, etc. The fact is, I’m spoiled, and seeing how some of these families live, has really made me appreciate all of the blessings I have. Sometimes I long for my old apt. back in Texas, and the comforts that it brought. I miss my all natural foods, and the convenience of dropping by H-E-B or Whole Foods to get hummus, almond milk, or a gluten free treat. However, the Lord has been showing me that my home is in heaven, and until I get there, I will always long for the comforts of “home.” I will never call a house a home here on this Earth, because home is where the heart is, right? And, my heart is in heaven, where my treasures are being stored (Matthew 6).
Overall, I have really enjoyed working with Metro Ministries. I have received so much love from the kids, and made tons of new little friends! They truly bring so much joy to my life, and I will miss them terribly! When I told one of the toddlers that I wasn’t coming back for 3 months, you could tell he wasn’t exactly excited, but he gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then gave me an Eskimo kiss!! This little guy is about 3 years old, and he always gives me lots of kisses on my cheek, sits on my lap during the lesson, and dances with me during our worship time. Last Saturday, I sat down next a sweet little girl (she was about 7 yrs. old), and she reached over and held my hand for a few minutes!!! How sweet is that? Also, there is one girl in particular that my heart breaks for in Santa Ana. She is so angry, and her mom and another lady shared that she is always fighting with other kids. She and I developed a neat relationship, so I hope to see her again soon. I’m excited because I think I will get to attend at least one of the Christmas events that Metro will do before I head back to Texas in December. ( I did get to see the kids again and say final good-byes. It was hard, but I was so blessed to get to see them one more time!!)
No comments:
Post a Comment