Dear Costa Rica,

Dear Costa Rica,

You were unexpected. From the mountains to the sunsets to the bright houses with flowers all over, you were beautiful. Your welcoming people made it easy to call you home. And the hot water was pretty nice too.

Costa, you brought perspective. You showed me that ministry can look different, that it can actually be really fun. You showed me that anything can be used for the Kingdom, regardless of how insignificant it seems. That making pancakes and cleaning are in fact ministry. You showed me how to wait. You taught me the importance of planting seeds, and how to be okay with not being there to see the fruit. You showed me that loving someone can be as simple as giving a smile, as simple as sitting with someone, as simple as laughing and dancing with them. That small acts have so much power when they are done for the Father. You taught me how to dance (literally bc dance ministry lol), and to dance even in the mundane. You showed me what it looked like to rest in the arms of the Father, to be held by Him, to find comfort in Him alone. You taught me to search for Him in every moment, and in the little things, because He is always there. You taught me that joy is as simple as knowing the Father is in every moment. You showed me that hard goodbyes are worth it. That surrender is worth it. You taught me more than I thought you would.

Costa, I won’t forget you. I won’t forget the dance parties in the kitchen, or the conversations with people speaking in Spanish and understanding nothing. I won’t forget the bus rides with Alfredo singing “Holy” on repeat, and how he worked to memorize the entire squad’s names to make us feel seen. I won’t forget the children you put in front of me, whose faces lit up and caused mine to do the same. I won’t forget the waterfalls, monkeys, beaches, and jungles that left me in awe of your creation. I won’t forget the people you put there to constantly pour into us, or the many games of Skip Bo. I won’t forget the amazing coffee or Xenia’s plantains. I won’t forget the stress of weekend meal planning with $5 a day (lol it’s harder than you’d think). I won’t forget the unplanned, spontaneous worship sessions or the deep conversations that led me back to Him. I won’t forget the noisiest bunk beds ever or my team’s weird late night conversations. Costa, I promise I won’t forget you. I couldn’t even if I tried.

So Costa Rica, thank you. Thank you for all that you held even in being unexpected.

Also, an update!

My squad has left Costa Rica, and we’ve made it to Santiago, Dominican Republic. Before leaving Costa Rica, we spent a week debriefing at La Montana, a Christian camp in the mountains of Costa Rica. Debrief was a time for us to process and reflect on all that happened in Costa Rica, prepare for the DR, rest and spend time with the Lord, and have lots of fun! Our squad coaches and mentor came, so we all got to be together! Aside from worship, sessions, and resting, we hiked a volcano, went bungee jumping off a swinging bridge, did archery and a high ropes course, had fun at the lake, and more! 

For our time in the DR, we are partnering with Mission of Hope, which is an organization that works in Haiti and the DR. Our ministry here looks like coming alongside local churches and their pastors. We reach the community by going door to door in both Haitian and Dominican villages, evangelizing, creating a space for vulnerability, and praying for people. We’ve already seen the Lord move in our time here! We would so appreciate prayer as we continue to do ministry and finish out the last two months of our race! 

Thanks for reading 🙂