So let me tell you about the little adventure that took place during our travels between Grenada, Nicaragua and Guabito, Panama. For those of you who may be a little confused about where I have been the last week or so let me explain. During this Race we have four different “debriefs”. Month 2, month 5, month 8 and then a final debrief right before we return to the States. A debrief is where we are able to come together with our fellow squad members in addition to our squad leaders and coaches to just reconnect and share how the Lord has been working. Well our first debrief was in Grenada, Nicaragua where we arrived Nov 30 and left on Dec 5.
We left Grenada on Sunday the 5th (on our way to Panama where we planned to spend month 3) and drove to San Jose, Costa Rica where we spent the night in a hostel. We awoke early on the 6th and grabbed a taxi to Grand Terminal de Caribe where our plan was to buy tickets to Sixaola. This is a town in Costa Rica right across the border from Guabito, a town in Panama where we were planning to spending the month. The pastor we were spending the month with was supposed to meet us somewhere at the border, that was all we knew.
Anyway we arrived at this bus terminal and Brooks and I went to buy us seven tickets to Sixaola, easy enough. We buy them, return to the group and discuss breakfast. So at some point during breakfast, Brooks calls our contact and informs us that she has been unable to get a hold of the pastor we were supposed to stay with in Panama. She basically told us to dismiss any plans to stay with him and think of something new. We were all a bit like “ok, here we are in Costa Rica, with a ticket to the border and nothing else”. So of course since this is the WR we are used to plans falling through, we were not too shocked. We kinda got a bit excited. As a team we came together and prayed and felt the Lord was calling us to fully and completely trust Him and not plan ahead and just take one step at a time. Dawn and Emily really felt that we were being called to just get on the bus we had bought tickets for and go from there, and Michael really felt like we were not being called to Costa Rica. I was reminded of Matthew 6:25-34. So many times we get so worried and caught up in planning ahead and not fully relying on the Lord. This reference really convicts us of how valuable we are to God, so much more so than any of the birds of the earth and yet He takes care of each of them. So how much more does that mean He will take care of us. As a team we really felt the Lord was telling us to completely rely Him and step into true faith.
So we got on our 10:00 bus and began riding towards Sixaola with no additional plans. What was even better was that the phone Brooks had been using did not work in Costa Rica so he bought another one at the bus station. Then that one had no reception. It was like the Lord was saying “I told you to trust me, why do you need to buy a new phone?” On the bus Emily sat next this guy that was from Costa Rica and who was heading to this retreat center that his friend owned. Emily began discussing the possibility of staying with him. Brooks and Michael began talking to him and really stressed that we were going wherever the Lord wanted us to be. As they continued talking to him Michael began to feel uneasy. They decided that there was something off with him so at a rest stop Brooks talked some more with him and long story short used his phone to contact the pastor that we had been unable to get a hold of. He was planning to meet us at the border and pick us up. As simple as that the Lord worked out our plans.
If we had not gotten on that bus than Emily would not have sat next to that guy. If we had not met that guy than we would not have been able to use his phone. If we had not used his phone than we would not have gotten in contact with our pastor. If we had not gotten in contact with him than we would not have know that he was going to be waiting for us at the border. Looking back we see how everything just fell into place. It was a crazy day and so convicting that if we just fully rely on God, He will direct our paths. I know we all believe that, but truly putting it into action is where it really becomes hard.
(Our house for the month)
(I got to use my tent)
(painting at the church)
(more of us painting the church)
