This past month Team Adelphoi had the opportunity to serve as the Unsung Hero team for our squad in Costa Rica. Unlike previous months in which we have partnered with a specific ministry, April was a month spent traveling the country in search of new ministry contacts that future World Race teams would be able to serve.
It was a crazy month of travel. We took a total of 15 buses, 11 taxis, and visited a total of 9 different ministries spread out all over the country. From the big city, to a dairy farm, to a skate park ministry by the beach, Team Adelphoi was in a different part of the country every couple of days or so.
While at times, the work we were doing seemed a bit random, when I think about the people we’ve met, and the ministries we’ve been able to connect with, I see God’s perfect plan for us.
One of my favorite aspects of the month as Unsung Heroes was the uncertainty going into the month and the total reliance we have had to have on God. At the beginning of the month, we were given our budget as usual, however, unlike previous months in which lodging and food would be arranged with the ministry beforehand, this month we were completely on our own to figure it all out.
As our team treasurer, my first concern was how we were going to live on our $5/day budget for food and $5/day budget for lodging in a country known to be very expensive.
But through prayer this month, God more than provided.
One of our team prayers that first week was that God would provide us with free lodging for the entire month. I remember when we first decided to pray for that, I thought it would be an impossible prayer. At that point we had absolutely no connections, and we were already paying $7 a night to stay in a hostel in San Jose. However, after we prayed specifically for free lodging and left our hostel that first week, we didn’t end up paying a single colone (currency in Costa Rica) for housing the entire month! It was so humbling to see how God put us in contact with so many generous ministries that were willing to provide housing for us free of charge.
It was also humbling to see how God answered our small prayers throughout the month. One of my favorite ways he provided for us was in our first week while we were still in San Jose. After church one Sunday, we went to a nice mall and went to the food court to get lunch. Immediately after I had passed out money for lunch, a guy approached us and asked us if we were missionaries. He said that his uncle was a missionary, and that he wanted to by the seven of us lunch. He wasn’t able to stay and eat with us, but he blessed us immensely, especially as our meal budget in an expensive mall doesn’t go very far. Later we found out that one of our team members had specifically been praying during the church service that morning that we would be given a free lunch that day. Once again, God showed up and continues to prove to me that He will provide time and time again.
Overall, April was such a great month, and I am so grateful for all of the ministries that we got to see and for the people that we’ve been able to meet.
While the end of April brought team changes at our Month 4 debrief and Team Adelphoi is no longer together, I am so grateful for the past four months with these amazing people. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the race:)
An update on life in Thailand is coming soon!
