The community where we are living, Los Guidos, (pronounced Gee-toh- with a strong ‘G’) is a poor neighborhood of roughly *50,000 people (*correction).
The site we are located for ministry is called “La Finca,” which means “the farm,” or “open space.” We are located within sight of an active volcano that we can see the outline of from afar.
Our first work day consisted of painting and taking down Christmas decorations and lights from the church on site, New Life Church. They run a vacation bible school here and they feed children meals during the school year. Children, out of school now for the summer, enjoy coming to play soccer.
La Finca
Photo credit goes to my awesome teammate, Haley Steele!
We got to paint a black gate for the church building entrance, so that it’s shiny, bold and new for the new school year when the kids arrive for activities and the vacation bible school the ministry runs.
Some of the black paint didn’t wash off right away, so I had black fingertips and black paint under my nails. This reminds me of how God promises to make us as clean and pure as fresh, white snow. He takes away the dirt, sin and grime from our lives and makes us completely new in Him.
Ephesians 4:21-24 says, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God- truly righteous and holy.”
Eventually, after several washes, the black paint washed off in the water.
God cleanses you with His living water- Jesus Christ- who makes you new and pure in Him.
Don’t wait for the dirt and grime to “wear off.” Turn to God today and ask Him to make you anew in Him and He will!
We can also shine for Him like the new shiny gate, freshly painted.
“You are the light of the world- like a city on a hilltop, that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16
Like the Christmas lights recently taken down here and in many homes around the US, you can still shine for Him with His eternal light that always gives us hope.
We can walk with boldness too. “Approach his throne with boldness and confidence to help you in your time of need.”
I did not always walk in the light. I struggled with feelings of being impure related to things that happened in my past. And I used to be in bondage to sin.
But God made me new. I confessed my sins to Him and He forgave the guilt of my sin.
Even when I couldn’t believe it, He made me new. He showed me his limitless love and lavished His grace upon me when I returned to Him.
He can do the same for you.
After I finished painting at La Finca, the gate was shiny and new. It was a bold color and looked sharp. We can also be made new in Christ, we can shine for Him. We can choose Him first.
We can boldly ask God for help and He will give us grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16- Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
We then got to go meet our awesome squad leaders at the bus stop. They are former Racers who are now leaders and will show us the ropes, encourage us, and build into us the first 5 months of our Race before new leaders on our squad are raised up.
We had met them at training camp and started to build relationships then and were happy to see them at Launch for the final days of preparation, now we were overjoyed to see them as they were going to spend time with our team!
We took the bus to meet them in San Jose, the nearby city.
As I sat on the bus, I was amazed at the natural beauty of the hills and mountains in the distance.
One man stood on the street, smiling widely as the bus pulled up, possibly having partly a toothless smile, I do not recall, but he grinned from ear to ear and his face just lit up.
He carried his bags onto the bus; he had a Beatles backpack and wore a hat with a number 3 on the back.
I don’t know why, but he stood out to me since I first saw him waiting for the bus outside. I don’t know what it was, but something about him stood out and I started to pray for him.
He stayed on for a little while and sat in the front seat and I started to pray for him, feeling compassion for him.
I was inspired to pray for others too on the bus as well as children and people we passed, kind of like a prayer ride. I prayed over the streets of Los Guidos as we passed, that the Holy Spirit would work and people would come to know God.
Will you join me in this prayer?
Pray for light to shine over the darkness and poverty here. Pray for peace and new life for the people here.
Pray for this man who seemed to need something else even though he was smiling. I don’t know what this means, but it was like a call to prayer for me. It reminded me again of how important prayer is.
No matter what words you choose or how short or long your prayer is, what matters is the heart behind it.
Lord, give me your heart for people.
Save this man with the Number 3 on his hat and the Beatles backpack.
Will you join me this month in being a prayer warrior for the people I encounter in Los Guidos and for the ministry here, Christian Light Foundation?
Please be a prayer warrior for me as I serve this year on the Race, that God will work in me and through me in a powerful way for His love and light.
For His glory and Kingdom.
Send me a message (Click the Contact Me tab at the top of the page) or comment below if you would like to join me in prayer this month as I serve in Costa Rica or if you’d like to commit to being a prayer warrior for me as I am on the Race!
We are starting prayer ministry here as well, which I will tell you more about next time!
“When we pray, God moves.”
Thank you to Prayercast and OneWay Ministries for teaching me so much about how powerful prayer is!
Please pray I meet my next deadline of another $3000 to meet the $13,000 deadline by Leap Year- Feb. 29th, 2016!
That will bring me closer to my final deadline due by the end of April- $16,962.
Thank you! I would love to hear from my prayer warriors!
