As soon as we think we figure it out… it changes. We went to the barrios in Nicaragua frequently. When we did, God just swept through the streets, house by house, and we saw people give their lives to Him and people set free. It was powerful! When we entered the barrios here in Costa Rica, we half expected the same experience. But there is no formula for loving people.
We spent time again this week asking the Father what he is doing here in Belen. We loved our first week here, but many of us felt a need to go deeper. So instead of storming through the barrios, we visit specific houses, sometimes only one per day. We are always invited in, and normally offered fruit from whichever tree happens to be growing nearby. We sit and talk. And listen. And pray.
One thing I have learned: Love never looks the same.
Sometimes it looks like painting fingernails.
Here are some pictures from our Girl’s Night from last week. Pure chaos. But lots of love. There are SO many children in this town. We feel that one of our callings here in Belen is to love these kids whenever and however much we can (which is easy, because they’re always around!)
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Sometimes it looks like cleaning house.
This is another one that started last week. We have prayed with Jose, prayed over his house, cleaned up his home and property, listened to his stories, and simply hung out with him! He has been a huge encouragement to us, as his laugh is contagious and his life is a testimony of how God’s love transforms.
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Sometimes it looks like eating ice cream.
I mean, it’s a hard job… This is Judy. She is an awesome girl that Mary and I have become pretty good friends with. She is 22-years-old and is studying physical therapy in San Jose. Like me, she likes ice cream and loves beaches.
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Sometimes it looks like proclaiming the Truth.
Sometimes the best way to love people is to tell them about the grace, hope, and love of Jesus Christ. We spent a day at the plaza, performing a drama and proclaiming the Truth. The drama is Set Me Free (by Casting Crowns), and shows the story of a girl (Kelly) tormented by the enemy (I play a demon, along with Michelle). Christ (played by Chad) is crucified and comes back to life, to save her from her chains and destroy the work of the enemy.Eric spoke to the people in the park about how following Christ is not about being a good person or even going to church. It’s about knowing Jesus Christ, personally and intimately. Several people came forward, wanting to begin that relationship.
Sometimes it looks like teaching.
We are no experts, but we are learning a lot. One of our opportunities to love people takes the form of a Women’s Study every Wednesday morning. Kelly spent the first week teaching about restoring the feminine heart. We talked about who we are as women and what it means to be precious and loved by God. For homework, we made a list of 100 things that are beautiful about ourselves. This week, Kim taught the Art of Listening Prayer, the powerful and divinely inspired idea that God wants to talk to us, specifically and intimately, if we will only listen. By the end of the day, the women of the church were asking the Lord what He thinks about them and what He wants to do here in this community.
Sometimes it looks like lunch.
This is another one of my favorites. Some of the girls and I spent an afternoon at our friends Yanery’s house, learning how to cook. We made shrimp and chicken pasta alfredo with Caesar salad. Yummmm. We also had some quality conversation time.
We have a very flexible “ministry plan,” for our time here. However, what we do know is that…
…we want to spend every ounce of energy we have loving others. This is ¨ministry.¨ This is being Christ to the world.
