Month nine: Honduras (Tegucigalpa)
Contacts: Zion's Gate Ministries & Heart of Christ
Ministry: LOTS of manual labor (moving rocks, moving dirt, building bunny cage, etc); hanging out with teen girls & their babies (from rape).
Firsts: time in a Spanish-speaking country, real Hispanic food, month serving with Amy D, experience tenting on the beach, 1000 Gifts by Ann Voscamp
What I learned: Tents are good for QT with yourself but they get realy dirty. Gratitude changes everything. I need art to survive. June bugs happen in other months. I still enjoy painting. The Mindy Project is awesome. Social injustice makes me angry.
Things I still miss: Time together. The prayer wall. Gracie's & the girls.
Month ten: Nicaragua (Palacaguina)
Contacts: Pastor Leonel, Ana, Leo, & Estrella
Ministry: Manual labor again – working on various churches & a school house
Firsts: DENGUE, vomitting overseas, love of ice cream, thrifting in central America
What I learned: Family is crucial. Alone time is still needed. Shoot, I love Spanish. Nicaragua might be poor, but it's GORGEOUS. I don't mind getting caught in the back of a truck in the rain.
Things I still miss: The food, the family, the church (SO incredible), learning & teaching Spanish, being so close to other teams.
Month eleven: Costa Rica (Jaco)
Contacts: Christian Surfers (Hannah & April)
Ministry: Property maintenance in the morning (helping build a patio, etc), opening the skate ramp in the afternoon, youth & Bible study events, children's club activities on Saturdays.
Firsts: Swim in a pool on the Race, month spent in my swimsuit, liking raw tomatoes, sleeping for many nights in my hammock, finding mold on my stuff, women's Bible study (hey Beth Moore – fruits of the Spirit!), movie night & dance party & ice cream party with a three year old, visiting a friend who lives in the country I'm in (PABLO!)
What I learned: Rest is crucial. The importance of an incredible body of believers (like Horizon Church & Radical) and a WOMEN'S group – Bible study – is inexpressible and so sweet to the soul. There are different kinds of chlorine that don't hurt your eyes. Waves suck. Black sand is SO HOT. Cheerios are phenom. Costa Rican coffee is the best ever. Pretty Little Liars is actually good. I don't enjoy being around a ton of white people (I know..and I'm coming back to America).
What I still miss: Obviously Bible study. Hannah & April & everyone from Horizon. Swimming in the pool pretty much everyday. Hammocking. Yummy healthy foods cooked by SMiller. Delicious coffee. Walking around in a shetengue and & swimsuit. Swimming everyday. Living five minutes from the beach. Gelato. Fighting sexual exploitation. Church community.
