Well hello, all. It’s been a few weeks. My team and I have been working on a “farm” in the jungle in Northern Costa Rica. I’m not sure if it can actually be considered a farm if there are no crops or animals, but that’s how they referred to it. ha. This farm is designed as a place of peace for youth who need to reconnect with God and themselves. Tony and Rosita have helped over 100 youth and young adults through this farm by allowing them to come and live here for a few months while they are recovering from addictions or difficult times. While here they are discipled and guided through daily devotionals and teachings while doing manual labor and helping out on the farm. Tony and Rosita also do a lot of work with children in the local communities through weekly “clubs” at many different locations providing biblical teachings throughout Northern Costa Rica. Their hearts for their community and the restoration of these youth and children is evident even from the first moments of meeting them. Tony and Rosita are passionate about prayer and intercession, and their faith in the power of their prayers is incredible. It was such a blessing to spend the past three weeks with them at the farm and to catch a glimpse of the beautiful work they are doing in Costa Rica. Here is a picture of what a typical day in Los Chiles would look like:
5am: In Nicaragua we gathered together at 5am for an hour of prayer and then an hour of quiet time before beginning our work for the day. I loved this time, the mindset it put me in, and the mood that it set for my day, so I decided to adopt this idea through Costa Rica. On Wednesdays and Fridays, I would wake up at 5am for quiet time and prayer.
6am: The rest of the farm woke up at 6am for a group devotion and breakfast! Typical breakfast included toast or tortillas, fruit, rice and beans, and sometimes eggs or pancakes!
7am-11am: Our morning work during the week typically involved manual labor. Some days this meant uprooting 25 year old trees to create room for a new sanctuary, some days this would be making and moving concrete, some days this meant setting up new concrete posts for a new fence, and some days this would be cleaning out areas of the farm.
11am: We’d return to the farm and have an afternoon devotional time before lunch at noon.
12pm: Lunch! Food on the farm was always a highlight of our day. Lunch typically included rice and beans, a salad of some sort, plantains, and maybe a soup.
12:30-2pm: After lunch we had nap time/quiet time until our afternoon shift of working. Typically during this time we would take a nap or take a walk around the farm. Sometimes I’d sit outside and read a book or journal.
2pm: Coffee and snack time! Every day at 2 we’d have a cup of coffee and a snack- this could mean bread and jam or an empanada or another Costa Rican treat.
2:30-5pm: Afternoon work would typically look very similar to the morning. I spent probably 6 days straight of moving and establishing 200lb cement posts in preparation for the fence.
6pm: Dinner! We would have a short devotional before dinner. Dinner was always pretty similar to lunch. Rice, beans, veggies, plantains, and a soup or sometimes meat.
7pm: After dinner we would have team time. This could look like playing card games as a team, worshiping together, or just having group discussions and reflections.
8:30pm: Usually by this time we’re starting to get ready for bed so that we’ll be well rested for another day of work tomorrow!
This schedule was our typical Wednesday-Friday. On Saturdays we would work with the kid’s clubs in nearby towns through lessons, songs, and games. Sundays were for church and sometimes prayer times in nearby towns or other kid’s clubs. Mondays were our free day, so this could be anything from visiting a local town for Pizza Hut and wifi to ziplining to hanging out by a pool at a local resort for the day. Tuesdays were Sabbath so these days were devoted to resting and connecting with God in preparation for another week of work.
