Last night was hard. Last night was beautiful. Last night made me sad and angry. Last night was a privilege.
every friday night my team and I have the awesome opportunity to do street ministry alongside a team of people here in Costa Rica. the night starts around 9:30. we all pile into a van and head out onto the corners of different streets to pass out coffee and cookies to the people of San Jóse. last night our men got to come with us and experience a little bit of street ministry. since there was so many of us, we split into two groups. one group did street ministry and drove around talking with the women we have gotten to know over the past few weeks, while the other group was dropped off at the corner of a largely known brothel here in Costa Rica. I was with the group that went to the brothel.
when asked which group we wanted to go with, I was excited and eager to go to Hotel Del Rey. our bus passes this hotel every day on the way to ministry and I remind myself every morning on our drive to pray over this place. Hotel del Rey is a giant pink building (looks a little victorian-like to me), that is a famous brothel known for “the best” prostitutes. Western and European men filled the streets near the brothel just waiting for the women. when we were dropped off, we set up our coffee and cookies for the women and men. this night was different then the previous weeks. typically we see one or two women on the streets at a time and a few of us will go talk with them, but last night was different, everything was happening all at once around us. couples entering and leaving the casino, women being thrown into cabs to be taken home by older men and drunks stumbling all over the place. you could feel the spiritual heaviness all around. it was dark everywhere. physically and spiritually.
we were able to have numerous conversations with the people we encountered. there was one woman that myself and two girls from my team got to talk with. she said she was here in San Jóse, alone, with no money. she told us how she was from Nicaragua but was living here in Costa Rica because she had to work on the streets to try and make money. when we asked if she had children, she responded with a smile on her face as she talked about her two boys and her girl back in Nicaragua and of her mother who was taking care of her babies while she was here. we met one girl who was just twenty years old. we spoke for a few minutes there on the curb, but those few minutes felt like we were just two friends standing alone, catching up on each other’s lives. I remember feeling angry when a man walked up and interrupted our conversation. I remember feeling angry at him for calling out to her as if she was some object, there at his beckoning call. I remember the hurt in her eyes as she told him no and to go away. as I felt this anger, the lord quickly reminded me that these people were lost. He reminded me that we are here to be the light in the dark, that we are here to be vessels for him, we are here to filter everything through love, and we are here to show grace. as we stood on the corner we encountered a 6’1, bald man from Italy. he reeked of alcohol as he held and kissed our hands and pulled us real close to him. we didn’t know what he was saying and to be honest he probably didn’t either. we met a man named Albert who approached us by saying “your smiles! so refreshing to see smiles like yours here!” we talked with him for awhile and explained to him why we were here. he asked us many questions. I remember Nathan telling him that he thought Costa Rica was beautiful. Albert looked around, and with his arms out wide said “you think this is beautiful? tell me what is beautiful about Costa Rica? I’ve been here for five days and all I see is destruction.” I told him I see beauty all around. in the people i talk to and in the nature surrounding us. with a smile on his face, Albert encouraged us and told us he admired our willingness to go where the lord would lead us and then we went our separate ways.
Last night was hard. last night was beautiful. Last night made me sad and angry. Last night was a privilege.
life has been fast while simultaneously slow. I’ve been living in Costa Rica for almost two months now and truly enjoying every minute of it. the race is not what I expected while everything I expected. Its stretching me in new ways, while giving me new perspectives. been living a minimalistic lifestyle. paying attention to the small things I wouldn’t have normally payed attention to. grateful for the community I have and that we get to call each other higher and keep one another accountable. this is a pretty sweet life the Lord has called me to. thanks God.
I am currently at about $12,000 of my $16,600 goal. wow! god is crazy good at providing. no amount of thanks will be suffice for the gratitude I have. so thank you. thank you for your prayers. thank you for the financial support you have given me. and thank you for taking time out of your hectic lives to read my chaotic blogs. love you all immensely!!
Much love,
Brittney
