Wow. What a week! I’m currently sitting in a little restaurant trying to decide how to write this in a limited amount of time. Blogging on a phone has been proving to be a bit of a challenge. So much has happened in only a week. We arrived to the A.I.M base late Monday night and little did we know, they had HOT showers! The showers and beds were such a blessing. It was the first and last night of good sleep this trip. The next morning we hopped on a bus and arrived at our destination. Things didn’t go as planned, but we made the best of the situations and got where we needed to be. We all were overwhelmed and stressed to see where we had arrived. We have been waking up at 5 in the morning everyday to be ready at 6 for breakfast. From there we go hard to work. I never expected to be in the middle of a jungle tearing apart what they call a sanctuary. We’ve been tearing apart benches, digging up wooden posts and heavy tree trunks, and fighting off the ants, mosquitoes, and tarantulas. We have to move all the wood down a steep hill and face the dangers of slipping and falling in the mud. At one point I started questioning, thinking, “What is the point of this? Why are we here? How is this missions work?” Then I realized, it’s all for God. God is going to use our hard work for His good. We might not see how tearing apart the sanctuary makes a difference but God does and that’s what matters. He’s going to use our hosts to build a stronger sanctuary that can impact more people. Just like how I laughed with the bucket showers, I laughed while I was covered in mud trying to dig out a trunk. I never could have imagined I would be covered in mud, sweat, and bugspray doing manual labor in the jungles of Costa Rica. God truly takes you where you never thought you would be and it’s in those moments you see how good He is and find joy in those situations. Even when beetles fly into your ear and your bunk beds break from termites, we can always find joy and laugh in the midst of the chaos. Yesterday and today I worked with kids. If you know me, I am not a kid person. I’m an animal person. Being with the kids and trying to connect with them was so hard. I just didn’t know what to do or how to act. However, kids still came up to me and included me and wanted me to do things with them. Maybe by the end of this trip I’ll end up being a kid person. I wouldn’t be surprised because God is filled with humor. He is definitely stretching me in this area. It’s not comfortable but no one ever said it would be. I’m so happy to be here and share this experience with my faith filled team. I love the people, the scenery, the experience, and I don’t want to think about leaving. I miss my family and friends, air conditioning, solid beds, and good showers, but I couldn’t be happier than I am to be here.
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
