Here in Costa Rica, my squad has been working with an organization called Til He Returns. The goal of this ministry is to reshape identities, restore dignity, and rebuild families based on the Word of God and the saving power of Jesus. We’ve been working out of their ministry center in the heart of San Jose, Costa Rica. There are several different kinds of ministry we do here, so here’s a little glimpse of what we do and the heart behind it.
The Refuge.
The Refuge is a crisis pregnancy center that offers counseling and basic supplies. Since none of us have counseling experience, our job is to make sure all the baby supplies are organized and that coffee is made. We also take care of any children the women might have while they are in their counseling session.
House of Raw.
House of Raw is a dance studio that teaches urban dance like hip-hop, popping, krump, and a Jamaican form of hip-hop called Dancehall. One of the founders of Til He Returns was a street dancer and found a way to use that talent to draw people into the Kingdom. In offering weekly dance classes, House of Raw is able to disciple hundreds of people. My squad had been joining these dance classes and getting to know the dancers. We build connections with the community by sharing our stories and giving others space to do the same as dance brings us together.
Waves of Grace.
This is a bracelet making ministry focused on the economic empowerment of women. They make bracelets in a style similar to Pura Vida Bracelets and sell them in order have an income for their families. It not only empowers the women, but gives them a sense of community.
Evangelism
We do street evangelism a lot. We’ll walk to a local park and just start interacting with people there, letting the Holy Spirit lead. Sometimes we get to hear their stories, we pray for them and their families, we’ve even seen a few salvations. Some people in the parks recognize us now and are always happy to see us which has just been super sweet.
English Club.
This ministry focuses on drawing people in from the community who want to learn English. Our role in that, has been acting as conversation partners so the people can practice conversational English rather than just learning grammar lessons. This allows us to build relationships with people in the community while they learn a new skill.
We rotate our schedules so everyone gets to be a part of everything. My personal favorite is evangelism – something I never expected but have truly grown to love. I’ve seen with my own eyes how these ministries bring truth and life to the community and invite people into the Kingdom. And I’m just so glad I get to be a part of it.
Here is a link to the Til He Returns website if you want to learn more about them: https://www.tilhereturns.com/
