Hello everyone!
It has been about two and a half weeks since we’ve arrived in this little picturesque town outside of San José, Costa Rica. It still hasn’t really hit me that I’m on the Race! I get little glimpses of the reality, but for the most part I still feel like we’re in the honeymoon phase of it all. All those hours that I spent daydreaming, fundraising, and preparing seem like forever ago.
But it’s here. I’m finally living out the thing that was just always off in the distance. And it has been everything I could imagine and more.
My Wildflower sisters and I have been living with another team, Regnum Dei, and they have been incredible to work and laugh and just simply live alongside with (huge shoutout to the boys for carrying the water jugs, killing the spiders, and pulling the raw chicken off the bone… you guys rock, mean it).
We have been working and living at a local school and church called ZOE International Christian School and ZOE Church. It has truly been amazing working alongside the people here in San Pedro.
This is what a day in the life looks like:
Monday through Friday:
We wake up after a wonderful night of sleep on our sleeping pads (I’m truly not being sarcastic, it’s just become the new normal and I think I’ve forgotten what my bed feels like). A group of us usually go running around 6 am, and I think we take for granted just how beautiful the view around us is. We are surrounded by mountains on every turn and the coffee fields stretch endlessly. It’s fun to see the different sights and sounds of the city as people start their day. Sometimes we’re accompanied by friendly stray dogs for a little bit. When we get back we make ourselves breakfast, have quiet time, and get ready for the day. We are teaching at the school, so our responsibilities look different for each of us. I personally have been teaching English alongside my teammate, Janie, to 4th, 6th, 7th, and 9th graders. These kids already have a very special place in my heart. After school, we will usually walk to the coffee shop that’s about two minutes away for team time or to work on things or for one-on-one dates. And it is seriously some of the best coffee and pastries I’ve had (it’s gonna be a tough goodbye, but we’ll work through that). Then we’ll stop by the grocery store on the way back and pickup things for dinner. We don’t have a working oven, so everything has been cooked stove top and I must say I am proud of all of us for meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking. Oh, and cooking meals usually consists of a lot of dancing and singing for team Wildflowers. Sometimes we’ll end the night with personal team time and other times we’ll join with the other team and watch a movie or worship together. It gets dark around 6 pm here and we like to be going to bed by 9 pm because we’re tired grandmas! And then we repeat.
Saturday and Sunday:
Our first Saturday consisted of going to the local farmer’s market, evangelizing in the park, going to youth group at the church, and worshipping and having communion with our brothers and sisters here. Our second Saturday, we helped out at the school’s “Family Day”. We set up decorations and games, served food, watched them sing, and played alongside them. After that, the church hosted a retreat for us filled with worship and healing. It has been so refreshing to come into this community and for them to pour into us. We have learned so much while being here.
On Sunday, we set up chairs for church and then we have service. And let me tell you, church here is so special! It lasts about three hours, and the first hour is just worship. And it feels like it’s 20 minutes! The first service we attended I just stood there with tears in my eyes. The Holy Spirit is so present in this church. People just jump up and down and sing and shout. Women and children dance with flags and ribbon. People walk around speaking and praying over others. I just stood there in awe. I had never experienced worship like that. There’s also just something so beautiful about two different languages all praising the same God. I sold t-shirts with the phrase “every tribe and tongue” and I was seeing that lived out. It’s something that I will never get over. I’ve learned so much during these times of worship with my Costa Rican brothers and sisters in Christ, and I will cherish it forever. After church, people hang out for a while and they slowly leave. Sunday is a day for us to rest and relax. We have now preserved Sunday for our FaceTime dates and pancake nights, can I get an amen.
We’ve had some off days to explore more of Costa Rica. One day we went into San José and explored the town and went “shopping.” And by shopping I mean buying a bracelet from a street vendor and going into stores and staring at clothes. There’s no shopping when your backpack weighs exactly 50 pounds! Another day we went to a parade for Costa Rica’s Independence Day and saw all of the children proudly perform their drum and flag routines. It’s been so incredible experiencing other cultures. Costa Rica has a piece of my heart…cheers to all of their people, places, and fruit!
That’s all for now, thank you to everyone who has helped me in this journey with donations, encouragement, and prayer. I am so grateful for you!
Joyfully in Christ,
Abbey
