Explanation of title: On our first day in ministry we suffered an issue with language barriers. We were pouring and tying bags of Gatorade for the children at the school. At the beginning they told us 280. Done. Then they said 450. Yikes. Done. Then they were like oh no, we need 900. HELP. We were all delusionally tired from the day so when my teammate said “Como se dice ‘keep em comin’?” We couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
It’s officially my third full day in Costa Rica and it’s safe to say I am in awe. The Lord has blessed me so much already. We are staying in a beautiful home that is AIM’s base in the city of Curridabat, about an hour outside of San Jose. We have running water, fresh food, comfy beds, and a surprisingly small amount of bugs. Our rooms big quirk is that there’s a window in the corner that leads directly to the guys bathroom. All night long the light and stench seep through the very thin (and movable) glass panels. There’s many things within walking distance of our base. Walmart (holla), a coffee shop, a fresh market, a movie theater, and 3 parks. Costa has been blessed with Denny’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and KFC. Glad the ol’ US of A can supply Costa Rica with some joy (sarcasm). The view from our outside patio is to die for. The landscape of this country constantly takes my breath away. Seriously.
Another fun thing that keeps happening is when I try my best to speak Spanish to someone and they’re like “yeah stop I speak English.” Equally funny and embarrassing. ALSO I am constantly checking weird bumps and itches and wondering what kind of diseases and how many diseases I have. Not gonna say I am a hypochondriac, but I’m not NOT gonna say it. ALSO everyone here drives terribly and it’s awful and horrifying.
My first morning I woke up at 5:45 because the sun rises at right around 6-6:30. I sat on my hammock which hung on the patio and watched in awe as the sun rose over a mountain that I have yet to identify. The way the sun rays illuminated the crevices of the mountains absolutely awestruck me. I sat thinking about the majesties of Christ. How even though this massive God created these collectively beautiful images, underneath each was careful attention and detail to each little thing, making them even more tailored by His hands. Also how even though nature is so beautiful, God looked at it and was like “This is good! But I can do better.” and with that He created man. And then He looked at man and said “I can do better” and made woman. jk. But on a serious note these sights that take our breath away and shock us- God decided they weren’t the best, but we were.
My little piece of Nirvana rests about .3 miles from my place of residence. Oddly enough, it’s similar to my piece of Nirvana back home. Maybe that’s why I find so much peace in it. There’s a business complex with a Starbucks with a balcony. On the balcony there’s soothing music, a lovely breeze, a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains, coffee (slightly less subpar than Starbucks in the US), and most importantly Wi-Fi.
Our second day in Costa Rica we began our ministry. Up and at em by 5:30 and breakfast at 6:30. By 7:45 we were on our way to our ministry. It is called Love At Work International Christian School. The day we arrived also happened to be their independence day celebration so we got to walk in a parade and dance with the children. The rest of the day was full of cleaning and pouring 900 bags of Gatorade/water. Our ministry is the longest, running from 8 to 5. By the time we return home it is after 6:30 and we are ready for some dindin. PS the food here is so good. By then we are so absolutely beat and ready to knock out and call it a night. It’s safe to say our ministry will be very hard work, but I cannot wait to watch these children grow in the Lord.
This weekend we have a three day weekend in which I finally got wifi in order to talk to my mom (luh you) and to post this blog. It’s these adventure days that I truly feel like a racer. Yesterday I got home and of all the 53 people in our house, only 2 others were home, which I found rather amusing. Living here is kinda like being on Jersey Shore, but minus all the bad parts and plus we all love Jesus.
Over and over again I am so humbled by the fact this is the life I get to live. I am in this beautiful country, never deprived of food, and I work in an incredible ministry side-by-side with some God-fearing individuals who want nothing more than to see the Word spread to the children in their school.
Muchas Gracias for reading. Pura Vida to you and yours! More updates to come as Wi-Fi allows.
