So with Christmas rapidly coming towards us, I can’t help but realize that it is almost 2011. Where has the year gone? Better question…where have the last two months gone?!?! I am torn between feeling like I just started the World Race and feeling like I’ve spent my entire life in ministry with my team. We got to debrief and I was so excited to see the rest of our squad. I kept thinking, “I feel like it’s been a year since I’ve seen you!” when in reality it was just the beginning of October. Time is just funny like that. I am terribly sorry I haven’t blogged in almost two weeks. With debrief in Granada (with all 60 of our squad) together, I decided to do an internet fast and really focus on fellowship with those people I haven’t seen in two months. Please forgive me for my belated posts.
With the new year upon us, I can’t help but get excited about all the wonderful things God is going to do in me and through me in the next nine months of the race. I bet you’re all wondering what I will be doing for ministry this December month. Yes?!? Possibly??
We will be working with Team Prisma in Alejuelita, Costa Rica doing urban ministry until December 31st with the ministry organization, “6:8 Ministry”. They are called “6:8 Ministry” because their mission verses are Isaiah 6:8, Mark 6:8 and Micah 6:8 which is awesome because those are some of my favorite memory verses to live by!! It is totally Holy Spirit appointed that we are even working with Spencer (our contact) and “The 6:8 Ministry”.
Mac, my team leader on Lovebound, is very close with his Associate Pastor from his church in Jacksonville, Florida. His Associate Pastor in Jacksonville, Florida is best friends with Spencer, who started “6:8 Ministry”. The World Race has been trying to work with Spencer and his family in Costa Rica in the past and Spencer’s always said no, but he felt like the Holy Spirit was telling him to say yes to AIM Staff when they asked him about our two teams working with him this month. Neither Mac or Spencer knew the connection, which was so neat!
Since we are the first World Race teams ever to be working here in Alejuelita and with this specific ministry, so I’m excited to pave the way for future racers! Some of the things that we will be doing this month in Alejuelita include ministry with: homeless, drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, and the people living in the “barrios” (which is like the Central American version of the “projects” we have in the States). There are all different types of ministry outreaches; from a tattoo ministry, to a feeding ministry, to doing relationship evangelism with prostitutes down by the river where the work. There are so many opportunities for us to get involved and make a difference this month, and I am SO EXCITED to see what the Lord is going to do.
The Lord has TRULY, TRULY blessed me this Christmas season. I love my team, I love the other team we’re working with this month, I love this type of ministry and I can’t wait to dive into everything and get my hands dirty. The fourteen of us are living in a house together, which is the house specifically for the short term mission teams that come in from the States. It’s so much fun living in community together and it reminds me of the television show, “The Real World” but without sex, drugs or alcohol and with the Lord, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Obviously our version is WAY BETTER. I just can’t wait to share more with you, friends and family…and I just can’t stop thanking Jesus for all these wonderful gifts!! I have a feeling this is going to be one of, if not THE best Christmas ever.
One of the ministry’s scriptures…this is painted on the wall at their ministry site
our city of ministry…Alejuelita, Costa Rica
