Month three in Los Guido, Costa Rica was spent at an organization called Christian Light Foundation Costa Rica. They are operating out of one of the slums just south of San Jose and helping to foster an environment within their church and specifically youth where discipleship and evangelism are prominent.
We had a variety in ministry time which included working in the schools in one of the districts within the slum helping to teach English, playing with children from the 11-1 while they visited the feeding centre for lunch (anywhere from between 150-200 kids came everyday), attending various events at the church such as English class, discipleship, or prayer meetings, attending youth group events (wii dance parties and a roller rink outing), and partaking in kids clubs on Saturdays.
We were encouraged and blessed with relationships of all types during our time here. We spent time getting to know and hear the testimonies of the youth leadership team and we were blown away. Their love for God and their realization of how important he is in their lives was something I have never heard anyone their age express such knowledge in. These are youth aged from 11-17 speaking out in recognition of how God has reformed them, how he is able to be trusted, and how they will never turn their backs on him. These are a group of people who have not been given easy lives. They have lived through a lot. They have experienced murders within their families, hunger, poverty, broken families, and the list goes on, yet they can recognize and press into the desire to need to know Jesus and to share that with those around them fearlessly. They are a group that is going to be going out and changing the world. To say they humbled us would be belittling what happened when they shared their stories. They truly ministered to us. They showed us what it really looks like to choose to love Jesus. What it really looks like to sacrifice and dedicate your time to serve one another and to love one another well.
God has been and continues to speak to my heart about joy and walking in that. He is showing me how to let that fruit of his Holy Spirit be present in my life regardless of what is happening to me. Happiness comes easily depending on my happenings but joy is so much more than happiness. Coming face to face with people living in conditions that we could never fathom living in and to witness the truly genuine radiant joy that they exude is a testimony in itself. One of the missing links for myself that was revealed this month was a tool that I need to carry with me daily in order to access that joy. I need an attitude of gratitude in order to walk in steadfast joy. Seeing people who have far less in so many ways but are true examples of joy brought this to my attention. This was the difference – they are choosing to be grateful for those things that they do have. Their first prayer requests are never for more money, for a different life, or even for an easier anything. Their prayers are prayers of thanks. They continually thank God for what he has given them and what he is doing for them. They know what it means to truly be dependent on him because there is no other option. They give so much thanks for the small and the big things that he does for them. These are things that we tend to just expect from life, people around us, or from our circumstances.
I am grateful to have met such an amazing youth leadership team and to see the potential that does and can live within our youth. My eyes have been reopened and my heart reawakened to the beauty of Kingdom and willingness in our generations’ youth – so thank you Los Guido and thank you Christian Light Foundation Costa Rica for redefining what youth in Christ can look like.
