Dear Costa Rica,
Wow, I love you. I love the stark beauty of your land, as well as the hidden grace that jumps out while I’m riding to ministry, shocked at how the same view every day can take my breath away time and time again. I love your weather that never seems to make up its mind about being cool, blistering hot, or raining. I love how seemingly every house we pass has a dog or two peeking its head through the gate, eyes unsure whether they’re about to lick us or bite us. I love everything about you, Costa Rica, but most of all I love your people.
Oh, your people. Every single person I met has impacted my life. Gina, Roberto, Henry, Priscilla, Fransisco, Alfredo, Xinia, Quique, Dani, Brianna, Charlie, Astrid, Melissa, Micah, Rachel, Genesis, Jose, Pablo, Luis, Paola, Val, Josh, Ceci, Roosevelt, and so many more. It never seemed to shock me how welcoming and friendly every person we met was. All the people we encountered during evangelism who were willing to talk to the random gringos walking up to them to share the Lord’s love. The people at markets who put up with our choppy Spanish, patient as they figured out what the heck we were trying to say. People driving past our bus as we screamed worship songs with the windows down, and the one motorcyclist who pumped his arms and sang with us at the stoplight.
Costa Rica, I hope you know how present the Lord is in you. I pray you can feel Him planting seeds, know how hard He is working to save your people. He isn’t going to stop until every single person comes to know His love and how to go out and share that love with others. The Lord is so pleased with you and He has blessed you greatly. Every gust of wind, every drop of rain, every ray of sunlight that passes through your skies and touches your land – it is Him. He is with you, and He will never leave you.
Thanks for making this one of the hardest goodbyes of my life. Thank you for all of the memories. For all the laughter, the tears, the rejoicing, the mourning, the praises, the growth. Oh, the growth. Thank you for the safe place you became for my squad and I – for opening your arms wide to us and letting the Lord work in and through you. Thanks for showing us you are so much more than any of our expectations could have ever held. Thank you for being you, Costa Rica. Thanks for letting me love you, and for loving me back.
With promise to return,
Brook
