Five years ago I went on my first trip to Costa Rica that was a week full of fun and adventure. My twin sister and I were invited to join some friends going to Jaco and as we flew in from various parts of the U.S., our group of friends saw some classmates from their school of dentistry at the San Jose airport. These two strangers shared how they were in Costa Rica for a mission trip I suddenly felt a slight conviction realizing we were only there for an alumni version of spring break. I had already graduated from college in a state whose unofficial motto was work hard play hard and had shaped my lifestyle into working long hours and hard days in the healthcare industry before finally taking my first week of vacation. Once an opportunity came to play hard, we took full advantage of all the experiences Costa Rica had to offer.
While we were there we were also introduced to Antonio, a Jaco native and good friend of our friend who had been vacationing there for years. He was able to show us all around town as we got to know him and exchange experiences from our different cultures growing up. We all became good friends and were sad to leave at the end of the week but definitely aspired to return in the future. Costa Rica left a lasting impact as I returned to corporate America wishing there was a better balance between our society and their relaxed “Pura Vida” lifestyle. I couldn’t help but wonder why our culture could be so demanding and if anyone else shared similar realizations.
Flash forward half a decade later, I started the World Race knowing our ninth month would be spent in Costa Rica, the only country out of 11 that I had been to before. Throughout our travels we don’t know exactly where we’ll be or what we’ll being doing until a week or so beforehand. As we found out about our placements in Costa Rica, I was left in awe that God was sending me back to Jaco! Little did I realize the redemptive story that He had been writing this whole time. My convictions from five years ago were completely transformed into an opportunity to do ministry there.
While in Jaco we partnered with an organization called Ocean’s Edge. Our host Hannah shared how she felt called to do missions there long-term but could only count a few Christians, on less than one hand, when she first moved there 15 years ago. Now, there is a prominent Spanish-speaking and English-speaking church who support one another and come together to serve the community. We were able to integrate with both churches by helping with youth group, Sunday School, a lot of cleaning, and weekly prayer afternoons to intercede for Jaco. Ocean’s Edge also hosts a surf club every other Friday to provide both Bible and surf lessons for young children while also having a beach cleanup activity at the end of the evening. Another large part of our mission throughout the month was to help create a list of businesses in town while praying for them. This allows for future teams to continue outreach efforts and for the ministry to integrate them into an organization called We Are 611. This network provides a platform for businesses to promote their services and specials while also creating opportunities to come together to serve and make their community a brighter place.
Throughout our time in Jaco we developed many relationships with people in the community and also met a lot of other Christians. It was such an encouragement to reflect not only on my new purpose for being there, but also on all the ways God has been advancing His kingdom there. It was once a city that our host was warned against going to but she put her faith in God, not man, as she obeyed the calling to go there. She shared shocking stories about spiritual attacks from when she first started ministering in Jaco and we also heard about additional attacks that were still happening while we were there. Testimonies like this truly transform my perspective on life. Even in the midst of trials and persecution, there are people so dedicated to the Lord that they have denied themselves daily to pick up their cross and follow Him. It inspires me to fully surrender my will to His and to be a living sacrifice with undoubteded obedience. Through this, He helps us open our eyes and hearts to so much more that is happening in the world. We realize that we are here not just to seek our own enjoyment but even more so to serve as ambassadors of Christ’s love, joy, and peace.
Too often we can try to control our lives and take matters into our own hands, leaning on our own strength instead of the Lord’s. This was such a learning lesson for me throughout our month in Costa Rica. I’ve always preferred to plan my days often thinking of what I’ll do, where I’ll go, what I’ll eat, etc. The role of serving as our team treasurer also contributes to having to take related budgets and logistics into consideration with these thoughts. Instead of allowing anxiety and stress to surface in these situations though, I’m learning to fully trust in God’s promised provision and let His plan unfold. As we stop living for ourselves and start living for Him, we truly walk out the commitment He is offering to us. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, He says “for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” What a beautiful promise that He has hopeful plans for us and that He hears us when we pray to Him. When we seek Him with all our heart, He responds, and all we have to do is watch His plans unfold. His plan may be to bring us back somewhere for missions five years later. His plan may be to coordinate a deep faith-based conversation on the beach with an old friend. His plan may be to throw you a Christ-centered celebration on your birthday with your team and two others in town. His plan may be to gift a gorgeous sunset from a gazing viewpoint on your last night in Costa Rica. His plan may be to orchestrate a serendipitous moment of seeing your friend one last time before you leave. We can continue to think that we are in complete control of our lives and still seek our own personal pursuits, or we can realize that “many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” Proverbs 19:21. Having experienced both sides of these options, let me tell you it is a lot more fulfilling to sacrificially surrender your five-year-plan fully over to Him.
