This is a question I get asked constantly and I definitely should’ve answered it sooner but well, Im so glad you asked!!
I think it goes without saying that every day is pretty different, thats true even at home in the US but here its even more so. However Ill try to run through a “normal” week here in the lovely land of plantains.
Sunday: A day to rest and refresh your soul however you need. Most Sundays look like long quiet mornings in hammocks, listening to your favorite worship albums and trying to journal about the happenings of the week. Sundays are blissfully mellow and very sleepy. MUCH NEEDED rest happens here.
Monday: Discipleship day. Your guess is as good as mine here! Leadership plans out Mondays for us, with the ultimate goal being for us to be poured into so we can spill out and have plenty to give during our ministry week to come. We usually eat breakfast as a squad (thats 53 of us in one room munching on some cereal) then have a guest speaker come in and lead a session (fancy world race term for giving a sermon) then maybe we all pray together and have lunch then another session and worship then after that honestly who knows. But what I do know is THESE PEEPS LOVE MONDAYS!! Its a day we get to be together as a squad and really pour into and disciple each other. Its awesome!
Tuesday: aka, the best day!!! Tuesdays begin the first day of ministry each week and by the time they come around we are really REALLY excited to see our kiddos again!! My team’s ministry days are from 7:30-6:30 so they run pretty long but we wouldn’t trade them for all the peanut butter in the world! We clean floors and dishes, teach, sort donated clothes, do crafts, lead devotionals, make food and anything else they throw at us… were basically supermoms to hundreds of kids!! By the time we get home we are greeted by a hot plate from a lovely angel named xinia (sen-ya) who has cooked a beautiful dinner, and we basically weep in her arms with joy every night. Rice, beans, and plantains are actually manna from heaven. You just have no idea.
Wednesday-Friday: very similar to Tuesday with the exceptions that we have bible studies on Wednesday night, Thursday is feedback night (alumni racers know whats up) and Fridays we all cry because we know we won’t see our sweet children or xinia until next Tuesday.
Saturdays: PARTY DAY!! If we want to explore the great unknown or hit the beach, it usually happens on a Saturday! Costa Rica is absolutely gorgeous and NO ONE is complaning about an $8 trip to go swim in a waterfall or $10 surfboard rentals at the beach (ballin on a budget baby!!) Saturday is also a day to get wifi and talk to friends and family back home so if you wanna FaceTime, Saturdays your best bet!!
So, yeah!! Thats my schedule, but what makes this so incredible isn’t the day to day norms but the little surprises that come out of the clear blue nowhere…
Some surprises that have hit me recently have been:
Having a water fight with the kids at ministry when a pipe busted unexpectedly. Spending a few hours making empanadas with one of the teachers. Having quiet time outside and suddenly realizing Ive got ants all in my pants that think Im a tasty lil treat. Being able to pray for people on the street and hearing their stories. Having a team member come back from the grocery store with your favorite (super dark) chocolate bar because she loves you and she’s so awesome. Slipping on the floor and face planting in the living room in front of everyone. Eating mugs full of cookie dough because the oven won’t work to actually bake the cookies. Pooping your pants during a deep conversation with your team. Having one of your super tiny friends offer you their plantains at supper because they got full. And many, many, more.
To sum it all up, my life rocks, my peeps that live here with me rock, and Jesus rocks. And you rock. Love you, you rockstars.
