Last month was so far my favorite month and for several different reasons. If I were to list everything that happened, the blog would go on forever! God blessed us so much this month from little things to big things, and restored our souls.
Team Adelphoi’s ministry in Costa Rica was called Unsung Heroes. This month we travelled around the country looking for new ministries for Adventures in Missions to partner with and maybe send future World Race teams to. The ministries we looked for are Kingdom focused and really strive to help their local community and are self-sustaining, meaning that they don’t rely on mission teams to run their ministry. The World Race wants to come along aside their ministry and help whatever they are doing, we’re not looking for a set program made up for us to keep us occupied.
We travelled from the west coast to the east coast, visiting minitries in San Ramon, San Jose, Orotina, La Alegria, Jimenez, Rio Azul, and Puerto Viejo in Limon. We met amazing people who really love the Lord and want to serve him and their ministries were all so diverse! One ministry was a local skate park, another was an eco-farm that served the indigenous tribes, there was a school, a pastor retreat center, a medical outreach, a business ministry teaching women how to make mosaics, and much more. Our hearts really went out to each of the different ministries and contacts we met.
At first I was really frightened for this month. When a team does Unsung Heroes, they appoint two people who don’t already hold a position to be the Unsung Hero leader and Logistics person to help travel around the country. I volunteered for Logistics but was scared. I had to move a team frequently around a country I’ve never been in or spoke the language. I didn’t know what to do! I vented in my journal to God about being the logistics person, finally stating, “I don’t want to be a leader! I’m a follower!” Whats funny is the next day, while I was wracking my brains, a fellow teammate gave me a word while doing listening prayer, saying, “Follow me.” After they said that, it all clicked! I’m not the leader! I’m not the person guiding our footsteps around the country or arranging transportation for us all. God is! All I have to do is follow him! Place it in his hands and trust him! Honestly, after I realized that, it was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. God blessed me by making logistics so easy last month. We always had contact who knew what buses to take or we had local people we met on the street or on the buse who were willing to help and guide us. God always answers our prayers!
He not only blessed me with Logistics, but he blessed our team several ways as well, from big to little. I enjoyed having a lot of downtime(it was Holy week so everything closed down), going on a chocolate tour, having sunrise service on the caribbean, eating fresh ice cream, yogurt, and cheese straight from a neighboring dairy farm, swimming in rivers, playing with kids all day for two days straight (learned how to throw a frisbee! My catching needs a little work though), and being able to minister to a young missions team from Georgia about the World Race. They were all in High school and interested. One of their parents said we were an answer to their prayer.
God also orchestrated free medical care when we needed it. We met up with a contact in San Jose named Conecxion. We already had our month scheduled tight when they asked us if we would being willing to join them on the weekend with their medical outreach. We almost declined but at that moment, Anna received an email from the contact we were going to meet that weekened which read that they could no longer host us! We excitedly accepted their invitation. Before we joined them, we travelled to Faithful Servant Ministries, a ministry I loved. However, Anna was bitten by something that was making the area swell up and turn very read and I was bitten by a dog. Neither of us went to a hospital in the area. I went to a pharmacy and received some anti-biotics, but didn’t take them. When we arrived at the medical outreach, I believe my bite was starting to get infected (not sure but it wouldn’t heal, was a little tender, and red). Both Anna and I were looked at; Anna received a shot and I was told that the Pharmacy gave me the wrong medication and I was supposed to get shots but it was too late at this point. So he gave me stronger anti-biotics for a longer period of time and cream to put on it. God really blessed us with this.
Costa Rica really touched me with its beauty, from the land to it’s people. God really moved and gave us gifts throughout the whole month, answered our payers, and helped us reach our goals. I learned and grew so much! I am sad to go and I pray that God will lead me back sometime in the future. I pray that God blesses the contacts we met and that they and future World Racers will be blessed by being able to partner with each other. Pura Vida!
