Well today is our last day of ministry on the World Race. Crazy! A week from today, we will board a plane to Miami. Our race is quickly coming to a close. Let me tell you a little bit about my last month on the race.
Month 11
Country: Costa Rica
City: Jaco
Ministry: This month we have been working at a property called La Ola. La Ola is used by many different Christian organizations for meetings and such. They also have rooms for rent on the property. We helped with tasks around the property, opened the skate ramp at the front of the property every day, helped with kids clubs, attended the Christian Surfers meetings, and attended youth group. We also did a couple things for sex trafficking awareness such as hang up flyers and a prayer meeting.
Contact: We worked with April this month who is the property manager for La Ola.
Living Arrangements: We have been living in tents and hammocks this month. It gets pretty hot so towards the end of the month I’ve been sleeping on my sleeping pad under the rancho since it has fans and praying I don’t get eaten alive by bugs. The first week was interesting cooking wise as the room with the full kitchen was being rented so we had to be creative and find ways to cook for 12 people with only a refrigerator and microwave. We made it work.
Teams We Served With: We served this month with Team Konyeshna.
Currency & Exchange Rate: Colones (490 Colones=1 US Dollar)
Language: Jaco is very tourist and has a lot of missionaries so almost everyone speaks English. Spanish is of course also spoken.
Off Day Fun: This month we have been living about a 5-minute walk from the beach. So a lot of our downtime has been spent at the beach or laying out by our contact’s pool. I also got to go to San Jose with Ben Fulton to see his parents and a group from his church that were here on a short-term trip. It was so fun to meet all of them and serve alongside them at a children’s home outside of San Jose.
Great Things From the Month:
-Our schedule was really lax this month. We did property projects from 9:30-12 then had a break until we opened the skate ramp at 3. I spent most afternoons at the beach or pool.
-There is a great English speaking church in Jaco with incredible community. It was so amazing to be surrounded by other Christians who were long-term missionaries here.
-I had the opportunity to spend a little time with Will, one of the board members from the Methodist Children’s Home and the man who headed up the Panama City groups trip. He was able to give me advice and insight into where I think God is leading me next.
Hard Things From the Month:
–Let’s be honest, it’s month 11 and I’m so ready to be home. I don’t in any way want to take this time for granted but it’s definitely been hard this month to want to be here. Little things irritate me and I find myself not wanting to be around people often. God showed me though how He was using this time to help me focus on myself and prep for this next season.
Memories:
-Insanity and coffee dates with Jamie almost every day.
-Good talks at the beach with Ben.
-Being in awe of God’s creation. It’s beautiful here.
-Pool time with Jamie and Jillian.
-Celebrating the 4th of July with crazy decorations and Taco Bar.
-Far too many visits to TCBY or Gelato.
-Hiking to an abandoned restaurant with an amazing view of the beach.
-Pool party at Pastor Daniel’s home.
-Baby Micah “singing” Holy over and over again.
-Surprising the Panama City Crew.
-Hours upon hours of taking down bunk beds with Ben.
-Lunch at the Point with Jamie, Ben, and some friends from church.
-First movie in the theaters on the race.
Lessons Learned:
-Endurance.
-It’s ok to be in a season of focusing more on myself and preparing for what’s next.
-Choosing joy
-Don’t let others affect your attitude.
-Live Radical!
The first two weeks of this month, I thought it was never going to end. But like all months, it’s coming to an end. Thursday we will meet up with the rest of our squad in Manuel Antonio for final debrief. I’m so excited to see everyone and spend some time with those I’ve been closest to! It’s time to celebrate!
