Goooood morning from Costa Rica!! We are about to start week three of ministry partnership & I wanted to stop by with a little update & share some of things we’re doing!! We are partnering with Ocean’s Edge, “a christ-centered non-profit association established to positively impact the world by helping others live the abundant life through a personal relationship with God & a mission lifestyle” Ocean’s Edge has welcomed us with open arms & has provided us with endless opportunities to connect with the community & leave a lasting impact. After a couple weeks of ministry, our group sat down & did what we like to call- “God Hunt.” God Hunt is a sweet time to share where we’ve seen God working in Jaco, tell stories, & celebrate the goodness of our time here. Let me tell you- I could talk for hours about ways I’ve seen God, making “God Hunt” much less of a hunt, & making it more fitting to ask “where HAVEN’T we seen God?” He is all over this place & in ways big & small. That brings me to Jorge.
Jorge is a sweet man we see every morning on our walking commute into town. Every morning, Jorge stands at his gate & could light up the darkest place with his smile. He is overflowing with joy- & shares every bit of it with strangers passing by. I wish everyone could say good morning to Jorge- its impossible to be in a bad mood after seeing his radiant expressions. I see God in Jorge- working in small ways, but changing lives through a smile. I never thought I’d be able to see God in a wall, but I can confidently tell you I see God in the walls at Central Park that we paint almost everyday. God is using us to bring life & color & art to Jaco by painting the walls in the middle of the city. I’ve never seen so much curiosity, eagerness, & love, than I do when the locals ask to paint with us, & often share their stories, & come back each day. I see God in Esteban, who happened to be our Uber driver one day & now picks us up all the time & cannot contain his love for his city- he shows us so much kindness & joy each day. I see God in Hans- a german man we met on the beach while we were doing sunset worship- he asked us to come back the next night to sing again. I see God at Invu, a park that needed new life. Invu has brought me the most beautiful perspective of being interruptible. A project that could have been done in a couple days has turned into a week or longer- because often, little hands from local kiddos pull us into the dirt to play hours of soccer & tag. Most of Jesus’ miracles happened when he was on his way to somewhere else- & some of the most joyful moments & deepest connections here have happened while we’re in the middle of doing something else.
Everyday is a God Hunt- & in Jaco- the hunt is easy. Jaco is one of those places where everyone waves, everyone says good morning, & everyone wants to know more. During the hot days, physical labor is not always fun, not always easy, & not always obvious in seeing the fruits of our labor. But when I think about how many kiddos have followed us to church, how many adults have asked us questions about God, & how many people have had just a spark in curiosity, I can’t help but thank God in the ways he shows up every single day.
pura vida, lou
