Dear Puerto Viejo, I’ll never forget the first night I came. I was driving down a bumpy dirt road that felt more like a roller coaster at 10 pm, terrified that the bus was going to flip over and thinking to myself ‘what did I just get myself into’. And honestly, that phrase has repeated itself in my mind many times here, but in a good way. I got off the bus to be met by a man in dreads, an insane dog that kept biting my butt,a sweet lady and a group of Germans welcome me to my new home. What a time. I quickly came to know that man in dreads as Rasta, a quick friend, one who walks in boldness, a little crazy, and seeks to meet the needs of Puerto in every way he can, both spiritually and physically. And the sweet lady, Elci, who’s married to Rasta and together they run the YWAM base here. She is the most servant hearted women you will ever meet, she brings a warmth that is so comforting wherever she is, and keeps this base in line! And that dog that kept biting my butt, yeah well it still does, that’s Pearla and she’s still insane, but man will I miss her a lot. I’ll never forget my cozy wooden bottom bunk that the fan hits just perfectly. I’ll never forget falling asleep to the howls of monkeys that at first were terrifying and then became comforting, or waking up to the smell of pinto cooking in the kitchen below my room. I’ll never forget the first full day driving past the beautiful beaches and palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze or the many, MANY scary spiders crawling on me in the jungle. Or how for ministry I was just handed a machete and told to go to the jungle and make a soccer field? Or making concrete by hand day after day. “What did I just get myself into” I’ll never forget the strangers turned friends who trusted me with their stories and allowed me to pray with them or the hustle and bustle of Bri Bri during city clean up days. I won’t forget soccer Tuesdays in Sanbox or Friday soccer in Margarita, getting my butt whooped by ticos and getting to share laughs together. I’ll never forget learning Spanish from Ray-Ray- boi, a teen who hangs out at the base with us a lot and teaching him English. I won’t forget the way Sammy, a staff person on base, says folk music or Keesh, another staff women here, laughing at Grace’s Big Paw Paw shirt every time she wears it. Angelica, Roberto, Jo, Tori, Génesis, Yomara, Ivón, Alexa, Rasta, Elci, Sammy, Connor, Keesh, Steven, Jordy, Chelo, Raymond, Tammy, Abigail, king Levi, Ricardo, Francisco, Antonio, Joseph, Paul, Marvin, Jenni, Giavanni, I won’t forget you or the impact you have had on me. What did I just get myself into? Some of the best months of my life. Months that held nothing that I expected but filled with deep joy, refinement, and life to the full! Puerto, you will be a home I cherish my whole life. Thanks for it all.
