Pura Vida mis amigos!
Last month my team was in Jaco, Costa Rica. Costa Rica is so beautiful and the people are so laid back and kind. Unfortunately during this month I had to travel back to the States for two weeks for training camp (which was amazing, it was just a bummer that I didn’t get to spend much time in Costa Rica) so I was only in Costa Rica for about two weeks, but the time that I did get to spend in Costa Rica was AMAZING! So, here is Costa Rica in Pictures:
Guys I love beaches, and this beach in particular was soo beautiful! Beaches remind me of home, even when they are completely different. This month I actually got to help with some surf ministry and help give surf lessons to kids! For those of you who know me well, you might be thinking; ‘Morgan how can you help teach kids to surf when you haven’t ever surfed?’ Well, let me just say that, while yes, I don’t surf, I do in fact have a bit of experience teaching surfing to kids (big thank you to Silent Surfers). Anyway- the beach was wonderful as ever, I’ve never seen the water so crowded with surfers.
Jaco, the city that our team was serving in, is known as the ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ of Costa Rica. People go to Jaco to party, surf, and escape. There is a lot of spiritual darkness surrounding the city itself, and in Costa Rica Christians are told to avoid Jaco because of its reputation. In Costa Rica prostitution is legal, and in Jaco it is so engrained in the party culture.
Just over a decade ago, when our host, the founder of Ocean’s Edge, came to Jaco, she says that she couldn’t find a single Christian in the whole city. Believing in faith that God was going to redeem the city, she began with the ministry that served as a bridge between herself, the Lord, and the community: surf lessons.
In the many years since that first act of faith, the Lord has begun an amazing work. Not only are there Christians in Jaco, there are now TWO churches. The Gospel has gained so much ground in Jaco, but there is still so much more to go. A war is being fought in the spiritual realm over Jaco.
The story of Ocean’s Edge is pretty amazing, their website has SO much more information than what I can give you. Check it out and please be in prayer of this community and the war that is being fought there.
Light post ministry
The ministry that I mainly worked with was a city beautification program what focused on painting light posts in downtown Jaco. We would spend a few hours a day huddled around a light post, painting and talking with people who passed us by. You’d be surprised by the number of people who stopped us to chat! (such an amazing opportunity for the Gospel). Anyone was welcome to contribute and paint with us. It was an amazing opportunity to share with people and give a lasting gift to the community that we were trying to serve.
Another really cool ministry that we got to work with was a pregnancy center (I don’t have a photo of the pregnancy center, BUT here is a photo of the international church that runs the pregnancy center!). This center serves pregnant women who are in need of support during and after their pregnancy by providing baby clothes, diapers, ultra sounds, and counseling serves. Our team was able to help out by cleaning their facilities, sorting baby clothes, and babysitting kids while the moms would meet with the staff (a dream come true).
Jaco is surrounded by some beautiful jungle-y mountains. They look wild and full of life. I’m convinced that there are some shades of green that only exist in those forests. I many not be the biggest fan of mountains, but I do love the forests, and Costa Rica has some beautiful ones.
Thats a wrap on Costa Rica! Be on the look out for my up coming blog talking ALLLLLL about the next year of my life, AKA World Race America (SO excited!!).
Much Love,
Morgan
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