Its been a bit since I’ve updated you. On Thursday of last week we arrived in our new location. We are now in a super small town just a little outside of Nicoya, yeah, im living about 30 minutes from a blue zone (a blue zone is one of the few places in the world where people live over 100) how cool is that!? The best word to describe this new place is tenderness. Since the moment we stepped off the bus the arms of these people were wide open. For the last 6 weeks this will be home and it is so crazy how different it is compared to Jaco. It is a far different way of life here, much simpler. Here in Vigína (va-he-na), we live in a little church (one big room), no wifi, no service (which has been so nice) and have each meal cooked for us. Its been so fun getting to eat real Costa Rican food (yes, lots of rice and beans, every meal infact), we all share one bathroom and one shower (you learn quickly that if you want the bathroom right away in the morning you wake up earlier and if you want to shower, the best time is right after dinner haha). The pastor and his family live in a “mini house” connected to the church, for me it has been so fun getting to do life with them from 6 am to 11 pm. Even though they only speak Spanish, they love us so well and treat us each like we are their own kids.
Each day starts with a 5:30 AM wake up, 6 AM breakfast, 7 AM ministry start time, we start early to beat the hottest hours of the day. At 10 AM we break for fruit and then by 11 AM we are done with ministry for the day, eat lunch and then have quiet time after lunch until 2:30, oh and I can’t forget the coffee and bread break at 2 ;). Each night everyone from the town goes to the “plaza” (park), we play soccer, basketball, volleyball, pass the football, or just sit in the bleachers and hang out. The nights are the highlight of my day, I love getting to know the kids from the town, It also really helps with my Spanish skills :). Ministry has looked like chipping away at rock to level out a place for the possible future house of the pastor and his family, painting the roof, and pouring a concrete wall. For the past week, I have been pouring the concrete wall (thanks dad for teaching me well, I know you would be proud of me). Pouring the concrete wall looks like mixing rock, sand, water, and dry cement all by hand then pouring it into the form with bucket, and using a small plank of wood to get the rocks to the bottom. Its been hard work but Ive had an absolute blast with it. The simplicity and sweetness of this place brings me so much peace and the Lord has really been teaching me how love really is a universal language.
Prayers:
-Strength to power through these next few weeks
-Health for my team and I
-The impact we have the opportunity of giving to this community
-Hearts that can recognize Jesus by the way we live
