Our first week and a half in Costa Rica has been nothing short of busy. We are partnered with a ministry known as Conexion, which works in seven different ways to further the kingdom of God- medical fairs, workshops and seminars for teachers and students, construction, worship and praise concerts, kids clubs in churches and schools, Christmas parties and gifts, and distribution of food and clothing.
For the past eight days, my team and I have been going to schools and churches and essentially setting up and running field days for the kids. Here in Costa Rica, September 9th is a holiday known as “Dia del Nino,” or “Day of the Child.” Every day we’ve worked anywhere from 6-14 hours playing games with the kids, including 9 square, twister, parachute, duck duck goose, Estrella, trampoline, gaga ball, red light green light, soccer, volleyball, and whatever else we can come up with on the spot.
Although the bulk of our days have been consumed with children, there have been a few evenings where we’ve been able to participate in other forms of ministry. A few nights ago, we were invited to a home for women who are struggling with addictions. Conexion had never been to this home before. My team had spent the entire day playing with kids in the sun and were exhausted, and we had no idea what to expect when we walked into the home.
We were anticipating walking into a room filled with women our age and older, but as soon as we entered we came face to face with a group of 16-20 adolescents. They greeted us with timid excitement- they weren’t sure what we were going to do while we were there, and honestly, neither were we.
Everyone sat in a giant circle around the room on couches and chairs, and we started the evening by introducing ourselves. Jherson, the founder and director of Conexion ministries, acted as our translator for the evening. He asked each of us to share a little bit with the girls about our favorite country. Each member of my team picked a different country, stood up, and talked about our experiences there, mentioning the food, the unique customs or traditions, and some of the ridiculous things that have happened to us.
The girls in the room listened attentively and quickly broke down any walls they had been holding up with their laughter. My teammates were open and honest with what they shared and didn’t shy away from talking about how they’ve seen God move throughout the countries we’ve been in. Many of the girls laughed with true joy at some of the stories we told, and it was so encouraging to be surrounded by a group of women who could express themselves freely in a room filled by the Holy Spirit, despite any struggles they may be going through.
We followed this by playing a game with the girls and shared donuts and juice afterwards. We sang a worship song together and prayed, lifting one another up with encouragement before we left. My team entered that home exhausted from the previous seven days of ministry, including the eight hour day we had just worked at the school. But we left refreshed from the Holy Spirit and even more inspired to share the things that God has been teaching us this year.
It’s not often that God will show us the fruits of our labor. We’ve had to trust in him and believe that the things he has been asking us to do are fruitful to the kingdom, even if we can’t see it. But as we were leaving, Jherson told us that the girls were asking if Conexion could come back and do a weekly Bible study with them. Despite how tired we were initially, God gave us the strength and the words to say to reach out to the girls we met. Although we are only here for the month, He still used us to set the foundation for something that could potentially carry on when we leave.
This month has already blessed us more than we could have imagined. Although we’ve been working hard, God has given us amazing hosts who love us like we’re their children. He’s given us rest, delicious food, and a growing community within our team. My team and I have only been here for a week and a half, but we already know that Costa Rica will be one of our favorite months.
