There are several different ministry opportunities for us
here. There is New Horizons, where
we are living. There are kids here
on a daily basis that we can play soccer with and interact with. Saturday is their big day. In the morning from 9-12, the boys come
and have a whole program, including games, songs, bible study and snack. From 1-4 the girls come and have a
similar program. So, Saturday is a
busy day for us here. There is
also a lot of maintenance and just manual labor that needs to be done around
the grounds here. We have been
picking up trash, cutting grass with machetes, sweeping, washing dishes and
just helping keep the area clean.
There is also a medical clinic in town. Every morning during the week they have
devotions for the patients. So, we
are getting involved with that by doing the devotions in the mornings as much
as we can. It is just a simple way
to share a short word and to interact with the people and offer prayer to
anyone who wants it.
There is also a school that we have been getting involved
with. They have school classes for
children, a Bible Club for the children on Wednesday afternoons, English
classes, sewing classes, and also some instruments that they want help learning
how to play. I personally have
absolutely loved going and helping out with the children. It is sometimes a challenge to attempt
to help them with their schoolwork since I don’t speak Spanish, but I usually
work with the smaller children so I can handle Kindergarten level Spanish for
the most part. This has definitely
been my favorite part to help with their schoolwork, sing songs, play games, do
crafts, and have bible stories. I
just enjoy hanging out with the children and loving on them.
There is also a place called the Refuge. It is on the grounds that we live
at. So, this entire town is very
dark in the sense that there is a lot of abuse – physically, emotionally, and
sexually. The families are often
very dysfunctional. There is often
the mindset that girls are here to sexually please men. The guys believe that is the only
purpose for women and the women often believe that about themselves. The Refuge is a place to bring in girls
and hopefully begin to change that mindset. They hope to heal wounds of things that have happened in
their pasts. They have songs,
games, schooling, babysitting, and so on. We talked with the leader of this program and are very excited to start becoming
more involved with these girls. We
will be able to do devotions, help out with the children, and possibly do a big
fun filled day for them.
It has also been a great blessing to meet and get to know
the workers that lead and teach all these programs. Some of them are from America and some are from Costa
Rica. I think this is also a way
that I can minister to the people of this town, by encouraging and lifting up
their leaders. They are amazing
people and have such a big heart for the children in this area.
There are a lot of different opportunities here. It has been a bit overwhelming to find
just what to be involved in, where to put our time, and what the people need.
Prayer Requests:
That we would use our time and efforts efficiently and in
the way God wants us to
That our actions would speak louder than our words of broken
Spanish ever could
For daily focus on the Lord and from that love, our outreach will come
