“What’s a sea glass?” I asked.
Leaving Nicaragua proved very difficult for me. I didn’t realize how attached and invested I had become to the girls/women I met at Breaking Chains ministry. Their stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams still tugged at my heart. I entered Costa Rica with my heart still in Nicaragua. I hoped to build similar relationships in CR. And then I was told what our schedule entailed – walking along Jaco and Hermosa beach scouring for sea glass, sea beans, and driftwoods. What!?! What the heck is a sea glass I thought. Why am I looking for beach treasures? Needless to say I was a bit confused. For the first week, I struggled to find meaning in what I was doing.
Arts and crafts has never been my forte. But as the month went by, I started to find joy in painting, creating, and building. I dare to say I even had fun doing it all! The little random pieces of wood we found on the beach turned into very cool driftwood signs that were auctioned off and used as centerpieces. Some wood pieces were transformed into Christmas trees. Ornaments were made out of sea beans. Sea glasses were turned into beautiful necklaces. And all the work we put in all month resulted in a successful cooking demonstration fundraiser that helped to raise money for a ministry called Oceans Edge. Oceans Edge’s vision is to support existing ministries who are helping individuals that are coming out of rehab as a result of prostitution, sex trafficking, drug use and the like. The ministry will help to teach these individuals a trade (i.e. cooking, crafting, etc…) enabling them to return to society and be better able provide for themselves.
Lesson: IT ALL ADDS UP.
A lot of times we feel as if we’re not making a difference in what we’re doing or where we are. My experience as a project manager came in handy as I helped to map out all the details needed for the fundraiser event. The truth is, God doesn’t give us the full picture all the time. Sometimes He just gives us snippets of His plans for us. We simply must trust that God has our best interest at heart. The best place to be is in the WILL OF GOD. I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I’ve never felt such joy and happiness than I do now!
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”
P.S. A sea glass is just glass from the sea.
Photos taken by Christina Kehres. You can view more of my Costa Rica photos here.
With Love,
