Hello again!
Just a day after a stellar time at debrief the guys and I headed to La Montana Christian Camp for another great week!
La Montaña is a bilingual Christian camp located in the mountains of Costa Rica and has campers coming through all year round! My team and I got the opportunity to meet some awesome people at this camp: Luis, the groundskeeper, is a very genuine man; Paula lead us in worship, she is an amazing singer and guitarist; Steven is a very enthusiastic camp leader that brought us places and hung out with us; Andre was with us most of the time, he played games and did work with us; Bote also played games and hung out with us; Tony and Padre are both very genuine cooks at the camp; and Christian is a high school graduate that is traveling the world for eight months! In just a week I got to grow really close to the volunteers and workers at the camp, and I really connected with Christian who was visiting the camp. Christian is 18 years old and is traveling to over 20+ countries over the course of eight months…by himself! His uncle is one of the founders of La Montana so stayed with his uncle while in Costa Rica, I’m so glad I got the opportunity to meet him! Christian is a super chill and down to earth dude, he is very friendly and just a fun guy to hang around with. We got the opportunity to worship with him and Paula and it was AMAZING! It was one of the closest moments I have felt to God since being on this trip and we all got to open up about God’s goodness. Christian shared his testimony and was very real with us. He also said he already felt like he was part of our band of brothers, which he hasn’t had in a very long time, and he said that he could see God working in and through us…PRAISE GOD! This was super encouraging, and the fact that he felt so comfortable to be vulnerable with us so quickly was totally God moving in and through him. I see Jesus working in Christian and though I only got to hang with him for a couple days I already love this dude. We got to chat about surfing, boating, hunting, fishing, and the Lord. He has already given an open invitation to visit him in Santa Barbara, CA after the World Race. We also found out that he will be in Thailand the same time we are! Coincidence? I THINK NOT! Now we’re going to be seeing Jack from Room2Board, and Christian in Thailand…and they both love surfing and want to know the Lord! And even more crazy, before Christian left Costa Rica he went to Room2Board and became friends with Jack! How awesome is that, now all of us can meet up in Thailand! God is so good!
If you’d like to learn more about and/or follow Christian’s journey his website is: christianjameslee.com. You should go check him out!
My team and I had a blast at La Montaña because we got fed well by the camp, we got to bro down without the ladies around and bond as men, we got to serve a lot at the camp, and above all we got fed really well by God throughout the week! My team and I served most of the week by constructing a road to the second part the the camp. This part of the camp is for older kids who pack their own food and rough it in the woods (this part of camp is much more secluded, does not have electricity, and is a hike from the base of the camp). We shoveled rocks into wheel barrows, wheeled them up the muddy path while slipping and sliding (we managed to fall and tip over the wheel barrow several times), and if we made it we dumped the rocks and spread them out to make a firm path. This was taxing work, but it really gave me the opportunity to pray throughout the day. When my flesh itched to complain I got to take those thoughts captive and give them to God which just opened my heart to SO much of His joy. For the first time I allowed God to change my heart through my work and I absolutely LOVED it! Instead of being homesick or complaining, I found myself constantly thanking God for the opportunity to serve, thanking Him for my teammates, praying for my family and friends, praising Him for who He is and sometimes just listening to Him. My thoughts have always been active and centered around me, but recently God has been showing me how to have an active mind for His kingdom and for His Glory. I was constantly thinking about missing my family and my girlfriend, and I was getting worried about college and life after the World Race (though I’m not even close to being done LOL), but I have now been finding God help me direct those thoughts in His direction. Once again, the more I have been surrendering these things to Him the more I have seen Him give more of Himself to me through an immeasurable peace, joy, and love that can only come from God. I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated to do my Father’s work! I have been finding it to be true that the more we’re concerned about our Father’s business (for His kingdom, and for His Glory), the more we allow God to work in our business (our needs and even our wants)! He is a good good Father. I’ve grown up going to Christian camps and getting as much as I can from them. However, it was so refreshing to be on the other end and go to Christian camp to give as much of myself as I can.
We got to still have a fun camp experience at the lake, at the field, and at the muddy obstacle course. At the lake we got to go down one of the fastest water slides I have ever been down (practically gave me an enigma), flip off of the rope swing, and tackle each other on the water trampoline. At the field we had belly bumpers and beat the snot out of each other and had a blast. Lastly, at the obstacle course we had an absolute blast in the mud and got filthy together, we flipped and flopped and fell all over the place (I actually almost puked because the mud was SUPER stinky and the smell got stuck in my mustache LOL).
I loved my time at La Montaña and I hope to go back someday. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve here, for the people I met here, and the way I encountered God here. I am so excited to see how God continues to move! Thank you so much for reading and please keep us in your prayers!
God bless,
Ty
