My time in Costa Rica has sadly come to an end. We’ve been in Nicaragua for quite sometime now. My heart is still processing all that happened. Y’all! The Lord did SO much in Costa Rica. We had all squad month. We have 32 people on our squad but split into five teams. This months all the teams got to live and do ministry together. It was so much fun. Because there was so many of us we got to partake in so many different ministries. One night a week we did night ministry and for the men, It meant getting to serve in a homeless feeding. When I heard homeless ministry was part of our ministry this month I was so excited.
In the spring of 2012, as senior year came to a close I made the decision to drop out. I did not take my academics seriously in any way during the so called “best four years of your life.” As all my friends went to college, moved into dorms, rushed for fraternities and sororities I stayed in my hometown which I had nothing but bitterness towards. Within that time frame I was hanging out with my friend Jordan. It was a dark day not realizing how in my depression I was. I wasn’t wanting to hangout in the first place. Something made me say yes to hanging out. We did not really have a plan at all. She mentioned a popsicle place and that it was downtown. With intrigue, I agreed to go. We made our way downtown sitting in traffic and singing songs. We terribly paralleled parked into a road. We walked into the store entitled “The Hyppo” We both got pops and decided to explore. We walked and came across gorgeous trees hanging high in the sky.
As we kept walking we began to walk on a dock. The wood felt like I was on a lake. The sounds of fountains overtook my ears. As, we proceeded to walk down the dock, my jaw dropped. We encountered a big lake. There was a huge blue fountain, people paddling on swan boats and it was my favorite time. Golden hour. As we sat and took it all in, I was over taken with emotions. The beauty of God’s people and his creation. It was probably for the first time I was proud of my hometown. As we sat and chatted, I noticed a man. I had a yearn to speak to him. Looking back on it now I know it was the prompting of the spirit. I walked across to the bench of the other side of the dock not knowing that small conversation would change my life forever.
When I sat, we made awkward small talk. It was a tad uncomfortable. Then, everything shifted. He asked me where I lived. I didn’t hesitate to answer not thinking much of it simply replying with “Winter Park.” “You?” I asked in reply. He hesitated and began to look around the park. “Here. or I stay on the trails in Baldwin Park.” he softly replied. I was silent. I realized he was homeless. At that point in the conversation Jordan came and interjected to say she had to leave. So I said goodbye and we parted ways. I told him I would be praying for him.
I left Lake Eola that day with a lot of questions and not many answers. As time moved on, I went back. Again and again and again. When my friends were in classes I was in the streets. I used to park my car go to Publix buy a 24 pack of water and fill my backpack with as many bottles I could fit and meet people where they are. I’m thankful and honored to say that a high school drop out with a backpack turned into jacket drives, evangelism and late night conversations with the sweetest of friends who called the streets home. I know what you’re thinking. What does this story have to do with Costa Rica? Well, in order to tell you the story I’m going to tell you I needed to tell you about how I first fell in love with the streets and how God took me back to them.
On nights we had night ministry I always chose to go to the homeless feeding. I feel in my element with the homeless. I’ve learned so so much from them. On the third week of night ministry I went and got to bring the guys on my team along with me. We would meet in a park in Jaco and make plates and fill cups with coke and central american sodas and just be with these men. It was so awesome. I am blessed to say I grew up in Orlando one of the most diverse cities in America. I speak some spanish through working in food service and working in Texas. The Lord has truly just come through in conversations where locals speak only spanish. He’s truly broken down language barriers.
On this night, I was refilling cokes when I just sat down and talked to friends I met in the streets who had come to the feeding. I introduced myself to two new faces I had never seen before. I asked them what their names were. “Esteban” the tall man replied with a smile. “Eddie” the other man replied with an even bigger smile. Eddie wore a hat and a tank top. His curly hair stuck out under the cap. We began to talk slowly and he was patient with my spanish. He and Esteban began to tell me something is on the beach at night. I was so confused. I was trying so hard. “Tortugas.” they kept repeating and looking at each other and laughing. I finally gave in and got my phone out and opened google translate. Tortugas, I said to myself. The app translated it to Turtles. They were trying to tell me that this is the month turtles come to the beach at night to lay eggs. I started freaking out. I thought it was so cool.
I asked in my broken spanish if they would take me and my friends to see if they were on the beach. They said of course. I was pumped. After the feeding, we made our way to the beach. We walked into the darkness with expectant hearts. We laughed and ran around in the sand and ended up finding nothing. We left and thanked them for taking us. After that night I saw Eddie everywhere. He always called my name, I would turn and see him and he would give a huge wave with a welcoming smile. Eddie was a good friend to have. He changed the way I saw people. He was homeless but he was one of the most joyful, kindest human I’ve met. He did not let his circumstances define him.
One night as I was walking I ran into him and he started to walk with me. We talked. He told me about his day and how he was doing. We started to walk past a store. I told him to wait there. I ran in the store and got him a snack and a drink. I came out and and handed him his surprise. He was thrilled. It was in that moment I realized I had a Peanut butter granola bar in my backpack. I asked him to hold it as I unzipped and got the granola out. He was so happy when I flung it out. We both just started laughing. One night my friends Lakota, Amanda and I went to dinner. I intentionally didn’t finish my meal hoping we would run into him on our walk back to our base. We stopped one more time at my favorite gelato shop in Jaco. We sat on the front and all at our yummy desserts to finish a nice dinner with great conversation. Lo and I got regular gelato and Amanda got a massive gelato with nutella and a hot waffle! In true friendship we all shared. At one point I hear my name and knew exactly who it was, it was Eddie! I motioned him to come over and he did. I introduced him to Amanda and Lo and he was so kind to them. It made me think a lot. Many of the men in Costa Rica would cat call the girls on our squad and make them feel very uncomfortable. Eddie ws different. He was kind. He was eager to grow. He didn’t only say hi and then ask for something. He met me where I was. Much like Jesus. After I gave him the food he just looked at me and said in spanish “You have been an angel to me.” I didn’t know what to say. My heart kind of hurt knowing that all I’ve done was say hi and hug him and ask him how his day was. I wanted to make him sober. I wanted to take him off the streets. I gave him a big hug and we headed home to make curfew.
My time in Costa Rica flew by. The day came for the last night of the weekly homeless feeding. I was excited to go yet sad it was all ending. I walked down the streets of Jaco processing all The Lord has done and that much like in Panama the long goodbye tour was about to start yet again. I arrived to the feeding and decided to say hello to all the sweet friends I met on the streets this month. I eventually saw Eddie and he greeted me with a smile. I went over to say hi. He hugged me. I really have been trying to keep up and learn spanish this whole time and have enough to keep a conversation. I only really understood the word important. I was very confused. Luckily, my friend George was there and he spoke both english and spanish! I asked him if he would mind translating. Once I brought George over they began to talk in spanish leaving me in the dust to understand what was happening. As they were talking Eddie began to reach for his bag and George faced me. George said “Ok, this is something that is very important to him and he wants you to have.” I faced Eddie and he held a folded up paper in his hands. I was still confused. I opened up the paper. It was a hand drawn picture of a child. It was a beautiful pencil sketching. The drawing had words on spanish and before the words it was the name “Maripaz” George said “Yeah he wants you to have this.” Eddie then explained to me that Maripaz is his daughter. This was the most precious thing he owned on the streets and he wanted to give it to me. I was speechless.
I kept asking him if he was sure. He kept assuring me yes, yes, yes. I had explained to him how I was on a mission trip and was only in Jaco for a month. He told me that when I am in Africa to look at it and remember him. I wanted to cry. I promised him I would take a picture with it in every country I go to for the rest of the race. I laughed but my heart felt heavy. When we were leaving George told Sean in english that some of the men told him they wanted to go to rehab. I didn’t think much of it. The next day I went out looking for him and to make a long story short I couldn’t find him and eventually found out he had went to rehab. I was sad. The World Race sometimes feels like summer camp. You got to know all these sweet people who change your life and then you say goodbye. I’m sad I didn’t get to say goodbye but I’m happy for my friend who fought for his sobriety. I hope one day God makes our paths cross again. I’ll never forget the homeless man who had so much joy and taught me some sweet life lessons. I tell you this long drawn out story because first, Eddies story is awesome. Secondly, Homeless people are able to help you and impact you as well. I have kept my promise so far and have taken my pictures in Costa Rica. I’ll always value this wrinkled drawing for the story attatched to it.
Prayer requests- Fundraising!!! I am only 5,076 dollars away from being fully funded! So, if 50 people gave a 100 dollar gift we would basically be there! Please pray about giving!
