The Costa Rica Mission: The Flip Side

Day 3: July 14, 2012

It’s my third day in Costa Rica and I’m starting to get more used to things. Last night, after I wrote from the balcony, Christine and I talked for several hours, just sharing about our lives with each other. We talked from the time we ate dinner until the time we went to bed!

I started today off by going to Cinco Esquinas (5 Corners), which is more of a poor neighborhood near Heredia. Christine started a ministry there playing and teaching and building relationships with the children in that area in hopes of them one day discipling and teaching each other. Today she told the story of Jesus walking on water and the importance of having faith in God. To go along with the story we set trash bags down on the ground and made a makeshift slip-n-slide that the children had to walk across while balancing a Frisbee on top of their head and holding a hula-hoop while the rest of us threw balls at them to distract them. Christine then shared with them about how God is bigger than their fears.

After that we prepared for our missions team to arrive, Victory Team they are called. I helped hole punch some folders and staple some documents for them. When they arrived I helped serve the meal to them and clean up afterwards. It wasn’t long after lunch that we had to start preparing for dinner. So I started rolling more silverware and helping out any other way that I could.

It’s very interesting to be on the flip side of everything. In the ministry I have worked in before I’ve always been on the front lines, I’ve been the “doer”. I was the one that would be face to face with the child, teaching them. I was the one leading the Bible studies, etc, etc. But I have never before been the one feeding the people on the frontlines. I’ve never been the one preparing folders or materials for those on the front lines. And it’s good for me! Because I am on the front lines of ministry so often I tend to struggle with pride. I’m very aware of that struggle and I have to constantly remind myself to give my ministry over to Jesus. So working behind the scenes, where the spotlight is on someone else and not me, is good for me. It helps me to realize just how much “doing” the people behind the scenes have to do in order for things to run smoothly for those on the front lines.

I feel like I’m getting a little bit more confident with trying to speak Spanish. I realized today that if I really want to get good at speaking Spanish then I need to try to do it myself, not rely on translators around me. I had a few small conversations with people in Spanish. Hopefully I’ll be able to have long conversations in Spanish by the time I leave here!

The Costa Rica Mission: Mi Casa (My House)

 These two pictures are pictures of my bedroom here in Costa Rica. It is a long rectangular room so this is both sides of it.

This is a picture of the view from the balcony on my house during the day. It is very common to see a mountain view like this everywhere you look here in Heredia, Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica Mission: Courage and Boldness

Day 2: July 13, 2012

I woke up to sun pouring through my window and the sound of a rooster crowing. I smiled. “I’m in Costa Rica,” I thought. Day 2 had started. Since the rooster had woken me up a little earlier than I had planned on waking, I used the time to read my Bible and pray before heading to the church.

During my devotions, as I was reading in Acts, God reminded me of the big things I could do even though I have no power on my own. But he challenged me to be bold and courageous in order to do those big things. Peter and John did a lot of big things with the help of God. But none of it would have happened if they hadn’t had courage. Acts 4:18-20 "Then they called hem in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot helping speaking about what we have seen and heard." That took a tremendous amount of courage! For all they knew they could have been thrown into prison or killed for refusing to stop speaking of Jesus. But the cost was worth it to them. They were so overwhelmed and taken with the message of Jesus that they couldn’t help but speak about him! Having so much courage is part of what allowed them to do big things.

We packed up and got to the church around 10am… and then since we were on Tico (what the Costa Ricans call themselves) Time the meeting that we were there for started around 10:30 or so. We started with some great worship and then began to talk about what needed to be done that day before a big mission team comes in tomorrow. We then set to work getting some things done. Anna, Paige, Molly, and I (the other missionary girls here for the summer) set to work washing some dishes and setting up the Ranchero (a small kitchen and eating area off to the side of the church) getting ready for the Victory mission team that is arriving tomorrow. As I was washing the silverware I smiled. “I’m washing dishes for Jesus,” I thought. I had never thought about how much work is put into a short term mission trip from the other side of things. The staff spends a lot of time preparing things so that everything goes smoothly when a team arrives. It will be different to work on the other side of things.

Anna and I walked over to a little shop that sells smoothies and I ordered mine in Spanish. “Voy comprar el batido de mango, fresca, y pina y con yogurt, grande.” (I am going to buy a milkshake with mango, strawberries, and pineapple and with yogurt, large.) Ok… so it was a small feat but I was very proud of myself! And the smoothie was great! After we ate Anna and I walked around Heredia and posted some flyers for a movie night we are having this week. We laughed when people would honk the horn at us. Sometimes it would be someone we knew, but other times it was just a Tica honking at Anna because they like her blonde hair. *Honk honk* She waved. “That’s my host mom’s brother.” *Honk honk* “And that one was because I’m blonde…”

Now I am back at my house. I’m sitting on the balcony just watching things and listening. It is very noisy! There are many Ticos out in the neighborhood talking to each other. It’s very different from our suburbia neighborhoods where you wave to your neighbor if you both happen to be out. There are teenagers in the streets riding bicycles and skateboards and children squealing with their parents at the park across the street. There are dogs that roam the streets and bark occasionally and often someone on a motorcycle will buzz by or someone will honk at someone.

I can look across town and in the distance I can see just part of the many mountains that surround me. The hillside is lit up with lights from peoples homes and stores and whatnot. It makes me smile because it doesn’t look very different from Pittsburgh. And I wonder if God has another missionary in Pittsburgh that is looking at those sparkly hillsides and thinking about their day and wondering what big things God might have in store for them. As you keep me in your prayers, pray also for that missionary, whoever they are. They need courage to be bold so that God can do those big things in their life, just as much courage as I do.

It doesn’t really matter where you go or where you are, I think God can do big things with anyone who is willing.

The Costa Rica Mission: Big Things in Store

Day 1: July 12, 2012

So here I am in Costa Rica…. My trip went very smoothly. All of my luggage arrived, unfortunately Derek’s checked bag has yet to arrive! So pray that they find it soon!

It’s been sort of an emotional day. I think I’m used to driving long distances and preparing myself to be somewhere new. So only 10 or so hours spent in an airport and then Bam! I’m in another country was a little overwhelming at first! But it’s beautiful here, there are palm trees (which I love) and other exotic plants. Traffic is very different here, there’s not as many rules and it’s a little scary at times. Hopefully I will not have to drive while I am here!

I am realizing how rough my knowledge of Spanish is and how much practice I need speaking Spanish conversationally with a native speaker. But I have seen how good Derek has become in just the year that he’s been here, and I know how bad his Spanish was before. So I guess there’s hope for me. =) 

I am staying with a girl who has been a missionary here for about 8 years. Her name is Christine and she is very nice. She rents a nice house that is pretty nice. There are two small bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a little laundry room, and a place to sit upstairs. She also has a nice balcony which I think I will enjoy sitting on sometimes. The two of us have been getting to know each other today and chatting a lot. She knows Spanish and English and can translate for me if I get lost.

Other than Christine, so far I have met a couple other American girls. One is Anna, she is my age and also here for a few months this summer. I really like her and I am glad to have the company of another American girl! Other than that there is a family of Americans here, the Duffy’s. They have three daughters that help with the ministry and also a cousin that is helping out. There will definitely be lots of opportunities to practice and learn more Spanish. But I am glad that I will have a break from it sometimes and have people that I don’t have to try so hard to understand.

I went to a church service tonight and it was good. I felt like I was more emotional than usual because of the transition of being in another country and also from how tired I was. But as we sang some worship songs, in both English and Spanish, I devoted this trip to God and asked him to take control of it. I asked him to give me courage to reckless faith and do things that seem radical in his name. And I asked him to change me, to give me his eyes for these people and his heart. I asked Jesus to have his way, both in me and in this trip. And I couldn’t help but both smile and tear up a little bit as I thought about the amazing things that God did just so I could get to where I am right now.

“I have big plans for you, Lindsey.” That’s what God whispered in my heart tonight. I just smiled, I already knew that he did. But being in another country singing songs in Spanish just made me wonder how big that plan really is. I am sure it is bigger than I could even begin to imagine right now. But that’s why God’s giving it to me a little at a time, so I learn more from it and so I can handle it. Pray for me as this big plan God has for me unravels as both this trip and my life goes on. Pray that I will have the faith to tackle those big plans when they come.

Count your Blessings

Count Your Blessings

I am BLESSED to have to buy GAS because that means I have a CAR.
I am BLESSED by ELECTIONS because it means I have the freedom to VOTE.
I am BLESSED to live in a country where OBESITY is a bigger problem than HUNGER.
I am BLESSED with SCHOOL LOANS because it means I am able to get an EDUCATION.
I am BLESSED by SLOW INTERNET because it means I have enough money for a COMPUTER.
I am BLESSED by JURY DUTY because it means I live in country based on DEMOCRACY.
I am BLESSED when the shower goes COLD because I started off with HOT WATER.
I am BLESSED when I am DISCIPLINED because it means I have PARENTS.
I am BLESSED by LINES at the store because it means that I can easily get FOOD.
I am BLESSED to go to WORK every day because it means I have a JOB.
I am BLESSED to have a BAD HAIR DAY when many are BALD from chemo.
I am BLESSED to hear my dad SNORING because it means he's still HERE.
I am BLESSED to get up EARLY for church because I have the FREEDOM TO WORSHIP.
I am BLESSED when kids DISOBEY me because it means their moms chose LIFE.
I am BLESSED by Facebook GAME REQUESTS because I have the opportunity of the INTERNET.
I am BLESSED when nothing's on TV because I have the ability to WATCH one.
I am BLESSED when the AIR CONDITIONER breaks because it means I have a ROOF over my head.
I am BLESSED when my brother hogs the SHEETS in the hotel room because it means I have a BED.

What blessings have you been forgetting to count?

Grandma and Grandpa's House

Of all my good childhood memories,

Very many are of traveling so far.

During both times of summer and freeze,

So many hours were spent in the car.

But it was all with a very good cause,

Because soon Nebraska we’d see.

Over to Grandpa and Grandma’s,

That is the place that we wanted to be.

Maybe we’d swim in the cow tank,

Or shoot some cans with a gun.

Perhaps we’d visit the pond bank.

No matter what, we always had fun.

Sometimes we’d get to ride a horse,

Or burn garbage in a square made of blocks.

In the woods, we would even build forts,

And we’d be surprised by gum in the mailbox.

We ate pancakes shaped as an animal friend,

And we aimed to catch the biggest toad.

It was so much fun; we didn’t want the time to end.

So, we’d try to chase our cars down the road.

But what truly made it all so great,

Was neither the sledding nor the farm.

It’s not the train tracks or the dinner plate,

That’s still not what gave it its homey charm.

The thing that is most memorable,

Is the grandparents that showed their love.

When things seem so unstable,

It is for them we thank our God above.

So thank you, Grandma and Grandpa.

Thank you for being there for us all,

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa,

                                              Thank you for loving us, big and small.

The Costa Rica Mission: Preparing

I will be leaving for Costa Rica very soon so I thought I'd share some thoughts and some of the ways God has been preparing me to go. 

1. God has been teaching me to bathe my ministry and trip to Costa Rica in prayer. In the first chapter of Acts the apostles pray together over everything they do. They include God in their ministry and let him know what's going on. I know that seems silly, "Of course I'm including God in my ministry! That's what ministry is all about!" But I know so often, even though I'm doing something for God, I forget to let him be a part of it by putting it in his hands and asking for his help through prayer. So God has been reminding me to make him a part of Costa Rica and give it completely to him by praying about it! Acts 1:14 "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."
2. God showed me that "little guys can do big things too." In Acts 2, the apostles bring about 3000 people to Jesus in one day. That's huge! I think when people read the Bible they mistakenly think of the apostles as sorts of "superheros" of the Bible. But that's not the case. The apostles were just average people. There was nothing out of the ordinary about them. It was not by their own skill that they were able to do big things, it was through Jesus. So there is no reason that I can't do the exact same things they did. With the help of Jesus, I can bring 3000 people to Christ in one day too. After reading this, God reminded me that even though I'm small, through him I can do just as big of things as the apostles did. Acts 2:47 "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."
3. God has been showing me that if I step out in faith and follow him, he will provide. I had no idea how this summer would work out for me. I didn't know how long I'd be working, I didn't know when I'd be going to Costa Rica, I didn't know where the money for Costa Rica would come from, I didn't know how I'd get money to pay for school. But I raised more money than I needed to go to Costa Rica and I received an $8000 scholarship for school this next year. God has provided for me because I was faithful to his calling. He told me what to do and I followed and he took care of my needs. God is the provider.

So keep praying for me in this next week or so before Costa Rica. Pray that I will be brave and all anxiety will be gone from my heart. Pray for the people I am going to be working with, that God will go before me and prepare them and that they will be open to the gospel. Pray that I will be able to know when God is opening a door for me. And pray that God will be working in and through my ministry while in Costa Rica.

11 more days! =)