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One of the most popular phrases in Costa Rica, “pura vida” can be used to say hello, goodbye, sorry or no worries. A gentleman was walking in the rain and a car drove through a nearby puddle spilling mud all of his clothes, to which he just replied, “Pura vida!” and walked on his way. As our Costa Rica team enters day five here in this beautiful country, we are continuing to learn that this culture is very different than ours. Some on our team have already fallen in love with the food or the people or the culture or the weather.
After almost 24 hours of travel, we made it, a bit tired and grouchy, but excited. The team has split up into six different service sites: sports, social services, special education, microfinance, wood shop and tutoring. Students International is a unique combination of short-term and long-term missions. They run the programs almost year round while we are just here for a two-week excursion to help with what we can in the time given. Both the staff and the people appreciate the help during these few weeks.
The different sites each have their own unique roles in serving the community. Sports partners with three different schools by helping in the students’ physical education and by helping train the school’s soccer team. Wood shop provides a place in the local community where students can come and craft things with wood while working alongside the staff. The social services site puts on local events for the community, and provides a place for students to grow and have a good time. Special education helps foster the students’ emotional and mental health with students who come from unhealthy living conditions. Tutoring provides an extra source where students can learn. Microfinance works to create business and jobs to help families. These sites are all different, but all serve the same purpose in serving the community.
It’s easy to see the outer layer of what is going on, what’s shallow and on the surface, but it isn’t until you work next to the people and hear their stories that you find the gold hidden underneath. One of my favorite parts of serving for organizations such as Students International is that I have a chance to meet people who are passionate about what they do, and I have a chance to see what work God has done in their lives and what work God is still doing.
Thompson spoke before we headed out to sports about how God was working in the students’ lives, and I was inspired by this message. As I sat to hear the testimonies spoken by a few of the staff members, Jessie from sports spoke about how God changed her and gave her a passion for Costa Rica, going from a person with very little strength due to a nervous system disease to being able to help run the sports program with full strength. Norma spoke about her unhealthy family situation and road to discovering her true passion with helping students in special education. A young man with the nickname Elvis talked about how he first started going to the wood shop, how God has changed him from there, and now he is pursuing his education once more. These are the types of people who make the backbone of this organization, and these are the people who realize they aren’t the backbone of this organization; God is.
I loved the learning during the daily morning Bible studies. Jeff spoke about trusting God in difficult situations, especially situations we are suffering because of the sins of others. He spoke through the spiritual mentor Daniel as he was taken captive by the Babylonians. The team spoke of some of the bitterness or difficulty they’ve been harboring, and Jeff encouraged us to metaphorically take the rocks out of our bag, to put down the bitterness in our hearts, and forgive and give to God because that’s what the gospel means. Diana taught us that the gospel message is a little crazy and people will think we are crazy, but that is what is great about God, that He does these crazy things and loves us. Cindy spoke about God’s plan for Daniel and God’s role for Joseph, Mary, Phillip and Saul, how no matter small or large the role, that God has a plan for our lives. Juan taught us the importance of looking to God first for our guidance and not to ourselves. Our culture tends to get consumed with ourselves and oftentimes fails to look to God. He challenged us to look to God today.
As I walked into the special services room I noticed on the wall was written, “Dios tiene plan para mi” or “God has a plan for me.” As I walked away from the tutoring center I noticed a verse above it which I couldn’t read because of my lack of Spanish, and realized that despite our language barrier, God has a plan for us here. I went to bed in a foreign home in a foreign land with a foreign culture, and I prayed a little differently this time
I realized it is small changes that sometimes matter the most. Here I’ll be saying “pura vida” to blend with the culture, and back home I’ll feel at home once more. But by being surrounded by passionate people, changed by God, with a heart for the people around them, I can’t help but also feel at home here.
Some people feel called to live in Costa Rica. These are the staff members here long term. I don’t feel like God is calling me to stay in Costa Rica long term but I feel like God is showing me the problems here are just like the problems we have back in the States, and that we need passionate people to do God’s work there.
So I encourage the people back home that if God is moving you, to let Him move, and listen to the plans God has spoken to you. There is a need for God in our city just as there is a need for God here in Costa Rica, and there is always a need for God all over the world. There are gifts and passions the Lord has given you to carry out His work, so use those gifts to further the kingdom. There is no greater purpose.