Costa Rica Weeks 7-12!

Hello everyone! Sorry it’s been so long to make a post, I’ve been busy with various things as well as not much different has happened so I’ve just been living in the moment and enjoying my time here with the people. I can’t believe that my time here in Costa Rica is coming to an end. Time is absolutely flying! On October 2nd I will be heading over to Panama for the second time around! I’m excited to continue on this journey but I am sad to leave the people and the wonderful Church here in Costa Rica. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here, although 3.5 weeks of my time here was filled with pain with an infection. I’m glad to have been able to find the right medication to take and be free from that infection and pain for a couple weeks now. I am waiting another week until some of the pain in my Achilles from the medicine goes away and I will hopefully begin to jog again. I miss being active but have enjoyed the things that I have been able to do.

The Bible studies that I’ve been able to do have gone so well that some of the people want me to continue with them via zoom once I leave from here. I’ve really enjoyed every bit of my time here. The Bible studies have been fun, being able to prepare and teach various different subjects and themes. I’ve enjoyed being part of the young adult group and being able to bring board games to the group. We usually go out to eat or do some socializing after and it’s been really great to get to them better and invest in their lives during these 3 months. I’ve also really enjoyed my time being a leader with the youth group. Although I didn’t teach anything the last month or really lead any games, I’ve enjoyed really be able to be present and have conversations with some of them and help disciple a couple of them. I was able to challenge the youth group one time to share their faith, and a couple of the kids were able to reach out to a couple friends. It has been so fun watching them get excited to share their faith and share Jesus with others. One of my favorite things here has been discipling some of the people one on one. I’ve been meeting with one of the leaders weekly for a while. We are going to be continuing to do life together via zoom after I leave here. It’s been fun to disciple others the way that I’ve been discipled over the years. It’s made an impact on me and it’s so fulfilling to do life with others, to invest in them, and see them passionate about the Lord. As my friend would say about discipleship is that, “you have front row tickets to seeing God work.” I’m excited to see how this friendship grows over the years and seeing his passion grow for his ministry and the church and others.

I’ve truly been learning and growing in my own walk with God so much the last few months, it’s all been such a good time here. I’ve been getting some counseling and that has been helping me a ton with dealing with some negative thoughts that I knew were there, but never knew exactly how strong they were and how much they were effecting me, my ministry, and all that God wants me to be. I have thoroughly enjoyed the counseling sessions with such an awesome man of God. I am excited to continue meeting with him and growing. I have never been a reader in my life, but lately I have been having a lot of free time, so I have been reading books and learning and growing through that as well. I am currently reading through some books to help prepare me for an internship with a Christian Counseling Center in Grand Rapids. I am hoping to start the internship with them soon and be able to come on staff when I get home in December if it’s the Lord’s will. I’ve learned so much from the books I am reading and the counseling that I am receiving that I have been able to help set others free here, and I am excited to be able to do the same when I get home, but be able to do it as a job until God leads the way of my future in full time missions.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had as many opportunities to be part of the activities or classes here in the high school the last month, but I’ve still had some opportunities to see the people and engage with them throughout the week. I am glad for the opportunities that I did have before the last month or so. They’ve had a few holidays and many weeks of exams, so the schedule has been whacky and therefore I haven’t been able to do the things in the classes as I was before or as I wanted to. I am thankful though for the time that I did have before and I am glad that I made the most of the opportunities before to share my life story and the gospel with many of the classes.

I’ve had the chance the last month to go out and do some fun things such as a canopy tour, movie theater, see the malls, see their independence day parade, and various other fun activities. Throughout my trip I haven’t exactly gone out and seen the cities or more of the country, but here I was able to get out a bit with the people and see more than I have before. I am excited for the next part of my trip, to go back to Panama with everything that I’ve learned and grown in here to be able to be more effective in the ministry there. I have so many new ideas of how I want to try to do ministry there as well and I think it will be a blessing to the missionaries there.

I truly thank you all for your support and prayers. I appreciate the messages and encouragement, especially the video chats with some of you! I would love to hear from more of you more often if you’re able! I love you all and I thank God for you all daily.

Prayer requests:

1. Open hearts as I continue to share the gospel.
2. Transition back to Panama and the ministry opportunities. (It is very hot there so pray for me and the team to have energy!)
3. Internship process with the Christian counseling center.
4. Growth and confidence in my spanish.
5. Health improvement.
6. Continued focus and passion for ministry. To bring the gospel into everything I do. To focus on the big picture.