Dulcemente Quebrantado

     Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve written, and SO MUCH has happened this past week. A quick overview: last weekend I went our DTS group went to the roller-skating rink on Friday. At first I didn’t think I was actually going to skate/blade (patinar in Spanish), because I haven’t been on wheels since I was 12. But when I put on the blades, I got the hang of it again. There was dance music playing and the lighting was sort of a disco theme. It was a fun night.

      Last Saturday morning, I left the base at 9:00am to help with a kids ministry called Metro Ministries. This is a program that brings a fun Sunday school type program to kids in isolated neighborhoods that would not normally have access to church. The ministry is set up from the back of a van, which folds out into a stage where we did dramas and Bible stories for the kids. We also played games and sang worship songs with them. My heart was touched by the precious children in this neighborhood.

      On another note, I am getting to know the city better. Jogging a few mornings a week has helped me familiarize myself with stores and markets around town, as well as the houses with dogs that bark as we run by. There is a small convenience store about a 5 minute walk from our base, and a couple blocks farther there is a grocery store with more items. Today I went to lunch at a pizza place called “Pizza in a Cone”. They literally serve pizza cone-style – a cone of crust filled with cheese, sauce and toppings. It’s delicious! Elena and I found a small printing shop where we can print off papers, and I even discovered a store similar to Office Max the other day. It’s interesting trying to figure out prices – about 500 colones is $1, so a 10,000 colones bill is like $20. Some things here are cheaper, but others, like Scotch tape, Dove chocolate, and peanut butter, are so expensive!

      This past week we had Inner Healing during class. The first three days we talked about emotions and hurts deep inside of us that affect our way of thinking and how we react to others. We were challenged to examine our souls and to cleanse ourselves of any unforgiveness, bitterness, or insecurities that we were still harboring. It is so refreshing to just give everything to God. The final two days of the week we had a very unique time of confession. Everyone in our group had a chance to share their hurts and sins with the rest of us. As we bared our souls to each other, the other students interceded and prayed for us. Each person’s story and healing process was different. After this time of restoration, we symbolically burned a list of anything that was keeping us from God. Throughout this entire process, I felt completely liberated. I have given all the negative in my life to the Lord and he has forgiven me. I am free!

      Since inner healing, I have felt a deep sense of joy in my heart. Friday I woke up at 6:00am as usual, ate breakfast, and enjoyed my quiet time with God. It’s so encouraging to be reading God’s Word and to spend time in prayer first thing in the morning. What a great way to start the day! Then we had worship. Praising God is just so awesome. And he deserves all glory! In addition to spending time with the Lord, lately I’ve really been taking joy in little things: washing clothes by hand, walking to the store, reading in a hammock, talking to my fellow students about life. One night I was washing clothes with Kristen at 10pm and we had such a wonderful talk. There is something soothing about scrubbing each shirt – it takes patience. And just laying in a hammock enjoying the cool breeze in the afternoon after lunch. Spending time here is just so wonderful. Though some days can be overwhelming, God has truly blessed me with this opportunity. Ahhh. God is good – all the time!