Before I came to
Costa Rica I was determined to do one thing while here: go zip-lining to see
the beautiful rainforest here. And last weekend I did just that! A group of us
went on a canopy tour and whitewater rafting in a town called Sarapiqui about
two hours away from San Jose. It was my first time zip-ling and it was
incredible! As I soared across the cable, taking in all the huge trees, bright
green surrounding me, my heart was happy. I know that I am in this incredible
country for a reason. And whitewater rafting was a blast! One of the commands
our guide used was “adelante” which means “forward”. I felt like I was in an
Indiana Jones movie with all the vines and thick trees around us. At one point
we saw the most beautiful butterfly I have ever seen – it was iridescent blue
on one side and bright neon yellow on the other. About halfway through we
stopped at a small cliff to jump into the deep water. The beauty of God’s
creation is beyond words.
During this past
week God revealed so much to me through our theme of relationships. One of the
base directors here, Mar, was our teacher for the week. She brought us so much
wisdom and encouragement about relationships with family and friends, as well
as romantic relationships. She talked a lot about God’s intentions for
relationships: that they would be glorifying to him. I have realized this week
that not only does God create relationships to bring us closer to his heart,
but to allow us to experience the love with the Trinity – the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. The fullest way for us to experience this love is in
marriage. At the center of a marriage should be God, leading the way.
I had the
opportunity this week to practice translating some in our small groups. Every
Friday afternoon the girls in our DTS meet to talk about how we’re processing
everything and reflecting on the week. When we met this week we spoke all in
Spanish. It was interesting because of our varying levels of knowing the
language, but really encouraging to see everyone try to express themselves in
Spanish. I had the opportunity to practice translating along with another girl
in our group. It’s much easier to translate from Spanish to English because I
can convey my feelings better in English. However, later that night I also got
to practice translating from English to Spanish. We had a prayer meeting
regarding raising the finances for the outreach. After a time of individual
prayer, everyone came back together to share thoughts and ideas. Most of the
students in our group are English speakers, so I had to translate what they
were saying into Spanish. It was definitely challenging at times to find the
right words, but it was exciting. The more I practice the more confident I will
become. J
We found out more
details about outreach this week. We’re going to be traveling all around Costa
Rica throughout the two months, going to about 10 different cities and towns.
Our leaders showed us on a map where we’ll be going. In each location our
ministry will be a bit different. For example, in one place we’ll be working
with orphans (yay!), in another we’ll be ministering to prostitutes who were
most likely trafficked, in one city we’re going to do a couple days of intense
prayer and intercession, and in some places we’ll be mainly working with
churches. It will be good to experience a variety of different types of work
throughout this adventure of spreading God’s love in this beautiful country. To
prepare for this time we’ve been practicing dramas and songs that we can
perform in churches or on the street. It’s awesome to see how each of us will
have the chance to use our individual skills and talents to bless the people we
encounter.
Ending this week
was a fun variety show fundraiser for one of the students here. Many of the students
from my class showed off their talents – juggling, comedy, jokes, and singing.
I was part of a dance group that danced to the song Africa by Shakira (the
World Cup theme song). Two of the girls from my class choreographed the dance,
combining African dance moves with their own creative combinations. Sooo much
fun!! I am attaching the video of our dance. Here is a link to the video of our
dance:
Until next time!
**Bible verse: “He
has showed you, oh man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To
act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
**Spanish word of the
day: remar = to paddle
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