So it began on July 15th the excitement and rush of getting everything ready for the arrival of 34 mission team members coming to Cost Rica to serve the people and share about Jesus. Along with our home church on their way , my mom arrived two hours before. Not having seen her in a year and half all kinds of emotions ran through my heart. Victor & I had waited for this moment and it was here!! The Lord brought to my mind about His coming as we anxiously waited for my mom and our home church summer mission team. All I kept thinking was… This is how God wants us to be, ready & excited and looking forward for that glorious day that we will see Him face to face. Happiness flooded our hearts as we saw my mom and the team walking through the airport. After long hours of traveling the team was ready and happy to be in Costa Rica with hearts of service and humility they put their hands , feet and voices to the use of our God so that He could show His love to those we would come in contact with. We started at J-Holy ( The drama ministry every sat. for the public) If some do not know this is where Victor & I met and got married at 7 yrs. Ago.) Painting, sanding, and laughing, getting to know some youth from the J-Holy, they painted it in one day, and refinished the stage with a shiny new look. It was ready for the Saturday show where CCEA mission team would perform. As Tom Montes said, ( the leader of the team) “This is like homemakeovers, for the kingdom of God.” The fun was just beginning as we then prepared for the next day which was for the first time a “ March for Jesus” in the city where we live here, Christians from all over Costa Rica came to stand up for who we believe in Jesus! and pray for the country, and go out to parks and talk to people about Jesus. The mission team was able to do a drama in the park.This day many came to know Jesus, and made decisions to turn from their lives of sin, drugs, alchol,sexual immorality, and walk with their maker God. It is always a powerful testimony when one can witness a lost soul and how the love of God reaches down and changes a persons life in a moment. Many of these people have made contacts with the churches here we are working with to grow in their new lives with Christ. Next we headed for what one can call the “Compton of Costa Rica”Guarari.Filled with poverty, drugs, sexual abuse, youth prostitution, & where fear grips the hearts of those living in this area due to the high crime rate. One would never guess by the smiles of the children and youth that greet a outsider coming to share with them the love of God. Three days here everyone worked hard , beauty station was set up haircuts, manicures, Medical team assisting the sick, Bible skits and stories ,crafts, and food for some that could have been their only meal for the day. Yet for the days we were there, each child, youth, & adult felt the love of God and saw a living Jesus manifested to them through each smile or kicking a soccer ball, or trying to speak the language. One night was a dinner with the students from the Discipleship classes, everyone got to mingle with each other worship our Lord and the team presented each student with a notebook, highlighter, and pen. They were all so grateful. We had a wonderful time, as we all know the time came for the team to go back , it was a bitter sweet goodbye! But we hold on to the many laughs, and memories that we got to all experience together … Serving our King to bring him Glory. ISAIAH 52:7
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