Oh Costa Rica you have my heart!!
This place and ministry are so wonderful. For the next month we are working with Teen Challenge, this is a rehab program that is all over the world. This program is different then many because the people choose to be here and can leave whenever they want, these people want to be there and change. This program is also based on Christ. These programs are a year long and teach the students about Jesus, how to work, sell, cook, and live life without addiction.
We are currently living in the jungle outside of Limón, Costa Rica. We are staying in cute little cabins. There is a missionary’s house about half a mile from our cabins and we walk there everyday for meals. We are in the process of helping this program build a women with children rehab house on the same property in the jungle. We also spend a lot of time at the mens house about 15 minutes from us. Some of the men that are farther in the program also help us with the house and are learning about construction, this property also has a small chocolate factory and the men get to learn how to make and sell chocolate so they can have a job after this program.
Here is what our first week of ministry has looked like.
Sunday: We go to the mens center and have church with them. These men are so kind and joyful and seeing the way they worship is so beautiful. We spend all day playing games with them talking to them and encouraging them. This is one of my favorite days of the week!
Monday: Monday we were working at Dorcas which is what the women with children house is called. We were helping paint inside, leveling the yard around, and putting gravel around the house. We spent about 5 hours doing this manual labor.
Tuesday: this was a crazy day. We drove about an hour and a half to BriBri which is right next to the Panama border. We then crossed a river in a cannon and went up a mountain to a different ministry. This ministry is in the process of making a center for children from the BriBri indigenous people group. This will basically be a foster care facility and will have many children and “parents” taking care of the children and teaching them. This ministry is in the process of making a road but at the time doesn’t have anyway to reach them besides hiking this trail. We then carried wood planks and large metal roof shingles up this trail so they could use the materials to build houses. This was hard work but it was so cool to see the joy it still brought our team. We also helped pull a large tree across a small river to help build a bridge.
Wednesday: we worked again at Dorcas. We were helping make the drive way, this meant shoveling and wheelbarrowing gravel. This day was hot and we were all very sore from the day before but it was a very joyful time.
Thursday: This is our adventure day. This week we went to the beach and got to see multiple monkeys and spend time together. Thursday night we go to the mens center and do worship and prayer with them. This Thursday was there late night prayer day. We stayed there till 12 and we got to pray for so many men who are moving to the next stage or have hard situations. We also got to pray for a man who it was his first day there. There worship and how well these men know the Bible is so encouraging and it shows how amazing this ministry is that these men are recovering from addictions and are so in love with God already.
Friday: We had out bibles and evangelize. This day we go to different neighborhoods and just go to peoples houses and ask them if they know God and get to share the gospel with different people.
Saturday: This is our sabbath and we get to relax and spend time with God and each other.
This place has been such a blessing and we have only been here one week. I love walking with the men and getting to be in relationship and help disciple and encourage them to stay in this program and to remember why they are there. I also love working on the Dorcas house, and being able to imagine the kids that will be running around there in a few months. It also is beautiful to be able to see the fruit of our labor first hand in finishing projects.
I am so excited to see all that God will do while we are here and in this ministry.
Love you all,
Halle
Your joy and excitement is so encouraging, Hal!! I’ll keep praying for you and I am looking forward to hearing and seeing how JESUS continues to show you fruit in and through you! Shalom!!
WOW! That sounds like a lot of physically hard work! I am so proud of you! I love that you are enjoying it all too! I can’t wait to hear more about it when you come home! Prayers and hugs and love to you!
Beyond excited for you!! Love you always!!
Love you Hal, thanks for the update, sounds amazing
Halle, I love hearing these details! The people, and experience, and having the opportunity to see ways that your work is making a small difference in the world for this ministry must be so beautiful! Their lives! Your life! God’s Spirit! I will keep praying for you, and I will pray for this ministry. It sounds amazing!