Since being at CGA I’ve seen the Lord show up in HUGE ways. The kind of way that is unexplainable, non coincidental, and NOT questionable. The exact non coincidental that made me believe in him in the first place.
So without further ado here is one of my favorites from the past 5 weeks…
I talked a good bit about Costa Rica since being off of my race. When I get asked the “what was your favorite country question” I always say Costa Rica, but if you would have asked how I felt while I was in Costa Rica I would have told you… I AM MISERABLE! I was miserable for selfish reasons.
It wasn’t until after I left Costa Rica that I realized the impact it had on me.
My team and I worked in the largest slum in all of Costa Rica. A government owned piece of land, where they dump refugees. We spent approximately 5 1/2- 6 hours on a bus everyday. Days started early, and nights went long due to team time, and chores. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss it, until the very last days of ministry.
I worked with women, nicaraguan refugees who had been forced to flee their homes, being run out by the government. On the first day we walked the streets of Carpio, doing home visits. Trying to get women and children to join our program.
We walked the long way to the river, the poorest area in Carpio, which isn’t saying much because everyone lived in a tin shack, and had less than nothing. So you can only imagine what the “poorest” area of this town looked like. Carpio was so dangerous that we were not allowed to walk the streets without a respected nurse who had lived their for 30+ years. Everyone knew her.
Most of the women and children had just gotten to Costa Rica the night before/ the week before. We huddled into a family of 12+ house ( tin shack ) There was 1 room with a sheet separating it from the kitchen/living room. The floor was mud.
While at their house, I didn’t realize how much they had just gone through. I didn’t understand why they had fled Nicaragua, I didn’t understand how they could have come to the conclusion this ( tin shack, little food, no clothes) could be better than what they had just come from.
We talked with them, they shared their stories. The horror stories about sneaking across the boarder with nothing but the clothes on their back. NO money, NO food, NO idea where they were going, NO paperwork. Without paperwork they are unable to get Jobs, and their kids are unable to go to school. Not to mention most native Costa Ricans are NOT friendly to the Nicaraguan refugees.
Before we left, we gave them a bag of food, and stamps to get more. I remember how grateful they were, but I also remember the shame they carried. I could see it in their face, and in their body language. I felt something so deep inside for them, I loved them. I could tell they were skeptical of our love, and our motives, and I didn’t blame them. Their trust had been broken by so many before us, why would a bunch of gringos want to help them ?
They agreed to come to our program, and they said they would talk to the other refugees they had met, and invite them. We left unsure if they would actually come.
The next day we had 11 Nicaraguan refugees show up with all of their kids. It was an awesome turn out, way more than what I was praying for.
For three months they shared more and more with us, it took time but they started to trust us, they allowed us to love them, and they loved us back. We cried together, we sang together, we prayed together, we ate together. They spoke no English, and we spoke very little Spanish, but Ive never felt more connected/ understood to a group of people in my life.
The last two days of ministry in La Carpio changed my life. The women walked us around Carpio, which we hadn’t been back on the streets since the first day because of how dangerous it was, and how little time the respected nurse had to spare to walk us around.
This time the nurse didn’t come with us, but all of the women, and their kids rallied around us. We danced our way to their houses. We sang in this so called dangerous community. Speaking life over the streets of Carpio. Smiling at everyone. Maritza ( one of our beloved friends ) brought us to her house…… a little bit of background ALL week before the women took us out on the streets Maritza kept talking about how excited she was to bring us to her house. Everyday she mentioned it.
When we got to her “house” it was a 5 ft tall box made out of tin. Inside her home was a bed where her and her 3 boys sleep. Decorating her home is all of the projects we made together. We all squeezed in, and sang Feliz navidad. The only song we all knew.
I was honored to be at her home.
The next day ( our last day 🙁 ) The women took pictures/ made fun of me all day for crying so much.
We got word that one of the women we worked with, Veronica, had her baby.
Some of the women walked us to her house, and we were able to bless her new baby girl Fernanda. It was beautiful, and baby Fernanda is the reason why this specific day was my favorite day I’ve ever lived in my whole life.
It was also the hardest day. The day went by way too fast.
On a normal day the women would all go home around 12. But on this specific day they all left at different times, way later than normal. Soaking in every last second with us. Ive never cried so many tears.
As we walked through the community on those last couple days, I saw something I had seen before.
The towns people looked at us the same way the women we worked with looked at us on day 1.
Shame was written on their faces, lies that they would never be good enough, lies that this is all they were made for engulfed them.
No one had fought for this community before.
No one had told them that the lies they wear are lies, they walk around thinking satans lies are their truth.
There are places like this all over the world.
In this season at CGA I am learning how to lead myself, so I can lead others. I am learning to tear away all of satans lies that I have made my truth, so I am able to show others how to do the same. So I am able to go back to La Carpio, and tear away satans lies, and fill them with the Lords truth. I believe La Carpio can be changed, and the lord has called me to be his vessel.
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So while being at Cga, heres what Gods been doing to get me back to Costa Rica!
STORYTIME!!!
I came home early from class a couple weeks ago, and there were two older gentleman painting the inside of our kitchen.
I put my stuff down on the kitchen table, and headed towards the pantry. I started to small talk with one of them. “Whats your name, how are you, yada yada?”
Small talk wasn’t enough for my new friend Bill. He asked about my race. Normally I would have given the standard answer, good, I really enjoyed it. But for some reason I started to talk about Costa Rica. Before I could stop myself I started to cry.
Oh how much I miss them, my friends in La Carpio. I explained how unfair it felt that I was here, living in a house, with a car, a shower, a full pantry.
The other guy in the kitchen joined the conversation. “I was just in Costa Rica last week.”
Turns out he spent time with my coaches from the race while he was there. There were so many little connections just like that, it blew my mind.
At the end of the conversation he said “id like you to meet my wife sometime.”
Fast forward 4 days I was at Monday morning worship. After the service the man who was just in Costa Rica came up to me, with his wife!
Turns out she fundraises for the Costa Rica base, and the Costa Rica base is in need of help.
Did you get all of that? The Lord orchestrated all of this. Never would I cry to some strangers in my kitchen, and how crazy that his wife is the fundraiser specifically for the Costa Rica base.
The lord affirms me that he sees my heart, and knows my desires. He’s been doing big things here. Moments like these are not scarce here, they are happening daily.
ALSO….
I am still fundraising!! I still need to raise $4,300. If you, or anyone you know would like to donate, please reach out!
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VERONICA WITH HER NEW BABY GIRL, FERNANDA!
WALKING CARPIO, YOU CAN SEE SOME HOMES IN THE BACKGROUND
MY TEAM AND SOME OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN WE WORKED WITH
