Written below are some of the interactions that our squad has had with some of the locals. These short stories include our first interactions with them as well as further interactions and some prayer requests for the individuals.
John
On the way back from church last week the Lord led us down the usual route we take to get back to base from the church every Sunday. Yet last week Sunday was just a little different. While we still walked home saying the occasional “Hola” and “Pura Vida” to the locals that we would walk by, the Lord planned for us to walk into a man named John instead of walking straight back to base without other interactions.
At first we walked by him, but one of my squad members, Hannah B. said that she felt that we should go back and talk to him. We (the 8 of us that were together at the time) all agreed and we walked back to where he was and we started a conversation with him. Meanwhile Hannah and Mackenzie (another of my squad mates) went into the restaurant and bought him a meal, and the rest of us talked to John and learned that he knew who Jesus was and said that he hadn’t been to church in a long time. We then told him about Horizon Church. We told him that we would be there the next Sunday and we told him he was welcome to join! He said that he would try to come. We asked if he was okay with us praying over him and he said yes.
Eventually we began to walk back to base, and the days passed. That next Sunday finally came. John did show up to the church, and while I didn’t have a chance to talk to him, I was still in awe of how the Lord works. The Lord used us to help bring John, hopefully closer to him, through simply inviting him to church.
John showed up to Noon Prayer on Wednesday that same week.
Please pray that John would continue to be able to come to Horizon Church, and that he might be able to find community at the church.
Dustin
On the Saturday that we went to Manuel Antonio we had to take 2 buses there and 2 buses back. The group of us that was going got up at 5am and got ready to go. We arrived at the bus stop around 6. When we got there we talked for a bit waiting for the bus.
Eventually a man came towards us and struck up a conversation with us. Then he asked us where we were heading if we were heading to Manuel Antonio, and when we said yes, we talked to him about the park for a while too. We talked with him for a bit longer and found out his name was Dustin and he had been going between Costa Rica and Alaska for the last 17 years and had recently come back to Costa Rica where someone robbed him and stole his passport from him. Since then he had been living on the streets of Jaco.
Eventually we got on the bus and left the stop and headed for the park.
Days later (Monday afternoon), we came across Dustin again. Some of the same people who had first met him at the bus stop days earlier (myself included), got to see him again.
While he was talking he mentioned that Jaco, Costa Rica is a beautiful city and the city really embodies the “Pura Vida” vibes most of the time. But just like most other places in the world Jaco is just as broken and hurt by the same things that the rest of the world is hurt by and life in Jaco isn’t always “Pura Vida”.
Since then we have seen Dustin around Jaco here and there when we are out doing ministry or even in our off time, where we are able to say hi to him as we pass by.
Please pray that Dustin will be able to find a job that can sustain his needs, but also allow him to save some money to eventually get back to the U. S. to see his kids. Dustin also mentioned that he has been struggling with addiction. He didn’t specify what his addiction is but please pray that the Lord would give him the self control to quit his addiction. Please also pray that he would somehow come to better understand and know the Lord. We did talk to him a little bit about Christ but we don’t know if he has surrendered his life to the Lord yet.
Chuck
On Wednesday during ministry time we were painting one of the many water stations around Jaco when suddenly a man came up to us and started talking to us about what we were doing. We asked him what his name was and he said what his real name was then told us that he actually goes by Chuck on the streets. Then out of the blue he said “Ow!” We asked him what was wrong and he said that he had some troubles with his sciatic nerve in his hip.
We asked him if we could pray for him. He answered saying yes and we all bowed our heads and prayed over him. Moments later he walked off a little ways. Suddenly he then went and turned around and started walking back to us. He walked right past us again but he was resting his hand in the place in his hip where it had been bothering him. Then he turned to us and said that it felt way better.
We all were incredibly excited for him and how the Lord had worked through us. Please pray that Chuck’s sciatic nerve doesn’t bother him any more.
Adventure Days
I did mention in my last post that I would include some more things about our adventure days in Jaco, so here goes. . .
Our first adventure day was during the first week we were in Costa Rica. We went to Mount Miro where we were able to climb up and explore an abandoned restaurant and look out over the edge and see the city of Jaco from above.
Top row (left to right): Garrett, Anne-Marie, Christy, Anna, Jennasey
Bottom row (left to right): me, Mackenzie, Jala, Ellie
A view of Jaco from Mount Miro
During our second adventure day we went to the beach with the intention of surfing but the waves were too crazy and we were told that it was not a good idea for us to surf that day if we hadn’t surfed before. Below is a picture we took of that day though just so we could have some pics together.
In the back (from left to right): Anne-Marie, Anna, Garrett, Jala, Me
In the front (from left to right): Ellie, Hannah, Mackenzie
Adventure day during week 3 we went to Manuel Antonio National Park. We got to see sloths, hermit crabs, colorful crabs, as well as monkeys.
Back row left to right: Anna, Hannah B., Jennasey.
Front row left to right: Christy, Regan, Jala
Left to right: Hannah B., Jala, & Anna. Looking out at the ocean.
Our fourth adventure day we went to Monte Verde where we had the opportunity to walk along a bunch of sky bridges and then either Bungee Jump or Zip-line (I went Zip lining). If we went zip lining then we also got to go on the Tarzan Swing (which was also really cool).
A Monte Verde Sky Bridge
Hannah B. & I on a sky bridge in Monte Verde.
A view of the mountains from a sky bridge at Monte Verde.
Each adventure day allowed me to see many different parts of Costa Rica and the beauty that the country has and experience a little of that real Pura Vida life.
This is awesome! I love your photos and stories!! Thanks for giving us these glimpses of Heaven and allowing us to partner with you in prayer.