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Friends and Family,
As I reflect on our time in Costa Rica so far, it has been nothing short of an adventure! I’ve been placed in the Community and Environmental Health site with three other women. Much of their focus is health and wellness of the women and children around the communities of Desamparados, as well as building meaningful relationships with them that will allow for conversations of spreading the gospel. Yesterday we went to an aerobics class and participated in a group conversation about healthy eating habits in the home with the women in Los Guido, as well as visited a school where our site leaders organize projects about the environment and why it is important to take care of it. In this, they find creative ways to tie in the gospel.
Since this is a new site, things do not always go as planned. Yesterday for example, only one student showed up for the after school program. Initially, I was let down, but after leaving the school I realized how wonderful it was to get to spend one-on-one time with that student and felt encouraged by the fact that he may be able to share his experience with others in his family or community.
The Lord is revealing Himself to me in different ways than I’ve ever experienced. For the past two days my emotions have been through the roof, and I am very clearly realizing that God is calling me to reach out to others back home in Fresno. I anticipated and expected a lot as I embarked on this journey, but the last thing I expected was to be called to serve back home while I was here. As far as our whole team, I think that we may all be learning and growing in different ways than we expected. We are making connections with our host families and finding fun and different ways to communicate with them. Many of us have realized that cards games do not require a mutual language.
As we continue to serve here in Desamparados I hope to expand my growth and learning in exactly what God is calling me to do. I also look forward to getting closer to our team members as well as the team from Shadowbrook Church and the community of Desamparados.
Mackenzie O.