After I finished my intensive course here in CR (Costa Rica), I began volunteering. My goal was to see if working at an orphanage is something I would like to do with my future. I didn’t have a very strict plan as to what I would do. I certainly didn’t think that God would work the wonders in my heart that He did.
Since I first arrived to CR I have been working with a group in one of the slums on Saturdays. What we do is teach a Bible lesson to a group of kids. I have been teaching the older preteens. It is something that I look forward to doing every week. The kids are all so sweet and lovable.
This was the first time that I had ever been to a slum. At first I was pretty shocked because I didn’t realize that this ministry was even in a slum. The people in this neighborhood live in houses made of scraps. The families don’t own the houses and many don’t have bathrooms. Once I became involved with the children, I completely fell in love with them.
Every time you hug one of those kids they just eat it up. With each hug that you share with a child in this neighborhood, it feels as if you are taking on a part of their burden. Teaching them the Bible is offering them hope in a God that truly loves them like no one else does. Spending time with and respecting both the children and their parents, I pray, help’s them to see how worthy and important they are. This time that I have had with these children has been priceless.
Also I have been working 2 days a week at a baby orphanage. There are about 18 children under the age of 5 in this home. During my time at the orphanage I hold babies, feed babies, and play with the babies and the little children. I LOVE IT!!! I mean, that’s an understatement….I LOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEE them! Now they all know me, and we are ALL best friends! They call me “tia” aka “aunt.” Before this I was really hesitant around little babies, but not anymore. Today I was holding a 2 month old and an 8 month old at the same time. Haha, God gives us the ability to do what He needs us to do. This week is my last week and leaving them here is going to be SO hard.
Another ministry that I have volunteered with is Christ for the City. Mainly I have been working with a medical mission’s team. Christ for the City works in a neighborhood called “La Carpio” here in San Jose. This neighborhood is home to mainly Nicaraguans living on the city’s dump. Families here live in very poor conditions, struggling daily to eat. A medical mission’s team came with doctors and dentists to offer free services. I helped translate and take care of kids. Of course I also held many babies :). It was really fun to use my Spanish in that way. It was exciting to successfully be able to translate!!!
Never in my life have I felt like what I am doing is so in line with God’s will. Hugging, playing, and loving children in each of these different places has been one of the most important things I have ever done with my life. This experience has changed my life. God has been breaking and transforming my heart and showing me truth. When I am in these neighborhoods, I feel like I am in the exact spot that I need to be in. It just feels right to love on these kids. In the future I hope to return to Central or South America in order to work in the slums long term.
Literally every day I see and feel the Holy Spirit working. He shows me what people to spend time with and shows me the people who need to feel His love. Many times the Holy Spirit moves me to spend extra time with a certain child or adult. God is working, He is present, you just have to push yourself aside and let Him do His thing; which is challenging sometimes. There have been many moments here when God has had to remind me not to be prideful, because I am His servant. The Lord is good, He is faithful, and I will serve Him with all of my life.
“You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas…” Psalm 65:5
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Family and Friends in Costa Rica
Some of the greatest parts about living in Costa Rica have been the people! For the first 7 weeks of my time in CR I lived with a Costa Rican family. Those weeks were very blessed. I had a Tico mom, 2 sisters, a brother, and nephew. They were always willing to help me with Spanish and to spend time with me. We had a lot of fun together! On Costa Rican’s Independence Day they took me to the parades, we went to see the main Catholic Church, and we went on a day trip we went to see a Volcano.
For the last few weeks I am living with an American family. This has been such a great time. They have really blessed me. I met them at school and they offered for me to stay with them. After they are done with school they are going to move to work as missionaries in Uruguay. They have four active children who are really fun to spend time with. The husband and wife are great people of faith and have been awesome mentors for me. I really respect them and how they live their lives for Christ. Their family has treated me with love, like I am a member of their family. It has been so nice to come home from volunteering and hang out with them each night.
God has also blessed me with awesome friends my own age. Through school I have become good friends with a group of girls. We are all around the same age and are in about the same places in our lives. We each came to serve Christ here in Costa Rica. All of the girls have great hearts and I have absolutely loved my time with them. Each week we attend a Bible study every week and hang out together often. They have become my best friends in such a short time and I am really sad to leave them!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1
For the last few weeks I am living with an American family. This has been such a great time. They have really blessed me. I met them at school and they offered for me to stay with them. After they are done with school they are going to move to work as missionaries in Uruguay. They have four active children who are really fun to spend time with. The husband and wife are great people of faith and have been awesome mentors for me. I really respect them and how they live their lives for Christ. Their family has treated me with love, like I am a member of their family. It has been so nice to come home from volunteering and hang out with them each night.
God has also blessed me with awesome friends my own age. Through school I have become good friends with a group of girls. We are all around the same age and are in about the same places in our lives. We each came to serve Christ here in Costa Rica. All of the girls have great hearts and I have absolutely loved my time with them. Each week we attend a Bible study every week and hang out together often. They have become my best friends in such a short time and I am really sad to leave them!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1
Why Costa Rica?
After I came home from Argentina I didn’t think that I would ever live in another country again. Let’s face it, it was hard. Things didn’t turn out the way I thought they would. It didn’t come natural for me to share the gospel or for me to live in another country.
I am SO thankful that God sent me to Costa Rica.
During this summer doors seemed to be shutting in my face…well actually it was more like there just weren’t any doors to open. Going to grad school right away didn’t seem like a good idea. Plus the deadline had already past. I didn’t qualify for most of the social work jobs. The jobs that I did qualify for, I needed my social work license which I didn’t have.
I knew that I wanted to keep up my Spanish. I also knew that I didn’t feel confident enough in my Spanish to use it in a job. Ryan Gray suggested at the beginning of summer that I go to the language school that he attended in Costa Rica. All summer I joked with my parents that I was going to Costa Rica. At some point in the summer I decided that I should apply to the language school, just for kicks. The same day that I emailed they responded. During this time I was reading a book about giving up your life and money for Christ. At that point I felt God giving me the green light to go. In fact, I knew that God was telling me to go. So I went.
The course was great! I was placed in the advanced class which surprised me. Each week each person in my class had to give a 15 minute speech…in Spanish. This of course intimidated me every single week! As the title of the course suggests, the classes moved at a very quick pace and were very difficult. I had to study every night, all night. I mean let’s be for real, I didn’t even do that in college!
The last 2 weeks of class I was the only student in the class. I got one on one attention and was able to focus on the things I needed to work on.
In those six weeks I learned a ton of Spanish. I now feel confident in taking a job where I need to use Spanish. The other day I was hanging out with a teenager. In the middle of the conversation I realized that I understood everything and I wasn’t even giving him my full attention; I was also playing with a kid while I talked to him. Now that was exciting!
I am SO thankful that God sent me to Costa Rica.
During this summer doors seemed to be shutting in my face…well actually it was more like there just weren’t any doors to open. Going to grad school right away didn’t seem like a good idea. Plus the deadline had already past. I didn’t qualify for most of the social work jobs. The jobs that I did qualify for, I needed my social work license which I didn’t have.
I knew that I wanted to keep up my Spanish. I also knew that I didn’t feel confident enough in my Spanish to use it in a job. Ryan Gray suggested at the beginning of summer that I go to the language school that he attended in Costa Rica. All summer I joked with my parents that I was going to Costa Rica. At some point in the summer I decided that I should apply to the language school, just for kicks. The same day that I emailed they responded. During this time I was reading a book about giving up your life and money for Christ. At that point I felt God giving me the green light to go. In fact, I knew that God was telling me to go. So I went.
The course was great! I was placed in the advanced class which surprised me. Each week each person in my class had to give a 15 minute speech…in Spanish. This of course intimidated me every single week! As the title of the course suggests, the classes moved at a very quick pace and were very difficult. I had to study every night, all night. I mean let’s be for real, I didn’t even do that in college!
The last 2 weeks of class I was the only student in the class. I got one on one attention and was able to focus on the things I needed to work on.
In those six weeks I learned a ton of Spanish. I now feel confident in taking a job where I need to use Spanish. The other day I was hanging out with a teenager. In the middle of the conversation I realized that I understood everything and I wasn’t even giving him my full attention; I was also playing with a kid while I talked to him. Now that was exciting!
God Loves the Little Children
When I came back from Argentina I thought I was coming back to work as a children’s minister for a church that I love. But really;
God sent me home to introduce a 6 old little boy to Christ.
Leading up to the time that I went home I was going through an interview process at a church. I had talked to several of the members, who indicated to me that there was a good chance I was going to be their minister. I was so pumped. It was so easy. I would go home, and have a great job just waiting for me.
The day after I returned home I went for my last interview. After my interview I chatted with a few of my good friends from the church about the job. They were asking me if I really wanted to settle down so quickly. Then I went and spent time with my brother. He talked to me about listening and following the Holy Spirit. After talking with those three people I “knew” that I wasn’t going to get this job. Sure enough, I didn’t. But that was alright; I felt peace and knew that God was leading me to something else.
For the next month I prayed about and researched different options. During the whole summer I only found 2 openings for children’s ministers. Almost all of the social work jobs that I found required a master’s degree and 2 years experience.
After 3 weeks I randomly received an email from a babysitter's website that I hadn’t signed up for. It was advertising a summer nanny position for a family with 3 children. I sent them my resume and the day after had an interview.
At the interview I learned that they weren’t Christians and that they lived 2 blocks from my church.
That weekend I was supposed to hear whether or not I had the job. I didn’t hear from them within the time frame that they gave me and so I didn’t think that I had the job. However I went to church and during the whole service God was telling me that I needed to tell them about Him. And I was saying, “But how?! I didn’t get the job!!!” Well as it turns out, they called and I got the job. So I started babysitting for them.
About 45 hours a week I hung out with the kids. There were many weeks when I only had the little 6 year old boy. We played ninjas, Monopoly, tag, and swam…you know the normal stuff. Their parents told me that I could answer any questions about God. However they never asked and so I just played with them.
In July my church was having their VBS. I was nervous to ask the parents if I could take the kids. But, finally by Thursday I worked up the nerve to ask. I asked their dad and he said that they probably couldn’t go, but that he would talk about it with his wife.
My Mom and I prayed all night that they would come. But I thought for sure the answer would be no.
The next day I asked their mom if they had decided whether or not the kids could go. She said that it was okay for them to go because it gave the kids something to do. So on Monday we went. The girls hated it but the little boy liked it.
The second day the little girls went to their friend’s house while the little boy and I went to VBS again. During VBS there is a time where the kids are invited to go up to the stage and sing and dance to the songs that they had learned. The little boy went up front and sang one of the songs. He was trying so hard and you could see it in his face that the Holy Spirit was working. My mom and I were both really excited!
Well the rest of the summer went by quickly. By the end the little boy and I were best buds! We NEVER discussed God, we just played and played.
The last week that I was with the little boy he started saying things like, “Audrey, did you know that God loves cats?” Every day he made comments about what God likes and about who He is. We were driving in my car on the last day and the little boy asked me, “Audrey, does God like the devil?” After this question he asked me a series of questions about God and what He does. In five minutes I completely explained to him the basic concepts of who God is and how we can follow Him. I explained to him things like that God takes care of us, that He saves us, loves us, and protects us. Throughout this conversation he kept saying things like, “Yeah God is good” and “God loves me.” Also my mom was sick and we were on our way to get her from the doctor’s office. He said, “Yeah and God sent the doctors to make your mom better.”
The truths that he was saying were profound. As far as I know no one had been talking to him about Christ. He has never been taught about the Bible other than the 2 days at VBS.
It was the Spirit working through me that showed this precious little boy who Christ is. I didn’t even have to do anything. That little boy now knows Christ. God is his friend. He has a hope that he didn’t have before. I believe that God will continue working in his life. I believe that God has great plans for this little boy and for his family. I am so thankful that God sent me home to introduce Christ to a 6 year old little boy.
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?” Matthew 21:15-16
And this was just the start of things…
God sent me home to introduce a 6 old little boy to Christ.
Leading up to the time that I went home I was going through an interview process at a church. I had talked to several of the members, who indicated to me that there was a good chance I was going to be their minister. I was so pumped. It was so easy. I would go home, and have a great job just waiting for me.
The day after I returned home I went for my last interview. After my interview I chatted with a few of my good friends from the church about the job. They were asking me if I really wanted to settle down so quickly. Then I went and spent time with my brother. He talked to me about listening and following the Holy Spirit. After talking with those three people I “knew” that I wasn’t going to get this job. Sure enough, I didn’t. But that was alright; I felt peace and knew that God was leading me to something else.
For the next month I prayed about and researched different options. During the whole summer I only found 2 openings for children’s ministers. Almost all of the social work jobs that I found required a master’s degree and 2 years experience.
After 3 weeks I randomly received an email from a babysitter's website that I hadn’t signed up for. It was advertising a summer nanny position for a family with 3 children. I sent them my resume and the day after had an interview.
At the interview I learned that they weren’t Christians and that they lived 2 blocks from my church.
That weekend I was supposed to hear whether or not I had the job. I didn’t hear from them within the time frame that they gave me and so I didn’t think that I had the job. However I went to church and during the whole service God was telling me that I needed to tell them about Him. And I was saying, “But how?! I didn’t get the job!!!” Well as it turns out, they called and I got the job. So I started babysitting for them.
About 45 hours a week I hung out with the kids. There were many weeks when I only had the little 6 year old boy. We played ninjas, Monopoly, tag, and swam…you know the normal stuff. Their parents told me that I could answer any questions about God. However they never asked and so I just played with them.
In July my church was having their VBS. I was nervous to ask the parents if I could take the kids. But, finally by Thursday I worked up the nerve to ask. I asked their dad and he said that they probably couldn’t go, but that he would talk about it with his wife.
My Mom and I prayed all night that they would come. But I thought for sure the answer would be no.
The next day I asked their mom if they had decided whether or not the kids could go. She said that it was okay for them to go because it gave the kids something to do. So on Monday we went. The girls hated it but the little boy liked it.
The second day the little girls went to their friend’s house while the little boy and I went to VBS again. During VBS there is a time where the kids are invited to go up to the stage and sing and dance to the songs that they had learned. The little boy went up front and sang one of the songs. He was trying so hard and you could see it in his face that the Holy Spirit was working. My mom and I were both really excited!
Well the rest of the summer went by quickly. By the end the little boy and I were best buds! We NEVER discussed God, we just played and played.
The last week that I was with the little boy he started saying things like, “Audrey, did you know that God loves cats?” Every day he made comments about what God likes and about who He is. We were driving in my car on the last day and the little boy asked me, “Audrey, does God like the devil?” After this question he asked me a series of questions about God and what He does. In five minutes I completely explained to him the basic concepts of who God is and how we can follow Him. I explained to him things like that God takes care of us, that He saves us, loves us, and protects us. Throughout this conversation he kept saying things like, “Yeah God is good” and “God loves me.” Also my mom was sick and we were on our way to get her from the doctor’s office. He said, “Yeah and God sent the doctors to make your mom better.”
The truths that he was saying were profound. As far as I know no one had been talking to him about Christ. He has never been taught about the Bible other than the 2 days at VBS.
It was the Spirit working through me that showed this precious little boy who Christ is. I didn’t even have to do anything. That little boy now knows Christ. God is his friend. He has a hope that he didn’t have before. I believe that God will continue working in his life. I believe that God has great plans for this little boy and for his family. I am so thankful that God sent me home to introduce Christ to a 6 year old little boy.
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?” Matthew 21:15-16
And this was just the start of things…
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