Hola !
The past 2 weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions: of really difficult moments, but also times of joy.
My Granny passed away on Monday 8th of February, after contracting covid-19. It's been a really difficult time for all of my family, and I've been finding it difficult being away from home. Her funeral was held on Wednesday 10th, and I really struggled with the fact that I wasn't able to be there. I want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to me or my family, or has been keeping us in their prayers - we really appreciate it.
Being in Costa Rica this week has been really difficult, as all I really wanted was to be able to go back home, and be with the rest of my family. If I'm honest, I was really angry at God, for the whole situation, and how difficult and cruel it was for me and my family. But God has been so good and patient with me, as I wrestled with Him and the situation. He has been showing me peace and comfort, and even joy in the middle of pain. I've been constantly reminded of how good God is, in the middle of every situation.
Granny was everything you could hope for in a granny, and then so much more. I will miss her, far more than I can try to explain, and I'll hold on tight to the memories that we have. She was an incredible woman of God, and her faith encouraged me. I know that she is now in peace, with her Lord Jesus, and in that I can find joy!
Week 5
Our class topic during week 5 was relationships, and we were taught by Ryan Mackle. He is one of the staff members here at YWAM San Jose, and is leading the Lebanon team that is moving to Lebanon in April for a number of years. It was a really challenging and thought provoking week as we looked at God's relationship with us, and how we are designed for relationship with others. It was also really practical and useful for us all living in community! I loved learning about differences in culture, particularly as we're living with so many different cultures here on base, and we'll be leaving and interacting with even more soon!
The rest of the week was fairly normal, and we had our regular times of worship and intercession.
On Thursday we were able to go out to take part in the Bible distribution ministry. YWAM SJ has an aim of providing a copy of the Bible to each home in San Jose (and then hopefully each in Costa Rica!). Ezra, who leads the ministry, took us to a neighbourhood in San Jose to distribute Bibles. We split into teams (with at least 1 Spanish speaker to translate!) and went from house to house. It was a really special time, as we were able to engage in really cool conversations about the Gospel, and we were able to pray with a lot of the people we spoke to. It was also great Spanish practice for me, and for the others here that speak a bit of Spanish!
Week 6
Week 6 looked a little bit different, as we moved to stay at the YWAM Guanacaste base, near Nicoya in Costa Rica. They are a much smaller base, located in a really rural area of Costa Rica. The base directors, Diego and Salla, along with the other staff members, were incredibly welcoming! It was really encouraging for them, as we were the first team they were able to welcome back after a long time due to covid.
It was really really hot! Usually it was around 40 degrees, with plenty of mosquitos to deal with too. The base was really simple, with less facilities than we're used to at the San Jose base (including no wifi!) but it was a really lovely week of disconnecting from the world, and simply seeking God and serving the base.
We came to help serve them practically with some of the work that they were doing at the base, including fixing up their cabins and moving them to a different part of the property. We still had our class times in the morning, and spent the afternoons working alongside them. They have a lot of exciting plans for the future of the base, including starting a Christian school for the area to give children a better shot at education. As Salla was explaining to us, most kids will have to drop out of school in their early teenage years, and Nana (one of the staff members) who was previously a schoolteacher before serving in YWAM, feels God is calling her to this project!
It was really exciting to learn about the area of Nicoya and how the base is serving them. It's an area of very little Christian influence, and there's a lot of issues regarding domestic and sexual abuse of women and children in the area. However, it was really encouraging to hear how the base has been reaching out and supporting the local community and is discipling people. A lot of the children grow up without fathers in the area, and Diego has become like a father figure to a lot of them, and has been able to point them to Christ in the midst of that.
Class during week 6 was focused on the Lordship of Jesus and surrendering our rights. This was a really challenging topic, and we all wrestled a lot with what God was speaking to us this week! We were taught by Diego and Salla, who were incredible, and some of the other staff members also came and shared. I loved hearing their stories and how God worked in their lives, and also their vision that God has given them for the base. God really spoke to us individually about different areas of our lives that we need to surrender to him, which was so great but also so difficult! Surrender is hard, but we give over our rights to God, trusting in his character and his plan for our lives. He is worthy of our full surrender!
We also had a lot of fun during the week! We were able to go to the beach on Sunday, which was a lot of fun...although the sunburn afterwards wasn't! And we were able to explore the incredible nature around the base too.
Prayer requests:
- For my family as they struggle with loosing my granny, and particularly for my Grandpa. That they would know God's comfort and peace in a real and tangible way.
- Wisdom regarding outreach locations and plans
- Safety and protection from covid
- Financial provision for outreach
- That God would continue to be touching our hearts in the next few weeks
- Relationships between people in the DTS. That God would be drawing us close together, and strengthening our friendships.
- For the September DTS, as they just finished their 5 months. That they would continue to be lights for Jesus as they go back to their homes, and they would make their regular surroundings their mission fields.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support, it means the world!
God bless,
Amy x