Costa Rica Day Two

Buenos Noches from San Jose! 

I'm Robyn, and I, along with four members of my family, am part of our Frisco Bible Costa Rica team and I get to share with you about our day today.

After a long day of travel and site-seeing yesterday, we woke up this morning to weather that is an amazing deviation from hot Dallas. It was cool and rainy as we sat eating breakfast in the open air restaurant in our hotel. After breakfast we boarded our bus to attend church at Open House Project.

Open House Project is currently meeting in a mall, and many of their members work closely with Hope Partners. They structure their service toward Costa Ricans who are unfamiliar with church and Jesus. They do this by being welcoming to all who walk through their doors, especially children, and presenting the gospel in a way that is not threatening. This includes excluding "religious" talk or statements and using modern music.


Open House Project 

Daniel, Open House Project's pastor, spoke about the pitfalls of being too busy or rushed. He talked about Jesus' example in Mark 1 of taking time to find solitude and rest, and using that time to pray. As only two of our group speak Spanish, the rest of us just tried to follow along with the main points. Worship was amazing as they sang songs we all knew, but of course in Spanish. As Denise, our fearless leader said, it was a glorious picture of what heaven will be like.


Lunch at the hotel

After church, we headed back to the hotel for lunch, and followed that with a missions meeting where our teams did last minute preparations for our time at Hope Partners tomorrow. We will be working with 1st and 2nd graders all week and our team has divided into smaller groups to conquer a skit and Bible story presentation, games, and crafts for each day.

 
Skits & Bible story team


Crafts and Games teams

After an ice cream stop, we had free time for a few hours in the afternoon, and then the team from Hope Partners came to the hotel to give un an introduction of their ministry and their community, Pavas. Paula, Hope Partners Costa Rica director, talked to us about the importance of the work we will be doing this week in the impoverished community they call home.


Ice cream at Pops

Plan A is to be working in a local school cafeteria in the morning (Costa Rica has year-round school) and spend the afternoon at Hope Partners. Please pray against any attempts from the enemy to thwart that plan, but there is a Plan B. The past two weeks parents of the students have been striking (keeping their kids out of school) because of the horrible conditions of the buildings that are not being rectified.  

As I write this, the teens and young adults are playing cards and the rest of our team is winding down for the night. I believe we all feel ready for whatever tomorrow may bring, but we covet your prayers. I ask if you could pray for the Lord to use us to make a difference in the lives of the students we will be working with, as well for each member of our team to see and experience God and his love for the Costa Rican people in new, extravagant ways.