Let me start with saying that God has been showing me a ton, teaching me in abundance, and giving me so many cherished moments that I can hardly keep track. So here it goes...
Upon arriving and getting accustomed to the lifestyle of Shiroles, Costa Rica, it was difficult for me at times to fully immerse. Shiroles is a lot more laid back than Orange County. Like... A LOT. I am used to a fast-paced lifestyle—people in Shiroles are perfectly more than content being still or not having time limits for things. Three-hour church services. Long nights of prayer in the middle of the week. Multiple nights. Screaming out to God. Praising him with our voices lifted high. Nothing else matters. Dinner isn't done? Who cares, we are praising God. Lunch isn't ready for post-Sunday service? We will make it once all the testimonies and prayer requests have been made. Christ is key. Doing His work is what matters. Having to accustom ourselves to a life where we allow God to have control of absolutely everything has been difficult. But we do it. We are here to do life THEIR way.
I'm understanding how incredibly important relationships are in this life and how they are crucial for this type of mission work. But where did this all begin? Jesus Christ—duh! The root of it all. We are here to be "the hands and feet of Jesus," but what does that mean? Jesus didn't go around building houses for people. Giving them what they needed right away all the time or starting non-profit organizations. All that is great, but Christ established relationships.
We as North Americans are so consumed with the idea of fixing the problem, throwing money to make a different community look and run better in our eyes. But we are missing the point.
We need to understand the people before we get involved with their way of life. The North American need for speed undermines the slow process needed for lasting and effective long-term development. I've been learning and seeing that development is a lifelong process—not a two-week (or two-month) product. We can't let the Projects become more important than the People.
We are here to build relationships with the People. Share in community. Live our mission. Live. Not necessarily DO. A lot harder than I expected. To live the local way. To build relationships to find out HOW we can help. I'm not much of a communicator. I usually stick to the people I know, and maybe just casual conversation with the people I'm not that close to. Here, I've been forced out of my comfort zone to engage in everyday conversation with people I've only just met. To ask them questions that I've hardly asked the people back home. Forced to be a communicator. To be a vessel. To help and serve alongside these people to create a better community. To reach more people. Or to reach core people.
I'm also finding that we are here to show people that we are the same. With same struggles. Same hardships. Same prayers. So many different occasions I've heard that many people in this community have thought differently of the people coming from out of the country. That the outsiders are better or that the outsiders don't understand what they (the people of Shiroles) are going through. It took several relationships to break down those walls. And walls are still currently being broken down—with each IMMERSION team coming in. To show these men and women that we are all united in Christ. We are from the same body and we can work together by encouraging one another to keep doing the good work. The only way to have that is to create a long-lasting relationship.
God knows us WAY more than we know ourselves. He knows what I need. He knows what I don't need. He knows how He can use me to reach people. I just need to be willing. Literally give up my life to Him so He can use me in whatever way possible, to say whatever words He wants me to say... in every moment of life.
God is good. He is so present. He is very much alive. He is actively working. But God doesn't work quickly, He works all of a sudden. We may be here in Shiroles for only several short weeks, but I've seen God use those weeks for His glory. To break down those walls. To shine His light. To encourage. To build up. To empower. To God, we may be just farmers on His field for a day or so, but thankfully He is there from beginning to the end. So when we don't see any big results, the only thing that truly matters is that He sees the big picture.
To sum up my disorganized thoughts—God is showing me a lot. About myself. About my gifts. About his people. It's been hard to put it all into words but I hope this allows you to understand about my time here so far. I know one thing for sure—that He is growing me. Growing me to be intentional in conversation and relationships. Growing me to embrace who I am in Christ as a leader. Building me with confidence in these interactions we are having here to be comfortable enough to take it home. Growing me as a person—to admit to myself that I am an adult now—to be able to live my mission back home.
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