Happy 4th of July!! :)

It's so strange to not be with my family today and celebrate Independence Day, but God has greatly blessed me with a new family in Costa Rica! Last night we ate, talked, worshipped, prayed, and laughed together, and I realized just how blessed I am to know them. Another intern, Cara, left today :( which is sad for us. Now it is just Megan and I until the middle of August. It is amazing how God uses the wisdom and past experiences of fellow believers to speak into our lives. He has done this with so many people here already! I miss you Cara, Jessica, and Jamisen!

God continues to work and proclaim His name here...I'm continually amazed each and every day!
Highlights from this past week:

Lessons learned: Pray BOLDLY and expect that God can and will do BIG things

Lately, God has been showing me that I limit Him to what I think He will or is capable of doing, but He has done so much more than I could ever imagine. He wants me to pray boldly and expect His power to work. Since I have been here, I have seen God do some big things - things I was afraid to pray for because I thought they were "too big" to ask for....but I am learning that He "is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20)

We continued to clean the entire apartment from the fire a week and a half ago. God so amazingly provided an awesome team from Washington, who is here for 10 days with YWAM, to come and help us paint this past Friday as well as yesterday. This project would have taken us weeks more if they had not come those two days and helped us out. It was so encouraging and refreshing to have a group of high school students working so hard to help us repair the apartment. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:30)

This past Saturday we went back out on the streets with a large group both from LightForce and YWAM, and we were able to minister to many people. One highlight from the night was seeing a woman who the team surrounded last week and prayed for healing from a fatal diagnosis of hepatitis. She came running up to the van saying that she went to the doctor and he could find no sign of the disease anymore. SO AWESOME! We also had another woman ask us to pray for her sickness while she was working on the streets as well. While we pray for healing for physical sickness, we are also able to pray for spiritual healing as well, which is our heart for all of these men and women.

Sunday we went to church in Coronado in the morning, and then had church at Casa Agape with YWAM and men and women from the streets that night. There were 35 people packed into our tiny living room to worship, pray, and hear a message about how much we value to Christ. It was so encouraging to see people from the streets come in and hear the good news of Christ. At the end of the message, one younger guy who the team has been working with for 2 years accepted Christ into his life! It was so amazing to see how God works. It encouraged me to remain faithful to the call to make disciples of all nations, despite times when it appears unfruitful.

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to accompany the team from YWAM to Posada de Belen, a home for young, single girls who have babies/children and need assistance. The average age that girls come to this home with their babies is 11-15, and they are allowed to live here until they are 18. The organization teaches them a trade (restaurant work - cooking, serving, salon work - nails, hair, and pet store work). We were able to talk with some of the girls and play with their childen as well. 95% of the girls in this home have been raped or abused. It is sad and heartbreaking to hear this statistic, but seeing this organization and the healthy community that has been established for them brings me joy. We ended the day by gathering as a team and praying over the home, the staff, the girls, and their children.

I hope this update finds you all well, and I send all my love! Happy 4th of July!!

Cara y Patty :) amigas!

Sidney and Carlos from YWAM who we partner with for the street ministry

Patty y Sarah....some wise women!

Carlos preaching a la Casa Agape

street ministry church service

some of the girls at church

One of the women we work with on the street brought her niece

At the girl's home for women under 18 and their babies/children

Our friend, Franklin, from Coronado came with us

Cara y un nino

Precious Nana

JOY!

This tiny girl was 4 weeks old and born 2 months premature

Many of the girls are so young, have no access to prenatal care, and come from rape/abusive situations that their babies are born premature because of issues with the pregnancy