shananzavocki - A Lesson Learned in the Jungle!

Some photos from our time in the jungle!

The last couple days, my team (Team Mosaic), Claire (from Team Jubilee), and three of the guys (from Team Fuego) went to the "jungle" to do ministry in the indigenous community there.

At first, I approached the trip with trepidation. We had to take a bus ride, a boat ride across a river, a ride in the back of a truck, and a hike to get to where we would be staying. It also rained most of our travel day to get there, which made us very wet, and we had to walk through a lot of mud.

However, God used this time to teach me a lot of things. During our first day in the jungle, we had a time of intercession. We prayed for the community, but I also prayed for our time there and what it would hold for us. Specifically, I prayed for it to be a time of rejuvenation and restoration.

I definitely believe that God came through on those prayers. The pace of life in the jungle was so much more gentle to my soul. Even on days that we did many things, we still had ample transition time between tasks and activities. This created such an incredible space for God to renew and restore my mind and soul.

This was such a good reminder to me of how I want to live my life back at home in the states. I feel like it's a lesson God has been teaching me ever since I was back at home over Christmas and Thanksgiving break - the importance of making space for transitions and rest for the soul.

It can be so easy to get caught up in a frantic and frenzied pace of life, where there doesn't seem to be any space to just think and be with God. Back at the Puerto Viejo YWAM base, this has been a struggle for me. Our days are so busy that sometimes I don't feel like I have space to just breathe.

This also takes me back to my last blog post. I've had to learn how to create a space for the most important thing in my life - union with God. Above all, being united with Him is my purpose. It's important to do whatever it takes to make that my ultimate focus and priority.

Tying this back into my previous point of making space for transitions, this time in the jungle has further cemented the importance of balance in my life. Even when things get hectic, I believe it's important to create that balance: that space to breathe, that space for God to move.

Furthermore, our time in the jungle helped re-center my vision for the rest of our time here in Costa Rica. We only have four weeks of ministry left, and this week we are starting a physically-challenging time of building a house for an old lady and her grandson in a neighboring community. It will take all the intentional re-centering of my focus to stay motivated and joyful in the Lord through this hard labor.

And again, this comes full-circle with something God reminded me of this morning while I was listening to a worship song: He's worthy of it all. All of the sweat, all of the tears, everything I have to offer. I don't have to - indeed, I can't - earn His love through my sacrifice or my labor. Rather, with this heart of love that I have for Him, I can be in a space where all I want to do is bring glory to Him. Because I love Him, I want to work for His harvest, and He's oh-so-worthy of everything I have to give. It's easy to lose sight of our purpose and to get burned out when we're doing manual labor. However, this reminder helps me to realign my perspective with His, once again.

So, thank you God for this sweet time of rejuvenation. Thank you for reminding me of Your heart for me, and Your purpose for me. Thank you for allowing me the incredible opportunity to see the way people in a different culture and place worship You, and that You're the same in the jungle as You are in the suburbs of the United States. I pray that You would continue to keep my eyes fixed on You as we begin this next task, working towards bringing Your Kingdom down to earth.

Lastly, I want to ask you all a question. Is your labor for the Lord coming out of a place of rest and love for Him, or out of obligation? God's heart for us is so kind. He wants to restore your soul - just ask Him.

Psalms 23:3 ESV says, "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

Finally, enjoy these pictures of our time! These are sweet memories that will stay in my heart forever.