Hey there! Long time, no post!

My squad finally made it to Costa Rica after our time of debrief. It might have taken "camping" outside the Guatemala City airport for four hours late at night and ten hours on a bus with no food or bathroom breaks, but we eventually made it to the YWAM Puerto Viejo base, where we'll be staying for the next eight weeks!

After finally arriving, I was feeling discouraged by the long muddy path to the base, the humidity, the bugs, and the general level of moistness everywhere. Dealing with the transition that first night was a little rough! 

However, the next morning I quickly realized discontentment would set in if I didn't take these feelings to God right away. The last thing I wanted was to dislike my last two months in a country I had wanted to visit in the first place! So, I worked it out with God. I took my feelings of dissatisfaction to Him, and I prayed for a spirit of gratitude and joy instead. I even made a gratitude list and realized all the good things about being here.

You might not remember from my blog posts while in Georgia, but contentment was a huge lesson God taught me during that time. Coming to Costa Rica became another opportunity to revisit what I learned during that season.

And it didn't take long, because the next day brought about a change of heart. No longer am I wondering how to make it through the next eight weeks. Instead, I'm feeling regretful that we don't have three months here like we did in Guatemala. Thanks God! I'm so grateful for a God who so tenderly makes me aware of where I need to lean into Him. A God that is always taking us from glory to glory.

As far as specific details, our time here in Costa Rica is looking very different than our time in Guatemala. We are doing a huge variety of ministry - manual labor, soccer ministry, evangelism, beach clean-up, helping out with church, and many other things. No two days are alike. And, our squad is doing ministry mostly all together, which is so different and fun! Additionally, our off days are no longer on the weekend. On Mondays we will have the opportunity to adventure with our ministry host Rasta, and Tuesdays will be mostly off days for us to use as we wish.

Thanks for reading! Wifi is more challenging to get here, but I'm still hoping to post one blog a week when I'm able to get into town on Tuesdays. I'm so excited for everything God is going to do in this time and I can't wait to start sharing some of it with you all! I would just ask for continued prayer over this season - that I would keep pushing into all God has for me in the last two months of my race (really, the rest of my life!), without becoming complacent or apathetic. Thank you again - I'm sending hugs from Costa Rica! Pura vida!