CRYLSP13.

Costa Rica Young Life Service Project 2013.

This is where I was for the last week. And what an amazing week it was! So, in Costa Rica instead of taking high school friends to Young Life summer camp like in the states, we go on service project during Semana Santa (Holy week...the week before Easter that is celebrated throughout the whole country). It's a cool way to be able to take International school kids out of their comfort zones to serve the poor areas of Costa Rica.

Last week, we went to Talamanca, Costa Rica - one of the only places in the country where there is still an indigenous population. The organization we worked with, VidaNet/Pura Vida Missions, has a base in Talamanca so we worked along side their staff and other ticos in the community. Our big project was building a basketball court for the youth of the community - in this community, there are a lot of problems with the youth getting into drinking and drugs at an early age. So the hope of having a basketball court on the ministry's base is to give these youth other options of how to spend their time.

On top of building a basketball court, we also got to play in a soccer tournament with the locals and spend time with the children. Each afternoon, we held "school" for the kids - which was basically teaching these kids healthy ways to live - for instance, drinking lots of water is good for you or how often to brush your teeth or ways to eat healthy. Things of that sort.

Anyways, one of my favorite things about the trip was that we had Young Life club every night. Two girls, Elena and Tiffany did program (upfront skits/in charge of games), Josh (a previous Costa Rica YL intern) played the club songs and we even had a special YL speaker fly in for the week, Kent Williams. After club, the Costa Rican team each had "cabin time" with their high school friends, where they were able to process what they had learned in the club talks. Each night, we were able to hear the story of the Gospel of Christ. It was so neat to see how we can take the principles and values of Young Life and change them to fit into the culture we live in, here in Costa Rica. I love that! I love that the Lord has blessed this ministry in such a way that it can be twisted and re-molded to fit whatever circumstances geography might bring.

Another one of my highlights of the trip was the work and laughter that came. We worked really hard (and were able to finish the basketball court!), so much so that my body screamed at me every night before bed and every morning when I woke up. But we also laughed really hard. At club, at meals, on the work site....it's amazing the joy that everyone had in the midst of such hard work. It was truly life giving.

And lastly, I feel as though the Lord continually confirmed and affirmed me this past week that this is where I am suppose to be. In Latin America, working for Young Life. It was so fun to get to practice my Spanish. It was so fun to wake up at the crack of dawn to spend time with Him. It was so fun to go to bed feeling dog-tired. It was so fun to get to hang out with high schoolers who are craving something more from this life. I remember this feeling from when I lived in the Dominican Republic for the summer - that was the first time I felt this - but it is the feeling of being truly alive.

Never do I feel that more clearly then I do when I am in Latin America. What a gift the Lord has given me. I know that hard times will come but I never want to forget what I have felt in these first weeks here.

"If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking"

This is me. Sinking into God's ocean of grace. What a beautiful thing.

**stay tuned for pictures later this week**