There Is A Special Kind Of Beauty In...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."Mark Twain

So here I am.. 

Month 1- I sit here in amazement at the Lords goodness, at His faithfulness. Because of your kind hearts I'm here in Costa Rica. 
I'm here! I did it! I ventured out into the unknown. I sailed away from the safe harbor..

I can hardly believe I'm even here. I have only been gone a week, and yet it feels as if a month has already went by. You wouldn't believe what goes on in just one day. The Lord is always speaking, He is always drawing my heart closer to Himself, He is always teaching me something. He is teaching me of the peace I can walk in daily, and the confidence I can have over my heart and the love I pour out.

 I miss home yes, of course! But I feel the support from home. I feel your prayers, I feel your love. It carries me into the Lord's presence. Your support helps me lead my team. Your support helps me lead my heart. So thank you..Thank you for who you are and the sacrifices you have made to pour into me, so I can simply pour into and over the nations. 

This month we are in the beautiful country of Costa Rica and our teams focus is this:

We are currently doing a two fold ministry- Where we are staying is called La Ola (the wave) it is a beautiful spot where the Christian surfers ministry made their home. We camp out in our tents on a little grassy knoll. 

Our teams main focus is actually taking care of the property we are on. Our ministry contact April is like many of us, like many of you- a dreamer, yet she has felt the up's and down's in life in such a way that her heart hurts and she just feels burnt out, and just needs help. That is what one of the things we are here for. April is a local here, and has been for about three years, she already knows the street kids, and how this culture operates so we have simply been taking care of things for her so she could catch her breath a bit. We are here to empower people not to take over or give our own agenda. She is the local so we came simply to serve her, and serve them- the people of Costa Rica. Jesus said He came to serve and not be served. We are trying to operate out of that same mentality.  Already with a week of us working on the property and opening La Ola to the kids, praying with her, April seems a little lighter, a little happier and every now and then you can catch a smile break across her face. 

Kids just like these are the other half of our ministry. We have been hosting kids camps all week, and cleaning their parks around here with other missionaries that our in CR for the week. We practice our Spanish at night as a team to help ease the language barrier. 

These kids will simply capture your heart, they will make you feel like a kid yourself.. their gratefulness, their attitude, its so humbling to see and feel their hearts.  It seems the longer we stay here, the more phone numbers we get of more people who want us to join them in some ministry their doing. We have connected with about 7 other people that we will be doing ministry with soon so be on the lookout for more to come there.. 

The Lord has been speaking to me in this place, around these kids, when I'm with my team during the day and we speak of the Lord's goodness, we reflect on His faithfulness..Or at night when I get off and get away by myself with the Lord, He is speaking..He is moving. The Lord has moved my heart in these quiet moments before Him. He has shown me that there is a special kind of beauty in brokenness. 

I am here in Costa Rica and my heart is breaking. My heart is breaking for home, my heart is breaking for the children here. Most of the children here have no fathers. Many have up and left, some have died.. no matter the situation each little boy, every little girl comes up and wraps themselves around your legs hugging you, holding on to you, or they will have you bend down so they can jump on your shoulders and have you run them around like your playing chicken fight on land. 

My heart is breaking because it's growing. If you don't read but two lines of my blog read these!

My heart is breaking, because it's making room for more love. I am here to learn love. I am here to become a student of love. I am here to be flexible. I am here to do more than just humanitarian work. While that's great, I am here to change the very atmosphere, the very culture. I am intentional with my love. My heart is breaking because I am finding beauty. 

There is a special kind of beauty in brokenness.."The gory bits of you, and the gory bits of me" ..

Keep following my journey, there is so much more to come. So so much more..