Only 8 More Days!

I just had an amazing time with the last team of the year doing ministry. We had a full week and it was so cool to see God at work in so many lives. It's hard to believe that I only have eight more days here this year. I'm already halfway through my internship!

Standard stage set up procedure at ministry event.

The cutest little volunteer.
She helped me practice my Spanish and blew up my snapchat with tons of selfies.

Mountain next to ministry cite.

Amazing artist. This guy makes beautiful handcrafted jewelry in the Artisan Market in San Jose Central.

Dance ministry for the kids at the school.

Kathy is special :)

I have a lot of things to look forward to this coming year, and am ready to visit some friends and fam back home. But for now, I'm thankful for rest days!

November!

The past few weeks have been pretty amazing... and interesting. The team came, we had our cafecito, the dance battle was great, I turned 22!, I got to see the ladies at Transforma graduate from their classes, hurricane Otto rolled in, and now we're celebrating Christmas at the Refuge!

Tyce and, local missionary/ friend of mine, Christine at ministry events.

The super cute decorations at the cafecito!

There were so many ladies and an awesome spirit-filled everything.

Painting rock magnets :)

One of the very sweet ladies that come to The Refuge and her friend!

My friend LadyKombat krumping :D 

Kathy and I

A few of the women at Transforma painting and sanding bunk beds, shelves, and sewing tables.

My roomie Hanna putting together Christmas ornaments. 

SOME of the donations to The Refuge.

Transforma graduation!

Getting The Refuge ready for Christmas!

Missionaries packing boxes for hurricane relief. 

Christmas at The Refuge!

Also friends, if you want to help out any of the ministries I get to work with here in Costa Rica, click on the links below!

The Refuge 

(link at bottom of the page)

Til He Returns

Transforma

Cafecito

I'm pretty excited about this weekend. I will get to meet the November mission team and help out in the ministry events. One of which, I got to plan alongside Melissa. AND CAN I SAY, IT'S GOING TO BE SO CUTE.

Super cute flyer.

This event is for the women that come to The Refuge and El Nido (another local pregnancy/women's center.) It will be for the women to hang out together, drink coffee, make a cute craft, and be able to dig deeper in their relationships with the King of kings.
While I am having so much fun picking out decorations and getting crafts ready, I can't help but think how incredible this opportunity is... I want to be a part of things that matter. I want to see people grow and fall in love with their Father. The people I get to meet here in Costa Rica are so precious and so loved by God.
But, while my heart wants to help others and see them learn and grow, the ladies have just as much to teach me. These are my sisters that I get to serve and learn from. Women of all different ages and experiences.
The event will be cute, the crafts will be fun, and the coffee will be delicious; But the most lasting thing out of all of this will be the relationships that are built and the love of God.

Ziza getting supplies ready for the team.

First Post

Well, I've been here a total of 47 days and I just decided I would start writing my blog. Sorry...

But, I would like to give everyone an update on how things are going: GREAT! They're going absolutely wonderful! Micah and Melissa are wonderful hosts and do an amazing job at encouraging and helping me grow while I'm here. With them I do bible studies, discipleship training, and pleanty of hands-on work in with their ministry, Til He Returns.

Since I've been here, I've had the opportunity to see first hand how the different ministries operate. Every other week, there is The Refuge. This ministry is for single moms, teen moms, or any woman seeking counseling before, during, or after her pregnancy. The counseling is great and is working with the women not only with things relating motherhood, but with spiritual growth too. The center hasn't even been open a year, but has already seen growth in the women that come.

I also have the honor of being able to help with a sister ministry to The Refuge, Casa Transfoma. In many ways, the two ministries have a lot alike. Casa Transforma focuses on teaching women how to overcome their poverty by teaching them trades that they can use to earn an income. In the process, they are also taught how to run a business and to do it with integrity. They run weekly massage, cooking, sewing, and cosmetology classes. The ladies who come are also forming community with each other in their bible studies and events at Casa Transforma. There are several of the ladies who started out taking classes there that now teach!

Now, some of you prolly wondering... what's a chancha? Haha, there's a good story behind that name, but in short... One of the friends I've made while I've been here, her name is Marcella, is a fantastic chef. She makes super yummy, healthy food. And it's so good, I can't help but eat a whole lot of it. So, I got the nickname Chancha. Which, in Costa Rica, is a cute word for someone who eats like a pig. Remember Chancho from Nacho Libre?

We're both Chanchas