Trip Six - Already in Progress

Two years ago I wrote about several of the physical transformations going on at the Hope Center in Pavas, Costa Rica. Last year I wrote about the spiritual transformations taking place. This year if I had to pick a theme I think it would be, “already in progress”.  Similar to a TV show that continues playing even though you’ve left the room, I returned to the Hope Center for the sixth time to find it full of wonderful programs, services, improvements, and growth already in progress.  

This year’s team consisted of 18 women. We’ve never had such a large women’s group nor have we ever had team members who have joined us from out of state. It was a first for many things. We took advantage of every opportunity to bond before going on the trip by having lunch events, creating a Facebook group to share information and FAQ’s, and by using video conferencing to make sure our out-of-state team members felt included. I think all 18 of us would agree that this was a very unified and spiritually deep team hand-picked by God himself. 

2019 CAV Women's Impact Team

Our first day in country was spent getting reacquainted with our favorite Costa Rican translator and meeting a second translator who also has quickly become another favorite of ours. We checked into our hotel, had lunch, and then headed up to Hacienda Alsacia - Starbucks coffee farm in the providence of Alajuela. We love this location because it overlooks a beautiful vista, has a large open-air coffee house, and is the perfect backdrop for team photo ops. 

The most incredible views! 

Our Sunday began with a stop to the local farmers market. This is a great place to mix with locals, practice speaking Spanish, and purchase fruits and vegetables to be given to a family in need by the Hope Center. We broke into three teams and all of us did our best to purchase the most items for a family in need.  

Next stop was to Open House Project where their church services are located inside an upscale shopping mall. The movie theater houses the main worship service while the children and youth programs are in a permanent location just up a level from the theater.  Visiting this church is so vital to understanding the relationship that exists between Open House and the Hope Center. It is from this church where many of the mentors at the Hope Center come from.

I will never forget the message…not because I understood it, but because it was the fastest Spanish I had ever heard! I’m glad the locals could understand it.

Our final stop was to the Hope Center where we were greeted with such a warm welcome from so many dear friends. The women of the kitchen prepared a fabulous lunch for us. It was during this time that we received the answer to one of our most concerning [first world] questions:  “How is everyone going to use that one bathroom?” Of course, ‘already in progress’ was that question answered by the installation of three beautiful new toilets and two brand new sinks. Wow! We were surprised in the best way! After lunch we had a moving exchange of gifts between the ladies of the kitchen and our team. They had painted each of us a little pig and we had brought them bags and shirts from our recent Women’s conference. If you think it’s all about the stuff, it’s not. I promise it’s the love between us women that made it one of the sweetest moments of the trip. 

Our Team with the Hope Center Staff

Our first service day required us to break into two teams. The indoor team worked on a new mural for the dining hall while the outdoor team worked on a new sidewalk game painted around the playground.  “Already in progress” describes all the preparations, supplies, artists’ vision, and directions. There was no waiting on paint to arrive, confusion of execution, or unknown outcomes. It was crystal clear that the Hope Center has been routinely receiving teams and knew exactly how to make the best use of our time.  We felt like we were stepping into something great that was already happening.

Over the lunch hour our team worked diligently to prepare for the message, women's crafts, and kids' crafts. With an increase in the number of women and children at the Hope Center, our team had significantly more supplies to procure, assemble, and organize. We had so many generous donations representing several different groups from bible studies to young moms, to individuals, to senior groups. It was beautiful to see how many people were involved in this trip that might not have been there in person but were instrumental in helping us put everything together. Our three days of workshops included flip-flops to decorate, make-one, take-one toiletries bags, and fabric covered cork bulletin boards. I have to admit I was a little concerned bringing 6 extra suitcases, but seeing the excitement on everyone’s face made it so worthwhile!  

Our second day of service continued much like the first, but as we grew more comfortable in our duties, there were more stories shared. Some stories were sad. One of our dear sisters in Christ was recovering from a gunshot wound inflicted on her accidentally during a drug dispute involving her son. Her preteen daughter was standing nearby. Another elderly sister was very ill and unable to make it to the Center, so two of our team members were able to visit her in her home. It was a sweet and tender moment yet sobering, as we don’t know if she’ll recover. 

There were also uplifting stories. For example, this group of students (pictured below) have basically grown up in the Hope Center. We have watched their development over the past five years and have been praying diligently for them. They have been recently baptized and are very active in the youth group. They have chosen to walk away from gangs, drugs, and prostitution and instead stay in school and walk with God. Their lives in progress are an example to other teens. We are so proud of them.  

The Women’s Empowerment program is also something already in progress. This opportunity provides twelve women a paid job to make bracelets for Hope Partners International. These bracelets are quite beautiful and require skill, talent and artistry.  Each handmade bracelet comes with a tag bearing the name of the woman who made it so that she can be prayed for each time the person wears it. Other similar opportunities are already in the works, and I’m sure they’ll be implemented long before we return.

Our final service day at the Hope Center is often the most emotional day. By this time we’ve reconnected with old friends and made many new ones, figured out how to say a few words in Spanish (or connect with gestures), are putting the finishing touches on our service projects, and are hoping we’ve been able to make an impact. Not all short-term mission trips have the same goals, but for our team - in this place and at this time - the goal was to show God’s love and to share God’s love. If we’ve done that, we have succeeded. It was just before lunchtime when our team gathered to really evaluate how we might make the absolute most of this final time with the women and children of Pavas. We began praying together as a team and as we did the rain started to fall. This was a little unusual because the rain typically comes a few hours later in the day. It got heavier and heavier as we asked for strongholds to be broken, the enemy to flee, women to come to Christ, the Holy Spirit to fill hearts, and on and on it went. As we spoke boldly with our requests, the storm intensified. This continued for our entire prayer, but as we were closing it lighten up and by the time we said, “amen” it completely stopped as if someone turned off a switch. I know some will dismiss it as a common natural occurrence, but if you were there in that room, in the middle of that prayer, you would know that something powerful had happened beyond a simple passing shower. It was intense and we could all feel it.

The subjects of our prayers.

Our final day in country is somewhat of a tourist day. The intention of this is to see some of the countryside, have time to process our experiences, and debrief with the team. Our destination was Punta Leona resort on the Pacific Ocean. 

During our day we met with several of Costa Rica’s finest animals. A few of them were more interested in dining with us than eating at home in the wild.  

Our final task after we debriefed was to take a shell from our beach here in Florida and place it on the beach in Costa Rica as a symbolic thank you to this beautiful country that hosted us for the past week. Each shell had the name of our favorite verse on it. We hope that whomever finds the shell will look up the verse and it will open up a communication between them and God. It was a beautiful way to leave behind the Hope in which we possess and to continue on with the work that God is doing… already in progress. 

I’ve already been asked if I will return in May of 2020 and my answer right now is that I’m not sure. I have so enjoyed being a part of the story that God is writing in Pavas, but as stories have chapters, I’m not sure if I will be written in the next one. Regardless of whether God calls me for another trip, there are a few truths that I take comfort in. The first is that I will have friends in heaven from Pavas and will one day delight in being able to speak the same language with them. The second is that nothing can stop me from praying for God’s work to continue in Pavas. And finally, God’s story has been in progress long before I made my first Impact trip to Costa Rica and will continue long after. I am a better person for having the experiences of the past five years. I don’t know where the next story will take me, but I know it’s already in progress and I’m excited for what lies ahead. 

A Fifth Time - Working on the Puzzle

Last year I wrote about many of the physical transformations that were clearly visible at the Hope Center in Pavas, San Jose, Costa Rica - especially the ones that left an impact on me. A new kitchen, new walls, new floors, and a new playground were just some of the upgrades made to the Hope Center, yet when I left Costa Rica I had a heavy heart knowing there were many struggles and many situations that I was becoming privy to with no opportunity to help in any meaningful way. I found myself praying specifically that God would allow me to let go of the burdens. They were not mine. These burdens were things that I had heard, things that were impossible for me to fix, things that caused many tears to be shed, and things that threatened to crush my spirit if I held on to them. So I set them at the foot of the cross for Jesus to sort out in His way and in His time.

In January I had the opportunity to take a quick administrative trip to Pavas. It was very different going without a team, but I enjoyed every minute while discussing the upcoming trips and projects that were being forecast. We were able to say hello to the women in the kitchen and hear about some of the personnel and policy changes that were underway. The women were sweet and loved seeing us, but there was a tension among them that was palpable.

In April I had hoped to return on a family trip, but it was not to be. In May we tried to send a mother/daughter team for Mothers' Day, but again, it was not to be. In July we tried to send a couples' team, but yet again, it was not to be. Someone asked me if I was discouraged, but after giving it some thought I said, "No, I might be disappointed, but not discouraged". I know that God is always at work and His timing is always perfect, so there was no reason to doubt.

As October approached I was asked if I would be interested in co-leading the 2018 Women's trip. I didn't hesitate to say yes although I knew I had some big shoes to fill. The two women who led in the past are some of the most beautiful servant leaders I've had the privilege of working with. As we prepared for this trip my co-leader and I met and prayed several times for the assembling of a team and for our time while in country. We both had a strong feeling that this would be a different kind of trip than before, but neither one of us could articulate how or why.

The difference came immediately. As we pulled up to the Hope Center on Sunday afternoon we were greeted by some old friends holding up welcome signs and smiling with bright eyes and happy faces. They had been waiting all afternoon for our arrival and were eager to be the first ones to give us hugs.  It was like a family reunion.

Our welcome committee!

Half our team was comprised of returning women and the other half were meeting for the first time. It was a joyful occasion. I think even the new women felt at ease after such a warm welcome.

The next day we saw the whole staff in action. All the women in the kitchen were smiling and laughing and greeted us as if they had a big secret they were keeping. The director welcomed us and we got to hear all about the new programs and opportunities available to the children of the Hope Center. The security guard wore a professional uniform shirt as well as our two favorite cleaning ladies which clearly identified them as important members of the Hope Center team.

Important staff at the Hope Center
Pastor, Security Guard, Director, and Mentor

Women of the kitchen with our team.

That afternoon the kitchen ladies revealed their big secret... they had been practicing a special song for us and were now going to perform it.  Oh the joyful noise they made - just beautiful music to our ears!  It was as if each woman had the light of Christ shining in her.

Beautiful women singing to us!

When the song was over they presented us with a hand-painted craft that they had been working on for weeks.  It was a complete and utter transformation... not just physical this time... but spiritual!

Hand painted for us.

In addition, for the first time the ladies of the kitchen suggested that we all eat lunch together. This was a special change because in past they had made lunch for us and then retreated to the kitchen to eat separately. This meal was filled with laughter, great food, and fantastic fellowship.

A long table making for a festive lunch.

The next few days brought continued evidence that God was indeed working inside these walls. We saw kids from a private school come and play games with the kids of Pavas.

We saw men from Openhouse Church, located across the river in the wealthy part of the city, come to the Center to be mentors to the kids teaching them Lego robotics and English classes. We saw our translator speak with confidence and excitement about her upcoming first mission trip to Ethiopia.

Lucy, our translator in the center. 

It seemed that everywhere we turned God was alive and well working in the midst of their lives - in spite of their poverty and hardships.

Perhaps the most beautiful spiritual transformation we witnessed was that of the women of Pavas. There is a group of about 40 to 50 whom have attended our workshops in the past and keep coming back. This time we were greeted with smiles and hugs and excitement as they eagerly awaited for the message, craft projects, and fellowship time featuring of course "coffee, coffee, coffee", and "shu-gar".

Warm greetings as the women arrived.

The women were eager to worship with us, paint a picture, show off their growing babies, and share their prayer requests with us. We still listened to many difficult circumstances and painful situations, but more than once we heard them say, "But our God is great and we trust Him with everything!"  Wow, what transformation!

Painting project.

A sweet prayer moment over difficult circumstances.

Our team was delighted by the following story told by a member of the church which meets at the Hope Center on Sundays. It was translated for us:

As we prepared for Sunday service, we set up the usual amount of chairs. When the service started we needed to add even more chairs. Eventually we started wondering, "Who is stealing all these chairs? We used to have enough!"  Then we realized we didn't have enough chairs because we had so many new people!  What a wonderful new problem!

On our last day with the ladies, they prepared cards for us, spoke about their appreciation for us coming to spend time with them, and prayed for us. There is no question that they saw us as their fellow sisters in Christ. Breaking through cultural barriers, language barriers, economic barriers, and geographic barriers is what God can do if you allow Him.

Pavas women speaking to us.

Of course we didn't leave without adding a little more to the physical changes of the building. We sanded the walls of a classroom...

Lots of sanding.

Repaired them...

Filling in holes.

Painted them...

Painting them white.

And then added a mural that says...

You Are Important

Isn't that what God wants us to know? Because each person is created in God's image... "You are important!" I love that every man, woman, and child who sees this classroom can't possibly help but read the phrase and ponder its meaning. I pray it touches every heart and becomes reality to each person's spirit.

I am so overwhelmed and humbled to have seen the changes and transformations since my first visit over four years ago. I am so thankful I was able to "let God be God" over the past year and not dwell on what I couldn't make better, or to become discouraged because things weren't on my time table.

Before we left, our women's team meditated on Ephesians 4:16, "He makes the whole body fit together perfectly".

We talked about how each one of us is like a different puzzle piece and how together we make up the whole picture.  Expanding on that idea, I think our team represents one of those puzzle pieces in the story of the Hope Center. There are many other puzzle pieces whose contributions are equally important. But most critically of all it is not the individual pieces but rather the one who makes the picture whole. The ultimate Creator, the ultimate Healer, the ultimate Transformer, and the ultimate Hope... our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Our Team

Fourth Trip to Pavas... Feeling the !mpact

Another year has passed and once again I find myself home exactly one month after our October !mpact trip to Costa Rica.  If you've been reading the past few blogs about our trips, you may wonder what's with the word !mpact (spelled with an ! instead of I)?  Why not just say 'missions'?  Well, the concept is quite simple. We leave our homes to make an impact in the world; however, what ends up happening is that God makes an impact on us.  The exclamation point just accentuates how it feels inside, thus !MPACT.  But how is it possible that both happen at the same time? Glad you asked. Here are a few stories from the Women's !mpact Trip 2017.

Last year was the first time our women's team attended church at the Hope Center in Pavas. The service attendance was small but the people were warm and welcoming. This year we were invited not only to attend, but also to share a message and help with the children. Arriving in Pavas was like coming home. It was familiar, yet the changes are immense. For starters, the walls in front of the Hope Center have been raised higher, smoothed over, and repainted.

Smooth high walls

The courtyard now contains a concrete floor along with a playground and water station for drinking and hand washing.

New playground

The floor in the comedor (dining area) now has clean white tiles and the walls have been given a fresh coat of paint. The food preparation area has gone from a run-down home-style kitchen to an industrial professional kitchen meeting today's sanitary standards.

Women working in their new kitchen

All the classrooms have received improvements, especially the one dedicated to computers that are now up and running. The physical changes were made possible through financial donations by people who wanted to make an impact, but it was us who were impacted as we walked down the halls marveling at what was once just a vision that has now come to life. There is still more work to be done; however, the changes over the past year are just amazing.

New art in courtyard

This year the congregation has grown larger and was supported by a full youth band to lead everyone in worship. One of our team leaders shared God's word (in Spanish) while several of us helped with the children's message and activities. This moment was one of the highlights of the trip simply because it was almost inconceivable to imagine just a few years ago.

Youth band bonding with us over music

Our service project work for the week consisted of painting the inside of the outside wall of the Hope Center. It was primed and ready for us so after a light sanding, we got to work. This project was especially amusing to me because I had been on the family team trip that had painted this exact wall a few years before. As my brush made long strokes on the wall it gave me time to ponder the significance of working on the same project. It was the same wall, but it was different. This time it was taller and much smoother. It was easier to paint and looked better when finished.

Familiar walls

I thought about how some things in life are opportunities to grow and learn. But once you think you've mastered something, God shows you where you can still improve and there you are growing and learning again but not with the same results... instead the results are new and improved and the lessons are sometimes quicker to learn. Proverbs is full of advice encouraging us to never stop receiving instruction. The walls were making an impact on me.

The afternoons are often our favorite times because this is when we have an opportunity to show God's love to the women in the community. We invited them to a worship time, a message, and a craft. As you may recall, we have done arts and crafts with these women for the past two years, but this was the first time we had a worship time and a message from the Bible. One of our native Spanish speakers on the team delivered the message while several other women helped with the children.

Speaking on 2 Kings 4:1-7

I had felt lead to intercede in prayer for each of the women and did my best to ask God for his blessing on their time here, their lives, for their community, and ultimately for their salvation. By the end of each day, we noticed that some of the women were asking us to write down particular verses or request prayer. A few of them tried out some newly acquired English words (I remember "coffee" and "sugar" were particular favorites) and several of them lingered behind to talk or give us hugs.

Lydia, also known as "Coffee, coffee, coffee"

One women I will always remember is an older lady whose son was shot and killed in drug/gang violence just shortly before we came. The depth of sorrow in her eyes I will never forget. She received extra hugs from us and we can only hope that she felt the impact of God's love in some way over the time we spent with her.

The woman is in white. We couldn't hug her enough.

A significant moment I had was with a woman we had prayed for the year prior. A few of us gathered in a room with her to find out how she was doing. She broke down and told us that things with her adult son are still very difficult. It just so happened that we had someone on our team trained in addiction counseling who joined us. I sat and listened as the words were translated back and forth from Spanish to English, but this woman's concern for her son transcended all language barriers and she spoke directly to our hearts - mom to mom. She had been praying for her son but felt defeated and hopeless because she couldn't fix his problem. The details are private, but what I can tell you is that information was shared to help her understand the problem from a physical health perspective and also from a spiritual perspective. She prayed that day with power and authority. We were amazed with her transformation right in front of our eyes. Our time with her made such a huge impact on me and I hope we made an impact on her as well.

Another impact story was with a girl who has become an adopted daughter to all of us moms. She's a real sweetheart and it's easy to fall in love with her. We had such a nice time together. She is helpful, kind, curious, and affectionate. She was also patient with us gringos and our attempts at Spanish. On the final day at the Hope Center she trusted one of us with some information about her life. It was something unknown to the staff and most definitely a burden she had been carrying alone. It happened at the last possible moment literally as we were about to board the bus. With our time having run out, we left not being able to give her the love, assistance, and encouragement she would need. It was heartbreaking, yet God was already busy at work. Later that evening we found out that there was someone at the Hope Center with the resources to come along side and be a support system for her. God is so good.

The final impact story I will share is with a woman who cleans at the Hope Center. Her name is Teresa but we call her Terre. I met Terre on my first trip. She was shy, quiet, and withdrawn. I hardly ever saw her smile. It's taken a few years, but Terre has finally warmed up to us. As a matter of fact, on the last day Terre was wearing a hot pink shirt and skirt with bright pink newly decorated flip-flops courtesy of Old Navy and a big smile.

Terre

But her life is not easy. Her husband has passed away, her adult son has mental challenges, and she is raising a beautiful teenage daughter alone in a very rough area. Her current home is very small and when it rains, the water runs right through her living room. Thanks to the generosity of some people, enough money was raised to purchase a new home for her directly behind her current location. Our group was invited to see the new space that will become her home. As the bus pulled carefully through the narrow streets and stopped in front of her home we got our first look at the conditions. The doors opened and we piled into a small metal box similar in size to a railroad car.

Terre's front door

You could see the light coming in through the corners of the roof where it meets the walls. The ground consisted of dirt except for a large pile of gravel standing in the corner of the room. In the center was a twin size bed sitting on wood planks. The bed was immaculately made with a blanket and a stuffed gorilla on top.

Daughter's bedroom

It only took a second to realize that this is where her daughter sleeps at night. Looking around I could see no electricity, bathroom, kitchen, or even a chair... just this one bed and a spot to hang her laundry. Her mother and brother are currently still living behind in the original house. As Ashley (the director of the Hope Center) went on to explain all the plans they have for improving the house, it was hard to imagine what it would be like to live here. She said they work on the house when they get donations. "How much will it take to finish the house?" Ashley was asked. "5,000 dollars," she said. That's not spare change, but considering how much we pay for even the smallest of homes here, $5,000 is not that much. It's hard for something like that to not make an impact on us. And can you imagine how much of an impact that home is going to make on her life?

Terre's son, daughter, a friend, and Terre (LtoR)

These are just a few of the stories we experienced on this trip. There were eleven other women with many more stories of people whose lives they impacted as well as the moments that impacted them.

God is always at work. You don't have to leave the country to make an impact, but sometimes by branching outside of your comfort zone you end up finding something that really puts the exclamation point on it. I hope some of these stories might encourage you to think about the !mpact you can make in the world today.