Partnership. When I think back on the week we had in Costa Rica, that is the word that comes to mind. The 12 of us flew to Costa Rica to work with an Organization called Praying Pelicans. We had three Praying Pelicans (PPM) staff members with us the whole time to help lead and translate. They were so much fun to work with! PPM is good at a lot, but they’re exceptional at partnering with local churches in the areas where they take short-term mission teams. 

We partnered with Pastor Jesus and Hosanna Parrita for the week! Pastor Jesus and his wife shared their powerful testimonies with us after church on Sunday. What we learned most from them and their ministry is how reliant on God’s faithfulness and provision they are. It was inspiring to listen to and even more so to watch it unfold in person the rest of the week. They care so deeply for the community God has given them to shepherd and minister to. They were so welcoming to us the entire week. We attended two church services with them. It was powerful for us to worship alongside them without speaking the language because we could see their joy just through their singing and dancing. They had Ethan guest preach and he taught from Romans 12:1-2, 9-21. I’ll come back to the second worship service we had with them. 

During our time partnering with Hosanna Parrita we engaged in three different types of ministry. We did a construction project for Hosanna Parrita, put on VBS for the children in the community, and food distribution. 

The church needs a permanent structure, so we helped them build the first of a few concrete walls that will be needed to finish the building. Here we really saw the partnership because many of the church members showed up to help us build the wall. Let me tell you they worked HARD. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt outworked. We were digging (and re-digging) post holes, mixing concrete, carrying concrete panels and posts, and putting them all into place. Pastor Jesus has a really hard time using the church's resources for the building and not for meeting the many physical needs of his people. We were so happy to help them start building! 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning we did VBS ministry. During the first two mornings part of our team worked on the wall and the other part traveled to a small school out in the fields that Pastor Jesus is connected to. There they got to invest in the teacher, cook, and students. They did fun crafts and games while also doing a story time about creation and the life of Jesus! On Wednesday, the whole team ran a VBS for a different school where Pastor Jesus knew the principal. They happened to have the day off and sent 85 kids and 25+ moms to our VBS. It may have looked like chaos at times, but they loved hearing about creation, Jesus’s death and resurrection, coloring, making bracelets, craft time, soccer, and of course snacks! 

Food distribution was a challenging, but rewarding ministry. We delivered 18 bags of food to 18 different homes between the three afternoons. These were all families that Pastor Jesus knows and actively ministers to. During these three days, we learned a lot. It’s hard to see the conditions some of the families live in. However, we also learned that the congregation Pastor Jesus ministers to is much larger than those who can make it on Sundays. Many people cannot travel because of health issues, work, or simply don’t have transportation. It was a joy to partner with him as he ministers to these people and I have no doubt that he will continue to. We got to hear from each of the families we visited and prayed for them before we left. This kind of ministry embodied meeting both physical and spiritual needs. The final two bags were saved to bless Pastor Jesus and his wife and the lady who cooked our meals for us all week! 

The beauty of partnering with Pastor Jesus was that we weren't there to start or pioneer anything. He and his congregation have been working in this community for years. We came to encourage them and help expand the reach of that ministry. All of the connections we made, the kids we ministered to, and the families we visited are pointed back to the local church that will be there long after we’ve returned home! 

Wednesday night was the second worship service we attended where our team and the church members were given the opportunity to share testimonies from the week! We started with worship which is much livelier than we are used to in America. Chris and Noah Moseley also got to lead the church in a song, Waymaker, which was so cool to see. I wish I could share all the testimonies with you! It was incredible hearing just some of what God had done in just a few days. What followed was really special. Pastor Jesus shared about the power of being a light for Christ wherever we go and He invited the whole team up to the stage. They turned off the lights and one by one handed us each a burning candle to symbolize the light of Christ inside each of us. Essentially, they were commissioning us to go back home and continue shining the light of Christ!

Thank you, Jersey for praying for our team as we went to Costa Rica! It was a special week seeing God move in Costa Rica. Because of the way we were able to partner with Hosanna Parrita, we were able to leave with no doubt that the ministry we participated in will continue on without us. Please continue to pray with us for the church and city of Parrita! 

Costa Rica Trip