Collaboration in Costa Rica - Summer 2016
To kick off the summer of 2016, I joined 16 other members of the H2O church network for a 10-day mission trip to San Jose, Costa Rica. Alongside good friends from H2O Cincinnati and a few new pals from H2O OSU and Pitt, I had the opportunity to contribute to the work God is doing in San Jose. We partnered with a church in Costa Rica, the CDI, to engage with one of the poorest communities in the region and build impactful relationships that contribute to the CDI’s mission.
We spent most of our time in Costa Rica at a small elementary school, the most impoverished in the region. I was blown away by the stark contrast of the disintegration of this poor school compared to the natural beauty of the mountains that served as its backdrop. If you looked only at what was directly around you, you would see crumbling cement and stone in desperate need of painting. But if you looked beyond, out over the rooftops, you would see gorgeous and immense mountains that tower over the valley of San Jose. To me, this felt like a symbolic reminder the entire week to look beyond the dank circumstances of our present surroundings, and consider the big picture of the positive upswings taking place in San Jose and the great work the CDI is doing there.
I was excited for this trip, although I confess that cynicism from past mission trips made it so that my excitement was placed less in the opportunity to serve, and more in the delight of spending 10 days in a new place with dear friends. On three previous domestic short-term mission trips, I have felt that our time and effort was ill-utilized. I value all of those experiences because of the relationships I formed and ways I grew spiritually, but I often departed feeling that we did little to serve in the way we meant to. There was often too little work planned for us to do or too much work that required advanced carpentry skills or supervision that left me standing around like a goofball waiting for instructions. Consequently, while I expected our experience in Costa Rica to be positive, I think that I anticipated that the best outcomes would be deeper relationships with the other people on the trip. To my surprise, while intensified friendships were certainly a valuable aspect of my experience, it was by far not the only benefit nor the most impactful.
Because of these expectations, I was almost perplexed by the purposeful work I found myself doing and the impactful relationships I found myself building there with the local people. I was not prepared to be so captivated by the work the church is doing in Costa Rica, nor was I prepared to serve closely alongside Costa Ricans who would change my understanding of what it looks like to serve and love others. The CDI did an absolutely outstanding job of hosting us and really inviting us into what they're doing in Costa Rica. The very first day, they took us to the church and spent time with us explaining their mission, their goals, and all their strategies and plans to make those things happen. I loved every bit of that. The organizational nerd in my was hype to learn the structure of their church and hear about their extremely community-centered programming, but it was also very valuable to understand how our work their would fit into their mission. |
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I was a little nervous about spending time with the children at the school. I love kids, but I know very little Spanish and have very little experience teaching, so I was worried about being unable to communicate and teach proficiently. I needn't have been worried. I wrote these passages in my journal during the trip:
Written May 17, 2016: "God is so gracious in answering prayers. I feel so unqualified to work with children, let alone those who speak a different language, but God has provided resources and his people to aid in the process. He has given us great translators and creativity to think of new and fun ways to teach them. The children are sassy, innocent, and precious. I love their eagerness to help me learn as well. Often they approach and chatter away in Spanish, trying to explain or teach me something. I long to understand and connect with them. My smile will have to do." Written May 18, 2016: "In the afternoon, the boys got a turn teaching English and we painted lines on the soccer field in the courtyard. I was very thankful for the overcast skies and cool day. A little crew of about 3 kids started following me around - Adrian, Julianna, and Allen. At first they were a bit of a nuisance, mostly because I couldn't speak with them and connect in the way that I wanted to. But after a while, I started using the little Spanish I knew to talk to them about colors, and they started helping me move the paint bucket and preciously jabbered along in Spanish. They didn't seem to mind that I didn't understand, and they even started teaching me how to count in Spanish. Such a precious picture of childlike grace and love and innocence." Written May 19, 2016: "I feel like each day here gets progressively better. I suppose that there are a few reasons for that. Firstly, it seems like it must certainly be related to my increasing comfort around the local people and the children at the school. As I learned children's names, picked up on small Spanish phrases, and observed others, I learned how to better engage with them despite the language barrier. Secondly, each day has been richer as the fellowship and friendships with the people around me have grown richer. I thoroughly enjoy the mornings and evenings, when I get to enjoy the company of my teammates and good friends, and I enjoy getting to know them in new ways during the day. It's extremely satisfying and beautiful to observe my own newfound comfort with these people, as well as watch them blossom with one another. Jokes, nicknames, and laughter abounds with them. Community and fellowship are such precious and beautiful gifts." |
On a trip all about giving and serving, I spent a lot of time pondering what it looks like to serve people well. One day at the school, I had a realization about the unique opportunity to serve people, not by giving, but by receiving. Written May 17, 2016: "Trevor came prepared today with a soccer ball for the kids at the school. It was a hit. It's amazing to me how a simple thing like a ball can unite people. The instant you throw the ball into the courtyard, a swarm of children is surrounding it, already amidst a game. It’s fun to watch Jake and some of the others play with them. Trev was glowing from joy as he watched the kids play with the ball. He said to me, "my heart is so happy." What a beautiful feeling it is to give to others and see them value your gifts. To see them feel joy that you so desperately want to give them. That reminds me that I need to be better about accepting people's gifts. Just like Trev, most people love giving, and they receive joy from seeing someone use, value, or appreciate their gift. Something as simple as accepting a glass of water, or taking someone's seat when they offer it....I need to remember to let go of my pride, humble myself, and accept people's aid and gift. It is my gift to them." |
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." -Galatians 5:13
Often, I think we romanticize the idea of mission trips and service. We imagine ourselves a hero - feeding the hungry, saving the poor, guiding the people. It's easy to puff yourself up and come into someone's country thinking that you're about to start fixing things for them, but it rarely looks like that at all. How could we come to Costa Rica and start giving solutions when we barely understand the problems?
The entire context of the trip - being on someone else's home turf, speaking a different language, and being in an unfamiliar place - easily stripped one's pride away. In order for us to serve well, we had to be humbled and allow the wonderful folks at the CDI to lead us by the hand and show us the way. They are the ones who live in San Jose, immersed in the community and poverty and brokenness. They are the ones with the answers. In order for us to be effective, we had to allow them to teach us what they know and show us how they are working in their community already. So many people at the CDI worked extremely hard to put us in place to serve well. I'm grateful for their patience in educating us and dedication to making us well-rounded global citizens. They equipped us to serve better not only in their country, but also in our own.
The entire context of the trip - being on someone else's home turf, speaking a different language, and being in an unfamiliar place - easily stripped one's pride away. In order for us to serve well, we had to be humbled and allow the wonderful folks at the CDI to lead us by the hand and show us the way. They are the ones who live in San Jose, immersed in the community and poverty and brokenness. They are the ones with the answers. In order for us to be effective, we had to allow them to teach us what they know and show us how they are working in their community already. So many people at the CDI worked extremely hard to put us in place to serve well. I'm grateful for their patience in educating us and dedication to making us well-rounded global citizens. They equipped us to serve better not only in their country, but also in our own.