Day Two-Widow's Ministry

Manuel wanted to be as cool as Jacob! 

Day two in Costa Rica is complete! Today was our first day of ministry and it was one we won't forget! We're having some technical difficulties with Wifi/cameras, so photos will be added soon, but here is the update!

Sydney took care of the babies today! 

We started the day by visiting a grocery store and purchasing food for 16 widows and their families. Ronald, our host, let us know that by purchasing these groceries we were feeding the women and children for a month. He really wanted our students to understand how important this was because, due to a lack of funding, Food for the Hungry Costa Rica had recently stopped funding this ministry and many of the women have gone long periods without food. Each pair of students was given an item to find in the grocery store and when we got to checkout many of the kids felt like we should purchase more for the families, so we were able to use our own funds to add tuna, bread, corn meal, and extra pasta to our grocery carts full of beans, rice, salt, sugar, oil, toilet paper, and milk. We sorted all of the items into 16 trash bags then packed them into the van to head to the Bethesda House in Los Guido.

Pin the hula hoop on the tall basketball players!

While most of our drives this trip have been in areas of the city that are relatively poor, Los Guido was different than anything we had seen before on this trip. The area used to be a coffee plantation and many people from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and other Central American countries have squatted on the land and built shacks to live in. This is a high crime and heavy drug area. We pulled up to the Bethesda house where we were immediately welcomed into the home that Isabel, the founder of the ministry, owns. We were able to sit and hear about the work of the ministry and were blessed to hear personal testimonies from many of the women who have been, and are currently being, impacted by the ministry. As we listened to their stories we realized many of the women have come out of abusive situations or prostitution, they've been either widowed or abandoned by their husbands, they are taking care of multiple kids and grandkids, and they live in a very dangerous part of the city. Through all of these stories we were all were impressed by the women's commitment to prayer and in their trust in the Lord. It was good for us to remember that at home we are blessed with safety and material goods that many of the people in Los Guido do not have, but often times we do not spend time with the Lord in the same way these people do. If God can clearly answer these women's prayers so radically, then what could he do for our families, communities, schools, and countries if we started actually committing to prayer in the same manner?

Two of the widows who we provided meals for. 

Jacob, Zach, and our goofball Manuel. 

After hearing about the Bethesda House ministry we spent a good amount of time playing with the children of the community in the streets. This was most of our students' favorite part of the day. I was very impressed at the way our students jumped right in and did not hesitate to make up games, participate in races, and give away bracelets. The kids were so excited to play with our students and as the afternoon went on, many of the neighbor kids also started to come out join in on the fun. Isabel then called us all back into her house where we enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal (plantain ceviche, papaya and ground beef, salad, chicken, and white beans). Many students were amazed by this hospitality, that she would provide food for all of us when she has so little. We were also able to purchase a birthday cake and sing "Cumpleanos Feliz" to both one of the widows and one of the children in the community who were hanging out with us this afternoon.

One of the many hula hoop competitions of the day. 

After leaving the Bethesda House we drove to the Fundacion Rahab to learn more about the ministry. This was added to our itinerary because one of our seniors, Julianna Gay, had researched places in Costa Rica that work with women coming out of prostitution and human trafficking. She and a fellow senior at Valley, Lauren Mohan, fundraised for this specific organization and made bracelets to give to many of the women. These women come to Fundacion Rahab looking to leave their current situation and gain some skills like sewing, cooking, and computer classes in order to have a better life. Many women who have gone through this two year program are now working at five star hotels, in politics, as social workers, and in schools in the area. On this visit we were reminded that we live in an area where sex trafficking is a huge problem. Even though it is so prevalent in our hometown many of us are unaware or unsure what to do to help. We were reminded that teaching someone a skill rather than just giving a handout of money is more beneficial to giving someone a more purposeful and successful life. We were also so impressed that the founder of Fundacion Rahab heard the clear call of the Lord and she did not hesitate to start this ministry, even without funds or a property at the time. All of us were challenged to take action when God calls us and to pray without ceasing.

Finally, we headed back to the HPS complex up in the clouds and enjoyed a friendly game of soccer in the rain. Although we were definitely outplayed by our Costa Rican hosts, Ronald and Santiago, the students had a blast and definitely sharpened their skills.

Overall, it was a great day! 

More photos coming soon...