Summary of Costa Rica Mini-trip

Well, I tested negative for COVID again, but I'm in quarantine for a minute to be careful. Which means I have time to update y'all on the pre-trip trip to Costa Rica!

Katie Estridge (my co-leader) and I went to Costa Rica on March 19-22. We wrestled and prayed about the choice to invest the time and money for a trip, as opposed to just having conversations over zoom, but felt it was best to go. We went for three reasons:
1. To plan for our trip in May
2. To invest in relationship with the church leaders there
3. To dream and plan for the future of our partnership

It was well worth it! The trip down was smooth and very fun. It helped us plan and think about logistics to prepare our team as we travel in May (how to do customs, immigration, packing, etc.). We arrived on Friday (which was also Katie's birthday) and spent the evening bonding with Carlos and Ana Lagos and got to have some really good conversations on culture and church-planting. 

Carlos and Ana Lagos have a very keen understanding of how to culturally adapt their lives and the truth of the gospel without sacrificing who they are or the integrity of the gospel. They are from a very large, very conservative church in Honduras, but have planted to a place where the culture is much more liberal and their church model has needed to be much smaller and one-on-one focused.

Saturday, we helped them clean and paint the CDI (community development center) they are opening in downtown San Jose, next to a slum they have been serving for years. They recruited some of the kids they are working with to help as well, which increases buy-in and respect for the building. We got to shadow them for a day and build relationship, while seeing how they engage with the people they serve and how they engage with each other (which is SO CUTE*), and get to learn more about their dreams for the future. 

Sunday, we did more of the same, serve together, talk together, spend time connecting. That night, we also had the opportunity to sit down with them and the head pastor of their church (also Carlos, but Gomez) and his wife. We got to hear their stories and their dreams and learned so much about what makes them tick and their passion for their church. They have desires to church plant and create businesses to fund ministry and provide jobs. It's very exciting stuff.

All-in-all, Katie and I learned a lot about how to engage with their church and Costa Rican culture that we hadn't picked up yet. We'll still have lots to learn over the years as we partner together, but this is such a strong start. 

I'm trying to learn more about partnership and culture, since one of my roles in our church will be helping form partnerships and oversee their healthy growth. If you have any good books on culture or thoughts on how to grow, feel free to send them my way!

*y'all probably know this about me, but I'm a sucker for cute couples, especially ones that do ministry together. It's just one of the most beautiful things I have seen