Day 1: Our Team's Not Dead, We're Surely Arrived

 Get it?

Today was a Day. It kinda started technically yesterday. I got to the Choffice at like 11 PM to do last-minute printing and prep work. We had a big group from my cluster come to pray for us and send us off, which was super encouraging! We left around 2:30 AM to head towards ABIA (which i think is actually called AUS now? idk, am confuse).

The drive was chill, we listened to worship music and kept the speeding to a reasonable (that's still illegal, Sam) amount...because getting a ticket would be the worst. We arrived at the airport around 4:30, got through security with almost no incident (all my bags had to get scanned twice, maybe i looked suspicious, maybe there was a machine error...don't worry about it). 

Our fights were also pretty uneventful, just hours and hours of sitting on the plane. I napped some, which was lovely. I also listened to a couple of albums which I downloaded onto my phone. Now, yes, that's something that was revolutionary in like 2005, but it's the first time I've done that ok? I was proud of myself. 

We got to Costa Rica, navigated all the immigration and customs stuff (which have been much more complicated since COVID, but i had my trusty manila folder, which had almost everything we needed...it's the "almosts" that get you though), got our bags, and got picked up by Lagos and Jovany. They took us to the hotel, we dropped off our bags, and we went to get lunch. Pollo Rosti is the move here, y'all. The food is...not spicy...but I enjoy it :) 

Did you know that Pollo Rosti was started by a Nicaraguan guy? I didn't. Obviously, you understand why that's significant, but I'm pedantic, so I'll explain it to you anyway. Costa Ricans hate do not like Nicaraguans. Like, it's low-key super racist against Nicaraguans here. And yet, many of the most loved Costa Rican things are actually Nicaraguan in origin. That (apparently) includes Pollo Rosti, one of the most loved restaurants here.

Anyway, despues de comer, we walked to the CDI. The CDI is the newly-opened community development center here. I'll talk about it a lot. The church is running most of their non-student ministry out of the CDI, including their ministry to expecting and new mothers, their counseling services for women trying to leave prostitution, their programs (music, dance, tutoring, etc.) for kids in the nearby low-income neighborhood (Barrio Mexico), etc. At the CDI, we brainstormed and schemed for hours (poor, tired brains, lol) on how to be part of the programs they are running for kids and what our schedule will be like this week (and month). It was good work, but exhausting. We were all more than a little tired by the end. Lagos, in his perceptive and skilled leadership, brought us back to the hotel by Uber, rather than walking us back. And he fed us pizza. Gracias Lagos!

"So, what is this plan?" I'm glad I imagined you asking that, let me tell you: We'll be working with kids at the CDI on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. We'll be doing some homework help, and English lessons, and music lessons...but those are all honestly partly excuses for us to engage with them, love on them, and help set them up for a different life trajectory. Yes, the homework help and English lessons will have some value for their lives, but the real issue is one of dignity and sense of self-worth. So many of these kids get stuck in cycles of poverty. One part of that is unarguably because they are starting in a hard place. Another part is because their parents are almost all Nicaraguan, and the systems of their culture are slanted against them. However, the part that they have control over is how they handle their life circumstance. If they feel so beaten down by the world around them that they don't see the point in trying, there's not even a chance for change. The church here is desiring to show them God's love for them, teach them that God has a plan for their lives, show them that they aren't an accident, show them that there is hope.

"What about Wednesday and Saturday?" Calm down, I'll get there. Wednesday and Saturday we will be in Heredia, having events to connect to college students with H@ngout. H@ngout is their college-focused church in Heredia, run by the Lagos. We'll also be doing events on Zoom every night this week to connect to those students who are unable to be at things in person. Student ministry, let's gooo. So, it looks to be a busy week, but also a well-paced one. 

Our team is doing really well. Today was Izzy's first time on a plane, and she was living her best life. Izzy had an amazing attitude all day and great energy, even when we were all tired. Hugo in Latin America is a marvel to behold; he is so at home and helped navigate our team through the airport and engaged with Jovany in such an uplifting and awesome way. Alexis powered through all of today's craziness and uncertainty with a grace and poise that was so encouraging to my heart. She brought some key, direction-shifting ideas to our brainstorming time that are going to let us love these kids so much better this week. Matthew is a delight; he has been practicing Spanish since last year and it shows. He seems more comfortable than me even with his Spanish, and had a cheerful, even playful attitude all day. Sheryl is, of course, in her natural habitat here. She comes alive in Latin America in a special way and her work ethic, love for people, and pura vida heart were a huge blessing today. Katie, as is her wont, has been low-key carrying the team today. She did a great job of balancing when to engage one-on-one with our team and when to push the group in the right direction. Her coolness under pressure and creative problem-solving were crucial today. Sam, as you know, is an absolute gem. He did a fantastic job of keeping things organized, encouraging the team, and generally being unflappable as things shifted. If you haven't gone on a trip with this guy; do it.

PRAYER: Today had some hard things. We had some conflict with one of our team members, and another is dealing with a lot of physical pain (chronic, but worse than usual). We're all very tired and have a lot on our plate over the next few days. We aren't sure how everything will work out, and the fluid nature of our plans can be stressful. Please, please pray for us.

I learned a new word today: añoranzas. That means cherished memories that bring you joy. It's like nostalgia, but without the underlying sad vibe that it implies. I think that's what it means, anyway.

Ok, here's some pictures. If you just scrolled to them and didn't read my blog, that's your misfortune:

Airport selfie

Sam, Jovany, Lagos

Logo for the CDI (and my reflection)