Day 3 - Cultural Experience, Church, and Final Preparations

This morning, we headed down to a local Farmer's Market. At first, I was confused about why we were going because we had been warned against buying and eating any of the fruit, but then Lucy explained that the produce we are going to buy is going to families in need, and this was an exercise to communicate with the Spanish speaking vendors. Everyone split into teams, and we had an hour to look through the stands filled with fruits and veggies in all the colors of the rainbow, trying to find the best prices between vendors. Afterward, we took stock of all the produce, and Team 1 found a MASSIVE carrot! (see the picture of Jadon down below).

Then, we went to the Open House Project church, which works with Hope Partners. We attended their church service in Espanol, and as someone who knows very little Spanish, I struggled to understand anything the pastor said, especially since he was a fast talker! However, I was able to grasp what his sermon was about: life is challenging, and it may seem like Jesus is not there sometimes, but he is ALWAYS with us!

After a yummy hamburger lunch, most of us went out on an optional adventure to get ice cream, and then we had some free time, so I hung out with a couple of the girls, and we made more friendship bracelets with the remaining beads from last night.

Before dinner, we met Paula and Lonnie, the leaders of Hope Partners in Costa Rica, and they came to our hotel to give us a quick orientation to prepare us for tomorrow. Paula explained the harsh reality that most of the kids we will be serving are living in abandonment, abuse, gangs, violence, and drugs, which means that these kids have had to mature quickly to adapt. We learned a new word: "Hinneni," which translates to "Here I am, Lord, what can I do?" Our job is to show God's love and share God's love throughout this trip and be ready to jump into whatever God has planned for us. 

We finished the day with dinner, a quick run-through of our skit for the kiddos, worship, and a devo. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for me, and sure, uncertainty is scary for me, but I am relying on the strength of God to help me grow in faith, share the good news, and serve those around me.

Things you can be praying for:

• Patience and flexibility for our team in changes with our plans
• Health throughout this week
• Our team is well-rested during the next week
• Unity with our team