"But if it is of God..."

"... you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them... they never ceased for a single day, both in the temple area and at home, to teach and to proclaim the good news (Gospel) of Jesus [as] the Christ (the Messiah)." ~ Acts 5:39-42

I’ll start by saying that I’m thankful that my host parents are missionaries through Christ For the City International here in Costa Rica. They have been alongside me for just about everything I have done here so far and it has put me more at ease to work with them. I think they deserve an introduction—Henry and Jahaira and their son Aaron (12) have been with CFCI for 4 years now. Both of them are also studying at Costa Rican Universities. 


They are some of the kindest, most passionate people I have met when it comes to loving people and talking about what God is doing in their lives at any given opportunity. I truly feel at home in their house and Aaron has become a little brother to me. He is teaching me to become a Saprissa fútbol fan (soccer, not American football) and I’ve watched several of the Costa Rican team’s games. 


I should also introduce Carlos Mestayer, who is the CFCI short term ministries coordinator with whom I am working  directly. He is going to be showing me how to do all the behind-the-scenes work of getting a team from the States to Costa Rica so that I can take over when he goes to the States for a couple months in September!


On my third night here, we were off to the airport to welcome my first short-term missions team to Costa Rica—(a group of 48!) from a church in Amarillo, Texas. What a lively and diverse group. I loved the idea of having a mission trip in which the whole family is invited-- there were 7 year olds to 77 year olds sharing in the experience.  


Because of its size, the group was divided between two locations. The first group worked with the sewing ministry that Christ for the City implements during the week. Anyone is welcome to come and use the sewing machines and fabric and have a time of getting to know one another and sharing while doing crafts. The other group worked with Pastor Mario Perez in his church Iglesia Biblica Jerusalen in Pavas. Pastor Mario’s goal was to expand his church, literally, to have room for growing ministries—and that we did! 


I had never really seen construction first-hand-- team members were up on the roof attaching beams to concrete walls, painting, sand blasting, etc. Mornings, we worked on the building project at the church, and in the afternoons, we had the privilege of visiting several elementary schools to do a Vacation Bible School program with the children. The most moving part for me during the week was getting the chance to visit the houses of several church members who are unable to make it to the Sunday service because of health problems or because of where they live. In these cases, we brought the team to them and surrounded them in prayer, praying for their physical weaknesses and that God’s presence would be with them, and also asking God to bless them. These people were so full of joy, despite the circumstances-- the kind of joy that only comes from being in Him.


Towards the end of the Amarillo team’s stay, Jahaira and I left to meet the second team that was on their way to Costa Rica to partner with CFCI—a youth group from Berlin, Ohio. It was an incredible ten days with this group. Being around and sharing with these youth as they were on this mission trip brought my thoughts back to my first mission trip to Mexico as a high school student. I remembered my first time seeing some very eye-opening places, meeting people who are so anxious to be loved and hear the Good News about a God who loves them, and hearing testimonies of lives changed because of a week-long interaction with people willing to share their time and lives. I know many of the youth took home similar experiences.

The team members and CFCI missionaries (including myself!) spent this week living with host families from the church we were working with. The church is called “Taller del Maestro”, taken from the title of a Christian song here in Costa Rica, and means “Workshop of the Teacher”. The stories at the end of the week from both host families and students alike were amazing. The Tico families (what Costa Rican’s call themselves) adopted these kids and reminded them many times that “mi casa es su casa” (my house is your house) and to return any time.


We spent a couple afternoons visiting several elementary and high schools. The team used sports as a way to connect with the different age groups, and then explained how a lot of the team values learned in good sportsmanship are some of the same traits that we as Christians aim to exemplify in our lives. We also were a part of four different services at Taller del Maestro. It is amazing to me how openly and un-ashamedly the Tico’s worship our God. No matter the service, people were jumping up and down, raising their hands or worshipping on their knees.

One of the Berlin youth, Cameron, told us all at the end of the time at the church, that one of the things he was praying that God would make clear to him was whether he should go to college to pursue being a teacher or a youth pastor. The week he spent in Costa Rica, he lived with the youth pastor from the church and was able to spend time talking in broken Spanish and hearing about his passion for pastoring youth. Cameron said at the end of the week that he felt a clear calling to pursue serving the Lord as a youth pastor someday.

               I am truly enjoying my experience here and loved arriving at a place where it is evident that God is at work in the lives of the people. I feel so honored to be a Christ For the City missionary and am blessed to be a short-term team receiver. I get to experience each of these trips with these American’s who have given of their time to come here to serve the Lord and bring the Good News to the ends of the earth.


Sarah White, Short-term Missionary- Costa Rica