CR: Day Six

Middletown UMC - Day 6 (Sat, 06/11/2011)

We never left the church today. Might have started getting a little antsy towards the end of the day. Lots of good bonding time. Today we gave a day back to Iglesia Cristiana and painted a multipurpose room as EDGE North America tries to do on every trip to EDGE Costa Rica. Today it was the adults that really shined brightly.  (I'll come back to that.) 

We had a nice morning getting ready in a relaxed way, but still getting to work at about 8:30. I was very nervous when I found out that our paint was oil based....never good with inexperienced mission teams. After cleaning up the room and prepping for painting I walked in to give the go ahead to start painting and most of the first wall was already done! I was a nervous wreck that by the end of the day this paint would cover the whole campus from top to bottom. However, come the end of the day I was happily surprised to find one of the best paint jobs I have ever seen a volunteer team complete. Partway through the paint job Pastor Angel arrived to take us on a walk through Los Pinos, the nearby slum.

In debrief we talked about how even there in the midst of the scrappy tin shacks, trash, and feces, we could see the face of God in the blossoming flowers, the light in the children's eyes, and the fabulous view of San Jose down and the mountain tops above. Being that San Jose is in a valley, the mountains are visible from anywhere in the city. Keeping my eyes on the horizon, I am often reminded of the savior for whom I live my life and continue to hand it over day after day.


After returning from the walk the adults got right back to work finishing the job...and finishing it well. They replaced three broken window panes, a floorboard that had been completely hollowed out by carpenter ants, and put the most professional coat of paint on I have ever seen done by a group like this. I was inspired by the diligence of Jeff in doing the carpentry right while Susan, Kim, and Mark chugged along 'til the very end.


Devotions after debrief was another chance to feel brokenness that comes before change and look to the hills, the Lord, for strength. After Chay and Nathan challenged us by defining the difference between being a fan of Christ and being a follower, they asked what it meant to be called a Christian and "called" as a christian. One youth knew exactly what God was speaking to her heart, while another was almost embarrassed to admit that she had no idea yet what the Lord was saying to her. With everyone else in between, we broke off to dinner with prayer knowing where to direct our sight and ears listening for Christ's calling. Similarly to how it has been as we have come to Costa Rica, the Lord will provide direction while we are going, and after we arrive home.


Psalm 121 -
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
  where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
  the Maker of heaven and earth.


3 He will not let your foot slip—
  he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
  will neither slumber nor sleep.


5 The LORD watches over you—
  the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
  nor the moon by night.


7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
  he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore.


Pura Vida y Shalom