A Few of My Favorites – Costa Rica

Favorite Ministry Moment:

1. Communing with Judith, Josue & Hugo!!!

Their affection and welcoming of us was renown. Judith was our cook! She is adorable, kind and fed us so well. Josue is a youth leader. He loves to bake and we shared many delicious treats with him, including chocolate covered bananas! Hugo was our work leader, he led us in many of the manual labor projects we completed including painting and reconstructing the gutter system at a different local church. 

2. Leading my Team in Communion on the last night in Turrialba.

It was an experience I was honored to partake in and lead. Communion is an opportunity to join with fellow Christ followers to commemorate Jesus’ last supper with His pose. It was here He told them to eat the bread, as His body. His body representing Him as the Bread of Life and broken for us, His chosen people. Additionally, He told them to drink the cup, as His blood. His blood signifying that our forgiveness came at a cost, His physical life. A few days after taking communion in Costa Rica I was able to share the experience with my Pastor. The experience became increasingly significant as I heard my church family back home, in Maine, had also partaken in communion that day. 

Favorite Adventure Day:

1. Finding the river on a day I missed home. 

God is so sweet and knows exactly what we need. When I woke up during quarantine on this particular morning, I had began to miss home. God chose to reveal remnants of home to me multiple times throughout that day. The water of this river was cold, and clear and fresh just like home. 

2. The day I went horseback riding on the beach with Char, Stephanie & Morgan Noonan.

I don’t know if you know this about me or not but I rode horses a lot during my childhood. I actually learned a lot of what I know about God while being committed to horseback. I have so many fond memories of riding but few to none of riding on the beach. I haven’t been on a horse in probably five years! Sharing this experience with my new friends and Squad Coach Charlene was icing on the cake to my first month of ministry.  

Favorite Food:

1. Panaderia Merayo QueQue (Cake)

Most people who know me back home know I’m a sucker for sweets. Cake and cookies are two of my favorites for sure. God knew what He was doing when He sent my team to Turrialba. We had some form of cake or cookies or bread with cafecito EVERY. DAY. My favorite cake was a form of chocolate cake soaked in leche (milk in Spanish) with a caramel like drizzle over frosting (the one pictured was oreo pie). 

Favorite Team Time:

1. Beauty for Ashes and basically all of Quarantine. 

Beauty for Ashes is a ministry for women started by Adventures in Missions to help women heal from deeply rooted wounds. The program was launched in Africa and is now used to equip teams both for inner healing and for outreach opportunities. Each team has a trained representative for the program with training they received at Training Camp/Launch. We all have wounds to heal from and so we thought quarantine would be a good place to start the process. I loved sharing this deep moment of intimacy with my teammates and the opportunity to move forward in areas of healing for myself. 

2. The Last Night in Turrialba

We technically had two last nights in Turrialba and they were both memorable moments in time. On our first last night we went into the city for one last ice cream and a tour of a few things we had not seen yet. Hugo, Judith, and Josue led the charge and we enjoyed the time touring around the city. On our actually last night, we exchanged many heart-felt gifts and words of appreciation. We celebrated with not only Communion but dinner and a dance party. 

Favorite God Moment:

1. My Ocean Baptism and the final step of healing and cleansing from the past. 

This one probably deserves a post of its own and I do plan to make one, its really an update on my engagement to the King. BUT here’s a little glimpse of why I chose to get re-baptized in the grand Pacific in Jaco, Costa Rica. Although I know I received the Holy Spirit into my life when I was baptized at 14, a lot has happened since then. Honestly, I’ve let the world creep into my my head, and heart and life more than I should have. I’ve certainly verbally repented and felt renewed mentally, I hadn’t felt like my body was. Being baptized was a physical representation that I am choosing to claim this renewal for my entire body, mind and soul. It’s a proclamation that I want to live God’s way and not my way. 

Favorite Places:

1. The River 

Everyone knows I love rivers. I love rafting but there’s so much more a river can represent and do. Being in flowing fresh water somehow just refreshes my soul.

2. The Beach

I honestly don’t love swimming in the ocean but I am in awe of how vast it is. The beach is such a good place to find yourself in awe of God’s creation of you and everything under the sun and stars. Consider the number of fish in the sea or the number of grains of sand on the shore. 

3. The Quarantine House

The house we found ourselves during such an unexpected time gave us a space to come back to life. Beyond that it allowed us room to build our team and come together in unity. We shared so many stories of our past, prayed and prepared for the ministry on the other side. 

Favorite Hammock Spot:

1. The Quarantine Balcony

Yep. You read that right. I did get to hammock on the balcony overlooking the town of Turrialba most nights. It was just what the doctor ordered I’m pretty sure. 

Favorite Exercise: 

1. Running

Let’s be honest, this might be my favorite exercise every month unless I find a gym to pump my arms in. Lol. I actually really do enjoy running. It allowed us to explore the city and the mountains and communities we spent time in. I was also able to run with my teammates and it was really sweet but also sweaty to do together. I’m thankful for my teammates and their encouragement to stay active. We have to fight off those rice calories somehow. 

 

Favorite Coffee Shop:

1. Panaderia Merayo, Turrialba

This coffee shop was so darling. AND it offered so many freshly made sweet options. We really couldn’t go wrong stopping in here. 

 

Favorite Views:

1. Bus Rides 

Call me crazy but every time I get on a bus I get excited about all of the sights I get to see. I’m fascinated by God’s creation and everything in it. Bus rides are such a sweet opportunity to take it all in. Window seat is preferred of course. 

2. Quarantine Balcony

From overlooking the city by day or night to seeing the sunrise, we just couldn’t go wrong spending time out on the balcony. I mean, wouldn’t you?

3. Ants

Okay, maybe we were really bored or really sick BUT we did get really fascinated by the ants. In Costa Rica, the ants literally go marching two by two, hurrah! Hurrah! Just think about it with me for a minute, they follow each other on a path everyday carrying leaves on their backs bigger than they are. They drop them in a pile before the rain and run for cover. They travel at different paces based on whatever they must be sensing. It’s really its own blog to explain, maybe even a book, we’ll see!

4. Volcano

Literally, run by a freaking volcano!!! How cool is that?! I’m still not really sure how a volcano works but I’m impressed to have been so close to one. 

5. Jaco Beach 

From running on the beach, to worship and prayer, to good conversations and beautiful sunsets, the memories made are stamped in my mind for good. 

*I know I was only supposed to pick one for each category and maybe I’ll try to again next month BUT I’m not really sure how I could do that. This month was just SO good. 

 

XOXO, 

Sav