First Night of Mission

We decided to sleep before we posted anything, because we had nineteen hours of travel and then ministry. But here we are! Our missionaries Roberto and Michelle Perez picked us up at the airport in San Jose, bringing us some food and helping us pack all of our luggage on top of the big vans that would take us to the jungle for a night service in a small village. 

We drove through San Jose and then up into the jungle, tractor trailers whizzing by us and the sporadic rain hitting the windshield.

One of the vans stopped for fresh jungle fruit, called rambutan, but known as momochinos in Costa Rican culture. It's got a spiky outer casing, and that casing pops open to reveal an egg-looking fruit coated in a gelatinous goo. They taste sweet and sour!

After dropping our luggage off at our small motel, and taking a fifteen minute break to slap on some deodorant and wash our faces, we headed out to the jungle for some ministry. The road looks a little different, doesn't it? 

We climbed out of the vans and some men from the local church took us through the village, where we invited people to the church service. We brought glow sticks and soccer balls, and asked them in our little meager Spanish to come to church at six o'clock. 

The houses are simple shacks. 

It was so different, going house to house asking people to attend a church service. It was a little intimidating! 

The Ticos definitely know how to play soccer; the young guys can do tricks, and of course our team guys joined in. 

Our missionary Roberto opened up the service, and then the worship team sang some songs. A few of them, we knew in English. 

We stood up and danced around during the songs. We wanted to get that church up and moving! 

We even got some kids to come up to the front, to sing and clap with us. 

We did the Cupid Shuffle, which the kids loved. 

We made a conga line and got kid after kid to join in. 

Our team shared two skits, one about being caught in sin and set free, and another about trying to fit in and then realizing Jesus gives us our identity. Some of our team shared their stories of how they were saved by Jesus and set free from their sin, and Jeanette shared a message. She explained to the group that we can get caught in sin, but we are saved from that by a God that loves us and made us, and calls us His children. There was an altar call, and the church's pastor asked the people to come forward if they wanted prayer. It was slow at first, but we didn't need to doubt God, because people began to come forward, arms lifted, going after God. Team members moved in to pray over them. 

This lady asked for prayer for her back pain. As the team laid hands and prayed for her, one of the team members felt three cracks along her lower back as if bones were getting shifted. The team member asked her if she had felt anything and the lady said she felt heat in her back and her pain was gone. Praise God, she was healed!

God was there, in that small open church room. 

God was there, in that small open church room. Last night was just the beginning. 

(Written by Kayla Petersen)