Filed under: Uncategorized
Hey everyone—this is a guest blog from one of our teens, Lindsey Gardner - she’s on our Costa Trip…..17 years old and living out the kingdom of God.
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Yesterday, after a long hike and going shopping in San Jose, we got off the bus to head to the team house for rest. But God had different plans. On our walk home we ran into a young Tico, as the locals call themselves, named Wagner. He was 18 years old and looked like he weighed about 100 pounds, his face covered in shame and guilt which broke our hearts. So we invited him to come back to the team house to have a pow wow with the fellow. He told us that he hadn’t been home in 15 days because he was afraid to go home and felt like he was going to be killed over 10 dollars he owed someone for drugs. While talking to him he kept his head down and it seemed as if he had tears in his eyes. Boldy he made these confessions in front of everyone at the team house. Compassionately we gave him a meal and provided him with money for a bus ticket to come back today. Also the team prayed for wisdom and salvation over him. We had sympathy but he had to earn the money.
Waking up this morning, coming down the stairs, there was Wagner washing two cars. Like it says in scripture, whatever is concealed cannot be healed, after confessing yesterday his face was brighter and his head wasn’t hanging today. When he finished we gave him shoes and the ten dollars. Love, compassion and mercy is all it was. God Bless.
Lindsey
Adios amigos
Filed under: Celebration Church, Youth Ministry | Tags: 3 crosses, costa rica, hike, mission trip
yesterday we went to the top of a mountain here overlooking san jose costa rica. pictures will be coming soon. i encourage you to check our live trip blog and it’s flickr page for tons of pics!
i’ve experienced a healing moment on this trip. i injured my back recently with all the hurricane bertha mad waves, and for 3 weeks i just wanted to somehow pop it and feel relief. on this trip, i’ve had to take tons of ibuprofen and even some easy-to-obtain-in-costarica-muscle relaxers. yesterday, we hit the mountain, and i was still feeling some of that pain. a couple of students prayed for me, just as the team and my wife have numerous times recently.
the climb was rigorous…the mountain was 7400 feet up, and were at 3000 here. the hike in all was 4 miles. on the way down, it started raining, i slipped and fell down a path, and my back popped 3 times….just like i’ve been needing it to.
about an hour later, on the last half of the descent, we came up on one of our interns…she had twisted both ankles …. so i hoisted her up on my back and carried her down the mountain while rachel carried her stuff. in the tough passages, i put her down and she stuck close for bracing. thank God…i never could have alternated the piggyback ride and fireman’s carry had i not fell earlier on that path!
we begin our return tomorrow. i have so many emotions i don’t know where to start. thank you for your prayers.
