Hello everyone! Madison and Abby here. A couple of us started our fourth day in Costa Rica by going on a run. This was an amazing experience to be able to see the scenery and the calm of the morning in Costa Rica. The rest of us woke up to a delicious breakfast of pancakes, hash browns, sausage, fresh fruit, bread, and orange juice. Breakfast was followed by a devotional led by Matt about having compassion and grace for one another as the week goes on.
Today’s agenda was a bit different. We traveled to a local public school where we were able to help beautify the school grounds. Although it was a Saturday and class was not in session, we were able to serve God and the community by pulling weeds, painting tables, and cleaning up around the outdoor area. This particular school is not given government funding, so it is difficult for them to keep up with the maintenance of the grounds. We found this more rewarding than we would have ever expected knowing that what we accomplished would bless so many people and help keep this school open.
Around noon we headed back to the AMCA house for another delicious meal. Today’s lunch consisted of fried fish, mashed potatoes, vegetables, brownies, and fruit punch. Shortly after, we headed out on the town to do some shopping at a local market. We spent time looking at all the trinkets and were able to purchase some souvenirs.
From the market, we traveled back to the public school and had the privilege of playing games and connecting with a local youth group. We started our time together with a competitive game of penny tag which is similar to flag football in the sense that each team is trying to grab each other’s pennies or “flags.” Next, we spread out around the school grounds full of different hallways and hiding spots perfect for a fun game of capture the flag. It was a close game but the orange team seized the victory.
Following our game of capture the flag, we all piled into the bus to travel to a local church. We had the opportunity to have great conversations with the youth group members over some delicious desserts. The youth group members shared with us a powerful message and blessed us with a gift to always remind us of God’s presence in our lives. We are looking forward to heading back to this church tomorrow to worship the Lord with some of our new friends.
We arrived back at the AMCA house to another amazing dinner of burritos with beef, black beans, and pico de gallo. Dinner was followed by testimonies from Jonas, Jennaka, and Hannah. We were able to further connect with God and one another through their stories. We continued our Bible study with a discussion of the third commandment. This fun day concluded with a continuation of our discussion of conspiracy theories. We are all excited for another fun and fulfilling day ahead of us tomorrow.