On March 28th a team of 21 made our way to Alajuelita, Costa Rica. When we were planning out the trip we really encouraged our team to be flexible. We wanted to go and be willing to serve in any way.
After arriving in Costa Rica, 6:8 Ministries put us to work right away. They gave us a tour of the city of Alajuelita and challenged us to pray over some of the most drug-ridden areas and for some of the local churches. They let us know that their goal for us while we were there was to be “100% safe and 50% comfortable.” They wanted us to serve the community and love the people in it even when it wasn’t the most comfortable thing to do.
While we were there we were able to bless the community both spiritually and tangibly. One morning we were able to purchase bags of fruits and vegetables from a local produce stand and go into a slum and bless families with this food. While we were there we prayed over the families and asked that the Lord would reign over their homes. Later on in the week we went back to the same area and helped a local church with a feeding program for some of the local children. We worshiped along side of them and listened to a message about how our God is greater than any super hero. Then we handed out bowls of food so that those children could eat.
Our students were able to work hard and get dirty as we made our way to the Children’s Ranch; a place being constructed to care for vulnerable children. One of our tasks was to carry up from the river, rocks that ranged between “grape fruit sized and guava sized” and place them strategically to create irrigation for the septic system of the ranch. We were also able to mow and clear the area surrounding the property so that those living there could be a little more comfortable.
Our students encouraged us and each other more than we could have ever imagined. God started to break our hearts not only for those in Costa Rica but also for those in Fort Myers. As we were doing prayer walks and serving the community, some of the students began asking why we weren’t doing this in Fort Myers?
Now that we have we returned, we ask that you would pray that our students would not lose their passion to share the Gospel and serve others. Pray that we would remember that the same God that is in Costa Rica is the God of Fort Myers.
We want to sincerely thank all of you for your prayers and support while we were on our trip. We saw God do some amazing things in the hearts of our students while we were there. Thank you for supporting and encouraging our students to live on mission.
Sincerely,
Matt Cantwell
For more information on 6:8 Ministries, you can visit their website.
