Primer Mes

Primer mes :

It has been one crazy month. I would be lying if I said the transition was easy and full of joy, It. Was. Not. I was so thrown off by the fact that the first month was filled with anxiety, tears, and wondering if I made the right choice in giving up my life to move to Costa Rica and teach. It wasn’t until I finally got it in my head, that I am not here for myself. I am here because the Lord called me and I am choosing to move forward in faith. Moving into a house that smelled of fish, left with a mini college fridge and ant invasions was what filled my first week here. I have never lived on my own so doing so in a foreign country  was a lot to take in at once. Dealing with the language barrier, culture shock and not having the comforts of home was definitely difficult. Transitioning to a laid back lifestyle and embracing the environment I’m in has been a learning process. But I don’t want to focus on the hard things that happened this past month; instead I want to speak about how God has shown up in my times of weakness. The first week I would wake up every day and sob, crying out to God asking why I was feeling despair instead of joy. I was so confused by these emotions as I was expecting “The Honeymoon” stage of culture shock when I moved here. I was not expecting to be so heartbroken over the loss of home. During the moments of doubt, when I cried out to God, he was always faithful and showed up in the most meaningful ways. I have been learning the true meaning of drawing close to God and trusting him with every little thing. Before I moved here, I was really sad about leaving some of my best friends. I prayed that God would send me one good friend that is my age and that I could be myself with. After the first week, I became close with a local tica who also had moved from the city of San Jose to Uvita. It was an instant friendship. She is an answer to my prayer. As we listen to the Reggaton music and share laughs about our day over una cerveza I know she is a literal answer to prayer. I see God move in the birds I hear chirping outside my window every day and in the breathtaking sunset over the beach. When I went surfing for the first time (which was a check off of my bucket list) I looked out over the water and saw the vibrant green trees, birds flying overhead as my legs dangled in the warm salty water and thought, thank you Jesus, you know how to romance my heart. I have learned to really press into the moments of stillness and rest in knowing that HE is enough for me. It is a daily battle but I am confident that the Lord has me here for a reason and I am excited to see his heart for me here.

Now, on top of all the emotional roller coaster stuff, which has been like 85% of my brain this past month, there have been some incredible,”Omg  I’m in Costa Rica and loving it moments”. I have been enjoying every moment spent with Jill and Don, a couple from my church, as we have been gallivanting around Uvita and Costa Rica together. Just last weekend we visited Drake bay and took in some incredible jungle sights, pristine clear water and fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean waves. I have enjoyed sitting at the beach and swimming in this incredible warm water. The animals here are incredible and the I always smile when I see a red macaw fly by. The church I am apart of here is filled with passionate peoplße that are hungry for the Lord. I was able to visit the all girls oprhanege and share my testimony with them, I have been minstering ot the students in my classroom with EXTREME patience, and am now helping with worship at my church Iglesia De La Costa. But in every season, God has been faithful and teaching me to rest in His love.