Costa Rica, day 2

This week, I’m leading a missions team to Costa Rica to support The Abraham Project, and two full-time missionaries that we (Grace Community Church) sent here to Costa Rica, Jason and Kerby Harpst. I’ll be blogging daily about our progress here.

So I played soccer for the first time in 15 years.

I also played soccer for the last time I’ll play in 15 years.

I got roasted. I did score the most goals for all the ‘gringos,’ but I think I’ve had my fill.

Today was our first work day. We’re clearing a field that’s been used as an outdoor soccer field for decades. We’re prepping it for concrete. The whole project, concrete and all, will be done by March. Which may sound crazy, except that it’s all being done by hand. What would take a day and a half with a Bobcat will take months by hand. Back home, I built a patio in my backyard by hand, doing the exact same prep work that I’m doing here. Except that my backyard patio is 10’x16′. This field is at least 100’x100′.

Working alongside the Costa Ricans has been great. Working through a combination of broken English/Spanish must be humorous for the Costa Ricans, but makes me want to learn Spanish.

The foreman on site, Oruca, has an amazing story of faith, having fallen over 200 feet while working at the Abraham Project to what should have been his death. He was rushed to the hospital, woke up, and asked his friend, who drove him, “Am I in heaven?” Turns out that his fall, which included crashing through two roofs, left him with only a few bruises. Which meant that the next day, he was expected back at the worksite.

Oruca runs a tight ship. But he’s a great man of God, with a deep faith. He’s consistently ministering to people who are deeply entrenched in gangs and drug trafficking. In fact, one of the guys he’s been ministering to came to church on Sunday. He heard the sermon I prepared, and “las cadenas se desprendió” (translation: “the chains came off.”) I tell you this not to brag, because I didn’t preach my sermon. It must have been God working.

I prepared the sermon. Byron Wolfe delivered it. Joseph translated it. And God was working through the whole thing. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Well, it’s on to supper. We’re throwing Jason and Kerby Harpst a baby shower tonight. They don’t know it’s coming. And believe me…they deserve a surprise. They’re working their tails off here, and are absolute super stars, ministering hope and life to children that the world has said don’t deserve anything. And last time I checked, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

¡hasta mañana