Hope Missionary Church – July 12-16
Sunday, July 12 – We had the privilege of attending church @ Pastor Gabriel’s church in Los Guido. They were very gracious hosts and allowed several of our students to share their testimonies. I shared with the church what God had been teaching our group about stepping out of our comfort zones from the life of Peter. In the afternoon we did some souvenir shopping and were able to buy some gifts for family and friends.
Monday, July 13 – We experienced the zip line and some hiking at Fossil Land. God’s creation is truly amazing. What a fun adventure we had! In the afternoon we went sightseeing in Cartago and visited the bascillica there. It was a very good day experiencing some of the sights and sounds of Costa Rica.
Tuesday, July 14 – We were blown away by the experience of distributing tracts in the plaza. The majority of people willingly accepted the gospel tracts and many stopped to read them right there in the plaza! We distributed 4,000 tracts that morning. We pray that God will use those tracts to plant seeds of truth in the hearts of those who took the time to read them. In the afternoon we went to the orphanage and played with/loved on the kids. Most of the boys wanted to play soccer and most of the girls played games etc. It was a good day spending time with those who have been overlooked by so many others.
Wednesday, July 15 – We had our first VBS experience and we were overwhelmed by the number of kids. The host church was very gracious and did their best to help us. We felt ill prepared yet God still used our stories, crafts, songs and games. In the afternoon we went to a small park and tried to minister to the kids there. Things got off to a slow start but God was faithful and brought us some kids. We played four square with the boys and did face painting with the girls. And before we left, several of our students shared their testimonies with the kids at the park. It was another good day of ministry.
Thursday, July 16 – God is good. He provided a second chance for VBS ministry at the church in Los Guido. I’m not sure if things could have gone any better. We made some adjustments to the games and crafts and they were much more effective. We really enjoyed the staff of volunteers at the church and had a sweet time of celebration and worship with them after all the children left. It was a special morning for our group. In the afternoon we went to “the hole” – the poorest place in Los Guido. It was a humbling experience for all of us. We did some visitation and food distribution with Pastor Gabriel. It was the best day of the week by far.
Rob Witzig
Youth Pastor
Hope Missionary Church
Bluffton, Indiana
