My squad has been in Costa Rica for four weeks now. It’s an all-squad month, which means all three teams are living together in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle! We are doing all kinds of things on this farm like painting, building, mixing concrete, organizing, etc. We are currently involved in a lot of manual labor. On Saturdays we get the honor of doing a kids ministry in a neighboring town.
Living in the jungle creates for an interesting life! This Costa Rican farm involves a lot of bugs, creatures of all sorts, and all around chaos. We have a few rats that we can spot running on the roof beams and we keep finding more. We’ve been eating a lot of rice and beans.
In the past couple of weeks we’ve experienced termites, newborn baby mice under sheets, and bug bites of all kinds (I got 57 bug bites the first week!). We go to sleep hearing geicos clicking and wake up to monkeys screaming in the jungle. We’ve gotten to play soccer, do spontaneous worship sessions, see nature in a new light.
We’re currently not in rainy season, which means we try to save as much water as possible. This means flushing only when you poop and turning the water off when soaping up in the shower. We do laundry, hang it on the line, and pray that it doesn’t rain while our stuff is drying.
We are living completely unplugged. The only time we can connect with the world is when we go into town thirty minutes away.
It’s definitely not easy here on the farm. I find myself exhausted and drained most of the time. My body hurts from the manual labor. I’m still itching from all the bug bites. I’m sweating as soon as I step out of the shower. BUT, being so disconnected from the world helps me remember what’s important. I can’t hide behind my phone or computer. I can’t use work or my favorite tv show to distract me.
I’m learning to focus on intimacy with the Father. Being stripped away of all the distractions pushes me into further intimacy with Him.
This month has been hard. It’s peaceful and chaotic all at once. It’s challenging me and teaching me. I’m learning more about myself and the people around me. And I’m excited to see what else God has to say.
