Another week has passed here in beautiful Costa Rica and we have enjoyed every day. We spend our mornings painting a building on the compound of Centro Modelo with the plans to have it ready for youth to come from around Costa Rica for future retreats. We work alongside the Officers and men while we paint and take these opportunities to hear about their lives as well as share a bit of ours with them. There’s no doubt about it, we feel at home here in Costa Rica. We have been taken care of so well, shown love beyond belief, and have shared so many laughs with everyone.
In the afternoon and evenings our schedule has varied. We have spent time in Junior Home League, lead dances, Bible Studies, and devotional time with the people of the corps. We even had the chance to pick limes from their lime garden. It rains everyday here so we plan with flexibility depending on the weather.
Lieutenants Nolberto and Xiomara (Cuerpo Concepcion & Centro Modelo Officers) took us to a house visitation last week to a corps member who has been ill. We met with her and her family, prayed with her, sang songs, and Lt. Xiomara shared a word with her from scripture.
During our breaks we spend our times playing games with the people here. These are more times when we have bonded with the people here at the Corps and Centro. Everyone gets into the games. So much so that sometimes it ends in excitement with Lt. Xiomara jumping over the table in hopes of grasping the last spoon, or Shannon competing with one of the men searching around tables to find the hidden object.
Last Sunday was a united worship service with three local corps, Cuerpo Concepcion, Vargas Arayas, & Sagrada Familia, and the College For Officers Training. The service was filled with praise and worship, dances, and special numbers. Kaleigh and Shannon participated in a timbrel routine with the girls of Concepcion and some Cadets from the Training College. In the service there were enrollments of junior soldiers, adherents, senior soldiers, and local officers. We witnessed one of the men from the Centro sign his covenant to become a soldier. It was a proud moment for us all, and we are so thankful that we were able to be a part of that moment with him. It was a beautiful morning when all cultures, backgrounds, and languages fled and we all worshipped as one body. Many eyes were on us as were we some of the first Americans some of the children from the other corps had seen. We took time to talk with them a bit and take a photo with them.
We have been blessed over and over again and we are so excited to continue our time and service here in Costa Rica.
