Well, we´re now into our 2nd week of outreach and the time has gone so fast. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, what we´ve seen of it! We had a day off today, a little rest from all the hard work we´ve been doing. Yesterday, the time was full...our backs are physically feeling the pain. We jumped in yesterday with a community project in the neighborhood of San Miguel, its a community about 20 minutes out of San Jose. A concrete street is being poured in response to the people´s questions to the government. The municipality responded with giving materials to this community but required of the people to build it themself. Its a good way to get the people themselves involved, however the response has been few. We just about doubled the team of mostly middle aged men that are working diligently to see this project completed. Its a neighborhood, most Nicaraguans that have migrated to Costa Rica, not having proper papers. Some don´t own the land that they´ve built on but are like squatters, claiming land on this side of the mountain. The common problems that plague this neighborhood are drugs and young people being pulled away from families. They´re are a number of single mothers....

The first time JUCUM (YWAM) joined the man leading the project, he was confused by the kind regards of the missionaries. He didn´t understand why people would come and help and want nothing, no payment to do this hard work. He seemed especially intrigued by foreigners giving of their time to come to this place and do this work. It´s a real story of the love of God, having the opportunity to serve selflessly. Yesterday, we almost fully completed one side of the road, although there´s more work to do. We hope to join these guys one more time while in Costa Rica.

We´ve also had the great opportunity to serve the homeless, one night bringing food to people sleeping on the streets and also serving in a homeless shelter. This is downtown San Jose, the stories are numerous of how they ended in these situations. Some were educated professionals, others alcoholics and drug addicts...the possibilities are endless. I met this one old man, a precious grandpa type, with joy in his eyes. He has 4 children with grandchildren but only sees them every couple months. When I asked him why, the answer was because he´s an alcoholic. I know there´s so many stories and people all over the world are similiar, holding things more dear than what their priorities should be. In our eyes, sometimes it seems so simple, ¨Just STOP!¨ But we don´t function like that, its in our sin that Christ died for us and I see that so clearly.

I ask for your prayers, on Sunday we head 4 hours south of San Jose...the team will be participating in an outdoor wilderness adventure called NIKO. Its hardcore, very particular and we´ve heard pieced but the full experience can´t be revealed to us. Pray that God gives us strength emotionally, physically and spiritually. We will be joining the DTS group here and a youth group from Costa Rica. There will be a lot of challenges...ones we´ve never seen before...ahhhhh!!!

Love you all...