Costa Rica as best I can

I'm home! At least physically; mentally, emotionally and spiritually I'm screaming to be back there. I will start by telling you that if I wrote 10,000 words here you would never fully understand what it is like at Hogar De Vida unless you experienced it yourself. The closest explanation that was ever given to me was that it's like a blanket of God lays over that place and yet some how that seems to fall too short.

I'm amazed at how much can happen in a short week. The days just crept by but the week itself went so fast. The friendships and bonds that were woven into something beautiful in that short time will never break. I woke up this morning in my own bed next to the most amazing man in the world and yet a part of me missed rolling over and hearing "good morning Miss Lisa" from Katie. I missed seeing Susan all snuggled up in a hoodie and blanket spending quiet time with the Lord. I missed the glow of Rachel as she returned from the Rancho with her prayer blanket. The coffee that Sue had all prepared waiting for us. There's little things from each team member that became a comforting normal each day that I missed this morning.

However, what I missed most about this morning, was that ever present feeling that my God is watching over me and that He is truly in my waking up and in my lying down. That feeling as though his hand is over mine as I pull back the blankets and set my feet on the floor. The unrelenting yearning that there is nothing more important that I need to do other than to just spend time with Him and the feeling that no matter what I do, be it immersed in His word, face on the ground in prayer, spending time with the children or painting the mural, it would be spending time with Him. Nothing I did down there was separate from my God, EVERYTHING was of Him. It wasn't a conscious decision so much as it just was.

There were lots of things that God did while I was there, yes we painted a mural and yes we played with children and did many other things, but where the most work was done was in my heart and in my relationship with my Lord. There were things that He did that if I had not decided to be obedient in all things and embrace this trip that I would have missed out on.

 My husband in his awesomeness sent me down with about 5 different sealed envelopes. Each one labeled with a "open if you...." message. This is the only one that I did not open. It wasn't that there were no big bugs to be seen, on the contrary, big bugs and scorpions. However, God in his mercy protected me from my fear of bugs and each time put someone who wasn't afraid between me and the bug to kill it before I ever saw it. I was sad not to open this one to see what clever witty saying he wrote and his encouragement for me, but I was totally okay with not seeing the bugs. Another way that God showed His love for me, that He cares about the little things and the big things.

Another fear of mine was ziplining. I am not a fan of heights in the least and I won't lie to you, this was way out of my comfort zone and I did it with great trepidation. Each platform was a step in faith, (there were 12) as I sat and leaned back and zoomed over the tree tops. If ever there was a reason to recite every Bible verse you've ever dedicated to memory this was it. (I think I even threw in a "God is good, God is great and we thank Him for this food LOL) However, in the end, my God was faithful and kept me safe. A side note, the hanging upside down line was the easiest and best one for me. Not sure why, but I was the least afraid on this one.

If I had to sum up what I learned in this trip in one main lesson, it would be this: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your path. Proverbs 3:5-6. I spent time on my knees this week in repentance for not trusting in Him to make straight my path, for leaning on my own understanding. How could I have ever doubted Him?

 Although I know there are probably a few who are itching to throw out that "I told you so", I ask you to pause and ask yourself if I could've known all this without having been there myself? To that I can now answer an emphatic "not on your life!" So I encourage all that have considered going, to seriously pray about it and if God gives the blessing to you, go, it will be an experience you never forget and one that will forever change you.