Pensamientos

I was struck today about how I've transitioned into life here in Costa Rica, and how even in the midst of difficult days, God was faithful to provide for my every need. I've come to love it here, something I had decided not to do before I arrived, and there is a part of me that will grieve to leave, even with all the anticipation of arriving at the place it has taken me nearly two years to get to. I tried really hard not to enjoy people too much, and to not get too involved. Unfortunately God created me with a desire to love people and be involved in their lives, so my plan did not work out too well. But as always, God's perfect plan is better than mine, and it will be far better for me to grieve the loss of new friendships and this unique culture, than to shake the dust of Costa Rica from my feet. Praise God for these people, and this culture. I feel like I've "learned" a lot of lessons here. God has given me insight into how He created me, and has nurtured me through healing different areas of my life that were broken. He has allowed me to experience Him in some very unique ways, and He has forced me to trust Him when I try to look for provision in other places.

Sometimes it's funny to me how much I love the Latin culture. Sometimes I wish that God had created me differently, so that I would fit in more easily here. I know that there will be aspects of this culture that I will bring home with me at the end of my ministry, and I realize that there will always be a little Latina inside of me. But something unique that God has done in the midst of being here, is open my eyes to the blessing of being exactly who He created me to be: a gringa. I will probably never speak Spanish with a flawless accent, and no matter how tan I get, my green eyes will always give me away. But these things ultimately do not matter because in spite of being a gringa, God has blessed me with this chance to live and serve in Latin America. What a gracious and awesome God!