What to Wear on a Mission Trip

Would you believe me if I said clothing can hold people back from serving in missions? It’s true though. The two questions that are repeated to me most when planning mission trips are: For anyone who has served others, whether locally or globally, these are hardly the most important questions to ask! Nevertheless, they often […]

Today I Taught Spanish

Today I taught Spanish. To be more clear, I substitute taught for a Spanish class.  Usually as a substitute teacher, there’s a pretty low expectation set. This is especially true when I go in to sub for a teacher or class I’ve never been in before. I’m expected to take attendance, maintain order in the […]

Eye Surgery for Carlos

Meet Carlos.  He works at Faithful Servant Missions as the Recreation Supervisor. When you visit the mission, you’ll usually see him running around with the children and a whistle. He organizes games, teams, challenges, and more for students of all ages. He gives kids a place to play safely and carefree in a community that sees […]

Tension

It took three weeks, but I finally felt a disconnect between my mind and my body.  I’ve been pretty intentional about taking care of myself and honoring my limits while I’m in Costa Rica. I knew this was going to be a marathon and not a sprint. So I’ve sat out of certain activities to […]

Shopping!

One of my favorite things to watch when I’m scrolling on TikTok is how people in other countries live. Seeing locals and expats walk around their towns is so fascinating! I love noticing the differences in how life is set up, especially things like streets, transportation, and stores.  So when the head teacher asked if […]

Encounter

When you go on a mission trip, to church camp, to a worship conference, or even just to regular Sunday morning service, there’s an expectation that you’ll meet with God. We should expect to encounter God through these events! But we should also expect to experience God’s love in the daily, simple moments at home. […]

Growing in Faith

On my last trip to Costa Rica, one of my favorite experiences was sitting in on the adults’ English class. The teacher, Johan, works with both kids and adults in the community. He primarily teaches English, but his classroom also houses a computer lab. Here, students of all ages learn basic computer skills including programs […]

Sabbath on a Mission Trip

If you’ve been around my corner of the internet for even a few days, you’ve probably read something about slowing down, rest, or Sabbath. This is perhaps the only spiritual practice that I lean toward legalism on. But for me, this is necessary.  An intentional time each week of resting with God is as necessary […]

Rainbow

Everything in Costa Rica is beautiful. At every turn there’s a mountain, tree canopy, cotton candy clouds, and vibrant flowers.  Yet I’m still amazed at the neverending gifts of God through the nature he created here.  A simple rain shower is more beautiful against the backdrop of luscious greenery.  The setting sun sets the sky […]

BOGO Fro-Yo

I’ve been in Costa Rica for one week now, and I’ve noticed a few things seem to be loved no matter the culture: Wednesday is BOGO day at one of the local frozen yogurt shops! So my friend Victoria (read her story in the EMPOWERED journal), my friend Jenny (one of the FSM staff), and […]