¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

Hi friends!! For the second time in my life, I am writing an update after newly settling into costa rica for the next three months!! I wanted to just write a quick update on what travel days, ministry, and life look like here in Costa! 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last year and a half, it’s that nothing usually works out the way it’s planned. Traveling to costa rica was no exception. 30 members of Gap D, along with myself and the rest of our leadership team, arrived in Georgia on January 5th to get ready to launch. We spent two days in Georgia receiving last minute risk and safety training, obtaining yet ANOTHER round of negative covid tests, and spending time in prayer over our travel and our time out of country. On the 8th, we were off. Despite getting to the ATL airport eight hours early, we still almost missed our 7am flight after a combination of getting dropped off at the wrong terminal & having unforeseen difficulties at the checkin counter (but shoutout to our amazing logistics team—Chloe, Ben, and Kaylin. Y’all killed it and we wouldn’t have made it without you!). We had a five hour layover in Miami before landing in Costa Rica around 4pm local time.

The first few days here were filled with cultural & ministry orientations. The wonderful base staff gave our squad a walking tour of the area, and laid out expectations for what it will look like to navigate missions in our community during a pandemic. After almost five days in country, we finally got introduced to our new ministry. We are working with Til He Returns, locally known as the Hope Project (el proyecto esperanza). It is an organization that focuses on bringing the inner city community of San José to Jesus through community outreach and asset-based-participatory-aid to begin sustainable cycles for families to provide for themselves. I am SO incredibly excited to partner with this ministry. We are currently walking through some intensive training before we get thrown into any of the four areas of outreach that the ministry center provides. I will post a ministry update after our first full week of hands-on ministry. 

Other than that, Gap D has been spending their time settling into and falling in love with their new home, playing loads of card games together, and spending time with the Father. Man oh man it’s good to be back in this country. It’s so good of the Lord to bring me here and to trust me to lead two teams of 11 beautiful women. It’s so sweet to look back on who I was the last time I was here, and be able to thank God for the radical transformation that He’s worked in my life since then. The kind of transformation that comes from the renewing of your mind, and that I could never have worked in myself without the grace and love that Abba so freely gives. I’m constantly praying and inviting all of you to pray for the same kind of radical transformation in the lives of each and every human on Gap D. Praying and believing big things are in store for us and the people of Costa Rica! Holy Spirit come on! We’re ready for ya! 

Thanks for keeping up with me and Gap D! I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of sharing the story of what God is doing in the world (thanks Evan Dias & Kati Simpson for the inspo!). It’s an honor every day to be here and to live this life. 

until next time, 

nicole