Costa Rica Bound!

In just a matter of days now, I will be jumping on a plane to Costa Rica!

Why, you might ask.  Well, for many reasons - the tropical climate, the beauty, the mangoes, the soursop, the adventure, to get away from work for a while.  I will enjoy all of that, but the main reason for going is because of the opportunity to experience an Exposure Trip with Yobel.

Their approach has opened many doors in hard to reach countries

Yobel International is a non-profit here in Colorado Springs.  Their vision is "Empowering communities to pursue the hope of freedom and abundant life." They do this through a variety of ways, one of them being business training to encourage entrepreneurship and small business development around the world.  They have seen that this can set people free from poverty and the risk of unjust labor.  The greatest part is that they are driven by a desire to follow the teachings of Jesus to love our neighbors and set the captives free.

Graduates of another Yobel business training

So, June 22-27, my team of 9 of women will be traveling to San Jose together to train about 30 women who live in a neighborhood of inner-city San Jose that has been left behind as the rest of the city succeeds.  It needs some revitalization.  The women are primarily single mothers, many of whom have a history of abuse and some coming from a background of prostitution.  A woman who goes by Dona Isabela has been working with the group of women in this area for years to build relationships with them and invest in their lives.  Dona Isabela owns her own sewing business, but she realizes that not all women want to sew.  Her dream is that these women would be able to live out their own dreams through entrepreneurship.  She would really like to eventually have a coop where women can come sew, be hairdressers, bakers, or pursue any other dreams they may have that would benefit them and the community.  Talk about setting the captives free, proclaiming good news to the poor, and release from darkness.  She heard about Yobel's business training and invited us to come and deliver it to her friends.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for these women!

We are also partnering with Food for the Hungry Costa Rica.  A couple in San Jose runs the organization to provide food services and after school programs for children in the neighborhood we will be working it.  They will be another connection in the community as they already know the mothers and can help us navigate a new culture.

I write all of this and give you all this background because I know how important it is to have as much prayer support as possible.  Prayer always precedes God doing mighty things!  So I'm asking you to partner with me.    Here are some prayer points:

• Safe travel to, from, and in Costa Rica
• Good health for the whole team so that we can all be fully present at the training
• That the women's hearts and minds would be prepared for what God is going to do through the training
• That the training would not only equip them with essential skills for starting a business, but also bring them hope, joy, life, and freedom
• Unity for our team - none of us knew each other prior to this trip
• That meaningful relationships would be built
• For childcare so that the women can focus on the training and not worry about their kids
• That God will do mighty things beyond our imagination in the lives of these women that in turn transforms their community!

I am getting so excited just writing this out and thinking about next week.  I cannot wait to see what happens and be able to share it with you.  Thank you in advance for your covering of prayer.  It is always such a blessing to know that people are supporting you from all over the world.

I will also be staying for a second week just to explore and enjoy more of Costa Rica.  Might as well once you're there, right?!  My awesome mom and dad will be coming down to join me for that week, so you can continue to pray for our time together too.

I will leave you with this.  You may have noticed I've been using bits and pieces of this passage throughout, but here it is in full.  This is what it's all about.  This is what Jesus came to do.  It could also be a good passage for leading your prayers:

Isaiah 61

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;

foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,

you will be named ministers of our God.

You will feed on the wealth of nations,

and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of your shame

you will receive a double portion,

and instead of disgrace

you will rejoice in your inheritance.

And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,

and everlasting joy will be yours.

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;

I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

In my faithfulness I will reward my people

and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations

and their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge

that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness

and praise spring up before all nations.