Missions: Costa Rica

Hi everyone! Story Time: Samson and Delilah As I mentioned in my last post, we've been working with short-term groups from the States! From June to August, we're expecting several groups that will be serving with Christ for the city for a short period of time. Just last week, I met 2 groups, one from Indiana and another from California. This group from California was from a Korean church in southern California. It was such a pleasure to serve with them. Several spoke Japanese or have visited Japan so it was a very interesting experience! Being here in Costa Rica, I rarely get to interact with people from Japan (or even Asia for that matter), so I'm always thankful for these opportunities I get to have. However, one of the difficulties I face when working with groups is the fact that the kids behave differently. Many kids have learning disabilities or behavioral disorder, as it is the tendency for those residing in the slum area. This can make it very hard for t...

Hello everyone! It has been a while since I post here! It's been a hectic 2 weeks since my time in the States. Here's what has been going on for the past weeks. 2 other volunteers have joined us, and they are staying with my host family, which means it's a FULL HOUSE. It has been great having more people in the house! The other 2 girls are so amazing, we've been having a lot of fun together. They are both studying to become a nurse so they work at the clinic in Carpio. The kids here are in the middle of their school break, that means that the usual ministries that I'm part of are on break as well. So for the past week, we have been doing VBS (Vacation Bible School) day camp with the kids in Carpio. Each day we would have over 100 kids. For this day camp, we had a group from the States lead and it was so awesome to witness God using this youth group to reach out to the kids and show them Christ's love! I also just completed my first year...

Hola! It's been a while since my last post. I have been very busy for the past 3 weeks doing so many great things... I will be sharing a little bit with you all! I have learned that the months from May-August gets very busy because a lot of groups comes to Costa Rica on a mission trip. So this past month I had an opportunity to work with two groups from the States! One was a medical team and I tagged along as a translator! I was really worried since my Spanish is not so great but it was definitely a great experience. And I think opportunities like these help me become more confident with my Spanish skills. Also, through the translators' team, I met a lady who is hoping to go to Japan as a missionary. She is currently learning Japanese and is hoping to go next year! We had great conversations regarding Japan and her passion for Japan. She shared with me that she has a heart for the youth, especially those who suffer from depression, hikikomori, and other illness. She is h...

Hello there! I can't believe it's been almost two months since I came to Costa Rica. Life has been definitely crazy and busy with all the ministries plus my own classes but it has been amazing too! I had the week off for Semana Santa (Holy week) and it was much needed. I was able to catch up on my school work and I got to do a little bit of tourism too. The following week I was asked to lead a bible study (for Las Gradas ministry) for the little kids and it was very challenging. It's already difficult trying to explain the Bible to kids, but in a foreign language... it can't get harder than that:) But it all went well and the kids were very sweet. We talked about Moses and the Red Sea and how God makes a way (literary) for His people. As I start to lead Bible studies/ devotionals, mastering the language becomes crucial. Please pray that I will be able to gain the skills so that I can communicate with more confidence and certainty. I feel like I can...

Hello Everyone:) Thank you so much for your prayers. It is always so encouraging to know that there are people who are praying for me and the ministries here in Costa Rica. This week I will be sharing about one ministry in particular. As I said in the last post, I'm blessed to be able to serve in several ministries, one of them is called Las Gradas. The word Gradas means steps in Spanish. This is because the whole area is filled with steps so, in order to get from one place to the other, you have to climb these steps. In the picture below you can see the map of La Carpio. It's the biggest slum in Costa Rica and it is located between 2 polluted rivers. The line in the middle is the main street where the buses stop. La Carpio is divided into 9 sectors and Las Gradas is located in the Sector Roble Norte. From the main street, you have to go down the steps in order to get to Las Gradas. The building where the ministries are held is located by the river where people throw ...

Hello from Costa Rica! It has been a week since I arrived here and due to the difference of climate, schedule, and timezone, I got sick the next day I arrived but after I week, I feel like I finally got over jetlag and my sickness! This past week I visited the ministries that I'm going to be working with and it was a blast. So good to see so many familiar faces and meet new people as well. It's great to be working with the same people again. As for now, it seems as like I will be working with 3 different ministries. I will briefly explain about them below. As for now, I will explain what my week look like. Twice a week for half a day I serve at the Institute here in La Carpio (the building where I gave English classes last time I was here). There I help out with a Refugee Program with the families who have immigrated from Nicaragua recently. The other Ministry is called Las Gradas, a program that helps children by assisting them with their homework or providing aid for...

I’m so excited to tell you about this! With a prayerful heart and after a lot of thought and consideration, I feel as though God is guiding me to go back into the mission field. I’ll be serving with the organization called Christ for the City International (cfci) again. As many of you know I’ve served with them last fall. Since then, the people and the ministries that I had the opportunity to be part of have become very dear to my heart. During my time there, I felt called to serve in children’s and youth ministry. Even after returning to Japan, all opportunities pointed towards that area of focus, and I was so blessed to be able to be more involved with my church’s ministries this past year. I’ve learned to lead and serve with a humble heart. Though my time there was not all easy, the challenges I faced helped me grow spiritually in Him and delight in His Peace no matter the circumstances. And now, even though I’m not there to see it, nothing brings me more joy than seeing how the ...