Reconnecting

Have you ever gone way too long without seeing a group of friends?  Then, the day comes that you’re once again reunited, and you can share space, catch up, and simply enjoy the time together!  Those are sweet days, often that include lots of laughter, stories, and rejoicing at simply being together once again.

Mission Trip

Over Spring Break, our Youth Ministry had that very opportunity – the chance to see friends that we have not spent time with in 4 years!  On March 7, a team flew to Costa Rica to relaunch our church’s work among the Cabecar people.  After a day of travel, we finally arrived on the Cabecar indigenous reserve and stayed in the community of Gavilan, on the southeastern edge of the reservation.  First Baptist Arlington began partnering with Pastor Pablo Palacios in 2003 and we began taking students to serve with him in 2010.  Pastor Pablo has been used by the Lord to plant churches, to raise up and mentor new pastors for these churches, and to begin an association of Cabecar churches.

Our students that the opportunity to hike in the rainforest to visit 5 churches and meet their pastors and some of their congregations.  We camped at the church in Gavilan and were able to worship with their church family while there – it was a beautiful time for our students to see God’s people worship in a different culture and language.   We also visited the churches in Boca Cohén, Bajo Cohén, Seredes, and Bitacara.  In each place we were welcomed, encouraged, and learned about the history of each church and were able to visit (thanks to our friend and church member, Brian’s, expert translating) with friends new and old.

Maybe the sweetest time we had was on our last night as Pastor Pablo invited all of the churches pastors and their wives to have dinner with our team in Gavilan.  Before dinner, we gathered in the sanctuary and spent time sharing our faith stories, discussing the challenges that our churches, both in the United States and Costa Rica, were facing, and strategies that we are using to reach our communities with the Gospel.  After more than a dozen trips to Costa Rica, this may be my most memorable experience. It was humbling to hear the stories of all that God is doing among the Cabecar and to hear these pastors’ stories.  But I was most encouraged by the words of encouragement that our students shared with these pastors, by their own stories of how God is working in their lives, and that these giants of the faith would value our students the way they did.  We have remarkable students in our ministry, but I’m not sure I have ever been prouder of a group of students than I was that night in Gavilan, Costa Rica.

Gifts from God

It was a gift from God that he allowed me the opportunity to visit old friends… and I am humbled that I was able to introduce this group of students to some of my heroes of our faith.