there are usually little street performers at big intersections... jugglers... dancers... fire stick throwing people.. :)
there are people all of the time with carts or stands of fruit, vegetables, magazines, flowers, candy etc
Costa Rica's Independence Day: there were a bunch of little girls who performed a traditional Costa Rican Dance
one of the main, crazy streets in San Jose
our room :)
:) some awesome guy
traditional Costa Rican dress
Yesterday, a couple of us went to help out at a volleyball tournament. There were about 6 of us; we helped out with some teams that were lacking coaches. When I was first assigned the team I was like... oh great... H-O-L-A. .. Coaching them ended up being really fun. The girls I coached were as eager to understand me as I was them. We played games and danced to the music playing during the tournament. I actually learned most of their names... they were so cute.
After volleyball... I was introduced to "tracts." If you don't know what these are.. evangelists often use them to quickly spread the Gospel. They're little pamphlets with summarized Gospels. (There is probably more to them... that's just my knowledge thus far) Anyways, our leader told us to go pass these little pamphlets to everyone in the dome (gym). I don't know why I wasn't crazy about this. I only passed out about 7 because I was talking to (or trying to talk to) the people I passed them out to. One of the other members on our team passed them out to the rest of the people. Anyways, I guess I just didn't like how impersonal the idea seemed. Not that handing out tracts is always impersonal.. but if someone of another religion handed a pamphlet to me and just walked away, I would just be confused... and turned off I guess. Maybe. Maybe I'm just over analyzing this. The Gospel is getting out.. so that is good. I just like talking to people. and just people. I like people :) sooo... yeah!
language update: I am seeing a light at the end of this tunnel for spanish! ... not that I'm good yet or anything... but I know I can learn it, and I really want to. I haaaaaattttttteeeeeeee not being able to talk to people. So I'm excited.
God update: AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE.. everyone's relationship with God is so different and unique. People here believe different things than me, and at first that was discouraging... but now it has just made God a lot more personal to me. Our relationships are all different. Different gifts, different emotions, different backgrounds... but one God. That's all that matters. Jesus.
:) alrighty byebye
Hola Grace!!
ReplyDeleteI understand the way you are feeling about the tract ministry. I, too, would much rather talk to someone and have the beginnings of a relationship as the first step... Some people, though might be more threatened by a person stopping them and engaging them in conversation than they would be by accepting a piece of paper to read later. Some folks might be too shy to start up a conversation, but can hand out tracts... I think trying a lot of different ways to share the Gospel, getting stretched and being uncomfortable, finding where you are gifted and where you can grow, are the reasons and benefits of you being there. You do now have real MOTIVATION to learn spanish!!
I am so excited for you!! Thanks for taking the time to post, so that we can pray and stay a part of your journey!!
Love you
Aunt Cindy
I agree with you and mom. The Gospel is a weighty, life changing thing that often takes a carefully constructed relational "bridge" share. In that sense tracts are tragically shallow. But we must keep in mind that we aren't the only "bridge" to a person. God uses a myriad of unified instruments called the Church (us) to evangelize. There is no telling how God will use your conversations or your tract passing, but if your faithful He will use them.
ReplyDeleteWe're praying for you.
-Coulter
ps I suggest writing your own tract. You may never use it, but it will help you to be able to articulate the Gospel. It helps you to "always be prepared" (1st Peter 3:15). And if thats to easy for ya- write it in spanish!
haha Coulter I actually thought about writing my own tract.. but I don't think I'll call it that. haha... and I'm definitely not up to the writing-a-tract-in- spanish level yet! Thanks for writing though Coulter and Aunt Cindy. Love y'all
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