March 4, 2019
Prince Senior Class on International & Local Missions – Daily Updates
Costa Rica Updates:
Day 6: Friday, March 8th
After a fantastic week of serving together, today we had an incredible day of fun together! Our day started with visiting another coffee plantation (and drinking more coffee!), then going to see the world’s largest oxcart (because how many people in the world can actually say they’ve seen the largest ox cart in the entire world…but now our Seniors can!), zip-lining (which was beyond awesome!), and finally souvenir shopping (hopefully your student will bring you some Costa Rican coffee!). It really was a fittingly great end to a great week!
Day 5: Thursday, March 7th
Today we went into an area known as Guiare to serve alongside a man named Húgo in his ministry called Sonrisas (Sunrise). Make a note to ask your Senior (or any Senior who is a part of our team) to tell you about Hugo’s testimony…it is, without a doubt, one of the greatest stories of redemption and testimonies of God’s grace, power, and purpose that I have ever heard! But Húgo’s story is not about him or even what God has done for him…Húgo’s story is about what God is doing through him to reach, serve, love, mentor, and teach the Gospel to the residents of the impoverished area of Guiare. Through Húgo’s ministry, Sonrisas, we were able to pray with some of the residents of Guiare and share the Gospel with some of the teenagers that live in this barrio. We could not be prouder of the Seniors who shared their personal stories of how Jesus saved them and emphasized the point that God may not change your outward circumstances, but He will change who you are in the midst of whatever is going on around you. Our Seniors most definitely seized the moment that God opened up for them today!
Tomorrow, we will be enjoying a much-deserved excursion day of zip-lining and souvenir shopping (and probably more coffee drinking!). As you pray for our group, specifically pray that God will continue to protect us, continue to draw us closer together, and continue to draw us closer to Him.
It’s hard to believe, but tomorrow night’s Senior Mission Trip update will be the last before your Senior is back with you! Thank you so much for sharing them with us this week…they really have made this Senior Mission Trip so incredibly special!!!
Day 4: Wednesday, March 6th
Today we went back to Ciudad de Fé and to Flory’s in-home Day Care to minister to the children that we formed relationships with on Monday. The students who served at Ciudad de Fé also had the opportunity to meet and teach English to the students at the Lower School on the Ciudad de Fé campus. We went there with the anticipation of teaching and ministering to Costa Rican children, but as it turns out, it was they who ministered to us! The students all sang Way Maker for us and the 4th and 5th Graders sang Jesuchristo Bastá (video posted on pacsspirituallife Instagram page).
Tomorrow, we will be traveling to an area known as Guiare to serve alongside a ministry called Sonrisas (Sunrise). Guiare is a severely impoverished area…and it is where the vast majority of the kids we have been working with at Ciudad de Fé actually live. While there, we’ll be working primarily with the local teenagers. Please pray that God prepares the hearts of our students for what they will experience in Guiare and that He continues to infuse them with His boldness to share His Gospel with a community that desperately needs Him.
Day 3: Tuesday, March 5th
Today we had the unbelievable privilege of serving at The Abraham Project (www.abrahamproject.org). The Abraham Project began in 1998 when God laid a vision on the heart of Pastor Jorge Gomez to start a ministry that would reach out to single moms, orphans, abandoned children, and children of the state. After being turned down numerous times from various business leaders, organizations, and even other churches, the ministry began with the combined contributions of seven single moms who pooled their money together and gave $20. Today, all in the name of Jesus, The Abraham Project serves 270 children…and the building that our students worked on today will house eight single mothers and their children. In this building, each family unit will have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. The children will be able to attend the school that is on the premises while the mothers will receive training in basic budgeting skills, life management skills, enhanced education, and job training that can be used after they leave The Abraham Project campus. It was incredibly humbling to hear that nearly every part of campus (buildings, tile, concrete block, wood, paint, etc) had been donated and built/installed by teams just like ours…in other words, we had the awesome opportunity to be a link in the chain of all that God is doing through The Abraham Project!
Tomorrow, we will be returning to Ciudad de Fé and to Flory’s (the locations that we ministered and served at yesterday). Please pray that God continues to use our students to share His love with these children.
Day 2: Monday, March 4th
Today was our first ministry day of the Senior Mission…and it was fantastic. The majority of our students served alongside the staff of Ciudad de Fé (“City of Faith” Church) and ten of our students ministered with a woman (Flory) from Ciudad de Fé who started her own in-home center for children. Although we were in different locations, both groups spent the morning and afternoon loving on children in the name of Jesus. We are so proud of each one of our Seniors as they stepped out of their personal comfort zones, allowed themselves to become vulnerable, and were open to God using them to share His love with some absolutely precious children.
As you continue to pray for this Mission Trip, specifically pray for our students as we will be working tomorrow with a program called the Abraham Project (a ministry that builds and maintains low-cost housing for foster children). Please pray for God’s continued work on the hearts of our students and that their work tomorrow continues to impact generations with the Gospel.
Day 1: Sunday, March 3rd
It has been a long day, but it has been without a doubt a very good day! Travel was seamless, connecting with our Joshua Expeditions Guide was effortless, and excitement continues to be high. A huge THANK YOU goes out to Prince senior families for financially sacrificing so that your student could be a part of this Mission Team and for coming to pray with us this morning at 2 am.
As you continue to pray for this Mission Trip, specifically pray for our students as we will be serving with Pastor Edgar at a church called Ciudad de Fé and with a neighborhood missionary named Flory.
Thank you again for your continued prayers…and I look forward to updating you tomorrow night on all God did throughout the day.
The Prince Avenue Senior Class will travel March 3rd – 9th to San José, Costa Rica in partnership with Joshua Expeditions. Please pray for these students and chaperones as they minister and share the Gospel:
| Curtis Batchelor Patrick Brannen Madi Britt Mardra Caldwell Haley Cartey Delaney Cook Abby Davis Abby Frost Anabel Griffith Daniel Harper Murphy Healan Janie Henderson Lilly Henderson Hope Hewatt Molly Howard |
Elijah Hynes Megan Jackson Savannah Johnson Grayce Keefer Sarah Kelley Bradley Lastinger Buck Leffingwell David Mathis John Morgan Leland Padgitt Christian Parrish Colton Parrish Lilly Renn Gracie Ricketts Thomas Ross Boone Seay |
Chria Sharp Peyton Shedd Harrison Sheppard Mack Simmons Adam Smith Ryan Stiles Austin Tate Eliza Taylor Lolly Titshaw Will Todd Evan Treadwell Sted Wilfong Brandt Akin Elizabeth Barry Leigh Renn Ben Wallis |
Those students that do not travel internationally will spend March 4th – 8th serving at the Sparrow’s Nest, Potter’s House, and Atlanta Mission Thrift Store. Please pray for these seniors who will serve in our community:
| Chase Barker Spencer Bolen Paul Chasteen Deven Desai Allie Faulkner Hunter Fountain Christopher Harding Josh Hilton |
Danny Lee Rod Platt Shelby Reese Sam Smith Logan Thomas Foster White Drew Wright |