2021 Costa Rica Trip Blog

Friday, June 4, 2021


We are excited to soon be heading out to Costa Rica. We leave early next Saturday morning, June 12 and return June 19. We have been preparing over the past 2 months to get our hearts and minds ready to serve. We have had 8 team meetings where we have been preparing. We have been working through our Missions workbook together, doing fun get-to-know-you and team building activities, as well and sharing our testimony stories of how God has been challenging, changing, and growing each one of us. Please be praying for us as we head out on June 12. 


Pray for:

  • Safety as we travel, as well as safety while we are in Costa Rica. Pray against any sickness or illness while we are there.  

  • That God will do an incredible work through each one on the team. That we would each continue to grow in our intimacy with our Heavenly Father.  

  • That we would surrender daily to what He has for each one of us.

  • That we would be a blessing to our International Workers, John and Jill and those we meet in Costa Rica.

  • That we would serve with Open Hands and Open Hearts and most importantly we would love well!

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer support as we go. And thank you to everyone who has supported this team financially.  We would not be able to go and serve without our family and friends' love and support as well as our Daybreak Families continual support for sending Short-term teams!


Thank you!

Kelly (on behalf of the 2021 Costa Rica Team)

Saturday, June 12

And they're off! This team of 19 will be serving this week doing Relational Ministry, Prayer Ministry, Construction, Child Care, and Food Distribution. Keep praying for them and we'll post an update here when they have arrived safely!


UPDATE AS OF 4:45 PM


The team has arrived in Costa Rica and are headed to their site. All of their luggage arrived, too, and everyone is doing great! Keep praying for them as they get settled and get a good night's sleep tonight!

Sunday, June 13

Today the team woke up and met to eat a breakfast made by our cook, Barnarda. Then, around 9:30 we headed to church, which was about a 20-minute ride down the mountain. There we were greeted with open hearts and surprised by a translator who blessed us by translating the sermon for us. 


Worship was incredibly lively and powerful, with people dancing and expressing their hearts in whatever way they found fit. We were also blessed to have learned two of the Spanish songs in preparation for the trip that we sang during the service. The message was about going from creation to being a child of God, which is a strong reminder that those in other cultures have similar struggles as American Christians in their faith journey. 


After thanking the pastor and his wife, we were fortunate enough to meet the translator who shared how God had been working in her life and through her ministry. Then, we traveled back to our base where we had an amazing lunch of burritos and salad. 


Soon after that, we were able to meet a family that Jill and John (our mission partners) have been ministering to, and supply them with formula and diapers. Then, a potter named Romeo from Nicaragua came to visit us and shared with us his beautiful work, which some of us purchased. Later, we decorated the school building on site, which will be used tomorrow for child care while babies are being dedicated. 


For dinner, we were yet again blessed by our cook, Barnarda, who made us beans, mashed potatoes, hamburger patty, and a beet salad. Then John and Jill instructed us on childcare and how we will be serving the mothers from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. 


We wrapped up our night with ice cream cones and a debrief that included affirming each other through our bead ceremony. We are looking forward to what God is going to do in and through us tomorrow as we serve the mom's and babies/kids.


Thanks for all your prayers!  


For more photos and video insights from our partners, head to their Facebook Page Mission To Costa Rica - PreEscolar Pescaditos del Salvador and check out their website at missiontocostarica.com!

Monday, June 14

Today, following a delicious breakfast of rice, beans, and fried plantains (yum!), we had a blast blessing around 10-15 Nicaraguan families with a day of fun activities, worship, dance, baptisms, child dedications, and of course...more amazing food! 


First, a few students performed a beautiful dance, which served as a commentary on resting in God. Then, a student and leader led the moms and kids in worship with the rest of the team serving as a choir! Two students shared their testimonies and Kyle and Jill helped the families dedicate their children to God.


After this opening, the children had three different stations of fun activities, which our team led alongside several Mission to Costa Rica staff. The first station was a Bible story (Daniel and the Lions' Den) with a corresponding coloring page. The second offered a snack and color matching games. The last station was a craft where the kids made a lion with paint and paper plates. 


While the kids had their fun, Kyle baptized many of the parents while John and Jill helped translate. This was a huge God moment because the Costa Rican pastor was unable to attend the baby dedication/baptism and it is very important in Nicaraguan/Costa Rican culture to have an official pastor perform these sacraments.


This great day closed with our team serving lunch to the families, playing with a parachute, and praying with each family before we said goodbye. This was so meaningful for our team and capped off a wonderful day of ministry. We can't wait for what God has in store when we serve more families this week! 


Tomorrow, we have a beach day planned, but we will hopefully resume the blog on Wednesday. 


For more photos and video insights from our partners, head to their Facebook Page Mission To Costa Rica - PreEscolar Pescaditos del Salvador and check out their website at missiontocostarica.com!