http://lacumbredota.org/?lang=en
I spent six weeks alongside of a dozen other American college students, living and working together at a camp surrounded by mountains and bifurcated by a crystal-clear stream. The photo above is from our high-adventure ropes course, which was unlike anything I'd ever done before. Rappelling off of a huge tree in the cloud forest was beyond anything a kid from Texas had ever imagined. One of my all-time favorite places in the world is at La Cumbre - a quiet spot by the river where I'd spend most mornings, reading, praying, and listening to God. Speaking of listening, almost every evening before dinner, I would take a walk along the banks of the river and listen to beautiful music like Ryan Adams or U2 while I watched the sun set over the mountains.
It's hard to believe that happened a decade ago. I remember walking across the stage at my college graduation, then getting on a plane barely a few days later to take off on this adventure. The trip to Costa Rica was my "study abroad" experience, even though I wasn't going specifically as a student. Like many of my non-school activities while I was in college, the experience of serving in Costa Rica shaped my character and passion for ministry rather than simply offering classroom knowledge. I also think it was one of the ways God prepared me for post-college "adult" life because it was a lonely time for me. The other folks on-staff at the camp were wonderful, but (and this is going to make me sound super-spiritual, which I don't intend to convey) I think God wanted me to learn how to be closer with Him and trust Him, rather than focusing on people.
It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and for a time, I wondered if part of God's call to me was to jump on-board with Young Life's incredible ministry in Latin America. While that route in ministry didn't end up materializing, I've kept in touch with the area director for Costa Rica Young Life, and I really enjoy getting regular updates on their ministry, even 10 years later. This past month's update included a link to a blog which I'd like to pass along. It's written by a youth/college pastor who visited Young Life Costa Rica a few months ago:
http://www.aaronbuer.com/what-i-learned-in-costa-rica/
The observations he makes about Young Life's incredible ministry in Latin America are spot-on. I'm especially thankful for his observation about mission: "a clear mission is like fuel."
Our sense of mission at FPC truly is a gift, and we are stewards of our mission under the grace of Christ. Nothing saddens me quite like hearing about churches who do not seem to have a clear sense of mission. I certainly don't think every church should have the same mission we do, but I do believe strongly that churches without a mission are missing critical fuel for serving Christ.
I hope you'll read the blog link above and enjoy it.
Travis
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