Spirit-Filled

My second to last week. Up to this point, I'd been learning a lot and feeling like I'd grown so much more in faith and prayer and even coming to know the Holy Spirit more. This was, ironically (or maybe not so ironically), the other week I felt extremely spiritually attacked. Week 7 of the summer. ATLs: Shelby, Luis, Mark, Kristy. This was Kristy's only week as an ATL, and yet, she was absolutely meant to be with us. I picked her up at the end of my descansa and we got to spend a couple of days together before the team arrived. She is Spirit-filled. Immediately when I met her, we started talking about real things and how the summer was going and who I am, really. I shared with her what I was learning, and she told me point blank that this week I would be attacked, that the enemy was going to try and make me doubt all that I was learning about the Spirit. (Of course I didn't remember this until mid-week.. when I was under attack..)

But this time, unlike the first week, I knew I couldn't fight it alone. I sought out the support of my ATLs, and they prayed for me. They encouraged me. They spoke truths into my life that would combat the lies satan was feeding me. Ephesians 6 was becoming real. 

This week was also at two of my favorite churches with two of my favorite pastors, Pastor Jose and Pastor Adolfo. Pastor Jose is the one who hosted us and introduced us to Pastor Adolfo. He did so much to help set up the trip and members of his church cooked us many meals. He is absolutely a blessing and man who wants his church to be a blessing to others. (And at the end of the week, he told me I'm tica!) Pastor Adolfo is such a loving man. He has such great vision for his church, and when you catch that vision, you can't help but be excited for what God is going to do. He is 65 years old and jumped into the big pit and worked hard with some of the men from the team. He joked and played and encouraged. And he told me mid-week that he loved me! Such a precious, precious man! While serving with these churches, it is clear that the Spirit bonded us despite language differences. We worshiped in Spanish and English; we prayed together; we played together. 

Highlights from Liberia/San Rafael de Buena Vista (July 26- Aug 2): 

• Soccer against the youth from Pastor Jose's church
• Madness and gelato during a horse exhibition parade
• Connecting with the group and group leader
• Catching Pastor Adolfo's vision
• Pastor Adolfo saying he loved me/Pastor Jose calling me Tica.

Praise God:

• For the connections made between gringos and ticos
• For giving me the courage to be vulnerable with my ATLS
• That I began to lead well/with confidence
• For a great group leader
• A RENEWAL!!!! THEY SIGNED UP TO GO AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!

Pray for:

• The members of Centro Evangelistico Zuriel, that they would be a lighthouse in their community
• The feeding program that they will be starting in November for the poor and abandoned children of the area (and the group from Delaware that is taking up an offering to help support them!)
• My relationships there to continue, especially since we are returning!
• Kristy and her family and her marriage. She was a blessing to me, so I want her family to be a blessing to her!

I forgot. Here's the trip journal link: http://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/journals?tripid=2005