Costa Rica Missions Internship
Donation protected
For those of you who know me, you know Costa Rica has been a HUGE part of my heart, my life, and my overall story ever since I first went there in January of 2014. And again in January 2015&2016 as well as July of 2016. (Stories from each individual trip below)
I am overwhelmed by the absolute faithfulness, goodness, and grace of God as I announce that I will be going as an intern with Pura Vida Missions for this upcoming Spring (Febuary-April) and upcoming Summer- a total of about 5 months.
When I was 16 years old I took my first step out in faith into a new country to love people and share the gospel, and since that moment I've been absolutely transformed and changed. The Lord began stirring something really deep in me to go and serve in this coutry specifically. THIS INTERNSHIP HAS BEEN SOMETHING THE LORD SET IN MY HEART FOUR YEARS AGO AND HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE THAT.
Having the amazing opportunity to serve with Pura Vida Missions over the past three years (as a high school student and chaperone) has forever changed my perspective on life-I've been given the privilege to to apart of something bigger than myself. I've learned the importance of meeting people in the exact place they are in and to open to being God's hands and feet. While I am going for the service of God and of others, I have gotten so much back spiritually, emotionally, and mentally from these amazing people. God has shown me things through the locals of Costa Rica that I could have never learned anywhere else-the importance of relationships, learnig what it means to love people deeply, to appreciate what you have, the see that the things that matter most in life have no monetary value.
Pura Vida Missions is apart of many different outreaches within the community which I will also be able to partner aside with. This includes-VBS camps, the sponsorship program (where people are able to be part of a helping the needs of low income families to help supply for school), discipleship, Bible study, helping members of the community who have physical needs (building solid walls or laying cement in homes), as well as an urgent fund which goes to families that need help paying bills or getting food.
God has used this country and it's people to capture my heart. If you know anything about me, you know people are my passion- especially this place. Because of this place, I found my calling on the missions field.
My goal is 5,000 which would rougly be the cost of me being there for 5 months. I would be so grateful if any of you would like to partner with me in this just with communicating, praying, and even donating (if that were what the Lord would set on your heart to do). God is doing something so big in this country and I can't wait to see individual people's stories just grow-and its a blessing to be apart of that.
I would like to say THANK YOU for anyone who decides to be apart of this journey with me!!
Now I would like to share the highlights of each trip for me from the past 4 times I have been there.
My first year was also my FIRST time out of the country and my FIRST missions trip ever. It was from this trip that I discovered a calling over my life that would impact me forever. I discovered the heart for other cultures, different types of people, the love of Costa Rica and having a heart for countries all over the world. I fell in love with the Costa Rica people and a fire sparked in me here. On this trip I felt God pushing me to share my testimony, so before leaving, I had rougly prepared what I wanted to share with the locals at our VBS sites. Sometimes God has a different idea in mind than what we originally expect. I realized half way through the week that the children were too young to take in the depth of what I had to share. I ended up being led to share it with my own classmates. I remember that day, making a concious effort to seek God's Holy Spirit, and to let him speak through me. This day was so defining for me, because I felt his presence in everything I did. My testimony, to my surprise, was something my fellow classmates desperately needed to hear at this time. Many people who I did not expect to be impacted, God used this directly to communicate to individuals and speak into their brokenness, the way He did into mine.
(Photo from January 2014)
My first year I met many people who touched my heart deeply, one of which would end up following me to different VBS sites throughout the years. This was Bayron, Brian, and their wonderful family. Which leads me to my second year, going as a senior in high school. This year, I stepped in fully knowing I was not going to be with my usual group of friends. This thought never gave me with a sense of doubt of going, because I still very strongly felt the calling God has for my life in this place. As mentioned prior, I had a little boy who I grew very close to and I stayed in contact through facebook. When he heard I was coming back, this 7 year old had his mom contact Pura Vida to see where I would be so they could come see me. My group was not going back to his neighborhood, but they took a taxi anyways to come see me in a completely different neighborhood-not one day, but two days. Him, his brother, his two cousins, his niece, and his mom and dad. This completely touched my heart and showed me how much God uses anyone who is open to it. He works through relationships like this.
It was also on this trip where I was completely broken apart from seeing the living conditions around me and realizing just how blessed I am to have the life that I do. He showed me love through the eyes of a little girl named Christina, from a neighborhood called Linda Vista. I remember my last night in Costa Rica just crying because I was in awe of how little she had, the bad cards she was dealt with life, and how she was just completely full of love and joy. A five year old taught me about valuing the important things in life, and how little money matters. She taught me how to love deeply. Because while she had to share a bed with her siblings, and her mom was always gone for work, while her father was in jail, including dealing with a termite invested home for a while, she was just a happy little girl. Thank you my TiTi, because I am different because of you. You inspired me. She had seen so many dark things, but she was just a light.
My third time back, I decided to attend as a chaperone with my old high school. On this trip I learned that sometimes when you decide to fully serve God, you don't always get a say in the way things should be, but you need to just go with it. I was really eager to go back to a site that I had already been to, but I ended up going to two sites I had actually never been to, which I really just wanted to see some kids that I had already built relationships with. God had other plans and I learned that sometimes you are needed somewhere new. I was needed to be a leader within the group with a group of a lot of freshman (who all did amazing with the kids and their growth on their trip). I was blessed to be able to step up in a new way, and know how to lead the VBS when things needed to be redirected. Because of my obedience, I really do believe God blessed me by being able to see Christina my first and last day because our bus driver dropped the other group off first at Linda Vista. Seeing the girl who changed my life, even though I wasn't apart of that group, it just filled up my heart. On my last day of VBS, Bayron and his family took a taxi down to one of my sites in the morning. This was right when I let go of my will, and was happy even if I wouldn't get to see their family. They came down with gifts as well. This family is my family, and there is something so strong between our bond. I cannot believe they have came to see me all three years that I have been there in January.
(Photo of me and Bayron in January of 2016)
I also decided to take a trip down to visit my best friend for her birthday this past July. This was not missions oriented, but this trip also was hugely impacting to me. After my trip in January, I decided to sponsor a child. I was on the look out for a child to meet and fall in love with, but God had other plans with this too. He opened my heart to sponsoring a child that I had never met before. On my trip in July I was able to meet my sponsor child Isaac and his wonderful mother. We had dinner together, and I was able to speak to them in person and learn about the for the first time rather than just read their letters. This was a beautiful moment for me, because I am able to actively be apart of these people's lives, not just send over money to help pay for schooling. I was able to hear about all his mother's hardships and how she came to become a believer in Jesus Christ. She is extremely faithful to Pura Vida's discipleship program, and her faith in the Lord is something I will continue to learn from. She is also an inspiration. And I cannot wait to see them again this upcoming year!
Here is a photo of the project Pura Vida did for my sponsor family over the summer, by putting up walls in the bathroom for them
So this is my heart-this is my passion. The Lord has directed me here and been faithful to my dream of going back as an intern. This is something I depserately need in this time of my life as well. Even though I am going there to serve, I know this is something that will greatly impact and change me. I am learning so much about God's grace, and I'm ready to step out in obedience and devote all my time, energy, mind, heart, and soul into the service of growing in my relationship with Him and being His hands and feet in this country.
Thank you for taking your time to read this, you've just read something that means the world to me. Thank you for your time, your thoughts, your prayers, and any donations. It's so appreciated!
Emily Bolton
I am overwhelmed by the absolute faithfulness, goodness, and grace of God as I announce that I will be going as an intern with Pura Vida Missions for this upcoming Spring (Febuary-April) and upcoming Summer- a total of about 5 months.
When I was 16 years old I took my first step out in faith into a new country to love people and share the gospel, and since that moment I've been absolutely transformed and changed. The Lord began stirring something really deep in me to go and serve in this coutry specifically. THIS INTERNSHIP HAS BEEN SOMETHING THE LORD SET IN MY HEART FOUR YEARS AGO AND HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE THAT.
Having the amazing opportunity to serve with Pura Vida Missions over the past three years (as a high school student and chaperone) has forever changed my perspective on life-I've been given the privilege to to apart of something bigger than myself. I've learned the importance of meeting people in the exact place they are in and to open to being God's hands and feet. While I am going for the service of God and of others, I have gotten so much back spiritually, emotionally, and mentally from these amazing people. God has shown me things through the locals of Costa Rica that I could have never learned anywhere else-the importance of relationships, learnig what it means to love people deeply, to appreciate what you have, the see that the things that matter most in life have no monetary value.
Pura Vida Missions is apart of many different outreaches within the community which I will also be able to partner aside with. This includes-VBS camps, the sponsorship program (where people are able to be part of a helping the needs of low income families to help supply for school), discipleship, Bible study, helping members of the community who have physical needs (building solid walls or laying cement in homes), as well as an urgent fund which goes to families that need help paying bills or getting food.
God has used this country and it's people to capture my heart. If you know anything about me, you know people are my passion- especially this place. Because of this place, I found my calling on the missions field. My goal is 5,000 which would rougly be the cost of me being there for 5 months. I would be so grateful if any of you would like to partner with me in this just with communicating, praying, and even donating (if that were what the Lord would set on your heart to do). God is doing something so big in this country and I can't wait to see individual people's stories just grow-and its a blessing to be apart of that.
I would like to say THANK YOU for anyone who decides to be apart of this journey with me!!
Now I would like to share the highlights of each trip for me from the past 4 times I have been there.
My first year was also my FIRST time out of the country and my FIRST missions trip ever. It was from this trip that I discovered a calling over my life that would impact me forever. I discovered the heart for other cultures, different types of people, the love of Costa Rica and having a heart for countries all over the world. I fell in love with the Costa Rica people and a fire sparked in me here. On this trip I felt God pushing me to share my testimony, so before leaving, I had rougly prepared what I wanted to share with the locals at our VBS sites. Sometimes God has a different idea in mind than what we originally expect. I realized half way through the week that the children were too young to take in the depth of what I had to share. I ended up being led to share it with my own classmates. I remember that day, making a concious effort to seek God's Holy Spirit, and to let him speak through me. This day was so defining for me, because I felt his presence in everything I did. My testimony, to my surprise, was something my fellow classmates desperately needed to hear at this time. Many people who I did not expect to be impacted, God used this directly to communicate to individuals and speak into their brokenness, the way He did into mine.
(Photo from January 2014)
My first year I met many people who touched my heart deeply, one of which would end up following me to different VBS sites throughout the years. This was Bayron, Brian, and their wonderful family. Which leads me to my second year, going as a senior in high school. This year, I stepped in fully knowing I was not going to be with my usual group of friends. This thought never gave me with a sense of doubt of going, because I still very strongly felt the calling God has for my life in this place. As mentioned prior, I had a little boy who I grew very close to and I stayed in contact through facebook. When he heard I was coming back, this 7 year old had his mom contact Pura Vida to see where I would be so they could come see me. My group was not going back to his neighborhood, but they took a taxi anyways to come see me in a completely different neighborhood-not one day, but two days. Him, his brother, his two cousins, his niece, and his mom and dad. This completely touched my heart and showed me how much God uses anyone who is open to it. He works through relationships like this.
It was also on this trip where I was completely broken apart from seeing the living conditions around me and realizing just how blessed I am to have the life that I do. He showed me love through the eyes of a little girl named Christina, from a neighborhood called Linda Vista. I remember my last night in Costa Rica just crying because I was in awe of how little she had, the bad cards she was dealt with life, and how she was just completely full of love and joy. A five year old taught me about valuing the important things in life, and how little money matters. She taught me how to love deeply. Because while she had to share a bed with her siblings, and her mom was always gone for work, while her father was in jail, including dealing with a termite invested home for a while, she was just a happy little girl. Thank you my TiTi, because I am different because of you. You inspired me. She had seen so many dark things, but she was just a light.
My third time back, I decided to attend as a chaperone with my old high school. On this trip I learned that sometimes when you decide to fully serve God, you don't always get a say in the way things should be, but you need to just go with it. I was really eager to go back to a site that I had already been to, but I ended up going to two sites I had actually never been to, which I really just wanted to see some kids that I had already built relationships with. God had other plans and I learned that sometimes you are needed somewhere new. I was needed to be a leader within the group with a group of a lot of freshman (who all did amazing with the kids and their growth on their trip). I was blessed to be able to step up in a new way, and know how to lead the VBS when things needed to be redirected. Because of my obedience, I really do believe God blessed me by being able to see Christina my first and last day because our bus driver dropped the other group off first at Linda Vista. Seeing the girl who changed my life, even though I wasn't apart of that group, it just filled up my heart. On my last day of VBS, Bayron and his family took a taxi down to one of my sites in the morning. This was right when I let go of my will, and was happy even if I wouldn't get to see their family. They came down with gifts as well. This family is my family, and there is something so strong between our bond. I cannot believe they have came to see me all three years that I have been there in January.
(Photo of me and Bayron in January of 2016)
I also decided to take a trip down to visit my best friend for her birthday this past July. This was not missions oriented, but this trip also was hugely impacting to me. After my trip in January, I decided to sponsor a child. I was on the look out for a child to meet and fall in love with, but God had other plans with this too. He opened my heart to sponsoring a child that I had never met before. On my trip in July I was able to meet my sponsor child Isaac and his wonderful mother. We had dinner together, and I was able to speak to them in person and learn about the for the first time rather than just read their letters. This was a beautiful moment for me, because I am able to actively be apart of these people's lives, not just send over money to help pay for schooling. I was able to hear about all his mother's hardships and how she came to become a believer in Jesus Christ. She is extremely faithful to Pura Vida's discipleship program, and her faith in the Lord is something I will continue to learn from. She is also an inspiration. And I cannot wait to see them again this upcoming year!
Here is a photo of the project Pura Vida did for my sponsor family over the summer, by putting up walls in the bathroom for them
So this is my heart-this is my passion. The Lord has directed me here and been faithful to my dream of going back as an intern. This is something I depserately need in this time of my life as well. Even though I am going there to serve, I know this is something that will greatly impact and change me. I am learning so much about God's grace, and I'm ready to step out in obedience and devote all my time, energy, mind, heart, and soul into the service of growing in my relationship with Him and being His hands and feet in this country.
Thank you for taking your time to read this, you've just read something that means the world to me. Thank you for your time, your thoughts, your prayers, and any donations. It's so appreciated!
Emily Bolton
Organiser
Emily Elizabeth Bolton
Organiser
Zuni, CO