Life in Jacó

Jacó, what a beautiful place you’ve been. It’s amazing how quickly 6 weeks goes but at the same time it feels like we’ve been here forever. 

Our base here is home. Our room is holy ground where trust has been built, tears have been shed, and nights filled with laughter have happened. The beautiful, smiling faces we encounter at our favorite coffee or smoothie shops are our friends. It’s amazing how quickly life here has become normal life. 

Ocean’s Edge meets the needs of the community in Jaco. One big initiative of theirs is creating; we paint and beautify light poles around town. This month our squad was given the opportunity to create a mural in the local park, a MASSIVE wall encircling the entire perimeter. I’m not gonna lie at first I was fighting to see the eternal value in this but the Lord has a purpose in everything He does and the anointing of our ministry host is so evident. 

The Lord has taught me the value of showing a community they are worthy of being invested in.

Jaco is a quaint, touristy beach town. It’s also been described that it used to be the Sodom and Gomorrah of Costa Rica. People only came here if they were involved in prostitution or the drug trade. It’s incredible to see the city now and how it has become a thriving place with a strong church. The reputation of Jaco has been and is continuing to be redeemed. But there are definitely still remnants of its past life clinging to it. The lustful spirit centered on the objectivity of woman. The people trapped in the bondage of addiction that we pass living by the nearby creek. The little baggies that litter the neighborhood playground. 

One day as I scrubbed the last bits of our massive wall I looked around and saw all the stages the wall was in. 

Scrubbing.

Priming.

Sketching.

God pulled the wool from my eyes and revealed how He was waging war in the spiritual realm. 

While we’re scrubbing away the physical dirt from the park, we’re also scrubbing away the spiritual dirt clinging to this space and to the city. 

Jesus is bringing newness and redemption to the city, washing it white and creating a clean slate. 

Once redemption has happened there is space for revival. Creation. New life. A vibrancy is being breathed into this park. It is the center point, a beacon of light that will bring life into the rest of the city, into Costa Rica and beyond. 

Even the giant Pura Vida letters in the center of the park are purposeful. “Pure life” is the phrase of the nation but it’s also a promise of the pure life that we find in Jesus. A promise spoken over all of Costa Rica. 

The hope of the Gospel is written over everything we’re doing. I’m excited to get to continue to watch the promises of the Lord unfold here and so blessed to have gotten to be a small part in the process.