Day 8

CCU Baseball: Costa Rica

Day 8:

Of all the days we've had in Costa Rica thus far, this day was probably the most emotionally heavy.  While we were all really tired throughout the day, it was mostly spiritual events that took place today that really left their mark.

We started the day bright and early at 7:30 with an awesome breakfast, then headed off to do our last camp in Santa Domingo.  I can speak for most of the guys on the baseball team when I say that of all the camps we've worked individually, this camp was the hardest to finish.  After 5 or 6 (I lost count) camps throughout our time here, we all developed friendships with the kids that grew as the camps went on.  Each player subconsciously adopted a kid and spent the week seeing him develop as a ballplayer.  As with anything, after investing so much in the kids, it was hard to say goodbye.  Personally, reality set in pretty heavily when I realized that I would probably never have the chance to see these kids again.  While our team will leave and go back to the Colorado, these kids will continue life as usual.  I can only pray that we left a lasting impact on their hearts and minds like they did for us.

After we finished our last camp, we had a quick practice then headed off to the local Walmart for some shopping and lunch.  While American culture is understood to have the most impact on the modern world, you don't realize just how much of a difference it makes until you go to a foreign country and see just how much they rely on American companies and products.  One of the interesting things about this Walmart was that they had a food court inside their building as opposed to a single restaurant such as a McDonalds or Subway.  The number one thing we've enjoyed as a team throughout this trip has been the coffee, and many of the players purchased multiple bags.  Parents, if your son doesn't send you a bag of coffee, you should give them a stern talking to.

After grabbing lunch at Walmart, we went to the house of a missionary who is in charge of a local ministry called Food for the Hungry.  This ministry provides food for families that are struggling with steady income, and provides a very specific focus on single mothers with children.  Many of the women in the group shared their testamonies with us, and explained just how much the ministry meant to them.  About halfway through the third testamony given, God really broke my heart and I had a hard time composing myself amidst those around me.  This woman was thanking God for our service and the food we brought.  This morning, I woke up dreading the fact that we had to do another service project before our game, and God really called me out for not understanding the impact we had on these women's lives.  Today, we were their answer for prayer, and this fact absolutely crushed me.  So often in our Christian lives, we spend so much time seeking God's provision that we lose sight of our opportunity to be an answer to prayer for others in need.  While relying on God is never a problem, we must also be ready to be God's hands and feet and provide for those who need it.  Today, our team was the answer to these women's prayers, and desperately hope that the rest of the team understood this as much as I did.

We left the house for our game, which we ended up winning 8-1 (or something like that.)  Again, it wasn't winning the game that meant so much to us, but rather, it was getting to know the players we played against and acting as a Christian influence in their lives.  Many of the guys brought their extra CCU baseball shirts and hats and traded with some of the Costa Rican players for their extra gear.  This was an awesome experience in showing that even though the language barrier was strong, baseball and Christ were two points of relation that surpassed any language.  We said our goodbyes to the players and headed back to the farm to eat dinner and have our evening devotional.

If I've learned anything on this trip thus far, I'd say that God has really taught me to be more mindful of the lives people live.  More often than not, we get so caught up in our own struggles that we fail to see that other people live lives much less fortunate than us.  I'm not saying that we should all sell all that we have and move to a foreign country to spread the Gospel, but I am saying that we all have a purpose in the Kingdom of God.  Whether we serve as a deacon at a church, a chaplin on a team, or a leader in the business world, God calls his people to lead a life of example so that others may see our success and know that there is something that seperates us from the rest of the world.  In the end, the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor and powerless, not the ones who think they have it all together.

Thanks again for sticking with me through this more lengthy blog.  God has worked so much through our team throughout this trip, and I'm honored to get to share that with all those who spend time reading what I have to say.  Many of the players and coaches have thanked me for spending my time writing this blog, but at the end of the day, I'm just a fallen man doing his best to be like Christ.  None of this is for my glory or the glory of the team; all glory belongs to Christ.

As I've done in previous posts, I'll post a link to the Facebook page where Cesar has posted pictures of our work.  This is your best source of seeing exactly where we are and what we are doing on the trip.

In Christ,

Christian Garcia, CCU Baseball

https://www.facebook.com/HPSCostaRica?fref=ts