Last month we started the second book of our small Bible study group. I added one more youth – so there are 6 in total now. This is a closed Bible study where I hand-picked these 6 guys (unlike the drop-in style one that we do weekly on Tuesdays). The three areas of focus of this study were: Bible study, prayer, and service. But now we have added a 4th and that is mentorship. 

I have found 6 men from the local Churches willing to mentor these youth one on one. So, now we alternate to complete the study, one day with me at Casafé and the following week separately with their mentors. I have never done this before, but I believe it will be of great benefit and impact not only in the youths’ lives but also in the lives of the mentors as we all grow together in our faith. Mentors and people who have discipled me over the years have been a huge blessing and benefit to my spiritual growth. And I pray it will be for these youth too! 

One of the young adults from the local Church felt led to give basic guitar classes to some people from the Church and community, and he asked me if he could use the space of Casafé to give them. As it very closely aligns with our mission to “empower the youth of Jacó to grow in their spiritual walk with God, develop life skills and learn to live in healthy Christian community” it was an easy “yes”. A few of the Casafé teens are taking the classes, and it’s been fun to watch them learn!

We have continued our Bible study in Proverbs, which has been so good! Each time I get the youth to read the passage on their own and to choose the verse that sticks out the most to them. After everyone has had a chance to read I ask them to share what stood out to them and why. This has been an amazing exercise and I really believe God is using this to work in their lives. One of the guys said, “This chapter is so good! I’m going to read this when I get home.” 
The proverbs have so much wisdom, and it is great to see the youth reading it and studying it. I continue to pray that God would do a great work in their hearts. 

I think it’s about time I update this blog! It’s an understatement that I have not been doing a good job at keeping up the blog (and the website), but here we are. And I’m actually doing it!

Because my the last post on here is from 2020, I’m going to race through the last 3 years to catch us up to speed.

2020 started off strong with a lot of fun activities and a group of from Florida that spent a few days with us! Then…well, the pandemic. Things came to a grinding halt and we were limited with ministry opportunities due to restrictions, but we made a huge effort to stay connected and continue serving the youth.

Then I (Lisa) got pretty sick (not with covid) and we had to move locations. God provided an amazing house in a very central location and we made the move. It took a little while to get things into place and make the new house feel like our Casafé home, and now I can say it turned out to be great. We had a different style Christmas event that year, but it was nice.

2021 I started doing a few activities we had an amazing English class with some very dedicated girls. I also had the opportunity to minister to a couple of youth on a very deep level, meeting some important physical and spiritual needs. And then I took an extended time away from Jacó to rest and get rejuvenated and visit friends and family, this decision was supported by my Pastoral Care couple from my missions organization Commission To Every Nation and my mentor. This was a great time of rest and healing and I have fond memories of many different places and people. God did a great work in my body and in my soul for which I am super thankful. When I came back it was time to jump into ministry, things were off to a slow start after the previous year and a half ups and downs. But God was so great to bring us the right youth to minister to.

2022 was a strong year full of ministry. We had weekly English Classes, Bible studies, and free hang-out times. These were all a great success. I was able to connect with the local church youth group and work with them in some different ways, staying in touch to see how we can support each other. Some of the youth started coming to Casafé and some of the Casafé youth started going to youth group. One thing we value is connecting the youth to the local Church, so I’m thankful for the connections we were able to make.

Some of your highlights were, an outing the the water park, fun beach days, and having consistency with the youth that were attending.

Now we are in 2023 and I can hardly believe that I can say we are already half way through the year! Time has flow by this year. We have continued with our 4 main activities: Bible study, English class, free hang-out time, and beach/surf days.

Also, recently I started second Bible study group for a select few to be more focused and intentional with 5 of the youth that have been most consistent and hungry to grow in the Lord. Our 3 focus points are Bible study, Prayer, and Service. After out time of study and prayer we all work together doing yard work and cleaning around the Casafe property. This has been a great way to get to know the youth deeper and disciple better and also get some other work done.

That catches us up to date here. Short and sweet. And maybe (but no promises) I’ll write new posts here in the future!

What’s up at Casafé these days? Well, there has been a lot of uncertainty with things here concerning restrictions and Covid-19, so for now we have been doing just a few small activities in very small groups. And of course doing our best to stay in contact with the youth via messages or home visits. And we are staying attentive to new needs as they arise. This is a hard time for many, not just physically and financially, but also emotionally and spiritually, and we are making an effort to continue to support the youth in this time.

The beach is only open for a few hours in the morning these days, but we have taken advantage of the days with good high tide for surfing to enjoy the waves.

We also installed a sink outside so that everyone can wash their hands as soon as they get here! This has also proved to be an asset when working outside haha.

Casafé has been closed for over a month now due to Covid-19 restrictions and conerns. The beach has been closed, (the borders are closed), big gatherings are prohibited, and many shops are still closed too. During this time, our team has kept in contact with the youth through text messages, phone calls, and a few visits. We have shared with them devotionals and sermons the local Church has been doing online, and have send devos from our team too.

Of course the youth are itching for Casafé to open again! We will begin to do things in small groups as they ease off the stringent restrictions. And I look forward to be able to surf in small groups when they open up the beach – which, as I understand, they will be doing gradually quite soon. (This will be good for our health in many ways!)

For myself, in these crazy times, it has been a time to be able to check a bunch of things off of my never ending “to do” list and get some small maintenance projects done around the house. (That I can never seem to find time to do while things are running full speed.)

Below I was fixing up some of the razor wire around the property.

In light of celebrating 5 years at Casafé…here is a little video my brother made!

We were privileged to have Paige Guthrie come and serve with Casafé for just under 3 months. Paige was a huge blessing to the ministry of Casafé during her time here. She served whole heartedly and connected really well with the youth. Paige was a huge help with the regular Casafé events, from teaching English class, cleaning, caring for the dogs, to pouring into the youth. Those spur of the moment ministry opportnities when someone shows up at the gate, whether that meant a fun surf session with our beloved youthies, or making a sandwich for someone in need, Paige was always there to lend a helping had. She served with many behind the scenes things as well, and also wrote several posts for the blog. The recent advent posts are all her work!

Just before Christmas we had to say “see ya later” as Paige is now moving on to another season of her life – soon going back to university. Thank you Paige for giving of your time, energy, resources, and your heart to serve at Casafé and the community of Jacó! May God continue to bless you in this next step!

On the night before Christmas, in my family, we would light the very last candle and read the very last story before we went to bed for the night, awaiting the next morning with anticipation. This was the night. The night when the house was lit with a light unlike any other night, when we gathered together, sat, and sang Christmas carols until our eyes were droopy and our hearts overflowing. I love this night. It seems there can never be so much hope as on Christmas Eve, no more love than our family gathered around our candles all lit up, no more joy than your faces in the glow of the merry flames, and no more peace than the calmness found in the space between us. On this night there is never any doubt in my mind: this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Especially in these days of darkness, or shocking stories told on the nightly news, of people hurting, or children exploited, of entire people groups abandoned and left to search for a new home, of the death of loved ones to every illness imaginable, of lost souls seeking comfort in the very corners of sin – where they think they are invisible, in a time when suicides are all too common, a time when it feels we have never been further from our Creator until now, and we will be further away tomorrow. Christmas is our reminder. Otherwise it can feel hopeless, chaotic, restless, overwhelming, and as if peace is foreign in this world, an immigrant not allowed to enter. It can feel empty, joyless, like nothing you do will ever satisfy. It can feel devoid of love as you watch the light in your belly die out and your future turn bleak.

People!

Children of God!

We need to take advantage of this season in our homes, in our ministries, in our jobs, in our communities, families, friendships, and acquaintances. This season is needed most in these days. When it seems all turns to black, dark, messy, and ugly; we need a reminder of our salvation more than ever before.

We need the reminder of hope in our bleakness. The promise we have been given, allowing us to look to a new world devoid of sin. The ability to bear the sickness of this world in light of the health of the next. We are able to look past the darkness here as it is lit up by the one who is preparing us a new home. We don’t have to ever wonder if that blackness will win, it has, indeed, already been defeated.

We need the reminder of peace. We need to remember its importance. We need to give it the visa into our hearts and lives, a place to live, and a job to perform. We need to share this peace. We need to tell those caught in the crossfire of this earth, there is peace for them. Tell those living with illness, with rejection, with abuse, with abandonment…tell them there is peace for them. Tell them there is a God seeing more than us, seeing the entire picture, and He loves us. Tell them he’s got control of this one. He has got all of them. Tell them it’s his Christmas gift to them. The peace of knowing we are in the hands of the one who made the entire earth.

We need to remember the choice we have been given to accept joy in our lives. To be reminded that even as all seems lost, all seems done for, as if nothing we do now could ever save our world, we can look beyond to see joy. God died so we don’t have to agonize over the bleakness of our home. We can accept the brokenness, work in His name against it, and choose to be joyful in the promise made to us in spite of the present circumstances of our temporary world.

We need to remember the characteristics of God’s love for us, the most important component involved: the unconditional-ness of this tsunami of affection. Remember, he sees everything, and STILL loves you. Even though he saw that one thing, even though you aren’t where you thought you would be today, he sees that, and he carries it for you in His heart, never allowing it to take away his love for his child.

In the final days of this season, we must think on these things, share them, and stare them dead in the eyes to see the awesomeness available there.

Here at Casafé we shared that as best we could this season. Bringing Christ to our youth through hope, peace, joy, and love. We want them to have more of Jesus, we want us to have more of Jesus, and we want you to have more of Jesus. In the fine print of this advent season we can see, as a whole of humanity, we all need more Jesus. So my prayer this year, for my youth, for the Casafé team, for everyone reading this, and for everyone not – that we all get more of Jesus, in every season of the year.

Merry Christmas.

I wish I could share the experience of being out on the water surfing with our youth, the sheer joy they exude when they get the perfect wave, or some tube action, or a glimpse of the next set. I wish I could share the sounds of their laughter drifting in and out of the waves as they tease each other, compete with each other, and share tails of their surfing victories. There’s no way to properly video the post-surf-rinse-time when everyone gathers around the shower to rinse themselves and their boards of the salty water sticking to their skin. The rapid fire Spanish bouncing off each others damp towels and wet feet as they pass around bananas and pour each other some coffee. It is impossible to capture the beauty of their laughter bubbling out of their gut as they joke over smoothies; the evening sunset lighting the room with a pink glow. It is impossible to capture with pictures and even words, the community we have built here. With Christmas here it is even more bright and happy than usual as gifts are passed around and we all remember the birth of our Jesus.

How easy it is to see the love they all have for each other and for us during these times we get to spend together; it fills the house and the atmosphere around it. It extends onto the beach and can be seen by passers-by as they watch the massive group of youth run towards to water every week and their shrieks of joy as they catch the “biggest wave ever”! It is enough to bring anyone a warm feeling to their heart. Not that it’s cold, because it is impossible to be cold here, but you get the gist.

One thing I always ponder when I think on the topic of love, in light of our youth, is the fine line they must draw for themselves. Here at Casafé we teach the youth not to be friends with the world. We teach them not to indulge in the Jaco party culture and desperate attempts to escape their struggles.

We teach them to love their neighbours as themselves. Yes. Even their enemies.

How confusing it must be to be told to love your enemies, but also told not to be friends with the world.

Love is such a widely discussed phenomenon that we have an entire day set up to celebrate it, we have millions of books written about it, every song (it seems) on the planet is influenced by it, and every person has a story about it. Love can, they say, conquer evil. It is said to be the best thing there is, worth living for. People say love can achieve anything and with love all things are possible.

But, why don’t we have songs about loving those you’d rather hate? Those who you wish you could live without. The enemies of your life.

Why don’t we write books about following the greatest commandment we were given? We are told plainly in Leviticus 19:18 to “not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbour as yourself.” How much clearer can it get?

How are we supped to walk the line between loving our enemies, and not being friends with the world (James 4:4)? Does one contradict the other?

How do we teach this to our youth? Our youth, faced with their culture, and the culture of their Church. Two cultures contradicting each other, teaching opposite things to these impressionable youth. How do we tell them to balance on that tightrope?

How about the boy who attends Church, youth group, and Casafé, has a budding relationship with God, and whose mom is a prostitute? How do we walk that line with him? How do we teach him to approach his relationship with his loving, caring mom? How do we bridge these worlds for him in his mind? In his world? How do we allow the message of a life following Christ, and a life loving his mother? When both messages are so important, but could easily be seen as contradictory.

How do we demonstrate to them that to love like Jesus is to love people even when things are unfair. A big theme with our youth is fairness, if one of them gets cookies, they all want cookies and will make their voice heard on the matter. In that light, Jesus loves even if it isn’t fair. Jesus took on all the sins of the world, one who was completely sinless died for all our sins, I wouldn’t exactly call that fair.

A gift we want to give this season is the gift of freedom though love. There is no need to hold those grudges or make those enemies. We don’t have to keep track of everything and keep things fair all the time. We are free to love people just for being people. We can approach anyone and everyone and love them like the brothers and sisters they are. How amazing! We don’t have to keep tabs anymore, we don’t have to hold onto this angst.

I can one-up this.

We don’t have to worry about JESUS keeping tabs and remembering all our mistakes. We don’t have to worry that God knows everything we have ever done or hold onto the lie that he loves us according to what we deserve.

No, God loves us unconditionally.

Even that one thing you hold against yourself. What a gift to share with our youth fighting the battles they fight. Involved in the war they are caught in just by living where they do. Yes, they are called to fight against the temptations to be friends with the world and seek Jesus with their entire beings; but when they fail and make mistakes, Jesus still loves them. He still loves all of us after countless lifetimes of mess-ups, pain, and disappointment. Our father sees only his children, who he loves more than anything.

This season we want to love freely. We want to let the love God has for us overflow to everyone we meet, especially to our beautiful youth. We want to pour into this community with everything we have and more, we want God to use us in ways we could never have imagined.

This is the life we have been called to. One of giving and giving and giving without ever expecting anything in return. This is the blessing of being a disciple, to give until we have nothing left and to let God make up the difference.