Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if God regrets his promise not to flood the world again; if he looks upon his earth and shakes his head at himself for telling Noah all those years ago he’d spare His people. These days can sometimes feel like a perfect time to start over; as if there might be no other solution to the oppression this world is under. We live surrounded by sin, by the darkness summoned by sin, and in the consequences of sin. In an attempt to sound lighthearted, it’s a desperate time. We are all searching for comfort in different ways. We want to be happy.

One thing about happiness: it is a feeling, and it goes away. Every time we find it, it eventually disappears. It is a repetitive need, unforgiving in its demands, insatiable, a cruel master to its desperate slave. Looking around at our societies, one can easily glimpse seekers of the high granted by short-lived happiness. They will get it, and on second glance, they will lose it. Before long all one can see is desperation, panic, anxiety, and fear. Frantic to escape the reality of the world, we have become a people willing to let go of our morals to please ourselves. Upon arrival of the darkest places in their lives, people will say they never thought they would go that far. To the ugly places. You know them. They are in the news, they are what the justice agencies fight against, they are the reasons places like Casafé exist. Child pornography, prostitution, drunks just aiming to blackout and forget their pain, drugs, criminals, bullies. Do not look away from these things and pretend they do not exist. Let yourself feel the discomfort, the victims of these abuses are begging to be noticed, for someone to look their situation in the eyes, feel the discomfort, and DO something about it.

Christmas can easily be a season of happiness. It’s the easy option to use this holiday as a reason to indulge in the happy. Easy to fall into the cozy comforts, settle into our brightly lit homes, and forget the dark places. Forget the pain inflicted by the beasts lurking there. Preying on the powerless and innocent, never thinking twice, never showing mercy.

Our youth are victims of the ugly. They were brought up in the ugly, they have not been guided through the ugly, they are doing their best crawling through it, on their own, uphill, both ways. It is the world they know. It screams bloody murder in the midst of discussions during bible study when, as young teenagers, they almost always bring up drugs, prostitution, alcohol, tattoos, and murder. When their prayer requests include the starving homeless man they saw on the street last week, and they say they hope he is still alive. When, upon being asked, the youth tell you once again, no, their mom isn’t around tonight to make them dinner. When teen pregnancy is blatant.

The darkness permeates everything, until the light intrudes in a company of hope, peace, joy, and love. There is a war between our God and the devil, and we see it every day in our own lives. The Christian community is small and mighty in Jaco, and we have so much work ahead of us.

The original sin threw the world into this chaotic whirlwind war. One we will be caught in as long as this world exists. We have no choice but to fight in it, for to give in would be a donation to the darkness. This much we know to be true, we fight this war with God.

But (and here is the part where this post actually gets joyful) we have reason to rejoice.

The great I Am has already sent his son to die for us. It is done. It is finished. And it will never change.

There is something we have a choice in.

Joy.

The difference between happiness and joy, while happiness is a feeling, joy is a choice. And what an incredible choice there is to make. What an amazing message to bring to our youth, to all those who have been touched by the murky black shadows of this earth, to everyone. At the end of all this, we have a perfect life, with our perfect creator, our Father. This is our joy, the coin burning a hole in our pocket, the secret we let light up our whole lives, the best news ever, and greatest story ever written, and the best present from our Dad. Brothers and sisters we have news to share with those hurting from the ugly.

We are here to share that news, to help the hurt heal, and to light up the room for those trying to feel their way in the darkness. We want to illuminate their path with the light of God, and give them the choice of joy.

Such a simple word for such a huge decision. God gave us this decision. Immanuel: God with us, means there is nothing that could happen to us that could ruin our joy.

No darkness, in the light of the cross, can triumph.

Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:4)

He has made himself the rock in our lives, he has shouldered the battles we fight against the ugly of today, he has taken on the risk and traded it for our freedom, he has promised us a perfect life with Him, and he has already given us the best gift we could ever imagine receiving.

It is already done.

Finished.

God has allowed us to make the decision of joy. Pure joy. In the presence of the darkness of the world we have the cross banishing the ugly, creating the option of joy, true joy. We have received the best gift.

This brings light into our lives. With reckless abandon we can let go of the ugly tying us to the world and live within the light of the gift we have been given.

What a light for our youth. In the darkness of the world, the darkness of Jaco, the light of the cross continues to banish the temptations, light a path, and lend strength those battling the long nights. There is joy for those who cannot maintain the happy. There is joy for those who have gone down every path looking for their next high. There is joy for those who have been to their lowest lows and survived. There is joy for those touched by the light.

This season when you think of joy, think of the light banishing darkness, causing sin to cower, and freeing the slaves bound to the pursuit of happiness.

Think of it as it reaches towards the youth of Casafé, telling them of the gift promising more than happiness ever could.

Peace
I was blessed to grow up in a peaceful home. I had the love and affection of two amazing parents and an understanding brother. I had the counsel of both my close and extended family, and I learned these people in my life were trustworthy. This was a firm foundation for me. Sometimes I ask myself who I would be without that stable home. I wonder if I would be as strong as these youth are. I wonder if I would have been as brave as they are. I wonder if I would have been as lighthearted. As happy. As welcoming.

These youth are my superheroes.

You see, on the one hand they have the streets of Jaco and her influences. Their backyards are essentially the streets. This would be fine if say, the town was positively influencing and raising these children and youth, however, to put it simply: it is not. There is nothing family friendly, it seems, about these streets. The openness of prostitution is glaringly blatant, the use of alcohol and drugs is impossible to ignore, and the clubbing scene is a popular nightly pastime. For many of these youth, their families live this lifestyle. They are influenced into trying these things and getting involved in these habits. At a young age they have big choices to make. Things they need advice on, but for many, their parents are not around enough to give that advice. Many are single parents and work full time to provide for their kids, many leave their kids to themselves while they work. Many of these youth come home from school to an empty house.

On the other hand they have the Church, Casafé, and the ever growing christian community. The Church is offering something good. The Church is offering an escape. It’s offering the life that Jesus died to give us, an easy yoke with the Father. These are all good things. However, the Church and culture of Jacó clash. Man, do they clash. These two cultures are constantly fighting. One shames the other. One judges the other.

Imagine knowing no matter what you do, someone will look down on your decision. Someone you respect.

Now imagine doing all this without a stable family to help. No one to answer all the questions raging around your brain.

Why are drugs bad, when everyone I know is on them? Is swearing ok or not? Why do some people say I can drink and others don’t? Why do some people say tattoos are bad and yet their friends have them? Why is everyone telling me something different?

There’s no family at home to answer the hard questions. Mom isn’t around to tell you not to swear, or to say it’s fine. Dad isn’t there to tell you about dating girls, so you go and ask your pastor at Church, but also your buddy on the street. Your parents aren’t home enough to notice you aren’t doing your homework at all, or that you’ve been sleeping all the time. That you slept through your last exam. That you’re failing you class. That the missionary at Casafé is the only person pushing you to go to school and work hard. They don’t notice you’re sick.

They balance two worlds at war, on their own. They walk the tightropes of uncertainty and no right answers, they make decisions well beyond their years, they grow up earlier than they should have to; and yet, they are gracious at their core.

These youth are warriors.

See:

They get caught in the crossfire.

All. The. Time.

A war, a spiritual war, is being waged around them.

It is uncomfortable to think about the Church contributing to this war, to the crossfire these youth get caught in. Trust me, I know.

To fight the war they fight. To make the decisions they make. To accept the scrutiny of their peers no matter what decisions they make. This is brave. This would be hard even with a strong family supporting you. Without it? Impossible, at first glance. And yet, here they are, making those decisions every day.

Jesus has peace for them.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

A calm. A for sure. A stable. He isn’t ever gonna be too busy for them, he won’t ever not be there when they get home and he will always take a second, or a thousand, to listen to them. Casafé is a place of peace. We want to remind them of the gift waiting for them to receive. No matter what stage of life they are in, they can rest and enjoy the peace God has given them.

This is what we want this season to bring them. More than the trivial decorations and songs. We want our youth to come to Casafé and feel peace. We want to share that incredible gift with these who need it most. We cannot take this war away from them, but we can offer them the same gift offered to us, offered to all believers, peace. Pure, unadulterated, peace.

I can’t think of a single gift better for our youth at war with the dark side of this world.

Christmas has descended upon Casafé in a flurry of lights, candles, trees, crafts, and lovely scents that make us think of pine trees in a soft breeze. Parties are being planned, food is being cooked, greetings are now turning to Merry Christmases, and it continues to get hotter and hotter as the days go by. This is a time for traditions, for gifts, for celebrations, and the perfect time to remember the sacrifice made by our creator so long ago, the same sacrifice that made all this possible, and yes, the one made by a God who is able to withstand all our silly traditions and meaningless symbols. While these symbols, the tree, the snowflakes, the decorations, and the wreaths don’t really make a whole lot of sense as far as the real reason for Christmas, some do.

Growing up I always used to celebrate Christmas with advent. My family tried to do a Bible reading every night, and then every Sunday we would gather around and light the next candle for that week: Hope, Peace, Love, Joy, and then finally the Christ Candle at the very end. This was always a journey we took as a family at the end of the year. A tradition calling us deeper into one another as a unit, and deeper into the one who made us as our Father. Once we got to the last day, the day before Christmas, we would light them all, and then some more. We turned off all the lights in the house and filled it with candle light, placing the Christ candle somewhere central. A symbol of the light of the world, the gift that saved us from darkness. This was always a beautiful time in our family home, gathered around a collection of candles. As we got closer to Christmas it got brighter and brighter until on that very last night we were bathed in this light, illuminating every inch of our home.

This tradition is in my blood, in my heart, and in my mind; I will be shaping the month of December posts around advent. One post for every candle. Every post will take that candle’s word and use it as a lens with which to see Casafé and its going-ons.

That being said, it’s the first week of December, its the first week of advent, and if you didn’t guess by the title, that means it’s Hope week!

There is so much to be hopeful for in this season! I think we can easily get caught up being hopeful for little things: the trees, the lights, the snow (if you have such a thing where you live), the baking, the meals, the gifts, and the shopping. While I do not speak down on these things, as I am very, very, well known to enjoy all of them; they are simple hopes, they are not heavy in weight, nor hard to bear. It’s easier that way. Being hopeful for the big things is hard, it’s heavy, it isn’t joyful and bright and happy and sweet and it doesn’t always make you feel good. To be hopeful for something, something better, means accepting that what we have, where we live, who we are, are ultimately broken, and we have to embrace that, in order to be properly hopeful for something better.

I was recently reminded of the weight these youth carry on their shoulders. This week’s Bible study started off with a review of the previous week. We are studying James every Wednesday with the youth; we discussed James 4:4 last week, discussing what it means to be friends with the world. When asked for examples of things of this world, these youth, aged 12-15, named off drugs, prostitution, and parties as their first three examples. These are heavy examples of worldly things. At a young age these youth were exposed to the dirty side of this world, the imperfections, the sins, and all the consequences of the first mess-up back in Eden.

This week we talked to them about submitting to God, resisting the devil, and coming nearer to God as we wash our hands of the sins around us and in our lives (verses 7 and 8). The closer we draw to God, the further we pull away from these things of the world seeking to draw us as far away from our creator as spiritually possible. The more we resist the devil and the hand tailored temptations he throws at us, the more hope we have of being close to Jesus. But what an incredible hope that is. Hope for a pure environment, hope for peace, hope for Jesus’ love, hope for unending grace. We hope because we believe, because we have faith, because God has proven himself faithful. God has promised all these things to his believers. The youth hear that message and they have so much hope. They are more than aware of the circumstances they live in and the things trying daily to get their attention. They have that much more hope, because of their fight day after day after day, that things will get better; there is a future where they can rest.

I can’t help but think, and, indeed, hope, this is what it means when we light the hope candle; that these youth who gather around on a patio lit with Christmas lights, in front of a beach during sunset, with wet swimsuits and towels, chatting about these truths; this is what hope is brought for. Jesus died for this group of preteens and teens who are trying their very best in a place working against them. I think, I daresay I believe, this is what it means to hope. In a time when drugs, prostitution, parties, alcohol, slavery, abortion, murder, and an entire world full of other crushing topics seem to control the attention span of humanity…this is our light. Our hope candle. We light it in the presence of despair, and the light wins every time.

These youth got it this week. I think they’ve gotten it for a while now too. This world is against them, they’ve grown up in a system designed for those in better positions than them and their families. They’ve seen the ugly sides of this world, and yet they still hope.

While many of you have already lit the Hope candle, I pray this still makes the Christmas season a little heavier, and a little brighter at the same time. I hope this season is uncomfortable for many, that things often tucked away during the celebrations would never be far from your thoughts, because these things are real and people are hurting. I also pray, however, that you can see, and bring, the hope originally brought to us by Jesus, and that those who ARE hurting can receive the gift of hope this season.

This is our commission, to bring the light of Jesus and to share the hope he gave us; as reminded to me by my brave, generous, gracious, and strong group of youth here in Jaco, Costa Rica. Be aware of the darkness, and share the light of hope this season.

The youth are full of energy! When I say full, I really do mean full! Surfing for two hours straight will not tire them out! Playing soccer for an hour on the beach will not tire them out! Throwing a frisbee will not tire them out! Doing all of the above in rapid succession will not tire them out!

This could have been an untapped resource. But not for us. We decided to harness that energy for good; especially since a lot of the youth like to arrive early. What better way to do it than to put them to work doing chores (thanks to all moms ever for that idea)! For certain chores they win a certain amount of points, once they earn enough points they can cash them in for a little item, some cookies, or a trip to the local ice cream store with us!

Every Tuesday our two regular students show up a half an hour early to rake and sweep the yard. The brothers work together as a team and have the routine down pat at this point. You can hear them talking, laughing, and teasing each other from anywhere in the yard; incessant chatter makes the work easier I guess! They never complain about how many leaves there, as there are always more than you would think possible for the short amount of time since it has last been raked. Instead they joyfully start without direction every week, stopping only when the yard looks good and they are satisfied with its appearance. As it is usually almost time for class at that point, they know to come in and find the snack that have already been set out for them.

One of the youth is fascinated by cars, and of course Pixie, the bull-mastif we are caring for at the moment. Every month or so, or as needed, he will come over to wash the car and make it look brand-spanking new all over again! He does not ask for anything in return for this, he has a heart for helping out where he is needed. Not to mention he makes the job fun not just for himself but for anyone in the vicinity! He will also come over at least once a week to walk Pixie; they get along smashingly.

Every Wednesday and Thursday the youth love to use the surf and boogie boards out on the water. We love this! We almost love it more when the boards get put away without us needing to ask! As an attempt to teach them to take care of things that are not theirs we always ask that they clean up after themselves, but every once and a while (when this is not done on its own) one of the youth will step up and get the job done, often cleaning up after their peers. This is so refreshing and is always rewarded when it’s seen.

Sometimes the youth want smoothies. In acts of service they will make them for each other and serve everyone first before making one for themselves. This is such a beautiful thing: to see them come together in community serving one another, and with food none-the-less! One of my personal favourite ways to bond! This is what Casafé is all about, growing a Christian community and empowering these youth to develop their spiritual walk; service is a huge part of that walk.

We love to learn about community from our youth and to see them thriving in the atmosphere Casafé has provided for them! These are all things to be thankful for, to reward, and to encourage.

Relationships are beautiful, hard, time consuming, transient, and worth every, single, moment. True relationships, the deepening and strengthening of relationships, happen in the unplanned moments. We plan Casafé weekly as a way to be intentional with our youth, to provide structure to their and our weeks, and to allow for consistency in their chances to meet with us and grow with God. Recently God has been showing us how good this is, but also how His ways are even better. His unexpected blessings are what life is made of, what ministry is made of. This applies to everyone. Whether your ministry is in Jaco meeting with kids every week and teaching them day in and day out, or is with your coworkers at work where you consistently have to remind yourself to share Jesus’ love through your words and actions, or it is in a school with tons of crazy kids whose only good role model is you. Whatever it is, wherever you are, whoever you are with, we are all in ministry.

Recently, God’s unexpected blessings have been coming in the form of disorder, altered plans, falling behind in work, and exhaustion. In the very best way possible. I write these with a smile on my face.

One of the things especially important in this ministry is the intentional relationships with our youth. This often means going out of our way to spend time with them when maybe we had other things planned. It means making ourselves available to surf when all we wanted to do was take a quick nap. It means going out of our way to give someone a ride, even though they’re going in the opposite direction. It means instead of writing about the ministry, like we had planned, we accompany some of the youth to a talent show so they aren’t alone. It means we let go of the bible study we had planned, because today, today God has brought along someone else who’s words need to be heard by our youth (read more about this in the update titled: “Guest Speaker”).

This is true for all intentional relationships. We must be willing to sacrifice to form these relationships and always trust that God’s plan is better. No matter what ministry you are in, making these intentional sacrifices to better the kingdom of God will never be wasted.

Every week the same two boys who always attend English class want to surf multiple times. We obliged, as they do not have very structured weeks (it’s better to be surfing than doing other things available to them in Jaco). In place of this we could have been working on ministry budgets, updates, websites, newsletters, Bible studies, class prep, or any of the other numerous things that occupy our days, but building realtionships with these boys is also very important. We are here to be in these relationships. Our plans will be thrown off for the week because we just spent a lot of productive hours surfing, but we don’t see it that way. We look at it as this: those hours were just spent in relationship with two souls who belong to Christ. Souls who are pursuing relationships with Him. Us simply being with them, surfing with them, talking to them weekly, and teaching them consistently are crucial moments; those things are providing a space where they are comfortable enough to take steps with God. If we did not sacrifice those hours, that space would not exist; it takes work to be in relationship.

Another member of the youth spent a lot of time around Casafé a few weeks back. His mom was out of town and he didn’t want to spend all his time alone at home. He would often came over to walk the dogs and partake in meals with us. We, again, took time we could have been using for all the “things” we had planned for the day. Instead we took the time to be there for him and make sure he felt welcome. This was a sacrifice, one we are called to make by our heavenly father. Love others as yourself. Oh how worthy a sacrifice it is.

We seek to see these things as pure blessings from the One who sees everything. While we may not always know the circumstances of those who walk through our doors every week, He does, and He will point us in their direction when we are needed. All we must do is listen and follow.

This Wednesday at Casafé we were blessed by the unexpected words from Pastor Luvin, a friend of Lisa’s. Pastor Luvin and his family had decided to make their own unexpected trip to see us just the night before; he and his family were camping in our backyard for the night. It looks like God had his fingers in all this. Shocking, I know.

This week we had not planned for any guest to come and speak, but Pastor Luvin and his family showed up just as we were about to start the bible study. Lisa was talking with them before we settled down and ended up asking if he wanted to share a few words. This was very on the spot as he had not prepared anything, we were not expecting him to say yes, but in true Costa Rica fashion he did! He took a couple minutes to jot down a few thoughts, and then got to it. What followed was beautiful. He captured their attention and had them engaged, he shared with them words they seemed to need to hear. The youth were involved, listening, and asking questions; not once did we ask them to be quiet. He was animated, he had them laughing, clapping, eyes attentive as he looked at all of them individually and brought the words to them personally. He was connecting with them. A stranger telling a story to a group of youth, captivating them.

This Wednesday our youth heard important messages. They heard to look towards good examples. They were told to run from sin. They were told to keep their eyes on the Lord. God wanted to speak to someone, or maybe many people that night and he swept aside any plan we had in order to do that.

Lisa and I often pray that God will do this. Every week, at the beginning of the week, we sit down and talk about the plan for the week, the things that need to get done. Every week, at the end of the meeting, we pray that God ruins any plans He wants to. That he messes things up and makes them so much better. This Wednesday we saw that in action. How beautiful to see these youth hearing these words with such enthusiasm. While this is not abnormal, it has so much more magic when it’s orchestrated so obviously by God’s hands. This was worship through flexibility and through storytelling.

Our youth are growing in their walks with Christ, they are becoming more mature and the process is both beautiful and excruciating for them at times; as it should be for all of us. One thing we encourage of our youth as they grow spiritually, is to step out into their community. To lead. To take the hands of the generation coming up behind them and guide them into the light they have found. This, too, is both a beautiful and a difficult process.

Once a month we pack up some crafts, games, snacks, and as much energy as we can muster and drive to Estarillos, a town about a half hour away. There, a couple dozen kids will descend on us with the unparalleled chaos of happy, small souls. We take with us three or four of the youth from Casafé who sacrifice their Saturday to be with these kids, play with them, teach them about the bible, and pursue relationship with them. With heartwarming enthusiasm and love, the youth throw themselves into the day. They play soccer with the bigs, they draw with the littles, they clean up after the messes, they sit with the shy, and they laugh with and encourage every small face that smiles up at them. They become rooted in the moment whenever their attention is needed, giving 100% every time.

This past Saturday we went on a cloudy day threatening to cancel our plans once again, but we had faith and we went anyways. It did not rain and we did have our club! Some of the youth right away grabbed a ball, a group of boys, and started playing soccer on the beach. Another, encouraged by some of the younger kids, set up a table under a roof, got out the colouring books, sat down, and coloured with them, chatting aimlessly. For a while this was enough for them as we waited for the rest to arrive so we could begin the games.

During the games one of the youth stepped up, showing profound leadership skills as he explained and ran the group games with energy and grace. Another, displaying wonderful relationship skills, helped kids paint and encouraged them all day. As is normal in any culture, these kids look up to the youth, it is easy to see, giving our youth an opportunity to be a good example-to teach through their actions. Our youth stepped up to the challenge gifted to them. Because it is that, a gift, something to be received with an immense feeling of honour, respected. It was, and they delivered on a promise made over generations, as the old have always taught the young. This is how it is supposed to be.

We have been teaching the kids about the armour of God, every month doing a different piece. This week we taught them about the shield of faith. We brought cardboard cut in the shape of shields and paints, the kids took to them with creative power. And lots of paint, not all of it ending up on the shield. But, in the end, that’s almost better; talk about painting outside the lines! Some even wrote the word “Fe” (Faith) on their shields. Not only were the youth helping to keep the kids focussed during the little lesson, they were helping to explain the lesson as it went along. For the kids having trouble focussing on the lesson and less trouble focusing on one of the youth, they still received the lesson. They still had it explained to them one on one. The youth know these stories now so well they can explain them without even really thinking about it.

Once the afternoon was over, we had said goodbye to every little child, and we had cleaned up, we packed ourselves back into the car and took off back to Jaco. The drive back was focused on reflection. Highs and lows? Hard parts? Best parts? We shared our experiences from the day, learning from each other, laughing with each other, encouraging each other, teaching each other, being in community and continuing to strengthen both the current youth, and those about to take their place.

– Written by Paige Guthrie

Every week I am blessed to tutor english to at least two boys here at Casafé. Sometimes more youth come too, but I always know for sure these two will be here. They bang on the gate at 4pm every Tuesday yelling our names with the biggest grins on their faces. These two are brothers and get along very well with each other and everyone they come into contact with. They are incredibly outgoing and hilarious, brightening up the days of everyone they meet. I love teaching them every week; they bring an excitement for class and are attentive and respectful while I teach. Their patience is greatly appreciated and very important as I am new to this as well and I often need a lot of grace to get through the classes without too much confusion.

This week we started off with the verse Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” As with every other week we start with a bible verse. In my culture this is a month of gratitude. With this in mind I talked to them about being thankful. This idea: We live because of Jesus, we bear his stamp, and we owe him thanks for everything. I talked about the importance of giving thanks in every single circumstance. God is with us in the highs and lows, he is always there, thank him for that. Over time, as we continually point everything back to Christ, we will be a light to others, and they will see Jesus through our relentless gratitude in the face of worst trials or most desirable days.

I wanted to also bring in the flip side of this coin. This isn’t about others, it’s about Jesus, and we should aim to be like him even when no one can see us. It can be easy to sit back and hope the poor decisions we make, the things we do when no one is watching, are overlooked by God. Sometimes we need too be reminded that every actions are seen and meant to reflect Jesus; make them count. We should always be doing things to make God smile, he sees everything we do even when we don’t want him to.

It is encouraging when the boys ask questions and seek to understand verses; they definitely did this week! They were very happy to find that they don’t constantly have to verbally give thanks, as that would be exhausting, and understood what it meant to give thanks and worship through our actions, our prayer, and our thoughts. I gave them the reference to the verse one more time to encourage them to memorize it for a prize next week. After looking at the english version, we continued with the rest of the lesson. This week we reviewed numbers and practiced our conversation skills. We learned new greetings and some questions to ask someone you have never met before. Where are you from? What is your name? How old are you?

After the lesson they visit for another few minutes, then they hop on their bikes and ride off down the street to their home, happily conversing in spanglish. We will see them later this week for Casafé, and I will see them next week for another lesson.

Weekly on Calle Mora, Jaco, Casafé is descended upon by local youth toting around smiles, laughter, and an energy barely tamed by the ocean they play in. Bikes fill the yard, and the house and garage are emptied of all their surf, boogie, and skim boards. Starting at 3pm on Wednesdays and 4pm on Thursdays, up to a couple dozen small feet patter around the yard grabbing swim suits, rash guards, and flippers; surf boards are waxed and the smell of artificial banana subtly takes to the tropical air. Then, as if on queue, the youth move in a pack to the beach. Surf boards and leashes hover over ankles decorated by anklets and tans. The group is surrounded by a bubble of chatter and laughter. They walk slowly, no need to rush, until they get past the gate and onto the sand, then they run into the waves, splashing in the white wash and paddling far past the beach, up to the big waves they expertly shred. They will be entertained to play and practice together for a while, enjoying a safe community and the remarkable show mother nature puts on for them every week.

Just like that the house is quiet, save for the sound of the waves, and we continue to prep food and clean up whatever was left behind by the youth. We know they will be back in about an hour and chaos will descend once more.

This is Casafé, and these two days are just some of the things we do here in Jaco. Every Wednesday the 12 to 15 year olds join us to surf, play ping pong, play fuss-ball, and listen to the word God has for them. On Thursdays the 16+ year olds join us for surfing, ping pong, bible study, and a meal as a small community. These days are indeed very chaotic as the house can be full to the brim with energetic young men and women possessing very powerful voices; nonetheless we love every moment of having these incredible people take over the house for these hours. The youth have made this time their own, they are a close community in a safe place that is readily available to them. It’s easy to see how having a place like this can allow people to relax and enjoy each other’s company without the pressures they might face elsewhere.

In this space we have encouraged the youth to spur each other on in good deeds. We teach them to have responsibility for the things they are entrusted with; if something goes wrong with an object they were using it is their responsibility. We ask that the youth clean up well and take extra care of the things not theirs. Those who know to do this well, encourage others to do the same and it becomes a cycle of good deeds. These youth constantly bring me back to the verse found in Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,”. They live this verse out in the time they have with us and we hope and pray they take this outside of Casafé as well to encourage their peers at school and in their homes.

It’s time for the kids to come back in now. They bring with them their laughter and chatter; salt water clings to their hair and skin and sand adorns their feet from the trek across the beach. One by one they use the outdoor shower to rinse themselves, their boards, and return everything to its place; towels are placed around everyone’s hips and the rest of the evening can begin. We will gather either outside, around the kitchen counter, or at the table with the whiteboard, depending on the night. We will eat and chat and settle down for a small bible study. Bibles are passed around and the word of God can be heard in their Spanish voices. The pages of the bibles flip back and forth and create the backdrop for the real fun, the chatter, the questions and the scribbling pencils. Voices will be raised as they chatter aimlessly and then shushed as they are redirected to the study. Coffee will be drank and discussions will be had. Youth will direct their attention to learning more about their Jesus as a group in damp bathing suits. As the conversation starts to die down the study will come to a close and any remaining questions will be asked.

We always pray before the end of the night when the youth leave on their bikes (sometimes three to a bike) and disappear into the street lights. We know they return to a life very different from the hours they have spent with us, so we send them with our prayers drifting into the air behind them, knowing God goes with them. As the chatter and laughter fades with the departing pack, we retreat back into the house, tired but thrilled that God once again got to use our time and space to bless a group of crazy, passionate, curious, and energetic youth.