Month 3 was one of my favorite months so far, but also challenging. Costa Rica was absolutely beautiful! Our ministry with The Hope Project was very diverse, and that’s why I loved it so much. We would help with English classes, a pregnancy center, girls club, watch/attend dance classes, random projects ( creating a pamphlet for new moms, bookmarks, concrete, cleaning/organizing the center ) and partner with Christ for the City, once a week. 

       English Classes and Dance Classes instantly became my favorite things to participate in and taught me the most this month. Both taught me that’s it not too late. It’s not too late to learn something new, like a language or how to dance or painting or going back to school or it’s not too late to mend a relationship or it’s not too late to turn to God. Back in the States it feels like if you don’t start a sport or talent when you’re 3 you’re done for. Like it would be too late to start because everyone is so far ahead of you. But what I learned this month is that’s simply not true. I met dancers who had only been dancing for 2 years, and they were fantastic. I also met people in their late 40’s thriving in English Classes. This lesson was wrapped in a bow with another lesson that I no longer let other people’s opinions or assumptions of me define me or hold me back. After letting go, I could see myself start to have more fun and more freedom. Fun can be vulnerable, and you would think as someone who struggles to be vulnerable, I would have recognized that before now. Letting go of fear of other’s opinions of you isn’t easy, but it’s so worth it. Through Christ I’m constantly changing and overcoming. Once I told the Lord this and that I was serious, He constantly provided situations this month where I had to own who I am, what I can do, and own my mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Learning all of this, and standing up for myself, and saying I can do this, led to me realizing that if I’m constantly changing and growing, so are those around me. That I can’t hold onto one idea of someone, I assumed, and let that hold me back from loving them. 

       Through all of this, I learned what it means to love harder and unconditionally. To not give up on someone because I can only see the flaws, but ask the Lord to show me the good in them. To swallow the pride and listen to understand them. I’ve learned that hurt people hurt others, and we should choose love instead of taking justice into our own hands. Love is hard and frustrating sometimes, but keep loving hard because that person may need love more than correction, in that moment. Love looks different for everyone. The way you love and the way you receive love. .