Our online lay leaders are husband and wife team Chris Richter and Stephanie Ruiz. They live in Costa Rica, so they had the unique opportunity to “go on mission” where they live. We appreciate these two as “Galilee South.” Though they live thousands of miles away, they are present on our worship livestream each Sunday and lead a virtual small group every week.
“This was the first Costa Rica mission trip for both of us; Chris had been on a mission trip to Haiti years ago. Steph hadn’t had any previous mission experience, but it was much as she expected in terms of the hard work and living situation. The leaders had done a good job presenting that part.
This mission trip accomplished so much. Most directly, we were able to provide an impressive amount of support to our partner church in Carrillos: we did extensive work on the sanctuary walls, prepping them for paint; we mended many cracks and minor damage from recent earthquakes; we remodelled their kitchen; we replaced many floor tiles; we began the work of a structure they will use to sell food to raise funds; we moved plants; we put up a new gutter system; and we modified needy parts of the plumbing. Importantly some of these issues needed to be addressed timely so that the iglesia would not face heavy fines from the Ministry of Health. This was the tangible part of the trip.
Perhaps more importantly, though, we worked side by side with Palabra Viva leaders to accomplish much of this, and this strengthened the already strong bonds with the church. Moreover, we really enjoyed the other missioners on the trip, although many of us hadn’t met one another – we worked well and played well together and came away with a key set of relationships that can only further strengthen the bonds of the Galilee community.
There was an esprit de corps clearly influenced by God. We were purposeful about devotionals and a focus on faith. That was a blessing and we all felt God’s presence with us as we served on this trip. It was very nourishing.
I don’t think we discovered any new skills—we’re both old enough to know our tool kits pretty well—but it was rewarding to use some skills that we don’t use day-to-day. For example, Chris valued the chance to practice followership, and he learned a lot from those who led and had deeper experience and skill than he. The team members’ gifts were really complimentary to one another.
The most fun part was, honestly, the time spent with the people. It didn’t matter if we were working hard, or resting after an exhausting day, eating together at a long table, or playing cut-throat card games. There were smiles and laughter and genuine relationship—and this applied whether the missioner was in her/his 50s, 40s, or 20s. There was mutual enjoyment, appreciation, and respect, and the group bonded and grew together. There are friendships formed here that will last.
We live here, so the natural beauty of Costa Rica is not new to us. That said, getting to see Poas Volcano clearly — it is so very often obscured by cloud—was special, and the La Paz waterfall is an amazing spectacle. For Chris, though, again, the most beautiful thing was the relationships he saw built and strengthened, and the very clear presence of the Spirit throughout.
We knew that the church has had long ties with Carrillos, and this is evident in how the church members interacted with returning missioners, as well as how warmly they treated newcomers. Our congregation should that this is a very special experience, and more of us should look to participate. It is a lot of work and quite physical, but it is is rewarding, and it is a very special way to better connect with your fellow Galilee congregants while also contributing to something bigger than Galilee.
Bonus: an unexpected and valuable experience was the opportunity for online and in-person Galilee congregants to connect on a deep level. There were three of us who are regular online participants and it was good for the others to see how committed we are to the church in every way – and for us to know we are all part of the same whole.”
Read more about: Costa Rica 2023
Chris and Stephanie with visiting missioner Sam Moore