Thursday, February 19, 2009

What a day in contrasts! Thank you, Mylinda, for organizing and arranging the day. We started off with a typical Costa Rican breakfast. We had scrambled eggs, meat, rice and beans, fresh fruit and juice.

We piled into the bus for the trip into San Jose to visit RAHAB. This center has been named after Rahab in the Bible. Twelve years ago Mariliana had a vision about a place for young women involved in trafficking and suffering from spousal abuse. In a vision she was told to name it RAHAB. Because she was an atheist at the time, she had no idea of the significance of the name. God was working out his plan. In the early days, bugs, rats and cockroaches were their visitors, but today stands a building almost completed.

There used to be a fruit farm where Rahab now stands. From the street it looked like a small house. All the fruit trees are gone now and they have been replaced with a new three story building which will be completed in another week or so. It is being used to counsel women who come to them wanting to get out of the sex trade and turn their lives around. Many of these young women have an average of five children and are single. We were given a tour and listened to Mariliana’s hopes and dreams for this place.

We had the opportunity to meet these young women who meet every Wednesday and Thursday. As we sat in a circle beside them, we shared our names and gave each of them a blessing. Were they able to understand us? No! but I believe they were able to see through our smiles and touch that they knew we cared. We were told many of them had come to Christ just before we arrived.

Several gave their testimonies as to why they were there, as well as some in our group. As our meeting came to a close, we stood hand in hand in a circle of prayer, praying in English and Spanish. At that moment I felt that we were all one. God was with us and I know great things are going to take place in the lives of these women. The star attraction was a 4 week old baby girl. She is one of three siblings.

Crocheted crosses that Vi Wiant had made were given to each of the women and we exchanged names with a promise they would be prayed for as we left.

Following lunch (including rice and beans) we started off to JACO (hah-Co). We picked up Xinia and Robin. We drove over beautiful mountains. It was not a super highway and had hairpin turns, gorgeous mountains, valley views, and lovely flowers. Have you tried to take pictures over bumps and curves?

The beauty of the afternoon culminated in watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean and mountains at Villa Caletas.

Mylinda had been preparing us for our night in Jaco at the Beetle Bar. This is where many young women come to be met by men of all ages. They are mainly from North America or Europe. The young women are dressed in mini-skirts, low tops and spiked heels. As we watched these young girls get into a van with several men, their faces told it all. There were no smiles, just sadness. We watched and prayed as the line of taxis and vans dropped off men going into the bar. It was very overwhelming to see how lives are being destroyed by those who have no sense of caring for these girls but to feed their own egos.

It has been a day of seeing the darkness of what life can do, but at the same time to see the tremendous beauty of God’s world.

Prayer is a powerful force we can all participate in. Not in judgment or condemnation, but in love and concern.

— Mary Hamblett and Chris Marziale