Costa Rica Mission Trip - June 2025: Update #4

We started off the day with a devotional led by Alec right after breakfast. It was a good moment to regroup as a team and take stock of where we’re at. We spent some time reflecting on what’s gone well so far and where we can be more intentional going forward. It was a solid way to realign before jumping back into a full workday. After wrapping up, we made our way to the church to get started.

Once we arrived, it was straight into painting. We had already made good progress earlier in the week, but there were still plenty of untouched areas and spots needing extra coats. Gray has been the go-to color, and the amount of gray-related jokes and puns being thrown around should probably be documented at this point. Everyone contributed and kept things moving, knocking out a solid chunk of work through the morning and afternoon.

Midway through, we got word that one of Pastor Esteban’s sheep was giving birth just outside the church. We paused work for a bit and got to witness the whole thing, which was pretty wild and something most of us had never seen before. After that, we wrapped up painting for the day and were treated to some fresh banana bread with pineapple and watermelon on the side. Later on, dinner came around and burritos were on the menu, which the team enjoyed.

Before heading back to the hotel, Esteban and his wife shared a time lapse video showing the full construction of their church from a Bible study with three couples in their backyard to the building we’ve been working in all week. We also got to watch a video walking through a typical Sunday service, giving us a better picture of how they operate week to week. It was a cool window into what they’ve built. We’re looking forward to completing more of our work tomorrow and hosting a men’s Bible study cookout to wrap up the day. —Caleb Pratt