Tag Archives: mission trip

Jesus, the Light of the World

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Worship Space during mission trip. Photo by M. Saucier

In our recent mission trip to Costa Rica, our mission team adopted a theme of walking in the Light.  One of the songs we sang as a team was the gospel song “Jesus, the Light of the World.”

When living in darkness, it is often hard to find light, and even harder to walk in that light.   We see poverty in various forms.  We hear stories of prostitution, gangs, and massive drug use.  And we see darkness.

Yet, we are reminded:

“You are the light of the world.  A city on top of a hill can’t be  hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, CEB).

Jesus said that.  While we follow the Light that is Jesus Christ, he tells us that we are the light.  We carry the light with us.  So, it is our responsibility as followers of Christ to bear the light in the midst of darkness.

We met a boy around the age of 8 or 9 named Andres in Los Diques.  He was shy and uncertain about coming back to the Bible school.  But, after we got started the next day, he showed up.  He and Megan bonded from the very beginning.  We learned as the week went on that Andres lived with his mother and step-father, and that his step-father made sure that his biological children were feed first, before Andres was fed.  Andres got especially close to Megan, and Megan to him.

The light was shared in the relationships that were formed.

Here is a video of the gospel song, “Jesus, the Light of the World,” featuring the late Jessy Dixon:

Walking in the Streets of Costa Rica

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As we were walking through downtown San Jose, Costa Rica today I noticed an old man I have seen often. In the seven years or so that I’ve been coming to Costa Rica this man has sat in the same spot. It’s almost a cubby hole of a spot. He sits on the side of the street wedged between the bricks of a building and its brick column. He is always dressed in a dark red shirt that looks like it has seen better days. The pants he wears are holely and torn, his shoes beat up.

He sits in his place in the world doing what he loves: painting. He uses small brushes, a sampling of colors, and whatever he can find as a suitable canvas. He is a fixture in these streets and I found a little bit of joy rising in me when I saw him today.

I walked over to watch him paint. He looked at me and gave me his unmistakable toothless grin. He showed me what he was working on and then the three paintings he had completed so far today. For about $6 I purchased one of these paintings. It is not the best painting. It is not the best canvas. There is nothing special about the house that he painted. Yet there is a sense that this man with the toothless grin whose studio is the streets of San Jose, is connected to a higher power; a greater joy; a God who loves him for who he is.

This is where I caught a glimpse of God today.