Tara Talk: Ministering in their own communities

A program that SI-Costa Rica has started this year that I have not talked about much is an internship program that we have with two young men of the Los Guido community where I work. William and Justin are the two guys who have been interning with us in our ministry sites about three days a week since the first part of 2013. William works with my friend Cailah with the children in a community called Las Fuentes. He is involved in outdoor recreation activities, indoor games, helping coach a high school aged boys' soccer team, and being a positive role model for the kids of that community. Justin was working with Diego in our sports' ministry, playing a lot of soccer with kids in different communities as well as helping being a mentor to them. He is currently working with our Microfinance ministry with coworkers Cindy and Diana. The agreement we have with them is that they work with us as interns, they attend night school three evenings a week to finish their high school education, and in turn, we financially support them in their training for future jobs. For William, that has meant helping him to attend an institute to learn basic electrician skills, and for Justin, that's helping provide healthy food and bus fare for him to continue training with his minor league soccer team that he is a part of.

One of our goals with these young men is that they would learn more about what it means to be a man of God and a role model in their communities when men are so often absent in the lives of the families. They both have lived in Los Guido their entire lives and have experienced difficult and challenging life situations themselves. It has been so encouraging to see how they have grown to be more responsible and to really love the work that we are doing in their own and nearby communities. By choosing to stay off drugs, to be respectful in how they talk to women and authorities, to study God's Word, to be accountable to us as their site leaders, they are challenging what the world around them tells them they should grow up to be.

I have been able to interact regularly with these two young men in the setting of my English class. We have gone through several transitions in what the format and time of my class looks like, but it is encouraging to me to know that they both value studying English. Part of their jobs as interns is working with the teams that come from the States to work in our ministry sites, and it is to their benefit if they are able to communicate with these team members in English. Little by little, I have seen them grow in their skills, but I would still love to see them learn so much more. :) When I moved to Costa Rica to join SI, I never thought that I would be working with teenage boys, but it has really been a joy to get to know these guys and walk part of life's journey with them. Please pray for William and Justin as they work with us, as God is working in their hearts and in the lives of their family members. I have such high hopes and prayers for them and their futures and know that God can use them greatly if they are willing and available!