My squad and I have now been in Costa Rica for almost 2 weeks; there are a few similarities between Guatemala and Costa, like Spanish, tuk-tuks driving around, and amazing coffee, but even more apparent are the differences: here we live in the jungle, not the mountains; the humidity and mosquitoes are plentiful; the beach is only a 40 minute walk away; and here, people say “pura vida” the way Americans say “like.” 

  “Pura vida” literally translates to “pure life,” and has been a thing in Costa for about 40-ish years. People use it for everything, from “thank you” to “nice to meet you” to “what’s up?” It’s as plentiful as popcorn on a Friday night. But what does it mean? Or better yet, what could it mean?

  Pura vida is kind of a blessing, a hope for a better life. My prayer for Costa Rica is that becomes not just a saying, but a way of living in the Kingdom; pure life is an everyday thing in the Kingdom, at some point you don’t have to think about doing it because it’s just normal. The King of Kings made me pure, why wouldn’t I walk in it? I pray that Costa Rica becomes a country of people that walk in newness and purity of life as new creations and citizens of a Kingdom not of this earth.

  I’ll write another blog soon about what our ministry looks like here, living situations, how the squad’s doing, etc. soon! Love you all a lot,

  Claire