Lessons about Rahab

It's Wednesday already! Today was another beautiful Costa Rican day! We had a great breakfast prepared by our amazing hosts (we really could not have picked a better hostel), and then we headed back to the Rahab. With the storage unit finally completed, we continued organizing the clothes shed that contained clothes for children, women, and men while the other group started building boxes out of the extra wood to create recycling bins for Rahab. We also spent some time bagging beans. We found out from Shelley that when the women enter the program they can do chores, come to class on time, or other tasks in order to earn points. When they reach a certain amount of points, the women can "purchase" the food and clothes that Rahab offers. We thought this was a great system to help the women get the things they need and learn how to work towards their goals. Many of the women do not have jobs, so we thought it was really great that Rahab starts teaching them ways to work now that their lives no longer involve prostitution.

For lunch we went with the owner and founder of the Rahab Foundation, Mariliana, and her daughter, Marinella, to a neat healthy restaurant called Shakti. We enjoyed great food with some great company and learned how, when, and why the Rahab Foundation began. We talked with Mariliana and now will get the chance to have one on one time with the women (with translators) to hear their stories. We are all really excited to get this opportunity, and we loved hearing Mariliana's story and her heart for the women in Costa Rica!

After lunch everyone went back to continue working at Rahab except Erica and I (Kirsten) who went with Monica on a home visit. We got to ride the public buses all the way there and back, and honestly I would have to say it was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. After a thirty minute bus ride, we walked about ten minutes to Mariela's house which is in the city of San Lorenzo. Once we reached the house we met her daughter (31) and mother (86, and the cutest old lady ever). It was a reality check seeing her house and what was in it. Her house was probably the size of a typical American living room and filled with furniture that even Goodwill would not except. Monica went through some interview questions about her and all the people that lived in her house. It was heart breaking hearing and watching her cry as she told the social worker that her children did not give her money to support her (hence why she was in prostitution) so that she could support her mother. This visit was not only hard because of the language barrier (Erica was an excellent translator but we feel like Monica talked so fast so that we could barely understand her), but also to see why people have to turned to such dangerous and harmful lifestyles. Prostitution is more common here than we ever could have guessed.

Here is Hannah for a few more details...

Our amazing driver Fernando not only cheers us up with his music (country) on the ride home, but also sensed that we needed some sweets and so he treated us to some amazing pastries at a bakery called MusManni. Right now we are just resting and waiting for some great dinner.

A few prayer requests:

• Please be praying for JT, Michelle, Joelle, and Julie who will be going out on the streets tonight. The group will be going with the owner of Rahab to hand out pamphlets about Rahab along with coffee, sandwiches, and cookies.
• Pray for Jenny, one of the women who works at Rahab. Her mother was in a terrible car accident in Los Angeles and is not expected to make it. Jenny has left for LA to be with her family.
• Continue to pray for health and safety for all of us, as well as continued energy and joy. As we're reaching the middle of the trip, we know that we'll begin to get tired. We are loving our time here, so pray that God continues to bless us with amazing opportunities and that we wouldn't take any of our time for granted.

Thanks for reading! We love you and can't wait to see you in a couple weeks!