Over the river and through the jungle to the indigenous people group called BriBri we go! A women named Karina led the way as we walked through the jungle to a place called The Nest.  Karina told us of the beauty in this community and also the hardships. She told us of sin that has plagued this community for generations. It has been such a plague that some people in the community call it culture instead of sin. Abuse is a common occurrence in the world and that is no exception in this indigenous group. By the time they are five, eight out of ten girls will be sexually abused. Because of their young age and the circumstances surrounding them most women in the community have had abortions. My stomach tightened and I felt sick as she told us of the statics of this community. While there is so much beauty in this community, none is without sin. But what is the solution, how is God moving in this community to help the hurting? 

    I got to see God move through The Nest. God didn’t just leave these people in horrible circumstances, He gave this community hope. For the girls of the BriBri tribe, God has given people a vision for a new home. The vision of the Nest is to be a safe place for girls from their abusive households. The beauty of the Nest is that it will be a home specifically made for BriBri women and children. While living at the Nest, they will have parental figures to help guide and protect them. The Nest will provide counseling and use the arts to help process their trauma. Through painting, singing, drawing, and dance, these kids will be able to process the trauma they went through in a safe environment. The Nest is also using the same resources the BriBri community uses to build their houses so it feels like a familiar home for the people living there. The vision of The Nest is to be a safe place that is also a part of the culture of the tribe for generations to come. 

The Lord showed me a few things through this: 

1. The Lord sees the broken is using His people to help them. The Lord gave Karina and her team a vision of what The Nest will be and how it will help this community. 

2. My God is good and doesn’t forget His people, even when they are hurt and broken. He sees those people and is healing their community. 

3.  Asking the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His is a beautiful thing. But when He does break your heart for what breaks His, it’s painful and overwhelming. Tears streamed down my face as she told us of all the pain and sin in this community. I only got of glimpse of the heart break I know the Lord feels for His people. In the coming days I felt overwhelmed and emotional as I prayed for this community. 

Please join me in prayer for this community and that The Nest will be blessed. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments! If this stirred your heart, you can look more into The Nest here: www.thenestcostarica.com