A Conversation with my Host

Since launching, we’ve been partnering with an organization called Ocean’s Edge here in Jacó, Costa Rica. The Ocean’s Edge program exists to support, facilitate and inspire others to embrace the abundant life they were intended to enjoy through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Their heart is to see others reach their God-given potential spiritually, relationally, physically, professionally and financially as they positively impact their local community and beyond for God’s glory.

Our host, Hannah, is the team leader of the ministry. She has been here in Jaco since February of 2003, but originally came to Costa Rica in 2000 for a cross cultural institute hosted by Young Life. She has 2 awesome kiddos and is so wise and loving. This past week I had the opportunity to sit down with her and ask some questions about the ministry/missions and life in Jaco. I wanted to share some of the things we talked about so that you can be blessed by Hannah just as my squad and I (and many other missionaries) have been.

How did God open your heart to Jacó?

Young Life had a beachfront youth camp which was only 30 mins away from Jacó that I served with. When we had free time we would hop in our car and look for coffee or snacks and it brought us into Jacó. I always heard the warnings in the back of my mind of my family telling me to stay out of Jacó. The locals were also really weary about coming. When I came here and I saw the kids, the community, the people; it broke my heart that all the Christians were staying out of town. It was like they were trying to keep the bad people in and all the good people out. I felt like that wasn’t God’s heart and had an overwhelming urge to step in the gap. 

How did the Ocean’s Edge Ministry begin?

Ocean’s Edge developed over time. When I originally came to live in Costa Rica, the doors for the Young Life here had shut. I came on with a similar ministry called Christian Surfers, and they allowed me to come to Jacó. We bought the property that we still have now and started training up locals. After 3 years of being with Christian surfers I was a little bit burnt out and decided that I was gonna get a job and started selling real estate. In that time, I met my husband and had 2 kids. We still had the base here in Jaco and when Christian surfers decided that the base was too much work, they basically handed it back to me. At the time I was kind of hiding from Ministry, but God was calling me to step out in Faith again. In that process Ocean’s Edge was birthed.

How long have you been hosting? 

I gained responsibility of the base in 2006 or 7, but I was trying to find somebody else to run it. Then, probably around 2008 we decided God was really calling us to host missions groups, do missions training, and help facilitate growth and missions as a whole. I finally listened to God saying “Hannah, YOU do something.”

How do you find mission teams to work with/host?

We work with AIM who has several different programs. We also work with churches. We’ve had older prayer groups that have come down just to pray. We have family missions trips, we have youth. We are all across the board. 

How do you determine the ministry teams will be involved in?

Our agenda is to serve, so we keep a supported ministry list of anybody who is part of our community, who has influence or who has some ability to facilitate some positive movement for the Gospel.  Before teams come we contact everybody and say “what do you need?” 

What has been the impact of having missionaries come to Jacó? 

“And then there was light”

When I moved here I couldn’t find 5 Christians. There was no vibrant church and everybody was struggling. It was quite the struggle in the beginning for those that moved with me to start the ministry. There was a very real physical attack with everybody involved. It was exhausting and heart breaking. Slowly but surely the Gospel really started infiltrating the town. People were watching what we did. They were being affected by it and being encouraged by it. All the sudden Christians started coming out of the woodwork. They would come to our little house church around a cassette player just to fellowship. 5 became 10 then 10 became 45 and 45 became a legit church when a pastor moved down. Then 45 became a church that’s overflowing. There’s a Spanish church thats just as vibrant as well. It’s incredible to see how much growth there’s been in less than 20 years. The whole reputation of Jacó has completely been transformed and God is redeeming our town. What was once known as Sodom and Gomorrah is starting to be known as a city of light. 

What is you favorite part about hosting? 

Watching people get a taste of God’s goodness and step into that/respond to that in a way that maybe will change their lives forever. Through that one life being changed, I know the world will be changed. I love receiving people and just creating a space where they can be as close to God as they want to be. Then I love sending them out. I feel like their time in Ocean’s Edge is like a rubber band pulling them back and then when they leave they’re released to go do anything. 

Is it hard watching people leave?

It’s always sad to see people leave because I’m all in with everyone. Having that philosophy of not holding back is hard because people come and go and come and go and come and go and you fall in love with all of them. Or at least I fall in love with the process with all of them. My job is just loving on you guys for a period of time that you’ve been assigned to me. Then you go with God. The releasing is in “faith.” I don’t usually get to see what comes of people, but I know I did my part.

Were you ever nervous about raising children here in Jacó?

When I was younger I thought I would move away when I had kids. but God goes before us. I feel comfortable actually, but it wasn’t always comfortable.I would say that I’m blessed. I would say that the kids are blessed too. The kids get to be outdoors all the time and they get to be with missions teams and be part of community service. The kids have a healthy balance between being in the ministry, but also living a normal life.

What would you say to someone who’s hesitant about missions because they believe it’s dangerous?

I would say, the most dangerous place to be is outside God’s will. If it is inside God’s will, then who cares? Who wants to play it safe in life. Playing it safe is a trap that leaves you at the end of your life with lots of regrets. You’ve gotta be all in. Sometimes that means you take risks, you take chances, you experience life. I would encourage people that the best kind of knowledge is experiential knowledge.

On missions you get a broader view of who God is because all the sudden God doesn’t just speak English. He speaks English and Spanish and Swahili. I think the more you see of the world and how different people worship and how people are so beautiful in their own element, then the more the cultural part of Christianity or the religious part of christianity just gets stripped away. That’s not something you can learn in a book. That’s something you learn by experience. That’s the kind of thing that will force you to come to terms with the fact that you don’t truly have a faith or force you to dive in completely. You can’t fake it anymore. You’re either in or you’re out. I’ve watched people go both ways. It’s beautiful when people get it. Also, you don’t have to go on missions to get it because life should be missions. 

There ya have it folks, wise words from our wonderful host. 

Blessings, 

Kaci