When I was 17 - I made a promise at a youth conference - anything - anywhere - anytime! At that time I imagined my anything would be becoming a nurse and marrying a pilot - my anywhere would be some faraway land where we would fly people from their small villages to city hospitals - my anytime would be as a young adult in my 20’s and 30’s! Instead - I married a pastoral student - at that time - both of us were attending seminary - and shortly after graduation, settled into small town Ontario. We pastored four local churches over the course of thirty five years.

We had a few opportunities for cross - cultural ministry experience. After graduation in 1980 a group of young adults from Tyndale were heading to Great Britain for an indefinite time - to live - to mingle - to embrace the culture. Randy and I talked about going with the group but decided against it when the Orillia Baptist church reached out to us to join their staff.

Several years later the Baptist denomination of Ontario and Quebec contacted us and began a discussion about joining a team heading to Indonesia. By now our boys were in their upper years of elementary school and it seemed the timing was not right. Once again - cross cultural ministry seemed to elude us.

A third opportunity opened up when the boys were in high school - in New Zealand. I started packing! Randy unpacked just as quickly.

Fast forward to now!

In the fall of 2025 - my church - the Harbour - announced that a group would be going to Costa Rica on a missions trip. That Sunday afternoon - I sat in the den with Harv - chatting about the trip and my desire to apply to go with the team. I’ve waited 51 years to go cross cultural and I so wanted to be a part of this group. I filled in the application that very day! The last question on the form read something like this - Is there anything that would keep you from going on this trip? I quickly answered “my age” and then just a quickly erased that answer. My age would not hold me back.

There are twelve of us going on the trip. Let’s just say - my age brings up the average of the group!!!!

We leave Friday, April 24 - from Toronto - and arrive in San Jose late in the evening. Our night will be short as we leave at 5 am the next morning. Drive! Breakfast! Drive! Lunch! Drive! About mid - afternoon - we’ll hop on a river boat - then hike - and finally arrive in the jungle community of Amburi! Amubri - (often spelled Amburi) is a village in the Talamanca region of Limón Province, Costa Rica.

We’ll spend the week doing construction work in the morning and kid’s ministry (games and crafts and building community relationships) in the afternoon. We will be sleeping in tents!

Out of my comfort zone? Yup! Was I asking for comfort? Nope.

What am I looking to experience in Costa Rica? I want to encourage the local pastor and his wife and family - learn the names of their children and bless them. I want to gain a new perspective by immersing myself in a different culture - meeting the local people - seeing how they live - what they eat - how they do life. I want to make a difference in someone’s life. I want to grow closer to the team from my church.

Never say never. Fifty - one years after the desire first took root in my heart - it’s happening.