Pura Vida - Life to the Fullest!

A Memory of .... la Cuenca

2011-04-23T22:02:00.004-04:00

Kevin Arnold once said, “A memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never want to lose.” The memory of Costa Rica will forever be something I never want to lose, something that I will always love and it will always be a part of who I am now. As I was boarding the plane to go to Costa Rica I had a profound sense of fear, the fear that hits the pit of your stomach with a thud and makes you reconsider your decisions. The fear was the fear of the unknown; I was stepping out of my comfort zone, entering a world filled with poverty, an alternate language and different people. I had already made conclusions about this mission trip before I had even landed. I was sure I wouldn’t be clean, get enough to eat or communicate with anyone. It wasn’t until I stepped onto the bridge entering the slum of la Cuenca that I realized my life was going to change forever.

This place is dusty, dirty and cramped. Filled with houses built of scrap metal and barbed wire, children hide behind the doors peeking through at the “gringos,” entering the only place they have called home. As we settled in with our various tasks, the kids began to emerge little by little, inching closer to members of the mission team. I was stunned at the number of young children that filled up the main court yard outside of the church. Most of them in faded clothes and no shoes - they sought the slightest bit of attention. Many of the team members stopped their work to play with the kids, but it didn’t seem to bother our leaders much, they were playing too. We gave piggy back rides, handed out hugs and kisses graciously, and saw each child’s thankfulness showing plainly in their smiles. Smiling and laughing seemed to be something new for these children, something they never expected to have, a sort of surprise they wished to linger. I came to find that the poverty in la Cuenca not only affected their housing but the childhood of every boy and girl. These kids are forced to mature quickly, raising their brothers and sisters while the mother brings in the income. I remember seeing an 8 year old little girl grasping the hands of her 3 and 4 year old brothers - this scene a stark reminder of the abuse these children face. They have been robbed of the precious years that add to their character- they are victims of drug, sexual, emotional and physical trauma that will scar them for the rest of their lives. But there is a strong and unyielding light that shines within each one of them. Their faith gives them the will to keep fighting - they raise their hands and shout praises to God even though they have nothing because he is their only hope of redemption and salvation. They know that Christ loves them and his love is reflected through their love for complete strangers. This love can be personified by my personal experience with a little boy named Adrian. I found him walking alone in the streets of la Cuenca wearing nothing but his holey underwear. Like most three year old boys, he was covered in dirt, with a runny nose and no shoes. He had a single stick in his hand, beating it against the ground repeatedly like a drum. When I walked up to him, he offered me the stick, and when I declined, he offered himself for me to hold. He stuck his arms up, wide - opening and closing his hands as if he were begging for love. The moment I took him in my arms, he and I both knew he was safe. The remainder of my time in la Cuenca was spent with him, running and playing and often times ending with him draped over my shoulder exhausted from the day’s events. I knew he had never seen so much love in his entire life, and I was willing to give him as much as I could. Leaving la Cuenca everyday was a struggle, we both cried at times, and other times he watched me cry with sympathetic eyes and a kiss on my cheek. We loved each other whole heartedly and that became evident to the missionaries in la Cuenca. One of them saying, "I have never seen Adrian so happy before. Usually, he does not smile and he plays alone. Now, that he has you, he is smiling and laughing. It is like you are his mother and he is your son. It is beautiful." I knew at that moment God has placed a child of la Cuenca in my heart for a reason and I was to do something about it. I prayed a lot and cried a lot, making my final day in la Cuenca one of the hardest times of my life. I took Adrian back to his mother reluctantly - she is pregnant with twins and has two other sons besides Adrian. When I finally had enough courage to leave the home, the tears came immediately and my heart was heavy with sadness. I did not want to leave him there, not knowing if he would ever have a future, or if he would be fed and be warm. As I was sitting down waiting on the rest of the team to file out of la Cuenca, I saw Adrian running up to me with his arms spread wide, that was the last hug I gave him. The story of my love for this little boy is not yet over, my parents and I are looking into some options so that maybe, one day, he could have a future in our family. The children of this nation are beautiful people, in need or prayer and as much aid as possible. I did not help the children of la Cuenca, they helped me. They taught me to never stop praying, and to sing as loud as I can and to be still when I need anointing. They taught me to love strangers and most of all to never give up. These children will continue to bless me, it is my hope that I can travel back to la Cuenca and work with CFCI for the month of July, and there I will continue to let these children teach me their faith, love and culture.

- Callie Floyd

Bob and Barb's Blog (try saying that 3 times fast!)

2011-04-23T21:46:00.000-04:00

Bob and Barb's Blog

Boogie Woogie Woogie til you can't Boogie No More

2011-04-21T19:55:00.000-04:00

Last Night with Host Families - Church Service

2011-04-21T19:46:00.000-04:00

Ree Byrd on the ZIP line ladies and gentlemen

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-04:00

Let's get this party started in here ....

2011-04-21T19:24:00.001-04:00

Mark Auffarth

2011-04-17T10:32:00.001-04:00

I was a late addition to this trip. It wasn't a stretch at all for me since I've spent a third of my life in Latin America and I've been to Costa Rica before.

The trip was great - I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with this class and its leaders. I have been so impressed with these young people. They were compliant, flexible, fun; no one complained. Usually on these trips there are always one or two that cause problems but not with this group. I attribute this to their exceptional character as a class and the excellent leaders that prepared them. I'd go on another trip with them in a heartbeat. I'm very proud to be a part of the Shannon Forest organization.

Thoughts

2011-04-17T09:52:00.002-04:00

Our mission says that we will "prepare students who can influence society and culture for Jesus Christ". Having spent the last 8 days with our seniors in Costa Rica, I can unequivocally say we have fulfilled our mission.
- Bob Collins

My Thoughts

2011-04-17T09:40:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking all week of what to write for my section on the blog. it's been a difficult thing to try and narrow my thoughts into a few words so it came to me that I should share my prayer for the morning of our last day here in Costa Rica.
     Father, I come to you with a grateful heart this morning. Thank you for giving me life. A life that is abundant in you only. Thank you for allowing me to take part in a small portion of your work here in Costa Rica. Father, you will remain here in Costa Rica even after we are long gone. I pray that you will continue to work in the lives of the people here. Please bless every person who so graciously shared their time, homes, and lives for the time that we were with them. I pray that you will continue to work in and through them so that your message can spread.
     For the people of La Cuenca, I pray that there will be a transformation. I pray that the sin that is so shockingly evident there will be overtaken by your love and mercy. The community of La Cuenca needs you. Father, please send the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh life into the people there. A life that is full of worship and praise for you and not the things of the world.
     For Hugo, Henry and Magali, I pray that you will surround them with your protection. Guide their every step as they walk among the people of La Cuenca. Protect their mission there by sending your workers to come along side them and spread your love and truth throughout the community. Give them discernment in order to protect their ministry. Father, please provide for them and bless them abundantly. Give them the strength emotionally and physically that they need to continue your work.
     For Carlos, Bob and Barbara, I pray for guidance. I pray that you will protect them physically and mentally. I pray for the support for them that they may continue their mission. Thank you Father for each of them and the commitment that they have made to spread your message of salvation.
     For the students of SFCS, I pray that they will be able to take this experience with them forever. Father, you brought these students to Costa Rica for a reason and I pray that you will use them for your glory. Thank you for the relationships that have grown and changed during this week; relationships with each other and with the people of Costa Rica. I pray that you will protect their futures. That you will guide their decisions and that they will honor and glorify you with their lives.
     Lastly, I pray for the leaders from SFCS that participated in this trip. I pray that you will continue to work through the leaders from our school to plant seeds of your gospel here in Costa Rica. Please protect Pastor Mark as he works to spread your Word at SFCS. For Bob, I pray that you will guide him as he makes decisions for our school. For Weaver, I pray that you will continue to bless her with the ability that she has in organizing trips like this. Please allow us all to take the love that we have experienced here in Costa Rica back to the school and our families.
     Thank you Father for this life changing experience. I am humbled by the experience and pray that you will see fit to use me in continuing to grow your kingdom. You are Lord of all no matter what country or culture and I love you.
      - Paige Cooper

Thoughts from Students

2011-04-17T08:44:00.002-04:00

This week has been a great experience for me. It was amazing to see God's providence in all of life and see how God has been working through Christ for the City International's ministries. We worked hard and played hard, fellowshipping and building relationships with the Costa Ricans. We constructed, we painted, we played soccer, and we shared the love of Christ. I felt as if we had a great team this week and each person served their own special purpose. Not only did I have the opportunity to serve the Costa Ricans but I had an opportunity to bond with my classmates as well and grow closer to people who I've been in school with for many years, but not gotten to know closely. The Lord's work here with our team in Costa Rica was evident. He used us as his tools in the world, and in turn we grew closer to God. The trip was well worth the so called "sacrifice." We may have been outside of our comfort zones for the majority of this week, but each person enjoyed the trip thoroughly.
- Peter Heitman

When I first arrived in Costa Rica I felt like it was just a vacation and would be a fun trip with my friends. More than half the people at the airport were clearly from America and I just kept thinking that this was going to be a great vacation. When we all got in the bus at the airport and started going everyone was freaking out about how crazy all of the driving was. I just thought to myself that these people don't care about anything but themselves and where they were going. When we arrived at the CFCI house and I walked into my room it just seemed like a smaller version of a Windy Gap room. Sunday morning when we went to the 8:00AM church service it was an extremely difficult moment because the whole service was in Spanish and over 2 hours long so I had lots of trouble staying awake for it. That night we met our host families for the first time. After finding out that I was in a group with Jared and Cody and we knew the least Spanish of any other group we also realized that our host mother, Sandra, knew less English than any of the other host families. She didn't have a car, live on a actual road, have internet, and only had one bed for all three of us to sleep on. We still managed to make it work all week; Brian gave us a Spanish to English dictionary, we laughed when she laughed, ate our food in the same way she did, and just said "Si" after most of what she said.
Tuesday night, a man of about 20 years old came and sat on the front steps of Sandra's house at about 9:00PM. He talked to us through the bars about where we were from and asked how old we were. His English was pretty good, a little choppy, but completely understandable. He said his mom and little brother went to America the day after 9/11 and have been there ever since, without him. He said something about how they were trying to achieve the "American Dream" and then he said God is the Alpha and Omega and the He is everything, multiple, multiple times. He said that everyone has problems and that he is a drug dealer and that he would get killed if we didn't give him our money. Sandra didn't understand anything he said the whole time until she heard him say money over and over. We told him that we didn't have any because we left most of it at the CFCI house because we weren't going to need it when we were with our host families. Sandra then shut her front door and told us he was too loco (crazy). For about 3 minutes he yelled in Spanish at Sandra, vulgarly, and banged her gate as much as possible. She warned him she would call the police if he didn't stop and of course he didn't. She called the police, then Barbara, and then Carlos called us. By that time he was gone and Carlos assured us that if he came back that he and the other adults could be there in 2 minutes to do whatever had to be done and he was very reassuring of our safety in other ways. Sandra's house was composed of scrap metal and didn't have barbed wire or razor wire like the other houses so I was pretty scared. I was pretty scared, he could probably easily get in if he came back, but he didn't.
In La Cuenca, we did a VBS with the kids, from barely walking to teenagers. Their faces were some of the happiest I have ever seen in my entire life. Most all of the houses in La Cuenca were about 200 square feet, if not less. These kids lived in some of the worst imaginable conditions but I knew that Jesus was the only thing that they really needed.
Driving around in a packed full bus Friday and Saturday, I was pretty bored. I waved at everyone who looked at me and almost everyone waved back and smiled. I've also done this in South Carolina and on a good day about 1/10 of them would wave or smile. In Costa Rica, a lot of these people have what we would consider nothing, but they are so loving and friendly and happy people anyway. Americans have way more the Costa Ricans and are way less happy. I know from now on that I'm going to be way more grateful and thankful for what I have. When we fly back tomorrow, I'm going to look out the window and see thousands of little tin houses that could not contain more love and happiness in Christ than I ever would have imagined possible.
- Christian Wilson

Iguana-ville

2011-04-17T01:30:00.001-04:00

Canopy Tour

2011-04-17T01:10:00.001-04:00

Thoughts from San Jose

2011-04-16T23:20:00.001-04:00

Humans are relational creatures by nature. We were designed to be in relationship with God and with each other. Our ability to have relationships was marred by the “fall” but the desire and need for relationships remained. Our hearts long for the love and relationship that God originally intended for us. I think relationships in Costa Rica are much closer to God’s original design than those in the United States. Being part of a Costa Rican family this week has taught me to value relationships and to grow them at every opportunity.

- Brian Van Dyke

The two days at la Cuenca have opened my eyes to a new world. These people live in homes made of wire and scrap metal and the usual family only has a dirt floor. When I saw the small children of this community worship the Lord with their hands raised, I remembered their situations. These children have experienced extreme poverty and some have been victims of sexual abuse. It amazed me how; although these children live under horrible conditions they have a huge heart for the Lord. I pray that these children will contact to build up the hope and love to change la Cuenca forever.

- Brittany Troka

The moment I walked through the door of the host family’s home, I immediately fell in love. The sacrifices they made and the love they poured out all but overwhelmed me. Our host mother’s dedication and passion for filling our every want and need truly touched my heart.

- Charl Coetser

Costa Rica in an acrostic:

C – Caliente

O – Open

S – Spiritual

T – Talented

A – Amor

R – Rich

I – Intelligent

C – Calm

A – Amiable

Costa Ricans are genuine, loving people. All of the children and teens I worked with were very curious, but at the same time seemed much more kind than the people in the United States. I wish I could stay longer because I just began to use my Spanish well.

- Blake Allen

This trip has become far more than what I think any of us expected. It started out as an upset when we were told we would not get to go on the standard senior trip to New York. It then became a quiet acceptance before exploding into a bottled excitement. But in looking back, this has been so much more than any trip I have ever been on before. I have truly seen the work of God in the lives of His people and the joy that comes with following Him. In Costa Rica, I have met the most openly loving and caring people of my life. Not only were they willing to open their homes for us but they also opened their hearts, embracing us not as guests but as family.

Outside of our host home we met the people of la Cuenca. The most impoverished and sad area I have seen in my life. There, over 800 children lived in little more than aluminum shacks with 4 or 5 family members. This place truly affected me because these people had so little by the world’s standards but they had so much love and joy, even so. \I can honestly say that while we, as a group, may have made a small impact, a tiny blip of a difference in a few lives here, every one of us is leaving a new, changed individual, with a new outlook on life and a new closeness to God.

- Adam Favors

When I got off the plane in Costa Rica, my first impression was that this was the White Horse Road on a national scale. It was hot, people drove crazy and there was barbed wire and sheet metal everywhere. The one major difference was that instead of being spread out for miles and miles, everything was close together. This is appropriate, as the people of Costa Rica are close as well. My host family greeted me with much hospitality. They served us with the love and joy of those who fervently seek to emulate Christ. The members of the Disciples of Christ Church, the church that hosted us, have a deep and working understanding of Christ’s work. It is evident in the actions and worship.

The permanent missionaries at la Cuenca, have a great love for the neighborhood. They are committed to working in people’s lives, not only meeting their physical needs.

It is evident that our brothers and sisters in Costa Rica understood their need for Christ and the richness of His grace that meets those needs. This inspires them to pass on His love to others. We would do well to remember that even though we enjoy the riches of the western world, our need is no less great. We must strive to comprehend Christ’s love for us so that we may better serve one another in love.

- Thomas Spurgeon

Although I do not understand even one word in Spanish, I still can feel the hospitality of the host family. In this trip I learned that communication between people is very important. Without a translator, most of us cannot express our feelings to the host family. The people who can be a bridge between two languages are important to any mission work. I realized that if I can improve my English more, I could be that bridge between Chinese and English speakers which would be very helpful to foreign missions.

- Philip Shu

When I arrived I had no idea what to expect; a little community service, some construction and maybe an intense beach party. However, my world was soon rocked. When I looked into the children’s eyes I realized how important we were to them. At the end of the day, we helped a lot of people, but knowing that we impacted children really meant something to me.

- Justin Wright

Being in Costa Rica has really shown me a lot. It has shown me how happy people can be with very little. It has also shown me how faith in the Lord can overcome even the worst situations. The people in Costa Rica have shown me how to love everyone and treat everyone as if they were my family. I have learned that no matter the circumstances, God is always working in the lives of people around the world.

- Jared Young

Sunrise at Playa Bejuco

2011-04-16T09:17:00.001-04:00

The Beach

2011-04-16T01:43:00.001-04:00

Pictures from Friday

2011-04-16T01:21:00.000-04:00

Friday

2011-04-16T01:07:00.000-04:00

We left our host families this morning - with many tears and promises to meet again - and boarded the bus for San Jose. You will notice that we were slightly packed and stacked in the bus. You really didn't have to bend over against the window to rest your weary eyes, there were plenty of sweaty bodies crammed together to hold you up. We stopped at a river to see the crocodiles. And then climbed back on the bus to Jaco. We had a delicious meal and then travel a short distance to our hotel at the beach. The students enjoyed the hard waves and played a little soccer on the beach. The sand is pretty dark because of all the volcanic ash. We got to see the sun set and then had a fantastic dinner at the restaurant on the balcony. Afterwards we all met downstairs by the pool and had a 2 hour debrief time - the students answered these two questions: 1. What has been the most difficult experience and what did you learn from it? and 2. What have you learned about God and/or yourself this week.

Farewell Service

2011-04-15T02:34:00.001-04:00

Lunch and Park Clean Up

2011-04-15T02:22:00.016-04:00

Volcano

2011-04-15T02:09:00.000-04:00

Thursday - Last Day with Host Families

2011-04-15T01:32:00.001-04:00

Today we got to the church at 7am to leave to go see one the volcanos in Costa Rica, Irazu. It is the highest, still active volcano in Costa Rica. It took at while to get 30 people and bus up 10,000 ft. After we spent about an hour and a half at the volcano we went back down in to the vally to work in San Jose, at the CFCI offices. Carlos stopped for Chinese take out and we went back to the CFCI offices. Once we had eaten the group split in half and one group stayed at the offices and painted while the other group went to two neighborhood parks and picked up trash. We got back to our host families around 6:15pm and had to meet back at the church at 7pm
At 7:00 we all met at the church with our host families for a good-bye fellowship. We sang several Spanish worship songs and then Pastor Mark (Auffarth) shared some words with the congregation. At one point - about 2 minutes into his sermon the electricity went off and stayed off for most of the rest of the time there. After Pastor Mark finished each family (host family and guests) got up and shared what this week had meant to them. Each student shared with their ädopted family¨how special this week had been for them. There were many hugs and tears shed and promises to see one another again, whether on earth or in heaven.

Postings from Students

2011-04-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

Being in Costa Rica has changed my life. During "team time" on Tuesday, a little girl named Natalia came to sit in my lap. While Pastor Mark was sharing with us, Natalia took the piece of phone cord, that she was wearing as a bracelet and put it on my wrist and pointed at me. I will always remember that she gave me all that she had at that time to show her thanks to me for coming and just making her smile. It shows no matter how much or how little we have, we should be happy to show the joy that we have in Christ.
- Courtney Overby

Being here in Costa Rica has reminded me how blessed we are in the United States. I have seen how kind, generous and grateful people can be when they have so little. The kids are so fun and the parents are so happy to make us as comfortable as possible. Groups like CFCI have infiltrated some tough areas and have made a huge impact in these peoples lives. It was great to walk through the city and see all the people they have affected.
- Garret Conover

Being in Costa Rica has been an amazing experience, helping and trying to make people see how good God is, regardless of how bad their situation is. They have almost nothing but they have so much spirit and joy that material things seem not so important to them. They are really thankful for what they have and they are happy with it. They love everyone without even knowing them and that doesn´t happen much in the United States - their different and that is what makes them amazing.
- Macarena Rojas

Postings from the Students

2011-04-13T20:56:00.002-04:00

This has been a very eye opening experience so far. To see all of the kids and where they live every day was unbelievable. They are all so loving and you can feel that they rely on God more than anything. All of the people here are so strong in their faith. My host family has been so welcoming and treat me as if I am part of the family. This is an experience I will never forget.
- Caitlin Evans

I can only praise God for giving me the opportunity to come to Costa Rica and experience the selfless love that the people here give. They love Christ wholeheartedly; even when they live in the dirty slums of la Cuenca. The children here have touched my heart because they thrive on the slightest affection that we show them. God has changed my heart forever because of Costa Rica.
- Chelsea Allen

Being in Costa Rica has changed my life. I was able to share my testimony with Costa Rican teenage girls and how salvation is found. Even though these children do not have much, they are more than grateful for what they do have. The mothers are very generous and loving and would do anything to protect another child. I feel as though I have been blessed to share this experience with my classmate and hopefully they feel the same.
- Ree Byrd

This experience in Costa Rica has definitely changed my life. Playing with the little children of la Cuenca has touched me. They have so much love for Christ and they have so little. It has been a very humbling experience because they don´t have nearly as much as we do and we have so much "stuff" we take for granted. This trip has changed my life and I will never forget it.
- Cody Deas

Immersing myself in the Costa Rican culture has given me a sense of love for those I have met and for my classmates. Our first two days of the mission work here were spent in the slum of la Cuenca. This place is filled with the most beautiful children seeking the slightest bit of attention. Whether that attention be through a hug or us dancing with them. They are willing to share everything with you. One child in particular, a three-year-old child named Adrienne - clung to my leg almost immediately. I become very emotionally attached to him - crying heavily when I had to leave him in his poor environment. Spending that time with him has changed me in the highest degree. Adrienne demonstarted the same love that Christ shows me daily. I will never forget him or the other children in la Cuenca who have broken my heart. Their strong love and faith inspire me.
- Callie Floyd

More from Wednesday

2011-04-13T20:33:00.000-04:00

Wednesday

2011-04-13T20:24:00.001-04:00

Today some of the boys (Philip, Charl, Adam and Thomas) went back to Cuenca to finish construction on a stage for the Kids Club room. The rest of us went to the church (that our host families attend) and painted and did some work on the roof. At the end of the afternoon we went to a nearby soccer field and park and picked up 4 huge yard size bags of trash. After the work was done the kids and Bob and Mark played a friendly gam eo f soccer. I don´t think the locals were impressed.

Relationships Grow

2011-04-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

Today was our second, but unfortunately our last day in Cuenca. We were a part of the Kids Club games. Some of us met a few kids yesterday becoming friends immediately. Today we saw many of the same ones. The morning started off with preparation, but soon enough the kids arrived. We danced and played games with them all morning. You could see the relationships growing strongly between the SFCS students and the children within minutes. The children would just run into our arms and jump on our backs and have the biggest smiles on their faces. We would accept them with arms wide open and grins from ear to ear. These kids have nothing compared to what we have in the United States. We go every day thinking we need something new such as a new outfit or fast food to fill our hunger; we don´t, we just need Christ in our lives. All the people that we met on our tour of Cuenca and even the children, we heard their stories, and every single one showed how much they depend on God and prayer. We take for granted how much we have and how much of it we truly don´t need that takes our focus off of Christ. Look at these pictures and tell me that these kids don´t look happy...they´re ecstatic just to feel loved. These kids don´t get hugs every day and to be hugged and held and feel loved by us is just astounding. Many of us (especially Callie) have made great relationships with at least one child within our two days in Cuenca. It was very sad leaving today knowing we´d never see these kids again. I´m the youngest in my family and after playing with some of these kids, I´d love to have one of them as a younger brother or sister. That´s how we aquainted ourselves with the children. We loved them as our own family and you could tell the kids felt the same way. These children don´t have much but they sure do know how to love you and even God. We prayed with them and layed our hands upon them...it was a miraculous moment for many of us. As we got up from praying, you could see tears in most of our eyes. The Lord was opening our eyes to this culture and the help that Cuenca and many other places for that matter, need. Much prayer is needed for areas like this. The glory of God is merciful and everlasting. Miraculous things can happen through prayer and your faith in Christ.
- Catherine Funk

Kids Club

2011-04-12T23:12:00.000-04:00

Today we worked with the kids of Cuenca. We had a ¨Kids Club¨time that was full of funny songs, crazy dancing, Bible stories, prayer with the kids, and praise and worship. At one point in the morning - Hugo asked our kids to disperse throughout the kids who were seated, and pray over them. It was very moving to our kids lay hands on the children of Cuenca and pray for their protection, their deliverance and their salvation.
We had some ¨debrief time¨right before lunch and the kids shared some of the ir observations and feelings so far. They shared that the joy that they see in these people is humbling. They are moved by the fact taht prayer is such a huge part of the daily life of these people, that the evidence of their dependence on God is compelling and convicting.
In the afternoon some of our girls had the chance to have some time with about 25 teenagers (girls) in the community. Brittany Troka, Ree Byrd and Chelsea Allen shared their testimonies. They played a few games together and then the girls of Cuenca shared some things about their own lives. It was a fantastic time of just being girls together.

2011-04-12T22:03:00.000-04:00

2011-04-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

Tuesday - Kids Club

2011-04-12T21:28:00.001-04:00

Tuesday AM

2011-04-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

On the way out the door to minister in La Cuenca - Kids Club today. Lots of children = 80 to 200. Lots of necks to hug, lots of hands to hold. Pray for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

La Cuenca

2011-04-11T22:53:00.001-04:00

Today was, in a word - humbling. It is difficult to be in a place of so much poverty and depression and not be overwhelmed by it. Most of the homes in this slum area are single parent homes - with the mother being the sole parent. In many of the homes, the mother goes to work during the day and leaves a child - sometimes 7 or 8 in charge of the younger children. One of our host missionaries told me that she was delivering food in this area and went to one home where a 4 year old boy was "watching" his 2 year old brother while his mother worked. You can see by the pictures that most of the homes are unsafe, hanging on to the side of a ravine where sewage (what we originally thought was a river when we first arrived this morning) flows from the housing and businesses up the hill from this"bario". All over the community you see small faces peeking through bars on the windows and doors. The police ride through on motorcycles - through the narrow passages - at a speed that would surely kill a child if they were to happen to dart out of the home at the same time. Carlos said the violence in this neighborhood is rampant. Most nights there are gunshots, drugs are everywhere, and prostitution and child sex crimes occur everyday. There is no safety behind your closed doors. It was overwhelming to see people living in such destitution and realize that God is still on the throne and that He chooses, in His divine plan, to use us to accomplish His mission on this earth. Pray with us that God would continue to transform this community with the Gospel and at the same time that we would be transformed, ourselves. To God be the glory and may his Name be Blessed
D´Anne Weaver

La Cuenca

2011-04-11T22:30:00.000-04:00

Today was our first day on the worksite. We went to this certain community called La Cuenca. It is surrounded with poverty. We worked with the women and watched them paint beautiful pictures. The leader of the ministry in La Cuenca, name was Jugo. He shared his testimony with us and it was very eye opening. He talked about how his father, 70, raped a thirteen year old girl. This girl was his mother. Jugo never knew his mother. She worked as a prostitute. When Jugo was 5 years old, his mother committed suicide. Jugo was never loved or hugged by his mother. He lived in the street, ate out of the garbage and was smoking by the age of 5. Jugo struggled for a long time in life. He struggled with speaking and was very shy. Jugo was young and wanted to die because he was unhappy. He would cut his wrists, but then stop because he was scared. One time Jugo, tried to commit suicide by jumping in front of a car. He broke some of his teeth and had some minor scars. Around the age of 20, Jugo was sleeping out in the field and his friend invited him to his house for dinner, a clean shave and to go to church. Jugo hesitated, but the food was tempting so he gave in. He went to the church service and the people were singing praises to God. Jugo found himself crying and didn´t understand why. The people in the church came to him and hugged him and prayed over him. This was the first time that he had ever been hugged. He didn´t understand everything at that moment, but knew God was trying to speak to him. The people asked him how he felt and he told them he felt good. He had stopped studdering. He knew God was working in him. God has now transform this man as being the leader of this community to show people the love of Christ and providing for their needs as Christ provided for his. His testimony meant so much to me. Never in my life have I had a drastic experience and felt so low that i wanted to die. If you met this man, you would know God is doing something special in his life. Later in the life, Jugo gave us a tour of the community. He told us that sexual crimes of younger children, prostitution, and drugs were very frequent in this area. As we were touring, you could just see all of the poverty that consumed this place. We went into one house that was probably 400 sq. feet, had a dirt floor and one bed. This house was home to 6 people. One family shared that they were woken up during the middle of night around 2 a.m. a year ago today, due to someone throwing a drug bomb into their house. There house burnt to the ground. They were barely able to get their family out of the house. Everything we lost. They now have a home today because of donations from missionaries. They are so thankful for what God has provided for them and are very happy. These people have nothing, and are happy. God has provided them shelter, food, clothes and his love. That is all they need. Experiencing all of this broke my heart. I have no idea how they live like this. Seeing this really makes you think about your own life. I am so blessed and take advantage of that everyday. These people´s faith is so strong as they rely on prayer for God to provide for their needs. Whenever I need some food, I usually just go through a drive thru to get something, instead of really relying on Christ. In America, we live in a materialistic culture and don´t really have a need to soley rely on God. It is really sad to say that, but it is true. This experience has shown me that I need to put more trust in Christ and stop worrying about little things because they don´t compare with what my life could be. This experience has also made me feel guilty because of all the things i take advantage of. God has blessed me so richly and sometimes I don´t even thank him. I don´t understand how God could love a sinner like me. I am so grateful that he does. His grace and love is sufficient. I ask you to please pray for these people and their needs of better housing. They love the Lord with all their heart and truly lean on him for everything. I am so humbled by what I saw today because life like this to me is unheard of.
Tricia

2011-04-11T21:28:00.000-04:00

2011-04-11T21:16:00.001-04:00

Monday at La Cuenca

2011-04-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

Sunday Morning

2011-04-10T15:06:00.001-04:00

Church

2011-04-10T14:17:00.001-04:00

Sunday Morning

2011-04-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

Woke up early and got started on breakfast. Mark Auffarth actually woke up VERY early bc he forgot to set his clock to Costa Rican time and woke up at 3am (thinking it was 5am) and wondered where all the lazy kids were. :) Most of us were not far behind...the kids did a great job preparing breakfast. Apparently Adam is a master pineapple slicer and Courtney and Tricia are chefs extraordinaire - and whooped up some yummy scrambled eggs. We dined on delicious (and I say that with much enthusiasm) fruit - watermelon, bananas and pineapple. Bread to die for and coffee that according to Carlos sells for $30 a pound in the States.
Everyone got dressed for church and made the 30 second walk next door. :) The service was beautiful - the love that the people have for God is apparent in the worship. We were able to see a baby dedication and even though some of us couldn't understand every word - the Spirit of God was very present and evident.
We came back to the apartment - and had a little debrief. Talked about "Christ's example" for us this week in Philippians 2:1-11. The scriptures said that Jesus "took the status of a slave", "set aside privileges", and lived "selfless and obedient". - that he did not "sweet-talk his way", "push", "be obsessed with getting his own way". - and in order to do that we have to have the love of Jesus - that we have his heart. Carlos communicated that "short term missions" is like "fasting" - that the point of fasting is really for our benefit - not God's obviously. That when we are weak and uncomfortable - God is able to shape us. That when we are vulnerable - we easier to mold. The kids prayed for God to speak to their hearts, to give them compassion, to give humility, to let them see the people (and themselves) through the eyes of Christ.
Lunch is make your own sandwich - chips - juice. After lunch we will be packing up and heading to our host families and the site where we will be working. Internet may be more sketchy there - we will see :)

Saturday Evening pictures

2011-04-10T01:12:00.000-04:00

Saturday Evening

2011-04-10T01:05:00.000-04:00

After settling in and taking a tour of the streets (where the kids played a little pick-up soccer with some neighborhood kids at a nearby park) we had an hour or so of "orientation". Mark Auffarth led us in "Open The Eyes of My Heart Lord" - first in English and then in Spanish. We all introduced ourselves and gave a little personal "tidbit" to help Carlos, Bob and Barb get to know us better.
Then we had a great discussion on the mission and history of CFCI and what our part in that mission will be this week. The kids had great answers and input to the discussion. We concluded that there are some feelings that are inevitable when first being introduced to a new culture - frustration, uncomfortable, embarrassment and fear were a few that they came up with. However, what is most important is our response to those feelings. The kids decided that appropriate responses this week, which would help further the kingdom of Christ, would be compassion, thankfulness, openness - rather than criticizing, comparing, complaining, etc.
Once we finished with our brainstorming session - we headed out to dinner. It seemed like we walked about 2 miles there - the sidewalks are uneven and hard to maneuver - so it may have seemed longer than it was. But the long walk there and back proved to be helpful because once again - the food was amazing and plentiful. We sat outside at a long table and enjoyed the evening together.
Plan for tomorrow - Tricia, Catherine, Mrs. Cooper and myself - fix eggs and fresh fruit for breakfast at 6:30 am. Carlos is stopping at the bakery and getting fresh pastries - and coffee that is "like gold" :) At 8am we will go to the church which is right next door for worship. Have a little more orientation to the country and the work we will be doing and then leave early afternoon for our ministry site. Tomorrow night we will eat dinner with our host families and sleep in our new homes.

first day pictures

2011-04-10T00:49:00.000-04:00

Day One, Post One

2011-04-10T00:20:00.003-04:00

Saturday, 4:00PM Touch Down!

Christ for the City International, San Jose, Costa Rica.

After a great flight, safe landing and ultra-fast trip through passport control and customs – we are in the beautiful city of San Jose. Carlos Mestayer, Barb and Bob Nesbitt met us at the airport and helped us load all of our luggage on to the bus. We made a very short trip from the airport to RostiPollos, a nice restaurant (I will have pictures posted). We enjoyed DELICIOUS Costa Rican food – sampler platters of fried cheese, chicken wings, fried plantains, black bean dip, baked homemade tortillas and chicken bites. We had wonderful carrot/orange juice (fresh of course), soda and water. I had to take pictures of the kids in their natural habitat – eating J.

After eating we went through the city of San Jose to the CFCI guesthouse. We are right on a busy road and the kids were eager to go explore. So, after a brief welcome and prayer – Bob Nesbitt and Bob Collins took the group on an exploration of the streets nearby. After they get back, we will have an orientation time – to learn about the ministry opportunities in Costa Rica and how CFCI is involved in the country.

As I type, I am sitting in the main room one the second floor – the windows are open facing the street and a nice breeze is coming through. You can hear the noises of the cars and buses – the road are very busy and we have cautioned the kids – pedestrians do NOT have the right of way on the streets here. Out the window is a view of the mountains and I can hear the musicians and singers practicing in the church next door. God is good.

And we're off . . .

2011-04-09T00:15:00.000-04:00

Daily Itinerary

Saturday:

7:00 AM – Meet at SFCS/prayer/good byes

7:30 AM – Leave for Charlotte airport

9:00 AM - Arrive at Charlotte Douglas International Airport/check-in

11:30 AM – Depart for Costa Rica

1:35 PM – Arrive in Costa Rica/Meet Carlos at the airport/ go to CFCI guesthouse and chillax.

6:00 PM - Dinner

Sunday:

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM - Morning Orientation

12:00 PM – Lunch

1:00 PM – 3:30 PM Afternoon Orientation

Meet host families and stay in host homes

6:00 PM – Dinner with Host Families

Monday:

8:30 AM – Team Time

9:15-11:30 AM – Women’s Club (painting fabric) and guys spending time with children

12:00 PM – Lunch

1:00 – 3:30 PM - Women’s Club (painting fabric) and guys spending time with children

6:00 PM – Dinner with Host Families

Tuesday:

8:30 AM – Team Time

9:15 – 11:30 AM – Kids Club

9:15 -9:45 dance/praise songs

9:45 – 10:00 Bible Story

10:00 – 11:00 Games

11:00 – 11:30 Snack Time

12:00 PM - Lunch

1:00 – 3:00 - Kid’s Club

1:00 – 1:30dance/praise songs

1:30-1:45 Bible Story

1:45 – 2:45 Games

2:45 – 3:00 Snack Time

6:00 PM – Dinner with Host Families

Wednesday

8:30 AM – Team Time

9:00 AM – Work at the church

12:00 PM – Lunch

1:00-3:30PM - Work at the church

6:00 PM – Dinner with Host Families

Thursday

9:00 Am – Leave for volcano

12:00 PM - Lunch

1:00-3:30PM - Visit San Jose downtown

Friday

8:30 AM –Team Time

9:00 AM - Debrief site Hotel Playa Bejuco

12:00 PM – Lunch

1:00 PM - Beach/pool

6:00 PM - dinner banquet

Saturday

9:00 AM - Morning Zip Lines (2 ½ hours) & Souvenir shopping

12:00 PM - Lunch @ Jaco Beach

1:00 PM Afternoon back to San Jose

6:00 PM - Pizza dinner & packing

Sunday

8:00 AM – Breakfast

11:00 AM – Depart for airport

2:35 PM – Depart Costa Rica

8:43PM – Arrive in Charlotte Douglas International Airport