My apologies for not posting a blog for sooooo long. It has been a whirlwind of activity and we have lots to share but we’ll start by dedicating this blog to our good friends in Monroe, Michigan.
Pastor Dale at the Cartago site.
We hosted a 44 member youth team who arrived on July 2nd. The group worked in two communities to assist the nationals in planting 2 new churches, worked one day on the seminary grounds with painting projects and also worked in San Pedro de Poas to finish various projects at a local school and district “farm” site. Here’s a quick review of their trip.
Day one was spent on the seminary grounds assisting in various painting projects. The team painted many roofs and also painted part of a floor of what will be the new Regional Office. The afternoon was spent in training time learning some basic Spanish, actions to Spanish kids’ songs and how to present the evangecube. They worked hard to take in all they could before the Maximum Mission events began.
On Days Two and Three, the team split in half to tackle projects in two communities about 45 minutes from the seminary. The group in Cartago cleaned a park that was in such bad shape that the government had closed off the area. After much trash pickup, cutting high grass and building and painting playground equipment, the job was finished and the kids of the neighborhood were already enjoying it.
The team in Huaso worked at a local school. They painted the outside walls as well as playground equipment. They cleaned classrooms and floors and of course played a lot with the kids. Much of the teams’ efforts were spent presenting the VBS program. In Huaso, the group performed the VBS 5 times and in Cartago, one time. It was time well spent.
Day 4 was a Sunday and the team split once again to visit two different churches. They performed some wonderful skits set to music that had a big impact on everyone. Great job, Monroe Team! The afternoon was spent shopping for souvenirs and relaxing.
Day 5 started early with a drive to San Pedro de Poas in the North Costa Rica district. The team worked at a local school that is populated almost completely by Nicaraguan children and also the team worked at the “Finca” or farm/retreat center where the district has big plans to build a large multipurpose center and classrooms to teach basic skills in various occupations to those in need in the community.
Day 6 was Tour Day and the group seemed to really enjoy their time at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. It is a beautiful place and if you come here you don’t want to miss it!
On July 9th the team headed for the airport. About two hours after they left, Shelley and the kids headed that way as well for a long travel day to Chicago. They arrived safely in Chicago at 11pm and enjoyed a great two weeks in the states.
We want to give a special thank you to our friend Teresa who volunteered to help us with the Michigan team. Her translation skills were in high demand and she was a blessing to us each day. Thanks Teresa!
But that is enough for now! Next week we’ll get you all caught up on what happened in the USA. God bless you all!
The Webb Family
