The New Year Begins

Hello Everyone,

It has been a great first couple weeks of January with lots of activities here at SENDAS and in the churches of Costa Rica.  Shelley has stayed busy with CALL (new students and advanced planning for 2012) and David with a trip to Panama (Joshua went along) and a work and witness team from the Chicago District working in Liberia. 

Dr. Scott Bennett and Shelley at Cafe Doka

Let's start with CALL (Christian Academy of Language and Learning).  The year started with a visit from Spanish Professor Dr. Scott Bennett from Point Loma Nazarene University.  We had a great time planning and visiting areas of San Jose so he could better promote the 8 credit hours of Spanish that PLNU plans to offer here on SENDAS campus this summer.  We even found some time to visit the Cafe Doka Coffee Plantation where David helped to "rake" the coffee. We are hoping for great student participation in the new partnership program with PLNU.  Pray for this new endeavor. 

Then the students for the January term began to arrive. We have three students this term, in two different levels of Spanish (Basic I and Basic II).  Ted is from Missouri, Don is from Texas and Neal is from Drumheller, Canada.  It has just been one week and already the students are beginning to speak more each day in Spanish. All the students have adjusted well to life in Costa Rica (walking to get groceries, the nice, but windy weather, and widow-maker shower heads).  We are looking forward to spending one month with Don, six weeks with Ted and 3 months with Neal and his family. 

Pastor Don, Gaby Mata (Spanish professor) and Ted in the CALL Classroom.

Professor Zeidy and Neal, getting ready to study some Spanish verbs.

Then we had a wonderful time with our neice, Allie Webb, who attends the U of Missouri and came to Costa Rica on a medical work trip.  She and her friend Megan enjoyed the beaches of Costa Rica and came back to us after two days with much redder bodies.  OUCH!  A little aloe vera does the trick.  Come back soon, Allie.

A week ago we got to visit one of the missional zone areas, located in Sarapiqui.  It was about a two hour drive to the chuch in Las Marias. 

The front of the Las Marias church.

During the service (25 in attendance).

The land in Sarapiqui is all agricultural with pineapples and bananas being the two main crops.  Most of the people in the communities work on the large farms.  This church's Pastor, Franklin, and his family live in the back of the church, in less than ideal conditions. 

We are hoping to change that sometime very soon and get real walls for his house instead of black plastic.  Let us know if you would like to help.  (See the last blog for more information about Franklin, is both the local Pastor and Church planter).

Inside the church at Las Marias.

 The kids are not looking forward to going back to school on Tuesday.  It will be a difficult day for them after having such a nice, long break, but it is necessary.  Joshua will graduate in June, so the countdown has begun.  Be praying for him as he makes important decisions about his future career and college.

Both the kids enjoyed the surprise of the SENDAS pool opening today (Saturday) for the residents of SENDAS for the very first time. The pool will be used for groups that rent the facilities and for a membership program since there are no other bigger pools in our area.  The missionaries had a great time in the sun and water. 

We want to say a special thanks to the LINKS churches in Kansas City who sent Christmas cards, notes and gifts.  You are a blessing to us! 

The Webb Family