Ministry Update: November/December 2013

Hello Everyone!  

We are anticipating a wonderful Christmas season.  We have put up a few decorations and lights, but not too much since we will leave for the USA soon.  We are excited to be at home in Iowa for Christmas since it has been seven years since we’ve been able to do so.  Yeah!

We have a very nice Thanksgiving dinner at our home with 20 people in attendance including the LeGrands, Sickels, Brandon Blower (missionary in San Jose with MAF), the two MNU student teachers, and the Clem family who live in Atenas.  It was a fun night with lots of laughter and great food (Thanks Anne for the huge turkey!).  Here’s the bad part…no one took any photos!  Sorry!

It has been a super busy November and December with David taking many trips.  The bridge project in the Indigenous area continues to surprise us all as God begins to bring all the resources together including government agencies and donors to make the bridge a reality in 2014.  David and Stephen Sickel (W&W Coordinator) have traveled to Limon a number of times recently for planning meetings.  We hope to be a part of building a vehicle bridge into the Indigenous area, but it will depend on funding.  It may be a walking bridge as originally planned.  We also want to thank the EMi ministry (an engineering ministry – they help with architecture and plans) for their assistance and expertise. 

David also has traveled to many parts of Costa Rica recently.  He was in Upala (almost to Nicaragua) for a combined church service for the North CR District.  It was very well attended with approximately 700 there.  Many traveled long distance to arrive for the 9am service (including David who left at 5am).  

Combined Service for CR North in Upala.

David also traveled into the Indigenous area in November.  As always, it was an adventure as he hiked through the rivers to arrive at the small villages where the Church of the Nazarene has cell groups and churches.  In the next year, David and others will be working on training and developing these new missions.

 Just this week David went to Sarapique to pick up Pastor Franklin and his family. They have decided to return to Nicaragua to work there. There are many reasons for this, but his wife’s health and the difficulty to getting a visa are two of them.  We are so proud of Franklin for his hard work in planting two churches in the last few years.  Now local leaders will take over and David and the district will be working with them closely to help them disciple and develop the ministries of the church.

SENDAS held their graduation, which is always a great event and a highlight for the year. 

Some of the SENDAS graduates for 2013.

The graduates during the service.

Esdras and Scarlet (they live and work at SENDAS) enjoying a fun moment as Scarlet graduated with her master's degree.  We are excited to see the addition to their family (Sarita) in January!

Shelley taking photos at Graduation. The resident photographer.

Congrats to Helen (Shelley's office assistant in PR) for completing the course of study (30 courses).

Also, SENDAS held their yearly assembly with a new council in place to assist with future plans. 

The Executive Board of SENDAS with Dr. Ruben Fernandez (President) in front.

CALL continues to grow and we have loved having the Gentrys here (from Indiana).  They are a volunteer couple that will serve for one year until September of 2014.  They are both (Luke and Liz) teaching ESL and Luke has been helping with the video conference equipment.  They have done a great job of assimilating into Costa Rican life.

Enjoying the National Museum.

Working with David at the Maximum Mission project in Pavas.

Also, we have enjoyed having two MNU student teachers here with us.  Jaime and Angel have been a joy to have around.  They do their student teaching at Kayley’s school and two afternoons per week they take Spanish classes with CALL.  This weekend they are staying in the homes of local families, learning more about the culture and life of Costa Ricans.

First trip to the fruit market.

Jaime's classroom at ICS.

Gallo pinto for the first of many times!

We have one more week of busyness before we leave for the USA.  This is the first time we can think of that we have travelled completely for pleasure (no work involved) since we left for the mission field 8 years ago.  We are really looking forward to it!  And another great part is that Joshua will join up with us in Chicago.  Pray for him and Kayley as they enter their exam weeks on Monday. 

Thanks for your prayers and support,

The Webb Family

Update on Kayley: If you don’t know, Kayley had a gymnastics accident in November (see previous blog), but we glad to report that she is mending up nicely.  She is still under treatment (weekly shots – ouch!) but the wound seems to be healing nicely.