Feb and March Happenings

            This last week both my Dad and I got back from a trip to David, Panama with a work and witness team of pastors from the Iowa District. We had a great time, managing to show the Jesus Film three times, work at and clean the elementary school of Portachuelo, and evangelize the Portachuelo community in the span of five days. One of the Jesus Film showings we did on the spur of the moment at the Portachuelo School at the urging of the school’s director. Afterwards we were able to give every child at the school their own children’s Bible and assorted collection of candy, necklaces, bracelets, and superballs. Hard to say what they liked more: superballs or Bibles; just joking, they thought the Bibles were cool too.

Preparing for the Jesus Film and spending time with the kids.

Pastor Armando choosing who will get first crack at the pinata.

Jesus Film Showing in the local school.

 We also had the privilege of having an awesome bus driver go with us. Leonel, also known as “El Jefe,” was an awesome guy from Costa Rica who jumped in and worked just as hard as the rest of us. He was a super honest guy, which was awesome because he ended up helping me a ton with my Spanish accent. Really “Pura Vida” (cool.)

Leonel, our awesome bus driver!

Church Planter Armando and Pastor Walter working together.

            My Dad and I also had the opportunity to work with Armando, the new Church Planter in David. Armando and his family moved to David in the last month and a half to start planting churches.
Even though David is a city of at least 70,000+ people, the Church of the Nazarene doesn’t have a very strong presence there. However, I feel strongly that God is going to use Armando in a really cool way. All you have to do is talk to him for five minutes, and you can tell he is totally on fire for God. The only place to go is up.

            I am very thankful I was able to go on this trip. To God mostly, for giving me the chance, but also for the team that I went with who ended up paying for my meals, and for all the awesome Nazarenes in the city of David who made working there a blast. Hopefully, I’ll be able to go back soon.

The Iowa District Team, along with David, Joshua and the school teachers.

It was also my Dad's birthday last Saturday and since he has been gone a lot in the last few weeks, we gave him the day off!  Here is how he spent part of the day...

 On Sunday we went out to eat at Applebee's just to give us some good American food.  It was a special treat that we all enjoyed, as you can see!

 Keep praying for us.  We sure appreciate you all!

Joshua (for the Webb family)

Jukari and Honduras (Costa Rica Indigenous areas)

One of the river crossings into the indigenous area....read below!

Hello Dear Friends,
We hope all is well in your corner of the world.  Life is moving at a fast pace here in Costa Rica.  The kids are keeping busy with school, Shelley with her work at the Seminary and CALL, and David is with a Jesus Film team in Panama.  Joshua is thrilled to be with the team as well near David, Panama.  The IA district team arrived on Wednesday and left for Panama on Thursday (from Costa Rica).  Here is a photo taken just before they hit the road.

Here comes the bus!

Before the team arrived from Iowa, David traveled to the indigenous area of Costa Rica (southeast of CR) to visit the missions we have there.  These missions are in Valle de las Estrellas (Valley of the Stars) and you first must drive about 5 hours to the area south of Limon.  Then the car is parked and the walking begins. 

Here are some photos showing the great visit they had to one existing mission and one new mission.

Part of the evangelism team from El Alto church with their guide in the middle.

The walking bridge into the indigenous area (no car bridge exists).

 

 

David and Leyla hiking to the first village.

Not much of a trail to follow.

The first village with a new cell group - Jukari.

 

 

Ted, CALL student from MO got to return to the area.

The Jukari Worship team in action.

Bathtime!

David finds some friends.

Ted's morning hike was rewarded with this awesome photo.

The next day's hike to Honduras was a little shorter than normal after the team hitched a ride in the back of this truck.  But this is the end of the road, so David is paying the man for his trouble.  It's all by foot from here...

The Nazarene Church in Honduras constructed by Ted's Work and Witness team two years ago.

 

 

 

Pastor Arselio rides to meet the team.

David, Pastor Leyla and the rest of the team (5 in all) had a great visit to the two villages.  The first village is a new cell group so the team did some discipleship workshops with the new believers.  The second village (Honduras) is the mission where Pastor Arcelio lives and pastors.  He is also the church planter for the area.  He takes the Jesus Film and other resources into the other villages to bring the good news of Jesus to them.  He is doing great work in the Valley of the Stars. 

That's the update for now.  David will have more to tell when he returns from Panama with the Jesus Film team.

Blessings to you all,
Shelley and family

February in Costa Rica

Hello Dear Friends and Family,
I know that many of you are in the middle of a cold winter and so I hesitate to mention the beautiful weather we have had here in San Jose for the last 6 weeks.  But, it has been lovely with little rain, just the normal windy, mostly sunny days.  We know it will not last, so we enjoy these days to the full, until May arrives with the rainy season with it. 

Beautiful view from the Assembly at Poas.

The partially completed multi purpose building (sanctuary) at Poas.

Johnny Calvo, District Superintendent, giving the benedicti

We celebrated the annual district assemblies here in Costa Rica (2 districts: Central and North) last weekend.  David led the Assembly in the North, Shelley did some translating and then we listened to the Central Assembly as Dr. Middendorf and Dr. Saenz presided.  The growth in the Central district was not what all hoped for (remained steady) but the North district had a good growth to share.  The day ended with a meal shared with all the missionaries, Dr. Middendorf and Dr. Saenz.  It was a good day.

Dr. Middendorf preaching at the Central Assembly.

David left for Nicaragua the day after to assist the General Superintendent with the Assemblies in Nicaragua South and North.  They even got to preside at a wedding in the South district.  Both districts showed good growth. 

Shelley has stayed busy with CALL.  We began the January term with 3 full time students and now we are down to two with Pastor Don completing his one month study time.  We had a wonderful tour day to Poas and Cafe Doka.  The views were brilliant.

This week our friend Ted will be completing his 6 week study time and returning home in Missouri.  But we are not saying goodbye for good as he is learning Spanish for the sole reason of helping on the mission field as he is able.  Already we have him scheduled to help with a team here on the Seminary grounds this summer.  And then our new friend, Neal, will continue his studies through the month of March before heading off to Cuba with his family to work with a mission organization there. 

Tomorrow two professors with the Education department from MidAmerica Nazarene University will be arriving to make arrangements for a new program combining a month of student teaching with some Spanish study.  The first students arrive in April with more to follow in the fall.  This will be a great experience for the MNU students who will have the opportunity to teach in another culture and gain Spanish language skills at the same time. 

David is returning tonight (Saturday) from a two day trip to the the missions in the Indigenous area of Costa Rica (Tay Cabecar).   I am sure he will want to share his experiences in Nicaragua last week and info about the new church plants in Costa Rica Central.

Last photo with braces.

In other news, Joshua and Kayley are doing well.  Kayley just had her braces taken off and will share some photos very soon.  Joshua is contemplating university options as he tries to remain focused on his last few months of high school.  He graduates in mid-June.  He is excited to be able to help with the Iowa District team, travel with them to Panama, later this month. 

Joshua also had the opportunity to help with and enjoy a new Seminary Events ministry designed to encourage even more youth groups to rent the campus facilities.  PAINTBALL.  Today was the first day for this new ministry.  Look like fun (if you like pain!).

We are looking forward to David's preaching tomorrow morning at the San Isidro Church located in Heredia, not far from our home.  We hope your Sunday is blessed with a wonderful time of worship.  God is so good.

The Webb Family

Entering the New Year

Greetings in the great and matchless Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement and greetings that we have received from many family and friends over Christmas and beyond.  We thank God for the opportunity to serve Him here in Costa Rica and Panama and are thankful for all that He has already done in 2012. 

On New Years Day we visited one of the missions in Sarapiqui.  This was a work planted by Pastor Franklin.  David preached from Philippians 3 where Paul wrote, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.  What a great God we serve and how He wants to be known by us.  We admire the faith of brother Franklin and his wife Yolanda as they have started 18 new preaching points over the last 2 1/2 years and have a great burden for the people in this humble area.  


David also traveled to Panama to meet a new church planter, Brother Armando, in the Panama West district.  In addition to some training time, David joined Armando and other leaders as they ministered in a women's prison.  Several responded to a gospel invitation and David had an opportunity to share and to pray with the ladies that came forward.  This was also a special trip as our son Joshua was able go with David as he was still on Christmas break.

In November, David, Pastor Johnny, a district superintendent and Stephen Sickel, the Work and Witness coordinator for Costa Rica and Panama did a two day trip to enter communities where we have no church presence and to begin to pray for God's direction in new church plants.  One of these communities is in Miramar. 

David went there for two days with a Jesus Film team and they had two showings.  Please pray for God to continue to open doors in this community.  They were excited that one lady that accepted Christ was visiting from the community of Puntarenas which is another community where we do not have a church presence.  She may be our first member there!

We thank God for growing churches and ask you to pray for the Church of Mozotal that is seeking to buy property in San Jose (which is currently a small coffee farm) as they are outgrowing their current facility.  We praise the Lord for the beauty of Costa Rica however this also causes high property prices.  Pray for Pastor Sirlene and her congregation that our Lord, the owner of the cattle on a 1,000 hills will provide the needed resources.  Here is a picture of Pastor Sirlene and the property they are praying over.  David was able to visit this site for the first time this month. 

In addition to other workshops, pastor visits and travels in Costa Rica, David also had the chance to participate with the youth in Costa Rica.  Leaders met together from both districts to plan on how to promote our regional youth conference that takes place once every four years.  It is exciting to see the leaders from different districts have the chance to know each other and to work together.

Please pray as the Costa Rica Central and the Costa Rica North District assemblies will both take place on Sunday February 5.  Pray that God's will be done in every person in district leadership.

God bless, David, Shelley, Joshua and Kayley

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