Barrio Meco, Sep 27 and Oct 4, 2009…
We started helping with a kid’s feeding program and evangelization ministry in a precario called Barrio Meco on Sundays. Our friend, Felix, invited us to help serve with this ministry. The local team consists of a group of about ten Christians who all had a heart for serving children in poor communities. They started first by assisting a door to door ministry with a mission team from Florida. For eleven Sundays, they have continued to serve in this little village where no other churches have ministered before. The residents are mostly Nicaraguan immigrants who built their homes as squatters on this property, which is just outside Ciudad Quesada. Meetings are held in the home of a lady named Myra, who has allowed the use of her front porch for the kids program and her living room for working with the adults. There is no electricity in this community, so they cook the meals for the kids over a wood burning stove, and the adults meet in a dark living room.
The first Sunday, we observed the program and got to know the team and the people from the community. The next Sunday, we led the children’s message, with the help of some of our youth from Santa Rosa de la Palmera. About 30 children attended each meeting. On the second Sunday, the team hosted a baby shower for Myra’s daughter-in-law, Yahoska. Her husband has left her, but Myra graciously opened her home to her daughter-in-law and grandchildren. We are very excited to be part of the project in Barrio Meco, especially to see locals, working in their own community to show God’s love to their neighbors.
Sonia teaching kids in Meco, Sep 27,2009
Kids eating lunch in Meco, Sep 27,2009
Felix preaching in Meco, Sep 27,2009
Meco, Sep 27,2009
Carlos Blanco preaching in Meco, Sep 27,2009
Felix Singling with Jimmy in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Eva, Karla, and Brooke playing Fishing Game in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Fishing game in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Fishing game in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Rebeca helping with Fishing game in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Mauricio reading to kids in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Mauricio, Karla, Karen, Eva, and Rebeca leading name game in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Singing in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Yahoska and daughter in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Baby Shower for Yahoska in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Baby Shower for Yahoska in Meco, Oct 4,2009
Baby Shower for Yahoska in Meco, Oct 4,2009Santa Rosa de la Palmera
Septic Tank, Sep 21, 2009…
Last week in Santa Rosa de la Palmera we finished installing the septic tank and drain field for the new bathrooms. The task was lead by the pastor Geovanny, while I helped and church members Mauricio and Cipriano joined in to help place the last culvert pipe for the tank. Unfortunately back in July, due to the limited space on the site, we “crossed paths” with the old system. In order to finish the new system we ended up removing the majority of the black water of the previous drain lines and field. Note my brown camouflage in the photo.
Geovanny and Brett working on Septic Tank, Santa Rosa de la Palmera
Fishing Trip, Sep 23, 2009…
Wednesday the 23rd a few of the men from the church at Santa Rosa de la Palmera went fishing in a local creek. The pastor Geovanny and his son Joshua, Augustin, Maurcio and I enjoyed about two hours in the wild before we headed home soaking wet due to a rain storm. We caught about 15 shad (known as sabalo in Spanish). None of them was very big, but apparently all fried up they are very tasty. When we returned to Mauricio’s house, his dad Cipriano had lunch waiting for us. It was a great day of fun and fellowship.
Women’s meeting, Sep 30, 2009…
The women from Santa Rosa de la Palmera meet every Wednesday in somebody’s home or at the church. I, Brooke, led the message at the women’s meeting on Wednesday, September 30. I talked with them about spiritual gifts, how God gives us gifts for the greater good of the community (1 Corinthians 12-7) and to assist the leaders in the church. I referenced Numbers 11, where Moses pleaded for help in addressing the needs of the Israelites, and God granted him the help of seventy elders to help carry the load. When I asked the women what their gifts were, some of them knew, but many didn’t. Many said they were too embarrassed to get up in front of the church and share a message; we’ve also heard that people don’t want to evangelize because they don’t know enough about the Bible to do so. The pastor in Ciudad Quesada preached on September 27 from 2 Timothy 1:6-7, which says, “…I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. God didn’t give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” I shared this verse with the women as well, so they know that the power of God and a spiritual gift is already within them, and all of us. We just need to revive it with a little oxygen and life so it produces fruit.
Youth Vigil in El Mirador, October 3, 2009…
We took the youth from Santa Rosa de la Palmera to a vigil in El Mirador, where some of us contributed a worship ensemble to the song, “Trading my sorrows.” It was a lovely event that lasted from 7:00p.m. until 12:00 a.m. The other churches that attended were from Methodist churches in Alajuela and El Molino. There was singing, dancing, a message about setting goals, and all the churches that attended contributed their talents in the form of songs, dances, and plays.
Start of English classes Ciudad Quesada/Santa Rosa, Sep 30, 2009…
We started teaching English at the Methodist Church in Ciudad Quesada on Wednesdays and in Santa Rosa on Thursdays. We gave an announcement at both church services in Quesada on September 27. Also, a friend we met working in Barrio Meco, Carlos Blanco, offered to announce the classes on his Christian Radio show. Despite all those announcements, no one showed up in Quesada the 1st week, and the 2nd week 3 people came. In Santa Rosa, however, we had a full class of 12 the first week, and the second week we had 16 students show up, which were divided evenly between children and youth.
Tutoring
Since we’ve been back from Scotland, we’ve worked with Eylin and Daniela, since exams started on Oct 5. I, Brooke, have also been meeting with Maritza, Yaime, and Mainor in English.
Brooke Birthday, Sep 25, 2009…
I turned 31 this year, and the youth from the church presented me with a cake, made by a church member, Yorleni. Brett and I also celebrated with dinner at El Tucano, and had some friends over and ate another cake, gifted by our neighbors, Jose and Santos. Maritza, one of my English students, gave me a Betta for my birthday, which we have named Jet Li.
Brooke with birthday cake and youth from Santa Rosa
Brooke and Brett with friends, Adan, Claudia, Eva, Rut, Josabat, and Jocabeth
Cutting balsa October 1st and 8th
Brooke and I went up north to Tonjibe about two hours from where we live to cut down a balsa tree last Thursday. Tonjibe is a village of indigenous people from the Maleku tribe of Costa Rica. The Maleku are well known for their artisan sculptures and woodworking in balsa. Marcos the pastor of the Methodist church in Tonjibe, and his family are friends of ours. The tree we cut was about three years old and about sixty feet tall. A week later I went back to finish the work of hauling part of the tree a quarter mile out of the jungle. A man from the community helped me cut and haul the ten foot lengths. Balsa is very light, but only when it’s dry.
For some time I, Brett, have had the desire to shape a surfboards in balsa. There is a kid in our neighborhood that I am looking to involve with this project. He is out of school and doesn’t have a paying job. I hope that I will be able to teach him a few things about tools and practices and perhaps give him some marketable skills in woodworking. At the very least, there will have to be a trip to the beach to test out how the board rides. We’ll start shaping in about a week when the wood has dried.
Brett chopping Balsa in Tonjibe
Baby Brooke with Pastora Emilse in Tonjibe (with umbrella)
