Debbie working at Saras house

This week has been filled with wonderful moments that show how great our God really is.  It has been awesome to see Him work through the teams and the people in the Shiroles community.  One of the areas in which His hand was evident was at the painting and building of an addition to a home for a family.

The team that worked here was able to receive instruction from Victor, the father/husband in the household.  At the beginning of the week, he was very shy and reserved.  By the end of the week, however, he and the team had inside jokes and communicated often, whether it be through the English they had taught him, their Spanish, or some hand signals that they had developed as a new language between them all.  It was great to see by the end of the week that they were all laughing together and enjoying each other’s company.

To thank the teams for the work they did this week, Sara (Victor‘s wife) wanted to bake a cake for everyone.  During our Friday evening program with the team, their whole family stopped by with a piece of (delicious) cake for each one of us!  They expressed their gratitude towards everyone and it was rewarding to see how they had all opened up to and were going to miss one another.  The family joined us for a time of worship and we all enjoyed being able to share that time with each other and with a God who spans any and all cultural boundaries.  How great is our God!

Team Costa Rica

June 25, 2010

Experience Mission is offering summer 2011 mission trips to Costa Rica. Learn more at www.experiencemission.org or by calling the EM Office at (360) 554-8060.

Ramp in progress

Well, it’s been another week here in Costa Rica and God has shown His face more and more every day. We had an awesome group of people this last week and they had a huge impact on the community of Shiroles where we were working. There have been so many great stories and changed lives.

One of the many projects from this last week was one at the school of Shiroles. Among all the other projects done there, one group made a ramp up the main stairway. We found out that there is a child at the school who is blind. In the past, he has literally had to climb up the steps by feeling them with his hands. We have been learning that we have a lot to be thankful for. Whether it be something as small as ice water on a hot day, or something as big as our sight, there are plenty of things, all over the place, that we should be giving God the glory for.

Once we informed the team about what they would be doing, and the reasoning for it, they couldn’t wait to get started. Mixing cement down here is a very difficult task in and of itself, but there were no complaints, even during the hottest time of day. They quickly split up the team into mixers and spreaders and made sure to drink plenty of water.

The Lord provided so much during this trip in both, the teams that were working, and the kids that were passing on their way to their next classes. It was so much fun getting to watch the hard work of these teams. But even more than that, seeing the lasting impact that the teams have had on this community can only be explained by the incredible love of God.

Finished ramp

For His Glory,

Team Costa Rica

June 25, 2010

Note: Experience Mission has been working in the Bribri reservation for several years. To check out more exciting trips Experience Mission has to offer, visit our website at www.experiencemission.org

Team volunteer Dan and Diogo play in river

This week we got to work alongside team leader Kelly and five other teenagers from Jupiter First Church doing VBS this week.  Throughout the week we had lessons, crafts, games, and snacks for kids who were anywhere from 2-14 years old.

At the end of the week, Kelly decided to have a fun day where we had a small lesson about God’s holy water, played with water balloons, and took a trip to a nearby river.  When the kids arrived on Friday, they were anxious for the afternoon to come because they knew they’d be playing with water.   With the help of some visual aides in the form of puppets, the kids were able to focus a little better.

If the kids were able to answer a question correctly, they would be allowed to pop a water balloon over any member of the team.  In short, they were very excited and the team ended up soaking wet by the end.

Once we ran out of water balloons we all went to the river to meet up with the other teams who had been doing construction projects for the week.  It was amazing being with everyone in the river and seeing God’s love through the kids’ actions and expressions while speaking or playing with Jupiter’s youth group.

Of course the saddest part was saying goodbye to the kids, but I know that they will always remember us because I believe that a seed was planted in their hearts and it will continue growing throughout their years. The love that the Jupiter youth group showed to this kids will never be forgotten because it was all for God’s glory.

Team Costa Rica

June 11, 2010

*To learn more about what Experience Mission in Talamanca, Costa Rica, visit our website at www.experiencemission.org.

Making a cement volcano at karen's

Karen's husband takes part in construction of his house

At the end of every work day this week our group has been winding down by identifying the high and low points of our day, and especially times when we saw Jesus.  Today was a great day for everyone here and we even got to spend the second half of it together, playing in the river with the local kids.  All of the projects were successfully wrapped up and the team members have regretfully said most of their good-byes with the people they’ve met.

After a week’s worth of work, the team feels good about the projects they have accomplished and the relationships they have built.  Karen is a very proud owner of a home that she can call her own, and she and her family moved in today.  Our community partner now has a covered porch where his family (and many other members of the community who spend time at his house) can relax and enjoy each others’ company.  Finally, the Watsi neighborhood  now has a vibrant, colorful community center that is used for everything from a locker room to a clinic.

At the end of every day, when we talk about what we experienced, there was one story in particular that came up several times.  The team that was at the community center has been working with a man named Carlos.  He has been leading the team and showing them how to make the necessary repairs.

During Friday’s lunch, the team had a chance to ask him about the origins of the Bribri culture.  As he told the story, the team got to see one of the things about which Carlos is really passionate: the Bribri culture and history.  Through the telling of this story, the team was able not only to learn more about the Bribri traditions and past, but also about this man Carlos, with whom they had been working all week.  Everyone really enjoyed asking questions and  hearing what Carlos wanted to share, making it a great end of the week for this group.
Team Costa Rica

June 11, 2010

*Note: Interested in going on a trip with Experience Mission? Visit our website at www.experiencemission.org to learn more and watch for our Summer 2011 trips.

Diogo helping build his house

Greetings!  This week has gotten off to a great start with an energetic team from Jupiter First Church (Florida).  The team arrived in San Jose on Sunday afternoon and after our 5+ hour bus ride, we arrived on the Bribri reservation.

This week we have chosen four different sites within the Watsi community: doing Kids Club, building a house, building a porch, and repairing a community center.  Though many this week are feeling the struggle of communicating in a foreign language, so far the teams have accomplished a great deal and seem to be having a lot of fun.

The house that we are working on this week is being built for a woman named Karen and her family.  Since Karen is currently studying English in school the group is doing a great job conversing, partly in Spanish and partly in English, in order to get to know each other.  It has been wonderful to watch the relationship grow between the team and Karen’s family.  Karen’s four-year-old son, now being more comfortable with the team, brings smiles to everyone’s faces as he runs and chases them around their home.

Karen has been very hospitable and has offered many refreshments to the team, including a native sweet and sour fruit called the guanabana.  The team has been appreciative of her gratefulness and is noting the love and hard work that emanates from each member of her family.  The bond that has been forming within this group of people is just one of the many ways in which we can see God working in our lives this week.

Team Costa Rica

June 8, 2010

To learn more about Costa Rica mission trips, visit www.experiencemission.org.

Rural Mission Trip: Just checking in from Costa Rica. The summer has been a challenging one but it’s been amazing to see how God continues to work in ways that we did not see possible. This last week we travelled up to Alto Coen; which to give ya’ll an idea of the kind of trip it is, just to get to the location where you are staying you take an hour boat ride in a banana boat, an hour bus ride, and then a 5 hour hike up roughly 1500 feet on a muddy, rugged terrain. It is an amazing experience but you definitely get a workout. Anyways, throughout the week Ali and I had the privilege of getting to know the people, specifically the women and children while the men worked on the bridge, which was our main focus for traveling up to Alto Coen- to assist in the building of a suspension bridge that would connect two sides of a village. It was a stretching experience as I battled not being able to fully communicate with women and children however it was amazing to see how God worked through my weakness to still do His work. As I sat under a tree constructed structure with a leaf roof, I found myself exchanging my English language with their BriBri language. While the time was spent learning small phrases such as How are you?, What is your name? Where are you from? And how to count to ten, the bond that formed seemed to go deeper then the simplistic phrase exchanges. It was an exchange of lives, a sharing of each others’ hearts and the joining of lives for a moment.
Team Costa Rica

*To learn more about the mission trips that Experience Mission is sending out, visit www.experiencemission.org.

Howdy ya’ll,
It’s been awhile since we have had Internet access as we have been away from our home at the Finca Educativa. This last week we went up to Alto Coen to help in the building of a suspension bridge. This bridge has been a dream for the BriBri families for many years-one that they have been working on for the past 6 years. It has been a long, difficult process for the BriBri as they have fought to find aid and funds to build this much needed bridge. For many of the families, they are unable to get to the nearest clinic and school as the only way of crossing is through a river that contains raging rapids. These ever swelling rapids have separated a village for years and this past week, a group of 7 of us had the privilege to be part of God connecting the two sides. As we arrived with clamps in hand and an excitement to build, one could feel the joy and elation that spread through the air as locals traveled from near and afar to be part of their long journey of building a bridge. Everyone wanted to assist in some way and in many ways it was neat to see the bridge not only physically join a community but also by bringing people together. The men of our team: Yon, Donovan, Monas, Ben, and Kory worked alongside the BriBri men: Abdul, Margarito, Moises, Cesar, and Arielle to name just a few as they began drilling holes in the planks and setting up clamps that would connect the two wires. As Americans and Costa Ricans worked together, with each plank that was laid and each clamp put in place, one could witness the formation of this long awaited project. While we finished the work we came up to do, more work remains to be done on the bridge however with each step the people are finding themselves able to finally see their dream take shape.
Team Costa Rica

*Go to www.experiencemission.org to sign up for one of Experience Mission’s trips in 2010.

Internation Mission Trip: After being here in Costa Rica for about three weeks, the reality of being here all summer started to set in and the days seemed to get long, but our spirits were brightened when our next team from western Pennsylvania arrived.  The group came with great attitudes and ready to work.  Once everyone arrived at the work sites they realized that with the cultural difference, work was going to move much slower than expected.  For us in America, we are used to getting things done in a time effective manner, but here, all of the teams are finding that the work moves much slower.  After realizing the cultural difference, they decided to embrace it instead of fight it.  They immediately spent more time getting to know the people they were working with and serving alongside as well as sharing their lives with them.  Western Pennsylvania was not only a blessing for this community on the Bri Bri reservation, but also a blessing for our summer staff as well.  Their great attitudes lifted our spirits, while Jacob and Alex brought constant laughs. 

This group came down ready to serve in any way possible and ready to serve anyone.  They were even able to financially bless us as summer Staff after Yon’s tennis shoes were stolen.  He desperately needed a new pair of shoes and they wanted to treat us to dinner so they left us money for him to get new shoes and for us to watch a movie and get dinner.  We had money left over so we wanted to pass on the blessing to someone else.  We were able to help Retano, a taxi driver from last year, who lost his leg to diabetes.  He is in the process of getting a prosthetic leg, but is short on funds.  God was able to bless Retano though the western Pennsylvania group with money to go towards his new leg.  Many lives were touched this week.  Even though there are bumps in the road sometimes, God is providing down here and doing amazing things.

Team Costa Rica

*Do you want to go on a mission trip? Check out www.experiencemission.org to view our communities for Summer 2010.

Hey guys,
Team Costa Rica here checking in. Just wanted to fill y’all in on the rest of the happenings during this week’s mission trip. It’s been a busy week but God has been truly at work. Along with project Christina, the teams have also been serving the community in Costa Rica through two other work projects as well as VBS. The two projects consisted of the construction of a roof for a family of 6 as well as the laying of concrete for a kitchen. The teams worked hard through the heat of each day and the uncertainty of the rainy season in order to get as much completed for these families. They were a hardworking group as they hauled sand, mixed concrete, carried wood, and all the while intentionally interacting with the families they were serving to create friendships that would remain after the projects were completed. Teams worked alongside the Costa Ricans and found language differences to be of little barriers as they taught one another Spanish, English, BriBri, and a little Southern as well. Each day teams would return with tales of laughter and joy that was the fruit of the relationships between them and the families they had the pleasure of serving. While the teams have left Costa Rica, and the projects will be continued by future mission trips, the relationships that were formed will forever be remembered.
See y’all in the next blog,
Team Costa Rica

**To learn more about what Experience Mission is doing, visit our website at www.experiencemission.org.

International Mission Trip: As I sit here at a hostel in Puerto Viejo reminiscing about last week’s mission trips, I find myself once again amazed at God’s beautiful mosaic that He is creating out here in Costa Rica. This mosaic, which is composed of the hearts of the Costa Rican people, us summer staff, the various teams from throughout the U.S. and also those who have been praying for us back home, may be in its beginning stages however it is showing itself to be a breathtaking view.
Two mission trip teams made camp at the Finca Educativa this week and began serving throughout the BriBri people. One of these work projects proved itself to be of grand necessity. The teams had the joy of getting to know a woman named Dona Christina, who is an elderly woman whose house was completely infested by termites. Upon arrival to the site, one could not only witness the slow deterioration of her house but could see the giant termite nest that was the quarters of thousands of termites that were destroying her home. She was literally being eaten out of house and home. This past week the teams had the privilege of beginning the process of not only forming a relationship with this beautiful Costa Rican woman but also in the destruction and construction of a new living space. Equipped with diesel and Penta-cell, the workers were able to completely fumigate the home, destroy the termite nest, and begin the destruction of her home so that the next team can build her a new, safe home. More importantly then the building of her new house, the teams placed seeds in her life that contained the love of Christ in them. Their hard work, encouraging smiles, and willing hearts laid a strong foundation upon which future mission trips will be able to build upon. Not only were they able to meet a need but they were more importantly able to love with Christ’s love and servant hearts.
Over and Out for now. Peace.
-Team Costa Rica

*Note: Interested in going on a trip with Experience Mission? Visit our website at www.experiencemission.org to learn more and watch for our Summer 2010 trips.