Costa Rica final day - Monday, July 6, 2015

Today is our last day in Costa Rica and we were awoken to the sounds of macaws.  After a traditional Costa Rican breakfast (eggs, rice, black beans, toast and juice) we boarded the bus to go to the crocodile tour.  The tour took us inland about 6 km and then we turned and headed towards to the ocean.  On the tour we saw a variety of birds and many crocodiles.  The largest crocs were 18 feet long and about 70-80 years old.  One of the boat crew members got out of the boat and hand feed the crocs chicken so that we could fully see their enormous size and power.

Next we went to Carara's Universal Trail National Park.  This National Park is very unique because a blind person can go through the park by themselves with an audio recording that explains everything around them and directions on how to follow the path.  The path is paved so it is accessible to walkers and wheelchairs. There we saw iguanas, a poison arrow dart frog, and cutter ants.  As volunteers we scrubbed part of the path that had been closed for four weeks because of a tree that was about to fall.  They finally cut the tree down and now the path has been reopened.

Last, we had a barbecue at Maximo's brother's house overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  After lunch two members of the Mercy Homes Ministry shared their faith stories and how they came to work for Mercy Homes.

This has been a wonderful trip. Although we came to give we all realize, in fact, that we received more than we gave.

Crocodile River Tour

Getting ready to clean the Universal Trail - Carara National Park

Carara National Park Universal Trail

Enjoying the Carara National Park

Rest and relaxation at Maximo's brother's home

Rest and relaxation at Maximo's brother's home

White Face Monkeys

View of Pacific Ocean from Maximo's brother's home

Costa Rica (1st Day) R & R

Hola!

The authors of today's blog are Cy and Rosie (Christine's grandchildren). Today was our first official non-work day and it was wonderful. We had the pleasure of attending the Church of Life which took place on the beach.  Roger, the pastor, talked mainly about the book of Galations and how obeying religious laws are not a bad thing but they will not guarantee a spot in heaven.  Only a relationship with God can guarantee a seat next to the Big Guy.  After the service most of us went snorkeling in the local tidal pools.  After we had our fun in the sun we traveled 5 hours to hotel Carara in Tarcoles.

In the beginning of the week we were asked what we hoped to leave behind in Nosara after the houses were built.  I hope that what we have left behind is evidence that God prevails over all things.  Faith brings people from all over the world together to do great things in Gods name.  I hope we have left behind an example of how faith can change lives in just a couple of days.  Finally, I hope we have left the two families with a desire and a passion to help others in the name of the Lord.  As someone said during service today "we are not saved by good deeds, but saved for good deeds".  As we return back home, we will remember the time we have spent and the lessons we have learned.

Loading the Bus for our 5 hour drive to The Central Pacific

Sunday Service on the beach with the Church of Life

Sunday Service on the beach

Getting ready for fun in the sun. Swimming and snorkeling at the beach.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Happy 4th of July from Costa Rica!  While many of you are celebrating our nation's independence back home, we spent the day celebrating the independence of two families whose homes we built over the past four days. I know that my words will not do what happened today justice, but I will do my best.

The day started off around 8 a.m. when we gathered outside the hotel for a delicious pancake breakfast that was provided by Maximo Jr. After breakfast, we headed out to the home of Brenda and Rodrigo to dedicate their home. We pulled up to the house and were welcomed by the family, dressed in their Sunday best, with humongous smiles on their faces. We spent some time looking at the new house and interacting with the family.  The family had already moved all of their belongings from their old house and put up curtains on all of the windows. This was no longer just a house to them, it was their home.  You could see on all of their faces just how proud they were that this was theirs.  After a bit of mingling, everyone stood outside of the house and we were given the opportunity to say something about the family and our experiences this week. I can confidently say that there was not a dry eye in the house after members of the family and members of our team spoke. Even though there was a language barrier, the emotion was there and we all felt it.  We wrapped up the dedication with a closing prayer in which we referenced the beautiful sign that was made by one of our team members. I learned that it is tradition for a sign to be made and hung above the entryway of the home.  Before we left, we sang the song "De Colores", which is a Mexican folktale.

After leaving Brenda and Rodrigo's, we headed over to Edwin and Maureen's for the dedication of their home.  The dedication was very similar to that of Brenda and Rodrigo's, except Jeffrey and Cal led us all in communion. After we were done with communion, we were treated to lunch by our new home owners, Edwin and Maureen. They cooked us pizza in a fire oven! Not only were our hearts full, but so were our stomachs! It was so great to be able to share lunch with our new neighbors and continue to build our long lasting relationships with one another.  Afterwards, it was time for some fun! Many of us brought gifts for the children who lived in the homes that we built and they were beyond excited for their new toys and were eager to play. Many of us split up and were playing baseball, frisbee, and even water balloons! I think the adults were having more fun than the kids. :) After about an hour or so, we brought everyone back together and sang "De Colores" again before saying our goodbyes.   After leaving the site, we came back to the hotel and enjoyed each other's company by the pool before heading out for dinner.

As I am sitting here writing this blog, I am reminded of something that we talked about on our recent youth mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Mid week, we ended the night asking the question, "where did you see God today?" I told myself that I would ask myself this question on a daily basis upon my return. Today, I saw God in various forms and it was amazing. I saw God in the proud smiles of the families as they stood inside their new homes. I saw God in the tears that were shed as the families and team members shared their heartfelt gratitude for the work and relationships that were built the  past four days. Finally, I saw God in the laughter of the children that ran around in their new home.  God is everywhere, you just have to take the time to look for him.

I thank God for this trip and the opportunity to work alongside some amazing team members and families.

Until next time!

Brenda and Rodrigo's new home - Dedication Day

 

Brenda and Rodrigo have already made the house built by many hands into a home.

 

Bedroom - Brenda & Rodrigo's home.

 

Dedication of Brenda and Rodrigo's new home.

 

Edwin and Maureen's home - Dedication Day.

 

Enjoying Maureen and Edwin's new porch.

 

Edwin, Maureen and Joan (Johan)

 

Edwin and Maureen's home

 

Sharing the bread and the cup

 

Enjoying food and fellowship following the dedication of the house.

 

Miguel and Caleb enjoying their new toys.

Costa Rica Day 5 - July 3, 2015

Hello! It's Laura and Dustin here. Day number four of working was busy, hard, and fulfilling. We split into two groups again today. One group helped unload some unused panels and wood at Oscar's house, who is the father of a family we built a house for in 2013. Oscar is storing the extra supplies until they are needed. It was so neat for half of our group to visit with Oscar's family and see how his family made the house we had built in previous years into a home. The other half of the group headed to Brenda's site to finish up the roof and windows. We split into teams and each had assigned jobs. I (Laura), put the screens together. It felt good to work on a specific job and feel like an intregal part of building this house. We were a well-oiled machine and I think we all felt proud of our work. By the end of the work day we finished the house (yay!) and our hotel we stayed in was all cleaned up and looking like a group of 20 didn't just built two houses.

This evening, as we reflected on our week of building, we talked about what we were going to take away from this trip. I so enjoyed listening to everyone's answers as they were all different but rang true for myself. Our group is going to take away lots of new memories, the idea that the people of Costa Rica might have a more positive outlook on Americans, the community we have built with each other and with the families here, trusting others, feeling confident in our ability to communicate with others even when we don't speak their language, and an appreciation for what we have.

As we pulled into the hotel at the end of the day, We Are the Champions was playing on the radio and we all just started singing from the top of our lungs, complete with fist pumps. I think we all did feel like champions as we just finished the two houses we came to build. We felt proud, exhausted, and fulfilled. We are blessed to have had this opportunity to grow as a community and spread God's love by providing these two beautiful families with a home they can make their own.

Beginning of the day. Roof in progress.

Brenda and Miguel

Working on screens and windows.

Building outside window frames.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caleb playing with wooden blocks made for him from lumber scraps from his new home.

Finishing touches. We're almost finished with our second home!

The happy window and screen team.  Today the house was completed - windows, screens,  doors, electricity and the roof!

The finished home! Brenda and Rodrigo and their children have had a difficult time expressing how thankful they are for the work that has been done in God's name.

Costa Rica Day 4 - July 2, 2015

Good day fellow friends and families of First Church,

Today, was a special day for me working to watch the building of the house for Brenda and Rodrigo. Their grandmother (abuela) and 3 children, Caleb(7), Galilea(4) and Miguel (20 months.). It was so touching and sweet to see the happiness and gratitude in their eyes as their dream home was in the making. 

After arriving at Brenda and Rodrigo's, we prayed with the family at the four corners of the house. It was a moving experience. 

It was a very hot day today so we worked in teams. Some of us worked on the house while others took water and shade breaks. While on break, some of us played with the children blowing bubbles and teaching them some fun games.

We made tremendous progress on the house despite the heat. The outside walls are up so tomorrow we can work on the windows, doors and roof. 

We made it back to our hotel after stopping for snacks to cool off at the beach or pool.  We are waiting for our lasagna dinner and thanking the Lord for another successful and blessed day in Costa Rica.

Adios!

Linda

Brenda, Caleb, Galilea, and Miguel

 

 

 

 

Beginning of the day:  Foundation.

Moving window panels

First panel on the house!

Galilea and Caleb.  Happy children!

Costa Rica Day 3 - July 1, 2015

Our second work day in Costa Rica from Stacy's perspective.

To me a mission trip is not only about doing great work to help people in need, it is also about creating new relationships with the people you are on this journey with. Several of us were reflecting on our day this afternoon and the conversation was so meaningful. Our youngest missionary, Rosy, age 16, was proud of herself for persevering to master a new skill (drilling) while our most seasoned friend Mary, reflected over the many mission trips she has taken that she most appreciates getting to know  the people she is with on a much deeper level.

At First Church of Lombard, we often sing a song that reminds us "We are called to live with justice, we are called to love tenderly, we are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God" and today that song ran through my mind and heart many times. Our team was lead by Pastor Carlos and he was an amazing and inspirational jefe (boss).  He guided an entire team of people tasked to build and paint 14 panels with gestures, Spanish words and lots of patience and wisdom. To me it was a miracle that we could accomplish as much as we did in this heat and humidity but we worked together and got it done. The other team worked just as hard building the home of Maureen and Edwin. They finished all of the windows, installing glass and screens and 50% of the roof. Little Gaon is so excited about his first home and proudly showed the missionaries where his new room will be.

So at the end of the work day when we were so hot and tired, Pastor Carlos politely asked our Pastor Jeffrey and I  to sweep up all of the sawdust from our workday. We found some brooms and started to sweep. To encourage us, Carlos started to quietly sing to us in Spanish, Jesus is here for us, always by our side to provide whatever we need and the howler monkeys up in the trees chanted along.

As I sit typing this message, I can hear the happy voices all around me, sharing the best part of their days, planning for the work tomorrow and just being with each other and it makes me smile.

Christine and Ken building panels for our second house.

Stacy building panels.

Jeffrey, Ken, Kyla, Mary, and Stacy with an assembled window panel. 

Laura and Sara making screens.

Patty building window frames.

Mary building screen frames.

Mark working on the roof.

Mary with Gaon, an excited young man, outside his new home.

Costa Rica Day 2 - June 30, 2015

Hi First Church friends, members, and mission trip supporters,

Mission trip participant Jeffrey Phillips here.  It's Tuesday evening in Nosara, Costa Rica, the end of our first full day.

We woke up this morning with a walk to the Pacific Ocean beach down the street from our hotel.    We encountered a lovely sunrise and the sight of fishers returning from an early morning check of their long string of hooks that caught grouper, red snapper, and one small shark.

Our missionaries divided into two teams today - one staying at the hotel to construct wall panels for the houses we're building, and one to install previously constructed wall panels at the new home of Maureen and Edwin.  I went to help install the walls at Maureen and Edwin's.

In all the mission trips I've participated in, I've never seen a harder working new home owner than Edwin.  He worked with skill, energy, and joy in all aspects of the panel installation.  We weren't just working with him; it was more that we were trying to keep up with him!  Edwin, Maureen, and their six-year-old son Johan have been living with Maureen's parents for many years, and are excited to finally be getting their own home.  Maureen works as a babysitter, and Edwin as a laborer, but it would have taken them many, many years to save up to build their own house.  As an expression of her gratitude, Maureen offered us a delicious Costa Rican lunch of rice, beans, and pulled pork.  Later she shared homemade bread from her homemade clay oven.

While working, some of us felt a slight earthquake, and when we returned to the hotel we heard monkeys barking loudly above us.  Most missionaries felt the need to explore the beach one more time before sunset at 6:00 p.m.

Before bedtime last night Cal Bloesch shared a devotion in which he cited Psalm 85, "The Lord will give what is good."  God has indeed been good to us today by giving us the opportunity to meet and work alongside our new friends Edwin and Maureen.  And God's goodness is known to us as well as we remember your love, support, and prayers for our mission.  

Adios.

Costa Rica Day 1 - June 29, 2015

Greetings from Costa Rica! We arrived safely and on time after a day that began for many of us  at 2:30 AM at O'hare Airport. We met up with our friends from other flights, and our hosts for the week, Maximo and Mauricio who were excited to see us. There are 22 of us in all so we are excited about how much we will be able to accomplish while we are here. We quickly loaded our baggage into Maurico's truck and inside the van. Nothing is on the roof of the van this year so no soaked luggage this year!  

Our hosts greeted us with the most marvelous fresh fruit for refreshment. The mangos, pineapples, passion fruit, and apples were like nothing we can ever eat in the states - fresh, juicy, and flavorful. 

It is a beautiful day in Costa Rica. The temperature is around 80 degrees so we are thankful for our air conditioned van. The windy mountain roads to Nosara are green and beautiful. There is plenty of gorgeous scenery for our long drive.

The bus drive to Nosaro was was uneventful although bumpy at times, as we navigated the local roads. After stopping for a delicious Chinese dinner at Wongs, we finally arrived at our destination after traveling for 16 hours. 

Our arrival was timed perfectly, as we went to bed to the sounds of roaring thunder and pounding rain!

Wifi service here is not working well so we will do our best to keep you updated on our progress as we begin our work. We hope to begin sending you pictures within the next day or so. 

We are excited to be here and anxious to begin "building homes and communities and changing lives."

Costa Rica 2015 Mission Trip

Those going on the 2015 Mission Trip to Costa Rica will be leaving on Monday, June 29th.  The group will be commissioned during worship on June 28th.

We hope to have their 1st blog post up on Tuesday.