Preparing Ourselves for Service - One Month to Go!

Since this team is made up of individuals from 3 churches, we have worked to make sure we are ready to become ONE TEAM on the field. On Saturday, June 6th the entire team came together in Columbus for 6 HOURS! Yes, but it was way more fun than it sounds.

We took time to listen to each other's stories so that we can rejoice in how God brought each of us to the team. In what can only be God, everyone was very open and shared things that can often take lots of time together to discover. This kind of openess really began to cement the team as a group almost immediately.

Throughout our day together, we talked about the gifts and abilities we each bring to the team. We discussed the challenge of cross-cultural ministry including making sure we go to Coast Rica as servants, not judges! A couple of "games" helped challenge us in the area of communicating in a language that is not our primary language -- let's just say that there were blind folds involved and we'll leave the rest to your imagination! The February CR team (special kudos to Steve Selegue!) provided a wonderful dinner for us in Bert's Cafe'. We worshiped together in the Saturday Celebration and then ended the day praying together for this trip, the people of Costa Rica, and asked God to use us as His hands and heart there.

Please pray for the final stages of our fund raising. Stories are coming in of God's miraculous provision for our trip costs. Also, pray that over the next month, our planning will go smoothy and that we can come up with lots of creative ways to ministry while there. Just one more month to go!

Heading South Yet Again!

The next team heading for Costa Rica has been formed and is the preparation stages. 10 individuals are on this team -- a diverse one with people from 3 different churches! Pastor Brian Robertson and James Green from New Life Gahanna, Eric Obert and Lisa Epling from Ekklesia (the New Life Network Church in the Short North) and Aaron Walker, Mark Danner, Jamie Graham, Tande Rose and Brandon Montgomery from Gallipolis, Ohio. The connection is that Aaron and his wife Cassie were memebers and leaders at New Life for many years. We are excited to see how God uses us to have an impact on the Kingdon this July.

The trip dates are July 18-27. If plans stay in place, we will be building the very first "yellow house" in Los Anonos! Over the past several weeks, the people of New Life Gahanna have given nearly $13,000 to build these houses in Costa Rica. This houses cost $3500 each, so this is a great start to a pool of money we can use for this purpose.

Please pray with us as we work in the fund-raising stage of our effort. Each individual needs $1300 for this trip. If you would like to give, you can do so through New Life Church Gahanna.

Home AND Changed

We arrived home in Ohio over 30 minutes early. The late departure from San Jose caused us to barely make the flight to Columbus from Newark, but we made it. Apparently tail winds were our friends as we traveld north!

While it good to be back home, I am sure that all of us left part of ourselves -- especially our hearts -- in Costa Rica.

Now the chance is ours to be forever transformed and live out what God did in our hearts there on a daily basis here. We will share with anyone at anytime, whenever asked.

Just a note. You will remember that Phil helped Rodney clear the field near the ministry house incasea fire broke out. Monday night, after being away from the house, the Harvest Hands team returned to find that a fire had indeed started in that field. Cindy says it is a mess, but the house is safe. We missed the excitement by just 1 day!

Our next trip to Costa Rica will be July 18-27. Please give me a call at 614-475-8500 or email me at brobertson@enewlife.com if you are interested.

Day 9! Our Final Day in Costa Rica

Today is the day on any short-term trip that team members face with a mixture of joy and sorrow. The joy is because we are heading home soon to our family and friends. The sorrow comes because in just a few short days, relationships have developed and lasting friendships have begun. But for every team this day must come and so we face it with grace.

A little extra sleep helps us recover a bit from the hard week. At the same time, we realize a few more aches, a few more bug bites and a bit more "internal issues" than we would like. The good news is that no one individual is dealing with all three!

We go to church again at CCA and enjoy their Latin influenced worship style. It feels more comfortable for us this week since we have had the opportunity to meet some of the people throughout the past week. The message is about caring for the fatherless and the widows. I am struck by the importance of a community of believers who consistently maintains a ministry of service and care to these parts of the body. I was especially challenged to the fact that many men going through rehab say they began their struggles as at risk children, thus building the case for the importance of men mentoring into the lives of children and young teens.

After a quick lunch, we head to Jasmin for the "Final Game in the World Series of Baseball" between the US and Nicaragua. OR as it is commonly known, the old Gringos vs the young boys of Jasmin. Many of these boys have heard about baseball, but never gotten the chance to play. With only a little coaching -- in another language remember, the boys get the hang of it. Rodney wisely brought a whiffle ball and plastic bat to play with since there is only a small peice of flat ground to use for the game. A small group of parents gather on the hill above us to watch this site. It is amazing how a language barrier can be broken with a simple game of baseball. Everyone, including the kids laughed and had a great time...but alas, the US lost the game in a tight 25-20 battle. How wonderful would it be if some of the dads watching today realized the ability they have to connect with their sons through simply playing with them. Maybe in coming Sundays, we'll find father-son games going on in Jasmin and a few more at risk kids saved from a life of addictions.

Immediatley after the big game, we haul ourselves up the hill to the build site and find Joselyn at home in her new place. The electrician has been there and added electric to the house. Joselyn has also added here own touches including simple drapes in all the windows. This is very significant since her old "house" did not have any windows. She seems pround to have us tour the place -- the place that was simply a dream to her this time last week. We take a few minutes for a team picture with her before passing out copies of photos we have taken of the children throughout the week. They are all very excited to get these gifts and we are pleased to know that maybe we brought a bit of the love of Jesus to them and their families. Maybe one day soon, as the Father draws them to Himself, they will more completely understand the reason a bunch of Buckeyes came their way.

A trip to the store to purchase Costa Rican coffee for all our coffee loving friends is next. Let me just say that going shopping with 7 men is something I never want to repeat again if at all possible. I can also tell these guys wives that they should never let their husbands say anything about having to wait at the grocery for them again. It's just entirely too sad a story to tell at this point...

Steve and Paul make a quick run down the hill to Los Anonos to check on yesterday's projects and determine what follow-up is needed. Several of us stay back to clean up. I get the chance to spend extended time with my young friend Tito. god has great plans for this 19 year old young man and it is a blessing to be a small part of his life. After dinner, the New Life Team and the Harvest Hands Team meet together one last time. We discuss the Kingdom of God and how it differs completely from the world in both its goals and its methods. We share what God has done in our lives this week. As we prayed together I was most struck by a prayer that Cindy LeFrance prayed. She asked God to never let us forget the sounds of Los Anonos and Jasmin -- the sounds of the poor, the needy, the forgotten, the children, the church. I pray that same prayer. "Lord, never let us forget. May we continue to be transformed into the likeness of your son Jesus, who gave His life as a ransom for us."

Off to bed to rise early for the airport and the journey home; forever changed, forever grateful and pressing on to minister through our tears to those whom Jesus loves with a passion that took Him to the cross.

Day 8! Covering the City

Today was a day with lots of pieces. We went to several sections of San Jose today. Very early this morning, most of our group -- 4 out of 7 (you can guess who's who) -- left at 6am to go the market with Rodney to gathering the fruit, vegetables and flowers for the coming week. Rodney brings home a new bouquet every Saturday. Now, so you don't think Rodney is so much better than we US husbands, keep in mind that a huge bouquet of tropical flowers, or roses, or lilies cost between $5 and $10! But he still gets credit!

The rest of us rose late -- by 7am, ate a good breakfast and then started preparing for the day. Phil and Ed have been hit by the Costa Rican Stomach Bug (just a food thing probably) so they rested some. Steve & Paul worked on a stove that had been donated. They repaired and painted it as best they could and then delivered it to a woman in Los Anonos with 7 children and one on the way. Ed, though not feeling well, joined them in this under taking which included using a dolly to bring the stove down a very steep hill side with dirt steps (and in places, just uneven ground). It was a site to say the least. We think we'll send a photo to Sears and challenge them to come up with a harder delivery! They worked to rewire the stove so that it is usable. For you electricians, the stove is 220, but the current they were working with was 110! Quite the challenge, but now there is a working stove that this family can use to fix meals instead of going to the "common kitchens" found in the community (just basic wood shelters where woman can cook over fires).

Craig, Jeff and Brian went to work on an area in this same location that is very steep and extremely hard to walk up. I would say that some sections reach about a 60 degree angle. It is just smooth hard ground in most places. In other places it is a thin layer of dirt covering trash. It is hard to explain, but essentially over the years, trash of every kind has been dumped in this area and built up to allow sections so deep and thick that you can walk on it to reach the top of the hill (probably 150 yards from the bottom to the top). With pick axes and shovels we created about 16 steps in this area to make the ascent and descent easier. Craig is an excellent foreman and could see this all in his head! This is a project that Rodney has wanted to accomplish for nearly 2 years! The first step is now done. Next wood braces and then maybe concrete will be added. Come rainy season, this could all wash away without reinforcement.

Phil arose from his sick bed to help Rodney clear talk grasses near the ministry house so that fires that often start during dry season would not impact the house. We have already seen at least 5 fires this week in the parts of the city we have been in. One just 2 nights ago here in Los Anonos.

After lunch, we took a trip by public bus to the center of the city. It was teeming with vast numbers of people in the shopping district. To describe it as crowded would be an understatement. We walked many blocks before we reached the artisans market where you can find most anything made in Costa Rica. Family members can expect lovely gifts! Another long walk and then the bus ride home finished out this adventure. By the way, if anyone asks...Ed does not like crowds, Steve is never even tempted to make a purchase and the bus drivers in San Jose are experts in over charging Gringos!! Ha!

We had a late dinner including some of the leadership of organizations we have worked with this week. It was great to discuss future ministry possibilities with them. The future looks very promising as a partnership seems to be growing. The Kingdom is big and when different parts of that Kingdom discover their individual strengths and work together, impact is maximized. This is just like it happens in a local body of believers, only on a larger scale. When each one operates in their strengths and giftings, the Kingdom prospers and grows.

Late to bed tonight after the day spent covering the city. Tomorrow we head to church, a baseball game in Jasmin and a series of long good byes! As our time in Costa Rica comes to a close, the seemingly quick passage of time is very real -- and the time to reach the nations seems even shorter than it did last week.

Day 7! Touring Costa Rica

We took the day off to travel and see beautiful Costa Rica. We got up early to catch our van ride and traveled about 1 1/2 hours north of San Jose into the North Western portion of Costa Rica. Once off the International Highway -- it actually extends as far north as Alaska -- we were again on the "normal" roads we seem to find here. They are filled with large pot holes created mostly by the heavy rains that come in the rainy season.

We make our first stop to zip line in what is known a the Cloud Forest (like the rain forest, but filled with low lying clouds). If you have never done this, zip lining consists of putting on special gear that allows you to hook to cables and fly across deep, long spaces. Some of the cables spanned across jungle areas where you we could look down and see the river far below. Others were very high and crossed 500 yard spans across deep gorges. Each guy in the group zipped from one platform to the next and then clipped on to the next cable and continued. Don't worry, we had 4 guides who did all the technical equipment aspects for us! At one of the stops, the guides announced that we would be using the "Tarzan Swing". This as a cable that we were each attached to and then SWUNG out over the edge of a cliff ... multiple times! Paul wins for gaining the most "air" on his swings! This is not an activity for the faint of heart. If you plan to come to Costa Rica, be sure to practice doing things that scare you to death first!!!

After an amazing lunch called Cosado -- traditional Costa Rica food, we traveled another hour (remember those roads?) to the Arenal Volcano, one of the 10 most active volcanoes in the world. OK, so this next section makes it sounds like a vacation, but we went to the Baldi Hot Springs at the foot of the Volcano. This Resort Spa consists of 25 pools of water ranging in temperatures from cool to 152 degrees! These are geothermally heated naturally by the volcano. Let's just leave the next 3 hours to this: 7 pale guys with worker tans from Ohio are quite the site while lounging in hot water pools. The gardens of The Baldi Spa were amazing. And seeing them at the foot of this imposing mountain gave a sense of the both the massiveness and sensitivity of God's creation.

Next we traveled up some more "roads" to the foot of the mountain, passing by Lake Arenal. We waited till after dark to see if the mountain spewed any lava and gave us a show. But alas, the volcano was quiet and we head back down the mountain in utter defeat! (This blog needs some drama.) After dinner, we have a 3 hour drive back to San Jose. A couple of the guys are still a little queezy today after the wild ride home.

Today, we will work in Los Anonos and head into the city to check out the artisan's market.

Day 6! La Casa Es Terminada

Part of our effort in Costa Rica is now complete. As the electric was wired into the house we finished up on Monday, final touches just before wiring begins were done on the house we started on Sunday. We all feel like we have achieved some amazing things in just over 5 days. Windows went in, two nice doors were installed, the roof was completed (including a "sky light"), steps were built out the back of the house with access to the out house and painting was completed on our first full YELLOW HOUSE. We had to laugh when Joselyn told us she really would prefer beige!!!! But, alas it is impossible to paint a Yellow House beige.

The children have latched onto us -- hopefully not just because of chicklets but because they have sensed from us the love of Jesus in their lives. In too many cases, these kids do not experience the real love of fathers and strong male role models. On Sunday we will return for a big baseball game with the boys in the village. This should be quite the show since there is very little flat ground!! I'll nominate one of the guys to be the official ball chaser. It's one of the perks of leadership!! HA!

The PPP (Praise, Prayer and Pizza) gathering took place in Carla's home -- the first house we helped finish. All the workers, some from the team that began the house (from East 91st Street Church in Indy), our Tico fellow laborers and the families of both women gathered in just one room of this new home. Think about this -- probably 25 people in one room with space left! Maximo, one of the leaders at CCA began the time and introduced Pastor Marleen who is "1/2" of the pastoral team at the little church in Jasmin. She shared with us the passage in Matthew 9 where Jesus tells us to pray for workers in the Harvest. Pointing to us she told of her thankfulness for us being part of the answer to that prayer. She reminded us all that Jesus met the physical needs of people allowing Him an open opportunity to share the Good News of the Gospel with them. She then prayed for the families, the workers and over the new homes.

Pizza was next. You have not lived till you have eaten pizza in two languages! What a blessing to realize again the power of Christ to connect people from two very far away places around something as simple as crust and tomato sauce!

Following this were presentations of Bibles to the two families. Larry, and Elder at East 91st Street Church spoke about his team's love for Carla and her children and the priviledge of building them a home. Through tears Carla thanked those who worked on her home. I am sure that those who had to leave and missed this precious time could sense her gratefulness all the way back in Indiana. Following this, our team gathered around Joselyn and her little baby. I was able to share with her our joy in being able to minister to her. This became overwhelming to me and as I paused to try and compose myself, I looked to our team who were all emotional too. I think even our Tico friends and the staff of Harvest Hands were moved by this powerful moment that God had put together. As I shared that it was really Jesus who had built her home, she began to cry and I found it impossible to go on. Joselyn then very meekly thanked us for making sure that her baby would now be dry in a safe home for the first time. Needless to say, this moment is one that I know none of us will allow ourselves to forget. Who knew that 7 Gringos from the US could turn to mush so quickly!

We finished the painting and final details before heading back down the mountain. Our only solace is that we will be back on Sunday to say goodbye one final time to the people of this tiny and unknown village -- unknown by most but not to our great God who cares about even the smallest of people and places.

Tonight, we went into Los Anonos to help at a gathering especially for addicts. 16 men and 1 woman came and sat for over an hour and intently listened to testimonies from former addicts and a message. I was able to meet up again with my friend Jason who we met last July here. We were amazed when one of the men who came in was one of the biggest crack cocaine dealers in the area. Rodney told us later that he really wants to change his life. Many responded in a positive way to the idea of giving Jesus their life. You must realize that substance addictions can hold so tightly that it makes it very hard to surrender to the call and drawing of the Holy Spirit. This is where we must trust the love and soverienty of God to get through these challenges. 5 individuals indicated that they wanted to enter the Christian Rehab Center that we visited. Our pray is that all of them and even more will follow through. We served hot dogs, chips and Fresca' to everyone. What a great honor it is to serve rather than be served. Again, this group of men came through, even going into the hard streets of Los Anonos at night to "recruit" addicts to come join the event. New Life should be proud.