Christian Light Foundation Costa Rica
Evangelism and Discipleship
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Sunday, January 22
DOUG – Another beautiful, sunny morning. We got to sleep in. Devotions were at 9:00. The team had to get packed and be ready to go by 11:00. I volunteered to lead the devotion. I kept it simple and talked about my first mission trip down here in 2007. I read Matt. 25:40 “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”. I talked about how the people here were some of the poorest people material wise, but some of the richest spiritual wise, I have ever met. I came the first time because God said go, but now I come back because of the people. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ and it’s a blessing to call them my friends. I then had the team share 1 person that touched their heart. Most of them couldn’t share just 1. They then read the letters that the kids wrote to them. It was very touching. Marlene then shared what she had written about each team member. That brought out the tissues. It is also sad to come down here and hear of 1 or 2 that have walked away, but it is so good to see so many still working hard for the Lord. The Lord put together a great team. It was a pleasure working with them.
  The time went way too fast. It is hard to believe we are heading home tomorrow. The team then ate brunch before they left for the airport. The Mission house sure got quiet. We left not too long after them for La Finca. They have their Leadership meeting before lunch. Mark let me have a few words with the kids. I hope that I have encouraged them. I hope I have reflected God’s love to them. They then each shared some kind words back to me. Lord willing I will see them again in April. I plan on coming down in time to go on one of their mission trips to Nicaragua. Pastor Santiago is teaching me Miskitu through e-mail. We then ate lunch and it was time for choir practice.
  Soon people started showing up for church service. I love how they greet each other down here. The choir sang some songs. I love to hear them sing in Spanish. It just seems to flow. Mark gave a good message on discipling and how teaching never stops. A true disciple will be following God’s Word and showing fruit. He read from Matt. 28:19-20  “GO AND TEACH”. I ask you are you going? Are you making disciples?
  After the service everybody came up and said their goodbyes to me. It is always hard to say goodbye. They all said to hurry back. I have many friends here. I got to ride one more time with Mark in the van dropping people off in Los Guido. That gives me another chance for hugs and goodbyes. I can’t wait to get to heaven and hear “Duglas is here”. I am fortunate that God allows me to witness His working here in Costa Rica. I pray that he gets all the glory.
  When we got back to the Mission house. It was time to relax. Soon Meg had supper for us. After supper we played a dice game which Meg won. Then Mark left for home and we broke out the game of Madgab. It is a game that really gets you laughing. Brandis and I were out numbered. Karen, Meg and Bethany beat us, but it was close. We had to call it a night early, because we have to leave for the airport at 5am. We need to pack and be ready to head back to the “Ice box” of Michigan. Sure am going to miss t-shirt weather. I am going to leave you now with how I always leave my trip blogs  “You Should Have Been Here”.

KAREN - It's been a good Lord's Day.  We had a late devotion this morning since the team was busy getting packed, to leave.  Doug shared Matthew 25:40 and then we each took a turn mentioning one of the “least of these" that touch our heart this week.  So hard to name only one!  Next, Nohemi and Cat read thank you notes that the leadership kids had written to them; what a blessing that was for the team (and us).  Marlene, then, read a few paragraphs she had written reflecting on how each Calvary Chapel team member had impacted her life on this trip.  Her words stirred up such emotions.  After a delicious brunch, goodbyes were said and the team was off to the airport.  Thank you Lord for the blessing that each of the team members were to us! 
  It was then off to La Finca for the afternoon.  The leadership team had their meeting and Doug had the opportunity to share with them.  We had lunch and then listen to the choir practice.  Church service began at 3:00.  Mark shared a powerful message on the importance of not just going and teaching, but to make disciples that bear fruit.  Mark also shared how easy it is to make excuses to not go.  Using Paul’s sufferings as an example (II Corinthians 11:24-27), he asked us what’s our excuse?   It made me think of the verse “If God be for us, who can be against us” – Romans 8:31.
  After the service we said  “hasta luego” (see you later), to everyone with a hug.  I have such mixed emotions about leaving.  I’m ready to go home, but at the same time will miss everyone!  I am thankful for the opportunity that God gave me to come and serve Him through the ministry here. It was wonderful to help with VBS and the preparations and handing out of the school uniforms. It was such a joy to, again, work with Meg – she is dear to my heart!  I’m, also, glad I was able to meet and work with Bethany and Brandis; they are so much fun!!

Saturday, January 21
DOUG – We got to sleep in a little bit. Morning devotion was at 8:00. They shared out of Psalm 139, John 15:13, Acts 2:41-47, 1 Cor. 12:24b and their team verse Gal. 5:13, about how God knows us and loves us. We can’t hide things from God. We all have burdens. We each shared a prayer request and then we each prayed. It was pretty emotional, especially since Parker’s sister has been missing on Mt. Rainier since Sunday. We had to eat a fast breakfast, because we wanted to get to La Finca early. When we arrived there the Leadership team was all in blue shirts. I later asked Mark how they know which color to wear. He said at each Sunday leadership meeting they plan out the week and what to wear. They are a tight knit group of kids and young adults. It is neat to watch them work as a team.
    Once everyone got there and were ready they passed out handfuls of pencils and invitations to La Finca. We started our hike around Los Guido inviting anyone child over 8 years old. As we walked Mark pointed out where he first met some of the kids that were living in the streets. The Lord has worked in miraculous ways in their lives. It is hard to say how they would have turned out but now they are brothers and sisters in Christ. It is such a blessing that the Lord allows me to be in their lives. I pray that I can reflect the Lord’s love. I wonder sometimes what they think of us Gringos coming and sharing a few days with them.
  The hike took me into areas I had never been before. We walked down from La Finca and up the other side of Los Guido. At the top of the other side we could look back and see La Finca. It was quite a walk. In no time at all, we had all the pencils and invites passed out. We then headed back to La Finca.
  As soon as we arrived Armando was waiting for me and asked if we were going to fix benches. We are getting good at communicating between our own sign language and my little bit of spangish. We had 8 benches to fix. He could fix them himself but I’m glad he doesn’t, because it gives me something to do. Plus I would miss the relationship that is growing between us.
  Unfortunately, I missed out on the games. I caught the tail end of Mariana getting eggs cracked on her head and Naydelin’s head too. Quite a few of the Mission team got into the wet action too. But I was glad to get the benches done before I leave. I didn’t want Armando to think I’m lazy. Just like in the Bible people flocked around where Jesus was working. I love being here and seeing the new things Jesus is doing here. It is such a blessing to be around so many people on fire for the Lord and actually doing something about it. Soon it was time to say our goodbyes since the team was leaving tomorrow to go home. I get 1 more day which is the Lord’s day with the saints of Los Guido. I got to say “Hasta Manana” not “Adios”.
  We headed back to the Mission house for Supper and the Teams debriefing. It was good to hear their testimonies. It was also good to hear Mark talk about how we are not to take credit for what was done but give the glory to God. It is only through His strength that we can do anything. The things we do are only temporary, but God’s work is eternal. I feel it an honor to be numbered with the saints down here. I am blessed that God allows me to be here.

KAREN – It was another beautiful, warm and sunny day in Costa Rica.  It was a blessing for each of us to share prayer requests this morning and to pray specifically for each request during the team devotion.  It's wonderful to know that we have a living Lord, who hears our prayers!  May we each be excepting of His answers, in His timing!
  Today being Kid's Club at La Finca, everyone headed out this morning at 9:15 to walk the streets of Los Guido to invite kids to come.  I, again, stayed behind to help Meg and Rosa prepare the lunch that would be served at club.  I want to mention what a serving heart Rosa has.  She lives in Los Guido and is always willing to take the bus here to the mission house to help Meg with meals, when needed.  She also prepares a meal, at La Finca, for the leadership kids every week.  She is an excellent cook and prepares wonderful food.  She does so voluntarily and without pay, serving the Lord with a glad heart.
  Meg and I ran to WalMart to pick up some needed items for final meals before the team and Doug and I leave as well as some items for the Kid's Club games.  We laugh at how many times she runs to the store, but when a team is here she has to guesstimate what will be eaten.  The teams pay for their lodging and meals (as do Doug and I) and she is careful not to just go overboard when grocery shopping.  As I've mentioned before, there is much going on behind the scene. Three meals a day are always waiting for us at mealtime and we’re talking "good" meals.  Meg and Rosa do a marvelous job.
  We headed to La Finca around 11:45.  We served the kids and team lunch and then the festivities began. The Calvary Chapel team had games all lined up to play and a story time (two of the team members speak fluent Spanish).  Next was the slip and slide - a perfect day for it with the sun shinning and not a cloud in the sky.  It was then time for the customary cracking of eggs over the heads of those with birthdays.  This was the first I had witnessed this and was so thankful that women are exempt (my birthday was the 8th).  The left over eggs (there were 70 to start) were then tossed high in the air and the object was to catch one without it breaking - several did.  The team then tossed candy out.  It was so much fun to watch all the activities of the day.  How wonderful for the kids to have an afternoon with so much fun.
  Back at the mission house Meg and I prepared a few last minute things for dinner and when everyone arrived we ate.  This is the last night of Calvary Chapel's stay, so Mark had a final meeting with them.  They shared their thoughts on the week.  Mark wanted to be sure they left realizing that all the work that was done this week was not because of the ministry or the team, but because the Lord was working.  He shared how important it is to give God the credit when sharing the trip with others.  At the end of the meeting, an "encouragement" baby shower was given to Nikki and Parker who are expecting their first baby on April 1st. Team members, Meg and I all wrote out something they would be able to put in an album as a keepsake. We each read what we wrote. What a joy it was to hear what was on everyone's heart and it was encouragement to Nikki and Parker.
  Tomorrow the team heads to the airport around 11:00.  I'm thanking the Lord for allowing Doug and I to share this week with the team.  We couldn't have asked for a nicer group of people to work with, all with such a heart for serving the Lord and the people of Cost Rica!

Friday, January 20
DOUG – We had devotion at 6:15 this morning, because we had to head out early. Gary read from Psalm 107. Then they played worship music while we worshipped God silently. We had to eat a quick breakfast and get on the road. This was the mission teams day of fun. A lot of times the groups that come down here go zip lining through the rain forest and white water rafting. This team decided to treat the leadership team to a day of fun at the amusement park. We headed to La Finca to pick up the leadership team. There were 16 going with us. Most had on their Fear factor t-shirts they had won. This was going to be my first time at the park. I wanted to go along just to see the kids having fun. Most of the adults didn’t ride the rides. You didn’t have to pay if you were not riding the rides. They had some pretty wild rides. We spent all day there. We all stayed pretty much together. At lunchtime we stopped and ate fried chicken and french fries at the fast food place in the park. It was fun watching Cori’s son, Dario, who is 8, riding the rides. It was a beautiful day. Even though it was warm to me they got cold riding the wet rides.
  After a full day of having fun it was time to leave. We headed back to Los Guido to drop off the kids. It was rush hour and the traffic was really bad. We got back to the mission house a little late. Meg had supper waiting for us. After supper the team had a meeting about tomorrow while Bethany, Brandis, Karen, Meg and I joked around in the kitchen. It was then time for a snack of make your own sundae. Everyone was tired and headed to bed early. Tomorrow we get to sleep in an hour. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, because its “Super Saturday” I might not get to play much because I have 8 church benches to fix. Armando has been asking all week, so I can’t go home without that getting done.

KAREN - I was up at 5:30 this morning to help Meg with breakfast before the team devotion.  Gary had us close our eyes so we could meditate, as he read Psalm 107.  We continued to worship the Lord as we listen and sang to a few songs.  After breakfast everyone but Meg, Bethany and myself headed out for the amusement park.  I stayed behind to spend the day with Meg and Bethany.  While Meg took Melinda to the airport, I decided to straighten up of the mission house, to free her morning up, so she could get some of her personal things accomplished.  
  At about 11:15 the 3 of us headed out for our walk.  We went to the park and beyond, walking though some really nice neighborhoods.  Meg decided we better head back the way we came, just in case we got lost. We walked an hour and it felt so good to get some exercise.  It makes me want to start walking when I get home, but then I remember it's freezing back in Michigan and the motivation won't be the same!  After showering we then headed to PriceSmart and Walmart.  Bethany drove the van again to get some more practice driving the stick shift. She plans on driving the steep hills where we were walking and practice stopping and starting since there was very little traffic.
  Back at the mission house Meg and I prepared the fixings for tacos, so everything would be ready for dinner.  We then had a chance to relax a bit.  Everyone returned from the amusement park at 6;30 (they left at 7:30 this morning) - what a long day for them.  Although exhausted, everyone had a great time and was in high spirits. I have a feeling everyone will sleep well tonight.
  Tomorrow is Super Saturday at La Finca - a fun time for the kids; Doug being one of them.

Thursday, January 19
DOUG – Another beautiful morning in Costa Rica. It will be hard to go back to the “ice box”. It will only be about a 60-70 degree temperature change. Today’s devotion was on John 11 and how Jesus waited before raising Lazarus from the tomb. We need to wait on the Lord. It also showed His compassion and human side in verse 35. “Jesus wept”. He even told them ahead of time what was going to happen. We only see the present moment. We are like little kids, we want the Lord to work NOW ! If he gave into us we would not get the better things he has instore for us. We then each shared a prayer request.
  After breakfast we headed to La Finca to do the last day of VBS. There were already kids there waiting. The Leadership team comes each day in the same color shirt, today it was yellow. They are a tight group. It is neat to see them take charge and run things. We got set up and then had a little time to play with the kids that came early. Soon it was time to start. Brandis and I stuck with 1 group of kids (6-8 year olds) and followed them through each station. Today we were not staying to eat lunch, so we packed up and headed back to the Mission house. Back at the Mission house we ate lunch and had a couple hours of free time. The men got together and went over the evening devotion time that we will have with the men and young adults of Los Guido. We have no idea how many will come. Invitations were passed out during the week. There was going to be games, food, and Bible time. The Lord put it on Parker’s heart to share Acts 10:34-43. He wanted to share how God will use anyone to do His work and how there were witnesses there of Jesus’s work. It is hard down here to get men to be active in church. It is not macho.
  We left the Mission house at 3:30. We got to La Finca early. So we played soccer with the boys. Eventually it was time to start heading into the gym. Ralph, Merritt, and I practiced a little broom ball to get warmed up. The activities started at 5:00. About 40 men and young adults showed up. We started with broom ball. Old men ( I called our team Ninos Grande) against Chicos. We whooped them pretty good. We had to rotate taking turns so we didn’t get to tired out. After the game we sat down at the tables to eat a meal of chicken in a white sauce over rice with beans on the side. It didn’t take long to finish that off. I sat with the Tico men that I worked with building the church building just over 2 years ago. It was hard to communicate but we did pretty well with sign language. I am slowly getting better.
  Then it was time for the message. Mark translated for us. Parker shared what the Lord had laid on his heart. Then we each gave our testimonies. Parker shared some more and then I got to ask them if they had witnessed Jesus working in Los Guido. A few men shared that they have seen Jesus working there. I shared how I had seen the Lord work in La Finca since 2007. The church building went from a horse stable to a nice block building. Each time I come down I see how the Lord has worked since the last time I was there. Parker added some more then Mark finished up the devotion. Some started leaving while some of us stayed and played indoor soccer. Our team of Mark, Brandis, Marlon, Carlos, and I did pretty well. Winners stay in and we got to play a long while. Not bad for some gringos and ticos. Soon the fun was over and it was time to head back. It was neat to see the city lights of San Jose from up in the mountains. I like to think of each of those lights as an unsaved family. We still have a big job of witnessing for the Lord ahead of us.

KAREN - We woke to a cooler than normal morning, but the sun was shinning as usual.  The team devotion was based on John chapter 11 - reflecting on the Lord's timing to raise Lazarus from the dead, in order to meet His purposes. We shared situations in our own lives that we wish the Lord would take care of as we see fit, acknowledging that we need to wait on the Lord's timing and out come, not ours, for His purposes. We than ate breakfast and were off to La Finca for the last day of VBS.  Although numbers were low at the start, we ended up with a good turn out.  I was a bit disappointed that a couple of kids I had fun playing with yesterday, were not there today. As always, though, there were plenty of kids to play with and love on.  As I reflect on this week VBS activities, my hope and prayer is that God will use all that was said and done to draw those who participated close to him!  I'm thankful for all the hard work that the Calvary Chapel team put in to the preparation and execution of the VBS and that I was able to take part.
  After VBS we headed to the mission house for lunch.  We had a couple of hours of free time this afternoon, so I was able to get in a much needed nap.  It felt good to be refreshed for evening activities.  We headed back to La Finca at 3:30 for the men's outreach (age 14 and up). There were approximately 40 in attendance.  We got the meal all situated in the kitchen while the younger men took on the older men in broomball; the older men actually won.  After the game the men were seated and the leader girls and the woman served them a delicious meal.  The men then had their time of devotion and testimonies in the gym and the ladies, theirs, in the church.  I helped clean up the kitchen and was able to catch the "Woman at the well" portrayal.  The team also gave each of the ladies a nice bag with a journal, bookmark and pen and a beautiful handkerchief with scripture written on it.  Meg, Bethany and I left to go back to the mission house after dropping Rosa off at her home.  Back at the mission house we washed up dishes and got dessert ready for the team's arrival back.
  Tomorrow has a very early start - team devotion at 6:15.  The team is taking the leadership kids to the amusement park.  Doug and Brandis are also going but Meg, Bethany and I are staying behind to get some things done.  Meg is taking Melinda to the airport at 7:00 and when she returns we are going to go for a walk.  Meg and I were hoping to get a walk in while I'm here and it works out perfect for tomorrow.  Last year we discovered a little park, so we intend to go there, again. 

Wednesday, January 18
DOUG – Woke up to a beautiful, sunny, blue sky. This morning devotion was on gratefulness and thankfulness. We really need to start the morning being thankful. I am thankful for the team God put together for this week. We all work well together. It is nice to sit down and have a one on one conversation with each one. This morning after breakfast we headed to La Finca. We did VBS their instead of in the street like La Carpio. Two of the stations were in the gym and two were outside. Inside the church they were having a devotion time with the women. It is amazing how many kids I have come to know in Los Guido. I’m the “loco gringo”. About half way through VBS,  I started helping Cori with trying to snake out a drain under the gym. Brandis also gave us a hand. We ended up getting the snake caught in the drain. It took a lot of effort to free up the snake. The sun seemed more intense today.
  Once VBS was over it was time to eat lunch. Armando had me come and eat in his house. With our lunch he shared some cheese with me. We are quite the team together. He calls me a 2 stripe jefe(boss) and I in return call him a 3 striper. Then it was time to start passing out bags of uniforms, shoes and school supplies. The people started lining up again. While they waited in line I kept the young ones busy. After a while I talked Armando into fixing some church benches. There were 10 broken ones. The design is great, but the screws we use are too thin and break over time. I helped build the benches back in 2007 using Stan’s design. They look pretty weak but I used Stan’s design last year to build 3 benches for a home in La Carpio and we had 6 adults sitting on 1- 8’bench eating our lunch. We only were able to get 2 benches fixed before it was time to head back to the Mission house. There is always tomorrow.
  Back at the Mission house the Team got ready to go eat supper over at a friend’s house. After they left Meg and Karen went and got pizza for us. Bethany invited us over to her apartment. Karen, Brandis and I went over to her apartment and watched a movie. She made us tea and popcorn. We had a good time. Tomorrow will be another great day working for the Lord.

KAREN - Again, we were up early with the team devotion at 7:00.  Pat and Kathie shared with us on the importance of gratefulness and many shared what they were grateful for.  We then ate breakfast and were on our way to Los Guido.  Although VBS was just a repeat of what we did the first day at La Carpio, it was different.  As we pulled into La Finca, I thought of what a safe haven it is for the kids in Los Guido.  There is nothing like it in La Carpio, where there are just dirt streets with vehicles driving by, delivery trucks unloading, dogs everywhere and people passing through.  Lord willing, maybe someday, there will be such a place as La Finca in La Carpio?
  I'm starting to catch on to the song and motions we start and end VBS with. This morning young Valerie grabbed me by the hand and led me to the front row, next to her.  She was helping me with some of the motions.  What fun!!   We set up two of the stations in the gym, crafts being one of them.  What a blessing to have concrete floor to sit on with no wind blowing dirt and the crafts around.  It's fun to sit right there with the kids and help them put the crafts together.  I chose to work the crafts station because if the kids need assistance, I can just show them what to do (no speaking Spanish necessary).
  Meg arrived with lunch, as VBS was winding down, so I help her and Rosa in the kitchen.  We had gallo pinto (beans and rice).  No one can make it like Rosa - so yummy!  After lunch we cleaned the kitchen and I headed back to the mission house with Meg and a couple of ladies from the team.  Meg and I then went to Rogelio and Neris house in Tejarcellos.  Meg had something to take to them, so I went along to give them the towels that Doug and I had for them.  We had a nice visit with Neris, she was so grateful for the towels. It is a blessing to be able to give to those who have so little!  When we left we went to Walmart to pick up a few things (imagine that)!  Back at the mission house we put away the groceries, Meg made dessert and I cut up some watermelon.  The team went to dinner at a couple's home that they know through their church; so rather than cook, Meg ordered pizza.  After eating, Brandis, Doug and I went over to Bethany's apartment to visit and watch a movie.  I will miss the two of them when we leave.  Although Doug and I are old enough to be their parents, we've had so much fun together!
  As I close for today, Lord, I thank Your for your love.  I thank You for going before us each day and keeping us safe.  I thank You for the Calvary Chapel team and the blessings of working and spending time with them. I thank You for Mark, Meg, Melinda and Noemy and their dedication to the ministry here.  I thank You the leadership kids and the adults, who serve the ministry so faithfully.  I thank You for the children we have opportunity to minister to. 

Tuesday, January 17
DOUG – Another early morning. Devotion at 7am was done by Ali with Marlene reading the verses. They concentrated on how nobody recognized Jesus when he returned after being crucified. They all had their minds set on other things. Sometimes it just took Jesus calling their name. Sometimes the Holy Spirit has to help us recognize something from God. We then had a serious prayer request from Parker. His sister went hiking around Mt. Rainier and hasn’t been heard from since Sunday. They also got about 30” of snow there. The prayers got very emotional.
  We then ate breakfast and started getting ready for another VBS day at La Carpio. We must have been running late because Mark took a different way to La Carpio. The highway might have been slower then normal. Once we came out by the hospital I knew where we were. Once we got to Juan’s house, there were kids waiting for us. So we didn’t take long to setup. We started with the Leadership team doing their music routine. That gets the kids going. Some knew the moves either from yesterday or some other VBS. Soon twice as many kids were there then yesterday. I kinda moved around and took pictures and videos of each station. I recognized some of the kids from the day before. I wish I was as good at remembering names as they are. I heard a lot of “Duuglas” hollered out. It bothered me to think that this is it. I felt like we should be coming back. Two days seem so short. I spend so much more time with the kids of Los Guido. The need seems so much more greater at La Carpio. It’s hard not to want to go back and do more for them. Its funny how La Finca gives you such a different feeling. You forget that the need is just as great there. I know a lot of kids, of Los Guido, for many years. I get such a warm welcome from them. It’s nice to have a some what safe complex to come to, I pray that Tejarcillos and La Carpio will one day have some place equivalent to go to. But the way they are set up, it is hard to picture. Only God knows and in His time.
  Finally it was time to leave and head to La Finca to pass out uniforms. We got there at 12:30 and there were people already waiting. We headed to the gym where lunch was waiting for us. It is so amazing the work that Meg and the woman do behind the scenes. We just show up and eat. I try my best to show my appreciation. I don’t know how much the teams think about it but I sure do. They work so hard and we just see how everything just goes so smooth for us.
  After we ate it was time to start passing out uniforms. Easier said then done. There was a big line of people waiting. I recognized some and said my holas. Then it was time for Brandis and me to do the real work. Showing God’s love to the kids. It is hard work, but someone has got to do it. I think I have said that once before, or twice. They can really wear you out. It is neat how Brandis just fit right in down here. I can’t imagine at 19 doing what he is doing. At that age I had just started at GM and had 1 weeks vacation. I know 6 weeks down here will change his life forever. He will be so much the better for it. The Team did a good job of getting uniforms passed out. Soon the line was done and it was time to head to the Mission house for supper.
  Of course there was supper magically on the island in the kitchen. You sure can’t say you starved down here. After supper the Team met to go over tomorrows plans. It was then time for a game of Blokus. It was Mariana, Parker, and me against Mark. It was a bloodbath with Mark using up all his pieces and Mariana coming in second. I messed up Parker so Mark could win (ha ha). I wanted to be able to come back down here. I hope Parker isn’t too mad cause I wouldn’t mind working with him again. This has been a good team. I have enjoyed working with them and fellowshipping too. Just before bedtime Cori and his son Dario (which sounds like Daddy O) and I got on Google Earth and saw where they lived. Tomorrow we head to Los Guido to do VBS.

KAREN - Another early rise this morning.  We gathered for the team devotion at 7:00.  Ali and Marlene shared with us the importance of recognizing Jesus in our lives, referring to references from scripture on how He manifested Himself in different ways after his resurrection.  Parker then shared with us an urgent prayer request:  his sister and a companion, who were expected back from a hike on Mt. Rainier in WA on Sunday, had not returned.  The mountain is being hit by a winter storm and search teams have not, yet, been able to extensively search for them.  The two are experience hikers and well equip and we are praying for their safe return.
  After breakfast, we headed to La Carpio for the second day of VBS.  The kids were excitedly waiting for us to arrive and there were many more in attendance than yesterday.  Everything was basically run the same way as yesterday, but there were different crafts, skits, games and experiments.  The kids had a great time and the woman's outreach was, again, a great success.  It was such a blessing to be a part of bringing these kids, who no one wants to have anything to do with, a few hours of fun and love.
  After VBS we headed to La Finca for lunch and to prepared for the handing out of the school uniforms for Los Guido.  When we arrived the kids and their moms were already waiting outside the gate.  The leadership kids were quick to get everything in order.  What a blessing it is to see these youth so eager to serve!  Once the process began, I headed back to the mission house with Meg.  I started some laundry and we ran some errands.  What originally was to be "one stop" turned into five ... seems it's just the way things are for Meg.  She is one busy lady, constantly on the go. We completed preparing dinner and I was able to finish up the laundry and take a quick shower before the bus returned.  We had, yet, another delicious dinner and while the team met with Mark, Doug and I help Meg clean up the kitchen.
  Tomorrow begins the two day VBS at La Finca and completion of the uniform disbursement for Los Guido. I'm tired, but it's a good tired knowing we are helping to make a difference in these kid’s lives.  Thank you Lord for allowing us to be a part of this outreach.

Monday, January 16
DOUG – We had devotion at 7am. Merritt and Ralph shared with us. Both spoke from the heart. Ralph spoke of his reconciliation with his son. Merritt shared verses on faith, hope and love. Having morning devotions with the Team is a good way to start the day. We then had a quick breakfast, because we had to pack the bus and leave by 8:15. Karen, Brandis, Bethany, and I rode with Mark. We headed to the bus stop in San Jose to pick up the leadership boys and the bus driven by Cory picked up the Los Guido women at the same bus stop. They had to get up around 5am to be at the bus stop. We then headed to La Carpio. This is the first time for some of the Team members to go to La Carpio. There is only one road into La Carpio. It sits between 2 rivers just before the city dump. So most of the traffic going in are garbage trucks. I’ve been there enough times the route is very familiar to me.
  We soon arrived at Juan’s house. We didn’t take anything off the bus. We walked up the street and around the corner to scope out where we would setup for VBS. We then prayed. Then we headed back to the bus to get everything we needed for the VBS. Soon kids started to arrive. I started to make friends with the kids. Here instead of using coins I thought it might be wiser to use rocks to get the kids to open up. I bend my arm and then hold it straight out. I then place a rock at my elbow. As I unfold my arm the rock drops and I catch it. I then do it with 2 rocks and so forth. Then I have the kids try. They are so happy when they finally can do it. Another game I play is to hold their hand out and place a rock in their hand. I then hold my hand a foot over theirs. I count to 3 in Spanish and they try to close their hand before I can get it out. Of course with me counting I have the edge. When my hand slaps theirs it sends the rock up and I just have to close my hand and I got the rock. The look on their face when they know that they don’t have the rock is priceless. Soon I’ve got a bunch of kids around trying. I also let them give me five (hand slap) and I act as if it hurt and they get the biggest laugh. Then they really try hard. It is great to bring a genuine smile to their face. One of the older boys that did well learning my games was a boy named Alfredo. I hope to see him return tomorrow.
  Soon it was time for VBS to start. The Leadership team starts out playing a hand motion routine to music. Then once we have a large crowd and their attention one of the Leadership team uses a mike and gives instructions. We then break the kids up by age. I think there were 5 teams made up. I helped out at a station that was using the 3 pigs and the mean wolf story but with a twist. They added the Bible into the story. Then they did a water trick turning clear water red then back to clear. Symbolizing sin and how Christ takes the sin debt away. There were at least 20 kids per group if not more. Tomorrow we figure that number will double. After about 25 minutes the groups switch stations. So we get to work with all the groups.
  The wind was really blowing the dirt around and getting it in our eyes. I think we all know what La Carpio tastes like now. Time went quick and then it was time to pack up and go eat lunch. After lunch we walked down to the entrance to the river. Cory drove the bus around and we met up with him to unload the bags of uniforms. We each got something to carry. We then headed down to the river to pass out uniforms, shoes, a Bible, and a backpack filled with school supplies. Each kid's name were on the bags. As we came to each house, that kid's name would be called off and their stuff would be carried forward. The kid would then get their picture taken and they would sit down and write a thank you note back to the church that donated money. We traveled down the river farther then I have ever been. What a sight it must have been to seeing this many Gringos in a line. Once we got everything passed out it was time to head back. Along the way I got to pass out suckers. Once we got back up to the top we then walked to a church that was across the main road, which I have never been to. It was quite a walk. They passed out invitations for tomorrows VBS along the way. Once we got to the church the Pastor and his family got up on stage and played us a couple songs. He then talked about how God answered prayer about the church building. He then thanked those who had a hand in making it happen. Mark then got up to talk and praise God. We hope that this Pastor would get a vision for all of La Carpio, not just his church. They then had a Gringa and a Tica come up to pray. We then headed back to Juan’s. By then I had passed out all of my 100 suckers. It was time to get ready to leave.
  The bus headed back to the bus stop to drop off the Los Guido group and we headed with the boys back to the Mission house. The older boys were going to have supper with us and fellowship after. They would be staying at Mark’s house for the night. The boys were Rafa, Henry, Memo, Jason, and Coco. After supper we sat around and went over tomorrows plans and asked each other questions. Sometimes the questions get deep. This helps the Mission team get better acquainted with the kids. The boys soon got tired. But before they left we had dessert and I showed them my fluorescent rocks.
  What a day this was working for the Lord. It is a good tired feeling. We do it all over again tomorrow.

KAREN - Wow, what a day!  I woke up about 5:45 and decided to put all the uniforms we are handing out today, in boxes to make it easier load them on the bus.  At 7:00 two of the team members gave devotions. It was nice to hear what the Lord put on their hearts to share with us.  We ate breakfast and then loaded the bus up with the uniforms, Bibles, backpacks with school supplies and the VBS materials for the kids in La Carpio. We all got in the bus and Mark's van and were on the road by 8:15. We first stopped to pick up the leadership kids and some of the adult women who disciple in La Carpio.  Once we arrive in La Capio, we parked the vehicles in front of Juan's house.  Mark had us scope out the area where we would be doing the VBS and we decided where the 4 different stations (crafts, games, skits and experiments) would be set up. I was asked to help, so I chose to help with the crafts.  After praying we unloaded the VBS supplies from the bus.  As the stations were set up, Mark sent the leadership kids out in groups to walk the streets and invite kids and moms to VBS.  Once everyone arrived, the leadership kids did motions to songs that were played over a loud speaker.  Next they broke the kids into 4 groups, by age.  Each group of kids went to a different station and we continued to rotate until all the kids participated in each station.  The moms had there own time, meeting with 3 of the woman from the team.  The wind was really blowing dirt around in the area we were doing the crafts  - we all ended up covered with it.  I thought about the daily life the people living La Carpio face and how thankful I was that I would be going back to the mission house to take a warm shower.  I know the kids there don't have that privilege.  We ended VBS with another motion to songs session.  A very successful first day of VBS!
  We then went back to Juan's house where Meg and Rosa had brought lunch.  It gave us a time to rest before heading to the River to hand out uniforms.  The River is the poorest area of La Carpio; the living conditions are shocking.  We had to walk single file along the path, everyone helping to carry the uniforms and back backs.  When we reach a home where a uniform, Bible and backpack were to be handed out, the name of the child would be called out and the items would be passed forward to the front, from whoever was holding them.  The system worked well.  Again, each child's picture was taken and they wrote a thank you note to the church that supplied the funds for the uniforms.  When we were finished handing out the uniforms, we walk the streets and the leader kids, again, invited kids and moms to VBS tomorrow.  We then stopped at a church that team had praying for since last year, asking God to provide the funds to build a church building where only a cement slab existed. Today, there stands a church building - God is faithful!  We were invited in and the Pastor and his family sang and played music for us.  The pastor, also, shared the testimony of how the Lord provided, such a blessing to hear.
  We then headed to the vehicles and back to the mission house.  Doug and I were in Mark's van and we arrived before the bus, so I was immediately able to jump in the shower.  We then had a wonderful dinner prepared by Meg and Rosa.  I help finish cleaning the kitchen and setting up dessert while Mark met with the team and the leader boys who came for dinner and are spending the night at the Mark and Meg’s house.  When the meeting was over, I went to the garage and boxed up the 200 uniforms we will be taking to La Finca tomorrow.  We will be handing the uniforms out at the gym, over the next two days, to the kids in Los Guido.
  Tonight I am very tired, so it's off to bed.  Thank you Lord for the blessing of the day and I just pray that your light shinned through us. Thanking you for how you've provided for the VBS and the uniforms for these kids who have so little.

Sunday, January 15
DOUG – WOW !!! What a Lord’s day. Another first for us. It seems like it is always sunny when you wake up down here. We started the morning off with team devotion at 7am. I lead the devotion. God put it on my heart to give a devotion that would encourage the team. I read from 1 Cor. 12. God has given each one of us different gifts and we all make up the body. None of us are more important then another. God has made each of us special to do his work. We didn’t all come down here by accident. God has a purpose for each one of us. I think sometimes the biggest thing we can do down here is to reflect God’s love. That is an easy thing to do at La Finca, where we have a safe 2 acres to play in, it’s another thing to do that in the streets of La Carpio, where we will be tomorrow. I will not have that sweet sound of my little amigos calling out “Duuglas”. But the kids in La Carpio still need to see God’s love, if not more so. I look forward to working with this team doing VBS. It has been a joy getting to know each one.
  After breakfast we headed out at 8:30 to do a little souvenir shopping. We first stopped at a grocery store much like the ones in the states. They all wanted to buy coffee to take back home. Since I don’t care for coffee and I’ve been in plenty of grocery stores, I stayed back with the bus and that gave Cory a chance to go in the store to help the team.
  We then drove to Morovia, an area in San Jose. It is a couple of blocks of small stores that sell real souvenirs made in Costa Rica not China. We only had about an hour to shop.
  We had to get back to the Mission house to get ready for the weddings. At 12:00 we left for La Finca. The Team had to meet with the Leadership team about their plans for VBS. After the meeting we headed down to the Gym/Feeding center where they had lunch ready for us. After we ate we had time to play games with the kids. I then went around and started videoing the pre-wedding. The 2 brides were getting their hair done by Bethany in Panchita’s house. The church started filling up. It finally became standing room only. I eat up a ladder in the back corner to hold my camera steady. At 3:00 the couples came in and walked down the aisle. It was an honor to be here to witness the first weddings in the church. I have known both brides since 2007. God has used both in key rolls in the church. The wedding proceeded without a hitch. It was a beautiful ceremony. Afterward Mark got up and spoke. He mixed a little seriousness with some humor. After the wedding we walked to the gym where the reception was held. Melinda had worked hard, late into the night, Saturday night to bake the cakes. Then Sunday morning they decorated the 2 - 3 tier cakes. What an experience for this church. It was a time of good fellowship.
  Afterwards it was time to head back to the Mission house; Karen and I road with Mark in his van. We had a few people to drop off on the way. Back at the Mission house we had supper. After supper we met and discussed the days events and what we planned to do tomorrow in La Carpio. Tomorrow will be a challenge. But with God all things are possible. The team then started preparing for tomorrow. It’s going to be fun.

KAREN – It was an early rise this morning, especially now that the team is here.  Doug was asked to share a devotion to begin the day.  He shared out of 1 Corinthians 12 to encourage us to remember even though each of our spiritual gifts may be different, we all are part of one body and God will use each one of us to accomplish His purposes.  We then had breakfast and headed out for some souvenir shopping.  Meg and Rosa prepared the makings for dinner while we were gone.  When we returned to the Mission house, Meg, Rosa and I headed to La Finca.  Doug headed out with the team, on the bus, a short time later.
  Once at La Finca, I help get lunch ready for the leadership kids and the team, who first had a meeting to go over the VBS plans for tomorrow in La Carpio.  The wedding was to begin at 3:00.  Everything was in place.  The church and gym were decorated, the wedding cakes were beautiful (Melinda’s hard work paid off), the brides were beautiful (Bethany’s beauty salon) and the church was full of guests.  A Christian attorney performed the ceremony.  Mark then shared a short message stressing the importance of the marriage contract, which includes no fine print.  Mark has a way of getting a message across with a sense of humor.  After the ceremony, everyone filed into the gym for cake, punch and coffee.  It was a wonderful time, enjoyed by all.
  Doug and I had a pleasant surprise; during the ceremony in walked Brooke, Isabelle and Audrey.  Meg knew they were coming but promised to keep it a secret.  It was wonderful to see them, even if it was only for a short time.
  Once back at the mission house we ate dinner.  Afterwards we had a meeting to discuss the events of the day and the activities for tomorrow.  It was nice to hear how God worked in Luisa & Henry and Dayan & Michael hearts, giving them the desire followed in obedience to His word and get married.  May the Lord use their obedience as a testimony to those around them. 
  Tomorrow will be a full day at La Carpio, with street VBS (the team has done an amazing job in preparation) and the handing out of school uniforms.  It will be a challenge, but the reward will be worth it. As Mark shared with me at dinner, if the ministry wasn’t willing to take on the challenges it faces, where would it be today?

Saturday, January 14
DOUG – Got to sleep in today. We headed out to La Finca at 9:30 to start getting the church ready for the wedding tomorrow. Melinda drove us there; she is in charge of decorating. I went along to help, but also it is “Super Sabado”. We did what we could do to set things up. We blew up balloons and tied ribbons to the pews. Once we got done Melinda and Noemy left. Bethany, Brandis, and I stayed to participate with the games. Slowly families and kids started showing up. The older kids asked Brandis and me to play soccer. After awhile it was time to start. The Leadership kids lead the games. It was a little different not having Mark there. He was at the airport greeting the team flying in. It seems a little quieter not hearing Mark hootin and hollering. The kids played some different games. One game they played was standing under a balloon hooked to a hose and slowly filling up. They had to stay under till they gave the right answer to a question. Eventually someone got wet. Saturdays at La Finca are always fun. It's great to have a place like this that the kids can come to and just be kids. Outside the fence it’s a world we can’t even imagine. We can only see these kids in the safety of La Finca. I just pray that we can bring a little of God’s sunshine in to their lives. My plea to who ever reads this is to keep these kids in your prayers. There always seems to be 1 kid who steals my heart each trip. This trip it is a little girl named Jenny. This trip is the first time I’ve met her. Others I have known for years. Some who are still here who have stolen my heart in the past are Diana, Karla, Nataly, Naealyn, Michelle, Tiffany, Hillery, just to name a few. I just love hearing them call my name “Duuglas”. It is such an honor that God allows me to be working down here with these kids. Ok, so it doesn’t sound like work.
  Too soon it was time for the kids to go home. Meg came and picked us up at the gate. We returned to the Mission House and got there just after the team arrived. What a difference it is to go from a few of us to a full house. It went from 5 of us in the house to 21. I am now sleeping in a room with Cory, the tour bus driver and his young son, Dadio. I get along well with Cory. He speaks just enough English to be able to communicate pretty good. We got a chance to meet the team before supper. Some have been here before. Mark had a short meeting with them. Then it was time for one of Meg’s delicious suppers.
  After supper the team started getting together the stuff for VBS and the backpacks full of stuff to give away. They are from a big church in Florida. It was a time of good fellowship hearing of some of their other mission trips. I’m looking forward to working with this team. Tomorrow Parker asked me to give the morning devotion. He had emailed me back in the states if I wanted to share a devotion. We will start tomorrow at 7am with the devotion and then breakfast. We will be doing a little souvenir shopping before the big weddings. It will be a different Lord’s day. Stay tuned.

KAREN - I got up early this morning to be ready, when Meg arrived.  I fixed Doug and Brandis a packed lunch for La Finca, so they'd keep up their energy to play with the kids (Doug’s favorite thing to do).  When Meg arrived she decided we would bake Melinda’s birthday cakes before heading out.  Once the cakes were done, we headed downtown to exchange uniforms and shoes for the correct sizes.  I thought San Jose was crazy when we went during the week, but that was nothing compared to today.  There is so much activity going on and so many people.  We parked in a garage and walked to the uniform store and then to the shoe store.  They didn’t have one of the shoe sizes we needed, so we had to walk another 5 blocks to different store to get it and then walk back to the car.  Meg is so relieved to finally have all the uniforms and shoes situated.
  We then made our daily trip to Walmart to pick up a few more things for dinner.  Once back at the mission house we put together a snack for the team's arrival at 3:00 and then started preparing dinner.  Meg made chicken and spaghetti in a white sauce.  She had a huge pot of it and was concerned that it might not be enough.  I thought there is no way it would all be eaten, but it was scrapped to the bottom of the pot.... everyone loved it.  When you prepare a meal for so many (25 of us), there is lots of food to prepare and what seems a never-ending pile of dishes to wash.  At the same time Melinda was busy baking cake after cake for the wedding.  It was one busy kitchen.  We ended the meal with birthday cake and singing Melinda “Happy Birthday”.
  As the team worked on getting all the things they brought for the street VBS organized (it's amazing what they brought with them - the Lord is good), I help finish up the dinner dishes and then took a shower.  I then went over to Bethany's apartment and she curled my hair with a special curling appliance she has that make ringlets. She loves doing hair, nails, makeup etc.   She is so excited about the weddings tomorrow; she finally has the chance to wear a new dress and shoes (and of course she wanted to show them to me). Once back at the mission house, everyone was getting ready to call it a night.  Brandis and I chatted for a while – what a nice guy he is! 
  Tomorrow, before breakfast, Doug is sharing a devotion with the team.  We then will go souvenir shopping; Cory will take us on the bus with the team.  After that we head to La Finca for lunch and the weddings will be at 3:00.  Looking forward to what the Lord has for us this coming week.

Friday, January 13
DOUG – Another early morning. We had to head out at 7:45, to go to La Carpio. We had some uniforms, shoes, and Bibles to pass out there. The team drove to Juan’s house. It is always nice to be greeted by Juan. He always seems happy to see us. I always call him “hermanos” (brother). He now has started a small store in part of his house. He took us way back into his house where his wife and another lady were making tamales. They make extra special tamales with meat in them. He gave a bag full of them to Melinda to pass out to the leaders who come to disciple there from Los Guido.
  After we said our holas we headed to a house not far away, where we were going to make as a base to pass out the uniforms. Each discipleship leader brought their group to this house. We are starting to get a routine down. The girls do all the work and us guys keep the kids busy. The girls would check the names off of a list and tell us the name. Brandis and I would look for the right bag and with a Bible and a couple pencils hand them out the front door. Mark would then take a picture of them for the church that donated the money. Bethany would hand them a VBS invitation that they were suppose to post at their house. They would then be given a piece of paper and pencil, so they could write a thank you. Once we got just about all the bags passed out, it was time to head back to the Mission House.
  We bought some cold pop from Juan before leaving. I bought some penny candy and passed them out to the kids standing around the van. I always act like I’m getting it out of their ear before giving it to them. Leaving La Carpio was crazy. A city bus ran into a trash truck at the entrance to La Carpio and was blocking the traffic. In Costa Rica you can’t move your vehicle when it gets into an accident till the police and insurance rep gets there. So the traffic was really backed up having to go around the vehicles. Finally we got out of there and headed to the Mission House.
  Once back there we had lunch. I decided to do some work around the house and needed some stuff from the store. So I asked if Brandis and I could walk 2 blocks to the hardware store. I knew it would be a fun adventure for the 2 of us because we don’t speak much Spanish. The girls all left to do some shopping and Brandis and I were off on our “Big Adventure”. When we got to the hardware store they greeted us and soon found out they had to find someone that spoke some English. It wasn’t hard to communicate using a little sign language. The guy was a big help and we were out in minutes. I doubt we took even 20 minutes for our adventure. It was uneventful. We got back to the Mission House and started working on our little project of making a clothes rack in the bedroom without a closet. I will be sleeping in there while the team is here. It was nice the first week and a half to have our own room together. But now too many were coming so boys in 2 rooms and girls in 2 rooms. Tomorrow  there will be 12 more people staying here. The quiet times are over. After fixing a few things around the house it was time for supper cooked by Meg. Then we celebrated Mariana’s birthday with cake and ice cream. We sat around and fellowshipped. They soon headed their separate ways. I showed Brandis my fluorescent rock collection. In the dark they really stand out and glow.
  Tomorrow we leave for La Finca for “Super Saturday”. We are heading there a little early so the girls can fix the church up for the double wedding on Sunday. I figure it would be better to hang out there then the Mission House. If there isn’t kids to play with, I’m sure Armando will have something for me to fix (like loose church benches). Looking forward to getting wet since it has been getting warmer each day. Hard to take 80 degrees in the winter. Each day is such a blessing.

KAREN - I woke up this morning not certain exactly what I would be doing?  I did not see Meg at all yesterday and earlier in the week she said she'd be grocery shopping, on Friday, for the team that is arriving tomorrow.  I had told her I would help her, but it had not been confirmed.  I got up ready to go to La Carpio to help hand out the uniforms, but when Meg arrived she thought it would be great if I went with her.  Meg is very organized (she has to be), so armed with a list we headed to WalMart.  We zoomed through the isles and checked out with two full carts. We returned to the mission house, unloaded and put away what we’d purchased; then it was off to PriceSmart for everything else on her list.  Again we filled two carts and headed back to the mission house.  I unloaded as Meg put things away.  We then prepared lunch just in time for everyone's arrival back from La Carpio.  Meg and Melinda went out to lunch for Melinda's birthday, which is tomorrow.
  Doug and I have been sharing a room with a bathroom, which has been wonderful.  Starting tonight, Doug will be sleeping in different room and only sharing the bathroom until the new team arrives tomorrow.  I'll stay in the current room and share it with two of the ladies from the team.  Doug will be sharing a room with the bus driver, Cory and his son.  He will be using the shower in an upstairs room where 5 men on the team will sleep.  Another room upstairs will sleep six women from the team.  Doug moved today so the room could be prepared for the ladies; I washed the sheets and made up the three beds that are in the room.
  When Meg returned from lunch, she, Bethany and I went out again to a mall.  Bethany wanted to look for a date book and also freshen up on driving a stick shift. She did an excellent job! She soon will be getting her Costa Rican drivers license and will be driving the van that has a stick.   Once back at the mission house, Meg prepared dinner as I searched online for wedding cake ideas.  After another excellent meal, Melinda and I mixed up Royal Icing to make decorations for the wedding cakes.  This type of icing gets hard, so you can make up flowers etc. in advance.  We only had one box and it indicated to add additional water, if needed, to make it the consistency needed.  The problem was that neither of us had any idea what the consistency should be??  We filled the bag with the icing and it was way too thick, so we had to scrap it all back in the bowl and add a couple teaspoons of water.  It then was perfect, but we wasted some and there really wasn't much to begin with.  We decided to just make as many pink hearts as possible. Melinda made a few and then Bethany took over.  I tried to make some, but they didn't turn out too well.  I didn't want to waste any of the icing, so Bethany kept making them.  She decided to take everything home and keep working on them, there.  A team effort, but Bethany is stuck with most of the work ... sorry Bethany!
  As I reflect on the ministry here, there is so much involved behind the scenes, which is of great importance when a team comes.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to shop with Meg today.  I'm hoping to help her as much as possible this week with the meals for the team, so I can really get a feel for all that is involved.  Melinda and Noemy have the responsibility of having the house ready - cleaning, laundry, making beds etc.  If you think housekeeping is hard for a family, imagine doing it for 17 people (or even more). Thank you ladies for all the hard work involved in making our stay(s) (and others) so nice!
  Tomorrow is Super Saturday at La Finca.  Doug will be going, but I will stay back with Meg.  We will be doing some errands and then finish preparing for the team’s arrival.

Thursday, January 12
DOUG – We left the house at 8am and headed to Tejarcillos to finish passing out uniforms, shoes and Bibles. It’s hard to take these beautiful sunny mornings. The traffic wasn’t too bad today. While we waited for people to show up, I played with Rogelio’s son Daniel. He is six years old. He loves using my video camera. He’s getting good at knowing how to use all the buttons. After awhile I started playing coin games with him. He made up a few of the games. He reminds me a lot of his older brother Elvis when I first started coming down here.
  After awhile we decided to go back to the Mission House to eat lunch. We worked around the house. I worked on making a test model of a solar water bottle light. I think it would be ok if you don’t have electricity available. But it only works when the sun is out. Not much good at night.  
  Brandis serenaded us with his guitar. Melinda then took Bethany, Brandis, Karen, and me to the Walmart store. I wanted to pick up gifts for the double wedding on Sunday. Louisa and her daughter Dayon are combining their weddings together. This will be the first weddings in the church. It seems like every time I’m here, there is a first. This time we had 2 firsts. Mission conference and weddings.
  When we got back they finished up working on the bags of uniforms. Tomorrow we leave early for La Carpio. Then it was time to eat supper. We decided to play some games after we cleaned up and put away the dishes. We first played a game I brought down called “A minute to win it”. You had to do stunts using cards with the alphabets on them. After Bethany won that game, beating Brandis in a tie breaker, we played “Mad Gab”. What a crazy game. You read a bunch of words that doesn’t make sense but the faster you read them it will sound like something else. We were cracking up. It was boys against girls and they killed us. Sometimes we couldn’t even talk, we were laughing so much. Bethany would almost say it right the first time. It was a fun evening. The Kuzdas were off having family time and celebrating Mariana’s birthday. She was 17 today. Feliz Cumpleaños !!!

KAREN - This morning we headed, again, to Pastor Rogelio house in Tejarcillos to finish handing out the uniforms for that location.  Unfortunately, only a few came to pick them up.  As we waited for kids to show up, Doug entertained us with his coin tricks. He had Pastor Rogelio's son Daniel, Bethany and Brandis attempting the tricks - they all did well and it was fun to watch.  At 11:00 we packed up and headed back to the mission house for lunch.
  This afternoon Melinda, Bethany, Brandis, Doug and I went to WalMart.  You'd think we were in a Wall Mart in the States, except everything was in Spanish. There is going to be a double wedding at the church on Sunday; a mother and daughter are both getting married, so we picked up gifts for them.  After leaving WalMart, we went to a store that sells items for baking and decorating cakes.  Melinda will be baking the two wedding cakes and Bethany and I plan on helping with the cake decorations.
  When we returned to the mission house, Meg had dropped off some more bags for the uniforms, so we immediately finished packing everything that we could.  There are a few items that need to be switched for different sizes before we are actually done.  Tomorrow the kids, who are being disciple in La Carpio, will be receiving their school uniforms.  Next week, after the new team arrives, the rest of the La Carpio uniforms will handed out.
  Meg, again, fixed us good dinner and had it waiting in the crock-pot.  Mark, Meg and the two girls had a family night celebrating Mariana’s Birthday.  Doug and I didn't even get a chance to say "Feliz Cumpleaños" (Happy Birthday) to her, since we did not see her.  We'll give her belated wishes tomorrow.
  This evening, Bethany, Brandis, Doug and I played a couple of games.  I think we did more laughing than anything. It will be another early morning, so it's off to bed.  Thank you Lord for another day of blessings and lots of fun!

Wednesday, January 11
DOUG – We had to get up early. We planned on leaving the house by 7am. Mark drove us to Tejarcillos. They block off one lane on the oncoming side so our side could have 3 lanes heading into San Jose instead of 2. Tejarcillos is on the other side of San Jose and up in the hills at the foot of the mountains. We took a different way in then the other times I have been there. Pastor Rogelio had moved since I was there last March. Mark parked the van in front of Rogelio’s house. We unloaded the bags of uniforms and shoes that would be passed out. Mark had a meeting with the Los Guido team and the Tejarcillos team. We sat out on the porch and kept some of the kids busy. Sylvia had brought little Randy with her. They had been gone to Nicaragua and had just got back. So this was the first time seeing Randy since last March. He’s about 2 ½ years old. He’s not shy at all. He came and jumped into my arms. Once their meeting was over people started lining up to get their kid’s uniforms. The kids can not go to public school without a uniform. Some families have 4 kids but can only afford 2 uniforms so 2 kids can’t go, so the church gives them 2 uniforms, so they all can go. They also give them a bible. They passed out a sheet of paper so the kids could right thank you notes back to the church that donated the money for the uniforms. We were able to pass out about half the uniforms. Tomorrow we go back and pass out the other half.
  We then drove back to the Mission House to have lunch and bag up some more uniforms and shoes. I think its about 400 total that we will be passing out. While Karen, Bethany, and Brandis did most of the work, I went around and was fixing and checking out different light fixtures in the house. Later I had the job of stamping the church name into a lot of Bibles that will be handed out. Eventually it was time for supper. Meg fixed up a bunch of different things. If you are a picky eater, you will not have an excuse down here. There was more then enough to chose from and it all was good. We talked a little about what are plans were for the morning. Then it was back to work bagging uniforms.
  God’s timing was good that Karen, Brandis, and I could be down here to help. Otherwise it would have been Mark, Meg, Melinda, and Bethany doing all the work. Tomorrow we leave at 8am so we get to sleep in a little more then today. I’m looking forward to Friday when we go to La Carpio to pass out uniforms there. I’ll get to see Juan for the fist time since I got here. He is the one that watches the vehicles while we walk the streets. He is quite the character and always has a warm welcome for us. He always is talking about fixing me some “Mondongo”. Yum !  Yum !

KAREN – I’ve been sleeping really well here, but of course the night before having to get up early to leave by 7:00, I didn’t. After a couple of cups of coffee, I was good to go. It was another beautiful sunny morning. With the van loaded with the all the uniforms for Terjarcillos we headed to Pastor Rogelio house. We unloaded the bags and put them on the front porch.  Doug stamped bibles, which were also handed out with the uniforms, with Terjarcillos church stamp. We pray that the families will read these Bibles. As the leaders had a meeting, in the house, parents with their kids began to line up for their uniforms. Each child that receive a uniform and bible had their picture taken and also wrote a thank you note, on construction paper, to send to the church that provided the funds for the uniforms. Shortly after 11;00 we were finished, with half the uniforms handed out (we will do the rest tomorrow)
  We went back to the mission house and ate lunch, which Meg had prepared. After cleaning the kitchen, it was back to packing more uniforms. We ran out of bags, so I was able to sneak in a little nap before Meg returned with more. We worked, again, until it was time for dinner.  Meg prepared a Mexican feast – it was delicious, but I ate too much! Again, after cleaning the kitchen it was back to packaging uniforms. We are close to being finished.
We head out around 8:00 tomorrow morning, so we’re off to bed early. Tomorrow is Marianna 17th Birthday, so Meg and she are going to lunch. We will also celebrate with cake tomorrow night. Melinda’s birthday is Saturday, so we’re celebrating three birthdays this week.

Tuesday, January 10
DOUG – Had to get up early. Bethany and I were taking the city bus to La Finca. We had to leave just before 8:00am. It was my first time riding the bus system here. We had to catch the first bus by the Mission House and ride it to the rotunda in San Jose, then catch the bus to Los Guido. Fortunately they have made La Finca one of their stops. Bethany had an appointment tutoring some of the church kids. While she was doing that I painted one of the outside walls of Armando’s house. We then rode the bus back to the Mission House. I did a little maintenance work around the house. Later Bethany, Karen and Brandis worked on organizing school uniforms and shoes. We ate a late lunch.
  Then Meg brought some more shoes. Tomorrow we go and pass out some of the uniforms. As it got later in the evening, it was time to go to mid-week prayer service. We get to La Finca very early. Which is great because that means more time to play with the kids. I’m a niño grande. It was Brandis' first time seeing La Finca since he helped work on the wall by the road. It was now complete. I got to instruct Brandis on how to play E-Stop. It is a good way to learn names.
  After a little while of playing, it was time for service. Armando gives the message. Then we break up into groups. I always go with Mark and the littlest kids. It is great hearing the little ones pray. I wish I know what they were saying. It is always a blessing when I hear them thank God for Duuglas. After church and saying our goodnights, we head back to the Mission House for supper. We then sat around the laptop looking at pictures on facebook of “Fear Factor La Finca”. You need to check them out. But the squeamish beware!!! Well it’s early to bed tonight because we leave at 7am for Tejarcillos to pass out the first bunch of uniforms.
KAREN - Since Doug headed out at 8:00 this morning,to paint at La Finca, I stayed in bed until he left. Once up I did our laundry. We basically brought a week worth of clothes each, so I'll need to do laundry at least once more. It's hard to believe, tomorrow, will be a week since we arrived. While waiting for Doug and Bethany to return (she teaches English to a couple of the kids, at La Finca, on Tuesdays) I worked on my Bible study that the ladies at HBC are doing. This week’s chapter is on forgiveness … a real challenge.
  When Doug and Bethany returned it was time to start working on packaging up more school uniforms. Today Brandis helped Bethany and I. Despite a few mix-ups, we got a lot accomplished. Meg arrived later in the afternoon with more shoes so we were able to complete the uniform packages we will be delivering to the kids in Tejarcillos tomorrow. 
  We attended prayer meeting at La Finca this evening. When we arrived, lots of kids were already there, playing before the service began. The prayer meeting is similar to ours at home. Armando gave a short devotion and then we broke up into groups to pray. Afterwards we went back to the mission house to have dinner. Meg had prepared food before we left. She does an amazing job with how busy her schedule is. After eating, Brandis, Doug and I had some good laughs as Bethany narrated the pictures that are on facebook of the “La Finca Fear Factor”. Good thing we had already eaten or we would have lost our appetites!
  Now it’s off to bed since we are heading out a 7:00 am for Tejarcillos.  It will be a joy to help hand out the uniforms to the kids, knowing that they will be able to attend school this year because they have them. Thanking God for the church that provided the funds to purchase them.

Monday, January 9
DOUG – Got to sleep in this morning. We didn’t have anything scheduled till lunch. The past few days have been a wonderful blessing getting to be part of La Finca’s first Mission Conference. With having Santiago staying at the Mission House was a double blessing. We had all morning of him showing us pictures and he taught me some words in Miskitu. He plans on teaching me Miskitu through e-mail. It will be neat, Lord willing, to get to go to Nicaragua this coming April. It would be quite a surprise to the Miskitu having a foreigner show up speaking their language. I’m finding it easier to speak Miskitu than Spanish.
  Everybody started showing up around 11:30. We decided to walk to Fresas restaurant. It is just a few blocks from the Mission House. After lunch we walked back and got the van and drove to the discount store. Then we drove to the Bible book store. I bought a tiny Spanish Bible to take with me on the trip to Nicaragua. Even though I don’t know how to read Spanish, I do know witnessing verses and where to find them. I can then point to the verse and have them read it. An English Bible there will only be good for me.
  When we got back to the Mission House we had a little more time to spend with Santiago. He shared with us some of his Mission trips and Army stories. Soon it was time to go to supper. Mark decided to take us somewhere we had not been to before. It was up in the mountains past Los Guido. The traffic was really bad. We get to the restaurant that never closes and we experience another first. The restaurant was closed. So Noemy calls her brother-in-law and finds out there is another good restaurant farther up the mountain. We drove way up to the top where you overlooked the whole San Jose valley. The city lights were a sight to see. The food was good. Some more good fellowship. Then it was time to head back. Brandis and I shared stories of trips to Table Rock. Which is a place in Missouri where we both had been. We both had similar stories how our Dads would never stop along the way to see interesting sites.
  Back at the Mission House there was a surprise birthday cake for Karen and we sang the birthday song to her. We then made plans for tomorrow and everybody went their separate ways.

KAREN - With nothing scheduled this morning, I slept in until after 8:00. After eating some breakfast and reading the Daily Bread and my bible, I decided to pull out a Spanish language book I brought with me. I was trying to learn some vocabulary that would come in handy. Unfortunately, I lost most of it as soon as I close the book. Doug is doing much better than me with his Spanish. I feel intimidated when everyone is speaking Spanish around me, while Doug is able to pick up so much of the conversation. He is really starting to be able to communicate well. Pastor Santiago speaks Miskitu and he was helping Doug with different words, while Doug was helping him with English words.
  For lunch we walked to a local restaurant. Noemy was at work and Meg was picking up Brandis (an intern who will be here for six weeks) from the airport, so they weren’t able to join us. After lunch we went shopping for school notebooks and Santiago pick out some clothing for himself and his family.  Meg and Brandis came straight from the airport and joined us. We then went to a Bible Book store, before returning to the mission house. 
  We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting and Santiago showed us the pictures of a recent mission trip he had on his camera. It was nice to see some of the things and areas he has been talking about. We then headed out to dinner. We traveled up the mountain to a restaurant that is known for its pork. It seemed like it took forever to get there because the traffic was so bad. When we finally arrived, the restaurant was closed. We then travel further up the mountain (higher than Mark had ever gone) to another restaurant. We had a good meal and a wonderful time visiting. I sat across from Brandis, so I got a chance to get acquainted with him. He and Bethany attend the same church back in Illinois. The view of San Jose traveling back down from the mountain was beautiful - so many lights, that just glistened.
  Back at the mission house, Meg served birthday cake in celebration of my birthday, which was yesterday.  Everyone sang “Happy Birthday”, some in Spanish, which was a real treat. After cake we said our goodnights to one another and our goodbyes to Santiago, he’s leaves at 5:00 tomorrow morning. What a dear Godly man he is! Doug and I are so blessed to have met him and to have sat under his ministry for the Missions Conference. May God bless him richly for his part in taking the gospel to those who are in places that are so difficult to reach.

Sunday, January 8
DOUG - Woke up to a beautiful, sunny, blue sky and wishing Karen a "Happy Birthday"! This was going to be a nice, warm, sunny Sunday. For those back in Michigan, just ignore those last 2 lines. We are down here suffering in 75 degree weather. NOT !!! We had some time this morning so I sat around and chatted with Santiago and Josh. Josh was leaving at noon to fly back to his home in California. Meg drove us to La Finca just after 11:00. Karla was there to greet us. When she saw me she ran and jumped into my arms. Her sisters must have told her I was here. I had been wondering where she was, because I hadn't seen her yet. She was one of my shadows the last time I was here. Last March we built a triple bunk bed for her and her sisters. They were so happy. The 4 sisters didn't have to sleep in the same bed any more. Karla is one of those little ones down here you quickly become attached too.
  The afternoon was spent mainly playing with the kids outside. We play a game down here called E-stop, which consist of everybody forms a circle and 1 person throws the ball high up in the air and calls some ones name out. They then have to try and catch the ball while everyone else runs away. If they catch it they call another name and that person has to run back and try to catch the ball. The first person that lets it hit the ground has to chase it. Once they have it they yell "E-STOP". Everyone then has to stop and not move. The person with the ball decides who is closest and can take 3 big steps toward that person. They then have to throw the ball and hit that person. If they miss they are out, if they hit then that person hit is out. It is a good way to learn names. I kept the little ones busy while the Leadership team met in the church. After the meeting it was time for the choir and mime team to practice. When they got done there was spaghetti waiting for them in the Feeding Center/Gym. I teased Rosa about being Italian instead of being a Tica. She is one of the hardest workers for the church.
  After we ate it was time again to play with the kids. The people started flowing in for church service. We started church service around 3:00. The choir started us off with prayer and 3 songs. Pastor Santiago did the message. After the message he gave his testimony. What a story of being in the Nicaraguan Army and not being able to leave. Then running away and getting caught and thrown in prison. Eventually he got saved and became a Pastor. That was a shortened version of an hour testimony. Church got over around 5:00. It was time to drive around and drop off people. Mark had to make two trips.
  We then headed back to the Mission House, where Meg had roasted chicken waiting for us. We sat around and talked about tomorrow's schedule. Santiago has to leave to go home on Tuesday morning. So tomorrow is his last full day here. After a lot of good fellowship and making plans, it was time for everyone to leave. It sounds like it will be fun tomorrow. Stay tuned. One of these days we will do some work down here and take a break from all this playing. Santiago is teaching me some "Miskitu" so in April I can come back down here and go on a Mission Trip with the La Finca church into northeast Nicaragua and maybe Honduras.

KAREN - This morning before heading to La Finca, Meg and I finished separating all the school uniforms by sex, size and color. When Bethany arrived we packaged up the uniforms for the school kids in Tejarcillos. We had quite the production line going. Bethany wrote the name of the child on a bag and told Meg what size of shirt, pant and shoe was needed. Meg would hand the items to me and I would double check to make sure that the shoes were a right and left and both the same size and then put everything in the bag. We did not have all the shoes needed, so those bags were set-aside until Tuesday, when the rest of the shoes should be ready. The uniforms for Los Guido and La Carpio, will still need to be packaged up.
  Next, we headed to La Finca. Upon arrival I was able to sit in on the Discipleship Leader's meeting. Santiago, again, shared with the kids. Although I have no idea of what was being said (no interpreter for this meeting), it’s always such a blessing seeing the youth’s dedication to serving. I'm especially impressed with their willingness to participate and to pray; when asked all hands go up.
  After the meeting, a spaghetti lunch was served. The choir and the mime group then practiced for the afternoon church service. I watch for a while and as church time approached, I went with Meg, in the van, to pick up different ones for church. It is always something to drive through the streets of Los Guido and see the living conditions there. We have poor in the US, but it doesn't even begin to compare to nearly 50 thousand who live in Los Guido. How encouraging to know that many of these come to La Finca, a safe haven.
  When we returned, church service began. Again, the choir sang, we had a time of greeting and coffee, a message from Acts 8 given by Pastor Santiago and the kids presented another mime to music. Pastor Santiago then asked those who were committed to sharing the gospel in 2012 to come forward and many did (including numerous youth). He then gave his testimony - Wow!  We in the states are put to shame when you hear the challenges that face those in 3rd World countries! What a blessing the Missions Conference was, I'm thankful Doug and I chose to be here!
  We returned to the mission house for a nice meal that Meg had prepared this morning and enjoyed a time of visiting together before Mark, Meg and the girls went home. Tomorrow is a free day and the plan is to take Pastor Santiago out to do some shopping and to dinner before he heads home on Tuesday. It's off to bed; thanking the Lord for another day of His amazing grace and blessings!!

Saturday, January 7
DOUG - Mark picked up Pastor Santiago and me at 8:30am to go to La Finca for a Men's Breakfast. When we got there, we set up tables and benches in the gym. The women were cooking in the kitchen. I love the greetings down here. They give you a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. It wasn't long before the men started showing up. Nine men and nine older boys were present for the breakfast. After we ate Pastor Santiago gave a devotion. I was thankful for a parallel Bible that my friend Emily Field gave me as a gift a few years ago. It makes following along in Spanish a lot easier. I think it also helps me learn Spanish. After the devotion we played broomball in the gym. It was old guys against young guys. We did real well at the start, then our age started to show. Once they started scoring a lot and quickly we had to give up.
  Karen came at lunchtime. They brought with them KFC. You can't get away from U.S.A fast food. Soon it was time to start getting ready for "Super Sabado". They get the long black plastic sheet out for the slip-n-slide. They start mixing up the barrel of soap water. They use an inflated car inner tube to have tug-a-war on the slip-n-slide. After a few rounds of that and everybody is soaked from kids throwing buckets of soap water on everyone, it is time for Mark to start throwing candy into the crowd of wet kids. I'm right in the middle of the kids yelling "AQUI ! AQUI !(Here Here) Marcos". When a candy comes to me I hand it to the smallest kid around me. The bigger kids are rough and get most of the candy. I was glad it was a beautiful, sunny day, so I could dry off fast. I forgot to bring extra clothes with me like the kids do.
  After a full afternoon of getting wet and having fun, it was time for the Mission Conference evening service. It started off with prayer and the choir singing songs. Pastor Santiago had the message. After that he showed pictures and gave a report of what the results of the Mission trips to his area in Nicaragua had done. Hundreds of Miskitu Bibles were passed out and 700 people were being discipled. What a blessing it was to hear.
  After he was done it was time for the mime team to share with us a song that they had rehearsed earlier in the day. Then it was time to load up the vans with people to drop off at their homes. Once we had everyone dropped off it was time to go eat supper. We all met at a restaurant that is becoming an annual event. Their specialty is seafood. Yum. It was a time of good fellowship. After supper they dropped us off at the Mission House. We were exhausted and went to bed.

KAREN - This morning I slept in until Doug left. Josh stayed behind, so he and I had a chance to visit. What a nice guy with a real heart for missions. Around noon Melinda, Noemy, Josh and I headed out. We stopped and picked up Kentucky Fried Chicken to take to La Finca for lunch. Familiarity, but I still wouldn’t be able to order on my own, since the menu is in Spanish. 
   It was fun to finally see the Saturday activities at La Finca. The kids have so much fun! Of course Doug was right in the middle of it all. He got soaked on the slip and slide and hadn’t brought along a change of clothes. Good thing it was a warmer sunny day (his jeans were still damp when we got back to the mission house). I enjoyed watching the kids practice choir and their mime.  What a blessing to see the kids wanting to serve the church and dedicating the time to do so. The evening service was also a blessing – the choir, a chance to greet one another and have a cup of coffee, Pastor Santiago’s message from 2 Timothy; ending with the mime. Bethany, again, interpreted the message. She does a great job and I know it isn’t easy.
  We ended the evening with dinner at a restaurant. We had a wonderful time with great food and fellowship. These folks are so much fun and such a joy to be around! It was a full day and now I’m ready for a good nights rest. Looking forward to the Lord’s Day tomorrow.

Friday, January 6
DOUG - We got up about 7:30 to a nice 70 degree day. It was quiet not having a team here. We got cleaned up and ate breakfast. I got to chat with Pastor Santiago and he showed me pictures of his home in northeast Nicaragua. He lives close to the Caribbean Ocean. His wife didn't get to come because of passport problems. His native tongue is Miskitu but he speaks Spanish and a little English.
  Karen left with Meg to get shoes. I left an hour later with Melinda, Josh, and Santiago. We drove to La Finca for the first day of the Mission Conference. I greeted Rosa and Louisa as they were preparing lunch. It sure smelled good in the kitchen of the gym. Gallo Pinto!!! You haven't had beans and rice until you had theirs.
  We started off by playing games with the kids in the field. I played soccer with the older boys. Before lunch the teens had a devotion with Santiago in the church. I keep the younger kids busy outside. Then lunch was served. After lunch it was time for the women to have their devotion time in the church, so all the kids went into the gym. I played soccer with the older boys and some men.
  As most adults went home, the teens played special games in the gym. While they did that I keep 4 younger kids busy outside. It was a tough job but someone has to do it. Then it was time for the teens to have another devotion by Santiago in the church. This time I only had 1 girl to watch. Her name is Jenny and she has been coming to La Finca for the past 6 months. She spent all day there with no family around. What a shame to think this little sweet girl around 7 years old would be gone from home all day and it doesn't seem that anyone cares. I pray that I was able to bring a little sunshine into her life for 1 day.
  Then it was supper time and the teens came down to the gym to eat. The first day of the conference went well and now it was time to head back to the Mission House. What a full day of fun. I'll sleep good tonight. If I knew more Spanish I would be more apt to sit in on the devotions. On the way back we stopped by a grocery store and got desert. Which was sooo good !

KAREN - Meg picked Bethany and me up at 9:30 to go back to the shoe store to pick up the shoes. The shoes were so suppose to be ready when the store opened, but when we got there they were not; the owners were still out trying to round them up. They came in with one load and as they headed out for another, we inventoried. They managed to supply about half the shoes and the rest should be ready next Tuesday. What we hoped would be a quick trip ended up taking hours. Meg, Bethany and I certainly can’t complain though, since they gave each of us a new pair of shoes. Mine a pair of turquoise tennis shoes. I put them on right away and wore them all day.
  After dropping the shoes off at the mission house we headed to La Finca. Although we missed the morning Mission Conference activities we caught the tail end of lunch. At 2:00 the ladies had a meeting. We started with an icebreaker game, which was fun. Next, several ladies shared (Bethany interpreted for me) about their mission trip(s) to Nicaragua and the importance of sharing the gospel to everyone, whether it be a neighbor or someone in a distant place; doing as the Lord commands us to do. They told of the blessing it was to hand out hundreds of Bibles to those who had never had a Bible in their own language and how wonderfully they were received. Pastor Santiago also shared briefly with the ladies.
  Later in the afternoon the 11 – 22 year olds played games in new feeding center gym. It was great to watch so many youth having so much fun!  Pastor Santiago then had a devotional time with the youth and I helped in the kitchen preparing for the evening meal. What a joy it must be for the ladies to have such a nice kitchen to prepare the meals. The Lord is so gracious in providing for the ministry here. I know that everyone one is looking forward to the opening of the feeding center, recently receiving the permits to do so.
  After the meal Meg, Bethany and I headed back to the mission house. Meg and I organized all the shoes that were bought, by sizes, to make it easier to pack the uniforms for distribution. Doug returned to the mission house with Melinda, Noemy, Pastor Santiago and Josh (one of the recent team members who is staying until Sunday) with a delicious dessert. Doug shared his fluorescent rocks with everyone and now it’s time to get ready for bed. Tomorrow Doug heads out early to La Finca – the men are having a breakfast and devotional time. I will stay behind until Melinda heads out.

Thursday, January 5
DOUG - Yesterday was spent in airports getting down here. We arrived to Mark's smiling face and a warm welcome. This is my fifth time down here so I know the routine. Everything went pretty smooth. We arrived at 9:00pm and drove to the Mission house. There was a team there from California on their last night. So most were in bed when we got there. After getting unpacked and moved in we got to bed around 12:30.
   We started off the morning with breakfast at 8:30. It is hard to sleep in because the sun is up around 5:00. We woke up to laughter from the team. I wish we could have spent more time with this team. After we ate we drove to La Finca. The kids that make up the leadership team were meeting us there. It is always fun the first day I arrive at La Finca and the kids recognize me and call out "Duuglas" and come running and hug me. Some of these kids I have known since Dec. of 2007. They sure have grown up. There also are always new kids to meet. It will be a blessed day in heaven when I will have a reunion with all the people I have met around the world and be able to communicate better with them. My Spanish is slowly getting a little better. Someday I might be able to speak in whole sentences.
  At La Finca the kids were decorating the church for their first Mission Conference. That was one of the reasons we picked this time to come down. They have been doing Mission trips into Nicaragua. Pastor Santiago, from Nicaragua, will be the guest speaker at the conference. I have been to a lot of firsts down here. It is such a blessing that the Lord lets me be in the background witnessing what he is doing down here. I stand in awe. I feel sorry for Christians who never get out of their daily lives and comfort zones and get to see God working in other lives.
  When they got done the team treated them to McDonalds. That is always a fun time with 14 kids from Costa Rica and the team of 14, plus the Kuzdas and us. After McDonalds we drove across the street to a wholesale shop where the team let the kids pick out a shirt. What a crazy time watching the kids trying to decide which shirt they wanted. Then we drove the kids back to La Finca and the team had to get back to finish packing before their flight home.
  After they left, Karen went with Meg to the store while I stayed back to move our stuff into the room we will be staying in. Later we had chinese dinner and played a game. Bethany invited us over to see her apartment across the street. When we got back Pastor Santiago was getting in. We greeted him. Then it was time to go to bed.

KAREN - We had a good trip down on Wednesday.  Doug surprised me on the first leg of the trip (Detroit to Atlanta), having upgraded us to first class. When they started to board first class, Doug said, “let’s go, that’s us” and I responded with “yeah right, you wish”. Little did I know that he was telling the truth?  A first for both of us and what a treat – so much room and great service! Thanks Doug! The second leg it was in coach, not as comfortable, but we did have our own screens on the back of the seat in front of us with a choice of several different movies, programs and games. I watched a movie, which made the trip go faster. Mark picked us up at the airport; it was wonderful to see him again. He took us to the mission house and after meeting a few team members who were there, we settled into our room and went to bed.
  Today we woke to a good breakfast and were off to La Finca to meet up with the Leadership kids. They set the church up for their first Missions Conference and then the mission team treated them to McDonalds.    After that, the mission team let them each pick out a shirt or sweatshirt at the store across the street. What a hard decisions for these kids. They wanted to be sure they found just the right item, since the opportunity to do this, is a rarity for them. This was the team's last day here and what a blessing it was for them to provide lunch and clothing for the kids.
  This afternoon, after saying goodbye to the team, Meg, Bethany and I headed into downtown San Jose to pick out shoes for school uniforms. The mission is supplying 400 uniforms this school year to children of families who cannot afford them. Without a uniform, they are unable to attend school. 
  After a meal of Chinese carry out and playing a game, Doug and I went over to Bethany’s apartment, which is just across the street, and Doug set up her new TV. Now it’s time for be.  I’ll be heading out in the morning with Meg and Bethany to purchase the shoes we picked out today. Thank you God for the blessings you brought our way today!  
Doug and Karen Vaughn
Hiawatha Bible Church
Hamburg, MI ~ January 4-23, 2012
The Vaughn's pictures
are on Facebook  here.
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