Day 8: Beach Day

We spent the day at an incredible beach. The jungle runs right up to the beach shore. When you are looking back at the beach from the ocean you see the jungle with the mountains behind it. It is breath-taking. Then we went to a beach called "The Whale's Tail." It is shaped like a whales tale and it is coved completely at high tide, but then at low tide you can walk all the way out to the tip of the tail. You are then standing in the middle of the ocean with waves crashing all around you!

After the beach we squeezed in some more shopping time and some more FRESH seafood!

We are more and more in love with Costa Rica everyday.

The people, the view, and the food!

Day 7: Gulfita, Costa Rica

Today we drove two hours south to the Pacific Coast to a town called Gulfita. My favorite story from today could be my favorite memory so far. We arrived at the church and began setting up for our first program to find out that we wouldn't be having it. So we would wait at the church until later that afternoon for the second service to start. We did some more prep work, ran through the program again to refresh, had lunch and then after lunch the school next door had let out. Our guys were all dying to get a good game of soccer in before the program so they went out to the field between the school and the church to try to find some children to play with. They started with just two boys and then 4, then 5. This group of boys went from not being interested in coming to the program to being the first to join in the moves to "Jesus Your My Superhero." Then these boys responded to the altar response and accepted Christ into their hearts for the first time!! I'm convinced they were the ones we were sent to Gulfita for. I'm so proud of our guys for taking the time to kick around a soccer ball with them, convince them to come to the program, and then pray with them to invite Christ in their lives. ~ That's why we are here!!

Day 6: Tinoco, Costa Rica

We traveled just 20 minutes outside the city of Palmar Norte and found another town filled with children that stole our hearts. We had such a neat opportunity here. The town school let all their students out of school to come over to the church for the assembly. We had them for their entire school day! We did about a two hour program, had lunch and played until we couldn't play anymore.

The people at the Assembly of God Church in Tinoco were so kind and welcoming. They went above and beyond to serve us, giving us a great meal and some fresh papaya from their tree out front. When eating the papaya we all smiled and pretended to enjoy it, but in the privacy of our own hotel room our true feelings came out...

Memories Cont...

Chad Lee:

When you go on a trip of this nature there is are a couple of things that you come to expect to happen; First and foremost a work from God, second is for God to reveal himself to you, and cold showers. Now the first and the third have occurred many times but some of the things that God has revealed to me are what I will take away from this trip.

About the second night of our trip we were invited to come to a night service of a church that we were working with the next day and it was there that I had one of those wonderful moments with God that he decides I needed to be broken down to be build up again. To be honest when I started out on this trip I was scared out of my mind and had no idea how I was going to handle this new culture and a language that I could not speak.

So here we are sitting in the evening service during a time of worship, I tried to be polite by clapping my hands and swaying side to side a little doing the best I could not show my fear. Towards the end of worship it was time for our group to get into place because we were next to go up. Right there in that moment is when the Holy Spirit began to work on me so much the next thing I knew I had thrown myself on the altar of this church that moments before scared the crap out of me. And for me when I get to have these moments with God I am nothing but a blubbering baby but that is what was need to for me to see what God was trying to show me.

Basically God wanted me to see that everything is just as real in Costa Rica as it is in Springfield, Mo. The way that we connect with God in worship is the same. The way that he shows us his love is the same. God wanted me to see that he is the same no matter where you live or what language you speak. When he wants to be with his people you better be ready for big things to happen.

A child of God still learning, Chad

Bergen Oleson:

My favorite memory in Costa Rica is when Krista & I picked up a tambourine to use during worship … our hands started to hurt but it was worth it.

Victoria Hylton:

My favorite memory is when the pastor called all the kids from the church to the front for prayer and our team went up to pray for them. The pastor gave us a liquid for our hands that looked like germ-x. After we rubbed it all over our hands, little did we know...it was anointing oil! Talk about embarrassing...but SOOOO funny lol :)

Favorite Memories

Beth Cantu:

One of my favorite parts of this trip, besides the amazing food and beautiful views, is just getting to know the people. They are all so loving and accepting of us and it's so sweet. At the church we went to saturday night and sunday, we really got to know the people. They made dinner for us saturday night..I don't like fish but we had mahi mahi and surprisingly, I ate it all. Sunday we did a children's program in the park and afterwards, we played with the kids and played soccer with them. I think one of my favorite things is playing soccer with all the locals..it's so much fun!! That night at service, all the people we'd met earlier that day were there. The service was incredible. I've never seen people worship that way and it was amazing. They danced and jumped and clapped and sang and pretty much just went crazy for God!! It was so amazing joining in the them in worship!! After service, we spent a very long time taking pictures and saying goodbyes..it was really sad saying goodbye. I've come to love these people and they are truely showing us how to love in a way i never knew.

Josh Crabtree:

My favorite part of Costa Rica has to be playing soccer with the kids. I loved it because, one I love soccer two I love doing little things and getting big responses. It makes my day when I look down to see a little 5 year old Costa Rican kid with a big smile on his face and screaming Spanish at that I don’t understand at all!

Alyssa Crawford:

After the church service last night the pastor asked all the children to come up to the stage and then asked the missions team to come up and pray for the children. While we were standing up there getting ready to pray for them they put a liquid on our hands. we all thought that it was hand sanitizer so we could "protect" the children from our "germs" and we all started rubbing our hands together. but then we all realized it was baby oil and we were suppose to dab it onto the children's foreheads while we pray for them. i thought that was pretty funny. While we were praying for the children there was one girl that really stood out to me, and so i put my hands on her and i started speaking in my prayer language and she buried herself into my stomach and i wrapped my arms around her. I couldn't control myself. it was so overwhelming, I can't even describe it. there are no words. After that they started worshiping again, but it was different this time. They started dancing but it was different than any other dancing. it was beautiful. at first we all were kind of nervous to go up to the front and dance with them but then we overcame it and it was wonderful. Best dance party ever!!! I really wish we worshiped like that in the United States. It was incredible. Everyone was so comfortable and they didn't care how crazy they looked and the best part... the presence of the Holy Spirit was so apparent.

Chelsea Peebles:

It's incredibly hard to choose a favorite memory thus far. One of them would have to be when some girls who I had played with at the park grabbed me wanting me to sit with them at the church. They were so sweet and beautiful and so eager to communicate. It was like we made up our own language.

Krista Cockrum:

I enjoyed worship at the church. I think it's so wonderful how freely they express their worship to God. The "Dance Party" at the church was by far my favorite moment! I couldn't stop smiling, it was such a glad moment!!

Tyler Wassam:

My favorite memory was all the people freakin out when we left the church in Palmar Norte. And the papaya song! (Video coming soon ...)

Kassi Broihier:

I am so grateful we serve a relational God. Yes, we have taught memory verses, testified to God's grace, led precious little voices in songs of praise, but what our little tico brothers and sisters will take away from our brief visit was the gringos travelled far to show them the love of God through play. All of my favorite memories surround the moments - relationships that surpass the language and culture barrier. Today we jumped around and led a 2 hour service. We were so tired and sweaty and some even fell asleep in the 20 minute bus ride. And all our students kept asking for was to return to the park to look for and play with our new friends. They don't want to rest or goof off. They want to experience Costa Rica and the new definition of God's love. Worship.

Parker Rozean:

I loved playing soccer with all the children. It was so much fun seeing the joy on their faces and hearing them laugh at us when we messed up. I hope we have a lot of time to play and talk with more kids in the days to come.

Kyle DeVries:

Bryan is the best. Bryan was from the church in Palmar Norte. He was roughly 25 years old. He could speak basic english so we spent hours teaching him things in english, while he taught us spanish. We exchanged emails and facebooks. He loved us and we love him. :)

Day 4 & 5 Palmar Norte, Costa Rica

We've officially entered the true culture of Costa Rica and we LOVING every moment!!!

Day 3: Traveling

Today we will be traveling to the southern part of Costa Rica in the towns Palmar Norte, Tinoco and Zacudo. We will be in this area until next Wednesday night. There is a good chance we won't have access to internet while we are there, but if we do we will be sure to update you.

In this area we will be doing ministry in churches and in schools. We covet your prayers as continue to share the love of God.

Day 2: In San Jose

Today we helped build a home for a single mom and her 6 children. Their house is up in the hills and had literally been in such bad shape its foundation was so eroded that it was hanging

over the side of the hill. (Pictures above are from their neighborhood.)

We had the opportunity to dig ditches & move dirt to help get their new foundation laid!

We also had an incredible opportunity to go around and meet some of the children there. We had so much fun! We sang together and played soccer together. Check out the video below catch a glimpse of what we got to experience.

What an incredible first day of ministry!

Too Much Excitement to Contain

Leaving Home