Hi Mom!!!!
Recently I've been thinking about how this trip has really changed me in the way I should act, and how I see the United Methodist Church in general. Today composed of seeing a volcano for the first time and taking a lot of new Facebook photos to load up. I have met many new friends here on the trip and they, unlike at school, are all really nice. But the best experience that has happened to me was being able to go on the walk yesterday that only a select number of individuals decided to attend. Being able to see what it's like to live like them is incredible and for the first time yesterday I got to see a place that is considered to be a shantytown. To be honest, this trip is "a life changer" and I am sure that the things to come in the near future on this trip will help to tie it up. From me and my fellow friends on the trip, we wish everyone good health and good times in Northern VA. Hopefully you can come next time!
P.S. All the students are wondering about the FIFA Soccer Tournament. Because of our conditions, we are not able to see the games. If anyone at home sees this we would really appreciate a update on the current tournament. Thank You!
--Sean Liesegang (Freshman)
Hey everyone!!
For those of you who dont know me, I am Nathan Fioramonti and i am a recent graduate of Oakton high school (the best school ever). For me, this trip was a last minute decision but i have ZERO regrets. this has been the best experience i have ever had. In the past, i have done jeremiah project and Carolina Cross connection and both were great but neither showed the need for our help as much as this.
For work the past few days, i have been in the trenches digging the 16 inch deep trench. but, the past few days i have used the axe and it works wonders going through the roots and even digging the trenches. Today was by far the best because phillip grant, austin kendall, and sean mccoy and i were getting extremely dirty because of the rain this morning. The trenches were full of water and mud but that didnt slow us down at all. We were drenched in mud and known as the mud brothers. i also assume tim had a good time hosing us off before we showered as well.
although the camp here is a blast, the real reason for this trip was to run vbs at the local church. i went on both walks through the area to "recruit" new members to our vbs. i got many chances to practice my spanish and to see the differences in our society. as probably stated earlier, we walked to shantytown (unsure of spelling) and they were literally a tiny aluminum roof with weak metal walls with holes all over it. pastor victor told us that no one there had work and had little if any money. the other houses in the area were surrounded by a large locked grate, and most had barbed wire on it showing that robbery and safety is a huge problem around here. the kids are so great. i am signed up to be a guide of kids 3-5 but that hasn't worked with the different varieties of kids. so, to pass the time, we have a large futbol game with the kids but it really is just a modified "keep away". the kids are so funny and laugh at our spanish and our bad soccer skills but they are definitely worth the care. it really showed me how much these kids are in need of friendship and God because they were so excited for vbs. yesterday, we even had kids showing up 45 minutes early just to play with us. so, in closing, i have learned a lot about how the strange ways that God works and how just a simple game of soccer can make such a huge difference in their lives, as well as mine.
ps, fifa scores would be nice, and the volcano and the lagoon were great
see you sunday,
Nathan Fioramonti
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Day 3 -- Tuesday from different students...
Today we did numerous things. Although the schedule remained predominately unchanged, we did do one thing differenetly. As you may know, it is currently the "season of rain" in Costa Rica. There was a terrential downpour for most of the afternoon while we were doing VBS. Unfortuantely, no more than five kids were in attendance and so we had to go look for some. The church that we do VBS for is close to a small town and so we went into the town to look for some more children. On the walk we had about 10 people and at first we were unsurprised, but as we went further in, the town seemingly became more dilapidated. We went through this one passageway and it became a "shanty-town" what we saw there really opened some of our eyes. It is not a normal experience a) to be in Costa Rica and b) to see the living conditions that some of the people here have to live under. It is hard to comprehend the difficulty of their situation, but almost none of them in the shanty-town have work, and most of them had little hope other than in God of improving their situation in life. So I think above all else that was one of the best experiences I had, to know that these people can somehow be content with their situation when they had no material goods. That left the largest impression on me and gave me a better perspective on our life, and theirs.
Byron Harvey
Our second full day in Costa Rica was again filled with serving and great experiences. Our devotion today delt with putting others before yourself. This morning we continued our work here at the center. The boys made amazing headway on the trench and have completed half of it. Most of us girls kept working on painting the house. We were presented with a challenge of new painting techniques and paint. So after 6 coats of paint in one room we are hoping that we will finally be able to finish tommorow. This afternoon we went to the church to run the VBS. About 10 of us were able to walk through the town with Jose, Tim, and the pastor of the Church( Pastor Victor). We were looking for children that wanted to come to VBS with us. Many of us were able to practice our spanish and all the people we met were very kind and welcoming. The views of nature are beautiful, the landscapes gorgeous, however as we walked we first were confronted with the scent of sewage and litter lining the street. The houses are clearly not what we would expect to see anywhere in America. As we walked deeper and deeper through the town the houses became shacks and the shacks eventually made a shanty town. The "huts" were made of metal or cardboard sheets littered with trash and debreis. As I walked I grew sadder and sadder for this awful, terrible way for these wonderful people to be living. The children we were meeting were absolutely precious, truely gifts from God, and here they are living in a place so saddening. I began to ask myself, "Why God? Why them?". At the end of the walk we meet another pastor that was building a church, in the terrible rain storm. Pastor Victor introduced us and Jose translated for us. He told us how he met Jesus when he was our age and is so thankful that he did. He said he is the happiest man alive and so grateful for everything he has. And this is where God decided to speak to me today. I learned that in spite of everything these people know what is right. They don't care about material things or unimportant matters like we do. They are grateful for what they have and praise God everyday for it. Pura Vida, the good life, that is what the amazing people in Costa Rica have. They have it right and even though we came here to help them, truely I say, they are helping us.
-Mary Frances Roll
With every day that passes, a new feeling is added to my perspective of Costa Rica. The first day, after our arrival in this beautiful church, was initiated with activities to help form our "family". I can assure you that all these activities, such as soccer and marco polo, have done their job flawlessly. While falling asleep on Sunday night, I decided that only one word could describe such an eventful day and the days to come: exciting. The second day started bright and early with a lovely wake-up-call from our leaders. We ate breakfast, did our devotions, and got right to work. Our job is to dig a rather deep and wide trench leading from the top of a hill to the kitchen which isn't very close. But teamwork and perserverance pulled us through. After some sweaty work, we drove for about 10 minutes to a a similar church where our job was to play with neighboring kids. Coming out of that church, I'm positive that no kid has ever smiled that big in ages. We had crafts and snacks for them, then led them outside to participate in soccer or slide down the slide. I took the job of helping the young kids slide safely down the slide since most of the boys want to go down at the same time. Young Sebastian, a 2 year-old daredevil, had to be the bravest kid I've ever seen. He went down the slide countless times backwards while on his stomach laughing harder than any kid his age can laugh. This sight reminded me of why I am on this trip and what my purpose of being here is: to be someone who leaves an imprint on their life. Later that day, we were visited with a heavy downpour right in the middle of our competitive soccer game. But no worries, the game still continued. I walked away from that field, though every step included a squish from the rain, knowing that I've made good friends who I will keep for many years. But soccer wasn't the only game that was popular that day; card games dominated the rest of that perfect Monday evening. You could almost smell the competition in the air as people were yelling and accusing others of cheating - in a friendly way. Monday was both productive and comforting. Today (Tuesday) was much like a repeat of yesterday, except the downpour came much earlier and stayed for a much longer period of time. Thank God we managed to get our trench work in before the storm arrived. Unfortunately, the storm came right when we were preparing to play with the kids, so a few of us decided to go on a walk in the surrounding neighborhood. This walk had to be the most eye-opening walk i have ever experienced. We encountered Costa Rica's Shanty Town, which was rather depressing, along with a 57 year-old man. This man represented God in that he told us that even at his old age and current financial condition, he is the happiest man alive. To be living in such a poverty-stricken area with crime rates extremely high, to hear such happy words made me realize that there's such a large wall between us and the Costa Ricans living in this poor area. I thought that they lived in a state of worry due to the crime and lack of income, but I gleaned that these people make the best of what they have and reach the same point of happiness as us rich and materialistic Americans. These three days that I've stayed in this intersting land have all fused together into an experience that seems as if it has lasted months. I already see everyone as my best friend (including the delicious food), but I'm reminded that this trip has many more days to come and many more people to encounter.
-Aidan Smith
Byron Harvey
Our second full day in Costa Rica was again filled with serving and great experiences. Our devotion today delt with putting others before yourself. This morning we continued our work here at the center. The boys made amazing headway on the trench and have completed half of it. Most of us girls kept working on painting the house. We were presented with a challenge of new painting techniques and paint. So after 6 coats of paint in one room we are hoping that we will finally be able to finish tommorow. This afternoon we went to the church to run the VBS. About 10 of us were able to walk through the town with Jose, Tim, and the pastor of the Church( Pastor Victor). We were looking for children that wanted to come to VBS with us. Many of us were able to practice our spanish and all the people we met were very kind and welcoming. The views of nature are beautiful, the landscapes gorgeous, however as we walked we first were confronted with the scent of sewage and litter lining the street. The houses are clearly not what we would expect to see anywhere in America. As we walked deeper and deeper through the town the houses became shacks and the shacks eventually made a shanty town. The "huts" were made of metal or cardboard sheets littered with trash and debreis. As I walked I grew sadder and sadder for this awful, terrible way for these wonderful people to be living. The children we were meeting were absolutely precious, truely gifts from God, and here they are living in a place so saddening. I began to ask myself, "Why God? Why them?". At the end of the walk we meet another pastor that was building a church, in the terrible rain storm. Pastor Victor introduced us and Jose translated for us. He told us how he met Jesus when he was our age and is so thankful that he did. He said he is the happiest man alive and so grateful for everything he has. And this is where God decided to speak to me today. I learned that in spite of everything these people know what is right. They don't care about material things or unimportant matters like we do. They are grateful for what they have and praise God everyday for it. Pura Vida, the good life, that is what the amazing people in Costa Rica have. They have it right and even though we came here to help them, truely I say, they are helping us.
-Mary Frances Roll
With every day that passes, a new feeling is added to my perspective of Costa Rica. The first day, after our arrival in this beautiful church, was initiated with activities to help form our "family". I can assure you that all these activities, such as soccer and marco polo, have done their job flawlessly. While falling asleep on Sunday night, I decided that only one word could describe such an eventful day and the days to come: exciting. The second day started bright and early with a lovely wake-up-call from our leaders. We ate breakfast, did our devotions, and got right to work. Our job is to dig a rather deep and wide trench leading from the top of a hill to the kitchen which isn't very close. But teamwork and perserverance pulled us through. After some sweaty work, we drove for about 10 minutes to a a similar church where our job was to play with neighboring kids. Coming out of that church, I'm positive that no kid has ever smiled that big in ages. We had crafts and snacks for them, then led them outside to participate in soccer or slide down the slide. I took the job of helping the young kids slide safely down the slide since most of the boys want to go down at the same time. Young Sebastian, a 2 year-old daredevil, had to be the bravest kid I've ever seen. He went down the slide countless times backwards while on his stomach laughing harder than any kid his age can laugh. This sight reminded me of why I am on this trip and what my purpose of being here is: to be someone who leaves an imprint on their life. Later that day, we were visited with a heavy downpour right in the middle of our competitive soccer game. But no worries, the game still continued. I walked away from that field, though every step included a squish from the rain, knowing that I've made good friends who I will keep for many years. But soccer wasn't the only game that was popular that day; card games dominated the rest of that perfect Monday evening. You could almost smell the competition in the air as people were yelling and accusing others of cheating - in a friendly way. Monday was both productive and comforting. Today (Tuesday) was much like a repeat of yesterday, except the downpour came much earlier and stayed for a much longer period of time. Thank God we managed to get our trench work in before the storm arrived. Unfortunately, the storm came right when we were preparing to play with the kids, so a few of us decided to go on a walk in the surrounding neighborhood. This walk had to be the most eye-opening walk i have ever experienced. We encountered Costa Rica's Shanty Town, which was rather depressing, along with a 57 year-old man. This man represented God in that he told us that even at his old age and current financial condition, he is the happiest man alive. To be living in such a poverty-stricken area with crime rates extremely high, to hear such happy words made me realize that there's such a large wall between us and the Costa Ricans living in this poor area. I thought that they lived in a state of worry due to the crime and lack of income, but I gleaned that these people make the best of what they have and reach the same point of happiness as us rich and materialistic Americans. These three days that I've stayed in this intersting land have all fused together into an experience that seems as if it has lasted months. I already see everyone as my best friend (including the delicious food), but I'm reminded that this trip has many more days to come and many more people to encounter.
-Aidan Smith
Monday, June 28, 2010
From Allison Corser and Andrea Rossman
Today was the first day of work and VBS, alittle hectic but alot of fun! We woke up earlyyy, did devos and then headed out to work. Oh and who could forget breakfast, beans and rice again! :p Most of the guys dug the trench today and put a huge dent in the project. The rest of us had a big painting project to start. The most rewarding part of the day was running the VBS this afternoon. All the kids lovedddd it! Between the snacks, crafts, balloons, music, and outdoor games, I'd say it was a success :) It rained again this afternoon, but I guess we can't complain...we were warned it was the rainy season! For everyone who knows Spanish, it is definitely coming in handy down here...for the rest of us, we're slowly learning :) Love you all and miss you at home!
-Andrea and Allison
-Andrea and Allison
Sunday, June 27, 2010
A post from Kymberly McCoy
For dinner, we had chicken legs (which was really good!!!), mashed potatoes, and more vegetables. We also had this cake with three different milks/creams in it which was delicious (I had to steal another piece). The weather is not too bad, but it got dark really early (I was asleep when it started getting dark, but I'd say the sun started to set between 4:30 and 5:30 which means the sun will rise early). The place we're staying at does not have air conditioning, but the windows are open and there are ceiling fans to keep us cool. Right now, most everyone is asleep, but some people are playing soccer. I look forward to meeting and working with the kids for VBS tomorrow! Hope all is well for everyone!
We have arrived!!!
We have arrived in Costa Rica. What an amazing day. The airports were seemless. You have an incredible group of students who stuck together. Thank you for entrusting your children with us. We have already been blessed. We started the day with a team of 35 and arrived in Costa Rica with 35 as well. Let's call that success. Many people have already been asking us what we're doing in Costa Rica and we have had the blessing of sharing what we hope to do here. We even ran into Floris member Mark Blackwood in the airport. I suppose the world really is quite small. This will be it for this afternoon, but we will try to blog again tonight. Please post comments that I will share with students. Until later...
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Costa Rica Trip 2010
This is where we will be posting information about our trip and about how God's working through our students throughout the week. We will post every day as long as we have internet access. Please check in each day to see the fun things that are happening and offer your comments as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)