COSTA RICA

COSTA RICA

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Pura Vida!

Team Costa Rica is back in the United States!

The last part of our trip was just as impactful as the first. We left the Farm in Los Chiles early on Saturday morning for an exciting day of zip-lining and swimming in hot springs. It was a break that allowed our team to share fellowship on a new level.

The fellowship continued on Sunday in San Jose. We attended the service at the home church of our Push the Rock partners, which was a memorable cultural and spiritual experience. Fellowship in Costa Rica would be incomplete without some futbol, so we joined a group of church members later that evening for two hours of competition and conversation. In the afternoon, we explored a market and even had a ministry opportunity outside of a grocery store. A young homeless man, who had been sitting on the sidewalk with an empty expression on his face, walked away with a smile, a new pair of shoes, and an encounter with Christ's love. Our God is an awesome God.

Monday was our last day in Costa Rica and our last day with children. We spent the morning at a foster home where children live in houses with people who have volunteered to be parents. Few children came to play with us, so our time with them was much less structured than the days prior. Still, Christ's love was shared through quality time and testimonies. A wall-painting and sidewalk-repairing service project concluded our final day in Costa Rica. Though our short-term presence is now over, we trust that the work we did in Jesus' name will have a lasting impact on the people we encountered.

A sincere thank you to you all for your support! You made this trip possible. Please pray for our Push the Rock partners and their continued ministry in Los Chiles and in San Jose. God will complete His good work!

Grace and Peace,
Team Costa Rica

Monday, August 25, 2014

Living Water

Friday

"Today was awesome watching the kids fully enjoy our presence and then hear the truth of God. The best part for me was giving out the filters though. I know it's going to make a huge difference in their lives." -Susan

"The day that we had was amazing. Just getting muddy playing soccer and giving out water filters throughout the community. It was also a great feeling telling my story and how Jesus is in my life." -Peyton

"Playing soccer with the kids was a lot of fun. Everyone was having fun and seeing the kids invite Jesus into their hearts was amazing. Seeing villages that were in need was hard, but I felt better after assembling and giving them water filters." -Jared

"The highlight of my trip so far is the joy and laughter of the kids at the clinics and their eagerness to get out on the fields and play games with us, no matter the amount of water and mud on the fields. Their joy is contagious and it has been such a blessing hanging out with them, connecting with them through sports, and seeing the door to sharing the gospel open at the end of each clinic." -Molly

"Teaching the kids lacrosse today and watching them try tricks over and over again with delighted faces when they mastered a skill was a highlight of my day. Playing lacrosse is a gift and sharing it today was very special." -Claire

"Today, we had the opportunity to distribute water filters to lots of families in an extremely isolated community. This community is strategic for the Push the Rock missionaries here in Costa Rica. It was a blessing to help them initiate new relationships in the community. But the highlight of my was seeing the Push the Rock Costa Rica staff share the gospel of Jesus in their own language to their own people. My hope is that we can continue to support and encourage these missionaries. It's so much fun laboring with them and advancing God's kingdom on earth." - Danny

"Today was powerful. We saw young people respond to the gospel by inviting Jesus into their lives, and we approached strangers in their homes to give them access to clean drinking water. In all of this, we contributed to the ministry established by Push the Rock in this community. I am so deeply thankful to be part of a short term trip that has eternal significance." -Clair

So that at the name of Jesus...


Wednesday and Thursday were full of sports and ministry and fellowship with people of all ages. We visited a different school on each day to run sports clinics with hundreds of energetic children and to share with them the love of Christ. Our clinics included various stations for different sports and one for Dona Rosa to present the gospel to the kids. Each session ended with a testimony from one of our teammates, which provided another opportunity for the children to hear about Christ's love and to accept Him as Lord and Savior if they felt so led. Several did - praise God!

Thursday was a Sawyer day at El Jobo School and also at a retirement community that we visited briefly. We left one Sawyer filter at the retirement community, where we had led the elderly in some light exercises, and gave out many filters to families that had gathered at the school in the afternoon. Here is what the team has to say about this experience and the overall trip thus far:

"I have truly enjoyed my time thus far in Costa Rica! Teaching the importance of drinking clean water has really put poverty into a different perspective. God has really been moving!" -Amanda

"One of my favorite moments was today watching fifty people walk down the street to their respective houses, each with a new Sawyer water filter attached to his or her bucket. What a joy it has been letting love bridge the communication barrier and building meaningful relationships with the children, adults, and even elderly we spend our days with." -Claire

"Costa Rica has been a lot of fun! Stretching me physically and spiritually. It's been a great experience so far." -Susan

"This is definitely the greatest experience of my life. Costa Rica is a wonderful place and I am glad to be here. It is amazing to be able to play with the kids at different schools, and seeing the happy faces of people who have received water filters. The language barrier is kind of hard to get by, but we are making do. I cannot wait to see God during the rest of the week." -Peyton

"In my opinion, the best part of Costa Rica has been the many opportunities to stretch myself spiritually. Another incredible experience I have had is the ability to express the love of Christ through my actions without the ability to speak to the children." -Kyle

"Loving children without speaking their language has been both a challenge and a joy; their smiles fill my heart. Love truly is a universal language." -Clair

"It was awesome being able to talk with the people at the nursing home. The older people and I enjoyed each other's presence and I hope and pray to have helped them live in God's will mercifully and joyfully. Just as the older people were fun to be with, so were the kids and I have faith that they will live Christ-following lives." -Jared

"Some things that have really touched my heart on the trip so far are things like giving out water filters to people, getting to know the little kids' names and play with them, giving our testimonies to the kids, and just the fellowship with each other at the farm. It has all been such a blessing." -Braden

"I've loved a lot about Costa Rica but something that has stuck out to me more than anything is that the majority of people have a genuine willingness to talk to people in an open fashion. Whether it's the children at the clinics, middle aged strangers on the street, or the elderly at a retirement home, most of the people are honestly interested in hearing our stories and want to tell theirs too. A refreshing change of pace and one I'm thankful for." -Jeremy



Labor Day

Our long day of traveling ended with a safe arrival at the Farm in Los Chiles where we were warmly welcomed by our hosts, Don Toni and Dona Rosa. God provided from our waking to our lying down: both flights went smoothly, the bus ride was beautiful, and warm food and beds awaited us at day's end.

We woke early on Tuesday morning for a full day of service on the Farm. Our team split into two groups: one weeded yuca plants and removed dead leaves while the other cleared bushes (using machetes!) and removed the stumps from the ground. Rain fell as we labored, cooling the air and softening the ground. The two groups switched jobs after lunch and a much-needed siesta. Don Toni thanked us for our help, which saved him much effort and money that would have been spent hiring others to do the work. Towards the end of the afternoon, he led us on a muddy, slippery trek to the sanctuary on the farm. There, he spoke to us about Jacob and the way he pleaded with God to answer his prayers by placing a rock on an altar. He gave each of us the opportunity to do the same. Don Toni's passion for the Lord and for prayer blessed us throughout the week.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Off to a great start!

The Costa Rica team is in a pretty remote part of the country and has not had access to the internet since arriving.  We apologize, as many of you had hoped to follow along on their journey.  I did speak with their trip leader today, and they are having a great time!  Everyone is healthy, the group is getting along great and they have had some awesome ministry opportunities.  They are hoping to be back in a place with internet access on Sunday and to be able to post something at that time.  We may just need to wait until they return to hear all the great stories from their journey.

Please continue to keep them in your prayers!!

God Bless,
Aaron Faro
AROMA Director

Sunday, August 17, 2014

We are the aroma of Christ

Greetings from Team Costa Rica! We sincerely thank you for joining us as we share the aroma of Christ with Costa Rican communities.

Bags are packed, alarms are set, and hearts are stirring in anticipation of a glorious, transformational week - one week that, we pray, will have a lasting impact on ourselves and all whom we encounter. Our AROMA team is partnering with Push The Rock, a sports ministry, and Sawyer, a company that distributes a variety of life-changing products, to share the love of Christ with Costa Rican people through the playing of sports and the availability of clean drinking water. Traveling to a new community each day will allow us to share God's love and the Sawyer water filters with as many people as possible.

The past two days have been devoted to preparation for a week of service together as a united team. We spent time in prayer, personal reflection, and team building activities. Perhaps the most valuable time we spent together was sharing our testimonies this evening; after hearing of God's unique work in each of our lives, we have a deeper appreciation of one another as teammates as well as brothers and sisters in Christ (which may be important while we travel all day starting at 4:00 am..)….

Again, thank you for joining us and supporting us with your prayers. We will most likely be unable to provide a daily update due to limited internet access, but you will hear from us as soon as wifi permits.

Grace and Peace,
Danny Thompson (AROMA), Chico Schlonecker (Push the Rock), Amanda Wivell (Women's Lacrosse), Claire Stikeleather (Women's Lacrosse), Molly Devilbiss (Women's Lacrosse) Peyton Lagasse (Track & Field), Clair Cundill (Women's Club Soccer), Jared Furry (Wrestling), Jeremy Bailes (Wrestling), Kyle Margosian (Men's Lacrosse), Braden Olson (Men's Lacrosse), Susan Glick (Sawyer)

//But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are perishing.// 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Mussmanni and UA 1490


Hey everyone! 

We made it through the airport security and checked our bags and now sit awaiting to board UA flight 1490. 

Prior to departure, we headed out for breakfast to Musmanni, a local bakery chain. It was a sugar coma for most of us. With all the pastries, Danishes, donuts, breads, and other specialty treats the calorie intake was in overload mode. And with most of us still recovering from last night's double Big Mac the gluttony level was on high. Nonetheless, it was fantastic and well worth it. It was the last check on Eka's must-have list for San Jose- the first two being an ice cream place called Pops and a specialty pizza from Pizza Hut (believe it or not).

Anyway, we will check in again stateside. Until then, hasta luego Costa Rica.

Josh