Costa Rica: Day 7 - Photo Log

Back in the USA

We made it back home and had an incredibly smooth trip. It's crazy to think you can be in such a different culture and still be home by dinner.

Thanks to all the students, donors, and volunteers who made this trip possible. We really had a great time.

Stay tuned for more photo logs and news on next year's trip.

Costa Rica: Day 7

This was our last day here and it was a really great day. I thought on this last day I'd give a few of the volunteer leaders an opportunity to share their perspective. So here are their thoughts...


Well hello there!

I have to say I am not ready to leave Costa Rica behind yet. It seems like there is still so much work that we could do here. However, God was served in many different ways through the uniqueness of the people that came together on this trip. I hope that all of the participants in this trip realize the significant contribution that they made to our team and at the places we served.

Without athletes, we would not have inspired anyone to come out of their homes to play soccer with us. Without guys and girls who are strong and willing to work hard and get dirty there would have been no one to swing the sledge hammers and picks at Las Tablas. True servants repeatedly spent hours in the kitchens washing dishes at our mission base as well as at our work sites. Some were blessed with the ability to play and minister to children. Others had the heart to collect money for Bibles at the church that been praying for such a donation for years.

As we get ready to leave Costa Rica it is my prayer that everyone remember that they have unique gifts and abilities and an obligation to use them for service. I pray that we all continue to seek new areas in which to serve Christ at home as well as abroad. I pray that we will cultivate new skills so that we can feel confident in our purpose in the body of Christ.

Personally, I am planning on continuing my study of Spanish and calling Habitat for Humanity to pick up some basic construction skills to prepare for future trips and opportunities ......anyone care to join me?

With gratitude,
~ Emilee Losey

A Father's Day Reflection

As a father, I know that we want our kids to become beautiful reflections of Christ in this world. Parents be assured that these kids are becoming just that. They have exceptional compassion and love. they are unselfish and not afraid to express their faith which is true and real.

I came on this trip as a leader, but in many ways every one of these kids is a leader. When there is a task to be done they quickly step forward, when something is required of them they organize themselves and get it accomplished. I am truly humbled and privileged to be a part of this amazing team. Parents, I can't put into words what a joy it has been to spend this week with these young people. They are adding beauty to an otherwise dark and ugly world.

Today was Father's Day and I miss my daughter (who wasn't able to join us this year), but I got to spend the day worshiping and hanging out with 13 wonderful kids; God is good.

After reflecting on our time in Cost Rica, I see that is a place where there is great beauty but also areas of great ugliness. The things that man has made get run down and can look very ugly, but the things God has made like the mountains, vegetation, and animals are strikingly beautiful.
What a great life lesson!
Plants seem to grow everywhere here and they grow large and beautiful; I suppose it is from all the rain. We too have experienced much growth and sometimes it has come fast and hard like the rain, but it has been very good!

(So to borrow from Mr. Neill's awesome metaphor)

It sometimes rained hard in Costa Rica.......

But beauty sprang forth!
~ Ken Potter

Today was a wonderful day. We went to a Columbian Church walking distance from the base. The praise and worship was so uplifting and spiritual. It was interesting that even thought the service was in Spanish, and most of us could only make out a few of the words, there was unity. We were moved by the music and the love of Christ that was shared there.

As we were leaving the church and I looked at our group of students I was struck with a feeling of peace and incredible pride knowing that these kids are going to be our future. That the young men and young women in our group are spiritual leaders,polite, compasionate, loving and on fire for the Lord. I was so overwhelmed with feelings of pride and excitement to know that our team was going back to the States to spread Gods word. My prayer for them is that they remember how important having Christ in their lives is and the impact they can make on others. Each one of them brings unity to our group. I could not imagine not having each of them here.

Mr. Meade and I spent time last night thinking about each of them and praying for them. We talked about how each of them is gifted in so many ways and the memories that we have will be with us forever. This trip was a life changing trip for us. God is awesome, and he has blessed us. We would like to especially thank Mr. Neill for his leadership. Mr. Neill is gifted as a spiritual leader for our team. We are very blessed to have him at JCS and in our kids lives. Mr. Neill worked with our team all week providing them with many things to think about and sort through for their spiritual and personal growth. The devotionals were perfect. By Gods grace Mr. Neill has a true gift as a teacher and a spiritual leader.

As we return home tomorrow we leave a little of ourselves in Costa Rica. Mr. Neill has asked us everyday how we have received and given love. This team has spread so much of themselves here. Some of our favorite memories of each member of our team is:

Amanda: Amanda has a kind passionate heart for the children. You could see God at work as she held the little ones. Our favorite memory of her is holding Kevin, a baby at Las Tables. The look in her eye was one of pure love for that little boy!

Rachel: Rachel was our Cheerleader of the group. We will never forget her on the play ground doing splits and cartwheels for the kids watching in amazement. Yes boys.. we can use cheer leading in ministry!

Shanel: Shanel is so sincere. Shannel met a little girl Jenifer and braided her hair. The impact she had on Jenifer will be with her forever.

Kristin: Kristin is a hard worker and not afraid on anything. Our favorite memory of her is when we were in Las Tablas and she was swinging the huge hammer that was 1/2 her size!

Brandi: Brandi was our group cuddler. Kathe told her tonight she is going to miss her hugs and smile!

Merideth: Merideth is so quiet, but has a lot to say. Merideth was also amazing with the kids. Even tonight as we wait for dinner she is in the back yard blowing bubbles with the directors kids.

Kasey: Kasey is so much fun! You always know when she is in the group. The first day at Las Tablas when she was SO MUDDY! She is not afraid of hard work and is a true leader.

Kelly: Kelly is so sweet and kind. Kathe's favorite memory of her is at night sitting on her bunk listening to the boys next door being goofy. Kristin and Kelly had a lot of fun!

Jacob Hendrick: Bones...what an impressive young man. There were times when he surprised us with his words of wisdom. We will never forget when we went to the Bible store. Jacob was so excited about what we were doing!

Josh: Josh has so much compassion and we saw that all week. The children loved him. Our avorite memory of him was when he was working with the children. Here was this young man with a beard on the floor playing and giggling with children, not understanding anything they were saying, but still understanding that all they wanted was his love that he freely gave.

Patrick: Going on this trip with our son was a gift from God. Spending this time wrapped around Gods love with Patrick was amazing. The memories we built as a family are lifelong. We are proud to be Patrick's parents.

Kyle: It is going to be sad to see Kyle go off to college and not be at JCS anymore. (We'll have to send goody packages Kyle!) Kyle is a true leader and the spokesman for the teens. Kyle playing soccer was so much fun. To see him use his skills as a ministry was great!

Jacob Fox: Every group needs a Jacob. The comic relief of the group! Jacob could take any tense moment and lighten it up with his songs, quotes and silliness. Our favorite memory of Jacob is in the van on trips...he had us laughing all the time!

Our other leaders: Rob, Deena, Ken and Emily. They all were amazing too! God Bless all of you and your families. Thank you for sharing a precious part of your family with us this week. Off to hot showers we all go!

In Christ,
~ Dave and Kathe Meade

Costa Rica: Day 6 - Photo Log

Costa Rica: Day 6

Wow....thats about all i can say. Today we went to a volcano! It was amazing! It took a year and a half to get there, the roads made some people car sick, and because of the altitude, hiking up the hill made you out of breathe fast, but HEY! it was all worth it!!! Well on a serious note, its amazing to see what our God can create! The volcano was huge, and it was steaming. I would describe it more, but everybody knows what a volcano looks like, so I'm not going to. So anyway, it was really cool. Not only was the volcano cool, but it was amazing to see how high up we were. We were so high that we were looking down at the clouds! It was so beautiful! I think today was a awesome day! I cant wait to see what tomorrow holds! P.S. Don't worry Mr. + Mrs. Drake I'm keeping the smiles flowing!
~ Kasey

Today was definitely an awesome day. Other than the fact that I got sick in the van and almost puked, everything else went quite smoothly. The volcano was an amazing sight, something we, Michiganders, don't get to see very often. Some of us also hiked a trail that was completely uphill through a dense rain forest to reach the second crater. It had been completely filled in with rainwater but was too acidic for any life to exist around it. However, Patrick and I are convinced that we saw a creature resembling the Lock Ness Monster emerge on the surface of the water. So, for anyone who might have been questioning, Nessie does exist and she is definitely in Costa Rica.
What we saw today really showcased the incredible awesomeness of God's creation. We couldn't help but just gasp and stare at the huge billows of steam rising up from the boiling mouth of the crater. It was absolutely incredible. We all returned to the base completely exhausted and most of us slept through the rest of the afternoon.
This trip has definitely been enjoyed by all and sorry parents, but most of us are regretting the day we have to leave. Even so, God has done great things in all of us and we cannot wait to share them with you!
~ Deena

Costa Rica: An Honorary Team Member

Last year we met some really great people who became a part of our team while we served in Guatemala. They felt like family to us and we all knew that God had brought us together for that trip, even though we hadn't planned it that way. This year the same thing has happened. Here are a few words from our newest team member, Michael.

Hey, my name is Michael Erickson. I am a third year college student from Dallas, Texas. I came to Costa Rica to volunteer with YWAM for the month of June, and in my second week here, I have had the opportunity meet and serve with these amazing high school students. It has been an incredible blessing and joy getting to know each and every person from Michigan. Our days have consisted of different projects around the YWAM base and playing soccer at parks with locals here in San Jose. It has been amazing seeing the hearts of these students through their desire to serve, their random bursts of singing praise, and their interactions with each other. They have been incredibly welcoming and loving to me and other staff members here, and to be completely honest, my time with them has been an answered prayer. I want to thank them for the light they have all been to the people here in Costa Rica and for the love they have shown us. I am very grateful for this blessing and will be praying for these students as they leave this experience and return to the life God has for them in Jackson. Pura vida!
~ Michael

Costa Rica: Day 5 - Photo Log

Costa Rica: Day 5

Today was AMAZING!!! We split up into two groups. One of our groups headed out to play soccer in the local parks and another group (the one that I was in) went to a local daycare center to play with all of the kids. The women who run this daycare are incredible. There are only three women and they usually have to care for up to seventy children. Fifty-two children were there today and we had so much fun loving and playing with them all. Most of the children were three and four year olds. There were about five babies and the rest of the children spent most of the day at school but we did get to interact with them somewhat.

I loved getting to spend so much time with the kids. The best part of the day was snuggling with this little girl who I really bonded with today. She was so sweet and just wanted to be held constantly. I just sat on a bench and she laid her head on my shoulder, wrapped her arms around me and almost started to fall asleep but was awakened by the kids yelling.

One of the things that most made an impression on me was Josh giving all of the kids rides on his shoulders. There was a long line of eager children just waiting for their turn. They were fascinated with Josh and it was amazing to see him continuing to give the kids rides even though I’m sure he was exhausted. He just kept going with a smile on his face and pushed aside his tiredness just so that these children could have a thirty second ride through the building.

Tonight we went to eat at this really, really good Costa Rican restaurant. Emily and I shared this huge platter of food and we were so full by the time we were done. We actually couldn’t finish it all. The food was some of the best food I’ve ever had. It was a great time of fun, food and fellowship. After dinner we all headed outside to wait for our ride to come pick us up. While we waited we had a team meeting and then sang worship song after worship song. It was the greatest thing ever. Here we were, a group of Americans, standing outside this restaurant just singing our hearts out. It was so cool how we all lost our insecurities about our singing ability and forgot about the people staring at us. We just sang and praised the Lord. It was one of the coolest experiences of this whole trip for me personally. I loved it :0) Buenos noches!
~ Kelly

Hey All, What a God-Day. My group today played in a ton of different parks. The first park we went to was called El Bosque (The Forest). We played with a bunch of guys that went to a seminary school just a few blocks away. One boy was from Indiana.

When I took a break from soccer, I played with this little boy named Joshua. He was so cute and had glasses. He would laugh and laugh with delight every time I would give him an “underdog” or try to catch his feet while he was swinging. I just loved him so much. He really made the day for me

Next we went to a Japanese Park in town and played on a tiny soccer field. While we were there we got to play with only one little boy who actually was from Grand Rapids, MI. He was such a sweetheart.

After lunch, we went to a park quite a ways away but didn’t find anyone to play with, so we went to back to a different park and found two boys playing with a tiny soccer ball. By the time we left, about 20 guys had shown up to play or watch. We left one of our soccer balls with them to keep.

For dinner tonight we went to a Costa Rica Restaurant. The food was so good and there was so much of it. After we all stuffed ourselves we went outside and had one of the best team meetings we have had so far. It was just really awesome and special.

While waiting for our ride home, we sang a ton of Praise songs. It was so cool. And it was interesting to see the people walking by just staring at these crazy American kids singing their little hearts out.

So all in all, the day was God-filled and amazing.
~ Mer

Today was a great day. My group went park hopping to play soccer. In the first park we went to, there were seven guys playing who were from a local seminary. It was a lot of fun. One of the guys attends Taylor where I am going next year. It was cool to talk with him. When they left we went to another park. No one was there so we went to a third park. There was a mud bowl with goals in it so we played there with a little kid from Grand Rapids. We then went back to the compound for lunch. After lunch we walked to a park two miles-ish away. All the fields there were under water so we went back to the second park. There were two kids there when we started and by the time we left 1 ½ hours later, there were about twenty kids. It was so much fun just to hang out and play with the guys.

After we left the field, we went to an awesome restaurant and ate tons of food. When dinner was done we went outside to wait for our transportation. We waited for a half hour or so and the whole time we were singing praise songs. It was amazing. God is doing amazing things in and through our group and it is awesome to be a part of that.
~ Kyle

Today was pretty sweet. After playing soccer for at least four hours, we ate at this awesome restaurant named La Casa de Dona Lela. We got these monstrous platters of food. Each person split one with one other person. These things were enough to feed three to four people apiece. Michael and I were the only ones to finish our platter. (See before and after photos above) And we felt like we were going to puke. Oh, we each had some cheesecake afterwards too. It was definitely the best food that I have had in a looong time.
~ Bones (Jacob Hendrick)

Costa Rica: A Leaders Perspective

I'm not sure it is possible to express my feelings about this group of students. I remember praying specifically at our first team meeting that God would select the team, and it has been a joy to lead a group hand picked by God. I have been proud of them continuously, and especially today.

I think that as a leader/pastor/teacher/mentor/life coach/whatever you want to call it, I often carry a vision of what I want to see happen in the hearts and lives of those whom God has entrusted to my care. I am pretty committed to doing whatever I can to create growth environments for students. Like a farmer tending a field (to borrow a Biblical metaphor), my goal is to create growth spaces - where students can take root, grow, and produce good fruit.

But like the farmer, I need to wait for the rain. The rain comes from God. It's not in my control. And when the rain comes the seeds sprout.

It's been raining a lot here in Costa Rica.

I am extremely proud to see these students taking their faith to new levels, learning what compassion is, and seeing how they can change lives. I am moved by what they write on this blog and by all the things they are saying as we gather in the evenings to review the day. It is a dream come true for me to lead these students. Thank you to all who have made this trip possible.

Let it rain....

Costa Rica: Day 4 - Photo Log

Costa Rica: Day 4 - Las Tablas revisited

Wow. Today was just awesome. This morning we started out the day with devotions (after breakfast of course) which I will mention later. After devos, five of us went to a Christian bookstore to buy some Bibles for the church in Las Tablas. The church only has two Bibles to go around for 45 people. Last night, we raised over $300 for Bibles. We were able to purchase 50 Spanish Bibles, plus 4 children's Bibles and 12 children's Bible storybooks with matching cassettes. We weren't able to visibly carry the Bibles into Los Tablos, so we had to "smuggle" them in water jugs. Bella (Bay-ya) (the woman we worked with, also the pastor of the church) said that she wondered why we had to bring in so much water today, because we usually bring only one. When we took off the tops of the jugs, she just stood there and smiled like it wasn't anything special. Then, later we found out that she had been praying for two years that God would send her Bibles and He kept telling her to wait and be patient. She said she "wanted them NOW", but now they finally came to her so she wouldn't have to wait any longer. We told her that in America everyone had a Bible in church and we wanted everyone in her church to have one too. We also said that one needed a Bible to grow in Christ as an individual. After we presented her with the Bibles, we went down a couple houses to the house we had been working on. We had 20 people there, but there was only enough work for about 10 people, so a bunch of us went down to the center of Las Tablas to play soccer with the kids...for three and a half hours. Let me tell you, my legs are dead! Of course the kids were still going strong, even when we were exhausted. It was fun, even though I got schooled by an eight year old. And a ten year old. More than once. Still it was fun as we played with only the words "Si" and "Aqui" (Here) to communicate. The goalposts were just big bamboo sticks and the field was just dirt and mud. Plus it was right on the river, so the ball went in a lot and we had to "retrieve" it. Plus, the field was covered with glass and stones so it was kind of dangerous for the little kids. This brings me to something that God spoke to me about it this morning's devos. In Luke 6:25, it says, "What sorrows await you who laugh carelessly, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow." I just felt that God was telling me to be careful with my laughter, to make sure that it wasn't hurtful or laughing about the wrong things. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that every time I laughed it was worth every moment, and it was "wise laughter." It tore me apart when we had to leave. This time there was no "Hasta manana" (See you tomorrow) it was good-bye for good. The kids were sad that we were leaving and we were on the verge of tears, but all we could say was "Adios amigos" (Good-bye friends). I hope that you will join me in praying that these kids will be impacted by Bella's ministry and get out of that poverty stricken village and get out of the lifestyle of their parents. I thank God for all that He has done today, and on this trip as a whole.
~Jacob Hendrick
or... Bones

Omg this is one of the most mind blowing experiences I have ever had.......... Ok, I don't even know where to begin...I am so thankful my parents gave me the opportunity to come here . You always see on the television what third world countries are supposed to look like but it is nothing until you experience it hands on. I met this little girl named Jenifer, she was so amazing even though there was a huge language barrier we still had an amazing time. She taught me sooo much. She taught me that it doesn't matter where you are from or what your background is' we are people and deserve to be treated with love and respect. I am still overwhelmed. Its like you want to help every one but you do not even know where to start ...It is like' where does God want me at. But I´m so excited to see what else God has in store for this trip..
~ Shanel Holmes

Costa Rica: Day 3 - Photo Log

Costa Rica: Day 3

Today we split into two teams in order to make sure we could all stay busy working. One group returned to Las Tablas to continue working on the community center and to play some soccer with the little ones there. The other group stayed back here at the YWAM base and worked on various projects. Here are some more thoughts from the students...

Hello all. First, I would just like to say that this trip has gone so much better than what I expected. I got some time to think today which was exactly what I needed to do, my head has been so crammed with stuff that i just needed to sit and think. I thought mainly about the whole situation in Las Tablas. The local pastor is virtually the mayor of the city. She takes care of all those people, all the time. Just seeing the relief on her face when she saw that we were really helping to take care of the city. I am sure she gets a lot of help from the YWAM staff, but she was extremely happy to see us working. The pastor is an amazing women, she put all her faith on God to provide for her. You know what, it worked. Her church is a two-story building with an operating kitchen that feeds the children in the area. I thought hard on that concept and I realized that these people are so focused on their faith, that nothing can get in the way of that. An example is two young men on this base that could easily play professional soccer, and be very good at it, but they gave it up to serve God. That really changed my focus. God is doing great things here. Please pray for me and the whole group.
~ Patrick Meade

Hey all, Just a quick update on what’s been going on during this awesome trip. God is good. So far, the trip has been incredible. The first few days were great, and today was a hard day but I really felt like I was accomplishing something.
Rachel and I were working buddies today. J We started off the day “plaining” wood (leveling) and got through a big stack of short wooden planks. I was so happy that we got through the whole stack, because it wasn’t the easiest task.
After we finished that, Rach and I went with Giacomo and took about 50 chairs from one house to the newest purchased YWAM house. Once we were there we unloaded the chairs and helped clear and clean out one of the rooms so that it can be a school room. A girl named Annabelle helped us when we were there and she said there will be about 10 students who attend that little class.
Annabelle was so sweet. While cleaning the room we kept seeing a little mouse run around, but Rachel and I were strong and didn’t scream. J Then Annabelle found two mice when we were emptying the trash and we all just started screaming. It was funny.
Once we finished that we came back to the base for lunch and had yummy chop suey. After lunch Rachel, Jake Fox, and myself were sanding buddies. We sanded and “plained” until about 3:30. So it was a very busy day and I didn’t get to see very many other team members throughout the day. It was interesting to ask everybody else how their day went. I just love it here. All I can say is wow! God is amazing.
~ Merry

Costa Rica: Day 2 - Las Tablas

We spent today working hard in Las Tablas, an extremely poor community about 30 minutes from the YWAM base here in San Jose. Here are some reflections from the students...

Today was an amazing day. when i say amazing it is because there is no other way to describe how great it really was. we went to Las Tablas to a place where a woman was taking care of kids who were not being taken care of by their parents. Most of their parents were either dead or on drugs. even as we were there we saw a man walking down the road sniffing glue trying to get high. this was really sad to see. some of the people went into the church where the children eat and fed them. others of us, which was where i was at, went to work on a house that was very beaten down. we worked there for most of the day. we got dirty to say the least. it was all mud and dirt every where. today at the church we met a lot of amazing kids. its amazing how the littlest things make their day. i gave a little boy a high five and his smile was from ear to ear. i cant explain how life changing this trip really is. i am honestly in amazement at what God is doing through me and through all of us. when we got here you could really feel the presence of God. so i will just leave you with saying that if you have never been on a missions trip it is honestly a life changing experience.
pray for us,
love ~ Josh

Hola! Today was such a great day. We went to work for a lady who ran a feeding/community center for the kids who live around the Las Tablas area. I spent half of my time there cleaning mud and debris out of a house and then I headed over with Mrs. Meade to help out with the kids at the feeding center. I love these kids! They are so sweet and their huge smiles just melt your heart. Mrs. Meade and I used what little Spanish we knew to get the kids sitting in a circle and then we started throwing the ball around with them. It was so much fun and the kids are so forgiving when it comes to our Spanish speaking mistakes :0) They just laugh and try their best to communicate with you. They were definitely the best part of the day.
I also spent this afternoon in the kitchen with Meredith and Jacob Fox. We were helping the cook, Juan Carlos, make dinner. I really enjoyed that. I have never peeled and cut up so many potatoes in my life! My hand started to cramp but it was so worth it. It was neat trying to interact with Juan Carlos and communicate with him. Jacob got his hands on a big butcher knife and that was a little scary. Meredith and I persuaded him to use something smaller to cut the tomatoes so don't worry Mrs. Fox :0)
I can't even explain to you how amazing this trip has been. I am in such awe of what God is already doing in my life....it's amazing. I'm so glad I came and am so excited about what God has in store for me. Amo Costa Rica!!!!!
~ Kelly

Costa Rica: Day 1

After breakfast and orientation we broke into three teams. I've asked a student from each group to write a little about their experience today...

Casa #1:
We did a lot of stuff today at the main YWAM house today. A bunch of us were going through a bunch of pieces of wood that the people here use to build their furniture, and we had to sort out useful pieces from scrap pieces, that we had to carry out and put on a trailor for them to get rid of. A couple other people were sanding down the rough pieces of wood and we just had to stack those together. It was really cool working with all the staff here. And today was a awesome first day! :]
-Kristin & Brandi

Casa #2: Operation Chipmunk Umbrella
We did a lot of stuff today. I found out that I was pretty much useless for constructing a wall, so I decided to paint a wall. I still don't have all of the paint off of me! The team includes Mr. Neill, Amanda, Deena, Kyle, Me/the most beautiful person/Squirrel/Mr. Humility, and a 19 year old from Texas named Michael. We were painting the outside of a house and were adding a wall for more sleeping dorms. Fun Facts: Did you know that the rain water is warmer than the shower water here? Also Kyle, Michael, and I went running through the rain without our shirts!!!:)
- By Jacob Fox

Casa #3:
Today we worked in a preschool. It was a lot of fun, we helped with construction. We took out some walls, moved a lot of stuff, and took a lot of pictures! us girls couldnt do all the work, cause its pretty hard for girls to take out a wall, but me kristin, mrs. meade, brandi, and shanel did A LOT of cleaning! Today was a very productive day! We cant wait to start working again tomorrow!
--Kasey Espinoza

So... There you have it. Day 1 is nearly done now. We are just about to have our evening group gathering. We will do our best to keep you posted on what we are up to. Keep praying!

In Costa Rica

We arrived on schedule last night at 8:35pm (Mountain Time). The only bump in our trip was that one of Shanel's small bag's didn't make it on the plane in Atlanta, but the airline knew already when we reported it and so they were already working on getting it to us.

Met our correspondant, Brian Wolfe, and some others who had two 15 passenger vans waiting for us. It was about a 30 minute ride to where we are staying. Beds were comfy, especially since it was 12:30 Michigan time by the time we got in them.

We had to be up and ready at 6:45am to head over for breakfast (a 5 block walk). This wasn't as bad as it sounds because of the 2 hour time difference. And there wasn't a long line for the showers since there is no hot water. : )

We're getting ready now to participate in a worship service which will include students who are studying here at the YWAM base and other staffers. Following that we'll have some orientation time and get to work!

Thanks for all of your prayers on our travel day. I really can't tell you how smooth it went. It was a great start to our trip. Please continue to pray for us as we serve here and as God shapes each of us through this experience.

More later...

Here in Atlanta

We are now here in Atlanta and about to depart for Costa Rica. Everything is going smoothly!

and we're off...

We have arrived at the terminal and everything is going great. We have had no hassels or delays. We will soon be in the air!

What to Bring: Additions

I forgot to mention a few things on the what to bring list, so here's an addendum.

1. refillable water bottle. (this should be empty and packed in your checked luggage)
2. pillow case.
3. towel.
4. personal bottle of hand sanitizer. (sometimes it's good to have this when adequate hand washing facilities are not readily available.)
5. international calling card (this wasn't on the list but I know we had talked about them at one point. These will be available for purchase at the YWAM base as well.)

Hopefully that's everything. And if it's not... well, I'm pretty sure we'll get by without the things we forget.

see you all on Saturday.

Recap: Team Meeting #4 - "What should we do?"

Thanks to everyone for making last night another great team meeting. Here's a short recap of what we covered.

1. Each of you received a detail sheet to give to your parents. This paper contains important info like Costa Rica contact info, updated flight info, details about our final team meeting on the 9th, our departure plan, health info reminder, luggage guidelines, and a what to bring list. Make sure you give this list to your parents!!!

2. We read the following verses from Luke, and were reminded that an encounter of faith in God's truth always leads to action in our lives. I posed the question, "What should we do?" as we have all been given this great opportunity to show the love of Christ to the people of Costa Rica. Time was spent journaling (in your new super cool - and free - journals) about what that might look like and about what we expect to see God do on this trip.

Luke 3:7-15 (NLT)
Here is a sample of John's preaching to the crowds that came for baptism: "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God's coming judgment? [8] Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, 'We're safe—we're the descendants of Abraham.' That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham. [9] Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire."
[10] The crowd asked, "What should we do?"
[11] John replied, "If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."
[12] Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"
[13] "Show your honesty," he replied. "Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to."
[14] "What should we do?" asked some soldiers.
John replied, "Don't extort money, and don't accuse people of things you know they didn't do. And be content with your pay."
[15] Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah.

3. We finished off with some small group prayer circles. I want to encourage all of you to keep praying for this trip and keep asking God to move you. Keep asking Him "what should we do?" and then watch for how He may answer us on this journey.

A final word... Keep journaling about your expectations and thoughts. It will be cool to see how God shapes all of us on this trip.