Judith asked me to pass along this Christmas greeting to all of you.
I seem to be having a little problem with Internet Explorer playing the embedded frame properly. If you don't see the animation/video within a few seconds, click here to view it in a new tab.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Orosi Angel Tree
I have a post in the works that will detail the Mission Team's planned activities for December's Costa Rica Vacation Bible School. However, in the meantime, I wanted to put up a quick post about one particular activity--and ask you to consider helping out.
One day during the week, the team will take a break from VBS and bring upwards of 60 kids (last year it was 39) from the local orphanage to El Jardin Sagrado for a Christmas celebration. They'll sing, listen to Bible stories, have a Christmas pageant, etc.
And they'll each get a present.
These kids have very little except a shared room at the orphanage and the clothes on their backs. The gift they get from our team while at El Jardin Sagrado will, in all likelihood, be the only gift they get all year.
We'd love to have people here at home participate by buying a gift for a specific child and sending it down to Costa Rica. Unfortunately, the cost of shipping packages (or checking extra luggage on the plane) is so expensive that we can't afford it. Therefore, the team will buy the gifts once they get to Costa Rica. They'll have some basic information about each child (e.g., age and gender), and they'll pray for guidance about what kind of gift would make the biggest difference for him or her.
Even though we can't take the kids gifts from the US, we would still like to give people here at home an opportunity to establish a personal relationship with a child in Orosi. If you can donate $20 to $25 to buy a gift for a child, we will provide you with a photo--and maybe even video--of that child receiving your gift. We would like to provide more information about the kids, but PANI (the agency that runs the orphanage) is very wary about giving out too much personal information about the children. Costa Rica has a problem with child exploitation, so the authorities are rightly cautious.
Can you spend a few dollars to help one or two kids? I plan to do this with my daughter. I'll make a couple of donations in her name, and I'll use the photo as a way to help her understand how fortunate she is--and what it means to help others.
If you have smaller kids, this would be a great learning and giving opportunity. If you don't, it's still an opportunity for you to reach out with a small donation that can make a huge difference.
If you attend Threshold and would like to donate, stop by the Christmas Tree that's located near the Threshold Kids check-in area on Sunday morning. Or you can send your gift to the address on the right side of this web page. The only difference is that you should have the memo say "Orosi Angel Tree."
Thank you, and may God bless you for your generosity!
One day during the week, the team will take a break from VBS and bring upwards of 60 kids (last year it was 39) from the local orphanage to El Jardin Sagrado for a Christmas celebration. They'll sing, listen to Bible stories, have a Christmas pageant, etc.And they'll each get a present.
These kids have very little except a shared room at the orphanage and the clothes on their backs. The gift they get from our team while at El Jardin Sagrado will, in all likelihood, be the only gift they get all year.
We'd love to have people here at home participate by buying a gift for a specific child and sending it down to Costa Rica. Unfortunately, the cost of shipping packages (or checking extra luggage on the plane) is so expensive that we can't afford it. Therefore, the team will buy the gifts once they get to Costa Rica. They'll have some basic information about each child (e.g., age and gender), and they'll pray for guidance about what kind of gift would make the biggest difference for him or her.
Even though we can't take the kids gifts from the US, we would still like to give people here at home an opportunity to establish a personal relationship with a child in Orosi. If you can donate $20 to $25 to buy a gift for a child, we will provide you with a photo--and maybe even video--of that child receiving your gift. We would like to provide more information about the kids, but PANI (the agency that runs the orphanage) is very wary about giving out too much personal information about the children. Costa Rica has a problem with child exploitation, so the authorities are rightly cautious.
Can you spend a few dollars to help one or two kids? I plan to do this with my daughter. I'll make a couple of donations in her name, and I'll use the photo as a way to help her understand how fortunate she is--and what it means to help others.
If you have smaller kids, this would be a great learning and giving opportunity. If you don't, it's still an opportunity for you to reach out with a small donation that can make a huge difference.
If you attend Threshold and would like to donate, stop by the Christmas Tree that's located near the Threshold Kids check-in area on Sunday morning. Or you can send your gift to the address on the right side of this web page. The only difference is that you should have the memo say "Orosi Angel Tree."
Thank you, and may God bless you for your generosity!
A Message from Rick and Judith
Judith Grossman asked me to post this note as a follow-up to the golf tournament recap.
Wow! We are speechless when we think of all the hard work that went into making the Golf Tournament happen! Thank you to every organizer, every giver/sponsor, every volunteer and every player!!!!
So much is already happening down here through La Gaviota Blanca and the projects we are sponsoring and your support, especially to help fund the December outreach, will open even more doors in the community. We are expecting 150 kids between the ages of 5 and 11 to come for the Vacation Bible School that Threshold is bringing in December. Last year we had more than 50 kids receive Christ during this outreach and we are praying for that same kind of impact again this year. Please pray along with us for this!
In the meantime, the building that Threshold refurbished for us has hosted a bunch of outreach events for children and for youth in the past three months and the response within the community has been very positive. We are in that stage of building trust which is so crucial to the longterm success of a community ministry, especially with kids and youth. Because our town has a history of competitive and negative relations between churches, we are working very hard to help the community understand that this is a Christ-centered INDEPENDENT ministry that desires to work together in harmony with ALL the local churches.
One project that is helping us get this message across is Proyecto MORFO -- a project we have initiated that is designed to combat the most serious of social problems that confront our youth and children. Problems like drugs and alcohol, the sexual/commercial exploitation of children, the disintegration of the family, domestic violence and abuse of all kinds.
To that end we are planning workshops and trainings in partnership with Focus on the Family (Costa Rica) on a regular basis over the next year at La Gaviota Blanca's building in the center of town. We will also duplicate these workshops in Palomo, a small town with some of the most severe problems, just down the road and across the river from Orosi. In this way, we hope to host as many as 200 people at each workshop.
Topics for parents include: Raising Secure Children and Communication Between Parents and Children. For children we are planning to discuss Values in my Life and How to Make Good Decisions and for adolescents: How to be a Successful Youth, Developing My Identity, etc. We are also going to have prestentations on the prevention of drug abuse, how to respond when a child reports abuse and other topics regarding social risks and/or violence.
We currently have a youth group meeting in the building on Saturday nights and have recently been approached to open the building on Sunday afternoons for a kind of coffeehouse for the local youth -- a place to hangout and talk and play games, a place that is smoke, alcohol and drug free -- to be hosted by some Christian kids who have a heart to reach their friends.
All of these things are free to the community as the people here have very little, but of course, everything costs money! So we are extremely thankful that the Lord has laid this place on YOUR heart! The Golf Tournament will enable the team to come here in December to work alongside of 25-30 local youth who will build longterm relaionships with local kids. These seeds will be nurtured and they will grow and these lives will be transformed and this community will never be the same thanks to your commitment and generosity!
We hope to see many of you down here in OROSI one day soon!
With love from Rick and Judith
Wow! We are speechless when we think of all the hard work that went into making the Golf Tournament happen! Thank you to every organizer, every giver/sponsor, every volunteer and every player!!!!
So much is already happening down here through La Gaviota Blanca and the projects we are sponsoring and your support, especially to help fund the December outreach, will open even more doors in the community. We are expecting 150 kids between the ages of 5 and 11 to come for the Vacation Bible School that Threshold is bringing in December. Last year we had more than 50 kids receive Christ during this outreach and we are praying for that same kind of impact again this year. Please pray along with us for this!
In the meantime, the building that Threshold refurbished for us has hosted a bunch of outreach events for children and for youth in the past three months and the response within the community has been very positive. We are in that stage of building trust which is so crucial to the longterm success of a community ministry, especially with kids and youth. Because our town has a history of competitive and negative relations between churches, we are working very hard to help the community understand that this is a Christ-centered INDEPENDENT ministry that desires to work together in harmony with ALL the local churches.
One project that is helping us get this message across is Proyecto MORFO -- a project we have initiated that is designed to combat the most serious of social problems that confront our youth and children. Problems like drugs and alcohol, the sexual/commercial exploitation of children, the disintegration of the family, domestic violence and abuse of all kinds.
To that end we are planning workshops and trainings in partnership with Focus on the Family (Costa Rica) on a regular basis over the next year at La Gaviota Blanca's building in the center of town. We will also duplicate these workshops in Palomo, a small town with some of the most severe problems, just down the road and across the river from Orosi. In this way, we hope to host as many as 200 people at each workshop.
Topics for parents include: Raising Secure Children and Communication Between Parents and Children. For children we are planning to discuss Values in my Life and How to Make Good Decisions and for adolescents: How to be a Successful Youth, Developing My Identity, etc. We are also going to have prestentations on the prevention of drug abuse, how to respond when a child reports abuse and other topics regarding social risks and/or violence.
We currently have a youth group meeting in the building on Saturday nights and have recently been approached to open the building on Sunday afternoons for a kind of coffeehouse for the local youth -- a place to hangout and talk and play games, a place that is smoke, alcohol and drug free -- to be hosted by some Christian kids who have a heart to reach their friends.
All of these things are free to the community as the people here have very little, but of course, everything costs money! So we are extremely thankful that the Lord has laid this place on YOUR heart! The Golf Tournament will enable the team to come here in December to work alongside of 25-30 local youth who will build longterm relaionships with local kids. These seeds will be nurtured and they will grow and these lives will be transformed and this community will never be the same thanks to your commitment and generosity!
We hope to see many of you down here in OROSI one day soon!
With love from Rick and Judith
Friday, November 14, 2008
Threshold Golf Tournament 2008
On Tuesday, November 11, we held the first annual Threshold Mission Teams Golf Tournament at Firethorne Country Club in Charlotte (well, Marvin if you want to be exact). God gave us an absolutely gorgeous day for golfing, and 79 players and approximately 20 volunteers came out to enjoy the weather, connect with friends, and provide financial support for Threshold's outreach efforts in the US and Costa Rica.
The final numbers won't be available for a few more days, but it looks like the profit from the event will be between $13,000 and $15,000! Many thanks to everyone who played, sponsored a team, donated prizes, donated money through sponsorship, or volunteered at the tournament. And thank you, Lord, for meeting our needs in such a mighty way! We will use what you've provided to change lives and bring others to Your Kingdom.
So you can get a feel for how great the day was, here's a slideshow with some highlights. Click the arrow to play it. Or, you can link to the album here.
Key Players (no pun intended)
Jeff and Kristen Lewis, along with Van Pennington, did an absolutely awesome job with the planning, logistics, and execution for the tournament. If there were any glitches, I sure didn't see them. I know the planning consumed huge chunks of their time for more than a month now, and the results were top-notch--particularly in the details. Anybody who has ever run a golf tournament will probably tell you that putting together an effective one generally takes six to twelve months. Jeff and Kristen really pulled this all together in about five weeks. Absolutely phenomenal job, you guys!
Also, I would be utterly remiss if I didn't give a huge shout out and massive thank-you to the man who made this all possible. Well, yeah, God . . . that's a given. But I'm referring to Howard Nifong. Howard and his wife Barbara essentially gave Threshold the Firethorne Country Club and its resources for the entire day. Staff, grounds, carts, range balls, etc. Gratis. And as if that weren't enough, Howard also donated several full rounds of golf to the winners, along with golf accessories and Firethorne apparel to players as prizes.
Thank you, Howard. It was great working with you in Orosi back in August, and my respect and admiration for your caring and generosity has grown immensely since then. May the Lord bless you for your kind heart and giving spirit.
Many thanks also to Beckie and Brian Johnston, owners of the Chick-fil-A at Stonecrest. They provided delicious lunches for every player and volunteer at the tournament. I can attest to just how delicious those lunches were--especially the brownies.
Players
At 11 a.m. sharp, twenty teams in forty carts headed for the tees. As they came off the first and ninth greens, we captured the moment for posterity.Before leaving for the day, each player received a team photo, compliments of Jeff and Kristen Lewis.
FYI, I would strongly recommend Jeff and Kristen's Epson PictureMate Personal Photo Printer, which they also took to Costa Rica for last December's VBS. It chugged through 80 4x6 photos, all of which looked store-quality. And it was super easy to use and relatively inexpensive (although I don't know about the cost of ink and photo paper). You can use either compact flash (CF) or secure digital (SD) cards--no computer required. I've never been a huge fan of home-printed photos, but this device could change my mind.
Sorry . . . Gadget Guy almost took over the post there for a minute, but I reined him back in. Let's continue.
Winners
As they say in grade school, "everyone who played was a winner." However, four teams actually walked away with prizes.Low Gross
Low gross is based on the team's score before any adjustments for its golf handicap. For those unfamiliar with golf handicap, Wikipedia defines it this way:A golf handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's playing ability. It can be used to calculate a net score from the number of strokes actually played, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms. Handicaps are administered by golf clubs or national golf associations. Exact rules relating to handicaps can vary from country to country.
Essentially, low gross is the team that shot the best score.
- First Place: Howard Nifong, Keith Bell, Dave Morris, and Harold Barnes
- Second Place: John Blackwell, Bobby Martin, Joe Swinford, and Mark Thomas
Low Net
Low net is based on the team's score after adjusting for its golf handicap. Maybe think of this as the team that played to the best of its ability, even if they weren't the best golfers on the course.- First Place:John Blackwell, Bobby Martin, Joe Swinford, and Mark Thomas
- Second Place:Bill Francischiello, Mark Francischiello, and Ed Sedlacek
Sponsors
We were blessed with some fantastic sponsors for this event.- Carmel Trading Company
- Cedarhill Farm
- Century Contractors
- Charlotte Cigars & Collectibles/Charlie's Cigars
- Chick-fil-a at Stonecrest
- ComRep, Inc.
- Cornerstone Ear Nose & Throat
- Evergreen Investments
- Firethorne Country Club
- Glasscock Family Dentistry
- Halas Arborists
- Mario's Pizza
- McClancy Seasonings
- Picone Insurance Agency
- Powertech
- Suntrust Mortgage
- Switchin' Kitchens
- Thompson-Smith Realty
- Tolar, Bly, & Associates, CPA, PLLC
- Weekley Lawn & Lanscape
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (Malachi 3:10 NIV)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Fore! There's a Golf Tourney Coming Your Way
We're making plans for December's trip back to Costa Rica. And one of the things we're doing as a precursor is hosting a golf tournament at Firethorne Country Club on Tuesday, November 11 as a fundraiser.
Do you like to golf? Do you like to help support God's work? Then have we got the event for you!
Firethorne is an absolutely beautiful course. So go to thresholdgolf.com for more details and sign up to play. Or if you really want to help out, be a sponsor. All the details are on the site.
Even if you stink, you can still play. You can be in my foursome . . . just don't expect to see much of me. I'll be spending most of my time in the trees.
Do you like to golf? Do you like to help support God's work? Then have we got the event for you!
Firethorne is an absolutely beautiful course. So go to thresholdgolf.com for more details and sign up to play. Or if you really want to help out, be a sponsor. All the details are on the site.
Even if you stink, you can still play. You can be in my foursome . . . just don't expect to see much of me. I'll be spending most of my time in the trees.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Update: Kingdom Assignment
I recently received an e-mail from Judith Grossman with an update on a project they started while we were in Orosi. If you read the post "And on Sunday, We Rested," you'll see that near the end of worship services on Sunday, August 31, 14 volunteers from the congregation each received $100 to make a difference in the life of somebody else.
I can't wait to hear more about how people are using the money to make a difference in the lives of others! There has been talk that when the Threshold VBS Team returns to Orosi in December, Rick and Judith will ask the individuals who received the money to give their reports. It would be great if we could get video of that to post.
Been getting a little feedback on the Kingdom Assignment we gave to the fourteen people on Sunday. One young teen named Esteben used the money to buy groceries for a poor family he knows. Another, Leo, was walking with a friend at night with the money in his pocket. His friend suggested they take a shortcut but Leo didn't feel good about it so he took the long way. His friend was attacked and his things were stolen. Leo recognizes this as the miracle it is and is taking his responsibility very seriously!
I can't wait to hear more about how people are using the money to make a difference in the lives of others! There has been talk that when the Threshold VBS Team returns to Orosi in December, Rick and Judith will ask the individuals who received the money to give their reports. It would be great if we could get video of that to post.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
La Gaviota Blanca Transformation
While we were in Orosi, I tried to post an update and some photos every day. That way, people could see the transformation of La Gaviota Blanca before their eyes. But what if you're just now catching up and want to fast forward through all the work and see what we accomplished in a single slide show?
Glad you asked! Click the arrow to give it a whirl.
Problems seeing the slide show? Just click here to jump to the album in Picasa Web Albums.
Glad you asked! Click the arrow to give it a whirl.
Problems seeing the slide show? Just click here to jump to the album in Picasa Web Albums.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Reflections
I've been home about four days now, but I haven't really posted anything new to the blog. If you've been following along, you'll probably notice that I've edited some of the posts a bit (grammar, spelling, phrasing) and added photos in-line. But I've "avoided" putting up anything new. Part of it is that I'm trying to take time to settle back in with my family. I also came back to an overwhelming amount of stuff at work.
But there's more to it than that. I've been struggling (and I'm not sure if that's exactly the right word) to put everything from last week into perspective--and reconcile it with my day-to-day life back here in Charlotte. I've told my Costa Rica stories a dozen times or more, but that's just narrative. I'm having a hard time verbalizing the truly important stuff, so I stick with the "on Wednesday we did . . ." kinds of conversations.
The comment that folks made before we left was that "the experience will transform you as much as the people you are going there to help." Huge cliché, but true. Still, the wording bothers me. It was more like the experience shook the foundations of my world view and left me questioning the value and importance of pretty much everything.
I go to work, and it all seems pretty insignificant in comparison. My job is to design software that "transforms healthcare providers' operating performance and quality of practice through innovative patient-safety and workflow-orchestration solutions." That's a noble calling, right? If I'm "transforming" healthcare, that's significant, right? But what about when there really isn't healthcare available? Doesn't it make sense that the priorities should be a little different? Rather than transforming, how about simply providing? In my previous post, I talked about Marjorie, one of our interpreters. She has a little boy who has a number of medical conditions. She has to spend a couple of hours on multiple buses twice a week to get him to a doctor in San Jose. And she's lucky, because she has the resources to afford the bus and a job that provides a flexible work schedule.
And I'm not just talking about Costa Rica; I'm not so naive and uninformed to think that there aren't millions of people in our own country who don't have basic healthcare.
I work with some of the coolest technology out there: automatic workflow-orchestration software that dynamically evaluates and acts upon the status of patients, assets, staff, and rooms based on location, movement, and interaction data received from real-time wireless locating technology. Yeah, don't worry about re-reading that sentence; it won't help. It's the kind of thing I explain to people, and their eyes glaze over. When I'm done with my elevator pitch, they reply with, "So you work with computers then?" Bottom line, it's cool and very challenging. But then you go to Orosi, and most people don't have computers. Many haven't seen a computer. For that matter, most people don't have hot water or even plumbing that doesn't leak constantly and leave water (clean, "gray," or just plain raw sewage) standing on the bathroom floor. Basic plumbing isn't cool or advanced technology, but it's something I sure take for granted--but probably won't anymore. And I can guarantee that my longing for a marble-tiled shower with multiple adjustable shower heads seems pretty silly.
I got back to work, and one of our project managers was concerned about a meeting request I hadn't responded to yet. As I went to meetings and read my stacked up e-mails, I saw that people were all excited (in both the positive sense and the negative sense) about project x or y. But somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to care all that much.
When I was building the kitchen cabinets at La Gaviota Blanca, I worked with a local kid named Johan. He didn't speak any English, and my Spanish was limited mostly to "Donde esta el banyo?" and "Yo necessito burrito." But we were able to communicate, we got the job done, and we had a fun time doing it. Once I showed him how to pre-drill, counter-sink, and drive a screw with the cordless drill, that kid went to town. We had to force him to take breaks. And when the time came to cut the plywood backing, I handed him the circular saw. His eyes lit up, and he was so excited to use it. The cut was crooked and kinda jagged, but that piece of plywood backing was the best part of the entire cabinet. In my opinion at least.
Before we left, I learned a little more about Johan. He's a bright, hard-working kid with lots of ambition. He's a quick learner. He's popular with his peers. And he supports his family financially. Unfortunately, he had to drop out of school to do it. So this bright kid who should be getting an education to make something of himself will probably end up picking coffee for $10 a day for the rest of his life. Lots of bright kids who should be learning about computers, math, science, technology, languages, and the world outside Orosi will probably be right out there in the field with him.
So how can I honestly care if a guy at some hospital doesn't want to upgrade unless the main screen shows patients categorized in a certain way? All I can think is that for ten bucks a day, Johan can go back to school. I spend that much on lunch a lot of days. Where are peoples' priorities, mine included?
A four-hour airplane ride transported me a world away. But the return flight didn't necessarily bring me all the way home.
So here I sit. I'm not sure what the point of this post is, and I'm not sure if it comes across as inspiring, annoying, motivating, or self-righteous. I'm also not sure how to do the "God tie in" to end this post.
So how about this: God blessed me with an opportunity to see beyond myself. He blessed me with a perspective on just how insignificant I--and everyone and everything else--are in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, he blessed me with the understanding that I can make a difference, even it's "only" in the life of a single person. Quite the cosmic contradiction there: utterly insignificant, yet perfectly positioned to help change the world.
It's kinda ironic. For the last several weeks, Jeff Gardner (Threshold's pastor, for those of you who don't know) has been closing all his sermons and blog posts using a specific phrase. Maybe it's what God is trying to say to me right now . . .
Dare you to move.
But there's more to it than that. I've been struggling (and I'm not sure if that's exactly the right word) to put everything from last week into perspective--and reconcile it with my day-to-day life back here in Charlotte. I've told my Costa Rica stories a dozen times or more, but that's just narrative. I'm having a hard time verbalizing the truly important stuff, so I stick with the "on Wednesday we did . . ." kinds of conversations.
The comment that folks made before we left was that "the experience will transform you as much as the people you are going there to help." Huge cliché, but true. Still, the wording bothers me. It was more like the experience shook the foundations of my world view and left me questioning the value and importance of pretty much everything.
I go to work, and it all seems pretty insignificant in comparison. My job is to design software that "transforms healthcare providers' operating performance and quality of practice through innovative patient-safety and workflow-orchestration solutions." That's a noble calling, right? If I'm "transforming" healthcare, that's significant, right? But what about when there really isn't healthcare available? Doesn't it make sense that the priorities should be a little different? Rather than transforming, how about simply providing? In my previous post, I talked about Marjorie, one of our interpreters. She has a little boy who has a number of medical conditions. She has to spend a couple of hours on multiple buses twice a week to get him to a doctor in San Jose. And she's lucky, because she has the resources to afford the bus and a job that provides a flexible work schedule.
And I'm not just talking about Costa Rica; I'm not so naive and uninformed to think that there aren't millions of people in our own country who don't have basic healthcare.
I work with some of the coolest technology out there: automatic workflow-orchestration software that dynamically evaluates and acts upon the status of patients, assets, staff, and rooms based on location, movement, and interaction data received from real-time wireless locating technology. Yeah, don't worry about re-reading that sentence; it won't help. It's the kind of thing I explain to people, and their eyes glaze over. When I'm done with my elevator pitch, they reply with, "So you work with computers then?" Bottom line, it's cool and very challenging. But then you go to Orosi, and most people don't have computers. Many haven't seen a computer. For that matter, most people don't have hot water or even plumbing that doesn't leak constantly and leave water (clean, "gray," or just plain raw sewage) standing on the bathroom floor. Basic plumbing isn't cool or advanced technology, but it's something I sure take for granted--but probably won't anymore. And I can guarantee that my longing for a marble-tiled shower with multiple adjustable shower heads seems pretty silly.
I got back to work, and one of our project managers was concerned about a meeting request I hadn't responded to yet. As I went to meetings and read my stacked up e-mails, I saw that people were all excited (in both the positive sense and the negative sense) about project x or y. But somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to care all that much.
When I was building the kitchen cabinets at La Gaviota Blanca, I worked with a local kid named Johan. He didn't speak any English, and my Spanish was limited mostly to "Donde esta el banyo?" and "Yo necessito burrito." But we were able to communicate, we got the job done, and we had a fun time doing it. Once I showed him how to pre-drill, counter-sink, and drive a screw with the cordless drill, that kid went to town. We had to force him to take breaks. And when the time came to cut the plywood backing, I handed him the circular saw. His eyes lit up, and he was so excited to use it. The cut was crooked and kinda jagged, but that piece of plywood backing was the best part of the entire cabinet. In my opinion at least.Before we left, I learned a little more about Johan. He's a bright, hard-working kid with lots of ambition. He's a quick learner. He's popular with his peers. And he supports his family financially. Unfortunately, he had to drop out of school to do it. So this bright kid who should be getting an education to make something of himself will probably end up picking coffee for $10 a day for the rest of his life. Lots of bright kids who should be learning about computers, math, science, technology, languages, and the world outside Orosi will probably be right out there in the field with him.
So how can I honestly care if a guy at some hospital doesn't want to upgrade unless the main screen shows patients categorized in a certain way? All I can think is that for ten bucks a day, Johan can go back to school. I spend that much on lunch a lot of days. Where are peoples' priorities, mine included?
A four-hour airplane ride transported me a world away. But the return flight didn't necessarily bring me all the way home.
So here I sit. I'm not sure what the point of this post is, and I'm not sure if it comes across as inspiring, annoying, motivating, or self-righteous. I'm also not sure how to do the "God tie in" to end this post.
So how about this: God blessed me with an opportunity to see beyond myself. He blessed me with a perspective on just how insignificant I--and everyone and everything else--are in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, he blessed me with the understanding that I can make a difference, even it's "only" in the life of a single person. Quite the cosmic contradiction there: utterly insignificant, yet perfectly positioned to help change the world.
It's kinda ironic. For the last several weeks, Jeff Gardner (Threshold's pastor, for those of you who don't know) has been closing all his sermons and blog posts using a specific phrase. Maybe it's what God is trying to say to me right now . . .
Dare you to move.
Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before
From "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sunday Evening
It's mid afternoon on Tuesday, and we're on the plane back to Charlotte. It's been a while since I posted, so I wanted to get you new information as soon as we land in the queen city.
My last post ended about mid-afternoon on Sunday, and I thought the day was going to wind down after that. Not so much.
During the church services, the rain poured down for nearly an hour. And I'm talking about a torrential, buckets-at-a-time, soak-you-to-the-bone, better-build-an-ark kind of rain. The rain had been comparatively light all week long, giving us great weather to do our work. However, the heat and humidity had been building that entire time, and the deluge had to come sometime. Sunday at around 2:15 was that sometime.
After dinner that evening, Marjorie (one of our interpreters) learned that the rains had flooded her house. There was standing water and mud in every room. So we packed up all the brooms and towels we could find at El Jardin Sagrado, and the six of us--along with Ken and Sherri Dundon--headed over to Orosi. When we arrived, we immediately went into "get 'er done" mode. We moved out the furniture, swept out the water, hosed out the mud, and dried the floors with towels. It took us about 45 minutes, and the place was back in order with little evidence of the flooding.
Fortunately, Sherri Dundon was there. Being guys, we were just worried about solving the problem at hand. Sherri, on the other hand, comforted, cried with, and prayed with Marjorie. That was probably more important under the circumstances. You see, not long ago, most of Marjorie and Rosario's immediate family--mother, father, and several brothers and sisters--died when heavy rains caused a mud slide that buried the family's home at the foot of one of the mountains surrounding Orosi. I can't imagine what kind of terror and post-traumatic stress descended on Marjorie when she walked into that house and saw all the mud and water.
We were blessed to have Sherri with us to care for Marjorie's emotional and spiritual needs. And I know that God put us all there so we could help her recover from disaster and be a witness to His grace. When we first arrived in Orosi, Rick Grossman emphasized a very important point to us: Orosi is a small town, and everything you do will be common knowledge throughout Orosi and across the river in Palomo within 24 hours. The statement was meant mostly as a caution. But in this case, it foreshadowed an opportunity to spread the news of how six gringos on a mission trip did more than just renovate a building that will promote Christ-centered outreach programs. That was already big news in the valley.
Plenty of Ticos also saw what happened to Marjorie's house. Many of them were watching from their porches or windows when we arrived. And they saw how we jumped in to help somebody we barely knew--not because it was part of the project plan, but because the Holy Spirit moved us to help one of God's children who was in desperate need.
What an incredible witness to God's glory for the people of Orosi! And I pray that Rick was right and everybody in the Orosi Valley knew about it by sundown on Monday. I also pray that they'll look at all of our actions this past week and make room in their hearts for the love of Jesus.
The pilot just said that we're descending into Charlotte, so I'll wrap up this post. But don't worry, I still have to tell you about Monday-- plenty of good stuff there.
Thanks to everyone who prayed for us, read the blog, left comments, sent e-mails of encouragement, and supported us financially. We couldn't have done this without you. And thanks to God for giving us this opportunity to build His Kingdom and make a difference in the lives of the people of Orosi.
My last post ended about mid-afternoon on Sunday, and I thought the day was going to wind down after that. Not so much.
During the church services, the rain poured down for nearly an hour. And I'm talking about a torrential, buckets-at-a-time, soak-you-to-the-bone, better-build-an-ark kind of rain. The rain had been comparatively light all week long, giving us great weather to do our work. However, the heat and humidity had been building that entire time, and the deluge had to come sometime. Sunday at around 2:15 was that sometime.
After dinner that evening, Marjorie (one of our interpreters) learned that the rains had flooded her house. There was standing water and mud in every room. So we packed up all the brooms and towels we could find at El Jardin Sagrado, and the six of us--along with Ken and Sherri Dundon--headed over to Orosi. When we arrived, we immediately went into "get 'er done" mode. We moved out the furniture, swept out the water, hosed out the mud, and dried the floors with towels. It took us about 45 minutes, and the place was back in order with little evidence of the flooding.
Fortunately, Sherri Dundon was there. Being guys, we were just worried about solving the problem at hand. Sherri, on the other hand, comforted, cried with, and prayed with Marjorie. That was probably more important under the circumstances. You see, not long ago, most of Marjorie and Rosario's immediate family--mother, father, and several brothers and sisters--died when heavy rains caused a mud slide that buried the family's home at the foot of one of the mountains surrounding Orosi. I can't imagine what kind of terror and post-traumatic stress descended on Marjorie when she walked into that house and saw all the mud and water.
We were blessed to have Sherri with us to care for Marjorie's emotional and spiritual needs. And I know that God put us all there so we could help her recover from disaster and be a witness to His grace. When we first arrived in Orosi, Rick Grossman emphasized a very important point to us: Orosi is a small town, and everything you do will be common knowledge throughout Orosi and across the river in Palomo within 24 hours. The statement was meant mostly as a caution. But in this case, it foreshadowed an opportunity to spread the news of how six gringos on a mission trip did more than just renovate a building that will promote Christ-centered outreach programs. That was already big news in the valley.
Plenty of Ticos also saw what happened to Marjorie's house. Many of them were watching from their porches or windows when we arrived. And they saw how we jumped in to help somebody we barely knew--not because it was part of the project plan, but because the Holy Spirit moved us to help one of God's children who was in desperate need.
What an incredible witness to God's glory for the people of Orosi! And I pray that Rick was right and everybody in the Orosi Valley knew about it by sundown on Monday. I also pray that they'll look at all of our actions this past week and make room in their hearts for the love of Jesus.
The pilot just said that we're descending into Charlotte, so I'll wrap up this post. But don't worry, I still have to tell you about Monday-- plenty of good stuff there.
Thanks to everyone who prayed for us, read the blog, left comments, sent e-mails of encouragement, and supported us financially. We couldn't have done this without you. And thanks to God for giving us this opportunity to build His Kingdom and make a difference in the lives of the people of Orosi.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
And on Sunday, We Rested
After breakfast this morning, Ken Dunden (GOM's property manager here at El Jardin Sagrado) drove us around the Orosi Valley to see some of the nearby sights.
Our first stop was at Casa Del Sonador (the dreamer's house), a local woodworking shop. The two brothers who own it are master craftsmen who carve local scenes and religious imagery from coffee tree wood. Their father started the business something like twenty years ago, and it has become very famous in Costa Rica. Chris said he even saw something about it on the Internet. The carvings ranged in size from a few inches to upwards of six feet. There was one beautiful statue I wanted to buy, but it was about four feet tall and weighed probably 100 pounds. There's no way US Airways would let me bring that on the plane without buying it a seat. Casa Del Sonador was a phenomenal sight to behold; even the building itself was hand-carved (see the photo above and the one of The Last Supper below)! God has truly blessed these brothers with artistic talent.
Next, we drove to the ruins of the Church of Our Lady of Ujarras, which was the first Spanish colonial church in Costa Rica. The original church on he site was constructed around 1540, although the European-style buttressed building that you see in the photo was not finished until 1693. I would tell you when it was abandoned, but that part of the sign was gone. [Update: Web research indicates that it was abandoned in 1833 due to earthquake and flood damage.] Oh, and we did finally get to see our first tropical bird of the trip--something in the parrot or macaw family, I believe.
But perhaps my favorite thing this morning was the fruit stand we visited right down the path from the ruins. It was run by a husband and wife, and they were incredibly friendly and helpful. The wife spent a long time chatting with Jeff in Spanish, and the husband kept cutting open fruit so everyone in our group could sample every kind of fruit he had. I don't even know what all of it was, but it was absolutely delicious. We bought a good assortment of fruit to take back to El Jardin Sagrado for Gloria and Isa to cook.
As we were heading back to the van, we passed a woman selling hand- made jewelry. Howard tried on some of the rings, but they were all too small. She looked Howard up and down and said, "no mas grande!" The Ticos are generally pretty short (even I feel tall a lot of the time), so I'm guessing that very little down here was designed with Howard in mind.
After we returned to camp, we rested for a while and then attended church services. Rick was teaching about the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and emphasizing how we all can make a difference.
Then, there came the big surprise. Rick asked for 14 volunteers to come forward. It took a while, but they all came up. To their amazement, they each received $100. But there was a catch: they had to use the money to make a difference for someone else--feed somebody who's hungry, pay rent for somebody who can't, etc. It's each person's individual choice how to use the money, but he or she must report back to the congregation how the money was spent and what the results were.
Our first stop was at Casa Del Sonador (the dreamer's house), a local woodworking shop. The two brothers who own it are master craftsmen who carve local scenes and religious imagery from coffee tree wood. Their father started the business something like twenty years ago, and it has become very famous in Costa Rica. Chris said he even saw something about it on the Internet. The carvings ranged in size from a few inches to upwards of six feet. There was one beautiful statue I wanted to buy, but it was about four feet tall and weighed probably 100 pounds. There's no way US Airways would let me bring that on the plane without buying it a seat. Casa Del Sonador was a phenomenal sight to behold; even the building itself was hand-carved (see the photo above and the one of The Last Supper below)! God has truly blessed these brothers with artistic talent.Next, we drove to the ruins of the Church of Our Lady of Ujarras, which was the first Spanish colonial church in Costa Rica. The original church on he site was constructed around 1540, although the European-style buttressed building that you see in the photo was not finished until 1693. I would tell you when it was abandoned, but that part of the sign was gone. [Update: Web research indicates that it was abandoned in 1833 due to earthquake and flood damage.] Oh, and we did finally get to see our first tropical bird of the trip--something in the parrot or macaw family, I believe.But perhaps my favorite thing this morning was the fruit stand we visited right down the path from the ruins. It was run by a husband and wife, and they were incredibly friendly and helpful. The wife spent a long time chatting with Jeff in Spanish, and the husband kept cutting open fruit so everyone in our group could sample every kind of fruit he had. I don't even know what all of it was, but it was absolutely delicious. We bought a good assortment of fruit to take back to El Jardin Sagrado for Gloria and Isa to cook.As we were heading back to the van, we passed a woman selling hand- made jewelry. Howard tried on some of the rings, but they were all too small. She looked Howard up and down and said, "no mas grande!" The Ticos are generally pretty short (even I feel tall a lot of the time), so I'm guessing that very little down here was designed with Howard in mind.
After we returned to camp, we rested for a while and then attended church services. Rick was teaching about the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and emphasizing how we all can make a difference.
14. "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
15. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
17. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
18. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19. "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22. "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24. "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26. "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27. Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28. " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
30. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Then, there came the big surprise. Rick asked for 14 volunteers to come forward. It took a while, but they all came up. To their amazement, they each received $100. But there was a catch: they had to use the money to make a difference for someone else--feed somebody who's hungry, pay rent for somebody who can't, etc. It's each person's individual choice how to use the money, but he or she must report back to the congregation how the money was spent and what the results were.
Opening Night Was a Success!
We're just leaving La Gaviota Blanca after the inaugural youth group meeting, and I would say it was quite a success! You can see all of the kids who attended in the photo.
There were music videos, skits, games, and food. I have rarely seen a happier group of kids; they had an absolute blast. We didn't find out until we arrived that the six of us were going to be cooking hot dogs and making iced tea. Problem was, we had no knives (the hot dogs come in a thick casing down here), no tongs, no long spoons for stirring the tea, no plates . . . You get the picture. Fortunately, we had several Swiss army knives and the ability to do crude sterilization.
Chris gave his testimony, with Rosario interpreting. And another young man from the group gave a moving account of how he came to Christ. He had been thrown out of his home, landed in jail, and was on the fast track to a dead end. But then he found Jesus, and he cleaned up his life and repaired his relationship with his family.
Many thanks to Rosario for interpreting. She is the sweetest young lady, and she would be an asset to anyone as an interpretor. Unfortunately, our government won't let her into the U.S. to look at colleges because she doesn't have "sufficient financial resources that tie her to Costa Rica." But more on that story some other time.
It was so rewarding to see our work these past four days bearing fruit! Thank you, Lord, for giving us this opportunity. And please bless La Gaviota Blanca, all those who serve there, and all those touched by its ministry.
There were music videos, skits, games, and food. I have rarely seen a happier group of kids; they had an absolute blast. We didn't find out until we arrived that the six of us were going to be cooking hot dogs and making iced tea. Problem was, we had no knives (the hot dogs come in a thick casing down here), no tongs, no long spoons for stirring the tea, no plates . . . You get the picture. Fortunately, we had several Swiss army knives and the ability to do crude sterilization.Chris gave his testimony, with Rosario interpreting. And another young man from the group gave a moving account of how he came to Christ. He had been thrown out of his home, landed in jail, and was on the fast track to a dead end. But then he found Jesus, and he cleaned up his life and repaired his relationship with his family.
Many thanks to Rosario for interpreting. She is the sweetest young lady, and she would be an asset to anyone as an interpretor. Unfortunately, our government won't let her into the U.S. to look at colleges because she doesn't have "sufficient financial resources that tie her to Costa Rica." But more on that story some other time.
It was so rewarding to see our work these past four days bearing fruit! Thank you, Lord, for giving us this opportunity. And please bless La Gaviota Blanca, all those who serve there, and all those touched by its ministry.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
We're Almost There!
It's 12:30 on Saturday, and we're almost there. The only things we really have left are putting up a large projection screen and cleaning up.
We were here until around 9 p.m. last night. Painting took an incredibly long time. The concrete blocks sucked up a lot of paint, so we ended up putting on several coats.
But anyway, we made it. We cut windows out of concrete and framed them up. We built and installed kitchen cabinets. We built eight boxes to create a stage. We fixed the plumbing. We put in outlets and lights. We painted inside and out from floor to ceiling.
And we made a difference. In about five hours, we hope to have 100+ teenagers in this building listening to music, eating hot dogs, and soaking in God's word.
Just this morning, the local superintendent of schools stopped by. She had heard about the center, and she wanted to talk to Judith about cooperative programs. Another woman stopped by to see what we were doing, because her niece and nephew had been earlier. She goes to the local Catholic Church, and she wants to help out out in whatever way she can.
That's how La Gaviota Blanca is going to transform this community. Everyone--Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and anyone else in Orosi who cares about the future of the local kids--will work together to build a Christ-centered ministry.
I feel blessed to be a part of this project, and I thank the Lord for this wonderful opportunity. We transformed a building, and we know what happens there will transform lives. And in the process of completing our work, we've all been transformed as well.
Thank you so much for your prayers! We couldn't have done this without God's help.
Friday, August 29, 2008
It's All Coming Together
scaffold for Jeff, and he was able to get about a third of the ceiling
painted in an hour. This afternoon, we hope to get a paint sprayer
running and make quick work of the walls. They're concrete block, so
anything that can get in the cracks and crevices will really help.
In other news, Brian started the morning on electrical, and then he
came over to help me build a stage. We're constructing it as eight
four-foot by four-foot platforms. That way, they're modular enough to
configure in lots of different ways.
Before moving over to stage pieces, I started the morning finishing
the kitchen cabinet frames. Then, Howard and Steve took over on
shelves and countertop. We ran into a bit of a problem with the
countertop being horribly warped, so they had to do some carpentry
magic to get it to work.
As for Chris . . . Well, the plumbing never seems to end for him. But
he's the only one whose plumbing expertise extends beyond "water runs
down hill." He did, however, get to do some painting.
Back to it!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday Photos
We had a very busy day today. Check out the photos to see the progress.
Please keep praying for us. We have an enormous amount of work to get done by Saturday evening, when we hope to have 100+ people at La Gaviota Blanca for a youth group meeting.
Please keep praying for us. We have an enormous amount of work to get done by Saturday evening, when we hope to have 100+ people at La Gaviota Blanca for a youth group meeting.
Lunchtime Blog Post
We're taking a quick break for lunch, so I thought I'd walk across the street to Hotel Reventazon and do a quick blog post.
Things are starting to take shape this morning. Our lumber was waiting when we arrived, so we hit the ground running. The picture with this post is part of the new kitchen cabinets. You have to use your imagination, but we're getting there.
Howard and Steve got the big window (see yesterday's photo) framed and trimmed, so it's looking very good. And Chris got all the plumbing working (and not leaking), so we're all very grateful for that! Outside, Howard and Jeff have been leading Rosario (our translator) and several of the Ticos in painting the front of the building. But the award for "most valuable vendor" goes to Brian, who has been putting his skills as an electrical contractor to work non-stop since we arrived.
Our biggest problem has been availability of materials and tools. Chris had a really hard time getting toilet parts that fit. Johan (one of the local kids) and I kept breaking drill bits in this extremely hard wood. So we had to wait for someone to get more at the local hardware store.
Okay, it looks like work is starting back up. Gotta go.
Things are starting to take shape this morning. Our lumber was waiting when we arrived, so we hit the ground running. The picture with this post is part of the new kitchen cabinets. You have to use your imagination, but we're getting there.
Howard and Steve got the big window (see yesterday's photo) framed and trimmed, so it's looking very good. And Chris got all the plumbing working (and not leaking), so we're all very grateful for that! Outside, Howard and Jeff have been leading Rosario (our translator) and several of the Ticos in painting the front of the building. But the award for "most valuable vendor" goes to Brian, who has been putting his skills as an electrical contractor to work non-stop since we arrived.
Our biggest problem has been availability of materials and tools. Chris had a really hard time getting toilet parts that fit. Johan (one of the local kids) and I kept breaking drill bits in this extremely hard wood. So we had to wait for someone to get more at the local hardware store.
Okay, it looks like work is starting back up. Gotta go.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Get Your Photos Here!
I don't have a lot of time tonight, but I did get a chance to upload some photos for your viewing pleasure. I apologize for those that are blurry. I didn't have a lot of time. I'll weed them out tomorrow.
Enjoy! And keep praying for us.
Enjoy! And keep praying for us.
Demolition has Begun
We got up bright and early this morning, and we walked over to La Gaviota Blanca. The main project for this morning has been cutting two windows in the concrete block walls to provide light for the back office and a pass through to the kitchen (both of which we're building).
Chris Bee also attacked the plumbing. Unfortunately, it fought back. One thing about the plumbing down here is that everything leaks. And building codes aren't rigorously enforced, so fixing the toilet became far more difficult than it should have been. It appears to be embedded in the concrete.
Okay, well break over. Gotta get back to work. I'll pull out the laptop tonight and do a better post with more pictures. I'm a bit limited in what I can do with my iPhone. Many thanks to Hotel Reventazon for their free Wi-Fi!
And thank you for all of your prayers. We appreciate them immensely!
Chris Bee also attacked the plumbing. Unfortunately, it fought back. One thing about the plumbing down here is that everything leaks. And building codes aren't rigorously enforced, so fixing the toilet became far more difficult than it should have been. It appears to be embedded in the concrete.
Okay, well break over. Gotta get back to work. I'll pull out the laptop tonight and do a better post with more pictures. I'm a bit limited in what I can do with my iPhone. Many thanks to Hotel Reventazon for their free Wi-Fi!
And thank you for all of your prayers. We appreciate them immensely!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
We're here!
Just a quick note. We made it to Orosi without any incidents. The flights were good, and the drive from San Juan to Orosi was uneventful. Below, you can see a photo from right before we drove down into the valley.
More later after we get settled.
More later after we get settled.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Proyecto MORFO Meeting Update
Judith Grossman sent this e-mail late this afternoon. Saturday's meeting to introduce Proyecto MORFO to the community went very well! Read on, and please pray for their continued success. I am so looking forward to getting down there to do my part.
Thank you so much for all your prayers for our first community meeting of Proyecto MORFO. The meeting was an unqualified success! With many different organizations represented, more than 35 people stated their desire to come to more meetings, to help with resources and materials and to participate in community programs to help stem the rising tide of teen drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, school dropout rates, prostitution and the sexual exploitation of children in the Orosi Valley.
Comments (I am translating into English) on written evaluations included:
When asked if our community currently has the necessary means to prevent the serious social problems and reduce social risks for our children and adolescents, the nearly unanimous response was a resounding "no!" but, by the end of the meeting, a sense of hope and empowerment had grown among us. It was clear that Proyecto MORFO is an initiative whose time has come. Please pray that the next meeting, planned for September 20th, will be fruitful as we begin to make strategic plans for the coming year. In God we trust!
In the meantime, we have a short term team arriving tomorrow from Threshold Church in Charlotte to help us renovate the La Gaviota Blanca building where we will be doing Christ-centered ministry for children and youth -- afterschool bible programs, bible story hours, youth group meetings and outreach, trainings for parents, for youth leaders and Sunday School teachers, etc. Saturday, September 13th we will offer a training in the morning followed by an outreach event in the afternoon for children 4-12 years old. We need your prayers for this, too, of course!
We love and appreciate you so much and are grateful for your partnership with us in the Kingdom work in Orosi, Costa Rica.
Dios le bendigo!
Rick and Judith
Thank you so much for all your prayers for our first community meeting of Proyecto MORFO. The meeting was an unqualified success! With many different organizations represented, more than 35 people stated their desire to come to more meetings, to help with resources and materials and to participate in community programs to help stem the rising tide of teen drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, school dropout rates, prostitution and the sexual exploitation of children in the Orosi Valley.
Comments (I am translating into English) on written evaluations included:
"Congratulations! Excellent work. This project must go forward! Together we can do it! God is with us!" -- a councilman
"I want to be part of this intiative. I am a mother of a preschooler and was a victim of psycholgical aggression for part of my marriage and believe that young mothers need to be trained regarding domestic violence." -- a mother
"I very much appreciated this meeting. I want to participate and offer resources." -- a local coffee farmer
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -- a Sunday School teacher
"I am very worried about our adoloscents who have many problems and I want to help them avoid all of these things." -- a teacher
When asked if our community currently has the necessary means to prevent the serious social problems and reduce social risks for our children and adolescents, the nearly unanimous response was a resounding "no!" but, by the end of the meeting, a sense of hope and empowerment had grown among us. It was clear that Proyecto MORFO is an initiative whose time has come. Please pray that the next meeting, planned for September 20th, will be fruitful as we begin to make strategic plans for the coming year. In God we trust!
In the meantime, we have a short term team arriving tomorrow from Threshold Church in Charlotte to help us renovate the La Gaviota Blanca building where we will be doing Christ-centered ministry for children and youth -- afterschool bible programs, bible story hours, youth group meetings and outreach, trainings for parents, for youth leaders and Sunday School teachers, etc. Saturday, September 13th we will offer a training in the morning followed by an outreach event in the afternoon for children 4-12 years old. We need your prayers for this, too, of course!
We love and appreciate you so much and are grateful for your partnership with us in the Kingdom work in Orosi, Costa Rica.
Dios le bendigo!
Rick and Judith
Sunday, August 24, 2008
La Gaviota Blanca Posters
One thing I really want to do for the new La Gaviota Blanca center is provide something attractive and eye-catching for the interior walls. I have no doubt we'll do a phenomenal job painting the concrete block walls, and Jeff Lewis has hinted that he'll try his hand at painting a mural. Still, I decided that I'd put together a series of posters to add to the decor.
The first poster contains La Gaviota Blanca's mission statement. As I mentioned in a previous post, La Gaviota Blanca means "The White Seagull," so the imagery should be pretty self-explanatory. It's more text than I like to include on a poster, but it's an important and ambitious mission, so we have to get it all in there.
I also have an English version of this poster, but I probably won't have time to print it (it takes about an hour). So here's the translation:
Next, I created a poster containing one of the most fundamental verses in the Gospel, John 3:16. Judith wants to teach English at the center, so she requested English and Spanish on the posters wherever possible. One of the real blessings I've found on the web is Christianity.com's My Bible Study Tools, which includes dozens of Bible translations. A few of them are even Spanish.
Because a main focus of La Gaviota Blanca's ministry will be on children, it only seemed appropriate to include a poster featuring Luke 18:16. This one uses one of the photos from last December's vacation Bible school as a backdrop.
And finally, I wanted to lighten things up a little bit and focus on the role we all need to take as we go out into the world. Matthew 4:18-20 speaks to that topic.
I also have a companion English poster for this one; the two are designed to flank some object or area.
Okay, as you look at these, realize that I am a technical writer by education and a software designer by trade. I am not a graphic designer. So if anybody has suggestions on how to improve these, let me know. Maybe we can get re-prints before the December trip. And if you have a favorite Bible verse, leave a comment. Maybe I will be able to come up with a photo and make a poster.
By the way, I want to credit iStockphoto for these images. I buy a lot of images from them for my business presentations, and they really came through for me here.
The first poster contains La Gaviota Blanca's mission statement. As I mentioned in a previous post, La Gaviota Blanca means "The White Seagull," so the imagery should be pretty self-explanatory. It's more text than I like to include on a poster, but it's an important and ambitious mission, so we have to get it all in there.
I also have an English version of this poster, but I probably won't have time to print it (it takes about an hour). So here's the translation:
Haciendo corazones libres para volar (Making hearts free to fly)...through facilitating cooperative projects, programs and events that minister to the emotional, physical, social and spiritual needs of children and adolescents of the Orosi Valley.
We seek to collaborate with local individuals, ministries and churches of all denominations as we work together to accomplish goals we share in common for the children of our community: the enhancement of self-esteem, the development of strong biblical character and values, and the attainment of each child's God-given potential.
We seek to assist children and adolescents in:
- Celebrating the life of Christ through prayer, music and the creative arts expressing the glory of God;
- Cultivating personal growth in Christ through applying the Word of God to their individual lives;
- Caring about one another in Christ through an atmosphere of love, acceptance, forgiveness and unity in the midst of diversity and through warm, caring, supportive relationships; and
- Communicating Christ to the world through creative outreach to the community based on the love Christ has for every person regardless of race, creed or religious affiliation.
Next, I created a poster containing one of the most fundamental verses in the Gospel, John 3:16. Judith wants to teach English at the center, so she requested English and Spanish on the posters wherever possible. One of the real blessings I've found on the web is Christianity.com's My Bible Study Tools, which includes dozens of Bible translations. A few of them are even Spanish.
Because a main focus of La Gaviota Blanca's ministry will be on children, it only seemed appropriate to include a poster featuring Luke 18:16. This one uses one of the photos from last December's vacation Bible school as a backdrop.
And finally, I wanted to lighten things up a little bit and focus on the role we all need to take as we go out into the world. Matthew 4:18-20 speaks to that topic.
I also have a companion English poster for this one; the two are designed to flank some object or area.
Okay, as you look at these, realize that I am a technical writer by education and a software designer by trade. I am not a graphic designer. So if anybody has suggestions on how to improve these, let me know. Maybe we can get re-prints before the December trip. And if you have a favorite Bible verse, leave a comment. Maybe I will be able to come up with a photo and make a poster.
By the way, I want to credit iStockphoto for these images. I buy a lot of images from them for my business presentations, and they really came through for me here.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Road to Costa Rica
One thing I haven't really addressed here in the blog is "Why Orosi, Costa Rica?" Of all the thousands of locations in this world in desperate need of the Gospel and salvation through Jesus Christ, how is it that Threshold came to partner with a small village in Costa Rica's central valley? I'm new to Threshold (about two months), so I figured there must be a story here. And there is--one that I suspect even long-time Threshold members might not know.
It's a story that spans a decade and a half and three continents. And it's a story that vividly illustrates how God executes his plans through his children in the most amazing ways.
Richard Wilson is Threshold's Executive Pastor. I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, so I looked it up on the Threshold web site:
Fifteen years ago, before there was a Threshold, Richard met Rick and Judith Grossman in the Netherlands. Richard was the Northern European Director of a missions organization, and the Grossmans were planting a church in Amsterdam. Their relationship continued when Rick and Judith moved to Brussels to start another church. Over the next decade, Richard took music and leadership teams to that church about every other year. When he came to Threshold, Richard brought the relationship with him, and two Threshold teams served that church over the past few years.
Then, in 2006, God called Rick and Judith to Costa Rica. I absolutely love the story, which you can read on their blog. In summary, they were visiting relatives in Costa Rica. On the final day of vaction, some friends took them on a day trip to El Jardin Sagrado outside of Orosi. They thought it was a beautiful place, and they felt an immediate connection. But the vacation was over, so they went back home to Belgium. Shortly thereafter, the woman who owned El Jardin Sagrado sold it to Global Outreach Mission; her failing health made her unable to manage the upkeep. She told the people at GOM about Rick and Judith and got them in touch to discuss the possibilities for missionary work in the area.
It was quite a big change of scenery from where Rick and Judith had been for the past twenty years. But God called, and they followed.
Meanwhile, back at the church . . . Threshold was looking for a Central American church to partner with. God put Richard back in touch with his old friends, who just happened to now be in Costa Rica, doing what? Planting a new church! Threshold explored the work Rick and Judith were doing and decided that it seemed like a good fit.
Hollywood couldn't write this kind of stuff! Fortunately, Jesus is a pretty darn good screenwriter, producer, and director.
Our current partnership with Rick and Judith got off to a great start last December, when Van Pennington, Threshold's Director of Family Ministries, led a children’s ministry team to Orosi and conducted a three day Vacation Bible School for over 140 children. God answered many prayers that week, and over 50 children accepted Christ as their savior. The Threshold team partnered well with the Grossmans, a local pastor, and many local volunteers. Check out this slide show, and I think you can see that for yourself.
Click the arrow to start the slide show.
The Threshold team also hosted a Fiesta la Navidad for abandoned and abused children from a shelter. At least for one day, those children received gifts, experienced Christian love and caring, and learned about Jesus Christ.
Threshold's leadership hopes to continue supporting the Grossmans' ministry. As part of that, the church will try to organize two trips each year to Costa Rica. Jeff Lewis has agreed to help organize and plan these.
One of those trips will build on the success of last December's Vacation Bible School. The planning is already underway for this December's trip, which will be here in no time. Would you like to go? Would you like to make a difference in lives just by your presence, your love, and your caring? Go back and look at that slide show again. Look at those smiling faces. You can be a part of that. You can make a difference in their lives. What better time to do something like that than the Christmas season?
The other trip will be like the one we'll embark on next week. Did I just say "next week"? Wow! It could vary from a construction project to a medical mission to community outreach. It all depends on the needs that the Grossmans and the leadership at Threshold identify.
I can't wait to get on that plane on Tuesday. I can't wait to arrive in Orosi. And I can't wait to start making a difference. Every night I thank God for how blessed I am. I have a wonderful, healthy family--a loving wife and two smart, funny, beautiful kids. We have a safe and comfortable home. We have food on our table and clothes on our backs. I don't want to take any of that for granted. I want to thank God for it all! And one way I feel that I can do that is to go to Orosi and help others. We can make their lives better. I truly hope the people watching me and working with me in that 1000-square-foot building ask why I'm doing this. Because I want to tell them about a man I think they should get to know.
It's a story that spans a decade and a half and three continents. And it's a story that vividly illustrates how God executes his plans through his children in the most amazing ways.
Richard Wilson is Threshold's Executive Pastor. I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, so I looked it up on the Threshold web site:
Richard's role at Threshold is to develop leaders, build teams, and determine strategies to effectively mobilize an authentic body of replicating Christ-followers to reach the surrounding area. He is passionate about impacting postmodern culture with the gospel. The thing that really jazzes him is to be part of a radical community that wants to change the world for Jesus.He leads frequent mission teams to Europe, Africa, and South America, is a lecturer at conferences and seminars, and an international church-planting consultant.
Fifteen years ago, before there was a Threshold, Richard met Rick and Judith Grossman in the Netherlands. Richard was the Northern European Director of a missions organization, and the Grossmans were planting a church in Amsterdam. Their relationship continued when Rick and Judith moved to Brussels to start another church. Over the next decade, Richard took music and leadership teams to that church about every other year. When he came to Threshold, Richard brought the relationship with him, and two Threshold teams served that church over the past few years.
Then, in 2006, God called Rick and Judith to Costa Rica. I absolutely love the story, which you can read on their blog. In summary, they were visiting relatives in Costa Rica. On the final day of vaction, some friends took them on a day trip to El Jardin Sagrado outside of Orosi. They thought it was a beautiful place, and they felt an immediate connection. But the vacation was over, so they went back home to Belgium. Shortly thereafter, the woman who owned El Jardin Sagrado sold it to Global Outreach Mission; her failing health made her unable to manage the upkeep. She told the people at GOM about Rick and Judith and got them in touch to discuss the possibilities for missionary work in the area.
It was quite a big change of scenery from where Rick and Judith had been for the past twenty years. But God called, and they followed.
Meanwhile, back at the church . . . Threshold was looking for a Central American church to partner with. God put Richard back in touch with his old friends, who just happened to now be in Costa Rica, doing what? Planting a new church! Threshold explored the work Rick and Judith were doing and decided that it seemed like a good fit.
Hollywood couldn't write this kind of stuff! Fortunately, Jesus is a pretty darn good screenwriter, producer, and director.
Our current partnership with Rick and Judith got off to a great start last December, when Van Pennington, Threshold's Director of Family Ministries, led a children’s ministry team to Orosi and conducted a three day Vacation Bible School for over 140 children. God answered many prayers that week, and over 50 children accepted Christ as their savior. The Threshold team partnered well with the Grossmans, a local pastor, and many local volunteers. Check out this slide show, and I think you can see that for yourself.
Click the arrow to start the slide show.
The Threshold team also hosted a Fiesta la Navidad for abandoned and abused children from a shelter. At least for one day, those children received gifts, experienced Christian love and caring, and learned about Jesus Christ.Threshold's leadership hopes to continue supporting the Grossmans' ministry. As part of that, the church will try to organize two trips each year to Costa Rica. Jeff Lewis has agreed to help organize and plan these.
One of those trips will build on the success of last December's Vacation Bible School. The planning is already underway for this December's trip, which will be here in no time. Would you like to go? Would you like to make a difference in lives just by your presence, your love, and your caring? Go back and look at that slide show again. Look at those smiling faces. You can be a part of that. You can make a difference in their lives. What better time to do something like that than the Christmas season?
The other trip will be like the one we'll embark on next week. Did I just say "next week"? Wow! It could vary from a construction project to a medical mission to community outreach. It all depends on the needs that the Grossmans and the leadership at Threshold identify.
I can't wait to get on that plane on Tuesday. I can't wait to arrive in Orosi. And I can't wait to start making a difference. Every night I thank God for how blessed I am. I have a wonderful, healthy family--a loving wife and two smart, funny, beautiful kids. We have a safe and comfortable home. We have food on our table and clothes on our backs. I don't want to take any of that for granted. I want to thank God for it all! And one way I feel that I can do that is to go to Orosi and help others. We can make their lives better. I truly hope the people watching me and working with me in that 1000-square-foot building ask why I'm doing this. Because I want to tell them about a man I think they should get to know.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
First Community-Wide Meeting Planned for Proyecto MORFO
This afternoon, I received the following e-mail from Judith Grossman. It looks like Proyecto MORFO is really gaining some traction. A major test for the initiative will occur just days before we arrive in Costa Rica. Read on for details . . .
On Saturday, August 23, at 4 p.m., leaders from every sphere within the Orosi Valley will gather to discuss a new project which is being sponsored by La Gaviota Blanca. Proyecto MORFO's goal is to assist the Orosi Valley "to become a community that protects and empowers our children," specifically in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse, sexual and other types of abuse, and the commercial exploitation of children.
This meeting is intended to assess the level awareness of community leaders such as pastors and priests, school principals and teachers, government officials, and other interested parties about the serious social risks that the children and teens of this valley face daily. We are amazed and excited by the response we have had to our invitations and are expecting between 50 and 70 people to attend, including the police, the mayor, twelve councilmen, and a congressman. It has become very clear that many are concerned about these issues and seeking practical solutions.
We are planning to share what we have discovered in the way of statistics and real life stories relating to the problem in Orosi, and we expect we will learn as much as we will share.
In order to solve any problem you must first understand it. This is a worldwide problem, but we need to understand how it is manifesting here in our community. This is step one. This meeting will invite various community organizations to work together to dream and envision how we, together, can change the world starting in Orosi.
Morpho means change, and the blue morpho butterfly is a national symbol of the wonderful diversity and beauty of Costa Rica. Beautiful yes, but fragile, too—just like our children. First we need to talk, educate, and inform. But then we need to act to protect and empower the children. Please pray for us, for this meeting, and for this project.
On Saturday, August 23, at 4 p.m., leaders from every sphere within the Orosi Valley will gather to discuss a new project which is being sponsored by La Gaviota Blanca. Proyecto MORFO's goal is to assist the Orosi Valley "to become a community that protects and empowers our children," specifically in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse, sexual and other types of abuse, and the commercial exploitation of children.This meeting is intended to assess the level awareness of community leaders such as pastors and priests, school principals and teachers, government officials, and other interested parties about the serious social risks that the children and teens of this valley face daily. We are amazed and excited by the response we have had to our invitations and are expecting between 50 and 70 people to attend, including the police, the mayor, twelve councilmen, and a congressman. It has become very clear that many are concerned about these issues and seeking practical solutions.
We are planning to share what we have discovered in the way of statistics and real life stories relating to the problem in Orosi, and we expect we will learn as much as we will share.
In order to solve any problem you must first understand it. This is a worldwide problem, but we need to understand how it is manifesting here in our community. This is step one. This meeting will invite various community organizations to work together to dream and envision how we, together, can change the world starting in Orosi.
Morpho means change, and the blue morpho butterfly is a national symbol of the wonderful diversity and beauty of Costa Rica. Beautiful yes, but fragile, too—just like our children. First we need to talk, educate, and inform. But then we need to act to protect and empower the children. Please pray for us, for this meeting, and for this project.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Renovation Projects at the La Gaviota Blanca Center
Threshold's Costa Rica partners, Rick and Judith Grossman, recently signed a lease on a 1000-square-foot space in a small retail complex in Orosi. This will become the new home of La Gaviota Blanca, the fledgling community outreach program created to build on the Grossmans' foundational efforts with Global Outreach Mission at El Jardin Sagrado. The program's goal's are simple yet ambitious:Haciendo corazones libres para volar (Making hearts free to fly)...through facilitating cooperative projects, programs and events that minister to the emotional, physical, social and spiritual needs of children and adolescents of the Orosi Valley.
We seek to collaborate with local individuals, ministries and churches of all denominations as we work together to accomplish goals we share in common for the children of our community: the enhancement of self-esteem, the development of strong biblical character and values, and the attainment of each child's God-given potential.
We seek to assist children and adolescents in:
- Celebrating the life of Christ through prayer, music and the creative arts expressing the glory of God;
- Cultivating personal growth in Christ through applying the Word of God to their individual lives;
- Caring about one another in Christ through an atmosphere of love, acceptance, forgiveness and unity in the midst of diversity and through warm, caring, supportive relationships; and
- Communicating Christ to the world through creative outreach to the community based on the love Christ has for every person regardless of race, creed or religious affiliation.
It's our goal to, in four days, tackle a number of projects that will transform a cold, empty retail space into a warm, welcoming, safe, and supportive place where Orosi's residents can connect, learn, worship, and grow—intellectually, emotionally, and in their faith and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Click the arrow to play the slide show.
Here's a list of what we'll be doing:
- Painting the building inside and out.
- Installing a sign on the roof of the building.
- Purchasing folding tables and chairs for use in worship services and other activities.
- Building kitchen cabinets, installing a counter top, plumbing in a sink, and wiring the area for a small fridge and microwave.
- Thoroughly cleaning/sanitizing the restroom and fixing any plumbing problems.
- Building shelves and a work area in an alcove area.
- Building a modular, easy-to-move, and easily storable stage.
- Building a puppet theater.
- Repairing and upgrading the building's wiring to support a sound system and other audiovisual equipment.
Most of our projects will be indoors. However, two of them (painting the building's exterior and installing the sign on the roof) will require a little cooperation from the weather. It rains pretty heavily almost every day this time of year, so that could be a tall order. Fortunately, the mornings are often rain-free—at least for a little while. And we have faith that the Lord will work with us to get the outdoor jobs done.
We're also blessed to have full support from the building's landlord. He's excited to see the improvements to his property, so he's helping us get "tico pricing" on our materials and supplies.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Bridge (June 2008)
The following content appeared in the June 2008 edition of The Bridge, Rick and Judith Grossman's periodic newsletter. Judith has given me permission to re-print it here in the blog.
Dear friends and family,
As we approach the end of our second year in Costa Rica we are truly amazed at all that the Lord has done. We have been blessed with the joy of once again starting a church from the ground up, a church that had 90 people in attendance last week for celebration and a church picnic, a church in which we are the only team members who are foreigners. The Lord has brought together a local leadership team with truly exceptional capacities. Jose is a co-pastor with us in Puente de Esperanza (Bridge of Hope)–this is the name the church has finally decided to adopt. Please pray for clarity about his role with the church, as he currently has numerous jobs and responsibilities with other organizations. Unfortunately, he has had very little time for the church up until now.
Jeffry and Sidey give leadership to both our youth and children. With their passion to impact the emerging generation in the Orosi Valley for Christ, they are dedicated to inviting young people on the adventure of a lifetime in Christ. Mario and Dinia have deeply caring hearts and often find themselves counseling and caring for their neighbors, most of whom don‘t know Jesus. They model a godly family life in a place where many homes are without fathers and where children as young as 12 years old are involved with drugs and prostitution.
Marjorie is a single mother who has a giant heart for community service and evangelism. She constantly reminds us all of the need to touch the whole person and meet people at their point of need within the community. She is also our Spanish teacher and provides translation as needed when things get complicated and outstretch our language skills.
A major accomplishment of this team in recent weeks is the adoption of our purposes as a church. Some of you will recognize them as those wonderful and familiar 4 Cs we have held so dear for many years: Celebrar la vida de Cristo; Cultivar una vida personal en Cristo; Cuidarnos mutuamente en Cristo and Comunicar a Cristo al mundo. Even if you don‘t speak any Spanish we know you will recognize Celebrate, Cultivate, Care and Communicate! Next steps are vision and mission statements. Our church is well on the way to having a philosophy and strategy of ministry to guide it into the future and the work God has planned especially for this community. It is our desire to train and empower the church to function independently to reach the people of this valley with a dynamic message of Christ‘s love and salvation.
Even as we seek to give more and more control and leadership away to the church planting team, the Lord is opening up still more doors for effective ministry for us here in the valley. It seems the Enemy has held a strong foothold here for many generations, especially in the area of sexual sin and the exploitation of children. In recent months we have spoken to many who are deeply concerned that this valley has been a haven for those who are involved in sexual perversion. Just yesterday, two of Justice‘s teachers warned us that there are men in our immediate neighborhood who pay children (vulnerable due to their ignorance and their poverty) for sexual acts. Our own 6 year old grandchild has been approached sexually by two children in the neighborhood in recent months. A consensus is growing that a cooperative project is desperately needed in the valley to provide education for parents and children and to offer programs of prevention for children and youth. This project will require cooperation from many disciplines to include educators, government workers, psychologists and social workers, spiritual leaders and local churches among others. We have nurtured this vision we are calling Proyecto MORFO and held the first official meeting to discuss the project this week in our home. We believe that God wants to use us to reverse the course of this valley and conquer the generational curse that has tormented the people here for many years.
Prayer needs: Please pray for the team as there are many inherent challenges to having a bi-lingual, bi-cultural team. Teamwork is tough in the best of circumstances! Also, continue to pray for our financial needs. God is good and we have been able to receive full salary three months in a row! But at the same time, a church that supported us for many years wrote this month to say they will be ending their funding as of July. We need faithful supporters now more than ever before and are grateful to those of you who responded with special gifts and renewed commitments!
We are resting in the knowledge that our security is found in the hands of a holy and loving God. Finally, pray for the initiation and direction for Proyecto MORFO to protect the children of this beautiful valley.
God bless you and hold you like a child in His gentle, loving arms always!
With love,
Rick & Judith
Please send gifts designated for “the Grossmans” to:
Global Outreach Mission
USA: Box 2010, Buffalo, NY 14231-2010
Canada: Box 1210, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7A7
Apartado 141-7100, Paraiso COSTA RICA
www.bridge-builders.blogspot.com
Dear friends and family,As we approach the end of our second year in Costa Rica we are truly amazed at all that the Lord has done. We have been blessed with the joy of once again starting a church from the ground up, a church that had 90 people in attendance last week for celebration and a church picnic, a church in which we are the only team members who are foreigners. The Lord has brought together a local leadership team with truly exceptional capacities. Jose is a co-pastor with us in Puente de Esperanza (Bridge of Hope)–this is the name the church has finally decided to adopt. Please pray for clarity about his role with the church, as he currently has numerous jobs and responsibilities with other organizations. Unfortunately, he has had very little time for the church up until now.
Jeffry and Sidey give leadership to both our youth and children. With their passion to impact the emerging generation in the Orosi Valley for Christ, they are dedicated to inviting young people on the adventure of a lifetime in Christ. Mario and Dinia have deeply caring hearts and often find themselves counseling and caring for their neighbors, most of whom don‘t know Jesus. They model a godly family life in a place where many homes are without fathers and where children as young as 12 years old are involved with drugs and prostitution.Marjorie is a single mother who has a giant heart for community service and evangelism. She constantly reminds us all of the need to touch the whole person and meet people at their point of need within the community. She is also our Spanish teacher and provides translation as needed when things get complicated and outstretch our language skills.
A major accomplishment of this team in recent weeks is the adoption of our purposes as a church. Some of you will recognize them as those wonderful and familiar 4 Cs we have held so dear for many years: Celebrar la vida de Cristo; Cultivar una vida personal en Cristo; Cuidarnos mutuamente en Cristo and Comunicar a Cristo al mundo. Even if you don‘t speak any Spanish we know you will recognize Celebrate, Cultivate, Care and Communicate! Next steps are vision and mission statements. Our church is well on the way to having a philosophy and strategy of ministry to guide it into the future and the work God has planned especially for this community. It is our desire to train and empower the church to function independently to reach the people of this valley with a dynamic message of Christ‘s love and salvation.
Even as we seek to give more and more control and leadership away to the church planting team, the Lord is opening up still more doors for effective ministry for us here in the valley. It seems the Enemy has held a strong foothold here for many generations, especially in the area of sexual sin and the exploitation of children. In recent months we have spoken to many who are deeply concerned that this valley has been a haven for those who are involved in sexual perversion. Just yesterday, two of Justice‘s teachers warned us that there are men in our immediate neighborhood who pay children (vulnerable due to their ignorance and their poverty) for sexual acts. Our own 6 year old grandchild has been approached sexually by two children in the neighborhood in recent months. A consensus is growing that a cooperative project is desperately needed in the valley to provide education for parents and children and to offer programs of prevention for children and youth. This project will require cooperation from many disciplines to include educators, government workers, psychologists and social workers, spiritual leaders and local churches among others. We have nurtured this vision we are calling Proyecto MORFO and held the first official meeting to discuss the project this week in our home. We believe that God wants to use us to reverse the course of this valley and conquer the generational curse that has tormented the people here for many years.Prayer needs: Please pray for the team as there are many inherent challenges to having a bi-lingual, bi-cultural team. Teamwork is tough in the best of circumstances! Also, continue to pray for our financial needs. God is good and we have been able to receive full salary three months in a row! But at the same time, a church that supported us for many years wrote this month to say they will be ending their funding as of July. We need faithful supporters now more than ever before and are grateful to those of you who responded with special gifts and renewed commitments!We are resting in the knowledge that our security is found in the hands of a holy and loving God. Finally, pray for the initiation and direction for Proyecto MORFO to protect the children of this beautiful valley.
God bless you and hold you like a child in His gentle, loving arms always!
With love,
Rick & Judith
Please send gifts designated for “the Grossmans” to:
Global Outreach Mission
USA: Box 2010, Buffalo, NY 14231-2010
Canada: Box 1210, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7A7
Apartado 141-7100, Paraiso COSTA RICA
www.bridge-builders.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Mission Begins!
From August 26 through September 2, 2008, six of us from Threshold Church in Matthews, NC, will travel to the village of Orosi, Costa Rica, to help renovate a community center. This weblog will chronicle our efforts and present photos of the trip. Our hosts have wireless Internet access, so I hope to post daily articles and pictures while we’re in-country.
Image from Wikimedia Commons. Click the image for information.
Orosi seen from the south
Feel free to play with the following map—zoom in and out and switch between map, satellite, and terrain views—to get a better perspective on where Orosi is located.
From everything I hear and read, the mountainous landscape is absolutely stunning, and nearby rivers support a thriving whitewater adventures industry. Although the area is rural and rather rustic by Charlotte standards, there is running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and even Internet service. Farming is the village’s main industry, with coffee being the primary crop. In fact, most youngsters begin working in the coffee fields around age 14. Poverty and unemployment are both very common, so anyone making $25 a day is extremely fortunate.
Image from Wikimedia Commons. Click the image for information.
A coffee plantation just south of Orosi
Image and Data from The Weather Channel. Click the image for information.
San Jose Monthly Average Temperatures
The Orosi Valley is reputed to be the wettest place in all of Costa Rica, receiving approximately 200 to 300 inches of rain a year! It’ll be the height of the rainy season when we’re there, so rain will be pretty much a daily occurrence. The rain can be very heavy in the afternoons, but rumor has it that the mornings usually have some good weather. Fortunately, we’ll be doing much of our work inside a building and won’t have to fight the rain most of the time to get our work done.
Although this graphic shows the precipitation for San Jose rather than Orosi, it should give you an idea of the monthly rainfall trends. The central valley gets much more rain than San Jose.
Image and Data from The Weather Channel. Click the image for information.
San Jose Monthly Average Rainfall
Our local hosts, Rick and Judith Grossman, are missionaries working with Global Outreach Mission (GOM). Rick is an ordained pastor, and Judith is a clinical psychologist and an author.
The husband-and-wife team has been successfully planting churches in the US (California) and Europe (Holland and Belgium) for the past 20 years. They’ve lived in Orosi for two years now working to bring the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the town’s residents. You can read the inspiring story of how God called them to Costa Rica on their blog.
Rick and Judith moved to Orosi and began working with Global Outreach Mission shortly after the organization purchased El Jardin Sagrado (The Sacred Garden), a beautiful five-acre retreat and community center near the town. Their mission is to be . . .
Since arriving in Costa Rica, the Grossmans have worked tirelessly to plant and grow a Bible-based, Christ-centered church focused on the needs of "unchurched people" in Orosi.
As part of their mission, Rick and Judith have taken an active role in the community to fight poverty, improve healthcare, and combat a growing prostitution and child sex industry. For local girls, legalized prostitution provides an unpleasant alternative to working in the coffee fields. Although the practice is illegal until girls reach age 18, some parents actually push their daughters into prostitution as early as 14 to help support the family. And the problem is bigger than prostitution—legalized or otherwise. Sexual exploitation of young children is now taking many forms, and younger children—girls and boys alike—are being propositioned more and more often. Even the Grossmans’ six-year-old grandson has been approached.
Providing education, activities, and spiritual guidance at the community center is just one way Rick and Judith hope to fight all forms of child exploitation. In fact, Judith has been instrumental in founding Proyecto MORFO (Movimiento para Operar el Reforzamiento de las Familias de Orosi or Movement for the Strengthening of Families in Orosi). This is a community program working to develop and execute proactive programs that enhance children's self-esteem and empower them to protect themselves and reach their God-given potential.
Haciendo Corazones Libres Para Volar
The Grossmans’ latest project—the one we’ll be part of—focuses on providing a community center that local Christian groups can use for hosting church services, youth group meetings, Bible study, community-development activities, etc. Since Global Outreach Mission purchased it, El Jardin Sagrado has been an absolute blessing; it has provided a wonderful environment for hosting all of these activities. In fact, the local mission work has been so successful that El Jardin Sagrado can no longer support all of the new community outreach programs and GOM's other "base camp" needs (e.g., hosting group meetings, reunions, and retreats). It's time to branch out to a new facility that can help provide for the community's needs.
Thanks in large part to Threshold’s ongoing financial assistance, the Grossmans already have a one-year lease on an approximately 1000-square-foot building to house the new La Gaviota Blanca (The White Seagull). Based on the pictures we’ve seen, it looks to be in good shape. The walls are made of concrete blocks, and the floors are tile. We’ve been asked to add improvements that will make the space suitable for everything that Rick, Judith, and team have in mind. More on those construction projects in an upcoming post.
While we're in Costa Rica—and as we plan and prepare for the trip—please pray for our health and safety, the success of our renovation project, and many opportunities to show and tell others why we believe in Jesus and His promise of everlasting life.
Image from Wikimedia Commons. Click the image for information.
Orosi seen from the south
Orosi’s Location and Economy
Orosi is a village of approximately 4600 (or 8000, depending on the source) people located in Costa Rica’s central valley about an hour’s drive southeast of the nation’s capital, San Jose. Geographically, it’s only about 25 to 30 miles away as the crow flies, but the road is narrow and winding. The village is situated in roughly the middle of the country in the province of Cartago. Orosi sits in the valley at an altitude of 3625 feet, with nearby Tapanti National Park (about six miles away) climbing in altitude to up to 8400 feet.Feel free to play with the following map—zoom in and out and switch between map, satellite, and terrain views—to get a better perspective on where Orosi is located.
From everything I hear and read, the mountainous landscape is absolutely stunning, and nearby rivers support a thriving whitewater adventures industry. Although the area is rural and rather rustic by Charlotte standards, there is running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and even Internet service. Farming is the village’s main industry, with coffee being the primary crop. In fact, most youngsters begin working in the coffee fields around age 14. Poverty and unemployment are both very common, so anyone making $25 a day is extremely fortunate.
Image from Wikimedia Commons. Click the image for information.
A coffee plantation just south of Orosi
Local Climate
I was quite surprised to learn that we won’t be fighting intense heat while we’re in Orosi. Some friends of mine served on a mission trip to Nicaragua (the country just north of Costa Rica) last year around this time, and they said the heat was almost unbearable. However, as the following graphic from The Weather Channel illustrates, the central valley of Costa Rica is apparently very temperate throughout the year. The temperatures shown here are for San Jose, and Orosi is generally several degrees cooler.Image and Data from The Weather Channel. Click the image for information.San Jose Monthly Average Temperatures
The Orosi Valley is reputed to be the wettest place in all of Costa Rica, receiving approximately 200 to 300 inches of rain a year! It’ll be the height of the rainy season when we’re there, so rain will be pretty much a daily occurrence. The rain can be very heavy in the afternoons, but rumor has it that the mornings usually have some good weather. Fortunately, we’ll be doing much of our work inside a building and won’t have to fight the rain most of the time to get our work done.
Although this graphic shows the precipitation for San Jose rather than Orosi, it should give you an idea of the monthly rainfall trends. The central valley gets much more rain than San Jose.
Image and Data from The Weather Channel. Click the image for information.San Jose Monthly Average Rainfall
Our Hosts
Our local hosts, Rick and Judith Grossman, are missionaries working with Global Outreach Mission (GOM). Rick is an ordained pastor, and Judith is a clinical psychologist and an author.The husband-and-wife team has been successfully planting churches in the US (California) and Europe (Holland and Belgium) for the past 20 years. They’ve lived in Orosi for two years now working to bring the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the town’s residents. You can read the inspiring story of how God called them to Costa Rica on their blog.
Rick and Judith moved to Orosi and began working with Global Outreach Mission shortly after the organization purchased El Jardin Sagrado (The Sacred Garden), a beautiful five-acre retreat and community center near the town. Their mission is to be . . .
". . .the longterm church planters who will follow-up with those who come into the Kingdom through these short-term projects and ongoing ministries to the community. We will build bridges in the community for evangelism, meeting needs by offering counseling for individuals, couples and families, by teaching English, by holding Bible studies, by providing children and youth camps and activities, and other practical outreach events. In short, we will do whatever it takes to earn the right to speak into the lives of the people in this community with the message of grace and hope that only comes from Jesus Christ."
Since arriving in Costa Rica, the Grossmans have worked tirelessly to plant and grow a Bible-based, Christ-centered church focused on the needs of "unchurched people" in Orosi.
As part of their mission, Rick and Judith have taken an active role in the community to fight poverty, improve healthcare, and combat a growing prostitution and child sex industry. For local girls, legalized prostitution provides an unpleasant alternative to working in the coffee fields. Although the practice is illegal until girls reach age 18, some parents actually push their daughters into prostitution as early as 14 to help support the family. And the problem is bigger than prostitution—legalized or otherwise. Sexual exploitation of young children is now taking many forms, and younger children—girls and boys alike—are being propositioned more and more often. Even the Grossmans’ six-year-old grandson has been approached.
Providing education, activities, and spiritual guidance at the community center is just one way Rick and Judith hope to fight all forms of child exploitation. In fact, Judith has been instrumental in founding Proyecto MORFO (Movimiento para Operar el Reforzamiento de las Familias de Orosi or Movement for the Strengthening of Families in Orosi). This is a community program working to develop and execute proactive programs that enhance children's self-esteem and empower them to protect themselves and reach their God-given potential.
Haciendo Corazones Libres Para Volar
(Making Hearts Free to Fly)
The Grossmans’ latest project—the one we’ll be part of—focuses on providing a community center that local Christian groups can use for hosting church services, youth group meetings, Bible study, community-development activities, etc. Since Global Outreach Mission purchased it, El Jardin Sagrado has been an absolute blessing; it has provided a wonderful environment for hosting all of these activities. In fact, the local mission work has been so successful that El Jardin Sagrado can no longer support all of the new community outreach programs and GOM's other "base camp" needs (e.g., hosting group meetings, reunions, and retreats). It's time to branch out to a new facility that can help provide for the community's needs.Thanks in large part to Threshold’s ongoing financial assistance, the Grossmans already have a one-year lease on an approximately 1000-square-foot building to house the new La Gaviota Blanca (The White Seagull). Based on the pictures we’ve seen, it looks to be in good shape. The walls are made of concrete blocks, and the floors are tile. We’ve been asked to add improvements that will make the space suitable for everything that Rick, Judith, and team have in mind. More on those construction projects in an upcoming post.The Road Ahead
So that’s a brief introduction to Orosi and a high-level overview of why we’re going. Stay tuned for additional posts leading up to the trip. As soon as possible, I’ll try to include a project list of what we’ll be doing at the community center. And I’ll see if I can get Jeff Lewis, our trip leader, to write up a summary of Threshold’s ongoing relationship with—and commitment to—Orosi and the new church there.While we're in Costa Rica—and as we plan and prepare for the trip—please pray for our health and safety, the success of our renovation project, and many opportunities to show and tell others why we believe in Jesus and His promise of everlasting life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
