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.

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.

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.

It's All Coming Together

We're to the point of painting now. The guys put together a makeshift
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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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:

"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

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:

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

And if we get done with all of that, I'm sure we can find other projects to attack! Personally, I think a center like La Gaviota Blanca could use some large bulletin boards and some posters and artwork.

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.

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

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

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.

View Larger Map

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.