Costa Rica Mission Trip Reports - March 2010

Sunday - March 7

We are safely ensconced in La Casa Metodista. Will & Ella, the on-site missionaries, have given us their orientation and we are settling in for the evening. We are preparing ourselves for a full day of work on Monday leveling floors with dirt, pouring columns, laying blocks for walls, and tying rebar. Our tubs full of crafts as well as Maddie's hair care products arrived along with us (YAY!). The weather is balmy, at least compared to Michigan standards. The Costa Ricans feel it is a little cool. Some of us have met "Mama Dog" and her litter of two-week old puppies. Life is good! and God is good!

Tuesday - March 9

The coffee is brewing and the team members are awakening. Yesterday was full of new experiences for most of us. Fortunately the ticos (the local men working on building the children's home: Darwin, Danny, Roberto, Aleandro) are very patient with us. We worked a full day, 8 am-4 pm, hauling dirt by wheelbarrow, tying rebar, and laying cement blocks. We came home quite weary. Last night we practiced singing songs in Spanish to lead at bible school, fleshed out our burning bush script, and finished organizing our crafts, then had devotions and for some an early bedtime while others played euchre and chess. The Methodist house is quite comfy.

We're heading out to breakfast momentarily and look forward to a morning of hard work and an afternoon of fun with the children at Bible school.

Blessings to you at home!

Wednesday - March 10

Another day in paradise. Actually, it's cloudy this morning, which is a good sign for the work site. A few of us are sporting some pink skin from yesterday's work.

We had our first afternoon of bible school: only 14 children showed up but we had a great deal of fun with them. They enjoyed our skit, with Ben as Moses, Larry as the burning bush, and Maddy as God. Today Evan gets to be Pharaoh!

They are making a special announcement at the school today so we can get the 50 or so children we are hoping for.

Bessie is hoping for Taco de Perro for dinner (Dog Tacos). The neighborhood dog, Mama Dog, was barking in the middle of the night (ok, just kidding). She does have 7 adorable puppies so perhaps we'll not do that after all.

Well, breakfast awaits. Will, the onsite missionary was admonishing us so we have to be a little more timely.

Thursday - March 11

It's a bright sunny morning and we're headed to breakfast. Bible School was wonderful yesterday. We had about 40 children and they loved the craft time, songs & Moses skit (the Exodus). Ben again made a great Moses and Evan was a great Pharoh. The spontaneous hugs from all the children at the end of the afternoon made all the preparations and hard work worthwhile.

Will & Ella, the missionaries, joined us for dinner and devotions. We also had the opportunity to buy hand-painted artwork from a young man from one of the churches they serve.

Today we will be at the work site all day. The walls are getting higher and the rebar columns are getting built. We keep hoping for a cloudy day like Monday, but mostly it's pretty hot. Foofie, the mangy dog at the worksite, always manages to find a sliver of shade. So far everyone had been in good spirits. The view from the workplace, which is high up the mountain, is inspiring.

Well, signing off for another day. Take care and we'll see you soon!

Friday - March 12

This morning we put on our torn, rebar-stained, and concrete-spattered clothes for the last time to head out to the work site. Yesterday we worked a full day and were very grateful for cloudy weather.

We can't believe it will be time to say farewell to our coworkers, Leandro, Roberto, William, Danny, Darwin, and Jose. Carmen, Jose's wife, has prepared our lunches at the work site. We have fun visiting with their younger daughters, Hilary & Laidi. If I understand correctly, they are from Nicaragua. They are certainly very hard-working and industrious. Some are from a mission in San Jose, a district called Los Guidos, which is a shanty town in a little valley outside the city. Will & Ella have a Saturday morning program for children in Los Guidos.

We have been fed very well if I haven't mentioned that before, although the food has been Americanized. We would like to sample more foods that are Costa Rican, but we can't complain because it has been so delicious.

Tonite we are going out to dinner with Will & Ella to an Italian restaurant. :-)

KENYA 2010 - Wednesday - Feb 17

Hello again, Another wonderful day in Kenya!

Our devotions today were at BLISS. Again led by our youth. We had a vocal solo this morning by Jessie, who sang the Queen Esther song a cappello (sp?). Jessie has a beautiful voice and did a wonderful job. The BLISS students sang for us and also with us. We were blessed to be together!

We continued many of the activities started earlier in the week....health screens, eye exams, teaching/assisting in class. In addition, reproductive health was taught by Dan and Stephanie. The students were attentive and asked good questions when they divided in groups by gender. They had a good discussion.

The science charts were an extremely valuable addition to the science classes.

Larry reports the music students at BLISS are doing well under Boniface's direction. They meet just once per week and have made tremendous progress. They are quite eager to have music taught more frequently and during the school day.

This afternoon Debbie led the crafts session at the Primary School (grade 6) making wind socks with able help of Laurie, Allison, Noah and Lydia. They are quite experienced working with children.

Some of the Mwanika womens groups meet this evening before dinner. Beth taught session for youth leaders of area churches. They greatly appreciated her insights and suggestions.

We are having a wonderful time. We are a bit tired from jet lag and culture shock now that it is mid-week, but are overjoyed with being here. Life flows at a different pace in Africa. It is very good for us to experience.

Hope you are well while we are away and appreciate your prayers and encouragement. You are all in our thoughts and prayers also.

Gary and Beth

KENYA - Friday - Feb 19

Good morning everyone! It is just before lunch time. We had a busy day yesterday, so I will try and catch up.

Happy Birthday, Mary!

A small group went to Maua Methodist Hospital on Wednesday morning for a tour and visit with leadership of the hospital. The team was impressed with the hospital's capabilities and excellent connections were made with the nursing program there. Maua is about 1 hour away by car through the Nyambene Mountains. It is a beautiful drive over the ridge and through the valley. It is remote. The hill sides have tea growing. It is picturesque. Everyone enjoyed their visit.

Our usual activities continue at the school.

On Wednesday evening, we had an Ash Wednesday service at Thiiri Center led by Mariilyn and Beth. It was a deeply moving experience for us to be together reflecting on our common experience. Spencer led the music accompanied by guitar. Beth talked about being still and Psalm 51. Marilyn talked about: "It's not what God calls you to do but who God calls you to be"

Thursday was a long day. We had dinner at Moses and Dorothy's home. We enjoyed the fellowship of their family and neighbors. In the afternoon , some of the group went into Meru town and visited Makena Industries, which is a textile workshop that provides employment for poor women by manufacturing woolen goods. They take wool through all the stages from spinning to weaving rugs and making other items for sale. The group also visited other ministries in the area, visiting Kaaga Methodist Church, the first Methodist Church founded in Kenya. The first missionaries were sent to the land of witch doctors, known as Kaaga, to test their resolve by the Kenyan leaders. They survived and thrived, so the rest is history.

We also visited Meru University, which is about 15 minutes east of BLISS. A public university is being established that low school fees there. It is being built at the site of a former college that closed. We are intriqued by the possibility of collaborations between UM and this school. They have an outstanding leader. On Thursday, our youth has an outing with local youth to a sacred lake. They had a wonderful time together. They just enjoyed the time being together.

Today is a big day at BLISS as the biology class is doing the dissection of a goat. Jeff and Dan are taking the lead on this project, of course. The students are extremely intriqued and attentive. They are like sponges of knowledge. Just as in the reproductive health session, they have many good questions and want to learn as much as they can.

We have a big day on Saturday. It is a day long celebration at BLISS. There will be entertainment by the students, lunch, singing, dancing, and some speeches, of course also. Moses tells us it will be less formal than the School Dedication last year. The cornerstone of the new science will be layed. It will be a special day! The community dug the trench for the foundation of the building on January 30. Over 200 people were involved, including students, teachers and parents.

Our time is passing quickly. We continue to be blessed as we work together.

We continue to appreciate your thoughts and prayers!

Bwana asifiwe! (Praise God)

Gary and Beth

KENYA 2010 - Feb 16

Jambo everyone!

Another amazing day! (I do know I'm overusing the word, but it is the most accurate one to use.)

We started the morning with devotions at Kithoka Polytechnic Youth School. They are the best singers of all the students. Our yout led devotions with Jessie and Allison giving the sermon, Lydia praying, and the rest reading scripture. All you parents should be proud! They have risen to the occaision. There are 90 new students at the Polytechic this year. This is just the start of their school year. We had a wonderful visit with the teachers there, and some of us walked to BLISS.

Our work at the high school continued. Many more student physicals and health screens. Margie is getting much help from others with growth charts and blood presure measurements, particularly the health students like Jessie. About 1 in 7 students are getting glasses, Jeff estimates. The students are highly appreciative.

This afternoon Carol led a group to do crafts at Bishop Primary School with a group of 48 twelve year olds. The children always love crafts. They have few resources to do this on a regular basis so it is a very special treat for them.

Work continues in teh classrooms. Joey and Stephanie were involved in teaching Chemistry. Debbie reports that the English lessons are going well. They are enjoying the students tremendously.

Kenyans are taught in a lecture style and are not used to an interactive style. Sometimes it takes small incentives like ink pens and stickers to get then to open up. The students are much less shy and reticient than last year. It is geniunely a warm and staisfying experience.

Beth is putting on a program to train Sunday School teachers at Mwanika Church this evening.

Yesterday we had a terrific concert from the Thiiri Band in the mango grove outside the Thiiri center in the afternoon. Larry is quite with their progress, also considering they have been working together since last July. The band practises once per week and meets at lunch time. Some traveling for quite a ways.

Our meals today are Kenyan. We will have roasted goat for dinner, and beef stew and rice for lunch. It has been great, though goat can give your jaw some exercise.

We miss all our family and friends, know that we think of you often, even though we might not write as often as we would like.

Gary and Beth

KENYA 2010 - First Day at School - Feb 15

Greetings all!

Today was our first day at BLISS. It was an amazing time. We were warmly greeted by the students with a song as we arrived. The students and teachers were quite excited to see us and be with us.

Many students, parents and community members had their vision tested, and some were fitted with specially-designed glasses. There was a dramatic improvement made in some of their ability to see clearly. Students were given a health screen, First aid classes started again this time.

English classes got started also and gave lessons. Students were interviewed on video. Crafts were done with primary students. Fingerpainting was done by the kindergarten students. Something they don't do in Kenya.

There was even time after school for soccer and other activities.

We were able to see the trenches dug for the new science building. This was done by over 240 parents, teachers and other community members. It was amazing the level of pride and involvement of community in BLISS.

Yesterday was a full day at Mwanika Church. We went to the Kimeru service at 11 AM. It lasted only 2.5 hours. They even translated the sermon for us. The church dinner afterwards was filling and enjoyable. Spencer provided special music accompanied by guitar at both services. We heard special words from Bishop Imathiu with such energy and passion that only he can provide. We felt very special. They are proud of their progress on the church hall. Even the building is still at a rough-in stage. We had dinner there.

We have had a joy-filled day! We should sleep well tonight.

We are all well and been blessed tremendously.. It was another beautiful sun-filled day in Kenya!

God be with you all! We miss you but are having a great time.

Gary and Beth

KENYA 2010 - Day Two - Feb 13

Greetings all in true Kenyan fashion,

We got away early from the Methodist Guest House about 8 AM and were able to move through traffic reasonably well. The day started out cloudy and we encountered some rain on the way. Then the skies cleared about 1.5 hour from Meru. We took our time, visited some curio shops and stopped at the Equator. We had lunch at the Trout Tree restaurant, which is trout farm and a restaurant in a tree house, just like Swiss Famil Robinson.

We were even able to see the peak of Mt Kenya briefly.

The wedding reception at the Thiiri Centre is just starting. It's 5:30 PM. It was supposed to start at 2 PM. Apparently the rain prevented the bride from getting to the church.

Beth Miller and Sue Peck to inform everyone that Megan and Spencer are engaged!!! They are both quite excited. I think their feet have not touched the ground, since they got the phone call.

Tomorow will be a very busy day. We will attend the Kimeru worship, which is their native tongue, at 11 AM. We will likely be in church all afternoon. They are having a church dinner after the service in our honor. It is quite an honor! They will provide entertainment in true Kenyan Fashion.

Everyone has been warm and welcomed us with great excitment.

All are well. Every's family and friends should know we are all doing well!

Our adventure is just beginning!

Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated,

Beth and Gary

KENYA 2010 - Kenya Team in Nairobi - Feb 12

Dear Family and Friends,

The Kenya Team has arrived safely in Kenya! Everyone is doing well and excited about our adventure. It has been in the high 70s, sunny and beautiful! The full team arrived at the Methodist Guest House about midnight. We hope to be on our way by 8 AM to Meru. Yes they have road construction in Kenya! We're hoping to avoid by leaving early.

We will have lunch in Nanyuiki at the Trout Tree restaurant about 1 PM and then be on our way to Meru. We should be at the Thiiri Centre by 3 PM.

We were greeted by Moses (principal of BLISS, high school) and Charles our travel agent in Nairobi. Even the tuba arrived safely! All the luggage has arrived now, even for Beth and Gary.

We'll write more later as time permits. We will have time to see a wedding reception Kenya style also at the Thiiri Centre.

God is good all the time! And all the time God is good!

Gary