March 6, 2010

The flight was what we expected – fairly short as far as international flights go, and not long enough to get any kind of restful sleep. The payback, though, was an easy sail-through customers and retrieval of all our luggage – not like last year when two pieces went missing, the two with the children’s gifts.

2 pieces of luggage per person translates into a lot of suitcases.

This year we had a large bus to transport us to Roblealto – no more lifting suitcases and tying them to the top of the vehicle.

Driving through the city of San Jose was immediately a wake-up. Nice houses with bars on the windows and front doors, and high gates around the perimeter. Poverty lurking everywhere, sometimes next door to a brand new condo complex, undoubtedly for tourists. Industry and beauty side by side. One can’t help but be struck by the contrast of mountains and thick, luxurious cloud banks surrounding a city that is in turns progressive and backward.

The team is an awesome one, with everyone fighting to do dishes and clean up. We quickly unpacked the bus with the help of 5-6 boys who were excited to see us. They were all anxious to get inside Bonanza House – our quarters for the week. However, the children aren’t allowed in. Boundaries and rules are what make Roblealto successful, and it’s important for us to abide by them, no matter how our heartstrings are pulled. There are many new children here this year, which means they are still learning to adjust in their new environment, away from the streets of San Jose.

We had a chance to play with the kids a little this afternoon. Many of the boys were out waiting for their head coach, Herrardo, to instruct them in cricket. While waiting, they were climbing trees and dangling from overhanging branches. The faint of heart had to look away but the children were having a blast. The Thomas kids, Jessica and Dillon, have fit in beautifully. Language aside, there is the more important universal language of play that all kids understand. And fortunately, it also translates to us adults, who the children quickly drag into their play circles. Whether we were returning volunteers or new people learning the ropes, everyone felt accepted by the kids. Lots of hugs and smiles all the way around.

Tonight we all had a chance to eat dinner with our assigned families. There were familiar faces to greet and new ones to meet. While dinner is generally a simple affair prepared by the house moms, it is always lovingly served up by the children. And the creative ways that beans and rice are prepared give us ideas for when we return to the states. Each house has its unique flavor and during the week we will try to describe each of the houses and its inhabitants.

It’s 9:30 p.m. and Bonanza House is quiet. Everyone is zonked, though some of us caught a little shut-eye in the afternoon. All in all, this has been a blessed day.

Part of the Roblealto Team were commissioned on 2-28-10. Several were out ill.

Getting Ready for Lift-Off to Costa Rica
March 2, 2010

The class created a long card with their handprints for Roblealto kids.

The Roblealto Team is pumped. Only a few more days before the early morning flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. By 1 a.m. on Saturday, March 6, this short term team will be wearing eye shades and ear plugs in an effort to get a few hours of shuteye. Going to Roblealto this year will be: Team Leaders Mark and Cindy Tilton and Terry and Lisa Chrisman; Kathleen Daniel, Richard Davis, Norm and Harriette Heibel, Lois Huusko, Wanda Miller, Patrick Oliphant, Jill Paris, Jodi Paris, The Thomas Family (Dean and Diane and their children Dylan and Jessica), Jamie Urbanek, and Ron Woods.

The Sunday School class sponsors a child at Roblealto.

The Team was commissioned and prayed over at both Sunday services. Several members of the team were sick and so an extra dose of prayers was offered up for their quick recovery.

Besides this team of people going to the Roblealto Home, there has been a lot of behind-the-scenes volunteer effort going on. For example, the Children’s Sunday School classes collected fun objects and stuffed them into colorful zip bags for the children at the Roblealto home. They also made special greeting cards and a lovely wall card complete with hand prints of every participating Sunday School child. Sunday School teacher Greg Sasser shared Roblealto stories with the class this past week, reading them a letter from the Roblealto child the class is sponsoring.

Two of the class show off the colorful zip bags.

These faithful Sewing Circle women created lovely tote bags and other goodies for the Roblealto women.

Another behind-the-scenes effort comes from the Women’s Sewing Circle who have been hard at work making wonderful tote bags for the house mothers and other Roblealto women. Looking at these creative treasures made so lovingly by these talented WCPC women, one realizes how many different people really contribute to making a short term mission trip like this occur.

Take the recent Crab Feed Fundraiser, for instance. Besides the team setting up, preparing, cooking and cleaning up for the event, there were other people who stepped up to the plate to assist to make the January 24th dinner one of the most successful to date. And then there are all of the generous silent auction and raffle gift donations we received to help fund this trip. Really, it takes a church to make a mission trip like this happen.

The team gets unleashed to chop their hearts out...

Look for daily updates from the team next week as we let you know what it’s like in mission fields of Costa Rica…