Racing the Rain

Monday was pretty much back to normal. In the morning we headed over to the Villa, where I helped out some more with the new garage. It was a great day for working, and we were able to get a lot of work done. Before breaking for lunch, we got three posts set up, and began work on a fourth. However, after lunch it was a mad scramble to get the concrete poured and the fourth post up before it started raining. We kind of beat the rain. As it really started coming down hard, two of the guys were trying to prop the post up so it would stay level, and cover the cement so it would not get soaked. Unfortunately, it did not really work, because about five minutes later the post was leaning very noticeably to one side. Hopefully the cement will not set and make it impossible to fix. Once we conceded defeat to the rain, I helped out inside with some dishes, and also helped proof read a document someone was translating from Spanish to English. Some of the other workers also went to the grocery store to stock up for the week, so I helped unload the bus, that’s right, bus, when they got back. And I thought shopping for eight people was a lot! After dinner, I was able to relax for a bit before heading home.

Soccer Trip, Day 7, Sunday, June 21

After spending the night with our host family, they served us a big breakfast of beans and rice, eggs, and yogurt, which was all very good. Then we killed some time walking to the top of a huge hill to check out the area, before heading to church. This was my first experience at a Costa Rican church, and it sure was different, even more different than this past Sunday. In the beginning of the service, there was intermittent singing with presentations (not sure what for cause I could not understand), Bible readings, and a special Father’s Day song by a local musician. Our team also sang a song for the congregation. After this, the kids left for Sunday school and the main service began. When that was all finished, the children came back and recited some verses they had memorized, and gave their dads a Father’s Day gift. Two other things that were very unique to this service were that waving replaced applause, and everyone stood for most of the prayers. It was very interesting. After the service, we went back with our host family for a big lunch, and then headed back to San Jose, stopping for a bit in Sarci to shop. Overall, staying with another family was a really interesting experience. It was at times awkward, but the only real problem was the difference in language. The family we stayed with, Diego Sr. and Erica, plus David, Diego Jr., Dana, and baby Benjamin were all incredibly nice and helped make it a good time. Back in San Jose, we needed to stay at a local Seminary because this was around the time the two huge groups arrived, with a total of about 100 people, so the Villa was packed. At the Seminary we had dinner and later that night were able to play one last soccer game against each other.

Spanish Church

Sunday was another relaxed day (I am beginning to enjoy those!). In the morning, we went with the only group left to a local church. Because of the language barrier, I do not get much out of the sermons, but I am still able to get something good out of the Bible verses read, and it is an enjoyable experience. Afterwards, we all went to a pizza joint for lunch and wow was it good! I guess it was Brazilian style pizza. Next, we went to the orphanage and played some soccer. It was a bit different than last time because a lot of the younger kids played too, which was nice. After a little while there, we headed to Pastor Hubert’s (he works at SCORE) church, which was in the area. There we had a Sunday evening Bible study. Like church, the language difference made things difficult, and it was especially frustrating that I could not engage in the conversation, but it was still a good time. And finally, we headed back to the Villa for some dinner. Another group of about 21 was supposed to come in tonight, but their flight got delayed or something, so we have an extra day before things get crazy again.

Soccer Trip, Day 6, Saturday, June 20

Saturday and Sunday of the soccer trip was by far the most interesting experience I have had on my trip so far. Saturday morning we headed out for a different city, around Naranjo. There we went to a church for lunch, and then went to play in a tournament with two other local teams. We lost both games, but we did play the best soccer as a team of the whole trip. It was also an interesting tournament because the reffing was very loose, almost like a scrimmage. At halftime of the first game the ref even switched with someone else and came to play for us. After all the games were over and a local pastor gave a short Gospel presentation, we headed back to the church, where we found out we would each be staying the night with a host family. None of us knew that was the plan, and we were all taken off guard. Originally it was going to be one player with each family, but luckily our coach was able to make it two to each. That really helped make things less uncomfortable, and in a way, scary. So, they split us up and sent us on our way. Me and Dan, the other guy from the team, stayed with a great family that lived right next door to the church. They did not speak any English, which made things very difficult, but they were very accommodating. Once we got settled in, the father, Diego, offered to take us around the city in his truck (it took a call to the interpreter to figure out that was what he was asking us). We drove around Naranjo for a bit, and then got a very impromptu, afterhours tour of a local coffee plantation. Diego even got a lady to open the gift shop after it had closed so we could buy stuff. Afterwards, we headed back to the church for a Saturday evening service that included games and dinner, and then went to our host’s house for a second dinner with two other guys from the team.

A Day Off

Saturday morning was another relaxed time. The group that was staying with us at the SCORE House was leaving in the afternoon, and I stayed behind with them to lock-up and help them load the bus. Once they were all set, the bus took me to the Villa and I started helping out there. They are rebuilding the garage, and needed an extra hand with that, so I jumped right in. Unfortunately, because of rain, we were only able to work for about an hour before we had to stop. Once we got everything cleaned up, it was time to eat. Since the only group still staying here was out for the day, it was a small, quiet lunch, which was nice. Afterwards, I washed more dishes. The plan then was to wait for 15-20 minutes to see if it would rain again, and then paint some of the metal frame of the garage that we had put up yesterday. But, as it turned out, it did rain, so nothing else got done on the garage. There was also very little else that needed to get done inside, and when it was done, we basically had the rest of the day off until dinner. After dinner, me and Mihai stayed at the Villa late so he could get on the internet and talk to his family, which gave me the opportunity to do the same. Unfortunately, they turn the internet at the Villa off at 10:30, which I do not think either of us knew about, so we packed up and headed home. But back at the House, we found a spot to connect, and everything worked out in the end.

Soccer Trip, Day 5, Friday, June 19

Friday was a pretty busy day for the team. In the morning we had a game against a local high school, and we were able to tie them. I guess I do not know if that is good or bad, but it was still fun. After the game we grabbed some lunch at the Villa and headed over to a local flea market type thing for more souvenir shopping. I have come to find out that that, or stopping at a mall, is a time killing technique they use to keep us busy and stay on schedule. We also played another game in the evening, this one indoor. We lost again, but it was a nice change of pace from the outdoor games. When we got back to the Villa, we needed to completely pack, because in the morning we would be headed to another city for Saturday and Sunday, which was a very interesting experience . . .

Flan!

Friday was just about the complete opposite of Thursday. Yesterday I started the day by sanding bathroom doors with a lady from one of the groups from about 9:30 until lunch. After that, I helped in the kitchen, washing and drying a whole bunch of dishes. I also helped outside with the construction of a new garage. We poured concrete and set two posts that will be some of the main supports. When this was done, me and the main maintenance guy at the Villa cleaned out the wheelbarrow the concrete was in, right into the street gutter that led to a river, I believe. After cleaning up a bit more, I helped in the kitchen again, cleaning some more dishes, as well as making juice for dinner and preparing meals to take to the seminary again. Oh, and for dessert we had, flan!

Soccer Trip, Day 4, Thursday, June 18

Wednesday of the soccer trip was an off day from ministry activities, so we headed over to Fossil Land for some zip-lining. What a blast that was! The owner of the facility, Tom Cruise, was an older guy that was . . . energetic to say the least. He led us through the first half or so of the trip up to the lines, screaming and dancing, before he had to go back for more groups. Once we got to the first line, the real fun began. We rode four lines, each under a minute, and the views were amazing! We also stopped after one of the lines to check out some fossils and a cave the park also has. After the zip-line, we headed out to eat at a local restaurant called Fresas, where I got some chicken that was pretty good. The next stop was a local mall for souvenir shopping, followed by dinner and some indoor soccer.

A Quiet Day

Thursday was very relaxed and enjoyable. Two of the groups were gone until Friday, off at the beach, so the Villa was a lot less busy. We took one of the groups to the volcano again in the morning, and then went back for lunch. Afterwards, I stayed back to helped out with whatever was needed, but once a new group that arrived in the afternoon was fed, there was very little left to do. This gave me an opportunity to hop on the computer and talk to my brother for a while and catch-up on some news (Transformers FTW!!! Wacko Jacko, well . . .). My brothers leaves July 3 for Marine OCS, and I will not see him again until the middle of August, so it was nice to be able to do that. (By the way Alex, I ended up using that program you recommended and it worked. Thanks for the help!) Once things picked up again, I helped prepare dinner for a group that was heading to a local seminary to eat and have a devo, and then I went with them. After all that, we headed back to the SCORE Home, which was unusually quiet since one of the groups that was gone is staying there was one of them at the beach.

Soccer Trip, Day 3, Wednesday, June 17

On the third day of the soccer trip, our team went out in the morning to buy 10 meals for families at a local church. Once we had everything ready, we headed to “The Hole” to hand them out. One of the guys also got two plastic tables and set of chairs for the Sunday School. It was amazing to see people who had so little be so happy because they love God. After lunch, we headed out for another game, which we lost, but I did get a goal. After the game, we gave a few of the players a ride to the bus stop, which was kind of cool.

On My Own

Wednesday was perhaps the most interesting day for me yet. In the morning we took a group downtown, using the public buses, which is not the usual method of transportation, to pick up garbage and hand out Gospel tracts. This was pretty straight forward, and I knew the basic routine since I had done this on the soccer trip, but this time I also had to make sure everyone stayed with the group and did not fall behind. After this we got lunch, and I was originally scheduled to stay at the Villa and help there, but things changed and I was put in charge of a group for the first time. It was my job to take them back to the SCORE House for a bit, and then make sure we left at 2:15 to go to an orphanage. The orphanage was a great experience. When we got there, the younger kids swarmed the bus waiting for us to get out, and once we did we all started playing with them; giving them piggyback rides, playing tag, and wrestling. We also got a chance to play soccer with the older kids, which was really fun. It was a bit interesting though, as the game was played however they wanted it to be, and at times they seemed to be making it up as they went. When it was time to go, the group passed out candy to all of the kids, and we took some pictures. It was really a fun time. After dinner we took another group downtown to feed the homeless, and then had a devo before calling it a night.

Soccer Trip, Day 2, Tuesday, June 16

The second day of the soccer trip was the first that we started playing and ministering. In the morning we went downtown to hand out tracts, nearly 2,000 of them. It is interesting to give tracts out here, because almost everyone takes them, which I do not think is the case in the States. A couple people even asked us to come over and give them one, which definitely would not happen at home! After finishing with the tracts, we did a bit of souvenir shopping before heading back to the Villa for lunch and a nap. In the afternoon, we played our first game, against a Catholic school. We lost, but afterwards had a great time of fellowship with the other team, sharing our testimony and the reason for us being there.

A Volcano

So, my plan hasn’t worked the way I thought, maybe I can get it back on track. Here we go.

Monday was the first day of my internship, and as soon as the last of the soccer group left for the airport, they put me to work right away cleaning the pool deck. After that it was pretty easy going. I went to the SCORE House that I am staying at to set up my bed, then went back to the Villa and helped out with whatever they needed; cleaning tables, dishes, etc., before heading back to go to bed.

Yesterday was a pretty fun day. In the morning I headed out with a group to check out a volcano, which was pretty cool. Mihai, one of the head guys here, said that on clear days you are able to see both oceans from where we were, but unfortunately it was too cloudy that day. And by that I mean we were so high we were in the clouds, looking down on top of and into them. After the volcano and lunch, I went with a different group to give out food to church families in a place called “the hole”. It is a very poor neighborhood built in a small valley, where all the houses are made of scrap metal and have dirt floors. But what is incredible is the joy the people we met have because of the hope they have in Christ.

Now I’ll give you a little recap of the first day of the soccer trip, which really isn’t that exciting.

Once our group got to the Villa, we settled into our rooms and then had an orientation meeting. After that we had dinner and went to play indoor soccer to get to know each other and play together before an actual game. Like I said, not too exciting. Hopefully more to come tomorrow . . .

First Week Down!

The first week is done! Wow, that went by quick! Sorry I could not keep you all updated over the last week, but I could not get on the internet. The first part of my trip, the soccer trip, is finished and was a great time. Now I have 4 1/2 weeks of an internship. I should be able to get on the internet regularly now, so I will try to post daily with an update as well as a recap of a day from the soccer week.

Getting Ready For Costa Rica

In about 12 hours now, I will be on my way to San Jose, Costa Rica for a 5 week mission trip with SCORE International (their link is on the right if you are interested). I decided to go back in late February when Liberty University held their bi-annual Missions Emphasis Week. I found the SCORE booth and was interested in their week long sport trip to Costa Rica, I also picked up some information on their internships. After emailing with the representative that was there, I decided to go for both programs. So, from June 15-22 I will be on the soccer trip, and from the 23rd to July 23 I will be an intern at the SCORE headquarters down there.

Just to give you an idea of what I will be doing, on the soccer trip we will be playing local Costa Rican teams each day, helping around the community, and handing out Gospel tracts. As an intern, I do what all interns do; whatever they tell me! More specifically, I will be going out with other groups and being their guide of sorts. I will also help out at the headquarters with laundry, cleaning, shopping, whatever they need.

Why did I decide to go? Pretty simple actually,

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. . ." Matthew 28:19, NKJV
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" Mark 16:15, NKJV

Oh, and since I know it will be asked; no, I do not speak Spanish.