Crier Creek Costa Rica Trip

Our time in Costa Rica has come to an end much too quickly for all of us. I promise we’re bringing everyone home, but there are a few I think we’ll have to drag on to the plane and keep their passports protected so they don’t shred them . We have fallen in love with the people, relaxed “Tico Time,” the beauty of Costa Rica, and the sweet partnership that has formed with the staff of Roblealto and Pine Cove.

We got some good time with the kids today: hanging out, talking, making bracelets, playing guitar, and throwing the frisbee. It’s been fun to see how eager the kids are to practice English with us and how much they actually want to talk with us and ask us questions. Those times of hanging out with them are always a treat. Even though we have only been with them three days, so many have come up to us today asking us (with pouty lips) when we are leaving. Between campers and staffers that many have built a multi-year relationship with, there will be a lot of heartfelt goodbyes tomorrow.

This afternoon was, yet again, humbling. That seems to be a theme for us here in Costa Rica. The beauty of these people’s heart and hospitality knows no end. They hosted a special time for us and the full-time staff in which they shared with us their thanks and gratefulness for both our team and Pine Cove’s partnership. They spoke of how encouraged they have been by our energy, hard-working attitudes, and our commitment to follow Jesus. The cooks had prepared a delicious fruit dish with ice cream and cake. And then….they presented us with gifts. Eduardo and Santiago, along with some others, worked night and day for two days to make for each of us an iron replica of an area at Roblealto that we had done work on on Friday. The sculpture is of the trees down by the river where we made a bonfire ring and cleaned a ton of boulders off and cleared debris for a low ropes course. It was an absolutely priceless gift. The team was thrilled, amazed, even at a loss for words. So much thought, skill, time, and heart were put into each of these gifts. And, as so many short-term mission trips go, we felt as if we were blessed beyond what we could ever repay.

As hard as it is to see our yearly partnership with Roblealto come to a close, we leave encouraged by the work that God is doing here and confident in His continued grace, guidance and blessing. Tonight during the evening game, I (Carolyn) got to work with one of the girl program staffers at the slide station. While we waited for groups to come, we had quite a bit of time to talk and we began to share our testimonies with each other. She said that she grew up in a home where her parents were believers, but that she just went to church because she had to. It wasn’t until she started coming to camp at Roblealto three years ago that she realized she really wanted Jesus and wanted to follow Him. Since then her relationship with the Lord has continually grown and she is able to stand strong and love Jesus at a university where there are very few Christians.

Her story was such an encouragement to me as I think about all the campers who pass through Roblealto and Pine Cove for a week. Our God is mighty to save, and He will woo His children to Himself in many different ways. Camp is often a vessel that He uses to capture the hearts of His people. Our prayers will continue to be with Roblealto and the staff as we leave from this place. Our humble prayer is that the Lord would continually grow the seeds of Truth and the power of the Gospel in the hearts of all who set foot on this blessed soil. Our dear brothers and sisters here at Roblealto: “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” It is a joy and an honor to run alongside you for the sake of the Gospel.

PS: For madres and padres, our flight number is Continental #1447 and we should be arriving at the Houston IAH at 7:47pm Thursday night.

The sunset from Roblealto. "The skies proclaim the work of His hands"

Today was another great day of camp. We have only one full day left, and it really hit us today. For many who have been on this trip multiple times, there is a growing bittersweetness in the reality that this will be their last time here at Roblealto with Pine Cove. Where did the time go? Amidst camp, building relationships, and being goofy, this trip has also been a sweet time of reflection for us all. We’ve had time to journal, talk with each other, and spend good time in the Word. We all did an exercise on our own where we wrote psalms to the Lord based on our time here and what He is stirring in our hearts. Tonight, after the campers went to bed, we had a rich and worshipful time reading our psalms to each other and sharing a little of what God is doing in our hearts.

We want to share pieces of several of these psalms as prayer offerings to God in hopes that your heart will be turned ever more to Jesus and His worthiness and offer you a glimpse of His work in us in Costa Rica:

“Lord, let Your Spirit rest upon me and help me to find rest in Your Spirit.
May I be a tool in Your hands for justice and righteousness.
May I be so Spirit-led to return Your favor of faithfulness.
My Spirit is willing while my flesh is weak.

Lord, be my strength, and please manifest Yourself in the words that I speak.
The Gospel I carry, may it be the theme of all I say and all I do.
Oh Triune God of grace and love, this life I give to You.”

“Thank You for waking me up this morning: that I get to experience these things.
God, I wholeheartedly thank You for Your blessings.
I pray I will not become busy with blessings and forget You.

God, I wish Your presence was so strong that I had to give my entire being to You.
However, then I think and say,
‘I’m glad You have revealed Yourself just the right amount, so I have to now seek You.’
God, teach me from the second I open my eyes to when they close from the day
that I must set everything before You.
I don’t want to hold anything back.
I want to seek You every second of the day.”

“Words cannot accurately describe Your majesty.
Words are too feeble a means of describing Your creation.
Using mere words would be a humble way of trying to illustrate the work of Your hands.

Words are what cannot express what is happening in my life.
Words are what I lack when trying to express the hold You have on my heart.
I have no words to explain myself.
Only You can search me and know my heart.

My words are not enough, but You, O Lord, are more than enough.
In my loss for words, I am content to be still and know that You are God.”

“Help me wait on Your perfect plan.
Give me eyes to see the needs of those I don’t know and those I love the most.

Give me the desires of Your heart.
Show me Your burning desire for all Your people.

Stip me of my pride and all selfishness.
I want to be a vessel of Your truth.

You are good; You are holy.
All praise is befitting to the One who died.
May I live to praise Your name for all my days.

Quiero adorarte por todos los dias de mi vida con todo mi mente,
con todos mis fuerzas, con todo mi corazon. Amen.”

“The sun is setting with colors of curiosity,
Created by the painter of perfection.
Mountains of majesty, clouds of comfort, hills of humor and a river of restoration.
I marvel at the sight and at the beauty of His love, His grace, His might.

The trees speak truth to the wonders of His hands.
As beneath them, in reverence, I cower.
The sea whispers secrets of one glorious picture of power.
The sun sheds light to His beautiful handiwork.

Who is He?
He is love, might, grace, art.
He is everything good.
He is each day’s new start.
And He is mine, for He is God.
And I will ever praise Him.”

“The Great ‘I AM,’ You are unchangeable, always faithful and continually powerful.
You are the Lord of Lords and King of Kings; You are Savior and King.
I confess that I am a sinful and rebellious creation.
I continually forget you and place my trust in things other than you, the Eternal King.
Remind us of who You are, and guide us back into intimacy with You through Your Holy Spirit.

Thank You for Your gift of life. I see evidence of You in all of creation,
but I also am looking forward to seeing You one day in heaven, face to face.”

Thank you for sharing with us in the surpassing glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are so thankful for your support and are looking forward to seeing your faces in a short while!

The morning started off early for some of our team. Delaine, Jake, Alex, and Will all left on the bus with the Costa Rican counselors to pick up the kids at a church 1 1/2 hours away in San Jose. While they were gone, the rest of us finished setting up camp and anxiously awaited their arrival.

The theme for this week of camp is “Sé Diferente” or “Be Different.” The activities, skits, night games, etc. center around a circus theme. The central point of the week is that in this crazy “circus” world we live in, Christ calls us to be different. Although the world tries to tell us that what it has to offer is fun, Christ alone can satisfy. As soon as the kids pulled up on the bus, they were ushered into the outdoor amphitheater that we decorated as a circus ring. We put on a drama for the kids that included the circus theme and the importance of being different from the world because of Christ who lives in us.

Our cast for the drama - Sé Diferente!

A staffer at Roblealto created the drama that began with a showy circus with a circus manager who was very elaborate but dressed in all black and kept his actors/actresses in bondage. None of them truly enjoyed being a circus act and there was nothing that took your breath away…until the mariposa – or butterfly. She gracefully danced on stage with such joy – so different from the others – and captured the audience’s attention. But then, seeing she was so different and joyful, the angry manager storms the stage and commands the other workers to tie up and capture the butterfly. The scene ended with the beautiful butterfly beaten down and in chains. The camp director for the week, Freddy, came up immediately afterwards and explained the week’s theme of sé diferente because of Christ in us.

Even though it was all in Spanish, the drama was extremely moving and had several of us on the verge of tears. Katherine reflected, “The skit stirred a surprisingly strong reaction in me. Even though I couldn’t understand the Spanish dialogue, I found myself deeply moved – almost to tears – for the captured butterfly. Her beautiful, care-free, and loving nature was brought down by the harsh world. I am amazed by the feelings and connections that are continually occurring despite the language barrier.”

It was so refreshing to see the focus of camp instantly hone in on Jesus. No Icebreakers, or meals, or settling into the cabin first: it was about Jesus. I love that.

In the afternoon, we ran several icebreaker games for the different cabins. This is actually a really fun part of partnering with different camps because over the past couple of years, we have picked up games and songs and cheers in Costa Rica to use at Crier Creek and vice versa. They picked up our American Games quite nicely.

Who can resist a little game of "Ninja" at camp?

One thing we’ve grown to love about Costa Rican culture is that Ticos know how to slow down and enjoy life. Every evening at camp they have a time of watching the sunset. They gather on a hill, sing a couple of songs, share with the group about their day/what they learned, pray, and soak up the majesty of the sunset.

Soaking Up His Majesty

It’s been a great first day with the youth. Many of them speak at least some English and several are bilingual. Between our Spanish and their English, we’ve definitely been able to create a Spanglish that has already been great for conversations. The kids – ages 13-17 – have come excited for camp and are already enthusiastic about being here. There’s been no “too cool” attitude that often happens the first day of youth camp

Please continue to pray for soft hearts for the youth and for their counselors who are leading Bible studies. May the Lord give us the eyes, ears, hands, and feet to be intentional with our three days left!

Inglesia Monte de Dios

We got to worship in Costa Rica esta mañana! We got up early and walked to a local church called Monte de Dios. It’s always a special experience to worship with brothers and sisters in a language other than your own. We sang some songs familiar to us and others that were cloaked with Latin flavor. Because they projected all the words on to the screen, most of us were able to follow along and truly worship. It was neat to think about you all: family, friends, and supporters simultaneously worshipping the same God in many different churches in countless cities, states, and even countries.

After a quick lunch, it was time to squeeze in one more adventure and go on a zip lining canopy tour in the rainforest. The rainforest was absolutely beautiful, filled with all sorts of unique fauna and waterfalls.

Listos! Ready to Go!

The rainforest had all sorts of treasures to uncover

It's possible we might have had a Drama Queen or two

We now have three nationalities represented here at Camp Roblealto! The local Costa Ricans, or “Ticos,” came in today for orientation to be counselors and program staff for the next two weeks of camp. There is also a group of about a dozen from Canada who came in last night and will be doing work projects/discipleship here for the next month. We all ate dinner together then headed to “La Amistad” for orientation and training. Arthur, the interim director here at Roblealto, gathered us all together: Americans, Ticos, and Canadians and gave us one simple task: “As one single body, take the basketball on one side of the room and bounce it on the “X” on the other side of the room.” If there was any hesitation to mingle with each other before, it was quickly broken as we all worked together to figure out his puzzle. We tried several different approaches, and ended up all laying down on the floor in an outline of a body with people assigned to be different parts like eyes, mouth, hands, feet, etc.

Playing Icebreaker Games With Our New Friends

Arthur then challenged us with Ephesians 4:15-16, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” We have a full camp of youth from ages 13-17 years coming tomorrow, and we must be all selflessly working as one cohesive unit to edify the Body of Christ and share His love with these kids. We had a great time tonight meeting new people and are all excited about the upcoming week. Please continue to pray for all team unity and that the Gospel will be deeply planted in our hearts and in the hearts of these youth coming to camp.

We finished the night working together creating skits, decorating for activities, and prepping materials. The bus leaves to pick up the kids tomorrow at 6am!

So thankful for you all. We love you and miss you. Buenos noches!

Today was our tourism day in Costa Rica, and we got to see quite a bit of the local flavor. Rolando and Jorge picked us up this morning and we headed out for an adventure. And what is muy famosa in Costa Rica? Cafe! So we headed out to Naranjo to go on a coffee tour of a Fair Trade coffee plantation called Espiritu Santo.

The town of "Naranjo" is close to the word "orange" in Spanish and is named for the many trees in the area that turn a bright orange in season

Our tour guide, Jose, was great and we were all fascinated by the in depth process of growing, picking, preparing, roasting, and packaging coffee.

     

Jose decided to speak "Spanglish" with us so that we could practice our Spanish and he could practice his English (we needed a little more practice though than he did)

Fun fact: coffee beans actually grow on trees encased in these red skins. Each fruit has two little beans inside. The beans have a "sweet slime" around them that has to be washed the day it is picked so that the sugars don't begin to ferment into "coffee wine"

Bryan shows us all how to grind coffee like the Costa Ricans do it.

Then, of course, we all loaded up on what they claim is the World's Best Coffee!

After getting our fill of the coffee plantation, we headed a little further out to a little town called Sarchi that is famous for their handcrafts and ox carts. Yes, I said ox carts. We had a great relaxed lunch in an open-aired restaurant then got to wander around and look at authentic Costa Rican crafts. They are a beautiful people who love bright colors and woodworking.

The town of Sarchi is especially famous for their decorative ox carts found throughout the town. We thought it was a great fit.

We then wanted to get a taste of the real local flavor, so we headed to the open market where a lot of the locals do their shopping for groceries and supplies. We were there just a little before closing, but the place was a buzz with activity, bartering, hanging together, and lots of smells that were new to most of us. We picked up some mora berries – a local fruit used mostly for juice – and a sort of flattened cornbread for the experience then headed on to dinner. Rolando took us to one of his favorite places for seafood – Mar Azul.

Josh ordered "Pescado" not knowing he was going to acquire a whole new friend complete with fins, eyes, and teeth

We were so grateful for a day to play together. Lots of good conversations in the car, memories made, goofy moments, and laughter. We played hard but feel rejuvenated and are excited for the Roblealto summer staff to arrive tomorrow and to begin to bond with them as we plan for camp to start on Monday.

Wow. Tonight as a team we kneel humbled, challenged, and filled with gratitude. The morning started off so sweet as we gathered together with the full-time staff of Roblealto and prayed. Arthur, the interim director, began the prayer time with a passion to come before the Lord in thankfulness for all He has done and will do. In both English and Spanish we all followed suit, praising God for His worthiness, His Son Jesus, and His work through the ministries of both Roblealto and Pine Cove. It’s always so beautiful to sit with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who don’t speak your language and to hear passionate hearts cry out to God. Although we don’t understand everything the other says, there is a deep unearthly connection with people who also love Jesus and desire to live for Him. The Lord so graciously tuned our hearts to sing His praises as we started the day: “The whole earth is filled with awe at Your wonders. Where morning dawns; where evening fades, You call forth songs of joy.” Ps 65:8

David, Helen, and their son with the gang

The highlight for most of us today was getting to spend time with David and his wife Helen. David has worked on the maintenance crew for Camp Roblealto for ten years. But, recently, they felt the Lord prompting them to leave their home in San Jose de La Montana and move into Roblealto’s children’s home and become foster parents for 10 kids in addition to their two they still have at home. As we finished up our work project at camp today, David came up to us to invite us to his home. He wanted so much to have all 16 of us into his home for Costa Rica’s best coffee (and, I’ll just say, it was pretty phenomenal) and to share with us what Pine Cove’s ministry has meant to them over the past couple of years.

After so graciously ushering us in, giving us a tour of the home, and filling us with coffee, cookies, and chips and dip, David so humbly stood before us to thank us for the supplies Pine Cove has sent in the past. He said that the school supplies we sent last year will last them two years, and they gave them to their neighbors as well as there was need. He told us that the “Tacos for Chicos” campaign for donated cleats Pine Cove did two years ago enabled them to start a baseball team. He stood in front of us so humbly and passionately giving thanks for simple things we have been blessed to send over the past few years. He said he wanted to write a letter to all the leadership at Pine Cove letting them know about the impact they have had on their ministry and asked us sincerely to take this message of thanks back to Pine Cove.

With misty eyes, we sat so humbled. Here before us stood a man so in love with Jesus who gave up the comfort of a nice home to invest in and shepherd the hearts of a dozen kids. They live simply but abound in joy. You could see the love of Jesus in them as they so eagerly served us and hosted us in their home. They are content but so full in Christ. Jesus is central in their home and it is changing the lives of these kids. Here is a man who is daily pouring out his life for Jesus and he was there thanking us.We all felt encouraged and challenged, and, as we sat debriefing that night, we were overflowing with desires to ask the Lord how we can go back to the States and live humbly and radically in the place God has put us with grateful hearts and a people-oriented mindset (verses the task-oriented mindset we so often default to). Lots of good stuff stirring in all our hearts and minds. Please continue to pray for us as we process and seek the Lord in what He is doing individually in all our hearts.

In other news: Madeleine is here! Our family of 16 is now complete. Although her joining us was a bit delayed due to a family emergency, we are so thankful to have her here with us. Katherine and Lauren made elaborate decorations to welcome her in

Bienvenidos Madeleine - Welcome! - We are so glad you're here.

Working backwards in the day, because there were no kids at camp today, we spent the day working hard and sweating for Jesus on work projects both at camp and at Roblealto’s Foster Home. We cleared A LOT of brush and cut and painted fence posts. The team was great. We all really enjoyed getting to exert some energy in manual labor. We finished the day with a rich time of debriefing (as for mentioned) and began to plan some activities we are in charge of for next weeks camp.

Look at that crew! No stone goes unturned on their watch

Thanks for reading today’s novel. We want to share with you these stories as an extension of our gratefulness for your support, both in prayer and financially, and to hopefully stir your heart more in awe of our God who works in all countries for our redemption and His glory. May our lives reflect His worth and He receive the glory. We go to bed tonight with our hearts saying, “Gracias a Dios” – Thanks be to God!

Kristin shows the kids white girls can jump!

This morning we got to plan and lead some “American Games” for the kids. They enthusiastically caught on to some of our Crier Creek favorites including Ultimate Frisbee, Kajabi Can Can, Hichi Mini Hoy, and No Pop a Go Go. We had a blast loving on the Esperanza chicos – kids from the slums of San Jose. Although few of us actually speak their language, we pray that the stories of Jesus they heard at camp and small group time with their spanish-speaking counselors coupled with our enthusiasm, eagerness to get to know them, and genuine care for them would be a tangible connector of Jesus’ love for them and their worth in His eyes. Roblealto’s slogan is “Un lugar para encontrarse con Dios” – “A Place to Meet With God.” As the kids left today,  leaning out the window waving and screaming their goodbyes, our hearts lifted up prayers over their souls and longing for Jesus’ continued work in their lives.

Kerri picks up on Ultimate Frisbee fast

In Roblealto's "Ampiteatro," the girls perfect their ribbon dancing

Many in our group have expressed their amazement at how attached they got to these kids who they only worked with for two days and who didn’t speak their language. They joked with us. Laughed with us. Invited us instantly into their groups and accepted us as their own. Katherine’s favorite memory of those two days was a little girl named Malena who came up to her last night and, in a hesistant well-rehearsed stance, practiced her English and said, “Goodnight!” As the kids left, many felt the sweet connection of friendship that transcends language and culture. In the words of Gray Gill, “There was a bus full of joy, and I watched it drive away.”

After the kids left, we had some time and decided to hike into “town.” After blinking and having already walked through the nearest town, we kept walking thinking the next town would be just around the riverbend. Over 2 hours later, we gave up and headed back. It was a delightful little jaunt nonetheless, enjoying all the exotic fauna and coffee plantations.

On our hike, holding up Costa Rica - Arrrrrriba!

We found a coffee plantation! - Who could resist a little exploration?

We are excited about the week ahead. Roblealto’s Youth Camp comes for a full week of camp and their staff (and us) will be planning programming and training new staff this weekend for the week ahead. Please be praying over these youth (ages 13-17) now: that the Lord will already be stirring their hearts and that they truly will find Roblealto as ”un lugar para encontrarse con Dios” – a place to either grow in their relationship with God or meet Jesus as their Savior for the very first time.

Thank you for following our trip and being our prayer warriors. Love and hellos sent from all of us to you!

Today was a great full day here at Roblealto! We got to play hard, use a little creativity bridging language barriers, fold into the programming, and pick up a few projects. We worked with two different groups of kids: Esperanza – a low income group of kids from the slums of San Jose, and Roblealto’s usual kids camp. Here’s a snapshot of all the fun:

Quinn and Jake get busy in the morning washing dishes - que bueno!

Scrub a dub dub! Yay work projects!

Making decorations for the carnival that evening

What carnival is complete without a little facepaint?

Oh Gray - always good for a fun time

Our home for the week!

All is well here at Roblealto in Costa Rica! We started off the day at 4am and headed to the airport. Needless to say, with such an early start, there were a few nappers on the plane .  Customs decided we weren’t too motly looking of a crew, so we got to Costa Rica and found our point person, Isaac, at the airport without a hitch. Our hiccup came when Bryan got to camp, looked down at his luggage tag and realized that he had picked up an identical bag….that wasn’t his. Isaac rushed them back to the airport through the crowded, a little chaotic streets of San Jose, and they made it just in time before they closed. And there sat his real bag…no problema, verdad?

Catching up in the daytime on the hours they lost at night

After we ate at camp and met several of the staff at Roblealto, we got to spend the afternoon exploring a bit. Our staff were all about these adventures and quickly found the river.

This evening was a great time of orientation with Isaac, Roblealto’s Program Director. He shared with us the rich history of Roblealto and their vision to see kids experience the love and gospel of Jesus here at camp.

A brief history for those of you who are curious: Roblealto was started by a missionary couple who came pioneering to Costa Rica in the 1940′s. Their vision was to provide health and education. They then quickly built a hospital and very successful school that is still here to this day. Next, they had a desire to provide a home for kids who didn’t have a family. They bought the property that Roblealto is on and started a foster care facility that is still here to this day. We actually met a guy named David who works on the maintenance team here for the camp that also lives on the property and fosters 10 kids with his wife and their 1 biological child. One thing that has been evident to us in our short time here is that the people’s hearts are open and very big. When the missionary couple started the children’s home, they simultaneously started up a chicken farm for eggs that is still operational today. They export eggs and chickens to both Panama and Nicaragua.

Then, in 1948, Camp Roblealto was started. The couple desired for the kids to have a recreational space. The camp has remained an area for recreation and a rental facility for the past 60 years. It was not until recent years that the camp has begun running its own programming. Pine Cove got to partner with them two years ago to start their first family camp, and it’s been amazing for Pine Cove to come back as a support to them the past two years as they grow in their program and vision for camp.

Tomorrow we will be jumping into the two kids camps they currently have running. We go to bed tonight thankful for safe travels and excited for the days ahead!

Tonight was a beautiful night of prayer and cultural preparation with our Outback neighbors here in Columbus. As forty of our summer staff and resident staff prayed together and lifted their voices in worship to the Lord, I couldn’t help but envision all the songs and heartfelt cries rising to the Lord as a fragrant offering before the One Who is Worthy. It reminded me of 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” Our prayer is that God would enable us to be  humble servant learners who boldly share the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ through our words and actions. We are asking Him to do big things and there was such a breathtaking confidence amongst the prayers of our staffers because they know how big our God is. We ended our time of worship singing out in worship,

“O, My God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, always”

May we live our lives in proportion to who our God is!