Costa Rica Mission Trip
to Cartago, Costa Rica
Status Report from Betsy Sicher, July 3, 7:15 a.m. (Pictures below text)
Hola! We are all having an incredible time here in Costa Rica. First, a note to the parents of missionaries: Your children are all safe and sound and in fantastic hands. J They are all experiencing God probably like never before and are open to sharing what is happening to them. They are loving the Costa Rican children like they’ve known them all their lives, eating fairly well, totally enjoying their home-stay experiences and I praise God for them all! The leaders of GodSend (the Costa Rican mission organizers) are taking very good care of all of us - making sure no one goes anywhere without a Tico (Costa Rican native). They even help us all cross the street!
On Sunday afternoon, our host church invited us to a picnic so the first several pictures are of that. The girls in the group took it upon themselves to teach the Costa Rican kids how to play duck duck goose and they all really bonded with them. Several of the kids ended up being the kids in their homes where they are staying. We had a few soccer games going on - their men vs. our men and teens and then a kids soccer game also. Both games were tie scores – we are mostly holding our own on the soccer field! That evening we were on our way into San Jose to sight-see when Oscar (one of the organizers) received a phone call from a relative inviting us (all 40 of us) to his aunt’s 89th birthday party! (Hence our introduction to the incredibly flexible schedule that we are learning to adapt to.) The warmth we received from these virtual strangers barging in on their family celebration was incredible. We danced up a storm!
God is absolutely amazing!!!!! Absolutely nothing has gone the way that we thought it would, but our incredibly sovereign God knew exactly what was to happen and aptly prepared us anyways. We came here to run a soccer clinic for neighborhood kids to draw them in and then share our faith and the love of Jesus. The park where we were planning on playing was closed for the 1st 2 days but God had work for us elsewhere. Instead, the men of the group (our group has merged quite nicely with another group of 10 from Pittsburgh) have been called into prison ministry – playing soccer with them, loving them as Christ would and sharing their testimonies with them. Jeff Arnold received donations for soccer equipment before we left and asked Soccer Source for all kid-sized outdoor cleats. What he got was indoor flats, mostly in larger sizes for men. While Jeff was a little bummed/perplexed, God orchestrated this on purpose, to outfit our men in order to play on the prison’s indoor court (our men had only brought outdoor cleats!) and we will then leave all the shoes for the prisoners. They have played there twice already and plan to go back tomorrow. Then on Friday they have a worship service which we have been invited to. Not sure who all will get to go to that – we’ll see. As I speak, the girls are beading cross necklaces for the prisoners at the minister’s request – a craft we intending on using for the kids at the soccer fields.
All the rest of the crafts we brought to do with kids at the fields will also be put to great use as we are going to visit a very poor school tomorrow. They have decided to shut down the school for 2 hours and are taking the kids to a community center so that we can have time with them. We are planning on playing games, doing crafts, etc and just showing them the love of Jesus. Everyone has been busy pumping up soccer balls, organizing the dozens of donated used kids cleats and shin guards to give to the kids at the school and planning the games, etc.
While the girls and families haven’t been completely occupied with lots to do, God is working in our hearts and providing other interesting opportunities for us to give and receive encouragement in our faith. They have had a few opportunities to play with puppets with some Costa Rican kids. I could go on and on, but need to get back to “work” if you can call it that!
Betsy
On June 29 thirty people, lead by Family Ministries pastor Mike Koepfer and his wife Kristen, will be heading to Costa Rica for the first NCC Family Mission Trip. On this trip over half of the group will travel as families accompanying another adult, and the middle and high school students.
Pray for the team as they share their faith in Jesus Christ and the transforming love and power of the gospel:
Jeff Arnold, Alex Caruso, Kyle Gregan, Taylor Whiting, Bailey Hospodor, Marcin Jaroszewicz
Ty Loney, Ashton Oakley, Lauren Rustowicz, Kelly Scriven, Dustin, Mariah & Travis Fosnight
Bill, Erin, Max & Sam Blechman, Jim, Sandie & Tanner Grindel, Chris, Barb & Cooper Lawton
John, Betsy, Zach, Carli & Chris Sicher, Mike & Kristen Koepfer