We left La Palabra de Vida early this morning on our way to the beach. After an hour or so, we stopped at crocodile bridge, and YES, there were crocodiles below, laying in the mud and sunning themselves. We were tempted to walk down and get a closer look, but decided it was better not to!
After a long trek up a mountainside, one by one we were hooked up to a pulley, told to sit down and hold on to a line with our other hand on a cable, and off we went!! As we flew through the air hanging by a cable, we not only enjoyed the sights of the tops of trees, the ocean, and lots of houses whizzing by, we needed to remember the directions of our coach .. when to pull down with our strong arm, as that was our brake. If you didn't, you would run into the tree at the end. We zig-zagged down the mountainside, taking the plunge 14 different times. Each time was more exciting than the last. When asked how it was, it was AWESOME!! At last we reached the bottom, glad we were on tierra firma once again, and already reminiscing all the excitement of what we had just done. Hot and sweaty, we were all thankful for the coaching of our guides who brought us all to safety. This was how our adventure on the canopy tour ended.
Once again, we went rolling down the highway, catching glimpses of the Pacific Ocean, and anticipating our first dive into the water. Upon arriving, we took a stroll on our way to the water and came upon several monkeys who were quite active and made it hard to take their picture. Some also had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of a sloth hanging from a tree. The whole woods was busy with wildlife noises as we finished our walk to the water. We caught the waves and enjoyed the warmth of the water for an hour or so and then started our walk back to our van, enjoying more wildlife. On our way, there was a small stream that had to be crossed. While most of us just decided to get our feet wet, our two gallant men, Bryan & Chris, decided to take the boat ride across this challenging water.
Our special guest, Lindsey, helped to make our trip more enjoyable by her knowledge and insights about the area.
We finished our day by meeting up with those left behind at the school, and enjoying a pizza supper together. We're very tired now. Good night :)
Karen
pics hopefully to follow
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A full day!!
Well, it's Wednesday night already .. not sure how the time has gone by so quickly?!? We had a great day today. We started the (beautiful) morning by continuing our work projects, the guys with the library shelving unit, and the ladies with the ongoing covering of books.
At 10:45 we took a short break to lead the weekly high school chapel service. We led three songs (Everlasting God, It is You, & Hosanna), and the students did their best to sing along. We introduced the team and explained to them what we were doing here. Then Carl & Gail shared about the trials their church has been experiencing with the recent collapse of their roof and tornado passing through the area. They related this to the kids by talking about the importance of a firm foundation, the protection that God grants, and the reminder that no matter what happens in our lives, God is always with us. Even though the majority of the students understand English pretty well, we had a few Seniors help with translating the message. It was a cool experience.
We then ate a yummy lunch in the school cafeteria of Arroz con Pollo (rice w/chicken), and returned to our projects. The guys have made great progress on the shelving unit/stage for the library, and Katie & Chelsea were able to start priming it to be painted. Also, many more books were covered and cataloged. Even though we're not working directly with the students in these projects, it has been great to see the excitement of the students as they are able to take books home with them (a concept very foreign to Costa Rica).
We just finished up another great dinner and a team meeting, and are winding down for the night. Tomorrow we head to the beach for a day of rest, and Friday we hope to finish our projects. Thanks for following along & please keep us in your prayers as we finish out this week :)
Robin
At 10:45 we took a short break to lead the weekly high school chapel service. We led three songs (Everlasting God, It is You, & Hosanna), and the students did their best to sing along. We introduced the team and explained to them what we were doing here. Then Carl & Gail shared about the trials their church has been experiencing with the recent collapse of their roof and tornado passing through the area. They related this to the kids by talking about the importance of a firm foundation, the protection that God grants, and the reminder that no matter what happens in our lives, God is always with us. Even though the majority of the students understand English pretty well, we had a few Seniors help with translating the message. It was a cool experience.
We then ate a yummy lunch in the school cafeteria of Arroz con Pollo (rice w/chicken), and returned to our projects. The guys have made great progress on the shelving unit/stage for the library, and Katie & Chelsea were able to start priming it to be painted. Also, many more books were covered and cataloged. Even though we're not working directly with the students in these projects, it has been great to see the excitement of the students as they are able to take books home with them (a concept very foreign to Costa Rica).
We just finished up another great dinner and a team meeting, and are winding down for the night. Tomorrow we head to the beach for a day of rest, and Friday we hope to finish our projects. Thanks for following along & please keep us in your prayers as we finish out this week :)
Robin
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The most annoying thing ever is...
...waking up to the sound of a table saw right outside your room at 5:30 am. I mean, I guess you don't know until you've tried, but I don't recommend it. The men started off the day with a lot of noise. They were working hard on the shelves for the library. Although Katie and Chelsea didn't appreciate it very much, we're sure that the school will appreciate it in the long run. =]
We started off the day getting to "sleep in" until about 7 because we were eating breakfast at 8 at the Befus house and then heading straight out to los Guisaros, a small soup kitchen for children and worship center run by Cecilia and her family. It is funded completely on donations from missionaries and local churches and from Cecilia's own pocket. We served around 30 small children. Usually there are around 115 kids to serve, but most kids were at school today. Karen served rice, Katie served spaghetti, and Chelsea served beans while the rest attended to the children and visited. The smiles on their faces were contagious and Cecilia said that she goes home happy when their stomachs are full. Sherri and Carl remembered Bryan, a little boy who had surely grown since the last time they had been to Los Guisaros. Brian remembered how to "pound the rock" with Carl too! The people there only spoke Spanish so Katie and Chelsea helped translate the conversations that Bryan and Robin were having with Cecilia and all of the kids.
After leaving Los Guisaros, the team headed to the nicest supermarket in Costa Rica (which was about half the size of Giant Eagle)to pick up some more water and some munchies. Also, for lunch we stopped at Soda Tapia. There, we all enjoyed a late lunch that consisted of some really good french fries, HUGE BURGERS, chicken sandwhiches, milkshakes, and special Granisadas (which is very similar to a slushie with powdered milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ice cream). mmmMMMMmmm. =]
After returning back to Colegio Palabra De Vida (the school we're staying/working at), the women returned to the library to cover and file books while the men continued their construction of the shelves and stage for the library. The kids are truly excited to be able to get their hands on these books. We went back up to the Soda (Cafeteria) for dinner. There was delicious breaded fish, mashed potatoes, salad, coconut desert, pinnaple, and fruit drink. We headed over to the chapel to discuss the day and plan the next day. Katie, Chelsea, Robin, and Brian practiced the songs that will be sung at the service tomorrow morning before lunch. Robin and Katie will sing while Chelsea and Bryan will accompany with guitar for the students of Palabra de Vida. For the message, Carl, Gail and Sherri are going to share about their experience with the tornado at their home church and how God is with you throughout the storms of life.
We appreciate all of your prayers and are looking forward to what the rest of this trip has in store.
Chelsea and Katie =]
p.s. There are sooo many cute dogs here.
p.s.s. we couldn't figure out how to put pictures up, so we'll try tomorrow. sorry. =[
We started off the day getting to "sleep in" until about 7 because we were eating breakfast at 8 at the Befus house and then heading straight out to los Guisaros, a small soup kitchen for children and worship center run by Cecilia and her family. It is funded completely on donations from missionaries and local churches and from Cecilia's own pocket. We served around 30 small children. Usually there are around 115 kids to serve, but most kids were at school today. Karen served rice, Katie served spaghetti, and Chelsea served beans while the rest attended to the children and visited. The smiles on their faces were contagious and Cecilia said that she goes home happy when their stomachs are full. Sherri and Carl remembered Bryan, a little boy who had surely grown since the last time they had been to Los Guisaros. Brian remembered how to "pound the rock" with Carl too! The people there only spoke Spanish so Katie and Chelsea helped translate the conversations that Bryan and Robin were having with Cecilia and all of the kids.
After leaving Los Guisaros, the team headed to the nicest supermarket in Costa Rica (which was about half the size of Giant Eagle)to pick up some more water and some munchies. Also, for lunch we stopped at Soda Tapia. There, we all enjoyed a late lunch that consisted of some really good french fries, HUGE BURGERS, chicken sandwhiches, milkshakes, and special Granisadas (which is very similar to a slushie with powdered milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ice cream). mmmMMMMmmm. =]
After returning back to Colegio Palabra De Vida (the school we're staying/working at), the women returned to the library to cover and file books while the men continued their construction of the shelves and stage for the library. The kids are truly excited to be able to get their hands on these books. We went back up to the Soda (Cafeteria) for dinner. There was delicious breaded fish, mashed potatoes, salad, coconut desert, pinnaple, and fruit drink. We headed over to the chapel to discuss the day and plan the next day. Katie, Chelsea, Robin, and Brian practiced the songs that will be sung at the service tomorrow morning before lunch. Robin and Katie will sing while Chelsea and Bryan will accompany with guitar for the students of Palabra de Vida. For the message, Carl, Gail and Sherri are going to share about their experience with the tornado at their home church and how God is with you throughout the storms of life.
We appreciate all of your prayers and are looking forward to what the rest of this trip has in store.
Chelsea and Katie =]
p.s. There are sooo many cute dogs here.
p.s.s. we couldn't figure out how to put pictures up, so we'll try tomorrow. sorry. =[
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday - work begins...
The morning started with Pastor Carl yelling..."Chris! GET UP!" We hit the ground running. Bryan and Carl started the day by going to get building materials while Chris began gathering materials that were already on the grounds of the school. The women (Robin, Sherry, Karen, Chelsea, Katie and Gail) took a short course in barcoding, covering books and entering them into the computer and shelving. Kristen gave us the instructions. We quickly began.
While at the lumber store, Carl and Bryan decided that a compound miter saw was going to be necessary to help get today's project underway. The saw and building supplies were purchased with mission trip donations and will be left for the school to use in future work projects. Construction began on the framework for the new stage and bookshelves in the library. The "stage" is to utilize a small area better. This will allow more students to be taught and read to in the library within the reading space. Underneath the stage will be storage space provided by a hinged floor. Another project that was begun by the guys was new shelving units for books that better fill the available wall space. Many more books will be able to be shelved and accessible to students, because empty wall spaces will be covered by books. It was a good day, a lot was accomplished. We are looking forward to another productive day tomorrow.
While the guys were sweating and slaving outside, the women were processing many books as outlined above. Katie and Chelsea also "Rebuilt Jerusalem". Actually, they were cutting out, laminating, taping together a Bible scene teaching tool. It made a book of cut outs into a really cool 3-D set. Another vital job for those two girls is that they are the entertainment committee. Chelsea and Katie kept us giggling all day - a welcome relief doing tedious work.
We ate three DELICIOUS meals provided for us by the kitchen staff at the school cafeteria. For breakfast we had eggs and rice. For lunch we had chicken and rice. And for dinner we had beef stir fry and ????? You guessed it RICE! We are not complaining though. It is fantastic every meal. And the fresh fruit and juices...tropical deliciousness. All of our family and friends will love to see all our pictures of the plants and flowers abounding in this beautiful place. Although few of us speak Spanish, the people here are gracious and welcoming. And we get along just fine with the communication skills of Bryan and Robin, Chelsea and Katie. We all plan to get a little extra rest tonight before going tomorrow to help cook for and feed some children in a very poor neighborhood. Cecelia is a local woman who does this daily out of her own means. And she is not a rich lady by monetary means - she just is rich in love and compassion. We look forward to it.
While at the lumber store, Carl and Bryan decided that a compound miter saw was going to be necessary to help get today's project underway. The saw and building supplies were purchased with mission trip donations and will be left for the school to use in future work projects. Construction began on the framework for the new stage and bookshelves in the library. The "stage" is to utilize a small area better. This will allow more students to be taught and read to in the library within the reading space. Underneath the stage will be storage space provided by a hinged floor. Another project that was begun by the guys was new shelving units for books that better fill the available wall space. Many more books will be able to be shelved and accessible to students, because empty wall spaces will be covered by books. It was a good day, a lot was accomplished. We are looking forward to another productive day tomorrow.
While the guys were sweating and slaving outside, the women were processing many books as outlined above. Katie and Chelsea also "Rebuilt Jerusalem". Actually, they were cutting out, laminating, taping together a Bible scene teaching tool. It made a book of cut outs into a really cool 3-D set. Another vital job for those two girls is that they are the entertainment committee. Chelsea and Katie kept us giggling all day - a welcome relief doing tedious work.
We ate three DELICIOUS meals provided for us by the kitchen staff at the school cafeteria. For breakfast we had eggs and rice. For lunch we had chicken and rice. And for dinner we had beef stir fry and ????? You guessed it RICE! We are not complaining though. It is fantastic every meal. And the fresh fruit and juices...tropical deliciousness. All of our family and friends will love to see all our pictures of the plants and flowers abounding in this beautiful place. Although few of us speak Spanish, the people here are gracious and welcoming. And we get along just fine with the communication skills of Bryan and Robin, Chelsea and Katie. We all plan to get a little extra rest tonight before going tomorrow to help cook for and feed some children in a very poor neighborhood. Cecelia is a local woman who does this daily out of her own means. And she is not a rich lady by monetary means - she just is rich in love and compassion. We look forward to it.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
our first full day
Today was a busy day. We visited a volcano, took a tour of a coffee plantation, made some final preparations for a construction job that we will begin tomorrow, went to a church service in Spanish and ate a nice dinner with the Befus family. Matt and Lisa Befus and their four daughters live on the school property and serve the school in many areas. Tomorrow, we start working.
This is us at the crater of the Poas volcano.
This is us at the crater of the Poas volcano.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
in Costa Rica
This is our team at 2:00 in the morning before we left for the airport. We had a bit of a problem with passports that put a couple people on a separate flight, but everyone made it to Costa Rica safely. We are anxious to begin the week. Now, we are all ready for some much-needed sleep.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Costa Rica 2010
Very early Saturday morning, we will begin our trip to Costa Rica. There are 9 of us in the group:
Robin Kandel
Bryan Kandel
Karen Nieschwitz
Katie Street
Chelsea Swanson
Carl Kandel
Sherri Kandel
Chris Vaughn
Gail Vaughn
We will be serving at La Palabra de Vida school. We will be completing construction projects, assisting in English classes, working in the library and helping in other areas. Please pray for safe and smooth traveling and for an effective week. Check back here each day for an update and pictures.
Robin Kandel
Bryan Kandel
Karen Nieschwitz
Katie Street
Chelsea Swanson
Carl Kandel
Sherri Kandel
Chris Vaughn
Gail Vaughn
We will be serving at La Palabra de Vida school. We will be completing construction projects, assisting in English classes, working in the library and helping in other areas. Please pray for safe and smooth traveling and for an effective week. Check back here each day for an update and pictures.
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