Emmanuel Mission 2010

Day 8

2010-02-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today was our "tourist" day in Costa Rica where we could do our part to appreciate the beauty of this country and also help out the local economy here which thrives on tourism. After a lively breakfast with the Christ Church folks we piled into a van and dropped them off at Hogar Escuela where they were planning so spend the day scraping and painting parts of the school. Then we headed toward the volcano and La Paz waterfalls.

Ready to load the bus in front of the Diocesan House

We crept up windy roads in our big bus and were hoping to stop at the Volcano Poas, but - as is often the case - the fog at the top of the volcano was too thick to make it worth our while. So we drove on past toward La Paz.

The flowers in La Paz are beautiful

La Paz is situated in a lush cloud forest canyon on the side of the volcano. After checking in we spent some time viewing the various birds, butterflies, snakes, and even jungle cats that they keep there - some in confined areas (the jungle cats) and others in open outdoor areas (the hummingbirds). One particularly beautiful area was the butterfly house, where soft music played and butterflies of all colors and sizes wafted through the air. If you stood still, they would land on your shoulder. It was pretty magical.

A tree frog resting on a leaf

After a good buffet lunch there we headed down to see the waterfalls. La Paz previously had six waterfalls that visitors could see, but unfortunately after the earthquake here last January many of their paths were destroyed. Regardless, we were able to see two GORGEOUS waterfalls.

Katharine and the Upper Falls

On our return to the Diocesan House, we met for a service of Holy Eucharist, and Bishop Hector inspired us with a sermon that defined us all as "missionaries" in our work as followers of Christ. We each had an opportunity to share our thoughts about this week and the result was a very emotional experience.

Then it was time to party! We danced to the music of a Tico band, and learned a few new steps from the schoolteachers that we met earlier this weekend. A mixed grill barbeque was provided and the food was delicious. We all stayed up later than we had all week.

Gringas and gringo dancing salsa

Written by Meaghan Kelly, Mav Hankey and Gary Krasicky

Day Seven

2010-02-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

We woke up to our first morning in the Diocesan House to a beautiful sunny day. After breakfast (our first without rice and beans) we were treated to a tour of Hogar Escuela in Barrio Cuba. Barrio Cuba is a very poor area of San Jose and many of the children are from families with single working mothers and recieve a scholarship to attend the school. Hogar Escuela is a day care center and a safe place for childen up to age 12 to go when they are not in school. It is run by the Diocese of Costa Rica and is so successful that it has become a model for other, similar schools in the area. The children were very excited when we arrived and all of us recieved many hugs and smiles (and Meaghan got a present!).

Landro enjoying a piece of watermelon with his classmates after playing with us on the playground.

After our visit to the school we made our way to Cafe Britt, a coffee bean plantation just outside of San Jose. We were treated to a very informational and entertaining presentation/play about how coffee beans are grown and turned into coffee.

A very enthusiastic Ray meeting up with El Diablo (the devil) at the entrance to the Coffee Plantation

Banana tree in the middle of the coffee plantation

We had a wonderful lunch at the Grand Hotel Costa Rica, which was built in 1930, and spent the rest of the afternoon in San Jose Centro shopping.

Grand Hotel Costa Rica

We spent the evening relaxing at the Diocesan House and had a delicious dinner with a group from Christ Church in Charlotte who arrived today in the late afternoon.

Written by Carolyn Giltzow

Day Six

2010-02-18T21:10:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning, and it was our last day at the church in Estrada. We prayed for good weather (well, I did anyway) but we saw another day of rain, adding just a little extra challenge to our work environment. But we perservered, and the group soaked through to the bone in good spirits while they slathered plaster on the outside walls of our building. Others continued paining (a seemingly never-ending task) and still others set to work digging out a pile of earth and stone to make a flatter surface for cars and deliveries. Laughter danced through the rain while we worked, and friendly chatter kept up for the remaining hours of work.

Just before lunch the children came for their last visit. They have become so much more comfortable with us over the few short days we have been there, and they throw their arms around us when they walk into the doors of the church as if it is their home. We sang songs, played games, laughted and hugged right up until it was time to go. Below is a picture of our "regulars" and me after our coloring time.

After the children left, Hubert and his wife, Mavis and David Spence, Father Allen, and a couple of other members of the Santiago congregation gathered with us to say goodbye. Father Allen said a few words, offered a prayer, and gave us his blessing as we headed out. We waved goodbye to our work supervisors with many thanks for their patience and good humor with us throughout the week. While we drove away, we took one last look at our plastering and the other jobs we did for this future school:

We drove back to Earth for a quick shower before we climbed back into two vans that would bring us to San Jose. Below is the entrance of Earth University, a place we universally agreed was one of the most beautiful places ever to stay:

While the rain continued to come down we headed back towards San Jose. We will spend the next few days here getting a better sense of what the diocese is doing. Tomorrow morning we will visit Hogar Escuela, the Episcaopal School right here in San Jose, so that we can have a glimpse of what our project may someday grow into. It is so helpful to see different projects at various stages to keep us motivated.

Speaking of finished projects, we are staying in the Diocesan House which they have renovated almost entirely over the last couple of years. When Sutart, Diana and I visited here last January the hallway where the rooms are were just concrete walls - completely unfinished, and the offices were in the great room of the house. The dormitory area is now beautifully done and completely finished, and the great room is now a simple and beautiful chapel. We'll post pictures tomorrow!

The Bishop took us out for dinner tonight at a restaurant that was an old monastary that sits high about San Jose on a hill looking out onto the entire city. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, and we were joined by Paul Tunnell, former liaison for the Diocese of NC who was back again for a visit. It was a great evening, and we are looking forward to tomorrow, and the opportunity to have an even better understanding about the work that this busy diocese is doing in Costa Rica.

Dinner at El Monastere

written by Meaghan Kelly

Day Five

2010-02-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today our day started with the birds singing and the surroundings as beautiful as ever. The grounds continued to amaze all of us. Before we left, the rains came, as it does several times a day. When we arrived at the site after another uneventful but nerve racking bus ride except for the sharing that we did with each other, our jobs were ready for us. The interior of the building looked great - ready for the second application of plaster.

When the children came at 10:30, Meaghan, Carolyn and Katharine played and sang with children. The children discovered that Meaghan draws well and she was busy drawing pictures for them. Katharine and Carolyn have made the children comfortable as you can see by the beautiful girl below.

Tiffany

Nancy Ellis came for the day, she and her husband are vacationing here. Her friend Elizabeth joined her in helping with painting metal screens that function as windows, and also with the interior and outside.

Cynthia, Nancy, Mav

Once we finished the interior walls we passed it over the men that were hired to guide us and do the finishing work. It was amazing to see the walls when they finished with them.

The highlight of the day was the Ash Wednesday service that Meaghan conducted. It was a meaningful and special service.

Below: Cynthia reading Isaiah

Meaghan, reading the gospel from her iphone.

A treat we enjoy some afternoons is an ice cream break.

Mav, Meaghan, and Freddie

The dogs here are very different than our pets. Fred has nicknamed this dog JobSite Johnny. Ray and I gathered the leftovers from lunch and shared with the dog, he had a nice nap under the church because his stomach was full.

Job-site Johnny

It was a full day, very special in many ways and hard to describe, but we tried.

Peace
Mav Hankey and Cynthia Norwood

Day Four

2010-02-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

An overnight rain provided white noise on the roof and cooled the air so that we all slept well and awakened to a new day, with the morning sun shining brightly. The beauty of our host facilities at Earth University is inspirational and we so much appreciate the clean and serene surroundings as we prepare for our days' work.

Ever-blooming flowers on the Earth campus

We arrived in Estrada to learn that our work today would include applying "plaster," (which is actually mortar) to the cinderblock walls that we prepared inside the building yesterday. Everyone had a hand in the work, and got to experience troweling, smoothing, and floating the surface.

Cynthia, Stuart, and Bob applying "plaster" to the walls

Some of us also discovered that hand-mixing the mortar was not exactly an easy process, and that some of the lumps needed to be manually removed or crushed to provide a the finish we were all after.

Mav and Stuart at the "spa" getting a mud treatment

The final color coat on the window screens was also applied over the primer coat with encouragement by one of the children that frequent our worksite throughout the day.

Meaghan and Katharine painting a window screen

One of the highlights of the day is a formal visit from Hubert Miles, who today brought fresh fruit and coconut for us to sample. His enthusiasm is infectious, and everyone always knows when he arrives by the sound of his laugh, which is unforgettable.

Martha sampling the coconuts

The children arrive daily for their dancing and singing lessons, which have been preceded by art sessions with coloring books that they return with. This practice has bonded our team with all of them, and their eyes widen as they see the progress we make daily. I believe that they are beginning to realize that our efforts are for them, and we all wish that they may someday realize the dreams they have for themselves.

Caroline admiring the artwork of one of her students

Written by Gary Krasicky

Day Three

2010-02-15T16:09:00.001-08:00

Hello from beautiful Costa Rica! What a fun, full day we've had here.

After a good night's sleep, we woke up this morning to sunshine and birds singing. The clear sky offered a beautiful view of the countryside that was hidden by the clouds and rain yesterday.

We all met up for a hearty breakfast and then gathered our gear and climbed into the van for the ride to Estrada.

Upon arrival we greeted the engineers who were there to guide us and set about getting organized. The Bishop arrived shortly after we did and jumped right in as well. There were a number of tasks to be done and soon we had divided up into three groups and started working. One group set to work prepping the inside of the building to be plastered. All of the interior walls and the floor had to be smoothed using hammers and chisels, hard work that created lots of small chips of concrete. A second group set about moving a large pile of concrete pieces from the front of the building to under the church. This was by far the most difficult and unpleasant task because it was out in the sun and required lots of bending, lifting and pushing heavy wheelbarrows. The third task was to paint both sides of the heavy metal screens that would be used on the windows. This seemed like the easiest and least dangerous job until the paint fumes began making a few people sick. In the end everyone rotated around, helping out where they were needed.

The Bishop, hard at work!

The concrete.

Stuart, scraping the wall.

Painting the grate, and breathing in the fumes.

Freddie and the sledgehammer.

About 10 in the morning the kids began to show up, eagerly looking for Meaghan to lead them in song. Meaghan and Carolyn, armed with a duffle bag full of goodies sent from Michelle Kaiser, happily took a break to play with the kids. Each child recieved a coloring book, crayons and candy, and in addition the girls recieved hair bands and barrettes. After coloring and getting to know each other a bit they sang some of their favorite songs. And this time, instead of just having Meaghan teach them songs, the kids reciprocated and taught two of their favorite songs. It was such an inspiration to be working and hear the children laughing and singing nearby.

After a delicious lunch provided by women from the congregation, we got back to work. Meaghan, Carolyn and I continued painting the window screens under the church as the fumes didn't bother any of us. Fred, Ray and Stuart kept us on our toes by using sledgehammers to break up the large pieces of concrete that had been moved under the church during the morning. The rest of the crew, having finished prepping the inside of the building, went to work preparing the outside of the building to be plastered.

The work day ended with an icecream treat from Stuart and Martha and the long ride back to Earth. Upon arriving back at Earth, Gary, Mav, Bob and Ray tested the pool and gave it rave reviews.

Ice Cream Break!

It's after dinner and we're preparing to play Left, Center, Right before heading to bed, happy to have had another great day!

Written by Katharine Vess

Sunday

2010-02-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Earth! This was our first full day in Costa Rica and it was truly a full day.

We arrived at the Santiago Mission just in time for Sunday services. The small church building was packed for the Baptism of Hubert Miles' new grandson. Hubert, as you may recall, is the Senior Warden of the Mission. Hubert recently visited us in Southern Pines and preached for us at our services. It was great to see Hubert again and to be a small part of the ceremony. Father Larenzo presided over this beautiful service which was presented in Spanish and English.

After the service there was a luncheon celebration. Much to our surprise the celebration was held in the very parish hall/school which we at Emmanual have financed and are helping to build. This was the inaugural event in the new building (which is far from completed). It was so nice that they included us and made us so welcome.

The Parish Hall decorated for the party.

Some of the children inside the Parish Hall.

Being in the building was spectacular. It has advanced quite a lot since we left here last June. But there is still quite a bit to do. Our principal tasks this week will be to plaster the inside and outside of the first story, and to prepare the first floor for tiling. The second floor of the structure hasn't been started, but this will be a good project for the next trip in June (and we are hoping to get as many of you as possible down here at that time!).

When the building is completed, it will be the nicest building in this small town, and a center for spiritual and educational nourishment for the children of this community.

After the luncheon celebration, Meaghan, Carolyn, Mav and Katharine led a small army of children in song. On the lawn of the Mission, the kids learned Father Abraham, Heads/Shoulders/Knees/Toes and other classics. I don't doubt that even more kids will show up tommorow for this alfresco Southern Pines-style ministry of music.

After the songfest, we packed into the van and drove to the Port of Limon for a bit of sightseeing. Our group continued to bond in the tight confines of the van.

When we got back to Earth, we had a quick supper and then a spirited game of Truth/Truth/Lie during which it was revealed that:

-- Ray once won an all expense paid Elk hunt in New Mexico
-- Gary finished at the top of his class at the U.S. Army Chaplain School
-- Katharine Vess once road up a mountain in the back of a WWII ambulance
-- Mav doesn't like birds
-- Bob has no musical talent
-- Meaghan hung out with Geraldo in his dressing room prior to going to a taping of his show
-- Martha has a distant relative from Wales
-- Carolyn cut the stone pavers and laid two patios one at each of her homes
-- Cynthia is one of five children
-- Freddy ran the Marine Corp marathon in 3hrs and 10 minutes
-- Clarence has stood with his hand on the South Pole
-- I once ate a live fish for dessert

These are the sort of thing one learns on a Mission Trip. You also get a lot closer to God.

Thank you to all of you back at home who have contribued in any way to this effort. This has truly been a Parishwide effort and we all feel privileged to be down here. Special greetings to Sandy Lampros who was scheduled to come with us, but had to cancel at the last minute due to family commitments. We wish you were here!

- Stuart Mills

We made it!

2010-02-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

It has been seven months since the first group from Emmanuel boarded a plane and headed down to the beautiful country of Costa Rica to meet our friends from the Sanitiago mission in Estrada. Now, in February of 2010, four veterans from the first trip and seven new folks have returned for our second mission trip. Let the record show that February is a fabulous time to leave cold North Carolina for Costa Rica.

That said, the cold North Carolina weather did provide our first challenge of the trip when it brought us a dose of snow the day before we were leaving. Our initial itinerary was to meet at the church at 3am the morning of the 13th (Saturday) and head to RDU to catch our 6am flight. But then the weather reports started to indicate that the snow would start mid-afternoon Friday and continue all night, making a 3am drive potentially dangerous. Fortunately our group was feeling flexible, so we were able to drive up Friday and spend the night at a hotel just down the road from the airport. We met up in the lobby at 4am and began our journey southbound.

Though Costa Rica isn't actually thatfar away, it ends up being a very long day of travel. We flew to Houston where, thanks to a delay in our first flight, we had only enough ttime to get a snack before boarding the second flight. We finally arrived in Costa Rica at about 1pm (2pm EST). It took a while to get our things together, go through customs, and change over some money, so about an hour later we met up with Clarence (the liaison from North Carolina for mission trips), Bishop Hector, and our bus driver for the day - Olger (pronounced Ol-hair).

After a greeting from the Bishop we were on our way to Earth, the university where we are fortunate enough to stay on these trips. It took almost two hours to get out of San Jose and through the rainforests to Rancho Roberto's, the excellent restaurant where we had lunch. Then another 40 minutes or so down the road to Earth. We arrived at dusk, oriented ourselves to our rooms and the campus, and succomed to our fatigue and went to bed early.

It's now Sunday morning, and we woke up to the sound of soft rain outside and the chirping of birds. We've had breakfast together, and we're waiting for a 10am bus to take us to Estrada where we will attend church at Santiago. After church we'll work for the afternoon, mostly preparing for a week of plastering the walls. The good news of this trip so far? There's rumors of a mixer. (Jennie, Clarence especially wanted you to know that). We're excited to see our friends in Estrada, and to begin work. More updates to come after that!

Below are some pictures of the group as we got off the plane in Costa Rica. The only person missing is our fine Junior Warden Gary Krasicky, who had the foresight to take the pictures in the first place. Thanks Gary!

Oh, and a special note. We were sad to learn at the last minute that Sandy Lampros could not join us on this trip because of some family issues. It being too late to get a refund, we searched for someone that would be willing to come to Costa Rica with virtually no advance notice. Amazingly, we found someone. So thanks to Katharine Vess who packed her bag, threw her passport in it, and joined us for the trip! And Sandy, we miss you.
Without further ado, our group:

Martha Parsons

Mav Hankey and Carolyn Giltzow

Bob Ward

Ray Brown

Meaghan Kelly, Stuart Mills, and Cynthia Norwood

Katharine Vess

Gary Krasicky - on the porch at Earth.

With Bishop Hector

Olger, our driver.