Anybody else having a hard time getting back into the groove? I miss my new friends and the bond we have with them.
It has been wierd being able to watch tv, use the computer and my cell phone ringing off the hook. In fact, today I felt guilty about putting toilet paper in the toilet...i almost fished it out before I remembered I don't have to here.
How do we process what we learned? Many of us long to be back there, in that environment (well without the bugs) with our friends with a focus that is more on God without our distractions here.
How do we learn from our experience in Costa Rica and let it inspire us and enrich our lives here? How will our town and youth group be different? How does God want to use us after our experience there?
I want to hear your thoughts....please post your ideas.
Ty
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Good to be home!
Hey guys,
We got back last night from an amazing trip. We had a great time in San Jose to finish our trip, but it was really hard to say goodby to our new friends at Neos.
I think we are all tired and ready for fast food...even though the gallo pinto was good! I have had so many great talks with our kids about the trip so I thought I would let them tell you the things they have to say about the trip.
It has been a joy to be in Costa Rica with each of you guys. I am so proud of you all. Thanks for being such a light in Costa Rica for Jesus. I know Upala will never be the same, and I hope that what we learned will impact our church. That the passion for the lost and the servants heart you showed will carry over to our lives here in Lincoln.
I also wanted to say thanks to all of our leaders. Mike, Kathy, Lyndi, Josh and Jill....you made it such a great trip with your attitude, your horse whispering ability, your love of protein, being so great with the kids, hauling the camera around and showing off some serious dance skills. I will let the readers guess which talents go with which leader! :)
Thanks again and check out what the other team members had to say about the trip.
Posted by Ty Thomas
Costa Rica Reflections/Reflexiones 2008
One of the many things I have learned from the Costa Rica Missions Trip is the vastness of Gods desire for people to know him. Upala is such a lesser developed area than Lincoln, Nebraska. And it’s obvious that God was working through Neos and Reverb to bring the people of Upala to know him. It would be safe to say that 99% of the world could care less about the people of Upala. But God does. God desires to have a personal relationship with everyone who has been created in his image. –Jayk
During our stay in Costa Rica, it was really neat to see God working through everyone on our team whether they were from Lincoln or San Jose. Even though there was somewhat of a language barrier throughout the trip, we really did come together to work as one team, under the God of Nebraska, Costa Rica, and the universe. It was moving to see one another working in Upala, because each person had a different ability, and in the end it all came together as one big picture. Our God is the God of everyone, and I could really see that while we were in Costa Rica. – Jackson
This past week has been awesome just seeing the ways God answers prayers. Halfway through the week we ran out of supplies and weren’t quite sure if we would even finish laying the cement for the 2 basketball courts. Mike and I volunteered to go get more rocks a few miles down the road so we had to get a ride from a school teacher and fit 2 and a half people on a dirt bike (the teacher was the skinniest man I’ve ever seen in my life. No way he weighed more than 100 pounds and he was 6’3”). When we were about ½ a mile down the road, Josué and Alejandro pulled up next to us in the truck with a cement mixer on the back. The idea of getting one had been bouncing around all week but no one thought it would actually happen. I couldn’t really believe they got it so I asked Alejandro how they got the hookup and all he said was, “How big is your God?” We finished the work on the last day within the last hour that we were supposed to leave Upala, and there’s no way we would have finished the work without that mixer. It was just cool to see God answering prayer, not only with the mixer but throughout the week. You could just really feel his presence and knew that he was watching over the entire trip and was in control of everything. –Ross Kremer
During our stay in Costa Rica, God has taught me to have a lot of patience. A lot of the time we didn’t have enough supplies right away so we had to wait to get everything. We also didn’t know if we would finish the second court because they didn’t have enough supplies there but everything pulled together. God has answered all my prayers even the small things like keeping my toe healthy since I couldn’t wash it in the water and he healed it and he answered my big prayers such as keeping everyone safe and making sure that no one got to sick. I could see that God was watching over the whole trip and that felt awesome to know that he was with us the whole time. – Abby Graham
Wow, where do I start??? God has taught me so many things on this wonderful trip that I think my head might explode, starting with the number one lesson, patience. If you know me really well you know that I am very anxious and struggle with dealing with being calm (especially around my poco hermano). God always shows me something new every day and he keeps me on my feet, patience being one of them. Another thing God has taught me is learning not to always be in control all of the time. From the beginning I have always felt like I should take charge of things even when I have no idea what to do, but………as always God made me step back about ten steps and had me be a server instead being top macho, macho man!!! Working my butt off in heavy humidity, playing non-stop with the kids, playing ron maka ron for hours, BREAKING MY NOSE on the tramp, and with little time for myself; the last thing that I have learned is extreme service no matter what!!! RATA!!!!!!!!------Richard Coryell
This trip has been an awesome opportunity for me to learn to depend on God for everything. I remember praying before the trip that He would give me peace, patience and joy in the midst of new and at times, trying situations. As the week in Upala progressed, God definitely granted my request. It was amazing how calm I felt and how much I was able to even enjoy the experience in the midst of heat, bugs, and concrete floors J. I realized that during a typical day at home I can easily live on my own strength, but in Upala, I needed God every second of the day. It was also amazing to see how He answered other prayers. I remember a couple of times when we were out of materials, or the weather was threatening and we prayed for a miracle….and God always came through. The coolest part was how He provided so much more than we could ever ask or imagine. When it was all said and done it was definitely very eye opening and it created a desire in me to always live in a way that I need God for everything. Finally I loved the bond we formed with all the Ticos from Neos. We had many wonderful times together, but one of my favorite times was definitely worshipping together in English and Spanish. Thank you to each and every person on our team, you all played a unique and very important role! --Karis Parker
For me, this trip was something unexpected, and an experience that was awkward, amazing, and life-changing all at the same time. The most life-changing part of this trip is the partnership we have formed with Josue’s church. I made friends that are closer than friends in the United States, and I’m so sad to leave them behind. Through this, I learned a lot about the body of Christ and how we work together as a team to accomplish one goal. We each have different tasks, and different ways of doing it, but in the end it all comes together. Another one of the greatest things I have learned is really how big my God is. God provided throughout this trip to make it possible with the cement mixer, shipping materials for free, and even providing four professionals to help us lay the cement. We were all generally healthy, and the weather cooperated in ways I’ve never seen. God is bigger than I have ever given Him credit for. This trip has been something truly amazing, and even though I can’t wait to go home and see all my friends and family, I feel like I’m leaving family. Thank you all Ticos, for being great instruments for God, and for teaching me more than ever. –Melissa Hopkins
Gracias a todos por la oportunidad de conocerlos, fue todo un placer, y aunque no los conoci muy bien a todos tengo sus correos y puedo escribirles. Doy gracias a Dios por el viaje, por lo todo la humildad q nos mostro, y pore se monton de personas q conocieron el reino de Dios, esa era nuestro proposito y lo logramos, gracias a todos y excelente trabajo… I love you!!!.... Alex LAO!!!.
Doy muchisimas gracias a Dios por haberme permitido conocerlos y compartir con ustedes, estos d’ias han sido de muchisima alegria y berndicion, Disfrute demasiado el hecho de aunque tutilicemos distintos idiomas seamos tan parecidos y el hecho de que Dios nos haya unido es una gran bendici’on…no puedo esperar por el proximo proyecto juntos….love you!!! Sofy
After bringing down the table I’d like to share a couple of thoughts with you…thank you for letting me come into your lives, you guys are priceless friends and incredible brothers and sisters to serve with, from day 1 I was just amazed at how good we all got along and…it was just awesome. Here comes the Spanish…gracias por venir, por dejar la comodidad de sus casas y trasladarse miles de kilometros para venir a un pais desconocido y entregar todo lo que tienen en sus corazones, every one of you holds a special place in my heart and I can only pray that we can continue to work together but more than that, keep up the friendship and become even more friends than we are now. I love you…I do..remember there is a task for each one to de done…don’t hold back..keep walking. Love, Monica.
This journey has left its mark on my heart in many ways. Not only was it an excellent learning experience, it was also as chance for me to see God reveal himself to his servants. I learned a great deal about service during this trip. Sure service takes humility and leadership, but those are only small parts. In order to serve as one with my team I had to open my mind to instruction which I did not welcome all the time, however, I have learned to listen and take to hard all instruction that was given me. Another part of service is the attitude in which one serves. You can exercise all the humility and leadership you posses, but it would not be pleasing to the lord if you attitude was sour. So service with the right attitude is essential in order to glorify God. God also revealed his power to me on this trip. The man helping us with the construction Tobias was touched by Gods power that week. At first he was resistant to our Faith, but I believe his heart changed due to the love and kindness he was shown by our team. The last night in Upala he accepted Christ. These are the two greatest things I learned: right attitude gives forth to right service, and God has the power to touch the lost even though the largest barriers. –Andrew Edwards
Sam Holechek
This trip has been and amazing experience. God has placed many things on my heart during my time here. First, that God is God of the whole world, not just Lincoln. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in what is happening in your little world and not realize that compared to others we have it easy. Second, God has taught me to really appreciate what I have. Seeing the conditions that the people in Upala live in made me realize how much I really have even though I haven’t done anything to deserve it. It’s so easy to look at people who have more than you even when there are whole countries who have less. God has blessed all of us with so much more than we deserve. Lastly, this trip has really pushed me to strengthen my walk with God. It seems like at home walking with God is so easy. We have a huge church with plenty of room for everyone, and they have church in a parking garage, and some seem much more content than we do.
One of the most memorable times on the trip for me was when we all got to spend time sorting out our thoughts at the beach. I am a person that likes to have my alone time. 2 weeks of constant chaos was not easy for me. All 60 of us were each spread out across the beach at night just talking to God and worshipping him. I remember starting to sing a song while I was standing there looking at the ocean…the words are “when the oceans rise and thunders roll, I will soar with you above the storm, Father you are King over the flood, I will be still and know you are God” and I realized this week that when I don’t have all the distractions in my life my worries and fears are freely exposed and I learned to trust God with the plans he has for me. So many times I feel like I know what’s best for myself but when I am still and know that God is God that is when I can let go of my fears and trust in God’s unfailing plan because he never fails me. –Alyssa Helmink
Something that really got me thinking hard was the thought that the God I worship, the God I sing to on Sunday mornings, the one that listening to my prayers, the one watching over me, he’s the same God that’s watching over everyone in the world. The people in Upala, the Ticos we met, even when we were in church Sunday, it was all the same God. One of the coolest things to hear was all the Costa Ricans singing their worship songs in Spanish, and then having us be singing the exact same song in English. The fact that God is soooo big that he can look over me, and listen to me, while he’s there for people across the world blows me away. It really shows you how big God REALLY is and how he does care about everyone. –Maddie Graham
Over the course of this trip I felt like God showed himself in a ton of different ways and spoke to me in areas of my life. God showed me that he is always going to be there for us even if we can’t see him working. I felt like God really showed himself with the coral snake incidence and allowing us to finish the courts in time. Another big thing God showed me is how to have a servant’s heart and to put others in front of yourself. I always feel like I try to put myself before others in certain areas of my life. I just need to step back trust God and see how he can use me as a servant. One of the most powerful moments of the trip for me I felt like was when we got the opportunity to worship with the Neos youth group before and after we worked. This just helped remind me that the God I worship isn’t our God in Lincoln or the U.S., but he is the God of the whole world and we works in every one of our lives in different ways. I don’t usually get stressed easily either but I felt during the weak my patience was being tested when the work days were getting harder. God just really spoke to me about how to be a good leader and to have patience with others and keep a good attitude no matter what situation you are in. It was incredible to see how happy the people of Upala were with practically nothing to call their own. This just helped reaffirm the fact that physical things in this life don’t make you happy. Only God can do that for each one of us. I have to learn not to take everything for granted in the U.S. and realize how blessed I truly am. -Luke Matzke
These past two weeks I feel like God has been revealing more about himself to me in different ways. One of those ways was through the people we came in contact with in Upala. Seeing their smiles, hugging the children, and communicating often without words or a limited Spanish vocabulary, gave me a glimpse of God’s heart. I could feel not God’s love shown through our team but also felt the love and beauty of God reflected in the hearts of those we were coming to serve. It’s one of those things you can’t quite explain but are still amazed by. Working with Neos showed me again how big God is. One of my favorite moments on this trip was worshiping in both Spanish and English on the Saturday night we returned to San Jose. Worshiping in another culture helped reaffirm the breadth of the church and who God is. Being able to spend time on the beach and around the glory of God’s creation helped me appreciate God’s majesty. It also helped me realize that even though the worlds of Upala and Manuel Antonio seem so far apart, God is still hugely present in both and his majesty is still being revealed. As God revealed more about his character and who he is, it reaffirmed the whole mission of this trip. We can build all the sports courts we want or give away thousands of health packs, but the thing that will really fulfill the desires of each person’s heart is Christ. And the more I realize about God the more I realize that that is a beautiful thing. – Hannah Potter
This trip made me make a few huge realizations. The importance of selflessness, always putting someone else’s wants ahead of yours and living on God’s grace alone serving them letting them know we have got everything we need by just walking with Jesus and are completely fulfilled. God also gave us strength to work hard even when we felt like we could barely stay awake. I was also amazed seeing God at work in another part of the world because it just shows how big and powerful he is and that the God they worship in Costa Rica is the same in Lincoln Nebraska. When we put our two teams together we really formed once bright light for Christ. Before this trip I really underestimated the power of prayer I tried to live on my own power a lot of the time which hardly worked. On the trip I prayed about everything and I felt God holding my hand helping me through things that were not always easy, he gave me patience, peace of mind, and endurance. I was so blessed to go on the trip and take away so much. I pray that me and the team will walk by faith alone when that is merely all we need. ~Bobbi McCurdy
During our stay in Costa Rica, I noticed how powerful God is. Even though I don’t speak any Spanish, God somehow managed to use me to make an impact on a boy named Pablo. He is 14 years old, and he is very smart, kind, and happy, especially given his living conditions. I was able to reach out to him because he could understand English. He couldn’t speak English and we sometimes needed a Tico to translate, but we could still hold our own small conversations throughout the week. Before leaving Upala, I was on my way to the bus and Pablo ran after me to give me a hug goodbye. My heart broke for him. I see so much potential in him, and only hope that he constantly devotes his life to Jesus Christ in order to fulfill his dreams. Not only has God taught me that I can make an impact on someone who doesn’t even speak the same language, but He also has taught me the power of prayer. Whenever we needed anything on the trip, God somehow provided. From the weather to the cement mixer, God was there! -Bobbi Balogh
We got back last night from an amazing trip. We had a great time in San Jose to finish our trip, but it was really hard to say goodby to our new friends at Neos.
I think we are all tired and ready for fast food...even though the gallo pinto was good! I have had so many great talks with our kids about the trip so I thought I would let them tell you the things they have to say about the trip.
It has been a joy to be in Costa Rica with each of you guys. I am so proud of you all. Thanks for being such a light in Costa Rica for Jesus. I know Upala will never be the same, and I hope that what we learned will impact our church. That the passion for the lost and the servants heart you showed will carry over to our lives here in Lincoln.
I also wanted to say thanks to all of our leaders. Mike, Kathy, Lyndi, Josh and Jill....you made it such a great trip with your attitude, your horse whispering ability, your love of protein, being so great with the kids, hauling the camera around and showing off some serious dance skills. I will let the readers guess which talents go with which leader! :)
Thanks again and check out what the other team members had to say about the trip.
Posted by Ty Thomas
Costa Rica Reflections/Reflexiones 2008
One of the many things I have learned from the Costa Rica Missions Trip is the vastness of Gods desire for people to know him. Upala is such a lesser developed area than Lincoln, Nebraska. And it’s obvious that God was working through Neos and Reverb to bring the people of Upala to know him. It would be safe to say that 99% of the world could care less about the people of Upala. But God does. God desires to have a personal relationship with everyone who has been created in his image. –Jayk
During our stay in Costa Rica, it was really neat to see God working through everyone on our team whether they were from Lincoln or San Jose. Even though there was somewhat of a language barrier throughout the trip, we really did come together to work as one team, under the God of Nebraska, Costa Rica, and the universe. It was moving to see one another working in Upala, because each person had a different ability, and in the end it all came together as one big picture. Our God is the God of everyone, and I could really see that while we were in Costa Rica. – Jackson
This past week has been awesome just seeing the ways God answers prayers. Halfway through the week we ran out of supplies and weren’t quite sure if we would even finish laying the cement for the 2 basketball courts. Mike and I volunteered to go get more rocks a few miles down the road so we had to get a ride from a school teacher and fit 2 and a half people on a dirt bike (the teacher was the skinniest man I’ve ever seen in my life. No way he weighed more than 100 pounds and he was 6’3”). When we were about ½ a mile down the road, Josué and Alejandro pulled up next to us in the truck with a cement mixer on the back. The idea of getting one had been bouncing around all week but no one thought it would actually happen. I couldn’t really believe they got it so I asked Alejandro how they got the hookup and all he said was, “How big is your God?” We finished the work on the last day within the last hour that we were supposed to leave Upala, and there’s no way we would have finished the work without that mixer. It was just cool to see God answering prayer, not only with the mixer but throughout the week. You could just really feel his presence and knew that he was watching over the entire trip and was in control of everything. –Ross Kremer
During our stay in Costa Rica, God has taught me to have a lot of patience. A lot of the time we didn’t have enough supplies right away so we had to wait to get everything. We also didn’t know if we would finish the second court because they didn’t have enough supplies there but everything pulled together. God has answered all my prayers even the small things like keeping my toe healthy since I couldn’t wash it in the water and he healed it and he answered my big prayers such as keeping everyone safe and making sure that no one got to sick. I could see that God was watching over the whole trip and that felt awesome to know that he was with us the whole time. – Abby Graham
Wow, where do I start??? God has taught me so many things on this wonderful trip that I think my head might explode, starting with the number one lesson, patience. If you know me really well you know that I am very anxious and struggle with dealing with being calm (especially around my poco hermano). God always shows me something new every day and he keeps me on my feet, patience being one of them. Another thing God has taught me is learning not to always be in control all of the time. From the beginning I have always felt like I should take charge of things even when I have no idea what to do, but………as always God made me step back about ten steps and had me be a server instead being top macho, macho man!!! Working my butt off in heavy humidity, playing non-stop with the kids, playing ron maka ron for hours, BREAKING MY NOSE on the tramp, and with little time for myself; the last thing that I have learned is extreme service no matter what!!! RATA!!!!!!!!------Richard Coryell
This trip has been an awesome opportunity for me to learn to depend on God for everything. I remember praying before the trip that He would give me peace, patience and joy in the midst of new and at times, trying situations. As the week in Upala progressed, God definitely granted my request. It was amazing how calm I felt and how much I was able to even enjoy the experience in the midst of heat, bugs, and concrete floors J. I realized that during a typical day at home I can easily live on my own strength, but in Upala, I needed God every second of the day. It was also amazing to see how He answered other prayers. I remember a couple of times when we were out of materials, or the weather was threatening and we prayed for a miracle….and God always came through. The coolest part was how He provided so much more than we could ever ask or imagine. When it was all said and done it was definitely very eye opening and it created a desire in me to always live in a way that I need God for everything. Finally I loved the bond we formed with all the Ticos from Neos. We had many wonderful times together, but one of my favorite times was definitely worshipping together in English and Spanish. Thank you to each and every person on our team, you all played a unique and very important role! --Karis Parker
For me, this trip was something unexpected, and an experience that was awkward, amazing, and life-changing all at the same time. The most life-changing part of this trip is the partnership we have formed with Josue’s church. I made friends that are closer than friends in the United States, and I’m so sad to leave them behind. Through this, I learned a lot about the body of Christ and how we work together as a team to accomplish one goal. We each have different tasks, and different ways of doing it, but in the end it all comes together. Another one of the greatest things I have learned is really how big my God is. God provided throughout this trip to make it possible with the cement mixer, shipping materials for free, and even providing four professionals to help us lay the cement. We were all generally healthy, and the weather cooperated in ways I’ve never seen. God is bigger than I have ever given Him credit for. This trip has been something truly amazing, and even though I can’t wait to go home and see all my friends and family, I feel like I’m leaving family. Thank you all Ticos, for being great instruments for God, and for teaching me more than ever. –Melissa Hopkins
Gracias a todos por la oportunidad de conocerlos, fue todo un placer, y aunque no los conoci muy bien a todos tengo sus correos y puedo escribirles. Doy gracias a Dios por el viaje, por lo todo la humildad q nos mostro, y pore se monton de personas q conocieron el reino de Dios, esa era nuestro proposito y lo logramos, gracias a todos y excelente trabajo… I love you!!!.... Alex LAO!!!.
Doy muchisimas gracias a Dios por haberme permitido conocerlos y compartir con ustedes, estos d’ias han sido de muchisima alegria y berndicion, Disfrute demasiado el hecho de aunque tutilicemos distintos idiomas seamos tan parecidos y el hecho de que Dios nos haya unido es una gran bendici’on…no puedo esperar por el proximo proyecto juntos….love you!!! Sofy
After bringing down the table I’d like to share a couple of thoughts with you…thank you for letting me come into your lives, you guys are priceless friends and incredible brothers and sisters to serve with, from day 1 I was just amazed at how good we all got along and…it was just awesome. Here comes the Spanish…gracias por venir, por dejar la comodidad de sus casas y trasladarse miles de kilometros para venir a un pais desconocido y entregar todo lo que tienen en sus corazones, every one of you holds a special place in my heart and I can only pray that we can continue to work together but more than that, keep up the friendship and become even more friends than we are now. I love you…I do..remember there is a task for each one to de done…don’t hold back..keep walking. Love, Monica.
This journey has left its mark on my heart in many ways. Not only was it an excellent learning experience, it was also as chance for me to see God reveal himself to his servants. I learned a great deal about service during this trip. Sure service takes humility and leadership, but those are only small parts. In order to serve as one with my team I had to open my mind to instruction which I did not welcome all the time, however, I have learned to listen and take to hard all instruction that was given me. Another part of service is the attitude in which one serves. You can exercise all the humility and leadership you posses, but it would not be pleasing to the lord if you attitude was sour. So service with the right attitude is essential in order to glorify God. God also revealed his power to me on this trip. The man helping us with the construction Tobias was touched by Gods power that week. At first he was resistant to our Faith, but I believe his heart changed due to the love and kindness he was shown by our team. The last night in Upala he accepted Christ. These are the two greatest things I learned: right attitude gives forth to right service, and God has the power to touch the lost even though the largest barriers. –Andrew Edwards
Sam Holechek
This trip has been and amazing experience. God has placed many things on my heart during my time here. First, that God is God of the whole world, not just Lincoln. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in what is happening in your little world and not realize that compared to others we have it easy. Second, God has taught me to really appreciate what I have. Seeing the conditions that the people in Upala live in made me realize how much I really have even though I haven’t done anything to deserve it. It’s so easy to look at people who have more than you even when there are whole countries who have less. God has blessed all of us with so much more than we deserve. Lastly, this trip has really pushed me to strengthen my walk with God. It seems like at home walking with God is so easy. We have a huge church with plenty of room for everyone, and they have church in a parking garage, and some seem much more content than we do.
One of the most memorable times on the trip for me was when we all got to spend time sorting out our thoughts at the beach. I am a person that likes to have my alone time. 2 weeks of constant chaos was not easy for me. All 60 of us were each spread out across the beach at night just talking to God and worshipping him. I remember starting to sing a song while I was standing there looking at the ocean…the words are “when the oceans rise and thunders roll, I will soar with you above the storm, Father you are King over the flood, I will be still and know you are God” and I realized this week that when I don’t have all the distractions in my life my worries and fears are freely exposed and I learned to trust God with the plans he has for me. So many times I feel like I know what’s best for myself but when I am still and know that God is God that is when I can let go of my fears and trust in God’s unfailing plan because he never fails me. –Alyssa Helmink
Something that really got me thinking hard was the thought that the God I worship, the God I sing to on Sunday mornings, the one that listening to my prayers, the one watching over me, he’s the same God that’s watching over everyone in the world. The people in Upala, the Ticos we met, even when we were in church Sunday, it was all the same God. One of the coolest things to hear was all the Costa Ricans singing their worship songs in Spanish, and then having us be singing the exact same song in English. The fact that God is soooo big that he can look over me, and listen to me, while he’s there for people across the world blows me away. It really shows you how big God REALLY is and how he does care about everyone. –Maddie Graham
Over the course of this trip I felt like God showed himself in a ton of different ways and spoke to me in areas of my life. God showed me that he is always going to be there for us even if we can’t see him working. I felt like God really showed himself with the coral snake incidence and allowing us to finish the courts in time. Another big thing God showed me is how to have a servant’s heart and to put others in front of yourself. I always feel like I try to put myself before others in certain areas of my life. I just need to step back trust God and see how he can use me as a servant. One of the most powerful moments of the trip for me I felt like was when we got the opportunity to worship with the Neos youth group before and after we worked. This just helped remind me that the God I worship isn’t our God in Lincoln or the U.S., but he is the God of the whole world and we works in every one of our lives in different ways. I don’t usually get stressed easily either but I felt during the weak my patience was being tested when the work days were getting harder. God just really spoke to me about how to be a good leader and to have patience with others and keep a good attitude no matter what situation you are in. It was incredible to see how happy the people of Upala were with practically nothing to call their own. This just helped reaffirm the fact that physical things in this life don’t make you happy. Only God can do that for each one of us. I have to learn not to take everything for granted in the U.S. and realize how blessed I truly am. -Luke Matzke
These past two weeks I feel like God has been revealing more about himself to me in different ways. One of those ways was through the people we came in contact with in Upala. Seeing their smiles, hugging the children, and communicating often without words or a limited Spanish vocabulary, gave me a glimpse of God’s heart. I could feel not God’s love shown through our team but also felt the love and beauty of God reflected in the hearts of those we were coming to serve. It’s one of those things you can’t quite explain but are still amazed by. Working with Neos showed me again how big God is. One of my favorite moments on this trip was worshiping in both Spanish and English on the Saturday night we returned to San Jose. Worshiping in another culture helped reaffirm the breadth of the church and who God is. Being able to spend time on the beach and around the glory of God’s creation helped me appreciate God’s majesty. It also helped me realize that even though the worlds of Upala and Manuel Antonio seem so far apart, God is still hugely present in both and his majesty is still being revealed. As God revealed more about his character and who he is, it reaffirmed the whole mission of this trip. We can build all the sports courts we want or give away thousands of health packs, but the thing that will really fulfill the desires of each person’s heart is Christ. And the more I realize about God the more I realize that that is a beautiful thing. – Hannah Potter
This trip made me make a few huge realizations. The importance of selflessness, always putting someone else’s wants ahead of yours and living on God’s grace alone serving them letting them know we have got everything we need by just walking with Jesus and are completely fulfilled. God also gave us strength to work hard even when we felt like we could barely stay awake. I was also amazed seeing God at work in another part of the world because it just shows how big and powerful he is and that the God they worship in Costa Rica is the same in Lincoln Nebraska. When we put our two teams together we really formed once bright light for Christ. Before this trip I really underestimated the power of prayer I tried to live on my own power a lot of the time which hardly worked. On the trip I prayed about everything and I felt God holding my hand helping me through things that were not always easy, he gave me patience, peace of mind, and endurance. I was so blessed to go on the trip and take away so much. I pray that me and the team will walk by faith alone when that is merely all we need. ~Bobbi McCurdy
During our stay in Costa Rica, I noticed how powerful God is. Even though I don’t speak any Spanish, God somehow managed to use me to make an impact on a boy named Pablo. He is 14 years old, and he is very smart, kind, and happy, especially given his living conditions. I was able to reach out to him because he could understand English. He couldn’t speak English and we sometimes needed a Tico to translate, but we could still hold our own small conversations throughout the week. Before leaving Upala, I was on my way to the bus and Pablo ran after me to give me a hug goodbye. My heart broke for him. I see so much potential in him, and only hope that he constantly devotes his life to Jesus Christ in order to fulfill his dreams. Not only has God taught me that I can make an impact on someone who doesn’t even speak the same language, but He also has taught me the power of prayer. Whenever we needed anything on the trip, God somehow provided. From the weather to the cement mixer, God was there! -Bobbi Balogh
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Back in San Jose
Last night we returned to the city (San Jose) and we had an amazing night of worship and fellowship with our Costa Rica friends....we were treated to some of the best worship i have ever been a part of....their worship band did songs in English and Spanish. It was an amazing environment, at one point i looked around the room (which is a garage converted into their youth room) and saw Tico's and Gringo's with hands lifted high singing love songs to the same God...the atmosphere in the room was something that i will never forget....that experience was something all of our students will cherish.
Last night was a very special night because each student stayed at their host family...i know the kids are excited to stay with their new friends and experience some of what a normal day is like for them.
We went to Church today and Ty was asked to speak...he did a good job (or at least we think he did :) it was great to see the how another culture does church. This is an experience i know our kids won’t forget because their "church" meets in a hospital parking garage and right next to the stage was a parked car that had been there for four days!!! It really warmed my heart to see that to these people church is not about a place or a building...it’s about the body coming together to worship Christ. This was a great reminder of how fortunate we are to have a church like we do.
Tonight we are going to have a party at one of the Neos students home...the girls are going to play in a Costa Rica vs USA soccer game...Kathy told me she was going to play goalie and we should expect a shut out!!! :) And some of the male leaders have challenged us to a 5 on 5 basketball game at an outdoor court near by...i know that the boys are very excited for that.
I know i speak for the group when i say that i can’t believe the trip is coming to a close...it seems like just yesterday i was in Omaha trying to get our tickets figured out so we could leave....God has shown us all so much on this trip and all of our students have made great friends and great memories....we sang a song in Church last night that said we were "history makers" and i know that God used these students to make history in that small unseen community of Upalla...i am so thankful that i was able to be a part of this trip and see Christ work through the lives and hearts of our students.
This blog was written by Mike Smith,
Monday, July 7, 2008
Hard but Good
Hey guys,
Awesome to see your comments. I love that you are praying and thinking of us.
I´m not gonna lie...the last few days have been hard but really good. I will try to start the day I left off with you. I can´t put everything but I will try to put alot so you can know more and pray.
That night, July fourth, we had about everything go wrong that could go wrong. All of our sound equipment cables had gotten lost and we were doing music, dramas, and sharing the gospel that night in an open air meeting with about 300 people. I grabbed some cables from my guitars and patched it together so we could have sound at least. Then, it started thundering and began to rain...we started to pray and the rain stopped but it continued to thunder and threaten to rain for 2 1/2 hours...until we just finished. What a coincidence huh! After the music, we did our drama King of Hearts. Alyssa H., Abby, Grant, Laura and Ross were doing an awesome job. All the people were watching intently and just at the part where Ross come in and portrays Jesus as the Healer of wounded hearts, I hear some little kid yell, "Un coral! Un coral!" and the whole crowd scattered...."un coral" means a coral snake! It had slithered in through the crowd right where Ross and Grant were. My heart sank...everyone screamed and ran. Everyone except Carlos that is...Carlos is on of the guys on our team from San Jose. He took off his sandal and ran right at the snake and started beating it! We all kinda stood there and thought, "Is this guy really beating a deadly snake with his sandal?" After he killed it, Alejandro took it away, and we asked the crowd if they wanted to see the rest of the drama and they did. So we started it over at the part we left off on, and then Josue came and preached and many people prayed to recieve Jesus that night. It was incredible!
It has been hard working at two locations with out my own car. I am used to going where I want when I need to. That has been challenging because I don´t have a car...so one day I borrow a bike from a 10 year old girl and rode that back and fourth between the two sites (almost two miles) numerous times during the day. If you can a imagine a 6 foot 3 inch man riding a girls bike with a basket...I´m sure they are still talking about it! The next day, Mike and I had to get the food from one site to the other. I thought about borrowing a horse, but Mike is really scared of them, so I borrowed a motorcycle and Mike had three 2 gallon buckets of food on his lap behind me. I think we hit every pot hole in the road. But we made it there with the food.
One day, the family across the street was butchering a hog, so many from our group went to watch them do it. After we were done, I asked him if he would sell me some...so I ended up buying 13 kilos of that hog...lets just say dinner was yummy! Although Ali Bohlke wasn´t sure she could eat it after seeing what she saw.
We are working hard on the construction. Our kids are doing such a great job. They are so tired so please pray! We have two more days of work before we go back to Manuel Antonio and then on to San Jose.
We busted out the trampoline last night! Oh yeah, we brought one with us...Thanks walmart. None of them have ever seen one so you can be assured that Ross and Jayk are heroes here. Doing backflips with twists...the kids are lining up!
Andrew and Richard are doing thier magic trick. Last night we did a trick were the bowl is empty and we say the magic word and poof...a little duck appeared. They love it so much!
Hannah, Melissa, Anna Denell, Jackson and I did a drama last night. People were moved to tears. It was amazing to see them respond when I began to preach afterward about a hole that everyone has in their heart. Many try to fill it with money, sex, drugs, friends, work....but nothing fills that hole except Jesus. After I preached and prayed with them, I saw Josue and others talking and praying with the people of Upala. God is moving!
I haven´t really talked about the kids programs but they are going well. David, one of the Costa Ricans members of our team is famous here. He is 17 years old and has his own tv show for kids. So all the kids come running when he shows up. He is gifted with children and there are about 100 kids that come every day to do crafts, games, jump on the trampoline and ofcourse hear about Jesus.
All of the leaders from Lincoln are doing great too. Kathy is helping buy our food at the store...all she can say is "Hello, my name is Kathy" but she is such a blessing. I just bought food with her for our team and put her in a taxi all by herself with a guy that doesn´t speak any English. The trip will take her 45 minutes to get back to our team site. I told the taxi driver I would pay him $20 extra to leave her in Nicaragua and let her find her own way back. He laughed really hard and thought it was funny.
Jill is running one of our sites and her spanish is a big help. But more than that she is doing a great job helping the kids go deep in their quiet times each morning. She is great to have here.
Lyndi has been great at getting in with the kids and just encouraging them. She has asked me to pick up a white chocolate moca from Starbucks when I go to town....I always ask...what size? and promise to be right back with it:)
Josh has been doing a great job of working and getting lots of video from the trip. We will make a video for each team member when we return. They call him "skinny white boy"...at least I think they were saying that to him and not me.
Mike is probably the hardest worker on our team. He has endless engery and is gifted with our kids and at meeting the Costa Ricans. I think he knows 10 Spanish words and he uses them all! But even without the language he has a way of putting people at ease, and somehow is the center of attention. When I hear a crowd of kids yell..."ooooohhhh!" I know he is close by.
I wish I could write more. We miss you all. Thanks for praying!
Allison, I love you alot and wish you were here. Kiss the kids for me and I will call you in 3 days.
Thanks and God Bless!
Awesome to see your comments. I love that you are praying and thinking of us.
I´m not gonna lie...the last few days have been hard but really good. I will try to start the day I left off with you. I can´t put everything but I will try to put alot so you can know more and pray.
That night, July fourth, we had about everything go wrong that could go wrong. All of our sound equipment cables had gotten lost and we were doing music, dramas, and sharing the gospel that night in an open air meeting with about 300 people. I grabbed some cables from my guitars and patched it together so we could have sound at least. Then, it started thundering and began to rain...we started to pray and the rain stopped but it continued to thunder and threaten to rain for 2 1/2 hours...until we just finished. What a coincidence huh! After the music, we did our drama King of Hearts. Alyssa H., Abby, Grant, Laura and Ross were doing an awesome job. All the people were watching intently and just at the part where Ross come in and portrays Jesus as the Healer of wounded hearts, I hear some little kid yell, "Un coral! Un coral!" and the whole crowd scattered...."un coral" means a coral snake! It had slithered in through the crowd right where Ross and Grant were. My heart sank...everyone screamed and ran. Everyone except Carlos that is...Carlos is on of the guys on our team from San Jose. He took off his sandal and ran right at the snake and started beating it! We all kinda stood there and thought, "Is this guy really beating a deadly snake with his sandal?" After he killed it, Alejandro took it away, and we asked the crowd if they wanted to see the rest of the drama and they did. So we started it over at the part we left off on, and then Josue came and preached and many people prayed to recieve Jesus that night. It was incredible!
It has been hard working at two locations with out my own car. I am used to going where I want when I need to. That has been challenging because I don´t have a car...so one day I borrow a bike from a 10 year old girl and rode that back and fourth between the two sites (almost two miles) numerous times during the day. If you can a imagine a 6 foot 3 inch man riding a girls bike with a basket...I´m sure they are still talking about it! The next day, Mike and I had to get the food from one site to the other. I thought about borrowing a horse, but Mike is really scared of them, so I borrowed a motorcycle and Mike had three 2 gallon buckets of food on his lap behind me. I think we hit every pot hole in the road. But we made it there with the food.
One day, the family across the street was butchering a hog, so many from our group went to watch them do it. After we were done, I asked him if he would sell me some...so I ended up buying 13 kilos of that hog...lets just say dinner was yummy! Although Ali Bohlke wasn´t sure she could eat it after seeing what she saw.
We are working hard on the construction. Our kids are doing such a great job. They are so tired so please pray! We have two more days of work before we go back to Manuel Antonio and then on to San Jose.
We busted out the trampoline last night! Oh yeah, we brought one with us...Thanks walmart. None of them have ever seen one so you can be assured that Ross and Jayk are heroes here. Doing backflips with twists...the kids are lining up!
Andrew and Richard are doing thier magic trick. Last night we did a trick were the bowl is empty and we say the magic word and poof...a little duck appeared. They love it so much!
Hannah, Melissa, Anna Denell, Jackson and I did a drama last night. People were moved to tears. It was amazing to see them respond when I began to preach afterward about a hole that everyone has in their heart. Many try to fill it with money, sex, drugs, friends, work....but nothing fills that hole except Jesus. After I preached and prayed with them, I saw Josue and others talking and praying with the people of Upala. God is moving!
I haven´t really talked about the kids programs but they are going well. David, one of the Costa Ricans members of our team is famous here. He is 17 years old and has his own tv show for kids. So all the kids come running when he shows up. He is gifted with children and there are about 100 kids that come every day to do crafts, games, jump on the trampoline and ofcourse hear about Jesus.
All of the leaders from Lincoln are doing great too. Kathy is helping buy our food at the store...all she can say is "Hello, my name is Kathy" but she is such a blessing. I just bought food with her for our team and put her in a taxi all by herself with a guy that doesn´t speak any English. The trip will take her 45 minutes to get back to our team site. I told the taxi driver I would pay him $20 extra to leave her in Nicaragua and let her find her own way back. He laughed really hard and thought it was funny.
Jill is running one of our sites and her spanish is a big help. But more than that she is doing a great job helping the kids go deep in their quiet times each morning. She is great to have here.
Lyndi has been great at getting in with the kids and just encouraging them. She has asked me to pick up a white chocolate moca from Starbucks when I go to town....I always ask...what size? and promise to be right back with it:)
Josh has been doing a great job of working and getting lots of video from the trip. We will make a video for each team member when we return. They call him "skinny white boy"...at least I think they were saying that to him and not me.
Mike is probably the hardest worker on our team. He has endless engery and is gifted with our kids and at meeting the Costa Ricans. I think he knows 10 Spanish words and he uses them all! But even without the language he has a way of putting people at ease, and somehow is the center of attention. When I hear a crowd of kids yell..."ooooohhhh!" I know he is close by.
I wish I could write more. We miss you all. Thanks for praying!
Allison, I love you alot and wish you were here. Kiss the kids for me and I will call you in 3 days.
Thanks and God Bless!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4h of July!
Wassup everyone. This is the first chance I have been into town to use internet for a couple of days. We are in Upala now and all I can say is...it is so cool. Last night we rolled into our two small villages we are working in (Homusa and Villa Hermosa) and the people came out to greet us. It was awesome. It didn´t take long for a soccer game to get going between our guys and their youth. I think we ended up winning 5 goals to 4 but it was cool. They are so good at soccer.
The Costa Rican Christians from San Jose and our team are meshing so well. When I sat down at a meal with Carlos who speaks no English and Andrew and Richard from our team....they don´t speak any Spanish. But it didn´t matter. Carlos was rambling on in Spanish and Richard and Andrew were answering back in English and somehow they were having a great time and looked like they were understanding the other.
Our living situation is pretty basic. We are sleeping on the concrete floor of a community center that is under construction, sooooo.... let´s just say that to flush the one toilet we have for our group of 56 people, you need to go get a bucket of water and pour it in. We do have two showers though. One was built by Teo...it is a hose hung from the roof with some boards underneath. The other shower which is 200 meters away, has no door and actually has two pigs living in the stall next to it. Well, one now...the director of the school killed it in our honor this morning at 6 am. I don´t have to tell you that Grant, Luke, Jayk and most of the boys went there to watch the whole thing.
The team has been working so hard all day long clearing the field so we can pour concrete to make 2 sport courts for soccer and basket ball. I just got done meeting with the people from the local mayors office with Alejandro and Josue. We were hoping that the mayor would donate some of the materials, but were not sure. We were expecting to pay about $5500 at least to buy and transport the materials to the villages. After Alejandro was done talking to the mayor...he told us he would donate all of the materials! Wow! Then we went to find transport and when we told them who we were, and Ale explained that we were all volunteering...the company donated the transport! Unbelievable! We stopped in our pickup and just prayed and laughed like kids and gave thanks to God!
Please keep praying for us. We know God is working! Tonight we are inviting all of the kids and people of the community to come to our location for dramas, music, puppets, games, crafts and of course another soccer game. Josue will share tonight that God loves us so much that he sent his sone to die in our place. Please pray! Thanks for those that left messages. It was encouraging to see your notes and that you are reading the blog and praying.
Also pray...it is so hot here! and our sleeping situation is...wall to wall sleeping bags on concrete with a door we can´t lock, so we need to leave two people to guard our stuff on rotating shifts. It is pretty rough but everyone is so encouraged and has great attitudes. No one is sick, praise God. Oh and tomorrow we start to pour concrete!
Happy 4th of July...I will try to get back to you in a couple of days. God Bless.
Submitted by Ty Thomas
The Costa Rican Christians from San Jose and our team are meshing so well. When I sat down at a meal with Carlos who speaks no English and Andrew and Richard from our team....they don´t speak any Spanish. But it didn´t matter. Carlos was rambling on in Spanish and Richard and Andrew were answering back in English and somehow they were having a great time and looked like they were understanding the other.
Our living situation is pretty basic. We are sleeping on the concrete floor of a community center that is under construction, sooooo.... let´s just say that to flush the one toilet we have for our group of 56 people, you need to go get a bucket of water and pour it in. We do have two showers though. One was built by Teo...it is a hose hung from the roof with some boards underneath. The other shower which is 200 meters away, has no door and actually has two pigs living in the stall next to it. Well, one now...the director of the school killed it in our honor this morning at 6 am. I don´t have to tell you that Grant, Luke, Jayk and most of the boys went there to watch the whole thing.
The team has been working so hard all day long clearing the field so we can pour concrete to make 2 sport courts for soccer and basket ball. I just got done meeting with the people from the local mayors office with Alejandro and Josue. We were hoping that the mayor would donate some of the materials, but were not sure. We were expecting to pay about $5500 at least to buy and transport the materials to the villages. After Alejandro was done talking to the mayor...he told us he would donate all of the materials! Wow! Then we went to find transport and when we told them who we were, and Ale explained that we were all volunteering...the company donated the transport! Unbelievable! We stopped in our pickup and just prayed and laughed like kids and gave thanks to God!
Please keep praying for us. We know God is working! Tonight we are inviting all of the kids and people of the community to come to our location for dramas, music, puppets, games, crafts and of course another soccer game. Josue will share tonight that God loves us so much that he sent his sone to die in our place. Please pray! Thanks for those that left messages. It was encouraging to see your notes and that you are reading the blog and praying.
Also pray...it is so hot here! and our sleeping situation is...wall to wall sleeping bags on concrete with a door we can´t lock, so we need to leave two people to guard our stuff on rotating shifts. It is pretty rough but everyone is so encouraged and has great attitudes. No one is sick, praise God. Oh and tomorrow we start to pour concrete!
Happy 4th of July...I will try to get back to you in a couple of days. God Bless.
Submitted by Ty Thomas
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Finally Here!
Well, we all finally made it. After probably one of the most frustrating airline experiences I have ever had we are in a small town call La Fortuna. Everyone arrived safely and all of our bags made it. The Costa Ricans keep teasing us about how big they are and how many we have:)
When Mike went through customs in San Jose with his group (24 people), Mike went up to the head customs guy and said "Huge group, never been here before...no Spanish!" The guy looked at Mike and said "No fruit?" and Mike answered "No Fruit." And the guy waved the whole team through without even scanning a single bag or asking for the slip for declaration. Never in 12 years of running teams have I ever seen that. He admitted to me later that the last 30 minutes of the flight he spent in prayer because he was scared to death about getting through customs with all of our people and stuff!
We have spent the afternoon in a hot stinky bus in a rain storm. They have a saying here that is similar to our "its raining cats and dogs"...except they say "its raining toads and snakes!" We and our bags were soaked! But we dried out and spent the night bonding with our Costa Rican church friends and getting ready to go to Upala.
Please pray for us as we spend time tomorrow getting to know each other and preparing for the different ministry teams. Thanks.
Submitted by Ty Thomas
When Mike went through customs in San Jose with his group (24 people), Mike went up to the head customs guy and said "Huge group, never been here before...no Spanish!" The guy looked at Mike and said "No fruit?" and Mike answered "No Fruit." And the guy waved the whole team through without even scanning a single bag or asking for the slip for declaration. Never in 12 years of running teams have I ever seen that. He admitted to me later that the last 30 minutes of the flight he spent in prayer because he was scared to death about getting through customs with all of our people and stuff!
We have spent the afternoon in a hot stinky bus in a rain storm. They have a saying here that is similar to our "its raining cats and dogs"...except they say "its raining toads and snakes!" We and our bags were soaked! But we dried out and spent the night bonding with our Costa Rican church friends and getting ready to go to Upala.
Please pray for us as we spend time tomorrow getting to know each other and preparing for the different ministry teams. Thanks.
Submitted by Ty Thomas
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