2014 Teams (year-end update at bottom of page)
––March––
Our year began not at the Children's Home, but rather at the Faro del Este ("Lighthouse of the East") Methodist Church, hosting a returning team from our partners at FUMC Birmingham, Michigan. This was a very special week since it marked the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the sanctuary, which many on this team had helped build. They returned this year to do some great work painting the outside walls and the fellowship hall, pouring a sidewalk down two sides of the church, and installing ceilings in the bathrooms. They also put on a women's workshop making delicious banana bread.
The week was topped off with a wonderful anniversary celebration, with close to forty folks from the States and almost two hundred Costa Ricans on hand to celebrate. It was a very moving service, filled with testimony on both sides to God's faithfulness and the creative ways He sustains His good work. Will was honored to preach, and the entire church gave homage to the group of folks from Michigan who made the sanctuary possible. The morning was capped off with a delicious luncheon (and banana bread!) We're so thankful for this great start to our teams for 2014.
––April––
In April we were blessed with two great teams at the Children's Home. The first was a returning team from the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church: folks from Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, led by a semi-retired ministerial couple from Michigan. This was the group's second year to work at the Home, with the added bonus that we got to celebrate Easter Sunday together. They then did some great finishing work on the second house, including painting and vital drainage work. They also put on a great Bible School activity for the children at Llano Grande.
Next we hosted a new team from St. James UMC in Atlanta, Georgia. The team leader had come last year as part of another group, and he must have enjoyed the experience, since he wanted to bring a full team from his home church! We're always humbled when people see something at the Home that they want to get others to participate in. The team continued drainage work for the second house and finishing repainting the first house. They also showed a great children's film and put on a fun activity at the church in Barrio México.
In April we were blessed with two great teams at the Children's Home. The first was a returning team from the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church: folks from Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, led by a semi-retired ministerial couple from Michigan. This was the group's second year to work at the Home, with the added bonus that we got to celebrate Easter Sunday together. They then did some great finishing work on the second house, including painting and vital drainage work. They also put on a great Bible School activity for the children at Llano Grande.
Next we hosted a new team from St. James UMC in Atlanta, Georgia. The team leader had come last year as part of another group, and he must have enjoyed the experience, since he wanted to bring a full team from his home church! We're always humbled when people see something at the Home that they want to get others to participate in. The team continued drainage work for the second house and finishing repainting the first house. They also showed a great children's film and put on a fun activity at the church in Barrio México.
––June––
June began with our smallest work team ever: two people! Josh and Dee Turnage from Florida wrote us about coming down to work at the Home during part of their vacation. Dee's father had come to work at the Home previously with a team from Gulfport, Mississippi. Even after the work team they were going to join up with had to back out, Josh and Dee still wanted to come and bless the Home with a week's work. Josh's construction background meant he was a big help to our local workers, and Dee gave the various gardens and flower patches a good bit of attention and love. The Turnages showed us that it doesn't matter how large the team is; the Lord can always use our desire to serve.
June began with our smallest work team ever: two people! Josh and Dee Turnage from Florida wrote us about coming down to work at the Home during part of their vacation. Dee's father had come to work at the Home previously with a team from Gulfport, Mississippi. Even after the work team they were going to join up with had to back out, Josh and Dee still wanted to come and bless the Home with a week's work. Josh's construction background meant he was a big help to our local workers, and Dee gave the various gardens and flower patches a good bit of attention and love. The Turnages showed us that it doesn't matter how large the team is; the Lord can always use our desire to serve.
Later in June we were glad to see our old friends from First United Methodist in Gulfport, Mississippi. This was their fifth time to visit Costa Rica and work with the Children's Home, and we're so thankful for their faithful support. There were some returning team members but also some first-timers, and they all did great work. Their main project was to get closer to finishing the perimeter wall that goes behind the multi-purpose building, and for that they laid block and formed and poured header beams. They also had a great time in local churches, celebrating Father's Day with the Llano Grande church, then putting on VBS in Llano Grande and Platanares.
––July––
We began July with a returning team from Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, Georgia. This team came last year during the very week we received our girls, so we were glad to spend more time with them this year under calmer circumstances! They did a lot of hard work beginning to dig the trenches for the multi-purpose building, as well as finishing the side wall of the property. Because the kids at the Home were on break from school, the team also got to spend a lot of fun time with them. They finished their week by returning to Los Guido, where they put on a great VBS for almost one hundred kids.
We finished the month with a visit from Ella's home church, Christ Community Church in Columbus, Georgia. It's always special to have folks from one of our commissioning churches come and serve with us in person. They did great work finishing the header beams for the side wall, as well as continuing to dig trenches for the multipurpose building. They also put on a great VBS in Los Guido and were a blessing to the church there. We also were greatly blessed by their fellowship and service.
We began July with a returning team from Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, Georgia. This team came last year during the very week we received our girls, so we were glad to spend more time with them this year under calmer circumstances! They did a lot of hard work beginning to dig the trenches for the multi-purpose building, as well as finishing the side wall of the property. Because the kids at the Home were on break from school, the team also got to spend a lot of fun time with them. They finished their week by returning to Los Guido, where they put on a great VBS for almost one hundred kids.
We finished the month with a visit from Ella's home church, Christ Community Church in Columbus, Georgia. It's always special to have folks from one of our commissioning churches come and serve with us in person. They did great work finishing the header beams for the side wall, as well as continuing to dig trenches for the multipurpose building. They also put on a great VBS in Los Guido and were a blessing to the church there. We also were greatly blessed by their fellowship and service.
––August––
Our final team of the year was from First United Methodist in Panama City, Florida. This was their third consecutive year to come and work at the Home, and we're grateful for their faithful friendship and service. They had the "honor" of being the first team to start pouring the concrete footers for the multi-purpose building, with the bonus of working during a very rainy week! The did an amazing job, though, pouring over one hundred loads of concrete in just a week and getting this stage of the project off to a great start. They also returned to the Llano Grande church for VBS, renewing a special connection they've made there over the past few years. We thank God for ending this year's team season with such a wonderful group.
Our final team of the year was from First United Methodist in Panama City, Florida. This was their third consecutive year to come and work at the Home, and we're grateful for their faithful friendship and service. They had the "honor" of being the first team to start pouring the concrete footers for the multi-purpose building, with the bonus of working during a very rainy week! The did an amazing job, though, pouring over one hundred loads of concrete in just a week and getting this stage of the project off to a great start. They also returned to the Llano Grande church for VBS, renewing a special connection they've made there over the past few years. We thank God for ending this year's team season with such a wonderful group.
End-of-year update - November 1, 2014
The last work team of 2014 has now left the Home, and our crew of workers will continue making progress until year's end. This year began with putting the finishing touches on the second house, then saw the inauguration of Casa Fe, which is now full of wonderful children! This was followed by the very first stages of the multi-purpose building, and the photos below show where we are now: the building is completely trenched, its foundations poured, and the laying of block has begun, allowing us to see the shape of the first rooms. Our deepest thanks to all the teams, ours and our partners', who came to serve this year. We look forward to 2015!