Safely Home after a marathon of travel

I know that it has been a while since the last post, but our lives have all been in substantial transit, so I apologize. During our last week in Costa Rica, we spent the week being tourists and travelling around. We camped at Guanacaste National Park from Monday to Thursday before departing for home on Friday. I will leave it to the group to tell you all about our camping trip and the adventures along the way. For now, all you need to know is this... It was beautiful and spectacular.

On Friday we arrived at the airport at 5:30 am to discover that our flight had been cancelled due to poor weather in Houston! Thankfully we all were able to get on to the same flight at 4:00 pm that day and arrived in Texas safely on Friday evening. Unfortunately, because it was a weather related cancellation, our airline did not provide accommodation overnight in Houston, while we waited for our 7:40 am flight to Detroit, which meant an overnight in the terminal for the gang. Amanda, Grace and I were fortunate enough to be spotted by what we can only believe to be an angel wearing a Continental Airlines uniform, who saw that we had a baby and booked a room for us at a hotel. We were so thankful, and Grace slept, well, like a baby.

The flight from Houston was delayed in the morning because in Houston, they are not experts at de-icing the plane that we are in the northern part of the continent. They will be after this week of strange weather in Texas though. When we touched down in Detroit, we were pleasantly greeted by the beginnings of a snow storm forming in Michigan- I guess it was God's way of reminding us that we are from a snowy place and that we blessed so richly by being in Costa Rica. Allan met us in Detroit and we travelled back into Ontario to drop several of the Interns off with their families for the weekend. During the drive, we encountered another snow storm between Sarnia and London, which lasted until we reached Hwy 400. So when we were estimating arrival times of 6:30 pm (Fair Havens) and 7:30 pm (MBC), those were pushed back by several hours (we pulled in to MBC at 11:45 pm).

So all in all, we made it home safely, and in good spirits. The trip was fantastic and Allan, Kira, Amanda and I are so proud of the group for everything that they did and what was accomplished in Costa Rica and at Campamento Roblealto. Memories have been made that will last a lifetime, and our fingerprints, sweat and efforts will be seen at Roblealto for years to come.

God is great,

Dan Henderson

Photo update

Apparently Jesse doesn't like to have his picture taken

something about sunsets- they are incredible here

Staining team

Yes, scaffolding and extension ladders were needed

Even the sneakiest photographer has difficulty catching this elusive creature

At last, the cameras have caught him, and look how thrilled he is!

Reverend Harald and Arthur the Counselor

Tonight I’m going to write what would appear to be more of a traditional blog- words, thoughts, opinions, and no pictures. Pictures to come...

Today, like every other day we started with devotions. For the last 2 days, I’ve been asking people to share what they have been reading, because it has been really encouraging to walk around and see people reading their Bibles, so why not verbalize and share what God has been teaching us. Tomorrow we will be spending the morning reflecting on the book of Philemon- something that we will all have read and be able to discuss.

Right after devos, we were asked if someone from our group could lead an evening Scripture reading and a few words- this is a BIG thing because of the language barrier. Camp Roblealto loves having us here, but their program is in Spanish, and we are far from fluent. So this was a great opportunity. From the group, Harald stood up and said that he would do it- Harry wants to get into missions later in life, so this would be a good spring board for that, and he did fantastic. He spoke on James and Galatians, and how when we look in the mirror, we see all kinds of things about ourselves that we want changed. And just like how we can’t change our physical appearance without work, we can’t change our walk with God without wanting to improve our relationship with Him. Harry challenged the kids to put off their old selves and be hearers and doers of the Word. Their program staff were very thankful, because without even knowing their intentions, God struck a chord through Harald tonight. Many of the youth have been coming year after year, and every year, leave on a God high, but then quickly revert back to the ways of the world; it’s materialism and vanity. By using the analogy of the mirror, it is a daily reminder that they can have. Well done Harald.

On the maintenance end of things, the last few days have felt great because a lot of things have been accomplished and projects completed. Harald, Micha, Josh and Maya spent a lot of time working on building new benches for the campfire pits, and those are now finished. Danielle, Jesse, David, Rebecca, Kira and myself finished off a big painting job- staining the inside and outside of 2 new buildings that were built this year (Gideon also helped in the project, but he is colour blind- so he thought that we were staining the buildings green, instead of brown).

Today we were given the big tasks of digging a 30 metre trench for a water line, and window washing on 3 large buildings- both of which we finished before the end of the day- even though the window washing was a bit scary and required some jerry rigging of ladders and broom handles. If you are reading this, please keep this info privy from health and safety committees everywhere!

Programming is also going really well. Today Micha was working with the film making skill to make a video for tomorrow night- he got to kick one of the campers into the pool like in 300- right in the chest, while yelling at him in Spanish- it was awesome! Nathan has jumped right in, and is really enjoying his time, and is following the groups around and catching everything on video. Gideon is a trooper, fighting a hurt wrist, he is pumped up, enthusiastic, and is probably the best Spanish speaker in our group.

Amanda has taken over the task of doing laundry for our group, and ploughed through a mountain of clothes over the last 2 days, while caring for those with stomach ailments, and managing the newest celebrity in Costa Rica- Grace Henderson. Wherever Grace goes, an entourage of eager babysitters and baby holders follows; cameras are involved, and the Spanish word for cute is put to good use.

As an extra note, Arthur’s services were borrowed for this week to be a counsellor for the oldest group of boys (17 year olds), and he’s gotten right into it. It’s great to see rough and tumble, exactor driving, chainsaw wielding Arthur doing song actions with the campers at sunset.

Costa Rica is great, and it seems to be bringing out the best in everyone.

Thanks for reading,

Dan Henderson

Maya Loves Program

My time in Costa Rica has been great. We arrived here on the 7^th of January. When we arrived, we got out of the airport, and oh boy, the weather just blew me away. It was like summer here and it felt so good. Arthur was there waiting for us and then he drove us up to the camp. When I got to the camp, my eyes just widened because it looked beautiful. Then we got settled in our cabins, the girls couldn’t unpack because we had to move into another place because our cabin was being used by visitors from Panama. When we moved, we were there for 3 days, and then we returned to our cabin. When we moved back, we shared the cabin with a group of Panamanian women, which was really fun.

The girl's cabin (+ Dan)

"Because it's not camp until someone gets hurt!"

Taking instruction for the next activity

It has been fun with Kira here, especially when we went to the river with the group, where they had to carry a log through the river as a team and we had to help them. We got to participate in this activity twice, it was great. I really enjoyed doing program, especially playing 4 square, which they do a lot. I really enjoyed the kids that came during my week in program. I have made friends with lots of them, which was fun, but as always, it was sad when they had to leave because we really connected with them.

Carrying the heavy log through the river

The girls have taken to bathing in the river

Maya Wettlaufer

Josh's take on Costa Rica

The tongue says it all... Josh Loves Costa Rica

Costa Rica is very different then Canada. If you ever come here you will see some noticeable differences ranging from its physical attributes to the society itself.

Different indeed- cows at camp, and chickens too

To begin with, in Costa Rica there is no such thing as a personal bubble. It’s funny to watch some of the interns when they have to physically greet someone. They are always so squeamish. I can’t blame them though we come from a culture that is very hands off. I believe the most frightening thing for most people would be the kiss on the cheek when you greet a person of the opposite sex.  If you are planning a trip to Costa Rica anytime soon you should probably prepare yourself for a lot of physical contact with people you have never met before. In Costa Rica everyone is your friend whether or not you have ever met them. As you walk down the streets of Heredia or San Jose de la Montanna you will always receive a Buenos Dias . The culture of Costa Rica is so warm and inviting.

New Friends

              

                In Costa Rica the work ethic is very different. As soon as you work maintenance you come to realize this. Their view of time is that things just happen when they happen. It was so weird coming from Canada where everything is so laid out two 15 minute breaks and a half an hour for lunch. Here though you take a break whenever you’re tired and your lunch is an hour or more. They are not lazy if you are thinking that but instead hold a view of work to live not live to work. I think in North America we have it the other way around. Work here still gets done here it may be at a slower pace but the people are infinitely happier. There is always a smile on their face. 

Micha and Harald clearing trees for benches

And that is why I love it here.

Josh Finkle

Week 3 Kick Off

Greetings to family, friends, and followers of our humble blog,

Amanda, Grace and I arrived safely on Friday evening, and were able to jump right into the action with the group. On Saturday, after a week of anticipation, we were able to go up the mountain to Poas Volcano, and do the canopy tour- For those of you who don't know what a canopy tour is, neither did I- but it is zip lining through the trees. This was a major highlight for all who participated, and will definitely stay in my memory bank for years to come.

Getting Geared up

Maya is nervous, but set for the adventure! 

Amanda thought that she was scared of heights, but the excitement conquered the fear

The brave zip lining team after conquering the Canopy Tour

After zip lining, we hoped to travel further up the volcano to the tourist area where we would be able to picnic, and take in the sites. However, the fog was so thick that we decided instead to go to the beach. So we took off from Poas and headed down to the ocean- the trip took nearly 2 hours to drive, but was full of adventure! Costa Rican driving and roads are very different from our North American roads. There are only a few major highways, and so most of the time, you travel on 1 lane roads to get to where you are going. And because Costa Rica is so mountainous, the roads wind in and out, and you feel like you are on a roller coaster at times. This certainly adds to the adventure, and the drive time, because the average speed is about 45 km/h.

Crocodiles soaking up the hot sun

Air Boat tour paying to see what we got to see for free!

Congregating crocodiles- glad that we are above and not in their huddle

On the way to the beach, we made a stop at bridge where tourists stop to watch crocodiles. We saw about 14 crocs and got to watch them fight over food that other tourists were throwing to them from above. While we were there, an air boat tour came along, which says that we got to see something special for free, while others paid. 

Sunset for your enjoyment

All sunset pictures were taken from our cabin- and were taken within 2 minutes- God proves his creativity each day and every second of a sunset.

Beautiful Sunset on Sunday

Quick Family Shot

Monte de Dios Church (Mountain of God)

The beach was a lot of fun too, and we were there for most of the afternoon- experiencing the tide coming in, and by the time we left, sweeping the beach clear. Everyone got tossed by the waves, and most people did some exploring of the coast. Saturday finished off with dinner at a really good pizza place that Arthur and Esteban know. Everyone's favourite was the Hawaiian pizza, which instead of having pineapple chunks from a can, had entire pineapple slices in each piece. Muey Bien.

On Sunday, we had a great day, starting with church at Monte de Dios church. This week, there was no translation for us, so we didn't understand much of what they were saying, but were encouraged to hear the constant mentions of "Senor" (God) and "Jesus" (pronounced HayZeus), which are often omitted in churches today. So it was great to hear that the Word of God is alive and being preached here in Costa Rica and around the world.

Sunday afternoon was filled with free time. Josh, Micha and Jesse took the bus to town and went shopping. Micha was the big spender, buying a vanilla frostee from Wendy's. Danielle spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool, while the Henderson's caught up on some missed sleep, and Nathan caught up with some devotional reading and connections with home. Rebbecca, Harald, Kira, Maya, Gideon and David made the long walk back into town to play soccer with the youth from the church.

We got caught up over dinner, and spent the evening getting prepared for this week with the Roblealto staff.

This morning, Nathan, Josh, Gideon and Micha were up at 5:30 to go with the counselors to San Jose to pick up the campers in town. Kira and Danielle were also up at that time to take care of the pool, and the rest of us were able to sleep until a regular time, and now we are into the day's work- programming, staining, and putting in benches at the fire pit.

For us, the first few days have been great, and we are very excited to see what God is doing here at the camp with the campers and staff, and with our group as well.

Please keep us in your prayers,

God bless,

Dan Henderson

Now THIS is Experiential Learning.

Forget about simulation. Here at Campamento Roblealto campers were given extreme challenges that may seem like torture but were amazing chances for learning critical messages. 

Objective: sit in the sprinkler. No more instructions were given. The lesson was to not be afraid to ask for help. Once the group decided to pray, the tap was turned off.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9 

Objective: to carry the log through the river. The lesson was that sometimes it's hard to be a Christian.

"But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:13

Objective: first the team will pull their team member up to the platform, then the climber has to get across the "shark pit" on their own. Lesson: your team will raise you up and after getting support we have the confidence to go alone when we have to. 

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" Ephesians 4:16

Objective: as a group, literally joined together, go get the pieces and then work together to build a house. 

"The body is unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." 1 Cor. 12:12

Enjoying the sunshine, 

KL