Back in Los Anonos

It is the end of October and we have all returned and settled back into the Harvest Hands house here in Los Anonos, Costa Rica. It is a comfortable and welcoming haven. And it's definately time to update our blog!

Our stay in Maine was a busy, but awesome time. We spent our time with family and friends. Our ten year church celebration was a wonderful church family party, which brought back many memories of our church plant and how our church family grew to the blessed body that it is today.

Here in Los Anonos, it has been good working with La Viña, Escazu, helping with their Wednesday afternoon program. With the help of some donations from generous people, we were able to install lighting for the gym, which is where we meet with about 100 children, 20 young adults and 20 mothers.. Having lights there has been great for the whole community. It will help with the work that we would like to do in the future. The lights have made the gym a safer place to gather, as well. God is on the move and we are looking forward to what He is going to do!

October has been an extremely rainy month here. It seems that just about everything is moldy (not quite) and the trees and flowers are flourishing. Because of the amount of rain that has fallen this month, many homes are in danger of mudslides, which is true here in Los Anonos. There is a place across the river that we can see from our house, where there was once a home, which is no longer there because of the rain. Los Anonos has faired well compared to other parts of the country. There are many people who are homeless (over 3,000), or they have homes that they can’t get to, because of water.

One of the things that has been difficult and frustrating is seeing the young people who are addicted to crack, alcohol or other drugs. Sometimes when they go into rehab, they last only two or three days. They then return to Los Anonos, to their old habitat and habits. We know that God doesn’t give up and we thank Him for that!

One of the young men, about 20 years old, that Rodney brought into rehab recently is an orphan. He uses paint thinner to get high. It is so hard to see the young who have no hope and to know that there really is hope for them in Jesus, but they haven’t seen yet. Please pray that God would pour out his love and mercy on Los Anonos.

We're in Maine!

Dear friends,
I can’t believe that it’s time for another newsletter! The time goes by so quickly. Rodney and I are in Maine for a time of reflection and rest, though we haven't had much time to rest. We are enjoying our family and church family and friends. We will return to Los Anonos, Costa Rica by the middle of October.
I am using a letter sent to us from John Brigham, a pastor friend of ours from Vermont, for our newsletter this time. John and his wife Edie brought a team of 20 to Los Anonos. We had a very blessed time with this wonderful group. Here’s John’s letter, along with his report to the two churches that he pastors.


To Rodney, Cindy, Marsha and the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Mechanic Falls, ME;

            Sunday, September 30th, the Costa Rica mission team gave a presentation to the local Vermont towns and churches that supported us with prayers, encouragements, money and many way of supporting our first mission trip. ......... God was all over every part of this trip, every person on the team was hand picked by Him, Harvest Hands was God directed to be the place we would go and even after we have been back in Vermont for a month He was still working with the team.
            In August 2006 we thought it was time for our first mission trip from our churches. We planned to go the Lima , Peru to work in an orphanage but within a month the director of the mission needed a break before he broke down. God reminded me that my childhood friend, Rodney was in Costa Rica working in short term missions and the rest is His-tory. Had we gone to Lima , Peru we would have been there during the earthquake or would have had to cancel at the last minute. God is sovereign.
            Harvest Hands is a chosen place run by chosen people called to the Lord’s work. It was perfect for us as rookies in short term missions..............
I felt like I and the team were living in the book of Acts. In many ways we were and still are.  I’m seeing fruit in the lives of many on the team from our time at Harvest Hands.  Many adults and teens expressed desire to return to Harvest Hands in the future as God leads.

            This is part of my report to the leadership of the two churches that sent us out from Vermont :
 
-Participated in Mission Trip to Costa Rica with 19 folks from Whitingham And Readsboro Churches from August 17th -27th. The Team served the Lord well in two locations . Activities of the team included:
       - Conducting Vacation Bible Schools- 5 times in two locations
        -Working with children
         -Games and Soccer
        -Working in Soup Kitchen with local Christians
         -Did a post card presentation of maple sugaring in Vermont and served maple syrup on ice cream
         -Work Projects that included:
         -Refinishing tables and counter top at Soup Kitchen
         -Replacing a large tile kitchen sink
         -Painting Kindergarden Rooms and Hall in local School
         -Cleaned streets
         -Cleaned a drug hangout, fixed fences, painted a beautiful
mural on a open air wall
         -Worked in a Local Church,  refinishing a Sunday School Room and Pastor’s Study with partitions, sheetrock and
ceiling
        -Working with single mom digging ditches for water drainage and expanding dirt floor.
         -Worked with City of San Jose’, Los Anonos  Municipality in a  Health Care Day. -Set up in morning, worked with
children, clowns, donated new soccer balls, our teens played in a soccer tournament , helped pick up and cleaned streets.
         -Helped a Local Church with a Weds. Night outreach program.
         -Team member share his testimony of past drug addiction
         -Local visitation by team members sharing the love of God with people, prayer with people.
-Lots of little things happened that only God planned and someday we will know how people were blessed and
effected by the things our people did.
 
It was an amazing God ordained mission trip, without a single problem. God was all over this trip. His grace was amazing.  We lived in this verse:
 
    “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph 3:20-21 (NIV)
 
God bless the works of Your hands in Maine , Vermont , Costa Rica , all the earth, Amen!
Thanks to my close friends and brother and sisters, Rodney, Cindy, Marcia and the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Mechanic Falls, ME. and to God be the glory, forever!!!!
 
Pastor John Brigham of the Community Church of Whitingham , VT and the First Baptist Church of Readsboro , VT


Thank you, John, for this wonderful letter! We hope to see you again in Costa Rica!