We are finally back, after a very long break and hopefully, we'll be able to blog more in the future! This month our newsletter was written by one of our December team members and I thought that I'd put it in our blog with a few photos. I hope that you enjoy reading Laura's letter!
Dear Harvest Hands Friends,
On December 5th our team of nine began our trip to Costa Rica and the Harvest Hands House leaving behind several inches of a beautiful, fresh snow. The team was made up of five of us who have made several mission trips to Costa Rica and four others who would be experiencing their first trip. Out of the nine, six of us had never stayed at the house. All of us left filled with great expectation and excitement to be going at such a special time of year to, among other things, join in and help with Christmas festivals for the children.
Our flight down was good and as we walked into the airport in San Jose we thought, “Great, judging by the number of people in front of us we should get through customs pretty quickly.” All of a sudden as we came around a curve in the hallway there in front of us was a mass of humanity about the size of a football field, or so it seemed. That would prove to be the first of our many “waiting times” in long, long lines of people. We proceeded to get through customs, pick up our baggage and then go out to meet Cindy and the bus to take us to the house.
Before going down we had all heard the stories of the nighttime fireworks and early morning roosters crowing and dog’s barking. About 3 a.m. those voices came to life and they continued until we pulled ourselves out of bed about 6 a.m. By the second morning I really enjoyed what I experienced upon waking. The roosters, the dogs, the many voices of children and adults already out and about, the smell of the community that would drift in through the windows, the same car that was being started, and the activity that was happening on the street just below us.
Our first introduction into the community of Los Anonos was a visit to the kindergarten. As we walked into the classroom, the first thing that caught your eye was the nativity set and the beautiful way it was displayed in this little public classroom. We saw that in many different places, so much care, attention and detail given to displaying those. That is so different than what we do here in the U.S. Marsha had taught the children to sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Jingle Bells,” in English, along with some sign language. They were so proud of themselves and their little faces were filled with smiles as they sang for us. It was precious!
Our team joined Funda Vida in Canaan for their festival on Saturday. We arrived to lots of children and moms and to find out that the bouncy house that was to be there was not coming. Some of us jumped in to do face painting and construction paper ornaments, others put on a skit about Jesus’ birth with puppets, and our guys got involved with the games and became “climbing trees” and “horses” to ride on. Mark entertained by playing his flute. We had a great time interacting with the children and some of the moms and just being a part of a very special day for them.
Wreath making and decorating (30 of them) was planned for Monday with a group of ladies from Los Anonos that come regularly on Wednesday evenings. The greens, wire, forms and decorations were all going to be purchased. While the team was at the open air Agricultural Market they came across a man who had beautiful, very full, undecorated wreaths for sale for an amazing $1.00. Wouldn’t you know, he had just the number that we needed. What a wonderful provision from the Lord! We were in awe of how the ladies took those wreaths and the decorations we had purchased and made them into something so beautiful. It was really fun to walk in the community and to see them displayed in and outside of their homes.
On Wednesday the team was invited to do a Christmas festival in another public school. They had contacted Rodney to ask him to come. We purchased a Christmas tree that would be used to place handmade decorations the children made on it. Then it would be given to a family that would not have a tree. The time, care and creativity that the children used in making those, and then to watch them as they came to hang them was so special. In addition to face painting, and the skit with the puppets and games, four of our team members became clowns, Chuckles, (Chuck Vincent), Ruffles (Mark Pendleton), Giggles (Faith Potter) and Buttons (Christina Potter). They did an amazing job with the children and we all had such fun watching them! What I will remember most from our time there is one little girl in particular. Marsha opened the morning with prayer (what a blessing in a public school) Sitting in the front was this little girl who had soft gold glitter on her face that glowed. When Marsha said that we were going to pray, she opened her hands and held them out to the Lord and closed her eyes. She was so precious sitting there.
That evening we joined the team from LaVina to help with the party in Los Anonos for the children and moms. There were about 280 of us gathered in the open-air gym. Our clowns had another opportunity to bring a lot of laughter, fun and hugs to children. The rest of us just helped wherever we were needed. Twenty-four pizzas arrived on the back of two motorcycles and I remember thinking that really wasn’t a lot of pizza for all these people. We just started handing it out, piece after piece, then we handed out a second piece, and some of the children even had a third piece. I looked over and there were still 4 boxes sitting there. Then I saw pizza being served to the team of workers. I truly believe we were watching Jesus just multiply the pizza, the story of the feeding of the 5000 came to mind, and I was just in awe. Pizza for these children is a rare and really appreciated treat. Isn’t the Lord good!
It really is hard to condense everything and give highlights of a mission trip, there is so much that you want to share. I truly saw what it is to be a “team,” an “amazing team” as John Sylvester said, “which was truly tested to the limits of patience and endurance as we traveled home, missed a flight and spent a night in the airport.” (A story for another time.) God-stories abound . . . walking to the high place to pray and seeing the river that flows through this community and having the Lord speak to you of the “river of life, that sets our feet a dancing,” going into a home to visit and gathering with the family, hand in hand around the table praying together, the incredible, contagious laughter of children as you play with them, praying for a pastor in Linda Vista, receiving a heart that a woman cuts out and writes in English, “I love you,” cleaning horribly filthy gutters that children reach into, fixing a stove for the cooks at a kindergarten, replacing leaky pipes and making a light work again, face painting and having a little girl hold your finger as you paint her face, God’s healing and protection from infection for a team member after having a stalk of bamboo grass go into her ankle, walking into a building that has little left except the standing walls and seeing the vision for a computer center and soup kitchen through the eyes of those praying and asking for it, and spending time with those that God has placed in Cindy and Rodney’s lives as they have gone to live and serve Jesus in Costa Rica and the incredible gift of hospitality that they have. We will never forget Jesus carrying us through a total white-out the last half an hour or so of our flight home and landing us so safely and securely on a snow-covered runway.
One morning as I was getting ready for the day and looking out at the community, I was praying and asking the Lord about their lives and wondering what do they have, what will the children do who are growing up now? Very clearly the scripture came to me,
”For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. That verse resounds in my heart when I think of that community.
I truly believe that God does have hope and a future for the precious people in the Los Anonos and I truly believe that we are a part of it through this ministry of Harvest Hands. I would encourage you to go. Go and serve Jesus, see what He is doing there and ask Him what your part is. Thank you for your prayers and your giving. God Bless you abundantly.
In Jesus Love,
Laura Vincent (For the team: Chuck Vincent, Mark Pendleton, Kevin O’Leary, John Sylvester, Deb Thoma, and Tammy, Faith and Christina Potter)
