Hello!  I am going to try to start posting here again.  I haven't posted in over a year, but I see that it would be a benefit to us to do this!!!  The blog layout is new for me, so pardon errors!!! 

We have had a very busy summer (our winter and rainy season here in Los Anonos).  And the busyness has reaped much fruit!  I hope that I can fit all of it into this newsletter!  I am actually going to list what each church accomplished.  The blessings that each church contributed are almost overwhelming.  This is the physical work that was done.  The spiritual results are amazing and already, there is fruit.

Grand Rapids  July 8 to July 16th

*Youth Camp in the Mountains with youth from the Los Anonos Vineyard and the

            Palmares Vineyard. 

*Flower arranging class for the women of Los Anonos.  One lady, Brenda, in the photo, has already been asked to work in a flower shop.  She was able to earn extra money for her family!

 *Moving Rocks to build retaining walls along the river. In the rainy season, some of the homes are in danger of washing away when the river rises.  The municipality has given rocks to the community to build walls.  Our teams have been helping.

Manchester July 20th to July 30th

            *Another mural to beautify the community.

            *Kids program.

            *Minister at youth group/sticks mime.

            *Princess Club

            *Afternoon in the park

*Glasses Clinic in Linda Vista.  250 people received eyeglasses and prayer!!

*Church photo shoot.  Beautiful portraits and

 family photos were taken of our church

members.

*Rocks, rocks and more rocks!!!!

Summit August 4th to August 14th

            *Youth camp in Heredia

*Work with children in the Mangoes..This was the first time that we have gone to that area of Anonos and there were about 25 children.  Another part of the community has been reached.

            *Moving Rocks

*Eyeglasses in Talamanca.  Each person who had their eyes tested, also received prayer.

 New Life  August 18th to August 27th

*Moving Rocks and built walls! And there is still    more to do!!

*Men’s Retreat…Not enough can be said about what God did and the

relationships that were made.

*Garden in front of mural

*Benches for community

*Computer stations for our computer class.  Read our September newsletter to learn about a wonderful program that is starting in the church

*Painting walls in the church

            *New Life also participated in a going away party for our intern, Julie Herrmann.

                 More on that next month!

Mission to Limon  August 17th and 18th

A group of people from our Vina Anonos and other locals went to Limon to  minister to kids and young people.  We have been trying to instill missions into our church. Here is Jessie, one of our new interns, ministering to some children.

We would like to thank all of the people on these teams and the other teams of 2012 that we have told you about in previous newsletters.  These folks sacrifice their time from their  families.  They give up their vacation time to sow into Los Anonos.  The people of Anonos see this.  They look forward to every team that comes, because they see the love of Jesus.  The people of this community are loved on by those who come to serve.  The results are evident.  Our people are growing to know the Lord, to love Him and to love and each other.

Healing is taking place in their lives. Healing from abuse, healing from being fatherless. As these people get loved on, they are realizing who they are in God’s eyes.

Thank you, again, to all of you who support this mission and Viña Anonos. It is amazing to see the changes that have happened during the last six years!

Rodney and Cindy

If you would like to support Harvest Hands financially:  Harvest Hands…. c/o Vineyard Church…  P.O. Box 55…. Mechanic Falls, Maine….  04256

Dear Harvest Hands friends,

How can time possibly go by so fast?  It has been over a month since the last newsletter and we’ve had two teams since then! 

Here are a few excerpts from Dave Jefferson’s newsletter for the Mechanic Falls, Maine team, which consisted of 16 people! Thank you, Dave for writing this!  I’ve added my bit in parentheses (..)

Mixed in between all the construction (and painting projects at our new church building) were trips by all of us down into the streets of Los Anonos, where several healings and at least one salvation took place. (We continue to pray for signs, wonders and the power of God to be poured upon Los Anonos.)  What thrilled us the most was the very active role taken by the young men of the community in these God moments.  The energy of the Ticos, Tito, Jason, Kevin, Pipo, Randal, Nanis, and Chino who prayed along with us was amazing. One afternoon we went into San Jose, and gave out hot dogs and prayed with some of the homeless of the city. (There are many homeless in San Jose, who need food and the love of God.)

One of our big projects was putting some final touches on the Casa Nueva, which is our new church just down the street from the house.  Four inside and two outside benches were made from scratch by Ben Mosher, Sr with various team members assisting his  carpentry.. (Ben came with his son and three of his grandchildren… what a blessing to see three generations of believers serving on the mission field together!) The outside worship area was finished, and a roof for the large donated stove and pizza oven was installed.   Some excellent murals were painted on the walls by the girls under the artistic talents of Julie Herrmann, a talented intern (of Harvest Hands). 

A church service on Saturday night, with Dick preaching was powerful, with several of the young Ticos visibly moved, and at least one deliverance witnessed.   The Church was also used for a wedding that we decorated for and attended.  Rodney married the couple out in the amphitheater type worship area.   Our own Steve Limerick headed the church make over project.   He has earned the respect of the Tico boys.   Half way between the house and the church on the side of the road we made a basurero  (garbage depot) out of cinder block and mortar.

The girls of the team took right to the youngsters of the community and taught a group how to crochet.  Spanish and English words were exchanged continuously.   There was also a skit and a number of lessons put on for the youngsters at the new church in one of the meeting rooms.  (We have a Kid’s Club every Saturday for the children of the community.)  (And thank you, Dave, for writing part of this month’s newsletter!)

Two and a half weeks later, the Portland, Maine team arrived to build another new “yellow house” in the community.  This house was built for Karla, a single mother of 4 children.  Her former house had no plumbing and a dirt floor.  

Some of the members of this team also painted murals on the “Casa Nueva” walls, visited families, loved on kids and taught members of the Harvest Hands house how to minister a Sozo, a type of freedom tool to help people be free of hurts from the past.  Here is a photo of Julie, our intern, and one of the team members, Sarah Bonneson as they are painting.

This past weekend we were blessed to have our son, Josh, visit us with Jeremy Riddle. Jeremy was leading worship and teaching at a worship conference that we were able to attend.  And Josh preached a wonderful encouraging message at our church here in Anonos.  Thank you to both of them for the blessings!

There is so much more that God wants to do in Los Anonos!  Please continue to pray for wisdom and discernment on the next steps to take as far as building the church here.  God is growing it… He’s the only one that grows it!  But we have our part to play and need discernment.  Thank you for your prayers and financial support.  We couldn’t do it without you.  You are a huge part of the Harvest Hands team!

If you would like to support us financially this is our address:

            Harvest Hands

            c/o The Vineyard Church

            P.O. Box 55

           Mechanic Falls, Maine  04256

October 1, 2010

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,

I’m watching the clouds form very quickly over the nearby mountains today. Hopefully, we are back to the regular rainy season weather, rather than the intense rains that have been pouring on Costa Rica for the last week. There are about 60 roads in the country that have been closed, because of swollen rivers and/or mudslides! There are some photos on the Inside Costa Rica website: (http://www.insidecostarica.com/archives/2010/september/10-09-30.htm). We thank God that no one has been killed. I have the same feelings as I do in Maine during the month of March, when spring is just around the corner, but it snows again! We are anxious for the dry season!

We had a wonderful and blessed time preparing a Mother’s Day dinner here at the Harvest Hands house for the women of our fellowship. We were able to give them a lovely dinner, prayer time, roses and a gift (provided by a couple of women from La Viña, Escazu), but I think that we were more blessed than the ladies! What a joy it is to serve these women!







WELCOME JULIE!

➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜


We would like to welcome Julie Herrmann from Grand Rapids, Michigan as our new “intern”. Julie will be with us for a year. She has been here for three weeks and has “slid” into our house, ministry and hearts with ease! She has started teaching English, giving piano lessons and an exercise class for the women! Julie is also bi-lingual and has already used her language skills to do some translating. She has also done teaching at one of our small groups. She and Steve have started doing puppet shows for the children. Julie has a blog where you can get to know her better: http://mylifeintupperware.blogspot.com

Now that we are in a “non-team” season, we are taking advantage of the time to do some upkeep around the Harvest Hands house. One of the sad, but necessary jobs that we accomplished was the cutting of the big pine tree next to the house. Its roots were starting to destroy the walkway and were heading to the house. It was amazing to watch Marvin (the man who received the first yellow house) climb this tree in his stocking feet, cutting each branch with a machete. When he got to the top, his chain saw was passed to him and he started cutting the big trunk in sections. That was completed in two days and the other pines in the back were also removed.



We will also be doing some work on the interior of the HH house, such as painting, etc.










Remember I told you about the bag gardens which were planted all over Anonos?? They are growing wonderfully and producing much! Here is a photo of ours with a nice Chinese cabbage plant! →→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→



That’s it for now! We will be having a meeting in October with the mission leaders of the churches who work with us here in Los Anonos. So, I’m sure that there will be much to share in our next newsletter.

Please pray for wisdom for us as we continue to minister in the community. The warfare can be intense at times and we need your prayer coverage!
We also need prayer for the next steps to take as a church is growing here in Los Anonos!

Blessings to you!
Rodney and Cindy

PS. If you would like to send financial support, the address is:
Harvest Hands, c/o Vineyard Church of Mechanic Falls
P.O. Box 55
Mechanic Falls, Maine 04256

Nicaragua Trip

I have been pondering for days about how to write about our trip to Nicaragua. It’s very difficult to know where to begin, because of the intensity. How do you write about a trip to the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere, where 85% of the people live below poverty level?

We went with 16 people. Being missional was new to 11 of the 16 and all came back to Los Anonos with a greater under-standing of Nicaraguans and of what it is like to live in poverty. The young men from Anonos, though in need themselves, saw that there are others who live in worse conditions.

The only glitch that we had in the 12 hour travel day was a three hour wait at the “frontera”, the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We had 500 notebooks that we were bringing to a Christian school located in the Managua dump. The border guard was going to charge us $200 to bring the notebooks into the country, but he later changed his mind and charged us $20. Hmmm... That makes you wonder where he was coming from! But this is very typical of the corruption in the government there.

Our first place to visit the next day was “La Chureca”, the dump in Managua. About 1,500 people live here. Please take a look at this video, taken by another ministry. It describes “La Chureca”. http://www.vimeo.com/1054619 Here the people merely exist. They exist by scavenging for garbage to eat. I saw a man who had a bag of bones that looked as if they had been discarded by a butcher or meat shop. Our guide, the vice-principal of the Christian school, said to me, “That’s his dinner.” I saw another man walking on top of a smoldering pile of trash. He had on rubber boots. A man told us that his feet are numb from the heat... not burned, but he was just accustomed to the temperature. This is how he survives. I saw one of the cutest dirtiest little girls that I've ever seen.

We saw trash scattered everywhere, houses of plastic bags, dirty and naked children, and animals looking for food, as well. The air was heavy with smoke to the point that it burned my eyes and I wondered how many had respiratory diseases.
One lady told me she had lived there for eleven years. How can this be? There are some who wouldn’t want to leave... they know nothing else. They wouldn’t know how to live outside of the rubble. They wouldn’t know how to live if they didn’t have to scrounge for every need.

Next, we worked in Tipitapa for 1-1/2 days. Tipitapa is a huge community of shacks. Some of people who live in Tipitapa work in the sweat shops, where they are barely paid enough to buy food. Many homes don’t have refrigerators or stoves. Perhaps just a wood fire to cook the little food that they can buy, perhaps just rice and beans.

We had two focuses in Tipitapa. One was a children’s program and the other was rebuilding an outhouse and a shower for an older couple.

Virginia is 56 years old, but looks 70, because of her hard life. Adam is older and has Parkinson’s disease. He can barely function at this point. Virginia and Adam have a one room wooden house with a dirt floor. Their outhouse had no door and was falling apart. Their outside shower was nothing but a few metal sheets put together with plastic as a curtain and a bucket to fill with water. She has such a look of hopelessness on her face. And he has blank eyes from discouragement because of his disease.
We hope that when they stand under that running water in their new shower that they would be washed and refreshed by the love of Jesus.



The children’s program was held at the local church, a small and humble facility with a tiny enclosed yard. And somehow this small yard was filled with about 300 children!! The group of young people, who went with us, did some activities with the children and then gave them hot dogs, chips, a drink and candy. Many of these children brought their one hot dog home to their family. We were happy to give out hot dogs, but frustrated, because of the endless hunger in this area.

We finished off Saturday with a trip to the Managua Children’s Hospital. We joined with the Vineyard church in Managua, so there were about 30 people who went. It seemed quite strange to me to visit a children’s hospital from 8 to 10 at night. We divided into three groups. One group went to the ward where children were in serious condition, but healing. Another group went to the cancer ward. And the last group went to the waiting room in the general ward and ministered to the parents and some of the children who were out of their rooms. These children were being tested and cared for, but were well enough to visit. What precious children! We can’t say if any healings happened, but we do know that there were tears and blessings on both their part and ours.

This is just an overview of our time in Nicaragua, because of space purposes. We have included here a couple of photos. I will post some photos here and on my Facebook page.

We want you to know that your prayers and your financial support are greatly appreciated. We pray that you will have a wonderful Christmas and a joyfully blessed 2010!

Merry Christmas!
Rodney and Cindy and the Harvest Hands Team


If you would like to see more pictures from the Harverst Hands mission trip to Nicaragua,
please visit Picasa at the link below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/cinrodlaf/NicaraguaTrip2009#

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,

We recently returned from Maine where I visited for a month and Rodney visited for two weeks. It was a wonderful time of catching up with family and friends and a month of sharing what God has been doing in Los Anonos and other communities around the San Jose area, where we work.

Last week, we welcomed Taylor Crossman, who is going to be with us for the next few months to help us with the following teams. She will also be teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) and assisting us in all of the daily aspects of the ministry. She serves and attends Mountain View Community Church in Culpepper, Virginia, which is also one of the fellowships that comes on a regular basis. This is a photo of Taylor.



Since our return, we have been preparing for our next round of teams.

June 17 – June 25th The Vineyard Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan
They will be doing a two night teaching on “Hearing the Voice of God and Healing Prayer” for the youth of Los Anonos. We are very excited about this teaching, because we will be joining with another church in Los Anonos.
The team will be ministering at both the men’s and the women’s rehab centers, working in the school in Los Anonos and doing some planting in Jasmin. Also, they will doing some work in the local gym and working in 25 de Julio.
July 1 – July 8th Vineyard Columbus Youth Group, Ohio
This team will be attending a worship conference at LaVina del Este, prayer walking in Anonos and doing some work in Jasmin. They will also be taking our Los Anonos youth to the conference
July 11 – July 19th Two or three people from a church in Ohio will be with us to do a
scouting trip to see if their church would like to send teams.
July 18th – 27th New Life Church from Gahanna, Ohio (part of Columbus)
This group will be coming to build the first yellow house in Los Anonos, which
we and many of the people in the community are excited about. This house is
being built for a man who has a mentally disabled son and who is one of the most
needy persons here in Los Anonos.
July 30th – August 8th The Summit Church from Madison, Virginia
They will be working with one of the local churches doing teachings and doing
work on the church.
August 11th – August 19th Mountain View Community Church from Culpepper,
Virginia.
A children’s program is in the works for this group. And more planning.

All of these fellowships are returning groups, which is exciting for us and for the people in the community. It sends a message of care, love and a desire to build deeper relationships, which helps in the process of transformation. Each church has its’ special uniqueness in creating a fullness for what needs to be done here. And we are thankful for their participation with Harvest Hands, who they truly are.

We ask that for the next nine weeks that you would please pray for us and for these teams, that we would continue to be the hands and the feet of the Lord and bring glory to His name.

Thank you for your donations and your prayers.
If you would like to make a donation to Harvest Hands, make the check payable to:
Harvest Hands and send to:
Harvest Hands
c/o Vineyard Christian Church
P.O. Box 55
Mechanic Falls, Maine 04256

Blessings,
Rodney and Cindy LaFrance

Jesus said, "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time! John 4: 34-35

These are the men with addictions, with whom we work. These men are ripe!

Dear Harvest Hands friends,

Since the beginning of the year, so much has been accomplished! The teams who have come from various churches have been awesome. Yellow houses have been built in Jasmin; work has been accomplished in Anonos and in Veinte Cinco de Julio for FundaVida.

But this month I would like to tell you the story of two women.

These women are from Los Anonos. They are two women with broken lives, two women who MUST come to know the Father.

Theresa is the wife of Rafa, a crack addict. Her husband doesn’t live with her. She, herself, is a crack addict. She has two sons, both of whom are crack addicts. Tony, on two separate occasions, has been shot in the eye and stabbed in his stomach. He also has a punctured lung from a stab wound. His brother is named Luis. Luis is typically in the Quebrada (the road where all of the drug addicts live) with only a pair of shorts on…. no shirt, no shoes. Isn’t it interesting that “quebrada” means broken. These are broken people.

Theresa begs on the corner every day. For the whole day, she stands with her hand outstretched to passing motorists. She will go into the grocery store to buy a little food for her two addicted sons. She feels responsible for her family. Neither of her sons have a job.

She hasn’t wanted to go into rehab, because she is the only one who will care for her sons, but I heard recently that she is considering going. Please pray that she would follow through with this.

While prayer walking on one of the streets of Anonos one day with our friend Luis and another lady, Marianne, who was visiting us from Hawaii, we had the privilege of leading Theresa to Jesus. Jesus is her only hope. She may never be rich by our standards, but she can know the peace and the richness of having a relationship with Christ that God can give her through knowing His Son. Please pray that she would come to know His riches and peace.



The second woman is Sandra, who we have talked about before. Sandra is the mother of 8 children, one of whom was just born this week. She lives in a two room shack with a dirt floor. She is a jolly soul, always laughing at her situation. She had no stove and was cooking on a fire. So the last team that was here from Mechanic Falls, Maine bought her a stove and a gas bottle and installed it for her. She, however, now has no money to buy food. We did send some to her house and hopefully, she will get by for awhile. There were a few who were there with Rodney who had an opportunity to pray for her. At that time she was in a destitute place because her partner had left her. Her relationship with him is not good. We are not sure of her marital status. Most women will not acknowledge if they are not married. They call their boyfriends “husbands”, whether they are married or not.



Recently there have been a few homes that are in a dangerous locations that the government has removed. Theses two families also live in physically dangerous areas, where there could be mudslides. Hopefully, they will be able to be relocated to another place with new homes.

This will certainly be a blessing to Theresa. Perhaps it will get her away from her environment of crack.

And to Sandra, a new home with a dry floor and no holes in her roof … She will no longer have to trudge up a muddy path during rainy season to get to her home. She will no longer have a muddy kitchen floor in the rainy season, peppered with buckets to catch the rain that drips through the holes in her roof.

Please pray that these two women will be on the list for new homes in which to spend their lives.

In the photos: Sandra’s house with one of her sons and a photo of Theresa.

Blessings to all and thank you for your support!
Rodney and Cindy

This month’s newsletter is written by Chuck Vincent, better known to all of us as “Carlos Vincente”. Chuck was a member of the last team that came to Costa Rica and a member of our sending church, The Vineyard Church of Mechanic Falls, Maine. Chuck does a great job here giving a detailed account of the very full schedule of a team that comes to build houses. So here is Chuck’s very colorful account of their time.

Monday, 3/16: We arrived at the airport in San Jose. As they were checking our bags, Juan was pulled to the side, so that one of the team’s bags of supplies could be inspected. He was able to go on. It must have been his shifty eyes or that he had 10,000 bandaids and gauze in the suitcase that made the customs people suspicious! We then went to the Harvest Hands house. Before bed we needed to thank the Lord for getting me through with a passport that had less than two months left on it and that we were able to bring all the supplies we needed into country. We watched a short video on building a yellow house and then “nighty-night”.
Tuesday: After an awesome breakfast, we were off to CCA, a church in Alajuelita, to get tooled up to build a big house, but found that everything had changed. Over the years we have learned that the key words on a mission trip is flexibility. The focus changed to building a small house first. So, because we were not expected until Thursday by this sweet lady, many helping hands took down the metal box she lived in. The cement, pre-cast pylons were cemented in place. Not quite as simple as it sounds, digging in polluted ground!!
Wednesday: Floors and walls and prayer walks through Jasmin. Some of our ladies found out what it is like to not have running water and to have to haul it in 5 gal. buckets up the hill. Our Cheryl who intentionally worked out for this trip carried two. I was impressed. The leadership of the church in Jasmin were a huge blessing to us. As we ate with them, they served us. They brought us fruit and drinks throughout the day as we worked. Pastor Carlos, Maximo, and his wife Rebecca were true examples of the Fathers love.
Thursday: Roof, electrical and painting were finished so that the little house was ready to move into. We helped this excited lady, named Alva, move her bed in and her couch. While some did this, others were off serving in other areas - visitations, serving lunches and playing with the children at a small school.
Friday: The big house in the city was still on hold, so instead of taking time off at the end of our trip we left for the Volcano Arenal. We went to the lava fields and worshipped, as we watched this active volcano erupting over and over. Thinking about the fire of God in us, we need to be bubbling over with the message of God. I’ve included a photo of the team at the volcano.

Saturday: Some went to church at La Viña. Many of the team became sick with different ailments. A call went out to our home church for more prayer coverage. Praying for those who are on a mission trip is as important as being there doing the work.
Sunday: Off to CCA church at 8AM. It was a great service, interpreted into English. Then off to make concrete and pour a foundation with our Costa Rican friends from CCA. On Sunday night we visited the Linda Vista church, where our church from Maine first started ministering in Costa Rica. We saw a lot of old friends and worshiped with much vigor.
Monday: The walls went up on the big house. There will need to be much prayer over that house as God sees fit to use it. Pray for the children that need Jesus, because they live in a mixed up situation. We left the job sight tired, but we had another stop on our way back. It was the Men's drug rehab center. The men were so open with their testimonies, as Maximo interpreted for us. The most perplexing thing was that at the end of our time there, they circled us and a elderly man prayed for us. Some of us heard it in Spanish and others in English. We went back to the house and packed first aid kits for Jasmin, 150 of them counted several times over.
Tuesday: The roof, the painting and the window casings were finished on the big house. We went back to Jasmin for the dedication of the small house and the story of how this house was built in memory of a sweet lady in our home church, who had recently gone to be with the Lord. The photo that I have included is of this very emotional dedication. Alba wept and was thankful to God for her new house.
Wednesday: We left Costa Rica with worship to a great God, prayer for those we were honored to work with, Rodney ,Cindy, Rebecca, Joy, and Luis. They are family to all of us. What a wonderful blessing to do a mission trip with people like these. We thank God for a safe trip home.

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,

It’s always good to ask questions. I’m constantly doing so. When I read scripture, I ask questions. For example….. (get out your Bible and look these up)….
Luke 6:35 & 36……. What does this look like?
Acts 20:35……. Do I truly like giving more?
Luke 14:12-14….. Who have I recently invited for dinner?
Mark 14:7…… Any time I want Him?
1 Samuel 2:7…. Why do you send poverty?
Luke 16:19-21 Who is outside my gate?
The one who is addicted.
The one who is rejected.
The one who is afflicted.
The one who is hungry, thirsty, naked and homeless.
The unloved.
The unlovely.
The one who persecutes us.
The crippled.
The blind.
The one in shackles.

Everyday it seems we have to make choices. Often we have people come to the house from the community of Los Anonos asking for money, food, etc., much like we read in Jesus parables and teachings. We often can reason, “Oh, if I give him food, he’ll take it and sell it for another hit of crack.” It is the same as if we were to give money.



We get calls for clothing, school supplies, etc. We see the poverty daily and so need to keep a willing heart to give and to know what and how to give.

Our friend, Luis, recently had an encounter with a man who struggles with alcohol. He was outside of our gate and came to ask for money to buy alcohol to use for cooking. Luis said that he would drink it and not to give him the money.

When I answered, “I’m sorry, I can’t give you money,” the man became angry with Luis. He said, “Luis, you’re poor just like me. You know what it is to be in need.”

Luis responded, “No, no I am not poor like you. I have Jesus in my heart. He is my Savior. I am rich in Jesus.” At this the man turned and left. I wrestled with still wanting to give money to him. However the truth is that this man was poor, but even more so, because he didn’t have Jesus to make him rich.

It is true, as Luis said, that we, who have Christ in the center of our hearts are incredibly rich and have the opportunity to give so much more than just money or food.

So, I end as I opened, with a question that is also a prayer. “Oh, God, is it you who stands knocking at the door? Is it you that comes to our gate? How are we to help those who are in need?”

This is something we must all ask ourselves: Lord, if we have been given so, so much, and we have, then how should we give and when should we give? We hear you say silently, “Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour it into your lap. For by the standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38 The Message puts it this way: “Give away your life, you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back – given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting is the way. Generosity begets generosity.

And a small update on the happenings in Los Anonos:

About 12-15 young men have been meeting every other Friday night with Rodney and some men from La Vina. The last meeting was about prayer and the video “Transformations” was shown. These young men decided that they needed to have a prayer time for Anonos. So, the attached photo shows you what they did. A number of them went to the top of the Anonos Bridge and prayed over the community. They asked for the Lord to come and transform their barrio. The next evening, the police were combing the area for drug sellers. We don’t know the results of that, but we do know that it was the results of the prayer that brought the police in. Los Anonos is in a transformation period!

Blessings and Thanks,
Rodney and Cindy LaFrance
Harvest Hands

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,

Before Christmas of 2008, I awoke early one morning and a question popped into my head, a question asked by many during the Christmas season. “Do you have the Christmas spirit yet?” Or “Are you in the Christmas spirit yet?” As I lay there, the thought came to me that we should all be in the Christmas spirit 365 days a year. So, here it is, February 11, 2009, almost two months after Christmas and I’m still thinking about the Christmas spirit!!

This same spirit of Christ should be carried on daily. We, as Christians, have the Spirit if the living God dwelling within us every day of the year. He is here and we can give of His unselfish love year round. We can hug those who never have hugs. We can give a bag of rice to a hungry person. We can give a coat to a cold person. We can give a smile to a sad person. We can build houses for the ones in need. THIS IS A YEAR ROUND THING!

We have had three teams come during January and February, two from Mountain View Community Church in Culpepper, Virginia and one from New Life Church, Gahanna, Ohio (currently here), who have passed on the love of the Lord to others by building three homes for three families in Jasmin, by loving on the ladies at the rehab center, by serving dinners to the addicted and by serving the children here in Los Anonos.

We have served dinner to the drug addicts of Los Anonos twice and are planning a meal for tomorrow night. It reminds me of the verses, Luke 14:21-23, “'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.” We did exactly that. Three went down the dirt road into the area called “The Quebrada” (the broken) and invited the addicts and some others to join us for arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and a Tico salad, cake, cookies, juice and coffee. These wonderful people came and blessed us. We went home with such a wonderful feeling of the peace of Jesus.



The second dinner that was held for the addicts was during the month of January. One of the major drug dealers came and asked for prayer, because he wants to change his life. He hung his head as we prayed and when he lifted his face at the end, his eyes were watery.

And for those of you who heard about the earthquake in Costa Rica, we praise God for his protection. It was very strong. Many people, about an hour from here, lost family members and their homes. Our home sustained no damages. A few things fell off of shelves and our nerves were a little frazzled, especially with all of the aftershocks.

A child that Rodney met before the earthquake told Rodney that he had had a dream about Jesus visiting Costa Rica… Perhaps the earthquake was His footsteps? Who knows? The power of God is even greater than an earthquake! We feel the peace of Christ in this situation. And we know that Jesus is moving here in Costa Rica. People are seeing the Lord in the faces of the teams that come to work. And the teams are seeing the faces of the Lord in the people who they serve. The teams come here to bless. They are blessed and they bring the blessings home to those who sent them.

I have included three photos here. One is of our friend and helper, Luis, with two of the addicts. One is of Maria, a sweet lady who crack has hold of.





And the last is of Johnny, a man from Anonos, who has been clean from drugs for about a year. He is an electrician, who helps wire the yellow houses that are being built in Jasmin.





Thank you all for your financial support and prayers.

In Him,
Rodney and Cindy

New Connections

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,

Our summer is just around the corner. The air is changing, becoming dryer, but we are still having rain in the afternoons. Soon we won’t have any for six months and when it returns, it will be welcomed once again.

Rodney and I had a busy but wonderful three weeks in Maine. We were able to visit family, clean out Rodney’s dad’s apartment and have many times of sharing about Harvest Hands and planning for the future. We thank you all for the wonderful prayers that we received and the times spent with us!

I would like to share with you a little about one of our exciting future plans.

We have recently had the privilege of getting to know a church in San Filipe (near Alajuelita). CCA (Center of Christian Praise) is only about 15 minutes from the Harvest Hands house. This church is bustling with the life of Jesus. It has a school of about 300 students. It has two drug rehabs, a nursing home, a soup kitchen, a bakery and several other businesses that it has started, in order to help people in the community to have jobs.

Another awesome thing that this church does, that we are going to participate in, is that they build homes for the needy. There are many organizations that do this. However, there is a special manner that this is done here.

There is a small community called Jasmin. Here is a barrio of extremely poor squatters. Most of the homes do not have indoor plumbing and many have to walk a long distance to get their water. Their homes are shacks on the side of a mountain, which overlooks san Jose. It is impossible to even bring a car there at this time of year.

CCA is building homes for the people in this community, starting with those with the most need. These homes are built in panels, at the church, and are trucked to the site. Teams come and construct these homes in a week’s time! And the most wonderful thing is that one home costs only $3,500. And if these homes have to be moved, they can simply be unscrewed, put on flatbeds and moved to a different location. They were designed by a man who was homeless and who now works for the church.

Can you imagine the final moment when there is a celebration? The house is prayed over by all. And the family is then presented a new Bible and the keys to their new home!

We look forward to learning how this is done, so that we can do it here in Los Anonos. We have two, possibly three teams coming in 2009 to construct homes in Jasmin. What a blessing it will be!


I’ve included some photos here of Jasmin and of one of the homes that has already been built.
Blessings to All!
Rodney and Cindy

A "Long Termer's" Perspective

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,
Because we here at Harvest Hands can’t say it enough: Thank you for your support! I have been a part of this ministry since April 14, 2008, and I am now excited to share with all of you who are praying, encouraging, and working alongside our ministry. I truly believe that we are sharing in this work even though the distance separates us.
I am frequently asked, “So how did you hear about Harvest Hands?” In short, Cindy’s newsletter. I now sit on the other side, writing an update for this month. Reflecting now, I have that feeling you may relate to: “Wow, time has passed so quickly!” I attest to the Lord’s faithfulness in serving here and learning Spanish. Rodney and Cindy will be the first to tell you that I am not a risk taker; I tend to move quite slowly, in fact. God certainly has a way of pushing us into action, and I am so glad that I have come. The people of Los Anonos are our friends, not our project. They are people we greet individually, visit in the afternoon, learn from and share our lives with. Rodney and Cindy are an example of service through relationship. All of these experiences constantly direct me back to Jesus.
There are many friends of Los Anonos I would love to share with you. Two in particular who have grown close to my heart are Doña Carmen and Doña Marta. Both of these women open up their homes to me, share stories, and make me feel welcome. Doña Carmen is an elderly, bedridden woman who still has a youthful way about her. She will proudly tell you she is 96. Please be in prayer for Doña Carmen because her regular care- taker has moved to another neighborhood because of a most unfortunate robbery. Doña Marta is a Nicaraguan woman who takes care of at least three grandchildren at a time. She is excited to have me help her grandchildren with their English. Marta has made me feel most comfortable during a time when I was unsure of visiting families the most.
Part of my role has been to assist with an English program. Beginning in April, I resumed Marsha Ames position at the Kinder teaching four short classes a week. Also, I have an English student on Thursday nights. While these opportunities are wonderful, our vision is larger. I spent the past couple of months brainstorming about how I can help more people with their English. Now in October the vision is becoming a reality. With the assistance of our neighbor Luis, I met with two different families who want tutoring. Because I have the cooperation of both the students and the parents I hope for consistent attendance. Please be in prayer that these tutoring sessions will be a platform for the love of Jesus.
While I have pursued a teaching role here, I have also been a student. During September I had a Spanish tutor in downtown San Jose. The tutoring helped me shrug off timidity and now I can speak to people with more confidence. Our Spanish skills are the key to relationship. We want to speak encouragement, vision, and love to those around us. This desire propels us into the challenge of language learning. We hope to have consistent classes in November as well.
Lastly, Harvest Hands has a new member on the team. Joy Snyder joined us on October 1 and will serve through May 1. I pray that the four of us will grow as family, friends and fellow servants. Please pray that we will have wisdom as we make plans for the upcoming teams. I am excited for this preparation time. The rain is heavy this month preparing the ground for brilliant growth. I pray for the same in the Spirit, as well. Come Lord Jesus, grow our capacity to love and hear your voice. Thank you, friends, for walking alongside of us and sharing in this ministry. Blessings, Rebecca

Things are busy here in Costa Rica. We are into a swing of having four teams come within a two-month period. We have had a team of 9 from Grand Rapids, Michigan and a team of 20 from Columbus, Ohio.

What a tremendous push for the Kingdom happened!! The Grand Rapids team did a wonderful skit entitled “Everything”. It is a skit about a young Christian girl, who becomes enticed by the world to the point of drinking, drugs and suicide, at which time Jesus rescues her. They performed their skit four times and many people were touched by this powerful presentation, including addicts in a drug rehabilitation center. Some of these men were touched so deeply that they were weeping. One of the weeping men gave his life to Jesus. A week later, when Rodney saw him, he was still glowing.

Also, the Grand Rapids team helped with FundaVida’s new project in Veinte Cinco de Julio, which we mentioned in our last newsletter. There is a huge amount of work to be done here.





The Columbus team accomplished a lot of painting in this building, as well. Afterwards, they played a soccer game with some of the locals. Some of these “locals” were sniffing glue and smoking marijuana, while the Columbus guys were playing soccer. One of the young men was sniffing glue in front of his two-year-old daughter. He is in the photo, behind his daughter on the pink tricycle. We did have opportunity to share with them why we were there.



This group of teenagers and young adults from Veinte Cinco is considered dangerous by most, however, what we discovered is that they all come from broken families and like the rest of us need the love of Christ.

While one half of the Columbus team was working in Veinte Cinco de Julio, the other half worked here in Los Anonos, in the little kindergarten. They, too, did some painting. They also did neighborhood prayer walks. These prayer walks are so very important and have been effective here in Anonos. People’s hearts are softening towards us and towards the Lord.

While the Columbus team was here, Holli, one of our long-term girls who lives with us, was able to attend the Eastern Region Pastor’s Conference to promote our mission, Harvest Hands. We would like to thank her for the time that she took to go to Pennsylvania to give us a hand. Thank you also, Josh Ray, for the fabulous DVD, brochures and display that you prepared for this event.

Last, but not least, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for Rodney’s dad. He is doing better and we ask for more prayer, so that he can return to his normal life. His name is Conny. Thank you for praying for Rodney while he was in Maine. It was a very trying time and being far from home is difficult.
Blessings To All!

April Newsletter

Our April Newsletter, 2008


Dear Harvest Hands Friends,
So glad to hear that the winter thaw has finally come. At times when we heard how this winter has been for everyone, it made us think of C.S. Lewis’ book ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, when the white witch had control and it was always winter.
Rodney, Marsha and Holli were on a prayer walk with Eladio and another man this morning. They went to “25 de Julio”, one of the communities where FundaVida has worked. FundaVida is an organization that is connected with PuraVida Coffee in the United States. We sell this coffee at our church. The money is used to help kids at risk. Fundavida’s hopes are to have a new teen center in this community, as well as a new location for the computer center, which is already established there.
While we were prayer walking, one could sense the intensity of spiritual warfare. We observed two things that are somewhat common in this community. One was Marsha watching a mother kick her child to the ground. The girl was about 8 or 9 years old and began to cry. Her mother only said in a vulgar way to be quiet.... Angry parents, wounded parents, passing it on to the next generation... It broke our hearts to witness this. Only moments before that, we witnessed one of the street prostitutes, who live day to day on whatever they can do, was trying to steal something through someone’s gated door. The owner of the home came out with a gun and threatened to kill her if she didn’t leave. All of this was at nine o’clock in the morning.
It is so difficult to witness things like this. Sadly, it is common in many of the communities, where there is extreme poverty and hopelessness. Our desire is to help both abused and the abuser and the robber and the robbed.
We are preparing in our hearts to say good-bye to Marsha Ames, who will be returning to Maine on the 23rd of this month. She has been here for about a year. This will be hard for us, as well as hard for her. Please keep her in your prayers as the transition for her will be difficult. She has made a godly impact on the children of the community, as well as on many of the adults. We will all miss her.
We are also looking forward to the next team coming from the Mechanic Falls Vineyard, which is always an encouragement to us and those they serve here.
The photo is of a drunk man in “25 de Julio”.
Thank you for your continued support. Please keep us in prayer.

Update from a Long Termer

Dear Harvest Hands Friends,

It’s already time for our February newsletter! Since I last wrote, we’ve made a trip to Nicaragua to renew our passports and we have had a wonderful team from Virginia, who signed up to come again in August. We are now planning for our Mechanic Falls team to come down next week.
This month, we thought that it would be good for you to hear from Marsha, our friend and great helper, who has been here for about 8 months. Here's a photo of her at the youth camp where she went as a leader. Also a "clean" photo of her at the end! We have thoroughly enjoyed having her and are not looking forward to saying good-bye in April. So, here is her letter!





“Let us be Your hands, let us be Your feet”, these simple lyrics from a popular Vineyard song ring so true of what we, here at Harvest Hands, are working at to bring a community closer to the heart of God and to be a help to those who are in need.
I have been here at the Harvest Hands house in Los Anonos for the past eight months, celebrating salvations, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year and how each day is a new day with our Savior. These past months have truly been and continue to be an experience that goes way beyond the walls of a classroom.. It it’s not without its hard times, but we wouldn’t be living if we didn’t walk though those hard times and come out on the other end stronger.
Over the past months we have had a great opportunity to work at the local kindergarten, which is such a huge blessing. When the school is in session, I go twice a week to teach English to 40 children, ages four to six. I’ve had great success in teaching vocabulary with gestures. They love learning new words through song. Their absolute favorite is, “Head, shoulders, knees and toes… knees and toes”. They thoroughly enjoy these classes, as do I. If they continue with their learning of English it will be a great asset for their future. Also at the school we have been doing work projects to help with the disrepair, which is endless. All this has helped to build relationship with the school staff, the children, and the community.
In Los Anonos there are so many precious children that catch your attention and get rooted into your heart. It’s so easy to give your love and attention to the children with the beautiful faces and sweet disposition. Those are the ones that become our favorites and dominate our camera film or digital files. God has been teaching me to really open my eyes wider and know with my whole being that ALL children are precious and worthy of our attention, because they all need it and they all crave it.




One of these children that has captured my attention is Maria Fernanda. Her photo is included in this letter. Maria is ten years old. She was born with a mental disability that affects her learning, her speech, and her social interactions. She has problems with personal and physical boundaries and she becomes a fighter when provoked by the taunts of her peers. Her home life leaves a lot to be desired. She lives with her mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins and her younger brother Daniel in a house that is severely run down and dirty. Her family doesn’t know how to manage her when she gets in fits of anger, misbehavior and frustration. Instead of loving discipline to correct her misbehavior they yell and hit her. But I have seen her family love her and protect her from the taunts and teasing and that brings me joy.
When I see Maria I see a bright young girl with a fire in her heart and a girl with a loving spirit. I see the way she treats her dolls; she gives them tender care. She is also very quick to run up to me when I’m walking and plant a huge kiss on my cheek and hug me tightly. She can be very difficult to work with, but with patience I’m learning it all comes out right. The other day on Wednesday evening when we have our weekly program with La Vina, Maria was in my group. The topic was Esther and how a young girl can make a difference because she has the strength of the Lord on her side. Maria was very attentive and it’s my prayer for her that she will become that difference and that little acts of loving-kindness would reach into her soul and transform this special little girl.

Thank you for your support and prayers, we feel them all the time, and thank you for helping to make a difference here in Los Anonons, Costa Rica.

Marsha Ames

January, 2008 Newsletter

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)