Monday, July 18, 2016

First two weeks in Costa

Wow! We have been having an amazing time on our mission trip in Costa Rica. We have seen the Lord do some amazing things in the hearts of our students, staff and in the Ticos we meet everyday. We have had great opportunities to share the gospel, worship with others, read the Word, grow close with each other and experience Costa Rica. Here are our past two week in pictures:

Headed to the airport

Layover in San Salvador

Ready for church in Cachi

Jake, Kaylee, Jon, Madison, Jordan, Devin

Our team in Cartago

Ethan, Jonah, Alice, Mitch, Louise

Our guys soccer team with our opponents

Our girls team prays before playing

Madison shares her testimony after the game

Ben, Kaylee and Haley share with a family

A photo in a photo at the local waterfall

The guys loved climbing the waterfall

Family photo

Youth group at the BBQ on the mountain

Alice giving a balloon animal away to a girl

Tea and cookies at a church in La Suiza

Ensley teaching the team

Kaylee working hard on finances

Lindsey cooking with the guys

Rainer with the team going UP

Jordan shares the gospel with a man in Cartago

The team meets to discuss the day and what
they are learning in God's Word

Listening to a local coffee farmer share
about his family's crops

After the game

Andrew's D-group meeting

Lindsey teaching on Love Languages

Alice with her backpack ready to get on the buses

Mia, Ethan, Caroline and Andrew 
enjoying a rare visit to McDonalds

Puppets perform in a park in San Jose

After mom and dad gave it a try, Alice got to put 
on some skates... and wants her own now!

Sam tells some guys about Jesus

Mia tries to get out in front

The team in Orosi

Nikkie and Caroline share in Paraiso

Rainer leads the team to a Futsol game

Eric shares his testimony after the game

Our hosts and local pastor Alfonso and Grace

Our 5 discipleship groups

On the bus headed to ministry

On the balcony at our 'home' = the church in Cachi

Praying for Tres Rios

Alice and Rainer love the ice cream

Mitch and Lindsey cross the bridge to Orosi

A group stops on the bridge

Puppets perform to a crowd

Tiana leads the prayer

Hiking in the coffee farm

We love our senior staff Kaila, Ensley, Kaylee

The team hikes down

Sharing a meal at the church

Youth group last Sunday

Our team at old church ruins

Before church

Life Transformation Groups meet

Getting up the energy with the Cha Cha Slide

Anna has one of the 'twin' puppets


Ben during the 'laughing' song

Our performances of puppets, dance and drama
help bring a crowd and have themes that
open conversations about the gospel





Sunday, July 3, 2016

Training camp: student week!... and we're off!

Training camp is officially wrapped for 2016. We spent the entire month of June camping in a tent and preparing our team for ministry. They have been training physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally for our mission trip. Our team has grown together as a family.
Our team of 36 is off to Costa Rica! Please pray for the safety and health of our team and family. And pray for the hearts of the locals we will meet and the students on our team, for them to be open to what the Lord has for them.

They arrive!

Tom prays for all of camp

Moving in

A teaching about identity in Christ

Rainer debriefing quiet time readings

Eating with our team

Lindsey and girl staff disciplers

The big top at night

Where's Alice?

Some good times with staff disciplers

Rainer teaches on culture

Devin shares about why he picked the Costa Rica trip

Our soccer team playing a game

Early morning team work

Kaila teaching on restitution

Reign kids working on a project

Medical day with meds and our 'nurses' for the summer

Meeting for skill groups

Alice testing out the stools

Team work

Mitch enjoying the big top

Working together

Little man and a lady

Alice and Elena

Rainer and Alice checking out skill groups

Our soccer team plays the Colombians 

Our staff explains their vision for our students

Anna Christian before she heads
off to Australia on her second
Royal Servants trip

Alice making sure everyone packed their bluepacks correctly