Serving Christ in Costa Rica

Who wants to learn English?

2006-03-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Well, these last couple of months have been both hectic and at the same time full of time for reflection and relaxation. One thing about my job is that it is speratic, for example one day I work 15-16 hours and the next day I have a one-hour meeting. I have a very weird schedule, some days I love it because it is not like the normal 9 to 5 job and other days it is hard because I crave structure. It is weird to say that myself but it is true.
These last couple of months I have gotten back to the routine of soccer, started 5 English classes, and gone to Panama for a spiritual youth retreat. With soccer, things have only begun to expand with more and more people on our staff and more publicity. Last Friday we had one of the largest TV stations in Costa Rica visit our Soccer for Life practice and they interviewed many of the staff as well as the youth in the program. These steps are very important for us because we are looking for funding not only in foreign countries, but also those from local sponsors to help support the program. We also had a very important guest come to visit one of our practices in Alajuelita, Franz Beckenbauer, a legend in soccer history. This was big event for soccer fans because it is rare that he would come to such a small country such as Costa Rica, but it is even rarer that he would visit our small non for profit program in the middle of a poor run down neighborhood. Another big event that is about to happen is that 6 youth from our program are going to Germany to see the World Cup and to share their experience with local schools. All of this is thanks to a program called Bread for the World (Pan para el Mundo) and the ELCA Lutheran church that sponsors this program and makes these opportunities possible. The program is expanding every month and I am very proud to be a part of it.
Last year I had led several English classes, one with the help of my fellow missionaries Lara and Lindsay, in the community, La Carpio, and the other continuing what Lara had started in Alajuelita. When I renewed my contract in September I really wanted to keep those classes going. In Alajuelita we kept a group of about 6 children and 4 adults and the classes in La Carpio were on hold because of construction. Once the construction and long Christmas vacation was over, I decided to start them up again. To my amazement, there was an overwhelming population of people who wanted to become part of the class. The first day in mid January I asked everyone to meet that was interested in La Carpio to see what ages would show up, and almost 50 people came that day. I taught a class of 50 the alphabet and their colors. It was rather fun but a little out of control, so for the next week I divided it into 3 classes: children, youth, and adults. I had 40 kids in the children’s class, 25 in the youth class, and 20 in the adult class. It was an exhausting day after soccer and then 3 classes, but I really enjoyed it and was excited to keep this going for the next six months of my contract. Two days later we started the English class in Alajuelita, which followed the music class that teaches the recorder and the guitar. About 10 kids stayed for the English class and about 25 adults showed up for the adult class. It was really cool to see so many faces in this tiny little church building. The church is where everything is held, from the child day care center during the day, the music classes, the youth group, the women’s group, the once a month free dental check ups and women’s health education and advice, to the weekly services and all of the parties. For being so small it is such a blessing that so many people come through and have the opportunity to worship and to learn. Right now we are about in our 5th week of classes and we are keeping the same numbers and having a lot of fun. Two weeks ago, many of the other volunteers and I went to Chiriqui, Panama for a spiritual youth gathering. It was held by my fiancé’s Methodist church. The topic was on how to maintain communion with God. It was a very important time for me because I was feeling like I was in a routine in my faith and in my church and I needed a change. I definitely think that spiritual growth is important while maintaining fellowship with others and with God. This opportunity brought growth because I was able to meet other Christians that were on fire for Christ, which helped renew my passion and motivated me to keep pushing myself to put more focus on God and less on myself. We also spent a lot of time in prayer and in worship, which was something that I had needed to do, but I had just put it off as something that did not need more than 10 minutes of my day. We also did a lot of fun things, like skits and talent shows, which allowed me to get to know more of Randy’s friends as well as the Pastor that is going to perform our wedding ceremony. Once it was all over we went straight home starting work the next day. Leaving the retreat I felt renewed and ready to share what I had learned with the people that I work with in the communities. If you have any questions about my adventures in Costa Rica and Panama please send me an email at Lizafoo22@yahoo.com and I would love to talk to you. Also if you are interested, the Soccer for Life website (linked below) has a lot of information and if you don´t understand Spanish it also has lots of pictures. Since my contract is almost up, the ELCA along with Soccer for Life are looking for more missionaries/volunteers. If you are interested in serving through this program please check out the ELCA website for more information or send me an email. Thank you for all of the support and prayers that you have given me and please keep in touch. Chow
">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Soccer for Life kids enjoying their End of the Year Party

2006-01-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

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www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Return to the Pura Vida

2006-01-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it has been a long time since my last update but things have been really busy. Of course with all this lost time I have a lot of catching up to do. To start off I hope everyone had an amazing holiday break and had a chance to rest and enjoy their families. As the year was winding down right before the break there were more activities than even. With Soccer for Life and the Lutheran church we were gearing up for our end of the year parties and retreats. One thing that the Costa Ricans sure know how to do is party. In every community there was a party and then of course one at the end for everyone. In each of the Soccer for Life communities we were able to have a recreational event. All of the children and adolescents went on a trip that included swimming pool, soccer fields, basketball courts, lunch and ice cream. It was a celebration for all of those who worked hard this year, learning how to work as a team, stay positive, discuss various important issues dealing with youth today, and learn soccer skills that help build confidence and self respect. It was also a great time to congratulate those who finished another year of hard work in school.
To congratulate my hard work this year the ELCA supported me to go home to see my family. It was very special for me for many reasons. First of all last year I stayed here in Costa Rica and I was starting to miss cold weather and family. Second of all I brought a guest along that had never before been out of Central America and had never seen snow or so many Gringos in his whole life. Who was this lucky guest? His name is Randy Aguirre and he is my boyfriend from Panama. We have been together for over a year now and when we got to my home town in St. Louis he asked my mother permission to marry me. Now he is not just my boyfriend but me fiancé and we are setting our wedding date for the 29th of July. (I told you a lot happened while I was away) So now for my future plans, once my missionary contract is up in June, I will be moving to Panama for 6th months until Randy finishes orthopedic school. Then we will move to the US, that is some news huh? So while we were in the States I was really hoping to get the chance to go to Colorado to see last year’s missionary and one of my best friends, Lindsay Martinez. Of course the air fare was too expensive and we didn’t have a car so chances were pretty slim. I prayed a lot about it and sure enough guess what happened… we found a ride from someone else that was praying to have company on her trip to Colorado. God sure is faithful and always answers prayers; you just never know when they are going to happen. Thanks be to God I was able to go to Colorado (14 hour trip) and see Lindsay. While I was there I was able to show Jesus, a Costa Rican, and Randy, a Panamanian, snow for their first time. But I am not talking about city snow; I am talking about Colorado mountain snow!
Another blessing that I was able to experience was that I talked to the youth of my church about my experience as a missionary. I talked to about 30 high school and middle school students. Instead of just talking about my experience, with the help of my mom (a great teacher), I had them play games to demonstrate what I do for the Soccer for Life program. I had them play a quick warm up game and then, to make it a little more realistic, I had them take off their shoes. This was to demonstrate that many of the kids in our program play bear foot or with their school dress shoes and not in tennis shoes or soccer cleats. Then I told all of the girls that they could not play and had them go to the side. This was to show that normally girls are not allowed to play because in a Machista society sports are only for boys. I asked the girls if they thought that was fair, the boys of course said yes, but the girls said no and that they still wanted to play, so I mentioned that our program is very different from other programs in the area because we instruct soccer for girls just as much as boys and help teach them to play together. Once again to make it more realistic I told the girls that in order for them to play they had to find something to do with their imaginary 2 or 3 younger brothers and sisters. This is also very common for the teenage girls that I work with because since their parents are working the older females are responsible for taking care of their younger siblings. Most of the girls in the demonstration just threw their ¨siblings¨ into the air so they could get to play, but normally in this situation the little kids just shadow their older sister or sit on a bench and watch. Once we got teams together and goals set up, we played a real soccer game and I just let them go wild. One person would try to go through 5 others to make a goal and everyone was chasing the ball. This was very realistic to what we work with. After about 5 minutes I stopped them, just like I would in a practice and explained to them basic rules, positions, and team work, and that everyone gets a chance to play, whether they were small or tall or girl or boy. After the quick game there was time for question/answer and by then there were a lot of questions. It was interesting of what concepts they had of Costa Rica. Some of them didn’t even know where the country was let alone the issues that they are facing so it was interesting to talk about what the Lutheran church does in another country.
One thing that was really interesting during this whole trip was to see US from the eyes of an outsider. Randy and I were able to explore a small portion of this country, but since I hadn´t been there for a while and it was his first trip we started to examine different aspects that were very different from Latin America. We as Americans have a lot more space. The streets are bigger, the stores are bigger, the schools and houses are definably bigger. My high school looks about the size of a University and my house looks like a mansion (that is just because it has 2 stories and its own yard). For the US, the normal house probably has a spare bed room in it, right? The reality for some of the communities in Costa Rica that I work in have as many as 9 or 12 people living in a small 2 bed room home. For me probably the biggest shock was the super stores and malls, especially at Christmas time. Costa Rica has them too as well as the commercialization over the holidays, but it is not on such a large scale. About 10 minutes from my house in St. Louis there, in the same area, is a Wal-Mart, a Target, a Hallmark superstore, a Sports Authority, and a Super K-Mart. Why would you go anywhere else? With these stores combined you could find anything you would ever what. But what ever happened to the corner markets, or the family clothing stores? They can’t compete with these low prices so they just die out. I am noticing the same chain of events happening where I live in San Jose. Right now I have about 5 family owned grocery stores with in two blocks of my house, but there is also a super store 5 blocks from my house (looks like a Wal-Mart) called Hiper Mas, which has clothing, shoes, and groceries, it also sells Wal-Mart brand products. I hope this isn’t true but with the way things are going these small businesses will not survive another 5 or 10 years.
Anyway, besides going through a little bit of culture shock, Randy and I had an amazing time, both in Missouri and in Colorado. We arrived back in San Jose on the 8th of January and on the 9th we were back to work. Randy went back to Panama to start his semester and I returned to work with soccer and the church. Our first activity with soccer was we had an evaluation meeting of 2 days in the Manu retreat center, which is out of San Jose and more into the rainforest. It is a beautiful place and with a natural swimming pool, small cabins for housing, and amazing greenery. We talked about what happened in 2005 and all of the changes we have gone through starting with only 1 community to now having 5. We got to know all of the new staff more personally and started planning for 2006. Now we are starting up 3 more communities in San Jose and 3 more long distance soccer schools. I am very excited to have seen this program grow so much and to get started on all of the new projects that we are going to be starting.
Last and but not least I would like to thank the people from my church St. Michael and St. George for their donation of soccer cleats for our Soccer for Life (Futbol por la Vida) program. They arrived and we are already starting to pass them out. Thanks so much to everyone for their support, please email me if you have any questions about our programs or if you would like to contribute to this worthy cause. God Bless

">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Randy (left) and Jesús (right) and their first sight of big snow

2006-01-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

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www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

The Soccer for Life Pool Party!

2006-01-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

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www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

End of the Year Pool Party for all of the Communities

2006-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

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www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

2005-10-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

My Buddies from Alajuelita

2005-10-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Youth Lock-In at the Church in Alajuelita

2005-10-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Soccer for Life in Quitirrisi

2005-10-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

A walk through the community, La Carpio

2005-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Youth from an indingenous community Quitirrisi

I´m back home and the rain never stops

2005-10-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to call October national visitor month. September was full of soccer and church activities, but once October started the visitors’ just streamed in. (I loved it!) It is an amazing blessing to have friends and family that want to share in this experience and on the 30th one of my best friends, Marin and her husband JJ are coming down to visit as well.
In the month of September, as soon as I returned to Costa Rica from the US, I head right back to work. It was great to arrive "home" and see everything had gone smoothly. It was pretty exciting because literally the day I came back the Alajuelita girls soccer team had a game. It was great to see everybody again since I missed almost 2 months of soccer (with the 2 delegations and then a trip to the US). The game was great, we lost but we still had a great time. The girls were singing on the bus ride home so I don’t think they took it too hard. We also have two new additions to our women’s staff team, which is wonderful, because since I was the only women’s coach if I couldn’t make it there was no practice. One of the coaches is a Tica (Costa Rican female) and the other is originally from the US but lived 8 years in Argentina. This is wonderful news because now the women’s program has more opportunity to grow and continue after my contract is over. The Soccer For Life program is continually progressing and the kids in the program are gaining more respect for the staff and confiding more in us so that we can better understand their situations and help them more with their individual needs. We also are becoming more educated as a staff to better serve the needs of the children and youth. In these past months the leaders and pastors from the Lutheran church and the Soccer for Life program have held several workshops on the education of anger management and boundaries between leaders and youth, sexuality and AIDS prevention, and substance abuse. Overall they were very informative and they were a time to ask questions and share concerns or problems that arise with such difficult issues.
Activities with the church communities are going well and like always it is full of life and energy. However, it has been difficult in the community of La Carpio (the Nicaraguan community on the outskirts of San Jose). The church has been under construction for several months now and it is hard to hold the daily activities because of the lack of space. The planning for the construction has been delayed so far back that I believed that they would be finished when I returned from the states and it still not even close to being finished. It has been hard because there are plenty of workers and enough money to finish the project but the materials are sparse and so the workers have to wait for the materials to slowly arrive before they can start on each project. This has been hard on the church because the activities have been on hold for a long time and many times even the Sunday service is canceled. Gratefully when there are events I am still able to see the same smiling faces of the wonderful people that hold the church together.
This past week two of my friends, Mindi and Tyler from the Mount Cross Lutheran camp in California, came to visit me and we were able to visit some of the communities where I work. One evening we went to La Carpio for a dance performance of the Nicaraguan folkloric dance group. They were able to meet and interact with several people of the community and enjoy the cultural part of the church’s programs. We also visited several other Lutheran programs in the other communities such as the day care center in Alajuelita and a Soccer for Life practice in Quititrrisi. During this time it was a great opportunity to share a little more about my work here and what the church does and its philosophies. I’m sure it is rather difficult to imagine what I do without actually being here and having the experience to meet the amazing people that I work with. During Mindi and Tyler’s visit we also had enough time to play and explore Costa Rica (that was a lot of fun too). Thanks guys!
The other group of visitors that I had were my sister and her 2 friends, and they came down for my birthday (Oct. 2). What an amazing Birthday I had, Anne, her friends, my boyfriend, and I all went White Water Rafting on class 4 rapids. We had a great time during their time here and learned a lot more about the country as we traveled around and got to see some cool wild life. The best part for me was I was able to spend some quality time with my big sis. It was awesome because I hadn’t seen her in a year and we finally had time to catch up. Thanks Anne, Julie, and Rachel for giving me a piece of home (they also brought me a ton of American sweets that I had been craving)!
I would also like to thank the people that are supporting me. I have collected $450 so far this year. I want to remind people that this money will be used for my monthly living expenses only if necessary to supplement the support I am receiving directly from ELCA Global Mission, something new this year. Thankfully, I am receiving significant help from a special Volunteer Assistance Fund which we hope will be enough to cover my projected living expenses for a second year of service in Costa Rica. This arrangement was made for my second year because I was not sure if I could raise enough support on my own. If it turns out that I receive more money than is needed for my actual living expenses, I will make a donation back to the ELCA fund so that other volunteers in similar situations can also receive the support they need to serve overseas as missionaries in the future. In terms of giving options to help the programs of the Lutheran church in Costa Rica, I am still consulting to see where financial support is most needed and will share that information with you as soon as I can. You can continue to support this worthy cause by sending a check to Liza Koerner, PO Box 387, Felton, CA 95018 (this is the Mount Cross Lutheran Camp).

Prayer Requests:
For Lindsay and her daily adventures and for all of my friends and family.
For the soccer cleats that were donated by my home church St. Michael & St. George. Six boxes (65 pairs) were sent through the mail and one arrived a month ago, but the post office said that used cleats are not allowed to enter the country. The box was open in front of me but I could not have it. This rule took all of us by surprise, but we could do nothing about it. Yesterday I received notices that the other 5 boxes arrived, so I am going to hunt them down in the next few days. Please pray for this situation, it seems small but new cleats would be an amazing gift for the kids that we work with who play soccer barefoot.
For the people being effected by natural disasters, like flooding in Central America and all over the world. In Central America the poorest areas, such as indigenous populations, are being effected the most and thousands are dying.

Thanks everyone for your support and please respond if you have any questions (my email is at the very bottom of the web site).
God Bless
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Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Back to the Rich Coast

2005-08-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a crazy time since Lindsay and I have last written. Right now Lindsay has moved home with her family to Denver, Colorado for the last 7 weeks. As she is trying to readjust to US living she has found a great job as a women’s parole officer for a non-profit organization, and in this job she was greatly appreciated for her knowledge of Spanish.

Soccer for Life
Right after Lindsay left, I (Liza) still had a lot to do. Since the schools were going into vacation time, the soccer for life program got more involved with our practices. Each day we were in the communities longer and were doing more specialized programming. In Alajuelita, (a community in San Jose) we set up tournaments against other teams in the area including other communities that we work with. And in Quitirrisi (an indigenous community 45 min. outside of San Jose) we ran clinics for the older kids and games, rely races, and prizes for the younger participants. These extra activities are geared to not only heighten the soccer abilities of the youth, but also to use the vacation time to keep kids active and motivated in our program. In these poor communities there is a high drug problem which heavily exists among teenagers, as well, during school time physical fitness classes are not offered, so our program gives them a safe place to learn and escape from the daily pressures. After this short time of “vacation” with soccer I left San Jose to work with a group from the US while they went on a mission trip. I was sad to leave soccer knowing I would miss almost 2 months, but I knew it was in great hands.

US Delegations (What is a delegation?)
One great thing about the Costa Rican Lutheran Church is that it is always open to visitors. We consistently have visitors from Central American countries as well as our sister churches in Germany, Sweden, Brazil, and the US. With all visitors, the church sets up local guides so that our guests are able to see more than one community and feel safe and welcome in unknown territory. This summer we had the pleasure of working with 2 US church groups and I was elected to help guide/translate for both of them lasting about 2 weeks each. Unfortunately I was sick for a large portion of the time, but we still had a great time and we made life long friendships.
The first group came from Mount Vernon, WA with 17 high school students and 9 adults. For the first couple of days we traveled through San Jose and learned more about what the Costa Rican Lutheran church does. We walked through the Alajuelita community and saw where the Lutheran church has set up their child care center called Casa Abierta (Open House). We were all astonished of their living conditions and were inspired by how the church helps and serves these needy areas. Later that day, we also played a game of soccer, the Salem Lutheran church vs. Soccer for Life from Alajuelita (the locals won surprise surprise). For most of the rest of the trip we were in the northern region of Costa Rica in an indigenous community called Guatuso. There the group did a work project, starting a road giving access to the church from the highway, lead VBS for the children, and learned about the Maleku culture and difficulties, through art, discussions, and theater. For the Costa Rican church relationships are everything, and when we left the community with tears rolling down our cheeks as well as the Maleku peoples, I knew we had achieved our goal. It is really a great experience to see how much both of the groups bonded with such little verbal communication. With a difficult good bye we went on our way to see another side of Costa Rica, the tourist side. They saw both an active volcano, the beach on the Pacific side, and then they left for home. This was also a difficult good bye for me after seeing them grow through our time with the communities and our time in devotions. I saw how they had learned and experienced more then they could have ever imagined. Thanks guys for a great trip!
After going through all of that, I had 5 days to rest and prepare for the second group to visit our church, so I went to Panama to escape for a little while and to get rid of my cold. The next group came from Chicago, IL with 3 youth and 8 adults. This group was very different than the previous and also very special. For the orientation days in San Jose we visited almost everything, the Sunday service in La Carpio (the primarily Nicaraguan community), the afternoon in Quitirrisi, and the next day seeing the Open House (Casa Abierta) program in Alajuelita. It was clearly too much to take in but the group took it in stride. After that we set out for the banana plantation community, Sarapiqui, to do our service work and VBS. We also added something special, which were health talks to women from several US nurses and dental care education for the children. We learned a lot about the struggles of the banana and pineapple workers, and the community also opened up their homes so that we could see how they lived. For many people this had the most impact because they were able to get to know the families on a deeper and more individual level. Yet again this was a difficult good bye and many people cried.
I really enjoy being a part of these experiences because I meet so many different kinds of people and learn so much more about Costa Rica as a whole. When we finally left after the hour long individual goodbyes we were off to the vacation part of their trip, were we went to the volcano and the beach. This part is also fun because I get to go along with them. After it was all over I was sad to see them go, but I was also very excited for my next adventure. The following day after I took the group to the airport I returned home to St. Louis, MO for a 2 week break. It was nice to be home after being in Costa Rica for a full year and it was great to see a lot of my friends again. I will return to Costa Rica on the 26 of Aug. for my second year contract which is over next July. While I was home my church rounded up about 60 pairs of soccer cleats for the soccer for life program and is going to be very exciting to put them to use. It was great to be back, but I am still very excited to return and start things up again. I would like to thank everyone for their great support in what I am doing. It is a true honor to come home and share my experiences with others either in person or over the phone. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts and for the wonderful donations for the kids that I work with.

Prayer Requests:
For Lindsay and all that she encounters.
For the groups in the US that came to Costa Rica and are able to share what they have learned with others.
For the communities of the Costa Rican church that have shared their lives with others
For the decisions that we make as a country that effect other countries negatively
That we can learn to serve Christ in all parts of our lives
">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

A Time of Change (Lindsay`s Last Entry From Costa Rica)

2005-07-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

How does one start her last entry? As some of you may or may not know, this is my last month in Costa Rica. I will be leaving the 3rd of July for home. HOME. It is still so weird to me, I feel like I have made a home here. Liza, on the other hand, will be staying for another whole year. She felt her calling was to stay and work on the soccer program we have put so much into. That is why she let me do the last entry for us. Here we go.

This last month and a half has been fairly hectic. I still work with the kids in La Carpio Wednesdays and Fridays, and they are so excited to see Lara and me, because they expect us now. They really depend on us and it will be really hard to leave. The new hit is bingo, and we can spend hours out of the rain playing bingo, usually with some kind of prize. With all the construction we literally have no room to play in the church, because the moms are sewing and doing work in the chapel area (which is still no bigger than a regular-sized living room). We end up in the tiny house next to it, only allowed in the living room (about the size of a walk-in closet). We make due, and they are very creative. I will miss them.

In soccer, the women’s team from Alajuelita (Liza’s team) has already played against another team, and each Saturday practice has brought about 12-15 girls each time. Lately though, our field has been one big puddle because of the rain, and so we have to find an open court (like basketball but they are made to play soccer) in order to practice. It is harder but it works. The team (men and women) has been doing evaluations through individual interview with each kid, and have found that some really need help, and are taking measures to get them the help they need.

I have really seen a change in many of the kids that used to be angry all the time at practice, and now are leading others to calm down and just play, play by the rules, not complain, etc. Even the women have difficulty respecting the men coaches and talk vulgar to anyone that listens. Slowly but surely they are learning respect for not only their elders, but their peers. It is amazing. The men and women are learning what respect truly means. But like I said, it is a SLOW process.

The CAFTA/TLC is still huge here (Central American Free Trade Agreement). I never wanted to get involved with politics, but it is part of life. The bill is going to Congress soon to vote on, and from what I have seen I really hope it does not pass. We have the money and we have the control. I just hope our congressmen have looked through the eyes of the businesses here, and not just from a North American point of view. Please see the last entry for more details on how to get involved.

When all is said and done, I will be taking back a souvenir with me……my boyfriend Jesus Antonio Salazar Vargas. We have done all the necessary paperwork to get him a work visa, and the appointment at the embassy is on Friday the 1st of July. I never meant to fall in love, I guess God had a different plan. It is one of the most difficult things to get a visa from the U.S., but with the Big Man on our side anything is possible. So, though I will be leaving a lot behind, it won’t be everything.

Prayer Requests
- that this huge change coming up will be as smooth as possible; that Liza can focus on her upcoming work and that Lara (other volunteer) and I can return with as little reverse culture shock as possible and share our amazing experience with others (and catch up at home)
- that the rich will not continue to get richer and the poor poorer. That the bill in congress will not pass and make life harder than it already is here
- that the visa appointment goes over well to give Jesus a new opportunity to get to know a different side of the world
- that the missionaries around the world could know their work is not in vein and that God does a lot of work unseen
- that friends and families could begin to understand the experience of working in another culture and the huge change that takes place
What they said in orientation is true: I learned way more than I taught (I believe). The line that I live on is not so much a line anymore with rules about how faith should be or how people should live. It is a bubble that grows with every experience. It is still a bubble, because no matter how much I learn there is still so much out there. Everyone is unique and has their own way about them. God didn’t make us all the same, how should we expect to conduct our lives equally? I am truly grateful for this opportunity, and I would like to thank each and every one of you who supported me, whether it was with funds, moral support or both. I could never express in a small website the profound change that has taken place, nor do I know exactly what God has used me for in my time here. But, as a famous song here goes, everything changes, including me. That which changed yesterday will change again tomorrow, and that is life. I am ready for my change back home, simply because I know I have a Guide that doesn’t fail me, even when I fail myself. Thank you for everything, thank God for working through you all to make me feel loved.

">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Eight Months and still Kickin'!

2005-05-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Eight months and still tickin’!

Time flies when you are serving the Lord! This update is going to be a little different, so bare with me. I will try to recreate what I wrote before it was hopelessly lost in the technical abyss (the wonderful world of technology!). Now I can add what I forgot, right?

A Story for Kicks: a typical weekend
This month we wanted to start off with a story...a day in the life of a 21st century missionary. While most people are getting ready to relax from a stressful week, we are just getting started. Friday consists of an hour and a half of soccer in the blistering sun. But, you will never see such passion in kids just to play on a field and not in the street with a can. It is a good day if no fights break out and no balls are "lost." Then I (Lindsay) am off to play nanny with the cute kids from La Carpio while their mothers are in the sewing class. Though there is barely any room to play, the way their faces light up when I get there because they know we are going to color or play "Goal" is priceless. Friday night is spent relaxing, getting ready for the girls’ soccer practice on Saturday (now that the girls actually get a time to themselves and the boys are not pushing them to the side).
The early morning is spent going to the feria, the farmer’s market, to pick up the fruits and veggies for the week. There is much more selection at a fraction of the cost and is a lot more fun (besides the men that try to hit on us North American women). Then we make our way to practice carrying the water, balls, cones and pennies. It is great to be able to work with the girls without them worrying about who is watching or how feminine they look. After practice we go home, eat, and rest before our own indoor soccer practice for the team we play on. We may choose to do some laundry, depending if there is space on the line (with 5 people we are very lucky to have clean underwear). I cannot say how many times we have had to go without something because we didn’t plan 2-3 days ahead with our laundry (it takes that long to dry, and longer during the "winter," the rainy season). We go to practice as normal. As of right now we are training for the national tournament, so it's no time to miss. Afterwards we may treat ourselves to a movie, either dubbed in Spanish, or if we are lucky it has subtitles.
Sunday we are up early, deciding in which community we would like to celebrate the service. Usually we go to La Carpio because that is where we work the most, but it is so much easier just to walk to our garage (yes, garage) for the service held there. It is nice to arrive at church in 3 seconds, but there are some drawbacks: 1) unexpected visitors or phone calls at odd hours looking for information, 2) the walk from the shower to the bedroom is in plain view of the church, so we have to make sure the single door separating our house from the church side is closed, 3) because the garage door blocks the regular door when opened, it is not uncommon to have to walk through the Bible study to get into the house, 4) the occasional kid wondering into the house during the service, and 5) the non-existent garden that used to be out front until it became a playground :).
After the service there is usually a celebration of a birthday or holiday or for nothing at all, and we usually participate. If not we may relax and read, but many times we clean because of the "minor" bug problem. We are currently in carpenter ant and abejon (beetle) season as we head into winter, and every season is cockroach season (which are about the size of a soup spoon). We have learned to leave the spiders and little lizards alone because they help kill the mosquitoes and other bugs that seem to only come out at night and whiz by your head. Some of us are fortunate to have mosquito netting to help. But it IS fun to wipe away the ants’ line and watch them run in circles for a while. It is the Discovery channel right in our own home.
We frequently dump the bathroom trash since we cannot flush the t.p. Aahh, how we miss the luxury of a good sewage system. The floor needs constant sweeping since it is all tile, and every once in a while we "debug" the house with Raygon spray (but only when it gets out of hand, so to speak). The trashmen come two times a week, and around here it piles up fast. We have to put it out the day of or else the multitude of stray dogs will tear it apart if left overnight. We may also go to the office to use the computer, since that is one of the only times we can get some work done and get online. There is always something to do, whether it be planning for the English class or Bible study for the week, or writing updates, or other odds and ends for the church. But, since Sunday is a day to rest, we like to go play a pickup game of soccer on the field close to our house or with our friends from the communities where we work. We have "la fiebre" (the fever).
At the end of the day it is nice to spend time in the house with all five of us there, just hanging out and seeing how the week went. We are a family. Us two may have a jam session (Liza playing the guitar and both of us singing) or read a book (a big pastime) or rent a movie (about a $1 to rent and there is no late fee). Liza goes to bed early since she has to work at Casa Abierta on Mondays with the high-enery kids. If we are lucky we talk with our moms on Sunday night, to help fill us up and get ready for the week. And THAT is just the weekend…

The future
A couple of weeks ago we had a meeting with our boss, and figured out what our futures hold in terms of the church. I will be going home on July 3rd after my contract is up. I love Costa Rica but I have a pull towards home, to my family and friends, and so I opted not to stay. Liza, on the other hand, will be continuing another year as a volunteer, working mainly with the soccer program and helping with delegations from the U.S. As a result, she will be raising funds for another year, but she will send more details about that later. She has felt a calling to stay and continue, and I know she will make a huge difference.

The Brazilian
Apparently we are going to have a new addition to the house starting this weekend. No, not a baby :). There is a Brazilian volunteer moving into our already crammed house, and the church is running around to get another mattress, utensils, a bigger fridge, and some other odds and ends that we need in our house. Until I leave we are going to be like the Brady bunch. We will see how it works out. Between being connected to the church and living 6 under one roof, there is a new meaning to the phrase "personal space."

CAFTA/TLC
Now onto a more serious note. When we first got here, we promised ourselves we would not get into the politics, it was just God, the people, and us. We are not serving our country, we are serving our faith. Now we realize we cannot help but get involved; we cannot plead ignorance to such a huge problem between our country and the country in which we are serving. Some of you may have heard about the Central American Free Trade Agreement/ Tratado de Libre Comercial and some may have not. I would like to offer some information about what we understand about it, because I don’t think we realize how much our government’s decisions affect the world, especially the developing world.
This agreement gives Central American companies the opportunity to relocate within the U.S., and in exchange, the U.S. will be able to relocate within their countries with little or no penalty (taxes, etc.).
There are some major problems here:
-We already have many businesses within Central America and profit from them (Dole, Chiquita, Intel, etc). Also, we will be able to bring all our materials, and so these countries will make no profit
-If we choose to use their resources, however, we will use what we don’t have access to: raw materials (a.k.a. rainforest, land, etc.)
-There are few companies that would be able to move to the U.S. Most companies do not have the technology, money or manpower to move to the U.S. Therefor the profit for the Central American companies will not amount to the profit our companies will gain, possibly less than what they make now. Is our government going to help them with all this?
-In the short term some in the developing countries will benefit because of the new jobs created. This also means that U.S. employment will go down. Also, there are a lot of little businesses that will close (probably on both ends), and the big companies will not be able to employ all of them. The supply of workers in developing counrtries will be higher than the demand, so the companies can pay them whatever they want; no such thing as minimum wage, unions, etc.
The gist is that the U.S. trans-nationals will benefit and make more money than they already have, while exploiting the developing countries. We have talked with banana workers already who work at least 12 hour days 6 days a week for popular brands in very hot, dangerous conditions. If this happens without the agreement, what will happen when our companies are free to move about and locate wherever they please? Money really is power, and our country has it.
One Costa Rican newsletter I read said it is Imperialism in the new age. I encourage you to find information for yourself; I am sure there are many benefits for both sides, but there are also drawbacks. I see only this side of it and cannot help but feel it is not right. Please check out the ELCA website www.elca.org/advocacy/action/default.asp?cavid=mim/ to get involved, receive updates and possibly talk with your statesperson. Here are some other websites: www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/cafta/background.html for a thorough breakdown, and www.pacesteelalliance.org/pacealliance/pragram/content/941.php for information and resources. There are also many good websites in Spanish, but I encourage all of you to find your own information and take a stand. The bill only has to pass in Congress and it will begin, but we have the ability to stop it. We have a lot more power than we know as North Americans. Basic human rights are at stake, all they want is a chance to live comfortably, not luxuriously, and we have the power to help. Knowledge really is power. Thanks for listening.

Prayer Requests
-for Liza: she has had a hard month, and is preparing herself for another year. Please keep her in
your prayers and she gets ready to fundraise and continue on this amazing journey
-for Lara (our North American roommate): she is going home after two full years of service, and
the reverse culture shock is innevitable. She will, however, be going to seminary in the fall in Chicago

-for the people fighting to have the basics, all over the world
-for the delegations preparing to come and work in Costa Rica over the summer and fall months
-for missionaries all over the world that do far more than we realize
-for me, that on my way home I can show God’s love and find a good church to keep me filled
up as I return to my busy life and try to find a job
-for the people in the Costa Rican church that have such a huge job, a huge role in the development of the

Lutheran church here

Thanks for your time and continued support. It means more to us than we can express, and hopefully you can get a little insight into our very different lives here in Costa Rica. I hope that no one was offended, please accept my apologies if so.

God Bless,
The L-train

">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Starting Month Seven Already?

2005-03-24T05:22:00.000-08:00

Has it been that long already? It seems like last week we got here, lost, trying to figure out the bus systems, the addresses (or lack there of), where we fit in…… and now we only have 4 months left of our contract. Well, here is the scoop this month.

One thing I was really thankful for was my family coming to visit at the beginning of March. I really needed it, kind of a refresher since only Liza’s family came in December, and it was my first without them. Not to mention this is the longest I have been away from home, so though it was excellent, though short. They stayed one week, and we “flew” through Cahuita and Tortuguero (beach), then to Arenal Volcano, and finally made our way to San Jose. My dad, stepmom, sister and her boyfriend came, and at least they got to see where I live, how I live, meet my boyfriend, and spend some quality time together. Now I just need mom to come out :) You never know how much you miss something until it is gone. Thanks for coming guys.

After my family left, two groups from the U.S. arrived; one from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and one from the University of Arizona. Lara and Liza went with the UNC group, and I went with the U of A group. It was a great experience. It was my first group to be in charge of, and though it was hectic and stressful at times, I am so glad I got the chance to translate, coordinate, and “be in charge.” The group was a great group, all 26 of them, perfect for my first. We worked in Chilimate, Sarapiqui, and built the foundation for the new chapel/group/multipurpose building. Where the old building stands (which is not much of a building), it is in the way of where the town is going to build a street, so they had to move it. The work was wonderful, but the most amazing part was the home visits and the getting-to-know the culture. I am hopeful everyone involved learned a lot; thanks be to God for a great week!

Now we are in Semana Santa (Holy Week), and it is great, though not the same as at home. They don’t dye Easter eggs, they don’t give Easter baskets, but they do play religious movies all week and go to the beach for vacation. I hear there are parades too, carrying big versions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Liza, Matthi and Irena went to Panama to visit Liza´s boyfriend Randy and visit the only volcano there. I am content hanging at home with Lara (U.S. roommate)and once in a while Jesus and his family (not the real one, my boyfriend) and celebrating the most important day in our history. Thank God for His son, we are so blessed! I could never have seen myself here in a million years, but now that I am here, I could never see myself anywhere else. God’s gigantic plan didn’t leave us out, and I am so thankful……for so much.

As Liza and my time starts coming to a close here in Costa Rica, we can’t help but think about the future. Liza is still hoping to stay for another two years, she has applied for the GM2 position, which would make her the group coordinator for the groups that come from the U.S., among other things. She is still waiting to hear the final decision. I, on the other hand, still feel a strong pull towards home. There is still a slight chance I will stay longer, either a couple of months or possibly another year, but as it stands I am coming home in July. I know I will experience reverse culture shock, I know I will want to come back at some points, but I feel that God feels it is time to go home, we will see where it all goes (there’s still 4 months left). The great thing is that there is Somebody in charge, so I don’t have to worry. I know no matter what we will be ok, and it will all work out. It always does.

Prayer Requests:
It occurred to me that when I pray for something for someone else I don´t get the full feel of the prayer because I am not connected. It might happen to others as well. In this situation I pray for what needs prayer, but I also pray for the person who asks me, since I know them really well, and care when they are worried or upset. So, I ask you all to keep these prayers in mind, but even if you have no idea what I am talking about, at least say a little prayer for me, for us here, that these things may find a happy ending, and that all parties will learn from these events.
-that the immigrants in Costa Rica stop getting nation-wide coverage of crimes so that the majority can live in peace with the Costa Ricans
-that Holy Week goes off with minimal problems in both countries
-that Liza and the Germans have a safe trip
-that we all realize that though we are seemingly millions of miles away, we are all connected, and that is what this week is all about- no matter who we are, Jesus gave His life for us, and if nothing else is given to us in this life, that gift outweighs anything we will ever receive for eternity.

So, saludos from Costa Rica, have a great Easter, and keep in touch! Between all the hustle and bustle and Easter egg dye, let’s not forget what is really important. Thanks Jesus! Whether you believe or not, hopefully we can all be thankful for what we do have. Take care.

">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Starting off with a BANG!

2005-02-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

¡Hola queridos! I hope we were not gone too long, it feels like we have not updated for at least three months, we have been so busy. I will try to tell it all in order, but bear with me.

The end of the year was wonderful, and we started the New Year off well-rested, Liza´s family having just left, and we took advantage of the break from the church activities (the services were still held though). During the month of January we were denied permission to stay in Costa Rica. We are not sure exactly why, but we have appealed it and are “legal” until they review our appeal and get back to us, which may be another 3 months. There was not a valid explanation for the denial, so we will see what comes of it all.

Also, we moved! It was a last minute thing, because we were living in the Swedish missionary house, and there were missionaries coming, so we had to leave, or at least give them the furniture if they did not stay there. Long story short, we exchanged houses with Marcos, the pastor from Brazil, and had one days´ notice. Now we live closer to the church offices, closer to soccer practice, and closer to the center of the city. The house is older but bigger, and Lara the other missionary from the U.S. moved in with us, so we are a big house of foreigners. They hold one of the San José services in our garage, it sounds weird, but it is a really nice garage, and all of our services are humble in comparison to the U.S. There are still a lot of things we have to do for the house, and I do not have a window to the outside (but to Liza´s room and the hallway I have windows- yes it is weird), but all is well because we are all together and we are close to everything. If anyone needs the new number just email either of us: lindsaym7@hotmail.com or lizafoo22@yahoo.com.

January is also the month where the church evaluates the last half of the previous year and plans the first half of the upcoming year. We worked hard two full days to get out complaints, suggestions, future plans and how we will go about carrying them out, and much more. It was a good experience since we have not been here that long relatively speaking, and it is neat to see how everyone keeps the church running. It is very stressful with only 4 full-time pastors spread out all over Costa Rica, and everyone wanting more money to carry out their ideal year in their church. Needless to say, my heart goes out to the heads here.

Fútbol por la vida has really taken off. We finished a clinic in an indigenous town about 4 hours away (Guatuso), and it was very tiring. Three days straight consisting of 2 practices a day (morning and afternoon), then a meeting to capacitate the coaches and adults of the village to be able to run their own practices, and teach them a little more about the fundamentals of soccer. We taught them a lot, but we definitely learned a lot. They know a lot more than I think we give them credit for. It was so fun playing with the girls of the village especially, they really have a love for the game, and for the team. From here on out we will be traveling to other small towns and villages where the church is located to run clinics. Our schedule is already full, but it is well worth it just to see the kids´ faces light up with the equipment they get to use.

For many months now the people in La Carpio have been trying to reconstruct the church. The money is there, but the coordination is not. We are hoping to start the construction ASAP, but that also means moving all the church activities such as kids´ group, young adults, English classes, Bible studies, etc. We may have to cancel some, but usually the community opens their houses and is very good about sharing what little they have with the church. We will see what happens.

This last week we were invited by Liza´s boyfriend Randy to participate in a young adult camp in Panama. It consisted of four days of worship, prayer, and playing. It moved Liza and I so much, it really filled us up. My boyfriend Jesús was also invited, and I think it touched him more than all of us. It was really a great experience, and we also brought back ideas for the young adult camp held here in Costa Rica, along with emails from brothers and sisters in faith. God is great, that is all I know.

The month of March will bring us lots of work and lots of play. My family will be coming out (minus my Mom L) the first week of March, and I think it is something much needed for me. Then there will be two U.S. delegations coming out to build and get to know the people here, hopefully learn a thing a two about this wonderful place. We will be accompanying them to translate and to make them as comfortable as possible. At the end of March Matthi and Irena´s parents will be coming to visit, and I don´t think I have seen them so excited. It will be busy, but like always it is well worth it. Time flies when you´re serving the Lord.

Looking towards the future, things seem so uncertain. I know that God has a handle on it all, but Liza has applied for a position to stay for two more years, and I have been waiting, praying to see if God wants me to stay or not. It gets clouded because I have a boyfriend here, but I have really had a pull to come home. I just hope we both listen to what God has in store for us. I know what others want, both her family and friends and mine, but all that matters is what God wants, making the most out of us. We will keep you updated on the decision.

Prayer Requests
When I get to this part I feel like I could write a book just on prayer requests. It is like when I pray, and get lost in thought of all the people I know, all the situations that arise in life, and before you know it I am lost in thought about how they are doing, losing track of my original prayer. Here are just a few requests I would like to mention, but keep in mind there are so many more that need prayer.

*the safety and recovery of the El Salvador Lutheran Church, as they were raided and a guard was killed not too long ago
*a safe trip for the Germans´ family and mine
*for my uncle who is recovering from a slight stroke, blood clot that affected his cognitive thinking, almost reached his brain
*Liza´s and my future serving the Lord
*continued progress in the new year for the activities in the church, which are growing exponentially (thanks to all the support)
*the continued growing in faith of all the missionaries both here and all over the world (we can really use it!)
*as always, for friends and family who are struggling right now, probably more than we know
*and so much more that weighs on all our hearts

To end, I would just like to thank you all for your support and your love, which truly keeps us going, because God shows himself through you all. Thank you.

">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year)

2005-01-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope every one had a safe and refreshing holiday break. Well, a lot has happened in the last month and a half. During the middle part of December our church had a national youth retreat weekend for the church communities. About 40 kids aged 13 and up came to our retreat center, which is located two hours from San Jose, to gather as one community and learn more about the gospel. The main focus for this retreat was centered on violence and how we handle different types of situations that surround us. Unfortunately, for these kids violence is not a new concept for them; however, it was a good seminar on how to handle these types of situations and what we can do to stop it. I definitely learned a lot more about what the people in our communities are dealing with and was empowered to hear the determination they had for a desire to stop it and fight such violence. In addition to discussions, we also got to be goofy and play games as well as integrated the communities and strengthen these friendships. For me I had a lot of fun getting to meet all the kids in the communities and talk to them on a deeper level.
For Christmas time, I (Liza) was fortunate enough to have my family come down and visit. My sister came down from Philadelphia for 5 days, including Christmas, and my parents came from St. Louis for 2 weeks, including Christmas and New Years. Oh man what adventures we had! Of course, right away we went straight to the beach and into the rainforest to find some monkeys. After that we returned to San Jose for the Christmas service in La Carpio (the Nicaraguan neighbourhood). It was definitely not what my family was used to for a Christmas service (me either), but it was an incredible experience that I could show them what I do and the people that I love and work with. It was different because, well of course it was hot, no snow this year, it’s a very small church, about the size of a house, there are loud polluting buses passing every five minutes about 2 feet from the church, and one more important thing, everybody speaks Spanish. Also it was unique because ahead of time we were all assigned children to buy gifts for and at the service we passed them out. We bought one gift for each child so that we made sure everyone got at least one gift for Christmas. During the service people told stories about there memories of past Christmases. One story was told from a father who was remembering one Christmas which was during the Nicaraguan war. He was about 6 and he remembered not having very much food for a long period of time, and so he expected not to get a gift that year. To his surprise his father gave him a very small toy on Christmas eve. He was so happy and he knew how hard his dad worked for that. It is moments like that where we are reminded how much we really have and how grateful we should be for all the amazing things in our lives. I was just so happy my family was able to be there for that because it was so important to me. They were my gift that year, thanks guys for coming down and visiting and I can´t wait till you can return. I love you very much!
After Christmas my parents and I went to a place called Tortugero for New Years. Tortugero is on the Caribbean side and is very unique to all of Costa Rica. This is a nature reserve that protects thousands of sea turtles that pass through and lay their eggs on the beach. Unfortunately, we were not there during the season for this, but we still saw plenty of exotic animals, like monkeys and alligators on the canals. The people we met on this trip were really great and it was a fun way to spend the New Years.
So, my family has left, and I miss them a lot, but now we are back to work. For this month we are setting up more soccer clinics in the communities and Lindsay and I will be getting back into business. Prayer requests: Please pray for the communities we are working with, as well as the pastors that are putting so much work and effort into them, for Lindsay and I to start up work again and continue to help in whatever way that we can in the communities, and to help Christ stay the focus in all that we do.
Thanks all of you for your love and support. I pray that you all had a memorable holiday and that everyone is safe. Remember if you need us to pray for anything you are going through do not hesitate to let us know by email. God Bless you all,
Vaya con Dios.

">Link

www.elca.org
www.futbolporlavida.org

Happy Thanksgiving!

2004-11-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Now that three months have passed already and we have found somewhat of a routine, Liza and I wondered what we would talk about in our next update. One thing we wanted to share was that we have been doing our own bible studies in the house, and something occurred to us while we were going over Galatians. Many people praise us for being here, think that we are so wonderful for doing God´s work a world away. While we appreciate all the support and love, we wanted to confess that the deeds we do don´t prove anything, don´t mean anything in terms of getting into Heaven. That is, works have nothing to do with it, but faith in Jesus has everything to do with it. We are only here because of our thankfulness and the unfathomable love God has for us, and in turn want to return that love to others. No amount of works can prove you worthy, because we all mess up, we all fall, and we all struggle with life everyday. I believe that everyone has Jesus in them, because we definitely see and feel the love. We just did not want people to think we are better than we are because we are here; we are the same people, struggling to figure out what God has planned for us, fighting the urge to do whatever we want, and not worrying about the language, the job that we have at hand, or the future. God seems to show himself in amazing ways if we choose to see it. On the other hand, life never goes quite how you might expect……..
For example, on Saturday the 20th we awoke to something we have never experienced first-hand; an EARTHQUAKE! I woke up as the whole house was shaking and it took a minute to come-to, but I was paralyzed, I literally could not leave my bed as it shook and I figured out what was happening. Good thing we didn´t get hit the hardest in the ¨temblor¨ that rated 6.2 on the richter scale. Many homes and streets were destroyed close to the Pacific. Yet, I really felt just how small we truly are in this world, especially with all the aftershocks. We never knew when they would come, how strong they would be, or how long they would last. Many we could not feel, but the ones we could still paralyzed me. That lasted about 2 days. Liza, however, was very non-chalant about the whole deal, feeling as though it was not that big of a deal, that she was missing out on precious sleep. It was pretty humorous in the midst of fear.
As for this time of year, both of us long to be at home for the holidays, but we know that we are here for a reason and that we would not trade this experience for the world. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving; we celebrated on Sunday since we couldn´t on Thursday. We had turkey (pavo), stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, the works. It is not quite the same here, then again nothing is, but it was good to pass the day with Lara, another volunteer from the U.S., and to show our German roommates what Thanksgiving is like. We also got to talk to our families, and even though it made me cry, I am so thankful that I have people that really love me and are really behind me. Liza was very excited to talk to her family also, and she is lucky because her family is coming for Christmas, so we will be able to have a semi-normal Christmas. The important thing is that we know that our friends and family are with us in love, and that you all know how much we love and appreciate you.
In the midst of trying not to repeat ourselves, it occurred to us that our everyday life really isn´t that ordinary. We forget to talk about things that we do differently now than in the states, but never really realized that it is that different, that though life goes on pretty similarly, there are also many differences. For example:
· We cannot put toilet paper down the toilet because the sewage system is not the same, so we have to throw it away in the trash. At first it was kind of gross, but now it is normal. It really isn´t as bad as it sounds.
· All the highways/major roads have round-abouts instead of streetlights, and so people come out of nowhere trying to get from one end to the other. It is like driving in California times 7, I think.
· Speaking of streets, crossing the street is risking your life daily. We joke about it, calling it Frogger like the old video game, where you have to get across the street without getting squashed. The cars come so fast, and picking the perfect time to go is always a challenge. But we do not get extra lives. Still, that´s how life goes here.
· We always allow at least an hour to get to wherever we are going. The bus system works really well and is cheap, but it is still slow. We spend on average three hours a day on the bus; the upside is that we get a lot of reading done.
· Making sure we always have our umbrellas is a task. I have lost two on the bus, and usually just forget it in the house before I leave. Needless to say, in the rainy season I end up wet and surprisingly cold in the evening. You´d think I would learn.

These are just some of the normal, everyday things that we have grown accustomed to. I know there are more, but being here three months already makes it hard to compare to my life back home, which feels like so long ago, plus I have a bad memory J
The good news about this time of year is that Matthias (my German roommate) and I are both going to be celebrating our birthday on the 4th and 7th respectively. The four of us are planning to go to a beach on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica on the 3rd. It will be a nice change, and I have not gone to a beach on that side ever. It is hard when you work on the weekends like Liza and I do.
So, you may all be wondering if we have found any good friends, or may have the fear that we have found boyfriends. I can honestly say that we have found friends for a lifetime and beyond. I am also happy (and a little disappointed) to say that we are both still single. Though, there are friends that would like to date us, but none of them seem to be ¨the one¨. The culture difference here is that there seems to be no dating, you just go straight into the relationship, meeting the parents, the works. That is too scary at the moment. So we just continue to meet new people, tell them why we are here, and build those relationships which we feel life is all about. We have trusted God´s plan up to this point, and he has handled it all pretty well. So we will keep on keepin´on, and just keep swimming, just keep swimming……
My final thought is on prayer requests.
· In La Carpio where we work, there is some serious tension between two groups of the church. I would like to ask you to keep these people in mind, because it hurts the unity and the fellowship greatly. We will be leading a bible study on this on Wednesday, I ask for a prayer with that too, I know I am a little nervous.
· Please keep in mind those most affected by the earthquake. It seemed to have hit one of the poorest towns the hardest, and they are trying to rebuild.
· I know many people at home who are struggling with school, work and bosses, relationship problems, among other things, and I ask that you think about them, pray for them in their time of uncertainty, helplessness and sadness. It is easy to focus on things far away, but we sometimes forget about the problems right next door.
· I also ask for you to keep in mind other missionaries around the world. I have received many updates from friends in Bahrain, Tanzania, Japan, and all over the world, and I ask that they are in your prayers because I cannot imagine how different life is for them at this time. Costa Rica is nothing compared to having to hide your faith, along with your hair and legs in public (in the blistering hot sun too!)
Thanks for reading the novel, hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to email Liza or I directly, the addresses are lindsaym7@hotmail.com and lizafoo22@yahoo.com. Muchos bendicios a todos (many blessings to everyone)!

2004-11-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Fútbol por la Vida

2004-11-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Germans and kids

2004-11-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Dancing in La Carpio

Home sweet........Costa Rica

2004-10-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, it’s your old friends Liza and Lindsay reporting live (not really) to bring you this months update! We want everyone to know that we miss you and are thinking about you daily. So we are working on our 6th week here in Costa Rica and we are learning more than expected. I want to allow everyone the opportunity to experience what we have learned but unfortunately the only way you will truly understand is if you come and see it for yourself. That option is available, but for now I will try to share this experience as best as I can.

The People
The best part so far about our journey, I would have to say, has been the people. We are making a lot of friends, through the communities, in the church, and just random people on the street or on the bus. It’s awesome to see what God has been doing here because he is allowing us to meet all types of people in all types of situations. For example, about three weeks ago we got set up to play on a women’s soccer team. They practice two times a week and have games on Saturdays. The girls are really nice and it is a top division team, so they are pretty good. This is a great opportunity for us, not only because we are allowed to do something that we love, but also it allows us to branch out from the church and meet girls our own age. They are very interested in learning about us and they even what us to start English classes for them. I don’t think we will have time, but it is cool that they want to learn.
Another group of people that we are really bonding with is an English class we are helping out with. Most of them are Nicaraguans who came to Costa Rica looking for work (economic refugees). They are our age and are so much fun. We hang out with them on the weekends and go dancing and play soccer. They are the type of people where you meet them and you are instant friends. We are learning a lot more about their backgrounds and how they made it to Costa Rica. It is really sad because the government tries really hard to keep the refugees out, and most people don’t know their rights. One thing that the church here is doing is they are educating people on their rights because without it many people would wind up in jail or even dead. There are random raids where police come into the barrios and take away all undocumented citizens. The problem is the police don’t even know what they are looking for, so even if they do see you are legit they still might take you away. You never know. This is a scare tactic and the church is helping to defend the people’s rights to help them prepare for such raids. We have a long way to go, but there is progress.
Another program that I (Liza) am specifically working on is in a barrio called Alejuelita. This is where my soccer program is held as well as another program called Casa Abierta (open house). Casa Abierta is the program that offers child care, the youth groups, and English classes. As I am learning more about the community I am also learning about how important this program is. The child care part of the program is for children ages 5, 6, and 7 and gives them a chance to learn and play as well as receive food and some sort of structure to the day. It turns out that many families in this area have working mothers and fathers who leave the house all day long. They either lock their children in the house all day or lock them out the house so that they don’t tear the place apart. Literally children are on their own to do what they want throughout the day even as young as three or four. Mostly the older children look after the younger children and they act as parents and that is normal life for them.
The soccer program is doing well. It is hard because it rains everyday and the fields get wet so we can’t play on them, but once the summer (starting in December) comes around we will have plenty of time to practice. There are still only a couple of girls who attend, but hopefully that will change. I can see why though because the boys are really macho and wouldn’t pass to the girls anyway. Lindsay and I are playing with them and we are trying to show them that girls got skills. They normally pass to us, but it is still a different kind of soccer here. It is all about the individual and everyone wants a goal, but they don’t want to work together to get one. It is frustrating, but hey that is why we are here. The guys are also very aggressive. They are very high-strung and when they want something they have learned the only way to get it is to yell and demand it. Of course they don’t treat us or the coaches this way, but they treat each other this way. Actually they give us a lot of respect, which is pretty cool.

Indigenous Village
The other weekend we went to another indigenous village that is close to the border of Panama. It was very very interesting! This village did not have electricity and the water they pumped in was yellow. The church has a service there once a month and we were able to join them. It just so happened that that day was my birthday! What a great and unusual birthday. Normally about 20 go to the service, but that day 60 showed up. We had the service under plastic tarp and people walked for about two hours to get there. During the service many people told us about their past experience with churches and what they felt about us being with them. First of all they were very mad at the catholic church because they sent missionaries in several years ago and told them that God did not understand their native language Bri Bri and that they must learn Spanish in order to talk to God. This made me at the least outraged, but they also told us how happy they were that we were with them. One of the focuses the church is doing is we are trying to recapture their culture before it slips away. We are learning some phrases in Bri Bri and we are trying to learn as much about the elders as possible while the other generations were listening as well. After the service we shared my birthday cake with the 60 that attended and played a game of soccer. Apparently they want us to come back some time in November and have a soccer clinic. It was really neat because even the mothers and a lot of girls were playing (very exciting). After the sun went down it was time for bed. They used candles and listened to the radio, but pretty much it was time for bed because once the sun comes up its time to start again. Life in this village is very mellow and easy going and I could have easily have spent a good couple of weeks there without even worrying about what day it was.

More on Politics
We are also learning more about the politics here. Apparently the President was just busted for stealing a ton of money from the people. Read more about that issue. Also everybody seems to care about who I am going to vote for. You may not believe it but what happens in this election has a big effect on this country and the majority of the people do not like Bush. Find out more about how he is treating countries in Central America and let me know.

That is all for know, I hope it wasn’t too long. If you have any questions for us let us know and if you have any friends who might want to read this feel free to give them this address. Also feel free to brows and find our reading list, photos, and devotionals. Thanks for listening, we miss you all.

A Message From Lindsay
I wanted to talk about La Carpio a little more, because that is where I am primarily working. Liza and I work a lot together in the English class, but I am also getting involved with a Bible study for the young adults, and I am helping out with a kids’ group which meets on Saturdays. It is slow going, because many projects are in the works, such as an open house for the kids left at home (like in Alajuelita), and Futbol por la Vida, which I will be one of the main people responsible here, while Liza is in many other places with this project. I am very excited to be getting some work, but I am very thankful for my God time and my opportunities to build relationships and realize just what life is all about. I trust God and His plans for Liza and me.

Prayer Requests
Some prayer requests we have are for help and encouragement for Liza´s Spanish, prayers for the political future, both here and in the U.S., prayers for both the established and in-the-works programs that we are working in, and a special request for family and friends that may be going through a rough time right now. We love you guys, and thank God everyday for technology!

Pura Vida

2004-09-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Pura Vida is a Costa Rican phrase meaning Pure Life, or hey life's good. So hey Pura Vida! We have made it through our first three weeks of life in Costa Rica. Everyday has been an adventure, even though in the states it wouldn't seem like one. Last week we went shopping for groceries. Now that might not sound like an adventure to anyone else, but it took us three hours. Our house is still great and we are learning a lot from our German roomates. It's funny because if you could listen to our dinner conversation you probably couldn't understand a word. We switch from English to Spanish to German in a matter of seconds, a kind of a Spanglerman. If that makes sense.
Anyway, now a little about what we have been doing. Lindsay and I have both been learning about each program we will be involved in and how we can get plugged in. One program that I (Liza) will be working in is called Futbol por la Vida. It is a soccer ministry that gives kids a chance to learn soccer skills and just get out there and play. There are about eight girls and around one hundred boys involved. Soon we are going to start a program just for girls on a different day so we can get them more involved. Right now Linds and I are just playing soccer with them and coaching them on the field. It's a lot of fun and they are really good. It's sad though because these kids don't have teams to play on, even though soccer is so popular here. Did I say soccer is popular here, I mean it is POPULAR! Everyday I see kids in the street playing, if they don't have a ball they use a shoe, if they don't have that they use trash. It's quite humorous though because I usually play along.
Another program that we are involved with is called Casa Abierta (literally open house). It is a house/church in a barrio that offers several activities every day. This is specifically Matthi and Irena's (the German's) job, but we help out when we can. Casa Abieta offers child care, for many families who have to work, a type of youth group for older kids, English classes to whoever wants to come, and Bible studies. No matter when you arrive, the house is always booming with activity. Casa Abierta also has a church service on Sunday afternoons for the neighnorhood.
Last weekend we took the youth group to our partnering church in an indiginous village. The village is called Quitirrisi and is in the mountains (absolutley gorgeous). The only difference between their youth group and ours was that they spoke their indiginous language as well as Spanish. During the day we hiked outside the village for about an hour and played a game of soccer (of course) off the road. Many of the kids played in the trees looking for a fruit called guanabana and played in the thick grass. It started raining (like it does every single day) so we headed back and enjoyed a delicious lunch and played games, one included hitting a piñata. Our church continually visits this village so hopefully Lindsay and I will return to it shortly.
In all that we are doing we are continally learning how to be servants of God. We have already felt that our presents here is appreciated and we pray that we can continue to build relationships with the people around us.
Thanks to everyone that supported us! We, by the grace of God, raised enough money for the rest of the year, so thanks again for all the support.
Please continue to pray for our ministry and God Bless.

¡Hemos llegado! We have arrived!

2004-09-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
We finally arrived in Costa Rica! We have spent the last week unpacking, cleaning, meeting everyone from the church, trying to figure out the bus system, where to go for food, and try to communicate all at the same time. Needless to say, we have been fairly busy. Our house is more than we could have asked for, and so are our roommates. Both of them are from Germany, and just finished what we would call high school, but both are 19 years old. The people have been really hospitable here, and are very patient while helping us and showing us around.
For those of you who don´t know, it is winter in Costa Rica. We would beg to differ. It is still very hot and humid; it rains almost everyday. We never leave home without our coats. We visited the places where we will potentially be working, one in a barrio called Alajuelita and one in La Carpio. We got to play soccer with some of the kids through program which Liza will help out with, and we visited a church where the women get together to sew and spend time together. Both programs allow people to gather by doing things that appeal to them, then the church offers other opportunities to learn about their faith and their community.
That is all for now, we hope everyone is doing well back in the states, you are in our prayers. Thanks again for your support. Until next time.........

God bless and hasta luego,
Liza and Lindsay

Before We Leave

2004-08-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Before we leave for our journey we would like to thank our sponsors, who allowed us to go abroad and serve on this amazing adventure. We would like everyone to know that we love them and thank them for their prayers and support that they have offered us. We leave on Aug. 31 for San Jose, Costa Rica and we are extremely excited to begin our ministry .