Team #2...recovery...

The team left this morning at 4 a.m. to head up to the airport for a morning of departures. Thank you, Lord, for Victor, our bus driver! We spent most of the day today at the camp, even though Isa and Gloria clean the cabins, do the laundry and clean their kitchen; the Celebration Center looked like a bomb went off in it. We also needed to "reclaim" the desk in the office and put things back together in the ministry closets! Lots of garbage was gathered. I am currently staring at a "mound" of laundry in my home, but do not have the energy to care to do anything about it! Tonight, we have to get some groceries as the refrigerator is bare from eating every meal with the team over the last weeks. Tomorrow is another day!

We saw some 963 patients in medical clinics, half of which accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior! Praise the Lord! 250 kids participated in Children's Ministry. 60 Children's Ministry workers received formal training! It's been a very busy past two weeks, but we are filled and blessed! For now, we just need a couple of days of rest, before the preparations begin for Team #3!

Clinic #2 - Pictures of Children's Ministry

Our schedule for the clinics and children's ministry team is that we start ministering at 9 a.m. At noon we take a one hour lunch break because some of the smaller, remote churches have to feed us in "shifts". We always have to lock everything up when we go for our break. Today, when I returned from lunch and the front doors of the church were still locked where the children's ministry team was ministering, I found these two boys peering under the door and trying to get in.

These are two of my newest friends, a little girl named Aslan on the left and her brother, Justin on the right. Next to the church where we are ministering is a "precario". A precario is a squatter village with homes made of scrape pieces of metal, wood and so on. The families are very poor. This brother and sister are from the precario. You might notice Justin's very dirty shirt. This is the only shirt he owns he said. Aslan's hair is pulled up into a pony tail, but it is all matted and her "long" pants are actually very "short". Their older sister came in wearing a pair of rubber boots that were two sizes too small. She showed me blisters all over her feet. After I washed her feet and rubbed her blisters with antibiotic ointment, I sent our bus driver out to buy her some new flip flops. I had found out that their Mom & Dad were both drug addicts. Buying sneakers or fancy shoes that could possibly be sold to obtain more drugs was out of the question, but you can't get anything for flip flops!

While we've seen a lot of this in Honduras, this is the first time we had seen this here in Costa Rica. Today, when looking at the building across from the church I noticed a retaining wall with this at the top, broken pieces of bottles to keep anyone even thinking about jumping the wall to steal - away!

Here's the "happy bunch" of kids that greeted us when we returned from our lunch break ready to get down to some serious business. The crowd grew bigger in a rather short of time!

I never did get any last counts from the second and third days of our first clinic. I'll have to get those. This was the second day of our second clinic. Yesterday we had 81 people attend, 24 of which accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and 30% indicated that they would like a Pastoral visit! (While we provide free medical clinics, we expect that the churches that host us will place a high priority on following up those people that we serve). Today, we had 135 people, so I can't wait to hear how many of those might have made a decision to follow Jesus too. Tomorrow is our last day at this location and we have three more clinics to go before the team leaves! Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

Up and running!

Today, a technician came to the house late in the afternoon and was able to repair our internet service. It went down early Saturday morning. Today was the second day of medical clinics with simultaneous children's ministry being run at the same church. The construction team is progressing on the block walls of the bathroom addition to the Celebration Center. Needless to say, I have forgotten to take my camera to the past two days of clinics, but hopefully tomorrow night can get some pictures posted via team members memory cards. Our ministry day begins with breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and we leave the camp by 7:30 a.m. We have been returning back to the camp for dinner at 6:30 p.m. Following dinner we have team devotionals and "restock"; the medical team pulls additional medications for the next day and the children's ministry team reviews the next day's programming. We certainly sleep well! Tomorrow, I will be in a different church location than the rest of the children's ministry team joining the Vice President of Global Outreach Mission's wife in teacher training. Three different churches have combined their children's ministry teams and extended an invitation to us to train them in children's ministry programming. I will speak on the element of music and it's importance in children's ministry. A new cross cultural experience for me! I am really excited about it, but I hope that I can remember to "slow down" for my interpreter!

More exciting than this are the 25 people who made first-time commitments and received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior yesterday during our time of ministry at the church. It is the reason that we are here in this country; so that others might come to know Him. That God would even allow us to join in His purposes...it's beyond amazing to us and so humbling and rewarding!

Preparations, Coffee and cinnamon rolls (YES!!!!)

Phew! It's been a week of logistics and planning, shopping, emailing and phone calling back to the office. Yesterday, we went to PriceSmart. It took the four of us and three "packed to the max" grocery carts to finish the shopping. Today, Ken is off to Central Market to get the meat. On the way home, we investigated two coffee plantations and mills. We have decided on which one we will go with for this team's free-day. It is located on top of a hill and as far as you can see down the ravines and hillside are coffee plants. I think the group will enjoy watching as the coffee beans are processed. We were able to get a tour time during the day when the employees will actually be doing the "processing" instead of just walking in and explaining what each machine does. I think they will enjoy that! The team arrives in two groups tomorrow, one group in the morning and one in the late evening. On Sunday, we will have orientation for the camp, then break down into the three ministries, construction, children's and medical and do orientations separately for those teams. It will be a day of "organizing" medicine, children's and teacher training supplies, construction supplies. Of course, in between all of this we will be eating and attending church too. This group is bringing down a special baker who has sent me a grocery list of supplies to buy for homemade cinnamon rolls and bread! Richard has used his gift of baking to raise funds for this team; from pies to breads and of course, the cinnamon rolls. Do you not think when I opened that email that the family was excited? I can't remember when we last ate a cinnamon roll and of course, you can't buy Pillsbury tube cinnamon rolls here, either. Kyle informed me that he will be in the kitchen for two weeks stuck to this guy! So pray for Richard! From what I've heard, he's quite the baker. We'll try and "calmly" welcome him into the camp kitchen, but you know, us gringo's can get a little crazy over food from home. I wonder if the poor guy will ever see light or the outside walls of the kitchen?

Team #2...preparations & Prayer Requests

Palm Beach Atlantic left yesterday. Their cabins are clean, their bedding is washed and the beds have been remade for Team #2 which arrives this Saturday. Today, Ken will pick up a friend of ours from the airport who has also agreed to help with interpreting for this team and bring him back down to Orosi. Tomorrow, we have a final staff meeting in preparation for the team's arrival on Saturday, planning the two week menu, and working on the schedule which in itself will be complicated. This team will be doing three simultaneous ministries. Ken will stay back at the camp and coordinate the construction projects. Katherine & David will coordinate the medical clinics which will be in three different churches over a two week period. I will help to coordinate the children's ministry/teacher training that will take place at the same locations as the medical clinics in different buildings. The medical teams and children's ministry teams will be moved by bus to those locations throughout the week and return to the camp to join the construction team for dinner. Mid-week, the medical and children's teams will have a day back at the camp to "reload" supplies before going on to the next location. Once we've laid out the menu, the menu goes to Isa for her to make a grocery list and is returned to Ken & I to do the grocery shopping on Friday. On Saturday, because this team comes from different areas of Canada, they will be arriving at four different times. One trip will be made up to San Jose to pick up three members and then return to camp, then later in the evening another trip will be made to wait for three different arrivals (though pretty close together) to get the rest of the team. Also with this team of 20 comes 3 missionary interns, two are nurses and one is a construction person who will stay with us here at the camp for three months. Once they recover from getting off the plane and being thrown into two weeks of long days, we will let them rest and then do targeted ministry with them; the homeless shelter, the orphanage, taking vitals in neighborhoods near the camp and evangelizing, working alongside Team #3, etc. We will also help them to experience as much of Costa Rican missionary life as we can.

Pray for: Safety for the construction, medical and children's ministry teams as they are here ministering. Pray for individuals coming to the free medical clinics for treatment of medical conditions as well as "soul" conditions. Pray for the children who will be ministered to, some from broken, very poor families that we can clearly communicate their "significance" to God. Pray for the teacher's coming from these churches for Teacher Training and for us, as we instruct them on how to effectively teach and train children in the Word. Pray for our families, The Dundon's and the Huitz's as we work together, as we work apart, that God would be mirrored and that our households would be protected.

Luke and Joey

Well, it's probably not the "best" pictures to compare too, but pretty much a similar pose. The top picture is of Luke, our Pastor's son, posted with his permission. The bottom of Joey, short-term missionary to Costa Rica twice now and dear friend. Joey returned home today and Jordan took it hard, again. It's part of your life as a missionary, I suppose, always having to say good-byes. Maybe, just maybe, I can get a photo of Angie, the church secretary and post her Tico look-a-like from church here!

We miss you BOTH, Luke and Joey!

Airplanes, earthquakes, saying good-bye and finding a Savior!

We got Danielle off to the airport today and when we were almost home people here started calling Ken's cell phone asking if we were okay. A 6.8 earthquake hit up past San Jose at 1:21 p.m. and Danielle was scheduled to take off at 1:45. The town where it originated is near the airport. We didn't feel it as we were driving back towards San Jose or home, but we had no idea if Danielle got off to Houston safely. We checked the T.V. and saw the damage to office buildings, glass blown out, in stores things off shelves. We checked with Continental Airlines as soon as we got in and found that she left a little over an hour later than she was scheduled too, so I am not sure she will make her flight in Houston, but we know she is safe and did leave the country!

On a happy-sad note, Ken's Great-Aunt died and his parents have been in Texas with his sister for the funeral. We hadn't been able to reach his parents on Monday to tell them the good news about the biopsies and started to get concerned. They called us on Tuesday, while they were on the road, but having arrived in Texas safely and told us of her passing. Aunt Joanne was a believer, so it makes the news easier, though we wish we could be home with her family. Selfishly, we will miss her tremendously! She was a great spiritual influence on Ken and his siblings. Aunt Joanne has been an unrelenting prayer warrior for us on this missionary journey! We are happy that she is no longer suffering!

Today, was a sad day. It's hard to not have Danielle here on a day-to-day basis with our family. When she leaves, it feels like your heart is being pulled out of your chest and her personality leaves an obvious gap in our family. We are so thankful for this time that we had with her! God is good, He is gracious and this time of letting her go was a little easier than last time, though everyone is a little more subdued and quiet this afternoon. So, hug her BIG for us when she gets back home!

With the team here, Ken & I are like two ships passing at port being pulled in different directions. Today, I just found out that Ken had the privilege of leading a man to the Lord on Tuesday night at the homeless shelter! Praise the Lord!!!

Homeless Shelter

After a day of work at the camp yesterday, part of the team cleaned up and drove up to the city to partner again with God Festival. They have recently opened a homeless shelter mainly serving drug and alcohol addicts, and the group worked from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. there last night. The second half of the group, mainly the men, are about to return from there this evening. Pictured here next to and behind Ken in the the right hand corner are some of the ladies, and a couple of the guys who went last night. The rest of the people in the picture are homeless men and women. They come to this shelter and receive clean clothing, a meal and the option of going to a rehabilitation center for help.

Not only did they fold and hand out clothing, but they also helped serve a meal. God continues to open amazing doors, the children's home and now this shelter for us to take teams or even our individual families to work beyond the confines of the campground, our small town, and boldly proclaim Him to the most needy.

Here you have it folks...BLACK MAIL!!!!

This is day one of work for the team at the camp. Oddly, this is the day when the Camp Director needed to be away to take his wife to the doctor! Notice from the picture above, that there are bunk beds in the room. If one was not "sneaking" a "necessary" purchase, why then would they not be out in plain sight, like at the picnic tables in the common eating area? We have heard various "excuses" and finger-pointing stories related to this event when we actually "ran into team members" making this purchase on our way back from the doctor, "Amir made us go" (team leader, found here "holding the bag") or "I am addicted to this". From what I see, every member of the team is eating chicken! Yes, even "ailing" members of the team...that's Joey propped up against the door holding up a chicken leg!

All joking aside, they got a lot done yesterday before it rained here. As for me, I stay away from them as much as possible. They are all crazy and they make me laugh which hurts my incision, but why I love each one of them so very much!

It's Shoutin' Time

I keep looking over my shoulder for the "men in white suits"! Actually, I am not sure where the nearest mental institution is in the country, but probably most of my neighborhood by now thinks I need to be "admitted" to one, but then again, I am not alone because surely at least half of Bonnie L's neighborhood thinks she needs to be too! That's because I received my lymph node biopsy reports yesterday and there is no further cancer in my body! I do not need chemotherapy or radiation therapy! Let me tell you...it was Sum Shoutin' Time on the telephone between the lines connecting the L's household and the Dundon's in Costa Rica!!!

I was not scheduled to see the doctor until Thursday, but he worked me in yesterday because he did say that my nausea and dry heaves needed to be addressed with only being 15 days out of having major abdominal surgery. He's worried I could herniate the incision from the "heaving". What I also haven't written about on the blog is that I have been having excruciating (I am not using that word lightly) back and bone pain for the last week and a half. Some days it feels like my individual ribs in my back are on fire and it is extremely painful to breath! I wasn't sure what that was all about, and didn't want to scare anyone! I had been feeling really well when I got out of the hospital for the beginning to middle of last week, but the doctor was able to explain to me yesterday, that at the end of the week is when my estrogen level probably bottomed out which was to be expected considering the surgery I had, and the bone pain and nausea is from the drop of the estrogen to probably no readable amount of hormone left in my body! This is completely normal! So, here's a little excerpt of a conversation between me and my doctor yesterday.

Dr. P: "Just a minor detail I forgot to tell you with regard to the bone pain and the nausea...sorry! I was more focused on you being aware that you may become depressed, cry easily or become suicidal".
Sherri: "Suicidal? How about homicidal for you not telling me about this"? (We both busted out laughing in his office)!

So, I need to follow up with him in three months, have some repeat tests done looking for cancer and then from there I follow up with him every six months for the next two years, but at this time he feels that my prognosis is very good.

Thank you, first and foremost, to my Heavenly Father, who by Job wrote, "are you not willing to accept only the good things from the Lord and not the bad"? Again, You could have authored a different outcome. But, You chose not too. I want You to know, that anything that brings honor and glory to Your Name is worth going through knowing that your desire is to walk beside me in it! I thank you, even for this cancer, and the things that it has taught me about You, your characteristics and the areas in my life that do not mirror You. Thank you for loving me with a love that I cannot even comprehend!

To my family, my church family and friends, Thank you for being on your knees for our family daily! Thank you for the sacrifices that you make weekly for us to be able to serve here in Costa Rica in these economic times! Without Him, and without you, we could not possibly do what we do!

An evening of rest....again.

Joey is feeling better tonight, up out of his cabin after nearly 48 hours of sleep. He is running a fever, but is sitting at the picnic table outside his cabin. A physician here has been called and is counseling David on his care.

I am going to lie down. Again, another bout of the dry heaves. I eat and have nausea come over me and then develop the dry heaves which hurts really bad considering while my stitches are out, I am not completely healed on the inside! The other day it was midday. Tonight, it follows dinner.

So, please keep Joey and I in your prayers this evening! I will try and post an update tomorrow!

Orientation, planning and a prayer request

Last night we had dinner prepared for us at Isa's (the camp cook) home since the rental group was exiting the camp at around 6 p.m. Some of the group walked over to town, Orosi, to have ice-cream with Katherine & David and some stayed back with Ken to start building a fire in the fire pit. When the group from town returned David & Jason led the group with their guitars in worship around the campfire.

This morning we had breakfast with the team at 7 a.m. Funny, none of them seemed to overly excited to see us that early...hahahaha! From there, we moved chairs down to the river bank for Jason's devotional which was really encouraging and timely. Ken then did a short orientation about the campground and laid out the construction projects for the week ahead. Right now, the team has left to do a little shopping before church at 2:30 p.m.

Katherine & David, Ken & I and the kids were given gifts this morning by the team. There is something so humbling to be thought of in this very special way; from body sprays, to toy cars, to American CANDY (which of course is expensive here since it is imported). Thank you Dean Ferrell and Dean Brown for thinking of ALL of us! I know we were supposed to send you a Christmas list, but with the surgery, we just got behind and I apologize. Please know, we so appreciate your kindness and love extended to us and our family!

To Sandra Reep (Katie's Mom), Just know that when Katie presented me with the prayer shawl that you hand-knit for me that I was overcome with emotion! Thank you for the prayer for healing, but especially for your handwritten note in the side bar! I will never understand fully God's love this side of heaven. Can any of us really? That a person who has never met me would invest their time in this precious handmade gift. Thank you so much!! Thank you for sharing your amazing daughter with us here in Costa Rica. She is a blessing!

I have yet to see Joey! Please pray for him! He has been in bed since he arrived yesterday afternoon, not feeling well with an upper respiratory infection! He has been sleeping a lot which is good and I'm sure will benefit him. I don't know whose worse, Jordan hanging outside his cabin door waiting for a "Joey sighting", or me asking if he is up yet? Amir (the team leader) is probably ready to kill us both!

"De plane Boss, de plane"...Fantasy Island

The plane has landed safely. Our team from Palm Beach is reportedly on their way from San Jose to the camp, although we have been informed that they will be "delayed" in arriving as they have a "required" stop ! You guessed it Dean Ferrell and Dr. Brown - Pollos Crispy in Paraiso! How odd! Everyone sends us food from home, yet the Americans come and can't wait to eat chicken...here, in Costa Rica! I tell ya', these kids ain't right!

6 weeks, 3 teams...the marathon begins!

Today, Ken, Danielle and I are headed out to do the grocery shopping for the team from Palm Beach Atlantic that arrives tomorrow for a week-long, short-term construction team here at the camp. We were headed out the door, until David stopped by and told us that the rental group that is at the camp had broken off the shower handle in one of the cabin bathrooms, so Ken is trying to fix that now before we leave. This is pretty much how things go around here...hahaha! We've learned a lot about f-l-e-x-i-b-i-l-i-t-y since we've been here, that's for sure. This group will be working on extending a roof, the breezeway roof, between the camp kitchen and and the Celebration Center over a few feet, since whenever it rains it floods out the breezeway where we have picnic tables set up to feed the teams. They will also help us with some fencing projects. The campground is fenced in, but with the last robbery, we had a bit of damage done to the fence near the front gate, wires cut, fencing trampled, etc. This group is bringing back several people who came last year in May to do medical missions with us, so we are looking forward to seeing "friends" this week and spending time with them! Also, the boys are excited because "THE JOEY" is coming back! If he will let me, I will try and get a picture of Joey while he is here and post it to the blog. Not only does he resemble "THE LUKE COPELAND" in a lot of ways, his style of clothes, his facial features; but also his testimony. We wished that Brad could have stayed a couple more days to meet him! Anyways, Joey is the guy that last year when he left, Jordan went to a picnic table, put his head on his arms and bawled for about 15 minutes. It was heartbreaking! Well, Ken just came back in the door. So, off to PriceSmart to do some heavy duty grocery shopping for this team!