The last two weeks!

Here's a pictorial review of what we have been up to over the last two weeks!


Yesterday, we were asked to do some children's ministry teacher training in a church about an hour from the camp. Two churches in a small town invited us and we arrived at 8:30 a.m. The training began at 9 a.m. and lasted until 4 p.m. This is Kyle doing a demonstration of some gospel magic and explaining how to do a rope trick.

I did a session on Bible Storytelling and one on Bible verse memorization for kids and this is Heather demonstrating just one of the fun ways that we illustrated an important concept of "bridging" from different parts of a children's program i.e. from the main story right into the Bible memory verse.

Ken's parents just returned to the States on Thursday after being here for almost two weeks. In preparation for the children's ministry training, I have Carolyn, Ken's Mom, helping me trace felt squares which we then sewed into Wordless Books.

Yesterday, at the training, each teacher was given a wordless book of their own and after teaching it, we divided them into small groups for them to practice what they had learned.

Seems like a blur, but somewhere in between having family visit, getting ready for teacher training; I also did a few days of inventoring medicines for the upcoming clinic that we will be doing with a medical team coming for a week in May. After about three days of this, I decided I needed a break to spend some time with family, not to mention that I was nearly blind even with glasses on trying to squint to check expiration dates so that those meds that were expired could be disposed of.

Here's a picture of all the things that my in-laws brought to us from our home church, Hickory Grove, in Four Oaks, N.C. We had asked for donations for the "needy" church in which we did the teacher's training, however, so much was brought to us, that we were able to give some to our church here and we were also able to restock our children's ministry supply closet. Thank you SO MUCH Hickory Grove. We couldn't do this without you!

And with all the supplies came a need to tidy up the children's ministry closet so the supplies could be put away. With needing to inventory medicines, I enlisted the help of Ken's Mom, Carolyn, and Heather to organize the closet. Thanks Mom and Heather!

Thank You Hickory Grove Church/Grandma & Grandpa Dundon are here!

Grandma & Grandpa Dundon arrived safely on last Friday around noon.

We were more than overwhelmed with the ministry supplies that our home church (Hickory Grove Advent Christian Church, in Four Oaks, N.C.) sent down for a very needy church here. There was so much that we gave some of the items to our home church here, and they were so grateful to receive items that they cannot even buy here! We even still had enough to restock our children's ministry closet, that is after Grandma and Heather spent two days reorganizing it so there was enough space for items to be put away!

On last Sunday evening, we drove about an hour from here to go to the church that we knew needed the supplies for their evening service. I presented the Pastor with the supplies before the church service began. I imagine she wondered why I was hauling around a suitcase! To Hickory Grove she said toward the end of the service in front of her congregation, "Thank you so much to this church in the United States who cared so much about our church. We have been praying for a long time about our children's church program and the lack of supplies that we have. Tonight, through your church, our prayers were answered".

Now that's what it's all about! Thank you Hickory Grove. What you sent helped two churches and the campground ministry!

While Grandma & Grandpa have been here the kids have enjoyed showing them around the campground, introducing them to favorite fruits and foods to eat. The boys have been sleeping at the white house on the campground with them which reminds them of when we used to live in the States and they would get to spend the night at the Grandparents! I've already heard Kyle and Jordan comment to them that "time is going too fast" and "how they wish they could stay here with us". That's the kind of "low" side of being a missionary and having to watch your kids go through those growing pains of not having enough family around. We keep reminding them that in just about three months we will be home in N.C. again with so many people who are waiting to see them! By the way, while we are home in July, if you would like to have us come to your church, or you're an individual who would like to host a small group in your home to hear what we've been doing in Costa Rica and have your questions answered, we would love to hear from you at: sherri.dundon@yahoo.com. We would love to set up a date to do a missionary presentation in your church or home.

We've been enjoying the last couple of weekends off as Global Outreach recommended taht we close the camp from rental groups in the entire month of April. More details will come in another post about how you can be specifically praying for us! We have a lot of work coming in the next few months and are in need of your prayers!

"Small" Group is...

...getting "larger" Praise the Lord! This is the small group that began meeting in our house this past November, twice a month. It's a group of kids that attend the Youth Group of our church on Saturday nights; but the entire Youth Group is compromised of members from 4 small area towns. Each small town now has their own "small group" which also meets twice a month in a home, in addition to meeting with the large Youth Group every Saturday night. This picture is of the teens that meet at our house in our town, La Alegria, across the river from Orosi. It started in November with 5 kids and it has been growing ever since! Last night we had 17 attend. Heather and our Youth Pastor have planning meetings and have a strategy for the direction of each small group meeting held in our home, but last night it was outside in our garage because of the games they were playing. Before eating snack which we provide for them, they got into a circle to share individually something that they were thankful for and to pray! Please continue to pray for these teens, and for our Youth Pastor and Heather as they share the Word of God through these meetings!

Catching up...on sleep!

The team left on Saturday to return to the States and we slept in on Sunday morning; the first time in a very, very long time! Good thing our worship service here in Costa Rica isn't until 2:30 p.m. We finished up our Bible Study we were attending in Orosi on Sunday at noon. Tomorrow night is our last Orientation for the January team in Paraiso which is about a half hour from the camp. On Wednesday and Thursday I plan on making some Christmas cookies specifically for Friday night at our house when the Youth Group has their small group meeting here. Traditionally, the Costa Ricans exchange tamales at Christmas time. Most have never had Christmas cookies the way we make them in the States. So, this should be a fun cultural experience for them. Well, in the morning it's early to rise to do some much needed grocery shopping since we have been eating at the camp with the team most of all of last week! We are on the count-down for Danielle and Brad's arrival on Saturday night and funny as it is, even some of the Costa Ricans are counting the days down too to be able to see them again!

"Dia de Ninos" y "Dia de Independencia" - A week of Celebrations!

I think I mentioned last week that this past Tuesday was "Dia de Ninos" or "Children's Day". This is a big celebration here in Costa Rica. While the children do not have off from school; they do get to have a very special day in school with most all classrooms planning a special day of activities, like going on class field trips, playing games throughout the day, having class picnics with ice-cream. Most special is that they do not have to wear school uniforms on this day and are allowed to wear jeans or shorts for the day of activities!

This next week in Costa Rica we also celebrate "Dia de Independencia" or "Independence Day" and much like the 4th of July in the United States, it is a huge celebration. Everyone has the day off from work and school. There will be fireworks and parades all over the country!

Today in church we celebrated both holidays since this is the only Sunday in between both of these special days. Last year on the blog I posted some pictures of the Youth and Adult Youth Counselors in typical Costa Rican dress and dancing. The dance is very historic and cultural in nature. All of the children are taught how to do these very specific dances in school and they are done in church to honor their country. Below is a picture this year of only Youth Group dancers in typical Costa Rican dress. I guess they figured they didn't need the "old folks" to help them out this year! They did an awesome job!

While we do have a worship leader in our church, rarely do we have leaders in the front doing hand motions or dancing while singing, but because it is "Children's Day" special music is learned by members of the Youth Group and the Children's Ministry Director complete with movements and dance steps. Everyone is encouraged to move up front to participate in the music. As was said this morning, "it doesn't matter if you are an adult, we are all children in spirit".

Here's a very short video of the Youth Group leading some of this music and Jordan participating in one of his favorite celebrations here in Costa Rica! And of course, no celebration here in Costa Rica happens without a pinata. Immediately following the church service which included a very special sermon just for kids, there was a pinata to be broken, ice-cream cones, and every child received a decorated bag filled with candy, just to make the pinata all fair ;)