2010 Costa Rica Mission Trips (June 9-28) - Going The Distance Adventure Ministry

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2010 Costa Rica Mission Trips (June 9-28)

By Team GTD

Take a cyber mission trip with us as we journey to Guayabo, Costa Rica with 2 groups. Check back each day to see our progress and watch as God transforms lives!

more info about gtd's mission's program

Costa Rica Time

MEET THE GTD LEADERS
PRAY 4 OUR TEAM	Tessa	Erika	Laurie	Doug	David

MEET THE GTD SUMMER INTERNS
Stacey	Kathleen	Jessie	Nate C	Matt R	Matt H
Tori	Savannah	Zack	Raydale	Stephanie	Stephen

POST COMMENTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010

Day 1... Leaders & Interns Arrive!!

We have all arrived safely in Costa Rica!! Our flight was great and arrived right on time. We quickly met up with our 3 interns from Colorado as we were in the Customs & Imigrations line. After picking up our luggage we met up with Erika, Stacey, Jessie, & Kathleen just outside of the airport. Our translator Diego & bus driver Luis were ready to take us to Guayabo. Along the way we had a flat tire, but it was quickly fixed and away we went. We had a nice tico meal at a restaurant and eventually made it to the church in Fortuna where we will be staying in bunkhouses. We are getting a late dinner in town then heading back to the bunkhouses for a good night´s sleep. Thank you to all who are praying for us. We praise God for the amazing team we will be working with and all the blessings He has already opened up to us. More to come!!!

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010

Day 2...

Hola la everyone this is Jessie :) Myself, Erika, Kathleen and Stacey met up with the team last night just in time for some yummy dinner :p Followed by a meeting about what God has in store for each of us. We are all excited to see whats going to happen in the coming weeks and in which areas God is going to push us! We´ve already shared so many laughs together and we know God has hand picked each of us to be a part of the Costa Rica missions trip.

Hey its Savannah .....were all so excited to see the outcome of this trip.....we have an awesome group of people working together!.......i think my favorite part was walking back to Fortuna from Guayabo and we all got in this random rock fight haha it was the funniest thing ever!!!......and i cant wait to see all the other adventures we have in store !!!:)

Hey guys its Stephanie!! We are all having an amazing time here! To fill you all in, yesterday all the interns got together and we all decided to walk down to the corral, just to see what it looks like after about a year. Just from my experience it was amazing going back it felt like i was home again and tons of memories popped into my head. After that we took a walk around the property and then walked to Guayabo for lunch (which from Fortuna is about a 5 mile walk in about 90 degree weather) but the food we got was amazing as usual and the adventure really brought all of us together. We also got some one on one time with each other.

Hola mis amigos! Kathleen here! It has only been 3 days since we embarked on our journey through Costa Rica and just in this short amount of time, we have experienced God in so many ways! Last night was our first meeting altogether and we are already like a family. Throughout the meeting we were able to find out who each person was, their highlight of the day, why God has brought them to Costa Rica, and what we hope to get out of this trip. Different highlights came up such as, walking to the corral, going down to the river, rock fights, crabs popping tires, going down one way streets, and the list goes on. While those lightened the mood quite a bit, we were given the time to share why each of us is here. Different reasons like wanting to experience God on a more personal level, falling in love with the country, a life changing experience from last years internship, and never going on a missions trip before. We have been blessed with a group that is ready to ¨¨get uncomfortable for God¨¨ while having the time of our lives. Dios te bendiga y PURA VIDA!

Hola! Hey guys! It´s Tori, just wanted to say hi and mention a few things from the trip so far. First of all, it has been AWESOME getting to know all of the leaders and interns down here. God never ceases to amaze me with how He brings people together, and how He connects us all. It has been such a great blessing being down here, meeting new people, and getting to know the locals of Fotuna and Guayabo. God has continued to show us Himself throughout quite a few simple events, and we are so excited to see what comes next. Until next time, Faith. Love. Hope-the Costa Rica Team

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2010

Day 3...

Today the group has divided into teams to prepare for the week ahead. Menus are being planned, events and activities organized, groceries are being bought and work projects and carnival days are being brainstormed! Keep us all in your prayers and be sure to check back for updates. The team members appreciate your comments and are a great source of encouragement to all!

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010

Day 4...

Hey hey hey! Its Matt Hager. Everything is great here, except we lost Erica to a wild pack of dogs today, very sad. But yesterday we cleaned the corral and had tons of fun watching Erica kill a snake before we lost her. After a bunch of the guys went to go make plans for zip lining on Domingo and Thermo Mania on Martes. That night we had a team meeting and awesome worship! We are truly blessed to be in such a beautiful place!

Zack Burley now, having a great time in Fortuna! Today we will be setting up a volleyball net and welcoming the new team coming in tonight. Yesterday was a ton of fun, worked out in the lovely rain, did some bartering, and had a great devotion. The surroundings are so beautiful, I love the view of the volcano looming over us. Can´t wait for the team to arrive!

Hola Gringos its Nate Combs. I don't know where to begin but i guess ill start with the most important detail that everyone seems to be leaving out. The volcano has erupted and the whole entire towns been completely whiped out, we´ve picked up a couple children that we will be bringing home with us they´re cute kids and will be evenly distributed to the families of the group member coming down later. On a lighter note we found Erica in a ditch completely safe away from the killer dogs that got her earlier, She´s been in shock for the past couple hours but I think she´ll be ok. Its been a lot of fun so far we´ve been negotiating deals for the group activities for the groups coming down. We´ve also been cleaning out the corral and pretty much we´ve been just doing a lot of prep for the later groups. Its been an amazing spiritual experience and all the interns pretty much feel like family, its definitely starting off to a good start and i'm pretty sure this will be one of the best experiences of a life time. (By the way, we´re kidding about Erika and the volcano!) BUT...we´re serious about the children.

Just kidding again...can you see now why we´re having so much fun?!

SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010

Day 5...

Hola Family and Friends! This is a short note to let you know that everyone is doing great and we had a wonderful day full of activities! It was our first full day together as a team. Yesterday Mark Routman, Matt Tilka, Matt Foreman, Tessa and David Ashe joined us here in Costa Rica!
We attended church with the locals here in Fortuna and were touched by their worship service. It was high energy, with people singing and dancing and others on their knees praising God! We were fortunate to have our translator Deigo with us who translated the message out of 1 Peter.

This afternoon the team went zip lining through the canopy rain forest. We saw a toocan, a monkey and incredible scenery.

The team is excited to start work tomorrow on the Mission Outreach Center. We will be posting some photos and more updates soon.

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010

Day 6...

Hola chicas! This is Stephanie, today I was the coordinator of the day. The coordinator of the day is a new idea that GTD wanted to try out. The job goes to one of the interns each day and they control how the day plans out, including making sure everything happens at the right time, and people get where they need to be. It is a hard job but it shows you what it takes to run a ministry like GTD, and helps you learn leadership skills. Anyways today we got up bright and early to do devos. I got to pick out the verse of the day and I chose Matthew 18:21-35 the parable of the unmerciful servant, the verse talked about forgiveness just as God has forgiven us. After devos we ate breakfast very rapido and left for the corral. Once we got there we took a tour of the property and met up with the team with Banyan Resources. After we shook hands and greeted them with our open hearts, we began construction on the first building. Our team collected TONS of rocks for drainage, cleared land, and laid the concrete for the floor of the first building. The whole day went amazing, minus Jessi falling in a well. But we managed to get her out alive, well kinda. After we traveled back to the camp and all got ready for dinner and our impact point (Bible Lesson)!! This is Stephanie Annette Mitchell signing off.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010

Day 7...

Hola :) Woke up early today to start working at Arbol de Vida. Its an awesome feeling to be a servant of God, and have such amazing scenery to look at. Devotions today were in Philippians 4 led by Matt Roland. It was about learning to be content with what you have, and praising God even in the storms. Thank you everyone for praying for each of us. God is awesome!!! - Jessie :)

Hola! it's Stephanie! Today we continue to work on construction on the new property. We are continuing to collect tons of rocks and build the foundation of the first building. It is a lot of hard work but its worth it, because tonight we get a night out at Thermo Mania! It is sort of like a water park but the water is naturally heated by the volcano, so its nice and warm. We are all very excited to be going and to get a well needed break from the work. Well that's all I have for today! Pura Vida!!

Que Pasa!!! it's Matt R. (el jefe), and Steve. We're sitting here taking a break in Juan's garage looking at what all we've done. Lots of work. We dug a septic trench about 8 feet long and 4 feet deep....reminds of Nam. Only took us around 4 hours. We completely moved a huge pile of dirt and rock. We hired a truck for 20 dollars to carry about 1 to 2 tons of rocks and boulders to fill the septic tank. Other than all of the work we've done tonight we get to go to Thermo Mania!!! basically the coolest place on Earth....next to fighting in Berma. As today's dictator, me Matt Roland, have had to terminate a few unsatisfied team members including Erika. Erika died again. This time she died because she would not clean the toilets when I demanded. Besides that everything is dandy, Steve and I are the coolest....because that's what the cool kids are saying. God Bless, and you stay classy San Diego!!! Pura Vida! (ps. just kidding about Erika) lol

Hey guys! Tori here :0) I just sat down to take a small break from about 4 hours of work... We have been lifting rocks this entire morning, encouraging each other, and praying on the property--remembering what we came here for. It has been so cool getting to work with everybody today. Each person brings a different aspect of work ethic to to work days and somehow, we all seem to stay encouraged and positive. Even when someone gets tired, there is always another person there by their side. It's been a gorgeous day too!! Beautiful scenery, we also got some nice cloud coverage (which hid us away from the blistering sun for a while) and God decided to bring us a little bit of a cool breeze, along with some fantastic pastries from Musmanni :D It's amazing how even the simplest of things that God gives us can completely change our attitude-just feel that warm breeze today! Now its time for lunch, and then were off for 2 more hours of construction work today!! Woo woo!!!! Until next time,
Faith. Love. Hope :0)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010

Day 8...

Hola mis amigos! Kathleen here! I hope everything is going well up there in the good ole´ US of A. Costa Rica has blessed us throughout our first week with wonderful people, awesome food, RAIN and of course our super fantastic (and amazing) translator Diego! As you know, Monday and Tuesday were construction days where we saw God work in some HUGE ways. Today, we spent most of the morning working on painting the Fortuna church and setting up the Carnival day for all the children in Fortuna. 4 pm rolled around very quickly and we were beyond blessed to have around 60 to 70 kids come out and play! The best part, in my opinion, was our awesome skit about David and Goliath in which Zack Burley played Goliath, Stephanie was David and Matt Tilka played the part of the infamous King Saul (and Stacey fed him grapes). All in all, it was a truly successful day. God has given us so many incredible opportunities thus far and I know we will be given many more in the next few days. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue on this journey in which we will go the distance to further HIS kingdom. (That plug is for you Dougy Fresh!) TUANIS y PURA VIDA!

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010

Day 9...

QUICK UPDATE: Everything is going GREAT!!! We have been on the go nonstop and haven't had access to the internet during our few breaks. Everyone is safe & God is doing a great work in & through the group. MORE INFO COMING ASAP!!

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010

Day 10...

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2010

Day 11...

The first team of 8 people have departed Costa Rica safely. Skycrest Baptist youth group's flight has arrived safely to the CR airport. The Skycrest team is currently in transit to the church in Fortuna (just outside of Guayabo) and should be here around 5pm. MORE INFO COMING ASAP!!

SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2010

Day 12...

Happy Fathers Day or as the Costa Ricans say, Feliz Diaz De Padre!!! This morning we attended church in Fortuna where we are staying. Both Paul and Mike were honored with all the other Fathers in the church for being dad´s. They received cards from the children and the people of the church prayed for the them and provided a lunch for alll the Father´s and their families!
After church the team headed out into the community to hand out fliers for Wednesday afternoon´s VBS. Then, just as it started to rain the team headed off to the zip lines for an afternoon of flying through the canopy rain forest! We hope they were able to stay somewhat dry! Then again, it´s all part of the adventure!
Tomorrow will be the teams first work day! Be sure to check back for updates!

Thanks for the encouragement and prayers!

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2010

Day 13...

Hola everyone this is Brittany! Yesterday we went to church and had an awesome time doing praise and worship with the locals even though we had a language barrier we could understand their love for Jesus Christ. They were so passionate about there faith and I didn’t even have to say one word to them to realize it. After service we walked around and handed out flyers to the local children. Then we came back and got dressed for zip lining. It was POURING down rain, but it was way worth the hike to see the beautiful views. We were all cold but we had to take freezing cold showers which was sooo grrreeaattt! Then we played a game we learned from the local boys called asitron, a cup passing game. And then we went to sleep! Today we had devotionals and we got ready to go to the corral to do work. It was awesome seeing everyone pitching in and doing work together as a team. Right now were eating lunch and then going out back to the field to do more work! We are mixing cement and building walls. And then after we are going to a water fall to swim and cool off. Every thing is soo beautiful here none of us want to leave. Okay well Gillian wants to get on so goodbye!

Hey it’s Gillian! Traveling here was ok, no BIG problems. Oh my goodness it is soo beautiful here, the volcanoes, the clouds and the cows are really cute too, I’m going to pet one in a little bit. Anyway, yesterday as Brittany said we went to church and it was really fun talking with the locals, I use my Spanish skills very well here, I am so glad I took classes. Then we went zip lining. What an experience let me tell you! It was pouring, we had to hike, I was soaked and freezing, but it was still so fun. I went upside down and I wish I could go again when I’m not shaking all over the place. The people are so nice. It is incredible. We spent most of last night playing a cup game with three of the local boys. I am so proud because I am actually some what good at it! I got in like third place or which makes me really happy because I am so bad at all the other games we play here. We started working today and have made pretty good progress already. I am really dirty, but its fun working with the cement. Well I miss everyone back home and I will see you soon and I am having so much fun here! I can’t wait to tell you about it! Bye!!!

Love Gillian

To Mike, Anna and Evie: Mom and Jack love and miss you!!! J

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2010

Day 14...

Hey its Mick and Savannah,yesterday after working hard we went to this amazingly beautiful waterfall ,after swimming and hanging out there for a while we were on our way home and drove across two incredibly bright and colorful rainbows!!!….Along with a gorgeous sun set……today we woke up early and had another successful work day….and from there were going to Thermo Mania …YAY!!!!!!!J

Hola! This is Karri. God is truly blessing this group as we use our hands and feet for Him. In addition to what Mick and Savannah described above, we have had the unique opportunity to share with the community around us and participate in great social activities during our stay at the church. There has not been a day that God has blessed us with rain (sometimes I think a little too much). We are having a great time, the group has bonded very well and are looking ahead with anticipation to our community day (VBS) tomorrow afternoon. We miss everyone and send our love.

A reminder of God's promise! It was one of the most beautiful rainbows!

Unexpected Project!

LOL! The van got stuck in the mud Tuesday afternoon after lunch! Doug thought it would be a great idea to do some team building! LOL! Just kidding, but the van really did get stuck....SUPER STUCK! I´ve never seen a vehicle so stuck in all my life! After about 3 hours of trying to dig it out, Pastor Danilo and a man from his congregation who we like to call El¨Heffe (Bos) arrived with a chain and a wench and within minutes the van was free! Praise God for the help and for holding off the rain! -Laurie

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2010

Day 15...

Hey everyone! This is Stephanie! Today is our carnival day and we are all getting ready for it. This morning we had some small projects around the church, like building a path way in the back for the soon to be baptism area and also washing our lovely van. While some people helped with the baptism area and the van, others helped get ready for the carnival by making bracelets for the kids. All together we are having a pretty fun and we can’t wait for the carnival!

Baptismal Area

You can see from the photo in the bottom right hand corner that it is directly behind the church! It´s a beautiful setting for a baptism.

Carnival Day
Over 100 children showed up! It was a blessing and more than we expected!
God is moving in big ways in the community of Fortuna!

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010

Day 16...

Hola Everyone! It’s Matt Roland. First off I want to say how awesome yesterday was. We had a workday at the church and we got a lot accomplished. We built a baptismal area down in a little creek on the church property. It turned out to be great. We also had our carnival day, which we had a huge turn out. We had nearly twice as many kids there compared to last week. Today is our last workday here in CR! We are finishing up working on the new building…it has come a long way in two weeks. Make sure to check out the pictures. By the way Erika died again. This time she thought it would be funny to try and ride a cow. She almost got on one but the cow happened to actually be a bull. It charged her and killed her. We are all grieving over the loss of our good friend Erika, but we should manage fine without her. See everyone in a few days!!!

Hey guys! It’s Tori, sitting here at the Corral in Costa Rica! We just got halfway done with our last workday here on the property. It has been a long, hard, working day with more cement, more cement, and more cement! God has given us a beautiful day today-it was a bit cloudy earlier and now He decided to send us the sun for our last hours of hard, strenuous, back killing, blood sweating labor. It has been an amazing last few days here, and it has been awesome getting to know the Skycrest group (for those of us that had never met you all before!). Please keep praying for our last few days here, prayer is always appreciated! I know we will all be excited to see you guys when we get back home :0) We are looking forward to the next few days, and as always, are curious to see what God will bring us here on our GTD adventure trip!

Faith. Love. Hope,

All of us here in Costa Rica

P.S. Matt Roland decided to follow in Erika’s footsteps to try and ride a cow…needless to say that it did not end very well….

Costa Rica Sunset, Photo By Laurie

Costa Rica Sky, By Kathleen

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010

Day 17...

The team will be traveling all day to Tamarindo today (beach). We may not be able to update the blog before we leave. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers. We miss our families and look forward to sharing with you our experiences here in Costa Rica.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2010

Day 18...

The Skycrest team along with Doug, Laurie and Raydale were all up at 5 a.m. today to drive to the San Jose airport! We had a brief stop at Musmani's (a local pastry shop, like Panera) for breakfast and continued our journey. The team arrived safely back in Florida around 6:30 p.m..
Erika and the GTD interns stayed in Costa Rica for another day and traveled back to the beach for a bit more adventure! They will be flying home on Monday.

While many of the participants were happy to return home, we all wish we could spend just a little more time in Costa Rica with our new friends and family. Departing is always a bittersweet, but we look forward to all that God will continue to do in the year to come. Please continue to pray for the people of Costa Rica, for Pastor Danillo, his family, the Fortuna Church and the Banyan Project.
Thank you for all for reading along and making us a part of your day. We have loved being able to share with you all that God has been doing in and through us each day.
We deeply appreciate all the notes of encouragement, it was touching to know our family and friends back home were thinking about and praying for us all.
Pura Vida!

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010

Day 19...

Beach day for Erika and the Interns.

MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2010

Day 20...

Erika and the Interns left early this morning and are heading to the airport. We talked to them a little bit ago and everyone is doing well.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Costa Rica (Country Code: 011) (*CR now added an "8" to cell phones & a "2" to land lines)

011-506-8928-7618 (Our translator - Diego)

011-506-2673-1334 (House phone - Juan & Aricelly) [if you don't speak Spanish ask for Erika]

Skype: erika6980 | Skype: juan.rafael.alvarez.sibaja

United States (Country Code: 001 when dialing to US from outside of US)

1-888-697-2479 (GTD Main Office- Toll Free)

727-394-9483 (GTD Main Office - local call within Tampa Bay area)

727-692-0250 (GTD On Call cell phone)

Skype: gtdthrive1

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR NAME

ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENTS BELOW

Visitor Comments (49)

Mick Final

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 25, 2010

Hey Son,
Anna and I are on the way to Alabama so we will not be there tonight when you get home! Sorry!

We are so excited that you are on the way home! Time went by, not too fast!

Remember, that according to His Word the end of something is better than its beginning! It is hard to understand but it is true, especially when you finish well!

We cannot wait to hear all about it!

Love you,
Dad and Anna, sitting in an airport!

To Mick:

Posted By JEANHAYNES56 on June 25, 2010

Mick, I have been following your trip and the e-mails. I am so impressed with the notes from your dad . I know you are blessed by the encouragement and wisdom he gives you. Papa and I are getting back to our normal life after the wonderful week with our family.
We indeed are praying for you and your team. I loved the rainbow and baptismal area
Take care of yourself and the children. I love you, Gigi

Hello Skycrest Team!

Posted By LINDAPERRY on June 25, 2010

Hey guys...it has been great reading your comments and seeing the impact you are all making in Costa Rica! We are praying for safe travels home and anxious to hear even more!
Blessings from all of us here at Skycrest and see you soon!
Love,
Linda, Steven, Shay and Spencer Perry

Words of advice for Gillian

Posted By ILUVIKEA on June 24, 2010

Stay away from the cow; you know how sometimes beef doesn't agree with you very well. Do not attempt to run with the bulls like they do in Spain. Don't make your first attempt at being a rodeo clown. We want you home in one piece, and with your two front teeth intact. Glad to know you all are still alive and well. We were worried after a couple of days without updates. Figured maybe you were Zip-locking baggies again or had your feet become entrenched in drying cement. Take care. See you soon.

Love,
Dad, Wendy, Jenna and Licky the Wonderdog.

Hello to Paul

Posted By HEATHERW on June 24, 2010

Greetings from the Williamson family here in Clearwater. We miss you very much Paul and can't wait to see you on Saturday.

Message from the kids...

Gavin "I love you. Got to go to the Rays game and see batting practice with Jackson, Grant and Nick yesterday. It was fun. England got in the top sixteen!"

Megan "I love you and I really miss you. You are still so handsome."

Riley "I want to have happy daddy day."

We all love and miss you very much. Looks like you guys are having another fabulous week! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Mick, It's Six

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 24, 2010

Good Afternoon Mick!

Yep, it's afternoon! I just arrived home from Candidate Orientation with CrossWorld. Everyone was asking about you and your mission project.

You guys must really be busy! No one has written a report for Wednesday! See, we are trying to keep up! HA!

Anna and I are flying to Alabama tomorrow and will be home on Monday for your Birthday. :)

We all hope everything is going well. Remember, that we love and we go because He first loved us and He came!

We love you Mick!
Dad, Mom and Anna

Hey Bubby, This is Anna your sister. R u having fun? I am missing u. R u missing me? I love u too!Love, Anna ttyl

Hi Nancy, Jack, Mick, Gillian and Skycrest Group

Posted By BEVERLY on June 23, 2010

I pray you are all safe and having a wonderful God experience as you minister to others. You are missed at Skycrest and many people are praying for you daily. Your pictures are great and I am happy to learn you are all such great builders! Can't wait to hear your stories and see your pictures. Have fun while building and gathering many blessings.
Beverly Dormois

Cinco Mick

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 23, 2010

Good Day Son!

I am not sure which is more beautiful, the wall you guys are building or the rainbow that our Father made for you to enjoy! Both are awesome and both bring much glory to God! Both have the purpose of pointing people to God and both were provided by Him!

It looks like everyone is enjoying the hard work and in need of the refreshing waters to cool off!

Our prayers are with you and the team. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our strong tower, and rest in His love, the refreshing waters of our soul.

We are watching the World Cup at CO! I wish you were here to join us.
Love you dearly!!!

Mark

Kathleen

Posted By MICJOY on June 23, 2010

Hi Leanie,
I'm so amazed to see all the work you guys are doing down there. It's pretty awesome! We can't wait for you to get home even though I know you will be leaving your heart in Costa Rica.
I love you and miss you tons!!!!!
Mom

Mike, Karri, and Christian(Chris)

Posted By GERALYN CARR on June 23, 2010

Hello, This is Aunt Gerri. We are happy to see that you are doing well and able to minister in a beautiful country. Make memories and enjoy your time of ministry and renewal in C.R. God bless you with endurance, safety and His love. You are loved! Aunt "G"

Nancy and Jack

Posted By KATGERMAN on June 22, 2010

I am praying that this trip is a real blessing to you both. I love and miss you. Take care and I will be checking on you guys later.
Love Kathy

Hi Kyle.

Posted By MARYTANNER on June 22, 2010

I didn't wanna look crazy and leave another comment, but plenty of other people have gotten more than one, so you can too! I am missing you bad, just throwing myself into working ridiculous hours to stay busy. I hope you're still having a wonderful time and are really hearing God speak to you this week as you get a chance to take a step back and disconnect from how hectic things are here. Still praying for you daily/nightly, although I will say that 'goodnight prayers' are not the same when it's just me by myself! :) I have HUGE news to tell you about the car thing. You will freak out. It's wonderful! Can't wait to see you on Saturday night! Love you the most.

Yo YO!!!Safe arrival in the US

Posted By UKTESSWARD on June 22, 2010

Hey team, this is Tessa. I made it safely to San Jose, then again to Ft. Lauderdale, where I am typing this . I know you all are enjjoying yourselves at Thermo Mania as I type this and I am very envious of a nice soothing volcanicly heated water massaging your sore bodies from all the hard work youve been putting in. Guess a hot bath at home tonight will have to suffice. grins. I love you all and hope God continues to amaze you each and every day. dont forget the 4 phases while youre on a trip.. honeymoon, humor, hate, then home... it helps when things start to get a little old to be reminded that we all process things at different speeds. The staff and interns can explain... grins. Keep looking for rainbows, God wants to show us all His promises, not just once a day!!

Blessings till we meet again!
Tessa

Mick Silvers

Posted By HAYNESDOC on June 22, 2010

Mick, Gigi and I are praying for you and the other members of the mission trip. May God bless you richly and provide for and protect you.
Much love,
Papa

Hi Jessica!

Posted By CBUTLER on June 22, 2010

Hi Jessica, I can't believe you are there! It seems that we were just talking about it, and trying to raise the funds. God is great and has been faithful to allow this opportunity. Hope you're having a great time, keep working on that Spanish. Miss you lots; hope you're doing alright. Hoping to see some pics on the web(with you in the picture)....can't wait to hear all about it!! Love you, Mom & Dad

4 for you Mick

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 22, 2010

Good Morning Son!

I trust you have been able to dry off! Ziplining in the rain, in the rain forest, sounds fun. I am also excited that you will be able to help us lay blocks and mix cement! May be you can help build us a house in Kansas City!

As the days pass by I am sure that more and more challenges lay ahead! Just remember the importance of being a servant to both your team and the nationals! Christ himself said that He came not be to be served but to serve. He also said that whoever would be great in His Kingdom would be a servant of all. Yep, of all, it is sometimes not easy to serve those who rub us the wrong way? But these are the times that force us to die to self and allow His Spirit to change us.

Mick, I am so excited that you have this opportunity to live out your faith! You are so awesome! I cannot wait to hear all that God has done in your life and through your life.

We are all doing well. Anna and Mom are back home and I am at CO in the Traber Center. Your CrossWorld family is praying for you!

Love,
Dad

Hi to Gillian #2

Posted By LESLEYSHAW on June 21, 2010

Yo G. I hope ur having fun in Costa Rica. I saw some action just like you did on your ziplining trip cuz we saw Karate Kid on Saturday and there was a lot of kung fu in it. You need to come see it with us again so you can do better on the Wii Fit Kung Fu!
Love,
Jenna

Hey babe,
It was exciting to see some pix on the blog from the church in Fortuna and your construction project. The countryside looks gorgeous. God does exceptionally good work, huh? I don't know what in the world Nate was trying to eat in that one photo (some kind of frog lizard?) but that thing is disgusting! Hopefully it wasn't something Doug planned to fry up for dinner.
It also was exciting to "hear" from you via your email. Sorry you ended up going shiver-lining instead of zip-lining, but it still sounds like you had a good time. Tell everyone they are in our prayers -- especially for the carnival.
Love you muchly,
Mom :0)

Missing our group!

Posted By SALFIN on June 21, 2010

Just a couple more things:

1 - We've been going through "Rice and Beans withdrawl". Good stuff!

2 - Tessa - Did you warn the new team about the frog in the toilet?

Take care everyone,
Love, Sue and Paul

Missing our group!

Posted By SALFIN on June 21, 2010

We're back home in Syracuse, NY.
We both want to tell those of you who left for home with us as well as the team that stayed behind, you're the most amazing group of young adults we have ever met and we miss you all dearly. Each one of you touched our lives in your own unique way and we'll remember that forever. We hope to see you again someday on another GTD trip and hope to go back to Costa Rica to see the results of everyone's work.
We all worked so hard together and had loads of fun as well. Through all of you we have both become closer to GOD and truly feel that we made a positive impact in the lives of the wonderful people of Costa Rica. Thank You all for sharing your faith with us and encouraging us through the week. This was the trip of a lifetime for us and although our original intention was to spend some quality time with Laurie and see first hand what a GTD mission trip was like, it ended up being so much more rewarding than we ever thought possible. This has truly been a life changing experience and we would highly recommend it to others. We hope you're all doing well. GOD Bless you all and may he keep you safe. Love you all!

PS - Laurie, we are so proud of you and all the great work you are doing with Doug and the GTD teams. We're so glad we shared this incredible experience with you. We love you soooo much!!!

No freezing here in Florida

Posted By ILUVIKEA on June 21, 2010

Gillian and gang:

We are glad to hear (and see visual evidence) that you are indeed alive and well in Costa Rica. Ziplining sounds like a lot of fun, does it involve Zip-loc bags or something? That is cool you are able to use your 13 years of Spanish down there. Make sure you throw out a "Donde esta el bano?" or "arroz con pollo'' a couple of times on my behalf. As for working with cement, we are thinking about expanding our driveway when you get back and letting you and your crew be the workers. Take care of yourself and be safe. We miss you. Oh, and by the way, Jenna moved all of her stuff into your room last evening after Father's Day dinner. She said that was cool with you. Let us know if that is not the case.

Love, Dad, Wendy and the always-popularly named Licky

Mick: Take Three

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 21, 2010

Good morning son!

I trust you are taking care of yourself, getting the rest that you need, watching your fluid intake, and enjoying the journey!

Just wanted to encourage you to remember to listen for our Master's voice throughout the day! As sheep we are in need of the Shepherds instructions to avoid danger and to be effective. For without Him you can do nothing.

As an MK you understand that missionary life must be about three things: Listening, hearing, and obeying the voice of God. John in his writings reminded us of the words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

Mick, if you will take time each day to listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd and then obey that voice you will be used greatly for the His glory! Remember the "why" of your being there; you are His hands and His feet to both your team mates and the Costa Ricans.

The CrossWorld staff prayed for you today. Our prayer was simply what I have been sharing today, be a good sheep and obey.

Son, I love you dearly! I am so proud of you and your ministry!

Praying,
Dad

good works

Posted By MICJOY on June 21, 2010

hi leane sorry i missed your call thanks for the message you r awesome. love you and miss you.

An update from Home

Posted By SEVENTHGUEST on June 20, 2010

Hello Readers, this is David. I arrived safely home Saturday night, along with Marc Routman and Matt Foreman. We parted ways in the airport with Jessi and Stacy Smith, who were picked up by friends, and Sue and Paul (lastname...? sorry, brainfart), who were awesome enough to invite Matt Tilka to stay the night with them, since they all had early sunday morning flights.

Being back is slightly surreal, but talking with people about the mission trip seems to be exciting people about the future, as well as bringing up stories from the past that I had not expected! I went to church with my father-in-law, and all his friends started talking about their own mission experiences. Even at swing dance team practice, I found out that several people I know have done lots of volunteer and mission work in the past...and would love to join us in the future!

Well, back to work! I have to have Tessa's bags all ready when she gets back Tuesday night, because she leaves for a friend's wedding in Denver on Wednesday morning. That's what good husbands are for...doing laundry! [laughs]

Yo Mick!

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 20, 2010

Hi Son!
It is Fathers Day and I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving you to me! You are the most awesome son!

It the final goal in mind each day as you serve Him. Rev. 7:9

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

You are taking part in one of the greatest adventures of life...helping fulfill the great commission!

I hope you had a great day today. I was praying for you as I flew to Philly!

We love you! Daddy, Mom and Anna!

happy father's day(mad mike)and hi to mom and chris

Posted By MADMIKE on June 20, 2010

HI DADDY,
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY ... I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU GUYS. ARNIE MISS YOU TOO. I WENT TO CHURCH WITH GRAMMY, POPPY,AND LISA. AUNT KATIE ,EMILY,MATT ,JOE,TORI,AND UNCLE DANNY SAYS HI AND WANT YOU THREE TO STAY SAFE. YESTERDAY I CRIED BECAUSE I WANTED YOU GUY TO BE HOME. I LOVE GUYS ALOT(EVEN CHRISTIAN).I WISH YOU COULD BE TO SAY GOOD BYE TO ME WHEN I GO TO CAMP BUT YOU WON'T. IT'S HARD TO NOT HAVE YOU GUY HERE WHEN I COME BACK,AND I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU WHEN YOU COME BACK. GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE WAS NO MAIL YESTERDAY. IN OTHER NEWS WE GOT THE EVERY THING FROM THE HOUSE. WE WILL BE WATCHING JONAS L.A..... I LOVE YOU ALL(YES AND EVEN CHRISTIAN TOO). SAY HI TO MOOM FOR ME. I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET HOME.
LOVE YOUR DARLING DAUGHTER,
KRISTA

Hi Gillian

Posted By LESLEYSHAW on June 20, 2010

Hey babe,
So glad to hear you all had a great flight and arrived safely in Fortuna last night. I have been praying for you and the team this morning, knowing God has prepared great things for you to share about Him and learn from Him yourselves this week. So was ziplining a blast today? Can't wait to hear all the details! Grandma, Lori, Kyle, Lynn and Patti send their love (we had dinner with them last night). Did you guys hear about what happened to Mitch on the drive back from Orlando? Bugs were spewing out of the air conditioning vents in the shuttle bus! I'll check in with you tomorrow.
All my love,
Mom :0)

Hi Gillian,
I wonder why it's been so quiet in the house. Hope you're having fun.
Love,
Jenna

Hi Guy!

Posted By MARYTANNER on June 19, 2010

Hi Kyle- Kim called me tonight to let me know that you had a GREAT time on the plane! So proud of you for not throwing up! Praying for a wonderful, life-changing week for you, my love! Can't wait to hear about it when you're home. Don't forget my presents! ;) Haha. Love you. -Mary

Greetings Gillian and the rest of the Pinellas peeps

Posted By ILUVIKEA on June 19, 2010

Glad to hear you made it safely and soundly after an hours-long journey. We are taking Grandpa to breakfast tomorrow for Father's Day if you want to drop by and join us. Pancakes at Honeymoon Island. Not sure if they have pancakes in Costa Rica, but let us know and if not, we will ship some your way. Take care and be safe, and drop us a text from time to time. (not!) Alex says hi. He was over here tonight with us watching NBA reruns of Lakers-Celtics from 1984. Scintillating stuff. Get some good rest and then do lots of good stuff tomorrow. We'll be thinking of you.

Love,
Dad, Wendy and Licky (yes, Gillian has a dog named Licky. Weird, huh?)

We love you, Nancy and Jack!

Posted By MGSCHULTE on June 19, 2010

Hi Mom and jack this is anna.I miss you and I just want to say goodnight love ya!
dere mommy and jack i rilleay miss you this is evie i just got new silly bands.
I hope you both had a good trip. Enjoy your service. I miss you both and love you very much. Anna, Evelyn, and I will be going to Weekie Wachee on Monday - Dad.

This Ones 4 You Mick!

Posted By MARKCHERYLS@GMAIL.COM on June 19, 2010

Mick,

Mom, Anna, and I are praying for you and the team!! We are so excited about what God has planned for you during your time there!

Remember, that God has a plan that might not line up with the plans the team has; so be flexible!

Make sure you spend time with your heavenly Father each day to get your marching orders! Be sure to walk in His Spirit,being filled with the Spirit each moment.

I love you SO much my son!
Dad
Matthew 9:38

Savannah

Posted By PRESLEIGHGIRL on June 18, 2010

Savannah, this is the first chance I've had to get on the computer, and I loved reading about all of ya'lls adventures. I think about you alot and I miss you tons. I've been praying for you and the team, and I know that God is using this time to impact others and to mature you. Reading about the work you are doing reminds me of the hard work we did in Honduras when I was in high school. And oh, how I remember the walking! I can't wait to see you and to hear first hand all of your stories and what you've learned. I love you to the moon and back, Mom.

Stephanie!

Posted By GILLIANSHAW on June 18, 2010

Ahh I am coming TOMORROW! Me and Jess will have to be plane buddies, hopefully I wont kill her. Ohgoodness, I cant wait!!! See you tomorrow:)

Kathleen

Posted By MICJOY on June 18, 2010

Hey Leanie!
We're home from our vacation. We loved reading everyones updates. God is doing some amazing things down there. Dad said he really whats to go next year. We need to make that happen.
Hope your toe is better and tell the boys to leave Erika alone! Stay away from Nate! He has a rash and didn't bring his cream with him! LOL!
Love you sweet girl and miss you tons!
Mom and Dad

Savannah Banana! :)

Posted By HLARA on June 17, 2010

Hey Savannah,
Just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you and the rest of the team! I know you guys are having a blast! Remember the reason you are there and let Christ's love shine through you! Can't wait to hear all about the trip and see pictures!

I love you,
Aunt Hannah

Hey Nate

Posted By KLHCOMBS@AOL.COM on June 17, 2010

Hey Nate...it's mom. Ben wrote something about a rash--did you bring your ointment?? I tried to warn you! :) Just kidding!
I've enjoyed reading the blogs and we all miss you like crazy. You will need to post some pictures so we can see the progress there with you. I'm so proud of you and of the whole team!
God can speak to us anywhere, but sometimes when we are in our not-so-usual environment we listen a little better. That's what I'm praying for you: that as you serve Him you will hear from Him in a clearer way than you ever have before. I can't wait to hear what God has spoken to you about through these weeks!
Please keep Erica safe...sounds like she's had a rough go of it with the dogs and all and if you do anything dangerous wear a helmet and take pictures! :) Love you and your new extended CR family!!!!

hey to all of you in Costa Rica

Posted By STACEJESS on June 16, 2010

This is Stacey and Jessie mom. I was so happy to read that Jessie survived her fall from the well. God has been so wonderful, he has been giving me new scriptures to pray for all of you every day. For all of you to see His glory. Girls can't wait to hear what the Lord has revealed to you. Miss you both. Love Dad and Mom ( Al&Terri)

For my sweet niece Savannah!

Posted By LORIBETH_11 on June 16, 2010

Savannah- mi sobrina tan preciosa
I just wanted to tell you that I love you dearly and am so proud of the work you are doing. It sounds like you all are having an amazing time there! Work hard, keep up that smile, and show your bubbly personality. It's only been a couple of days and just think how much God has in store for you! Love you tons! Pura vida y te quiero mucho!

hey skycrest interns!!!

Posted By MSILVERS on June 15, 2010

hey guys i have been reading about your days in Costa Rica.....I really wish i was already there interning with you. keep up the good work,and remember the main reason you are there! I will see on the 19th.

Skycrest Team

Posted By BENANDSHANEL on June 15, 2010

I'm so proud of you guys and can't wait to hear first hand how your trip went. You are learning valuable leadership lessons that will guide you the rest of your life. I've been praying for you all daily. Keep posting!

Love you guys,
Ben and Shanel

PS. Nate, how's your rash doing?

Hi from Mad Mike and Karri to our kids (Matt, Matt, Nate, Stephanie and Savannah)

Posted By MADMIKE on June 14, 2010

I have enjoyed reading what you are experiencing so far. As I was reading my excitement started to become overwhelming for when we will get our chance to be there. Everyone is ready to come. You are missed and we have been praying for you every day. Send encouraging comments to Kyle. He is still a little nervous about going ( I think he will be just fine). God bless and see you on Saturday night.

In Him,
Karri

Hi, Nate, Matt and Matt!

Posted By NATESGRANDMA on June 13, 2010

i thought missionary work was supposed to to be hard and tedious. you guys are having waaay too much fun! many prayers for fruitful ministry and changed lives.

You are so awesome!!!!

Posted By MICJOY on June 12, 2010

Hey Kathleen, Missing you tons!!!
I love reading the updates and can't wait to hear all the stories. We're having an amazing time too! I wanted to call you a million times!
I'm so proud of you and all the work you're doing.
Hi to Erika, Stacy and Jessi.
Praying for everyone!!!
Love you,
Mom

Greetings Zach, Stephen and Tori!!!

Posted By PSTRDAVE on June 12, 2010

I have been so glad to hear the updates as you've had time to send them. I am sending them on to others as well to keep as many who are praying for you all up to date. We are all so proud of you and the work you are doing. Use this time away from home to quiet your hearts and listen to God's voice as He might use these weeks to point you to the ways He wants to use your life for His Kingdom work.
We love you all, Pastor Dave

Finally, for Tori, as you are there, remember the things you and I have talked about this past year and have reaffirmed in the journal. This is a great time in your life, God has been leading you to this place ever since I first met you as a little 2-year-old girl! This trip is just one more step in His great plan for your life :0) Hold on to that, seek Him for the next steps, trust what you hear Him say to your heart, because He is a God who is worth trusting. He always has your best in mind and His story is always bigger than it might seem at the moment!!! Don't look at the size of the challenges you might face, because God is bigger than ANY challenge! Look to Him in the challenge!!! I love you kiddo, dad

PTL

Posted By LLALDSORF on June 10, 2010

Dear Tori, Praising God for your safe arrival and your open, willing heart to serve Him. As with any mission trip I've been on, God works in us as much as we think we are working for Him. I pray you and your team members are able to see some fruits of your labor. Enjoy and know that I will pray for you everyday.
Love, Mrs. A (Laura Alsdorf)

Pura Vida

Posted By LORIBETH_11 on June 10, 2010

Hi I am Savannah and Cora Lynn's aunt and I am absolutely thrilled that you all made it safely. I am so happy that my nieces are experiencing this trip as this is their first mission trip (I know Cora Lynn is coming later). I have done a lot of mission trips in my life and lived in Honduras for a year serving the Lord and it was an amazing experience for me. I pray that God will use each and everyone of you to touch the lives there in CR and that God will also use them to touch all of your lives as well. Please give my sweet niece Savannah and hug for me and tell her that I love her dearly and am praying for her! Pura Vida y que Dios les bendiga!

Lori Walker (Savannah's aunt)

Have a great time!

Posted By NANCY on June 9, 2010

Hi Doug and Laurie,
Looking forward to seeing some great photos. Really really want to see Sue and Paul zipping through the trees. Tell them hello and hope everyone has a great trip. Love - Nan

God is good

Posted By MICJOY on June 9, 2010

GTD interns you will do amazing things this week you are awesome. have fun also. Mr.Hawley

Greetings Highlands Ranch group!!!

Posted By PSTRDAVE on June 8, 2010

Hey all,

I am so glad you all made it safely!

I hope you have a great time and that God grows you each in amazing ways!

I will be praying for you all each day!!!

Pastor Dave

What a great TEAM!

Posted By BOSS on June 8, 2010

God has blessed us with another amazing team this summer... can't wait to see what He's going to do!!



Way better than energy drinks!

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