We are anxiously awaiting the team from Lake Murray Baptist Church! Once they arrive, we will drive along the coastal highway to San Isidro de el General, grabbing some dinner along the way. We'll be pulling into the hotel around 9pm tonight. Please pray for a safe drive and for everything that God will be doing through the team this week!

After a long day of flying and driving, we are finally here in San Isidro! We had dinner at a little restaurant along the way, Los Crocodillos. It is aptly named for the 2 dozen crocodiles that call the river near the restaurant home. After viewing them (from afar!), we had a big supper and continued on our way.

Once we arrived and got settled at the hotel, we had the chance to introduce ourselves to the other team and share in worship. We are excited to see what it is God has planned for each and every one of us. Please pray for relationships to be made, needs to be met, and that, above all, God would be honored and glorified.

(We'll post a photo of everyone in the church best tomorrow!)

Today was a great day to be in the house of the Lord! We started off the morning in Martillos de Guerra, the church we are serving with during the week. It was an energetic time of worship, showing that praise knows no boundaries of language. Pastor Gerardo shared the message with us, encouraging us to “just keep walking.” When we are down, keep moving forward. When we are up, keep moving forward. Always keep pushing forward for the Kingdom of God.

After the service, we came back to the hotel and had our first meal cooked by Lorena, a woman who attends Martillos de Guerra and is a talented chef!

In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to share our testimonies with one another. We split into smaller groups and had seven minutes each to share what God has and continues to do in our hearts. As our two teams came together (Lake Murray Baptist and Heritage Baptist), it was good to dig deeper into those relationships and even learn new things about people we have known for years.

This evening we went to a Baptist church in San Isidro. The youth pastor was very welcoming and encouraged us to live outside of our comfort zones to see how God uses us. What a striking message that applies to this week!

We are energized and excited to spend time at the children’s home (Hogar Ama) tomorrow. There are 19 boys, ranging in age from 7 to 14.

Thank you to all of our friends and family back home for your love and prayers!

Today has been a busy one so far, with lots going on at Hogar Ama. We spent the morning and afternoon playing with kids, plowing a future garden patch, weeding and cleaning. Here are a few pictures of the day so far...

Weeding around the sidewalks at the Children's Home

Hanging out during a well deserved break

Donna making new friends from the other team, Heritage Baptist

What a blessing Tuesday was for our team. We went to a nearby school in the morning. This school has been highlighted by the government as a school in need of assistance. About 30 girls that attend this school come from a nearby girls' orphanage. The smiles on the face of all the children almost make you forget all of these facts, though. The children shared a dance; both their traditional dance (in full outfit), and a more modern dance (Elvis!). They also taught our team some of the moves.

After the morning at school, we went to the elderly home, Hogar Betania. Along with the other group we are partnered with, we split up and were able to clean sidewalks, paint physical therapy equipment, move gravel, landscape, dig ditches, harvest yucca, organize and put away clothing, sew garments, pick up garbage...the list goes on! We are going back Wednesday afternoon to finish some tasks and build relationships with the 21 folks that live there.

At the school, we went into five classrooms to teach dental hygiene. We also got the chance to explain "as this toothbrush will clean our teeth, so can Jesus clean our hearts." Here Nikki is translating the message.

After the long day of work, we had a very relaxing evening. We drove up into the mountains to a restaurant that overlooks the San Isidro Valley. 13 pizzas later, we were ready to head back to the hotel (well, after a pit stop for some ice cream!)

On Wednesday, we wrapped up our time at the elderly home. After completing a variety of projects at this home and the children's home, we had a time of worship with the residents at Hogar Betania.

We had one final push before we go into our well deserved day of fun and relaxation on the beach. Let me tell you...it was quite a push! In the midst of a very hot day (even by locals' standards!), the joy and love the team had was palpable. We drove an hour and a half to Quepos, a coastal town. There, we walked around the city and shared the love of Christ with those we encountered.

At the end of our time in Quepos we headed to nearby Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most famous beaches in Costa Rica, for a quick dip.