Hola Costa Rica!!

happy to be in first class



 

 

Friday were up early saying good-byes at Villa Gracia.  We were all heading down the hill together to the airport.  We always try to get their early to beat the other mission groups so the lines won’t be so long.

Sorry, Terry!



 

 

Most of our groups would be on flights that left around 11 or noon.  Those of us who were flying to Costa Rica had a flight on Copa that left after 1.  We had a little bit of excitement when one of Torch leaders played a practical joke on three of our young ladies.  (Apparently, this has been going back and forth.) 

 

An announcement was made that Brandy Barnett, Jenny Taylor and Joanna Fussell needed to go back to the ticket counter.  It seemed very authentic because the announcer was having trouble pronouncing their names.  The first person at the ticket counter didn’t know what was going on.  That person asked someone else and I guess they then got a note that basically said, “You’ve been had.”  Another lady had been tricked earlier in the trip when plums were put in her pockets and bags. (You can’t bring fruits in or out of the country.

 

Copa is a Central American airline.  They usually have better rates, service and everything else.  I get up to the counter for my boarding ticket and everything seems fine.  I had weighed my bags and they seemed well below 50 pounds.  We had also heard that on Copa you didn’t have to pay for the second bag.  (All of us had to our American flights down.)

 

 

 

 

I looked at the scale and it was in kilograms, so I wasn’t sure what they weight was, but again I had weighed it already.  The lady then tells me that , “No, both my bags couldn’t exceed 35 pounds and I would have to pay $140 overage fees.”  I was prepared to pay if I had to, but I knew that all of our 9 member group would be in the same predicament.  I called Terry over and he dramatically explained that we were on a mission trip.  We had no extra money, and that all other airlines had a weight limit of 50 pounds a bag.  There was more discussion and the lady calls over another lady.

 

 

The other lady tells us she will take care of it and everything is okay.  Meanwhile, I don’t think they said anything at all to Sarah or Diane.  To make a long story short, everyone (except Terry Reeves) was bumped up to first class and we didn’t have to pay the fees.  Terry did, but $140 is better than 140x9!!

 

 

The flight was about an hour and of course, first class was great.  (Juice as soon as we sat down, a warm towel, and a meal) Unfortunately, Terry didn’t receive first class treatment!

 

 

When we landed at Costa Rica we had the quickest, easiest time going through customs that I have ever had.  Steve Johnson and about 10 eithers were waiting for us at the airport.  Several of our team has worked here before, so they knew some of the Costa Rican church members who met us at the airport.

 

 

 

Everything in Costa Rica seems totally different than Honduras, except the landscape.  It became quickly apparent that CR is a wealthier country.  We had a small tour bus to take us to our first place to stay, a Bible camp.  We stopped for dinner at a local mall and then drove about an hour to get to the Bible camp.

 

 

 

 

It was dark when we arrived, but it looked like a very nice place with lots of beautiful vegetation (what I could see in the dark!)  Several church members were here to greet us and the local preacher explained what we would be doing tomorrow.

 

 

 

We will be leaving around 7:30 tomorrow and driving about an hour and a half to the church.  Ladies’ Bible class and VBS will begin around 9 and last two hours.  A few people will work on painting the church during this time.  We will eat lunch and then do some old-fashioned door knocking to invite people to the gospel meeting later.  We were all a little bit dazed but ready to begin working tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

We finally got in our cabin.  I have never gone to church camp, but from what people said this was a very nice cabin.  Ours is quite large with about 20 bunk beds (luckily I got a bottom one).  There is plenty of room (not like Villa Gracia), beautiful tiled floors, and two showers and two bathroom stalls.  The shower situation will be interesting since there is a little less than 20 ladies in this cabin.  I will say good-bye for now,  (I’m writing this a little after 5 in the morning.)I will take lots of pictures today, so

 

 

 

Hopefully the pictures will tell a better story.

 

Saturday we had to be up and ready to leave by 7:30 because the church was an hour and a half away.  We were to host a ladies’ and men’s Bible class starting at 9:00.  Both classes were to last 2 hours!  I usually assist Diane and since we had so much time, I came up with a get to know you activity.  I had each lady write something about themselves that people probably wouldn’t know.  Then, we read them out and guessed who it was.

 

 

During our classes, some of our ladies prepared lunch for everyone.  We did this so there ladies wouldn’t miss the classes.  After having about 30 minutes of fellowship, we had lunch.  After lunch, we had more fellowship until about 2:00 pm.  At that time, the local ninos had been invited for a 2 hour VBS.  Children started arriving and about 25 of us got in small groups with one of the local church members.  Then, we spread out in the neighborhood and went around knocking on doors and inviting people to our gospel campaign. 

 

We got back to the church about the time VBS was over and we had some more fellowship before dinner.  The ladies of the congregation served us beans, rice and beef.  Today when we door knocked, we invited people to come in at six for coffee and cookies and church at 6:30.  Steve Johnson gave the sermon and the night ended when we said our goodbyes around 8.  It was a great if tiring day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Marianna, a friend I met in church.  She really like my pen with the light on it.

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we have to be ready to leave the Bible camp by 7:00 am!!!  This is a very nice camp, but the plan has always been to move to a hotel that is closer to the church.  It is possible that I may not post anything tomorrow; we’ll see how I feel!!!!!!

Hasta luego!!

 

PJ  xoxo