News Archive
Calle el Alto School. Canada Team. June 30 and July 1.
Continuing together with these projects, we set ourselves to the task of changing the face of the school, which was already quite deteriorated. Divided in three work teams, we began a job that would take two days to complete. Every one of the three school buildings was painted in different colors, offering a warmer and more inviting environment for the students. We are grateful to the school´s director Aidé Villalba for her collaboration in this project and a special thanks to the Canada group for their incredible work and to La Cumbre for their support in our mission.
Jesús, María y José Home for Children. Canada Team. June 29.
This home, a type of orphanage/foster care program, houses 220 children between the ages of 4 and 15 during the day. Here they provide a safe place for the children to rest before or after classes. Furthermore, they feed them, help them with their school work, and instill in them good values through the love they receive from their teachers and directors. Accompanied by a team from Ontario and some representatives from La Cumbre Camp, we visited this institution and held a recreational day for the children. On top of receiving a snack, the perseverance and spirit of the children was rewarded as they received some gifts the Canada team had brought. We are grateful to the director of the institution, Gabriela Ugalde, for permitting us to share in this day of joy and love.
Medical Fair 2009, A Special thanks to..
First of all, to God for having control in the midst of everything - To the team from Hinsdale, Chicago for their incredible work and disposition. .
- To the Adventist Hospital of Chicago. To Mrs. Colleen Salvino. For her coordination and the great work she did in order that everything would be organized and ready.
- To the pastors of the Adventist Church in Costa Rica, for their support and collaboration.
- To Dr. Carlos Ramirez for providing us with the medical equipment, for being the doctor responsible de these teams and for believing in us. Doc, you know that you are part of Conexión, you and your wife and family for the great hospitality you have shown us. It is pleasing to find people that demonstrate the true face of Colombia and are collaborating with us to bring benefit to the community in Costa Rica.
- To Brendan Blowers, Marjori Cano, Monica Calderon and Stephen Eyman for their work in translation and setup.
- To Marco Agüero for traveling all the way from Minnesota to support us with the translation and all the work with which I needed help.
- To all the people that lent us medical equipment and for the time they spent assuring the success of the medical fair. To our staff for their selflessness and passion with the ministry God has given us, it´s a privilege to work with all of you.
Medical Fair 2009- Quepos June 13
We are grateful to Hosanna Church and its pastors, who supported us greatly in this project, allowing us to use their church facilities for our medical fair. There we were able to bring consultation to many patients who have few economic resources. On top of receiving attention from specialists, these people were able to go home with the medicines necessary for their various treatments. Here we also collaborated in the construction of the temple, working to move dirt in specific areas on the church grounds. We give thanks to God for having permitted us to finish these long days of work in an organized manner and with great success.
Medical Fair 2009- Parrita June 12
In this town, we worked in collaboration with the medical organization, ADRA, which is overseen by the Adventist Church. This institution provided us with an ambulance in case of any emergency we may have encountered. They also provided us access to various different professionals in the areas of general health and medicine. The site of this medical fair was the school of La Palma, to whom we gratefully gave a few buckets of paint in order that they might add some color to their fine institution. As can be typical of this zone, activities were accompanied by large amounts of rain and high winds. However, this did not impede various hundreds of patients from receiving specialized medical attention. In every community we visited, we also had a recreational activity for the children.
Medical Fair2009 - Pérez Zeledón June 10 and 11
This year, with the hope of blessing more people, we made our way to the southern zone of the country. Once there, we continued our medical mission in Pérez Zeledón. In coordination with the Adventist church in this area, we were able to carry out a day of recreational activities for the children of Tierra Prometida School along with the medical attention given by the doctors. While these activities were underway at the school, part of the group painted the church, grateful for the help we had received from the people in its congregation. We give thanks to God and to the group of women of this church for their support in translation, a vital part of the communication between the patients and doctors. A special thanks to Gloria for here help in this area.
Medical Fair 2009- Dos Cercas June 9
The second day of the medical fair took place on the grounds ofDos Cercas School, where on top of giving medical attention to the community, we also had a recreational day with many different fun activities for all the children of the school.
Medical Fair 2009- San Ramón June 8
For the second time, we worked with a medical group from the Adventist Hinsdale Hospital in Chicago. This year, we began our medical fair in San Ramón, where we treated hundreds of patients, the majority of which don´t have adequate medical coverage or the resources necessary to buy the medicines they need. On top of that, we painted the nearby Federico Salas Carvajal School. We are grateful to Mr. Francisco Gonzáles, the director of the school, for opening the doors to allow us to bless this area.
Project La Carpio, Atlanta Work Team / La Cumbre May 30
Thanks to the alliance that we have with La Cumbre, a Christian organization and children´s camp in San Jose, we had the opportunity to collaborate with a work team of theirs from Atlanta. With their support we painted the kindergarten in La Carpio, and the following day we had a day of games and recreation for all 280 children. Along with some good memories, we were able to hand out school supplies and ice cream throughout the day, and in two days we were able to benefit the community greatly. The directors and professors of the school are very grateful, and we give thanks to God, the team from Atlanta, and the directors of La Cumbre for the good work we were able to do in this area.
A Tour of the Southern Region – Organizting Medical Appointments
Over the last four days we have visited different communities in the southern region where in June, the second annual Conexion Health Fair will take place. The reason for this third visit was to collect information about the patients and their ailments with the idea that htey will see a specialist and give them an exact time for their appointment. This is part of putting together all the details of the project to be able to help hundreds of people that ortherwize could not be able to receive medical attention. We are grateful for the people that are helping to make this all possible.
PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEXT PROJECT
MEDICAL MISSION CHICAGO HINSDALE FROM 8th TO 14th OF JUNE
April 3 – Calle el Alto School, Sports Field Day
This recreational event took place in Alajuelita and was the first event which we were able to complete in this area. The drummer of our band, Gustavo, is a professor at the school and is the one we colaborated with to make this event happen. As Conexion has been faithfully developing over the years, our first contact with a new school, we were not only able to host a recreational activity for the whole student body, but also we were able to raise money to fix the teacher´s break room. There were 16 volunteers and staff present at this event and many children enjoying themselves to the fullest. We also gave out prizes and a refrigerator to the school. This was the beginning of a project that will develop over three stages, teh following being in June where we will paint the whole school and at the end of this month we will wrap things up with a big bingo night to raise money for additional needs for the school.
March 28 – Activity at the Comunidad de Fe Church
As a partnership continues to be established with the Organization for Family Orientation, we visited a chuch in Alajuela where we led with the Pastor and his congregation in a special program. The Conexion band led the group in a time of praise and worship and our Chaplin Rogelio Morales Castillo provided the message. Following this initial event, we are looking to solidify additional steps to take in teh future which which are: a seminar, a workshop and a final project where all three organizations can work together. Our Director, Jherson Acevedo Lopez had the oportunity to present the vision of Conexion to them and we are now trying to connect with additional chuches to develop more of these partnerships.
ALABAMA TEAM - LA CARPIO.MARCH 2nd
We realized an activity in the Kinder Garden of La Carpio, where we shared with the children in a very dynamic way, toys were given to them and didactic material was donated to the institution to contribute with the good learning. We know that if we plant a good seed today, good fruits will be harvest in the future. It’s because of this that we believe in the importance of supporting these little ones who find themselves in a very precarious situation. Once again we thank for the professor Aylen Chaves for being the connection with the Kinder Garden. The children, the teachers and the Alabama team enjoyed in great way this visit.
LA CUENCA. FEBRUARY 28th
Working hand in hand with Christ for the City Ministries and its representative Carlos Mestayer, we were able to carry recreational activity with 200 children in La Cuenca of Guarari de Heredia. We shared with them a morning full of games and a delicious ice cream. Thanks to God who gave us the chance to approach a community which is much need as much economic as spiritually. We are very thankful to this Team from Birmingham who brought a donation of clothes and personal items, to collaborate with the work that we’ve being developing in this zone.
ALABAMA TEAM - SAN VICENTE DE TRES RIOS. FEBRUARY 27th.
On February 26th we received a group from Birmingham, Alabama. We were developing several projects in the community of San Vicente de Tres Rios, the men were constructing an additional room in a house of a family with limited economic resources. This family had 6 people living in two small rooms. Thanks to God and the fast work carried out we were able to also build an extra room where they managed to locate the kitchen, the bath and the dining room. On the other hand the women of the group and the children were in charge to embellish CENCINAI (a small health center) of the community painting their walls. Thank you very much to Michael O'Neill and his wife Summer for being the critical contact. Thanks to them we were able to carry the project which also helps to spread the Gospel through our work.
Beginning of school year Activities - FEBRUARY 2009
In order to celebrate the return to school, we had a very nice activity with 300 children from the Santa Teresita School in Salitrillos de Aserrí, which took place at the ST Sports Center. There we could share with the kids a morning full of recreation, games, contests and delicious refreshments. The purpose of such activities is to motivate these children so they continue studying and thus to be eliminating the absenteeism in the classrooms since we think that one of the majors factors of the increase in poverty is the lack of academic preparation.
Colleen and Jherson
Last February 5 we received a visit from two sepcial friends who have participated in several projects with us. Kevion and Colleen Salvino came from Chicago with two goals: rest for a few days and finalize details for their upcoming medical team coming in June to have the 2nd Hindsdale-Conexión 2009 Health Fair that will be taking place in the pacific area. We thank God for allowing us to develop this program and for providing key people for the smooth development of the project. It is good to have friends interested and committed with the mission God has entrsuted us with. Kevin and Colleen, thank you for the time that you shared with us here and for your hospitality when we visited you in Chicago. Blessings!
PROVIDENCIA JANUARY 23 & 24
This little town located in the mountains between San Gerardo and Santa Maria de Dota witnessed a positioning project. Directors of Gimnasio para la Mente invited us invited us to run a recreational program for the people there. This Gym has become one of the best options for the area where young people has the chance to invest time parcticing an extreme sports such as climbing. The activity started at 9.30 AM and was closed at 6 PM. During the morning we had games for children, during the afternoon we had a soccer game featuring a community team and group of our own volunteers. The day was closed with a concert for over 100 attendees. We express our gratitude to our musicians volunteers; we also want to apologize with our bass player Victor Hugo Soto for the terrible condition of the road that almost wrecked his car. Every effort was worth the sacrifice when we saw our goals reached. We had a good communal response. We also want to thank Erick and his family for the food and being our hosts; La Cumbre Camp Alejandro for the contact. We also want to thank Rachael Davies-Ludlow for taking time from her busy calendar in North Carolina to visit and offer a helping hand. Thanks to all.
FRAIJANES - EARTHQUAKE JANUARY 21
Together with a group of volunteers from Comunidad del Este, we visited the zone hit by the fatal January 8 earthquake. We had three different work groups, the first one worked on demolition and rubble clean up. The second team went door by door to talk to families and motivate them as they undergo hard moments, many people wanted to be heard. The last group stayed at the shelter where they organized recreational activities for the children and the teenagers. Thank God we were able to offer a helping hand. We thank the volunteers, especially Mrs. Marianella Jiménez, owner of Atracciones saltarín, who offered an inflatable castle for free, many kids had a chance to spend a happy and recreational day.
PITAYA BEACH. January 15-18.
In search of new places to take our work teams to work as well as relax, we came across a great deal with Ronald and Teresa, whom own beautiful beachfront property on a beach in Guanacaste. Ronald and Teresa needed to make a few changes and good to our name “Extreme Service” we went to help. In four days we painted the house both inside and out making the house look like new while enjoying the beautiful setting. It was a great deal that will provide us with many more exchanges in the future.
San Vicente School, Tres Rios. January 10th
The last Christmas party we held in Tres Rios took place in a very small community room that hindered us from playing certain games and having as much fun. This year we asked a local school to let us borrow their facilities for the “maximum effect” for the children. We knew that the majority of the children in this area didn’t have the resources to travel or take vacations so this activity was a dream come true for many. We accomplished this endeavor with the help of the La Cumbre staff and the Tennessee volunteers. The Tennessee work crew volunteers did an excellent job. We would like to thank Ana Mora and Adela Mora who participated for the second time on one of our projects.
The Santa Rosa School in Oreamuno. January 9th.
With the help of the Tennessee work crew and the La Cumbre staff, we were able to paint the entire Santa Rosa school. Doe Rivers group worked incredibly hard. We were able to give the school an extreme makeover in just two days and provide a better environment for its 210 students. With the help of the lord the weather was great and we reached our goal within the estimated time. We are thankful for Jeff Smythe “the boss” for his friendship and leadership with this incredible work team. We relied on the participation from a new volunteer, Adela Mora, who blessed us with her work along with the others and in spite of a cut knee she perservered and left a mark on this institution. Who has the chicken?
SMILES 2008- Thankyou’s
To the work teams: I would like to thank each one of the volunteers who took part in our Christmas activities. To those who worked with us in San Jose: thank you for your willingness and for taking time out of your hectic schedules. To the group that helped with the trip: thanks giving it your all and for putting up the inconveniences that we had, like sleeping on classroom floors, eating at strange times, long rides from one place to another, playing in heavy rain etc. . Being God’s instruments and bringing joy and hope to communities was worth it. The crew was constantly smiling and was ready and willing when needed. Thank you for joining me in the incredible journey. Jherson Acevedo López.
Workers: Vanessa, Johnny, Natanael, Dunnia, Daniela, Ismael, Rogelio, Alexandra, Emanuel, margarita, Silenia, Allan (Maccarroni).
Park Rangers: Thank you to the 126 who helped out, I can’t remember everyone’s names.
Boruca Indian Reserve : Johnny, Natanael, Vanessa, Dunnia, Yuri, Rogelio, Silenia, Horacio, Hugo, Jesús, Eliud, Jorge, Jhudys, Noemí, Conrado, Jhossell, Javeydy, Rebeca, Sofía, Jp and Josué.
Cerro Cortez of San Carlos : Noemí, Conrado, Vanessa, Johnny, Yuri, Natanael, Sofía, Dunnia, Jp, Silenia, Eliud, Jhossell, Javeydy and Rebeca.
Dos Ríos of Upala : Noemí, Conrado, Jorge, Jhudys, Sofía, Yuri, Vanessa, Natanael, Jhossell, Javeydy and Johnny.
San Vicente of Tres Ríos. Noemí, Conrado, Vanessa, Natanael, Koki, Fabiola, Jesús, Alberto, Rebeca, Rogelio, Allan, Silenia, Sofía, Eliud, Jp, Wendy, Jhossell and Javeydy
Sponsors. Conexión would especially like to thank all the friends and companies that believed in our work and have supported us with gifts, food, and so much more. Your support and willingness makes this dream a reality. Smiles 2008 was a success thanks to God and help from:
CREDOMATIC • BELCORP • REVISTA SUMMA • VIDA JOVEN • ARTE ANDINO • FUNIN • MUTUAL ALAJUELA OFICINAS CENTRALES • MUTUAL ALAJUELA CAJA OESTE • MUTUAL ALAJUELA DESAMPARADOS • HOGER FELIZ • FEDEX • CLUB 700 • JOYERIA CHUMA . IGLESIA COMUNIDAD DEL ESTE • CAMPAMENTO LA CUMBRE • IGLESIA COMUNIDAD DE FE ALAJUELA • STAY IN COSTA RICA • COSTA CURBALLINA S.A. • ACARYA S.A. • DBEMD ARBOLES AZULES S.A. • ITABI TRUST S.A. • LA BUENA VIDA EN BELLA VISTA S.A. • LA BREA REAL STATE LTDA • LIFE IS A BEACH LTDA • DEL MAR EN LOS SUEÑOS S.A. • CENTRO DE CARNES SABANILLA • ACADEMIA MMA • LUS TERRA S.A. • WOODLEY S.A. • CASA OASIS LOS SUEÑOS S.A. • LLUVIA DE BENDICIONES S.A. • ABRACADABRA LOS SUEÑOS S.A. • EUREKA COMUNICACIONES • TALLER TRES R • EMPLEADOS DE ALIGN TECH • EMPLEADOS DE PRICE WATER HOUSE COOPER • EMPEADOS DE ELI LILLY. Harold Brenes, levi Chaves, Jorge Zúñiga, Gustavo Solís, Javier Solís, Karla Morales, Ronny Morales, Gretel Montero, Mauricio Ortuño, Roberto mora, Gretel Mora, Juan Carlos Quesada, Yuri Prada, Gina Muñoz, Marielos Fallas, Daniel Montero, Alberto Mora, Hugo Velásquez, Arieth Bermúdez, Ada Monge, Mario Morales, Mónica Calderón, Alexander Vargas “ Bimbo “and Yolanda Matamoros.
Matthew 5:16 Thanks so much everyone! Jherson.
Smiles 2008 Mailed Christmas Presents. December 23.
For various circumstances some groups were not able to make it to the events, but at the same time we didn’t want to exclude the kids or have them miss the opportunity to receive a Christmas gift. With this in mind, we teamed up with various directors and collaborators and sent over 650 Christmas presents across the country to cities such as: Santa Rosa in Oreamuno in Cartago, Orotina, San Ramón in Alajuela, and Abangares. We praise God for enabling us to give 3025 presents.
SMILES 2008 San Vicente, Tres Rios. December 22nd.
This was the last event we held and it served to end the working year with the school cafeteria workers of The “Vision de Dios” church. Pastor Allan came through, as usual, and provided a delicious snack for the 150 kids present. In spite of the inconveniences of where the event took place, the children enjoyed the games and activities. At the end of the morning everyone headed home with their hands filled with fruit and presents. Praise be to God we managed to pull it off and were able to bring them the joy of Christmas.
SMILES 2008 Dos Rios, Upala. December 20th.
Thanks to our connection with Mrs. Ivette Villagra, ex director of various schools where we have worked in the past, we realized for the first time an incursion in the area. Dos Rios, Upala is a community in Guanacaste, close to the border of Nicaragua, where hundreds of farmers, live. The school is set on the outskirts of the volcano “Rincon de la Vieja”. We served as a blueprint to provide a party for 250 children, including students from two other communities. This region is extremely rainy but we were able to have fun and stay dry for most of the morning until a torrential downpour temporarily hindered us yet later resulted in even more fun for the volunteers and kids. At the end of the day all of the exhausted and soaked kids received presents. This sealed the deal, the day was unforgettable. The directors from the various schools made it apparent that we were the first group of this nature to have visited the area. This filled us with satisfaction and even more commitment to our cause.
MATSURI 2008. DECEMBER 13 AND 14
Once again Jorge Cespedes and Jafet Baltodano allowed us to raise funds for our Christmas events selling food. This time we had a chance to get more involved in the organization of the event as we were in charge of the sound too, coordinated the fireworks show to close the event and offer our security and logistics support at the camping area. We want to thank those who bought our products, our profits helped us organize Christmas parties for over 3000 poor kids. We want to express Imperio Anime for their commitment to Costa Rican society and especially the children of our country. Having the opportunity to raise funds is a true evidence of their good heart and their interest in our projects.
If you would like to know more about this fest visit www.imperioanime.com
We also want to thank our staff and all the volunteers for their hard work, Silenia Díaz, Viviana Murillo, Nicolas Berkovich, Eliud Iturralde, Miley Sirias, Yolanda Matamoros, Daniela Schewermeier and Margarita Elizondo, thank you for a job well done.
SONRISAS, PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT PARTY. DECEMBER 7.
Grettel Montero organized a party for kids in terminal condition, during the year she follows the condition of all the children closely. Support for this party arrived quickly, many companies offered a helping hand, even the Fire Department offered some fire engines for the kids to get a ride around the facility where the party was taking place, every kid enjoyed the experience intensely. Two groups of motorcycle riders, M14 and Los Comanches offered motorcycle rides and presents for the kids. Every kid experienced love through our combined efforts. We want to congratulate Grettell for her work that went beyond San Jose to Limón to offer a second party for kids in that area as well.
SENIOR SANTA TERESITA DE ASERRI DINNER PARTY. DECEMBER 5.
Every senior class in our elementary schools celebrate a farewell dinner party, Santa Teresita Elementary invited us to organize theirs this year. We organized a dinner party for the students and their families in a facility near the school. Approximately 150 people attended the event and we featured JD José and his music, we are thankful for his participation and we also express our gratitude to the principal for letting us share such important event with the students.
PAINT DONATION TO LA ESTRELLA ELEMENTARY IN CARTAGO, NOVEMBER 26
26 kilometers away from Cartago on the way to Cerro de la Muerte we found this little elementary school, we contacted them through Mrs. Laura Madrigal, our contact with other communities like Alajuelita and Guápiles. There is much to do in this school and we will be including it in our schedule for next year. Because our current schedule has been busy we weren't able to take a team there, but we donated paint that parents will be using in some classrooms. We want to thank you for helping us complete this project.
School Santa Rosa Oreamuno 23 November
This was the last contacted school during this year and as custom, our first program is a day of recreation for the students. The help wasn´t much, now that the majority of the kids are working in agriculture and in the regions farmlands. The director Ms. Emily Masís, head of this school, had reached great objectives in little time, for example: roofing the outside/recreational area. In Conexion, when we see efforts of this magnitude we are motivated to be a part of the task at hand; which is why this was the beginning of a series of projects that we completed in this school. Days later we donated a cooler and a heating showcase to the school to collaborate with their food storage.
CONEXIÓN FRIENDS NOVEMBER 17
This was the last meeting of the year. Besides this we also concentrated on the Christmas parties. This time our friends from Campamento La Cumbre directed the activities. We sang with great presence, enjoying the time of praise, a lesson by Rogelio Morales and a presentation about the facilities of the camp and extreme adventures La Cumbre. This space has been perfect to build friendships in different organizations and we know that it will continue to grow.
CONEXION TRIP U.S.A
We want to say "Thanks". Everything was wonderful. It is great to see the body of Christ working around the world. Our amazing time in the US was a big Blessing for us. We hope our friendship keeps growing every day. We miss everybody and we hope to see you soon.
Program for Easing Pain
The activity took place last Saturday; it included a program on accepting death for the family
members of 36 patients who passed away from cancer last semester. The event culminated with a scheduled session that psychologist’s and social worker’s had been leading. The program included special music, a message of hope, a snack, and our support. This was a time in which we remembered and honored the loved ones whom they had lost, at the same time we tried to help them understand that the process of moving on from their love ones is not about forgetting but rather it is about remembering them fondly, with the imminent certainty that they will one day be reunited. In conclusion we provided each family member with a beautiful keepsake commemorating the activity. We give thanks to God for permitting us to share this time, which impacted and enriched the lives of all who were involved. Now that we are involved in this special program for patient’s with terminal illnesses, we will keep you posted of the dates of the next activities and the other projects that we are developing (working on) for the support of this incredible cause. This project is taking place in association with the church “Comunidad del este”. We want to thank all those who worked in partnership with us: Mr. Hugo Velasquez, Mr. Alberto Mora, Mr.Harold Brenes, Mr. Arith Bermudez, Miss Silenia Diaz, Mrs. Laura Muñoz (and her fellow workers), Mr. Eric Arroyo and the members of the congregation whom not only supported, but actively participated as well.
CHILD’S DAY PARTIES SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10 2008
Each year we celebrate this national day with recreation for hundreds of kids. This time we held our parties at Aserri’s Santa Teresita Elementary School at the ST Center Stadium for 400 kids and at Carpio Elementary School for 250 kindergarten kids. It was two days of hard work and God blessed us with sunny parties with competitions, contests, happiness, and warm weather. The kids also experienced the love of God through everything we did. We want to thank Dunia Iturralde, Yuri Prada, Silenia Díaz, Gustavo and Erick Arroyo for their endless willingness to serve and their love for the kids
CONEXIÓN FRIENDS, SEPTEMBER 8, 2008
This is a monthly activity that we inaugurated last Monday, our purpose is to have fellowship with ministries and volunteers that have collaborated with our projects. This monthly space offers all the ministries an opportunity to worship, have fellowship and pray for future plans together. This is always wonderful opportunity to help each other. There is a teaching shared by pastor Rogelio Morales and the music is led by our worship team. Our one-hour meetings also offer the opportunity to know new people and ministries. Our next meeting will be held at Parque Sendas on Monday October 20. Don’t miss this meeting and invite your friends.
AUGUST STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
This month we have consolidated an alliance with the organization "Orientation to the Family" directed by it's president MSC. Rogelio Morales Castillo. With this union we want to positively influence the family of today, something that day after day has been losing it's meaning. Taking advantage of doors opened in schools and colleges, we want to develop workshops and conferences that provide individuals with effective tools and in this way, manage to guarantee family bond. We already have a series of topics at your dispocision. Soon we will be able to give you more details.
NEW YORK AUGUST 7-14
To close this season, we worked with a Young Life team from New York; as always, coordinated by Jenny McLane Barrantes. With this group, we completed three projects in 4 days, positively impacting two of the communities where Young Life holds their meetings. The two first projects were developed in the city of Granadilla. Split into two groups, one group was cleaning and painting the external wall of a catholic church and the other was working on repairing a house of a family with sparse resources. The appearance of the construction was improved with stucco, paint and sheets of drywall. We also constructed a drainage system which we solved the problem of water filtering through the walls and the best thing of all was the friendship that we made with the family that lived there. Marisol (mother and house owner) and her daughter Maria, made many friends in the group. The third project was in an assemblage in Moravia, belonging to the Franciscan nuns and directed by Sister Daisy. Here we painted the hall inside and out along with the bathrooms. By doing this, we contributed to the conservation of this building. We give thanks to God for permitting us to share with this excellent group of workers and their leaders. We hope they return soon. 1 John 3:18 thank you Rob!
SUMMER STAFF
During last two months we had the opportunity to share with three great people who helped us on several occasions: Hanna Beth Smith, Britt Carlson and Zach Parker. Thanks for the help that you offered to us guys, and a special thanks for your friendship. You guys are a great blessing for our lives and we enjoyed our time you very much. We wish the best for you all, always with your sight on God and working at His mission. Hey guys!!! You have to come back because we're waiting for your blessings here... and do not forget, LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!!! :)
RETURNING TO CLASSES: JULY 21 AND 22
As is custom on these dates, we always hold special activities for the children of several schools, in order to motivate them in the restart of the school cycle. This time we took part in three schools; Santa Teresita, La Carpio and Dos Cercas. In addition, we had the support of a group of 36 people from Wisconsin, who came with their youth ministry on a mission. We give thanks to Gabriela and Tony (leaders of Jucum) for collaborating with us and forming a part of this connection. Many children had a happy return to class. Thanks to God for making everything possible. Also, we want to give a special thanks to Britt Carlson, Hanna Beth Smith and Zach Parker who have supported and helped us often this summer and with whom all we have built a great friendship.
MS. RALUKA MARIA POPA: CONEXIÓN FRIEND AND VOLUNTEER JULY 1-9
We want to give thanks to Raluka Popa for her help during these days and also for her friendship throughout the years. We know that she has a tight schedule and it was a great blessing that she was able to take some time out to collaborate and to share with us. Your eternal investments will see incredible results; keep shining in every place that you are.
PROJECTS IN ECU’S FACILITIES: YL TENNESSEE
With the initiative of young life and under our direction, united Christian students, who have their base of operation on the street "Calle de Amargura" in San Pedro, (former building of the Baptist seminary) all supported the ministry. The project developed here and took us four days to finish. It was achieved with the support of a group of 29 young men and women of young life from of Tennessee, who all came led by Mark Krimm. The objective was to paint the whole front of the building and some rooms within, to arrange the electrical installation of a pavilion, to change some sections of the roof to take advantage of the natural light, to condition a shower on the patio, to paint all the railings and to build a stage. Thanks to God everything was done and we were able to contribute to the great labor that this ministry is carrying. We give many thanks to the group of Tennessee for his their disposition and work.
2008 VOLUNTEERS
We give much thanks to God for allowing us to share with excellent people such as: Mr. Carlos Feliciano and Ivan Laric. Mr. Carlos is a man always willing and ready for the job, whose energy and strength was a great example for everyone. His leadership was respected by all and we hope he returns soon.
Ivan, the work that you have allowed God to do in your life is evident, your passion for sharing the things that you have received from the Lord, is an attitude worthy of imitation. Never let that fire go out.
Thank you very much to you both for your great labor in Costa Rica. "One month wasn't enough."
COMMUNAL SALON IN THE TOWN OF “LOURDES”
This was a job that had remained dependent on Young Life's projects. We had to reinforce the safety of the warehouse of the community salon due to unwanted exposure. With blocks, concrete and gratings we managed to secure this place and in this way, allow the owners to use this space with more tranquility. Thank God for the completed job.
CHICAGO HINSDALE PAINTING AND RECREATION WITH CHILDREN JUNE 2008
At the same time the medical fairs were taking place, part of the work team was painting schools in those areas, trying to embellish the study environment for hundreds of children. It was a wonderful work which left a great mark in these places. Parallel to the painting site, another group managed a recreational activity for the children of each school, painting their sweet little faces, giving gifts and playing with every child, including some that did not belong to these schools but were still neighbors of the community whom with seeing such a movement of so many volunteers in their neighborhoods, felt curious to come to the activity. These communities were greatly impressed for God's sake through our work. Remember, even the smallest details make a big difference.
HINSDALE MEDICAL FAIR JUNE 2008
From June 11 to June 14 we completed 4 medical fairs in the cities of La Carpio, Los Cuadros, San Vicente of Tres Rios, and Los Guido sector 7 respectively with the support of Dr. Yesenia Gómez. Under our staff’s coordination and with the primary participation of the doctors of Chicago Hinsdale Hospital, we attended to more 1,400 patients. Many complete families that do not possess health care insurance received a checkup with specialists who gave them medicines to control their sufferings. We give thanks to God for these volunteers and their excellent disposition to work in conditions much less than ideal. Special thanks to Mrs. Collen Salvino and Margaret Wallach for meeting us in Chicago 8 months ago and believing in our work. This mission touched the hearts of many Costa Ricans and as for the Chicago Hinsdale team… "Keep Shining!”
CHICAGO HINSDALE MEDICAL JUNE 2008
During the 8th to the 18th of June we had the visit of 54 volunteers from Chicago which consisted of doctors, nurses, assistants and students, with whom we accomplished 9 projects in the neediest communities of the metropolitan area. The first activity was a great day of recreation and fun for all the students of the school Dos Cercas. We shared a morning of games, dynamics, sports, and of love with hundreds of children who are forgotten by our society. It’s amazing how much a simple smile and hug can change someone’s day.
CONCERT IN CHURCH, “VUELO DEL ÁGUILA”. JUNE 2008
Last June 7th we took part together with other groups and singers in the first concert of this church, performed by its own youth group. Leaders David Steller and Alejandra Gonzáles actualized this event in order to raise funds. There were many young people present at this concert; all from nearby communities and thanks to the church’s invitation, we managed to be part of a great activity. The church promised more activities in the future and each one with greater and greater excellence. We had the opportunity to share with youth of all ages and to show through the words of our songs to praise and be grateful for our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you pastors for your invitations and we encourage you all to continue doing works such as these. We give thanks to God for giving us opportunities where we can share what He has given us.
KAMEN 2008 MAY 18 2008
This is an animé convention where thousands of youth come together dresses in costumes of their favorite animé characters. We were able to take part in this activity from its organization to its accomplishment. Jorge Céspedes and Jafet Baltodano (collaborators with connection) are the owners of the company Animé Empire as well as the directors of the event. All food and drink sales were directed by the Conexion staff and by doing so, we are able to collect funds for our projects. This activity is a great masquerade and an excellent display of the Japanese culture. The comic lovers filled the Gymnasium in the town of Moravia and enjoyed many costumes and promotions, as well as a great surprise; this time we were able to have the presence two men from Mexico who create the translated Spanish voices of The Simpsons: Humberto Vélez (Homer) and Gabriel Chávez (Mr. Burns). These two Gentlemen took much delight in the country of Costa Rica with their funny voices and interpretations. This time, the mass media of Costa Rica was present to interview, photograph and enjoy these two delightful characters. We thank Animé Empire for letting us be a part of this event. I congratulate the Conexion staff, for dressing up in their pirates' costumes and for their incredible energy and disposition. The "Black Pearl" will return.
Construction in San Vicente of Tres Rios 28Abril 2008
Something very normal in these neighborhoods is that in very small houses live more than 8 people and a great majority of them are children. This one is one of these cases, through contact of our friends of Pennsylvania; we met a young girl named Natalia Rojas, 12 years old in 5th grade. In addition to approaching her adolescence, her mother left her with two other younger sisters living in a humble shack with their father who suffers from alcoholism. They share this little house with 7 more people and they all sleep with their father in the same bed in a tiny room. Natalia's dream was to have a room of her own since it is hard to withstand the heat of 4 people sleeping in the same bed and also because she is becoming a young lady. In these places the great quantity of people per room and doubtful kinships combine to generate great dangers; especially for young maturing girls such as Natalia herself. Thanks to God we managed to construct the small room for Natalia and the happiness is obvious in her precious face. Now she has her own space that is comfortable and safe.
Activity to Gather Funds for the School “Santiago of the Monte” Abril26 2008
During the past month we had been working on the planning of a Bingo. A connection was made by the company "Bingos of Costa Rica" who gave us a good price for the utilization of their equipment. In the past week we did a great advertising job, posting posters at every corner and visiting door-to-door of that sector, the people already knew us due to the recreation activity we had had with their children days prior. The organization and sponsorship of this bingo was at our own personal expense, obtaining prizes and money that was needed. We give thanks to God for having put people who greatly collaborated such as:
Mr. Milton Marin,Mr. Alberto Mora,Mr. Hugo,Miss Silenia Diaz,Mr. Manfred Venegas
Mrs. Lucia Gonzáles,Mr. Erick Arroyo,Mr. Rafael Mora
Pastor Rogelio Morales and the members of his church, “Comunidad del Este”.
Thanks to God and all of these people, the Bingo was a success. We achieved sharing the gospel with hundreds of people and also had a musical participation where we, by way of Christian lyrics, were able to share a good message. The school raised about $1,500 that will be used for the construction of a library. Not only were the students and professors thrilled but the community shared in their happiness as well
Weekly Food Distribution & Special Activity April 25 2008
As is custom, every Friday we are distributing food to hundreds of boys and girls. This week, however, we were accompanied by two people from Pennsylvania who brought clothes and shoes for all the children as well. We served ice cream; a very common treat for us, but something not so common for these youngsters. It was a morning where we also shared a message with all the assistants and in addition we managed to express a great love to them as well.
Celebration of National Sports Day at “Santiago Del Monte” School of Tres Rios 26 de Abril 2008
Normally, this day is celebrated in March but due to a tight agenda we had to actualize it On April 11. This event was a complete day of recreation, with prizes, contests, food and much more. 600 children of this school enjoyed themselves incredibly. More so, due to the fact that they do not have physical education classes and were more than happy to take advantage of this day to let out all of their hyperactivity. This project was the first we have had with this particular school and we happily plan to continue to develop other projects here.
Final Phase Montufar Project April 7 – 11 2008
As it is custom after working with the support teams, our staff has to complete the rest of many projects. 6 of us worked during the last 12 days to finish the task of the Montufar wall. It was very hard work, but it was all worth it the moment we finally saw the project finished. The wall is now ready, the neighbors' are pleased and the community is very grateful. During the process we made good contacts with representatives of Saint Clare High School for future projects and many others passed on and solicited our help to collaborate in their own communities. We give infinite thanks to God for His direction and hand over us and we also congratulate the staff that, as always, endured till the end (Jhonny, Jhossell, Valeria, Vanessa, Noemí, Conrado and Jherson). We give our gratitude to the engineer Jorge Granados, representative of the company Sisreelec, and to the architect Manfred Venegas, representative of Line Architects, who supervised and helped us direct this project.
Spartanburg Abril 3 – 5 2008
With the support of 4 students from South Carolina, we developed the forth phase of the Montufar Project. We achieved building have of the wall as well as preparing the work materials for the following weeks. The process has been somewhat slow because the wall has needed time to dry; however, we stay fervent and continue building. We give our many thanks to these young people for their very great collaboration.
Oakbrook, South Carolina March 27 - 29 2008
Thanks to Young Life we had the opportunity to share phase 3 of the "Vida Joven Montufar" project with nine college students and their leaders. In spite of their young age the work was excellent and for their great disposition the task progressed. Through seeing the development of the project we now know that we will need a phase 5 which will be directed by the hand of the national workforce. We continue to get closer and closer to achieving our objective. We pray that God will care for and guide these young people that they may be able to understand how important their help is for us.
Clemson South, Carolina March 18 - 21 2008
On March 18 a group of leaders of Young Life, under the direction of Jenny Mclane Barrantes and in coordination with our staff, developed phase 2 of the "Vida Joven Montufar" project and due to the great number of members, we managed to actualize a parallel project in a communal lounge in the province of "Lourdes", where we painted the interior, installed a door for the bathroom, repaired the staircase and plastered the external walls to avoid dampness and weathering. In Montufar we advanced in a great way, managing to soak the trench that will be used as a foundation to stabilize the wall. We give thanks to God for the disposition and the effort of each one of these young people. Every time we get closer to our goal.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina March 10 - 12 2008
Within our alliances, we coordinate the social focus projects of Young Life Costa Rica. On March 8th we had the opportunity to work with a team from North Carolina with which we concluded the first phase of the "Vida Joven Montufar" Project. We claimed that in four stages we would be able to construct a wall of 102 ft. long and 3 ft. high that is to boarder the community’s multiuse basketball field. Those who are promised to this work wish to eventually use these boarders and turn them into a gymnasium for the community. We are grateful for all the members of the group of Tarhell for their disposition and excellent attitude. Together we manage bring benefits to this community.
Conexión's Praise & Worship Ministry March 7th 2008
It began to develop when we had our first participation at the ceremony of the presentation of our new logo on March 6th, where the importance of this new group was shown; for the fortification of our organization. We give thanks to God because He has allowed us to begin by obtaining all of the sound equipment needed. This is the first step of the mission that He has entrusted to us. We will be taking part of other activities in these following weeks.
Weekly Lunch Distribution March 7th 2008
Regularly we give food to several families of inadequate or minimal resources, now we are entering into a different approach. Last Friday, the 7th of March, we gave lunch to 135 children from the district of San Vicente in the city of Tres Rios. We have begun to support a weekly project of the church: Communidad del Este, represented by Pastor Rogelio, who for much time has done this project every Wednesday. We thank God that we have been able to provide our services to Pastor Rogelio and these young children so that this event may prosper every Friday as well. These little ones never forget that 11am to 1pm, every Wednesday and Friday, they will have a promised meal.
Refreshment Gathering and Unveiling of New Logo March 6th 2008
D
uring these last months we have been experiencing a very positive transformation. To keep ourselves focused is our main objective and planning the best strategy to reach our goals have been every day topics. The refreshing of our spiritual and emotional condition has brought clarity and a new confidence in the work. This whole process of growth and organization, had a very important part in a special activity on March 6th, when students of the UIA (International University of the Americas) presented our new logo, image, advertisement, web page, banners and much more. This comes to complement all the work and focus that we are developing, from an incredible job that they carried out for months. We were also delighted by the presence of distinguished personalities of some of the businesses and organizations that support our team. We were especially delighted by the presence by our United States representative Mr. Russell Black: director of Latin Impact Ministries with whom we had the great pleasure of sharing several days. We thank all of those who participated and in a very special way, the UIA students, Raquel and Paulo, for all the work that they contributed.
CONEXIÓN STAFF CAMP: FEBRUARY 15th and 16th
We rendered this activity for our staff in order to plan our first semester of work. Many changes have come to Conexión, after going through a difficult period. Fresh ideas and the recognition and support of Conexión's mission and vision were some of the central topics as well as the creation of the praise ministry (Christian music group). All of which will come to put a vital ingredient of our work.
ENTRY OF CLASSES ACTIVITY: SANTA TERESITA SCHOOL
With the aim to stimulate their studying and inaugurate the academic year, we developed a recreation program of sports and activities for 500 students of the Santa Teresita School. We have worked with them for the past two years, administrating several projects.
THE CARPIO'S 2007 KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION: DECEMBER 20th
This institution of “The Carpio” dedicated the graduation to us here at Conexión in gratitude of the constant work and support that we have rendered to them. We give thanks to God and to the representatives of all the kindergarten classes for having been able to share with more than two thousand of the kindergarten parents. This recognition motivates us in working in favor of that which is needed.
“SONRISAS” 2007: December 10th-13th
With the support of several private businesses and hundreds of volunteers, we managed to bring love and happiness to more than 2500 children in different zones of Costa Rica. The activity included food, sweets, gifts, inflatable moon bounces and much more. The children enjoyed of a special day, where they were able to feel that someone had taken interest in them.
Thousands of smiles … the best payment of our work.
