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Costa Rica VIM 2011

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Calvary sponsored a Volunteers In Mission  (VIM) to Upala, Costa Rica in January during which a team of 7 volunteers (6 from Calvary UMC ) stayed in this small North central town where we supported the efforts of the Upala Methodist Church.  The following summarizes what happened.

We sponsored 3 sessions of Vacation Bible School at 3 different locations (two churches and one front porch).  Each of the VBS sessions consisted of group singing led by Betty, with her ukulele, a Bible story led by our local interpreter (Dyan Jenkins), coloring of pictures which depicted the theme of the day's Bible story, some games (highlighted by the multicolored parachute and water-filled balloons) and snack time.   We also had a photo day where Bill was able to capture the image of about 120 smiling kids so they now have a current picture of themselves.   

2010 Trip
2011 Trip

We continued work on the Methodist church there in Upala. Two major efforts included the installation of the support grid for the church ceiling and construction of the concrete sink and serving platforms for the kitchen. Bill, Rodger and Gary designed and fabricated the pulpit so the pastor would have a place to hold his sermon notes; and with the help of a local craftsman finished off what started out as rough-cut boards into a beautiful piece of furniture (see photos above). We ate our breakfast at a little restaurant adjacent to the hotel where we stayed. We enjoyed lunch and dinner meals with the local work team at the Upala church eating "home cooked" dishes prepared in the church kitchen by the church ladies. This time together was always a special time; we were able to bring the team together and share what each sub-team had been working on and to get better acquainted with the local church members and their families.

We went on "an excursion" on Sunday after church and visited a waterfall and drove into the mountains to visit a hot springs resort. Time got away from us so we settled for a nice dinner and a brochure showing what we missed! We drove back along some "country roads" and saw a side of Costa Rica that you just don't see from the highway!

VIM trips are a great way to see something new, to get better acquainted church members and to experience a taste of "local culture". The Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries website maintains a listing of VIM opportunities which are looking for participants.

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The Pulpit

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On our trip to Costa Rica this year, we helped make two kitchen counters with concrete forms and imbedded a sink into one of them. We also helped install a grid for supporting a drop ceiling throughout the sanctuary. But the church's pastor also wanted something else. He needed a pulpit.

So three of us, Bill Lovelace, Rodger Findiesen and Gary Anderson from the Eastern shore, who frequently went to Costa Rica with his neighbors Al and Joan Moored our mission trip leaders, set to work. First we picked out from a pile of wood the widest planks with the least wormholes and fewest knots. Then we used an electric planer to take the rough lumber and start the process of making it into furniture. Next we cut the lumber into 6 boards for the three sides of the pulpit. But our best efforts with the handheld circular saw were not sufficient to make perfectly square and straight edges to be fit together. Our next problem was how to fasten the boards together and we opted for dowels. We searched the town to buy some, but there were none to be found. So finally we stopped at a furniture construction mill behind a home under a large roof. First one man tried to make us dowels. But then upon hearing that we were trying to make a pulpit for the newly roofed MethodistChurch up the road, and seeing our efforts so far, he told us to leave the pieces with him and he would fasten them together. We asked him what he wanted for all this work. So we brought two large cokes, which he shared with his fellow workers. We also paid him for the work he had done for us.

A few days later we picked up the pulpit. It was beautiful. We invited him to the evening church service to see his efforts being used. Back at the church we installed two shelves and a baseboard. The pastor was thrilled with his new pulpit.

In the evening a great crowd came to hear testimonies and our new friend brought his entire family. He even testified as to the Lord's working in his life. Afterwards we mentioned how we would polyurethane the pulpit the next day. He said we should bring it and the materials back to the mill, as one of the other men would spray it for us. This man did not want money for spray finishing the pulpit. He said it was for the Glory of God. We gave him money anyway, which he appreciated...

In the end this is just like every mission trip. We go to help. Then we find them helping us. Then we help each other and build a church. Not one block at a time, but rather one person at a time, because that is what a church is, a community built by God.

For information about future VIM-Costa Rica trips, please contact Al Moored.