Here is the video for Tortuga Island! More to come on the DVD...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Video Intro Preview
I'm working on the video, and this is the intro I have so far - hopefully the full product will be done by graduation night....
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Back at home
It's Sunday morning and we are all safe in Columbus, Ohio. We had a great final flight with a really fun crew. They gave us the ol' "O-H....I-O" about four times on the flight. Lots of fun. We also had a warm welcome waiting for us at the airport, with all of the parents and family members greeting us in front of baggage claim.
Praise God for a great trip! We had no major accidents or injuries, no serious sun burns or trips to the hospital, and a great week exploring a beautiful country and seeing some wonderful kids. I couldn't have expected a better first senior trip experience. I'm so thankful to have been able to share it with each of you.
If you have pictures that you want to give me to put on the final DVD (which hopefully be ready by graduation) then you can either bring a CD or your memory card to school next week, or send one or two pictures to me through email.
If you would like some of the pictures from Thursday to show family, etc., just email me or drop by school and I can burn a disc for you with just picture files on it -
See you guys Thurs :)
Praise God for a great trip! We had no major accidents or injuries, no serious sun burns or trips to the hospital, and a great week exploring a beautiful country and seeing some wonderful kids. I couldn't have expected a better first senior trip experience. I'm so thankful to have been able to share it with each of you.
If you have pictures that you want to give me to put on the final DVD (which hopefully be ready by graduation) then you can either bring a CD or your memory card to school next week, or send one or two pictures to me through email.
If you would like some of the pictures from Thursday to show family, etc., just email me or drop by school and I can burn a disc for you with just picture files on it -
See you guys Thurs :)
Saturday, May 24, 2008
In the airport
We are waiting to board our plane in the Costa Rican International Airport. Getting our tickets and through security was no trouble at all, and now the kids are trying to spend the rest of their Colones (Costa Rican money).
We had great group devotions this morning, and a lot of the students shared about lessons they learned and how they intend to remember the experience. We said goodbye to Cherith, our guide, at the security checkpoint, and now it is on to Atlanta. It looks like our flights are scheduled the same as planned.
I've uploaded the pictures from yesterday's trip to Tortuga Island, so hopefully you can see a little bit more of what that trip was like. I'll try to put a few more pictures up when we get back to the states.
See everyone in about 10 hours!
We had great group devotions this morning, and a lot of the students shared about lessons they learned and how they intend to remember the experience. We said goodbye to Cherith, our guide, at the security checkpoint, and now it is on to Atlanta. It looks like our flights are scheduled the same as planned.
I've uploaded the pictures from yesterday's trip to Tortuga Island, so hopefully you can see a little bit more of what that trip was like. I'll try to put a few more pictures up when we get back to the states.
See everyone in about 10 hours!
Tortuga Island and the Last Day
Well the wireless has been very unreliable the last 12 hours, so I am just going to type a quick update on the lobby computer. I think the rain sometimes knocks out the wireless signal. David tried for a few hours to get on last night and didn't have success, and there are about 5 Joshua Expedition groups here right now, so the two computers are usually very busy, except around this time of day (6 in the morning).** Note: Because I don't have pictures for this day, I have included links throughout the blog that will give more info from the day. I'll upload pictures as soon as possible**
Yesterday was a full day of going to the beach. We were picked up by our tour group, Calypso Cruises at around 7 am. They were a very professional organization with a great guide who spoke fluent Spanish and English. We were also with about 30 other tourists, which was interesting at times. Regardless, we drove up through the mountains and stopped for breakfast at a place called "The Garden." They had a toucan in a large cage that you could see, and it even jumped up on Cameron's arm! They also had a nice gift shop and a very large garden.
Then we drove down the windy roads to "Sandy Point" where we got on our Catimaran boat, the "Manta Ray." On the boat there were complimentary drinks (soda, water, etc.) and fresh fruit (pinapple, mango, watermelon) as well as music and of course wonderful views of the mountains and the water. It was about a 1 1/2 hour boat ride out to the island, but you were able to relax on the front of the boat on these large nets, or dip your feet in little wading pools. It was very enjoyable. (You can see some pictures from the tour company here)
At Tortuga Island, we had a set area that was just for our tour group. The workers set up beautiful canopy tents, another open drink area, and then began to prepare lunch which consisted of a typical salad that had fish (pretty good!) and then a chicken over rice (of course, we've had that almost every meal) with coconut for the main course. There was also dessert and coffee.
On crazy thing was that while we were waiting for lunch, a "wild boar" came out of the jungle and just plopped down amongst all the tourists. It turns out she wasn't so wild, but rather domesticated like a small dog, about the size of a beagle. She was very friendly and allowed everyone to pet her, bury her in sand, rub her nose, etc. It was really cute. There were also many wild birds, turkeys and lots of cococunts falling from the trees.
Before lunch, the snorkeling crew went out to a small reef area for about an hour. I didn't go, but the report was that it was a lot of fun, there were many fish (lots of the same kind though) and apparently Mr. Schneider claims he saw a shark (we think it was just David Strawser messing around though). Nevertheless, everyone really enjoyed themselves.
After lunch we had a good game of sand volleyball with Jordan and Emily showing off their skills, and then we all enjoyed swimming for another hour or so. Kelsey and Alicia fell asleep on the beach, until the tide came in and surprised them by washing up to their waists. In the water, Tabby, Madison and Alex had "chicken fights" and Natalie took great pictures with her water proof camera (I'll be working on uploading those soon). Overall, it was a beautiful day at the beach.
Of course, in the afternoon it rained. Luckily, it didn't really start until we were back on the boat. However, there were a hundred or more tourists now crammed into the bottom section of the boat, so some of us chose to stay out in the rain and wash off. But it was a little cold! That was an adventure in itself. Regardless, we made it back to the pier and to the tour bus, changed clothes, and headed home. The drive home was very, very rough. It was probably the most jerky, fast turns, stop-and-go drive of the trip so far. The bus drive was very good, but not very patient. Many of our students felt sick and couldn't sleep. So when we got back to the hotel (around 9 pm), we quickly ate dinner, and then many went to bed right away.
This morning we are meeting at 7:30 for group devotions by the pool, breakfast at 8:30, and then we have to be on the bus headed to the airport at 9:45. Our flight leaves at 1 pm, and we are scheduled to eventually make it into CMH around midnight. Check your information packets for detailed flight info, and I'm sure the students will be calling from the Atlanta airport. I probably won't be able to post anything from Atlanta, because their internet is pay-as-you-go. But we'll see.
For more pictures from our cruise, you can go here and they are supposed to update the pictures from our tour soon.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Abraham Project Day #2
Today was another day working with the Abraham Project just outside of San Jose, but it was much more laid back. We arrived around 9am and were given a very thorough tour. This is an amazing ministry in San Jose that was started only 10 years ago. It was the vision of a few women in a dying church, and now consists of a 350 member congregation, a 75 child day care center and a children's home that takes in abused and foster children from the neighborhood. They work hand-in-hand with the government in many ways, but they also rely fully on God's provision. They told us many exciting stories of how God had provided money (from places like the Japanese Embassy and a national soccer star) and helped the students understand the cycles of poverty in countries like Costa Rica.
As you look at the pictures, you'll notice there are many pictures of wood. It may seem odd, but this is one example of how God provides, and how resourceful this project is. Several years ago, the leaders found out that the owners of a window company were simply throwing away the crates that they shipped their windows in. They asked if they could have the scrap wood, and the company agreed. Now all of the wood that is used to build the children's homes, the day care center, and the new multi-purpose building is made from this scrap wood from the crates that ship windows. The wood goes through a careful treatment process (see the pictures of the wood in stages) and eventually becomes the beautifully stained and sturdy structures that you see in the pictures. It was a beautiful a inspiring sight.
After our tour of the facilities we talked with one of the head missionaries, Steve. He told us more stories of working with abused children - some the children of prostitutes, others abandoned - and also talked about how God had called him into mission work. Then we went outside to help with a little more work. We were part of the first stage of wood treatment - nail removal. It was a lot harder than what you would expect because the nails often didn't have heads, or would bend very easily. But we got the hang of it and developed our own techniques.
We only worked for an hour or so, and then enjoyed another fantastic lunch. After lunch we played games with some of the day care kids. There were 10 kids - Isaac, Jesus, Christian, Tamara, and others - and we started out doing relay races with soccer balls and frisbees. The kids were having a blast. Once it started raining, we went back inside and sang a few quick songs, and then let the kids use the shoe decorating crafts to color and design some cards. We would have liked to have been more prepared for a craft, but we didn't know we would have that much time with the kids. Nevertheless, our GCCS students did a great job, and Candance noted that she had never seen these kids so well-behaved.
We're back at the hotel now, cleaning up, and getting ready to head out to our nice dinner. Apparently we drive up into the mountains and enjoy a more fancy dinner that even has typical Costa Rican dancing performances. Everyone is looking very spiffy, and the students are excited for heading to the beach tomorrow.
I double-checked the pictures, and some of the links were bad but I tried to fix them, so hopefully they are all good now - thanks for letting me know about the bad links, and please continue to comment or email (schroeder.jesse@gmail.com) if there are problems.
As you look at the pictures, you'll notice there are many pictures of wood. It may seem odd, but this is one example of how God provides, and how resourceful this project is. Several years ago, the leaders found out that the owners of a window company were simply throwing away the crates that they shipped their windows in. They asked if they could have the scrap wood, and the company agreed. Now all of the wood that is used to build the children's homes, the day care center, and the new multi-purpose building is made from this scrap wood from the crates that ship windows. The wood goes through a careful treatment process (see the pictures of the wood in stages) and eventually becomes the beautifully stained and sturdy structures that you see in the pictures. It was a beautiful a inspiring sight.
After our tour of the facilities we talked with one of the head missionaries, Steve. He told us more stories of working with abused children - some the children of prostitutes, others abandoned - and also talked about how God had called him into mission work. Then we went outside to help with a little more work. We were part of the first stage of wood treatment - nail removal. It was a lot harder than what you would expect because the nails often didn't have heads, or would bend very easily. But we got the hang of it and developed our own techniques.
We only worked for an hour or so, and then enjoyed another fantastic lunch. After lunch we played games with some of the day care kids. There were 10 kids - Isaac, Jesus, Christian, Tamara, and others - and we started out doing relay races with soccer balls and frisbees. The kids were having a blast. Once it started raining, we went back inside and sang a few quick songs, and then let the kids use the shoe decorating crafts to color and design some cards. We would have liked to have been more prepared for a craft, but we didn't know we would have that much time with the kids. Nevertheless, our GCCS students did a great job, and Candance noted that she had never seen these kids so well-behaved.
We're back at the hotel now, cleaning up, and getting ready to head out to our nice dinner. Apparently we drive up into the mountains and enjoy a more fancy dinner that even has typical Costa Rican dancing performances. Everyone is looking very spiffy, and the students are excited for heading to the beach tomorrow.
I double-checked the pictures, and some of the links were bad but I tried to fix them, so hopefully they are all good now - thanks for letting me know about the bad links, and please continue to comment or email (schroeder.jesse@gmail.com) if there are problems.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday - Abraham Project
Here's a run down of today's activities:
We enjoyed another wonderful breakfast in our private dining room at the Country Inn and Suites. It was a beautiful morning with warm air and blue skies. We met at the bus at 8am and headed out to the Abraham Project which is located just outside San Jose. We had to drive through government housing projects, and we ended up in a neighborhood that wasn't too rough, but was certainly different from any one the students have seen in the U.S.
We met our co-workers - a group of students from Trinity Christian School near Fort Worth Texas. They are also seniors on their senior mission trip, and the two groups connected and worked together well. We also met Candace, the leader of the Abraham Project. We dropped off the 20 suitcases of donated items and they were very grateful. They said they have great needs for such items.
We started working around 9:30, and worked straight until about 12:30. The job was to pour the footings for what will eventually be a 1,200 stadium-seating sanctuary/multi-purpose building. The projected cost is $650,000 (remember we are in Costa Rica, and think how far a dollar goes down here). They hope to finish in about four years. We also worked with about a dozen native Costa Ricans. They were the concrete experts, putting the proper amounts into the automatic mixers (a real luxury when working in a developing country!) Then the concrete would be poured out into a holding trough, and we would scoop it into buckets and wheelbarrows, and haul it down the hill to be dumped off.
The sun was hot and was cooking everyone fast. We kept the sunscreen on and everyone drinking water. Before lunch, we were barely half-way finished. This type of job has to be finished all at one time because if you stop, there is the likelihood that the footing will crack and be unstable. So as we ate our lunch of rice, beans and ham (very good), the foreman addressed us and told us he really needed us to stay and continue to work "about an hour." So we did.
We got back out, and we worked hard for an hour. And then the group from Trinity left. And our group stayed and kept working. And then it started to sprinkle. And our group shifted job responsibilities (since our numbers were cut in half), and they worked harder. Natalie took over shoveling the concrete. Tabby started hauling a wheelbarrow, along with Michael, James, Cameron, Madison, Ashley and Craig.
And then the rain came down harder. And we got more and more wet. But we were so close to finishing! So we kept working. And no one complained. No one gave up. No one asked, "Why are we doing this?" They just kept smiling, working, and staying positive. Finally, after being covered in concrete, soaked with rain, and very very sore - we were finished.
As soon as we started to pack up, rinse off, change clothes, the rains REALLY came. It's hard to describe a central American afternoon rain - it is fast, big, loud and very wet. Everything was soaked. Luckily (sarcasm) our bus was only parked about 200 yards up the hill because it was too big to pass under some electrical lines. So we hoofed it up, and climbed into the brand new bus (literally 3 weeks old). Our driver, Pablo, had some of us sit on towels, and he was careful to be sure we didn't get it too dirty. But we were very glad to be on our way home. It took about an hour to drive through rush hour traffic and make it back to the hotel.
As we were finishing up the project, I spoke with Candace. And she said, "I could not have asked for anything more. This is fantastic." I'm glad our seniors were able to help out in a meaningful way. And perhaps in three years, when the students who are freshmen now, come down to the Abraham project, they'll see how the foundation that we laid today is being used every day.
We enjoyed another wonderful breakfast in our private dining room at the Country Inn and Suites. It was a beautiful morning with warm air and blue skies. We met at the bus at 8am and headed out to the Abraham Project which is located just outside San Jose. We had to drive through government housing projects, and we ended up in a neighborhood that wasn't too rough, but was certainly different from any one the students have seen in the U.S.
We met our co-workers - a group of students from Trinity Christian School near Fort Worth Texas. They are also seniors on their senior mission trip, and the two groups connected and worked together well. We also met Candace, the leader of the Abraham Project. We dropped off the 20 suitcases of donated items and they were very grateful. They said they have great needs for such items.
We started working around 9:30, and worked straight until about 12:30. The job was to pour the footings for what will eventually be a 1,200 stadium-seating sanctuary/multi-purpose building. The projected cost is $650,000 (remember we are in Costa Rica, and think how far a dollar goes down here). They hope to finish in about four years. We also worked with about a dozen native Costa Ricans. They were the concrete experts, putting the proper amounts into the automatic mixers (a real luxury when working in a developing country!) Then the concrete would be poured out into a holding trough, and we would scoop it into buckets and wheelbarrows, and haul it down the hill to be dumped off.
The sun was hot and was cooking everyone fast. We kept the sunscreen on and everyone drinking water. Before lunch, we were barely half-way finished. This type of job has to be finished all at one time because if you stop, there is the likelihood that the footing will crack and be unstable. So as we ate our lunch of rice, beans and ham (very good), the foreman addressed us and told us he really needed us to stay and continue to work "about an hour." So we did.
We got back out, and we worked hard for an hour. And then the group from Trinity left. And our group stayed and kept working. And then it started to sprinkle. And our group shifted job responsibilities (since our numbers were cut in half), and they worked harder. Natalie took over shoveling the concrete. Tabby started hauling a wheelbarrow, along with Michael, James, Cameron, Madison, Ashley and Craig.
And then the rain came down harder. And we got more and more wet. But we were so close to finishing! So we kept working. And no one complained. No one gave up. No one asked, "Why are we doing this?" They just kept smiling, working, and staying positive. Finally, after being covered in concrete, soaked with rain, and very very sore - we were finished.
As soon as we started to pack up, rinse off, change clothes, the rains REALLY came. It's hard to describe a central American afternoon rain - it is fast, big, loud and very wet. Everything was soaked. Luckily (sarcasm) our bus was only parked about 200 yards up the hill because it was too big to pass under some electrical lines. So we hoofed it up, and climbed into the brand new bus (literally 3 weeks old). Our driver, Pablo, had some of us sit on towels, and he was careful to be sure we didn't get it too dirty. But we were very glad to be on our way home. It took about an hour to drive through rush hour traffic and make it back to the hotel.
As we were finishing up the project, I spoke with Candace. And she said, "I could not have asked for anything more. This is fantastic." I'm glad our seniors were able to help out in a meaningful way. And perhaps in three years, when the students who are freshmen now, come down to the Abraham project, they'll see how the foundation that we laid today is being used every day.
What I saw today...
I'll write a longer and more detailed post in a few minutes, but first I wanted to share a few of the things I saw today:
- I saw two different Christian schools - one from Texas, one from Ohio - come together to lay the foundation for a 1,200 seat auditorium, multi-purpose building.
- I saw 40 seniors work really, really hard.
- I saw over 1,000 cubic feet of concrete mixed, shoveled, hauled, poured, and formed into the footings.
- I saw a lot of smiles.
- I saw American students speaking in Spanish to native Costa Rican workers - and becoming friends.
- I saw Natalie Huebner help Jason Schneider talk to a Costa Rican worker by using her ASL talents - the man was deaf.
- I saw the same group of students work for 3 hours straight - and then continue to work after lunch, even though they were told we'd be done by noon.
- I saw it start to rain, and the students kept working.
- I saw Craig Patterson haul a wheelbarrow full of concrete down a muddy slope, in the rain, so it could be poured into footings.
- I saw Jordan Combs shovel concrete for an hour and a half straight.
- I saw Tabby Pinks, Ashley Stickel and Madison Brackman pushing wheelbarrows full of concrete up and down the hill - only slipping in the mud once or twice.
- I saw David Strawser slide down the hill, scratch up his leg, but get right back up with the same positive attitude and keep working.
- I saw the students from Texas leave to go shopping, and I saw our students keep working - in the rain.
- I saw the rain come down harder, and the director of the project say we could call it a day, but our students kept working.
- I saw the project finished - the footings laid - the concrete begin to dry - and 19 very tired, wet, but impressive seniors.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
New Pictures
I've uploaded four new photo albums tonight -
- Monday's pics, including the drive through the mountains, Zarcero gardens and pics from the Volcano Lodge hotel (this is in two albums, CR #3 and CR #3B)
- Canopy Zip Line Tour pictures (thank you Ecoglide tour group!)
- La Fortuna orphanage pictures
Long update...
Alright, I've put up some more pictures - now it is time to describe the day's events.
We had a wonderful buffet breakfast at the Volcano Lodge. Such a beautiful morning! It was humid, but warm and beautiful. The volcano was hidden by clouds, but we enjoyed made-to-order omelets, fresh fruit, bread and coffee. After loading up the bus with all of our luggage again, we headed to the jungle canopy zip line tour.
This was with a group called Ecoglide, and it was very professional and very exciting. They carefully explained all of the safety measures, helped fit us into our harnesses, and had us practice going down a short and very close to the ground zip line. Then we headed up (up, up, up) into the jungle. We basically were about 1,500 feet up onto the side of the volcano. We walked up a few hundred stairs, and then would get on a platform, zip line down to the next platform in the trees, and they would hook us up to another zip line, and we would go about 200-300 feet down to the next platform, another 400-500 ft. to the next platform, on down through the rainforest. There wasn't even enough time to get nervous - you just clicked in and off you went.
The views from the zip lines were incredible - blue skies, visibility for miles. All of the pictures of the zip lines are from the photographers from Ecoglide. The staff there was very professional, very friends, and very safe. It was an incredible experience.
After about 12 zip lines, we came to the "Tarzan Swing." This is basically a giant rope swing, where they hook you into your harness, and you drop straight down and swing up into the trees. It was a real rush. I'll try to upload some videos later. James had the best scream though - it scared away all the monkeys.
The canopy zip line tour was certainly a highlight - lots of fun. We ended early, so we had about an hour extra to wander around La Fortuna (named "Fortune" because when Arenal erupted in 1968, it blew the other way and the town was spared). The shopping was typical tourism, but still, the kids found some organic coffee and some t-shirts.
We enjoyed another wonderful lunch in an open-air restaurant, and then headed to the La Fortuna orphanage. There are only about 11 kids at this orphanage, but they are very cute. They had a lot (A LOT!) of energy at first, but then we took out the blank canvas shoes we had brought to decorate, and they really focused in on the project. The GCCS students did really well speaking Spanish, helping the kids decorate, and just having a great time. The pictures say it all.
After the orphanage, we loaded up the bus around 2:15 and started the anticipated 3 1/2 hour drive back to San Jose (with a plan to stop for a little more shopping). However, about an hour into the drive, the bus started acting funny. Our very capable driver Rafa (short for Rafael), said that there was plenty of gas, but the bus was saying there wasn't any - so perhaps it was a filter or a leak or something. Regardless, we spent about 20 minutes on the side of a very steep hill while Rafa crawled up inside the bus trying to fix the problem. It was sunny, hot and moist. But he got it working.
We drove (very slowly) about a half mile. Then we stopped again. It started to rain. We waited, and waited. We sat in the bus - we played cards in the bus - we sat outside in the rain - we sat under the bus to stay out of the rain - we made our guide, Cherith, knock on the doors of the houses nearby so we could use their bathrooms. And we waited some more.
The students were very patient, and it was a long wait. Eventually Rafa (after getting covered in oil, rain and dirt) got the bus running again, but it was rough going. So he called another bus to come and meet us to take us back to San Jose. This bus met us about a half hour later, and we took all of our carry-on luggage (but not our full suitcases) onto this much smaller bus/van. Our group of 23 filled about all of the 30 max capacity seats (that includes flip down middle seats - yeah it was tight).
So, about a 1 1/2 hour drive later, we arrived at dinner, another great meal. Rafa met us shortly after, and we transferred all of our gear back. Then we made it back to our hotel and everyone is enjoying showers, swimming, and sleeping.
Tomorrow we go to the "Abraham Project" for the first time. I have heard nothing but good things about this ministry, and most exciting of all, they are very glad we brought lots of supplies. We only donated about 3 suitcases of gear to the orphanage at La Fortuna (they are state run and not in as much need), but the Abraham Project is a unique ministry that is in a lot of need, and so we are excited to bless them.
The word is that tomorrow we are doing concrete mixing and laying. From experience, I know this is very hard work, but lots of fun and very rewarding. We will be working alongside another Joshua Expeditions group, along with about a dozen local workers. Hopefully we get a lot done!
I hope you are enjoying the pictures and the updates. If you leave comments, I pass them along to the students. We are in this hotel the remainder of the week, so updates should be more regular. I may not get one in tomorrow morning, but I'll be sure to update tomorrow night.
Blessings.....
We had a wonderful buffet breakfast at the Volcano Lodge. Such a beautiful morning! It was humid, but warm and beautiful. The volcano was hidden by clouds, but we enjoyed made-to-order omelets, fresh fruit, bread and coffee. After loading up the bus with all of our luggage again, we headed to the jungle canopy zip line tour.
This was with a group called Ecoglide, and it was very professional and very exciting. They carefully explained all of the safety measures, helped fit us into our harnesses, and had us practice going down a short and very close to the ground zip line. Then we headed up (up, up, up) into the jungle. We basically were about 1,500 feet up onto the side of the volcano. We walked up a few hundred stairs, and then would get on a platform, zip line down to the next platform in the trees, and they would hook us up to another zip line, and we would go about 200-300 feet down to the next platform, another 400-500 ft. to the next platform, on down through the rainforest. There wasn't even enough time to get nervous - you just clicked in and off you went.
The views from the zip lines were incredible - blue skies, visibility for miles. All of the pictures of the zip lines are from the photographers from Ecoglide. The staff there was very professional, very friends, and very safe. It was an incredible experience.
After about 12 zip lines, we came to the "Tarzan Swing." This is basically a giant rope swing, where they hook you into your harness, and you drop straight down and swing up into the trees. It was a real rush. I'll try to upload some videos later. James had the best scream though - it scared away all the monkeys.
The canopy zip line tour was certainly a highlight - lots of fun. We ended early, so we had about an hour extra to wander around La Fortuna (named "Fortune" because when Arenal erupted in 1968, it blew the other way and the town was spared). The shopping was typical tourism, but still, the kids found some organic coffee and some t-shirts.
We enjoyed another wonderful lunch in an open-air restaurant, and then headed to the La Fortuna orphanage. There are only about 11 kids at this orphanage, but they are very cute. They had a lot (A LOT!) of energy at first, but then we took out the blank canvas shoes we had brought to decorate, and they really focused in on the project. The GCCS students did really well speaking Spanish, helping the kids decorate, and just having a great time. The pictures say it all.
After the orphanage, we loaded up the bus around 2:15 and started the anticipated 3 1/2 hour drive back to San Jose (with a plan to stop for a little more shopping). However, about an hour into the drive, the bus started acting funny. Our very capable driver Rafa (short for Rafael), said that there was plenty of gas, but the bus was saying there wasn't any - so perhaps it was a filter or a leak or something. Regardless, we spent about 20 minutes on the side of a very steep hill while Rafa crawled up inside the bus trying to fix the problem. It was sunny, hot and moist. But he got it working.
We drove (very slowly) about a half mile. Then we stopped again. It started to rain. We waited, and waited. We sat in the bus - we played cards in the bus - we sat outside in the rain - we sat under the bus to stay out of the rain - we made our guide, Cherith, knock on the doors of the houses nearby so we could use their bathrooms. And we waited some more.
The students were very patient, and it was a long wait. Eventually Rafa (after getting covered in oil, rain and dirt) got the bus running again, but it was rough going. So he called another bus to come and meet us to take us back to San Jose. This bus met us about a half hour later, and we took all of our carry-on luggage (but not our full suitcases) onto this much smaller bus/van. Our group of 23 filled about all of the 30 max capacity seats (that includes flip down middle seats - yeah it was tight).
So, about a 1 1/2 hour drive later, we arrived at dinner, another great meal. Rafa met us shortly after, and we transferred all of our gear back. Then we made it back to our hotel and everyone is enjoying showers, swimming, and sleeping.
Tomorrow we go to the "Abraham Project" for the first time. I have heard nothing but good things about this ministry, and most exciting of all, they are very glad we brought lots of supplies. We only donated about 3 suitcases of gear to the orphanage at La Fortuna (they are state run and not in as much need), but the Abraham Project is a unique ministry that is in a lot of need, and so we are excited to bless them.
The word is that tomorrow we are doing concrete mixing and laying. From experience, I know this is very hard work, but lots of fun and very rewarding. We will be working alongside another Joshua Expeditions group, along with about a dozen local workers. Hopefully we get a lot done!
I hope you are enjoying the pictures and the updates. If you leave comments, I pass them along to the students. We are in this hotel the remainder of the week, so updates should be more regular. I may not get one in tomorrow morning, but I'll be sure to update tomorrow night.
Blessings.....
Lots to write...
We're back! (there is more in those two words than you can imagine....)
It is about 9:45 in San Jose, and we are back at the Country Inn and Suites. It has been an incredibly eventful day, including a beautiful morning zip line tour in the rainforest canopy, some fun shopping in La Fortuna, a great time decorating shoes with the kids at the orphanage, and then a very eventful trek home.
I just got wireless on my laptop, so I am working on pictures, and maybe even a video or two - I'm going to cut this post short, and just say that there is more coming later tonight, so check back after midnight Ohio time, or tomorrow morning -
Hasta pronto -
It is about 9:45 in San Jose, and we are back at the Country Inn and Suites. It has been an incredibly eventful day, including a beautiful morning zip line tour in the rainforest canopy, some fun shopping in La Fortuna, a great time decorating shoes with the kids at the orphanage, and then a very eventful trek home.
I just got wireless on my laptop, so I am working on pictures, and maybe even a video or two - I'm going to cut this post short, and just say that there is more coming later tonight, so check back after midnight Ohio time, or tomorrow morning -
Hasta pronto -
Tuesday Morning, at the Volcano Lodge
Hello everyone . It is Tuesday morning, at about 7:30 Costa Rica time. The only internet access is one computer at the lobby of the hotel we are staying at, which is called Volcano Lodge. It is appropriately named, because we are within a few miles of the volcano Arenal. It towers over our rooms, and we can see it from any spot in the hotel. The hotel is more like a large park, with rooms scattered throughout. There are tropical plants, hummingbirds, armadillos (yes, we´ve seen 3 so far!) and beautiful scenery all throughout. Each room is well-furnished with a great view. Last night, we could see the lava on top of the volcano glowing a faint red.
Let me give you a run down of yesterdays activities. We left our hotel in San Jose and drove toward the volcano. It was a long, windy, up and down kinda drive. Through mountains, across small bridges, and up into the rainforest. We made a few stops - one at a beautiful lookout point (where the students bought more suvenirs, of course), and another at a unique restaurant that feeds iguanas, so there were probably 25 or so large, male iguanas just basking in the sun and in the trees. (Iguanas grow to be over 6 feet long, by the way, so it was pretty crazy!!)
We arrived at the Volcano Lodge for lunch - and it was a great lunch!! The food has been fantastic. We always get a choice between chicken with rice, fish, meat, or just chicken. And there is great service, with fresh juice, bread, and ice cream for dessert. Even David and Schneider are getting full after the meals!!
After lunch, we were able to relax and explore the beautiful hotel compound. Several of us took advantage of the sun and jumped into the pool. It was really refreshing. But we´d get many more chances to swim throughout the day. Next, we drove up to the rainforest, and walked down about 1,000 steps to a huge waterfall. I would say about 300-400 ft. high. It falls into some deep pools, and so we were able to jump into the fresh (and very cold!) water and swim for about an hour or so. Some students found a way to climb up the side of the hill, and jump into a deep spot. Others explored down the river, finding smaller waterfalls. One or two students accidently fell into the water, and got more wet than what they had intended :)
After the waterfall, it was only a short drive to the hot springs - definitely the highlight of the day. These hot springs are naturally heated from the volcano. It is a wonderful facility that provides you with a locker, a towel, and a shower afterwards. There were about 6 different pools, each a different temperature. Ranging from not heated at all, to so hot you can only sit in it for about 10 minutes, even though they are constantly spraying it with a cool mist. They served tropical drinks (no alcohol of course!) and we were able to really, really, relax. It was great!
We headed back to the hotel for another wonderful dinner and then had devotions pool side. We enjoyed singing some songs underneath the glow of the volcano, with lightening sparking in the distance. It was an awe-inspiring evening. Students shared where they saw God that day, and also about aprehensions they had about the trip and how they were overcoming them. Each is learning to pray with expectancy, as our guide Cherith is challenging us to do.
It´s another early morning, with lots to do. We are going to the rainforest again, to go on a series of zip lines (I think I heard there are 15!) And then in the afternoon to the orphanage at La Fortuna for only a few minutes. Then we will make the long and windy drive back to San Jose where we will check back into the same hotel.
Hopefully I will get internet connection on my laptop again in San Jose, so I can upload all the great pictures. Right now, you´ll have to settle for about a thousand words....
I´ll write more tonight -
Let me give you a run down of yesterdays activities. We left our hotel in San Jose and drove toward the volcano. It was a long, windy, up and down kinda drive. Through mountains, across small bridges, and up into the rainforest. We made a few stops - one at a beautiful lookout point (where the students bought more suvenirs, of course), and another at a unique restaurant that feeds iguanas, so there were probably 25 or so large, male iguanas just basking in the sun and in the trees. (Iguanas grow to be over 6 feet long, by the way, so it was pretty crazy!!)
We arrived at the Volcano Lodge for lunch - and it was a great lunch!! The food has been fantastic. We always get a choice between chicken with rice, fish, meat, or just chicken. And there is great service, with fresh juice, bread, and ice cream for dessert. Even David and Schneider are getting full after the meals!!
After lunch, we were able to relax and explore the beautiful hotel compound. Several of us took advantage of the sun and jumped into the pool. It was really refreshing. But we´d get many more chances to swim throughout the day. Next, we drove up to the rainforest, and walked down about 1,000 steps to a huge waterfall. I would say about 300-400 ft. high. It falls into some deep pools, and so we were able to jump into the fresh (and very cold!) water and swim for about an hour or so. Some students found a way to climb up the side of the hill, and jump into a deep spot. Others explored down the river, finding smaller waterfalls. One or two students accidently fell into the water, and got more wet than what they had intended :)
After the waterfall, it was only a short drive to the hot springs - definitely the highlight of the day. These hot springs are naturally heated from the volcano. It is a wonderful facility that provides you with a locker, a towel, and a shower afterwards. There were about 6 different pools, each a different temperature. Ranging from not heated at all, to so hot you can only sit in it for about 10 minutes, even though they are constantly spraying it with a cool mist. They served tropical drinks (no alcohol of course!) and we were able to really, really, relax. It was great!
We headed back to the hotel for another wonderful dinner and then had devotions pool side. We enjoyed singing some songs underneath the glow of the volcano, with lightening sparking in the distance. It was an awe-inspiring evening. Students shared where they saw God that day, and also about aprehensions they had about the trip and how they were overcoming them. Each is learning to pray with expectancy, as our guide Cherith is challenging us to do.
It´s another early morning, with lots to do. We are going to the rainforest again, to go on a series of zip lines (I think I heard there are 15!) And then in the afternoon to the orphanage at La Fortuna for only a few minutes. Then we will make the long and windy drive back to San Jose where we will check back into the same hotel.
Hopefully I will get internet connection on my laptop again in San Jose, so I can upload all the great pictures. Right now, you´ll have to settle for about a thousand words....
I´ll write more tonight -
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday Morning
Hello everyone!
It is a gorgeous Monday morning - no rain, and the sun is shining. I love waking up in Central America. Last night it rained for hours, but it looks like we'll have some wonderful sunshine for at least a few hours today.
The wireless internet isn't working now, so this is just a written post, no new pictures. Last night we had a great dinner at a local restaurant. LOTS of meat and and black beans - very traditional. The restuarant was open-air and had a great ambience. I know all the students were glad to get a hearty meal and then come back to bed.
Before we turned in for the night, Cherith (our JE guide) went over the plans for Monday. We will be driving to the volcano Arenal and checking in to our second hotel (we stay there only tonight). Then we will hike down to a beautiful waterfall and enjoy some swimming, and then check out some hot springs as well. Should be an exciting day!
No guarantees on internet at the volcano hotel, but I will try. If you don't hear from me in a couple of days, I'll be back on when we return to San Josa (Tuesday evening).
Thanks for all the prayers! Some of us are experience sinus congestion, so please pray for our health.
It is a gorgeous Monday morning - no rain, and the sun is shining. I love waking up in Central America. Last night it rained for hours, but it looks like we'll have some wonderful sunshine for at least a few hours today.
The wireless internet isn't working now, so this is just a written post, no new pictures. Last night we had a great dinner at a local restaurant. LOTS of meat and and black beans - very traditional. The restuarant was open-air and had a great ambience. I know all the students were glad to get a hearty meal and then come back to bed.
Before we turned in for the night, Cherith (our JE guide) went over the plans for Monday. We will be driving to the volcano Arenal and checking in to our second hotel (we stay there only tonight). Then we will hike down to a beautiful waterfall and enjoy some swimming, and then check out some hot springs as well. Should be an exciting day!
No guarantees on internet at the volcano hotel, but I will try. If you don't hear from me in a couple of days, I'll be back on when we return to San Josa (Tuesday evening).
Thanks for all the prayers! Some of us are experience sinus congestion, so please pray for our health.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sunday Afternoon
Our hotel - the Country Inn and Suites - is very nice. I am actually working through wireless internet right now (it is intermittent, so hopefully it will last long enough to get pics up). The staff is very friendly and has helped us fix any problems with our rooms (like burned out light bulbs - no roaches yet!! :)
After getting settled into the hotel, the rains came down (and the floods came up...) Yes, it is the rainy season here in Costa Rica, which means rain almost every afternoon. And it rained and rained today. While in the market, it sounded like a torrent. But it couldn't dampen the students' spirits, and they still shopped for a good hour.
Before we went to the market, we drove through downtown San Jose. Compared with other Central American cities I've seen, this looked like Paris. But for many students, it was still a culture shock. The traffic is crazy; there are people everywhere and buses all over the place. Many buildings are run down, or have graffiti on the sides. People walk along the side of the street with no sidewalks. Many students felt it was very "cultural."
Then we got to the "mercado." For many, this was their first time in a central american style market - the items are very colorful, very eye-catching, and the peddlers can be a little pushy. But many students found their way around, practicing their Spanish skills (cuanta cuesta?) and buying little souvenirs.
After a full day of travel, and then shopping at the market, we are back resting at the hotel. We leave for dinner at 6:15 (very soon) and I for one am looking forward to some authentic Costa Rican food! (I ordered tacos w/ meat :) Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon.
Stay tuned!!
After getting settled into the hotel, the rains came down (and the floods came up...) Yes, it is the rainy season here in Costa Rica, which means rain almost every afternoon. And it rained and rained today. While in the market, it sounded like a torrent. But it couldn't dampen the students' spirits, and they still shopped for a good hour.
Before we went to the market, we drove through downtown San Jose. Compared with other Central American cities I've seen, this looked like Paris. But for many students, it was still a culture shock. The traffic is crazy; there are people everywhere and buses all over the place. Many buildings are run down, or have graffiti on the sides. People walk along the side of the street with no sidewalks. Many students felt it was very "cultural."
Then we got to the "mercado." For many, this was their first time in a central american style market - the items are very colorful, very eye-catching, and the peddlers can be a little pushy. But many students found their way around, practicing their Spanish skills (cuanta cuesta?) and buying little souvenirs.
After a full day of travel, and then shopping at the market, we are back resting at the hotel. We leave for dinner at 6:15 (very soon) and I for one am looking forward to some authentic Costa Rican food! (I ordered tacos w/ meat :) Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon.
Stay tuned!!
We're in Costa Rica
Hi everyone!! We are safe in Costa Rica - our flights were no problem at all...they even arrived early. It took a few minutes to get through customs and get all of our luggage, but now we are at the hotel, which is very nice. It has a real tropical feel, and right now it is actually pouring down rain. It will be very humid for a while!!
We stopped for dinner at a very busy shopping mall food court where they had typical American food like McDonald's and Pizza Hut, but also some unique Costa Rican food. It was very very busy, and the students were a bit overwhelmed at first because they were in the minority for the first time in their lives. Not many people spoke English either.
Right now we are resting up and are getting ready to go out to the market in downtown San Jose for the evening. Thanks for all your prayers!! The phone card is working, but calls have to be short because we use the lobby phone. I am writing this post on the hotel computer, so I have not uploaded any pictures, but I'll be working on that tonight.
More to come.....
We stopped for dinner at a very busy shopping mall food court where they had typical American food like McDonald's and Pizza Hut, but also some unique Costa Rican food. It was very very busy, and the students were a bit overwhelmed at first because they were in the minority for the first time in their lives. Not many people spoke English either.
Right now we are resting up and are getting ready to go out to the market in downtown San Jose for the evening. Thanks for all your prayers!! The phone card is working, but calls have to be short because we use the lobby phone. I am writing this post on the hotel computer, so I have not uploaded any pictures, but I'll be working on that tonight.
More to come.....
We're on our way!
It is 5:45 am, and we are waiting in the CMH Delta terminal. Apologies to all the parents who were hoping for a more formal farewell, but the TSA made us "move along." Normally I would have liked to have a group prayer, hugs, tears, etc. But it was probably for the best because Mrs. White was stopped at the security check because she had a "dangerous, sharp object" in her bag (aka an ice stick in her water bottle - serious threat!)
Other than
that, everyone made it through the checkpoint safely, and are now getting their Starbucks fix. This is our first official post, and hopefully if we have internet (and time) in Atlanta I'll try to put up another update. If not, we're scheduled to get into San Jose around 1pm, so I should be able to get another post up tonight.Thanks everyone for getting to the airport on time, and for your prayers. God is so good and faithful! This trip has been a long time in coming, and I can't believe we are finally leaving for Costa Rica!!!!!
Be sure to check out the rest of the pictures by clicking on the album to the right -->
Saturday, May 17, 2008
We leave in 24 hours!
As I look at the time on my computer screen, it says 7:00am, which means our plane will be taking off in about 24 hours. That also means I have a lot to do in a little amount of time :)
I'm so excited for this trip, and have been seeing God's confirmation at so many stages. First of all, the great response of the seniors. 19 students going for the first time is wonderful! Second, we have been overwhelmed with items to donate to the children and families of Costa Rica. I was skeptical that we would have much to take, but we have filled every suitcase to the max - 23 bags of extra donated items! That includes baby supplies, clothing, about 30 pairs of new shoes to decorate at the orphanages, new car seats, and toys toys toys! What a blessing.
More than anything, I can tell in my heart that God has big plans for this trip. I was at a conference yesterday, and a speaker was quoting Albert Schweitzer, who said something along these lines: "At some point in everyone's life, the fire of living goes out. It takes a genuine connection with another person to spark it back into a flame." I know that our students can be a spark for kids in Costa Rica, and I know that those kids in Costa Rica are going to spark something new in our hearts.
I promise, you won't be the same after this trip. See you in less than a day :)
I'm so excited for this trip, and have been seeing God's confirmation at so many stages. First of all, the great response of the seniors. 19 students going for the first time is wonderful! Second, we have been overwhelmed with items to donate to the children and families of Costa Rica. I was skeptical that we would have much to take, but we have filled every suitcase to the max - 23 bags of extra donated items! That includes baby supplies, clothing, about 30 pairs of new shoes to decorate at the orphanages, new car seats, and toys toys toys! What a blessing.
More than anything, I can tell in my heart that God has big plans for this trip. I was at a conference yesterday, and a speaker was quoting Albert Schweitzer, who said something along these lines: "At some point in everyone's life, the fire of living goes out. It takes a genuine connection with another person to spark it back into a flame." I know that our students can be a spark for kids in Costa Rica, and I know that those kids in Costa Rica are going to spark something new in our hearts.
I promise, you won't be the same after this trip. See you in less than a day :)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
New Pictures
The updates have started! Above is a slideshow of pictures from our "packing party" on Wednesday afternoon. To the right you can click on a link to the Picassa web album, which will allow you to see the larger slideshow and download any pictures you want. This is the format we will use for uploading pictures in the future.
We leave in only 3 days! Please continue to pray for us, especially for the senior exams and all of the many small responsibilities and things that need to get done in the next few days. Praise God for his faithfulness to us!
We leave in only 3 days! Please continue to pray for us, especially for the senior exams and all of the many small responsibilities and things that need to get done in the next few days. Praise God for his faithfulness to us!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Photos Test
I have posted a sample photo album to the right, and have embedded a sample photo slideshow at the top of the page. You can click on the photo "album cover" to the right to view the pictures one at a time, to download the files, or to view a larger slideshow.
On the trip, I will do my best to update photos every day. If you have trouble viewing these pictures, or have questions, leave a comment or send an email to schroeder.jesse@gmail.com
On the trip, I will do my best to update photos every day. If you have trouble viewing these pictures, or have questions, leave a comment or send an email to schroeder.jesse@gmail.com
Collecting Items
We are currently collecting as many items as possible for the trip. If you would like to donate items, please bring them to GCCS before Wed. May 14th. You can go here for a list of needed items.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Welcome to the Blogsite!!
Hi students, parents, family and random visitors -
This blogsite will be used to post updates, fun stories, pictures and maybe even a video or two of our senior trip to Costa Rica!! We will be leaving May 18th and return May 24th, so look for updates and news during those days.
Feel free to practice posting comments to this entry. If you post comments while we are on the trip, I will do my best to pass along any messages to your child.
If you have questions, problems viewing the site, or suggestions, just email me at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com
This blogsite will be used to post updates, fun stories, pictures and maybe even a video or two of our senior trip to Costa Rica!! We will be leaving May 18th and return May 24th, so look for updates and news during those days.
Feel free to practice posting comments to this entry. If you post comments while we are on the trip, I will do my best to pass along any messages to your child.
If you have questions, problems viewing the site, or suggestions, just email me at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com
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