Day 6: So Hard to Say Goodbye

Thursday we shared our final day with the children and parents of Capulin -- playing field games in the morning, vacation bible school in the afternoon, and a fiesta in the evening at the church. 

Our leader, Brian Behrman, encouraged us to give our all and "leave it all on the field," and that's just what your Frisco Bible Team endeavored to do. A rain storm threatened VBS, but lasted only a few minutes.

Saying goodbye after VBS, and then again after the fiesta was a bitter-sweet time, with tears. The children repeatedly asked if we would return next year. 

The church was packed for the evening fiesta, which was full of surprises, including a troupe of traditional Costa Rican dancers, games, poetry, the singing of our respective national anthems, and of course, lots of dancing to the music of a local quartet that included trumpet, trombone, and two drums. A birthday cake marked the 13th anniversary of Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion. 

So much happens in the course of one day here among 33 Frisco Bible Church members, our Costa Rican Christian friends and the many people we meet, that there's no way to convey it all in a blog post...nor perhaps in a book.

One moment clings to my memory. A woman approached me and, in Spanish expressed gratitude for all we had done for the children of Capulin, many of whom have a variety of "social" problems in their lives, she said. I asked her if she knew Christ as her savior, and she said she did, then told me about some very serious medical problems she's having. My friend, and translator, Carlos and I took her to Stephanie, my wife, who prayed for healing for Jacqueline. There were tears all around. Later than night, she came to the church for the fiesta, and although her condition didn't allow her to dance, seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Other team members can tell many other such personal stories.

I hope these few pictures can give you a sense of the work, and the relationships and the joy we experienced yesterday in Capulin. 

Shane (right) shares the gospel with Cecelia as Nixon translates into Spanish, and the porcine sentinel lays down on the job. [See next photo]

Later that same day, Cecelia came to our vacation bible school to help share the gospel with the children -- seen here with Rachel, Shannon and Raquel.

One of our daily door-to-door evangelism crews: (left to right) Noah B., Daniela, Shane, Steve, Adam. Our teams visited nearly every house in the neighborhood that surrounds the church this week. 

Jessica's new friends, met during house to house evangelism in Capulin. Nuria, in the pink shirt, and one of her daughters prayed to receive Christ for eternal life. 

Two men who trusted Christ yesterday, together with the Frisco Bible Church who shared the gospel with them: (left to right), Kathy, Joey, Isabelle, Noah C. and Paul.

Paul, Noah C. and Ally with a group of children at vacation bible school. The gospel was presented in a variety of ways this week in Capulin in an effort make sure each child could hear and understand and have an opportunity to respond. On the right in the teal blouse, is Raquel, one of our translators from the local church. 

Joey inflates one of many beach balls we used in games. 

Here's a game we played with the beach balls -- a variation of soccer (futbol) in which you can use your hands, and which has very few rules. 

Thousands of bubbles filled the air in Capulin this week, to the delight of all. 

Pastor Jesse Jimenez prays with the children after a dramatic portrayal of the resurrection of Jesus portrayed by the Frisco Bible Church team, and translated by Jesse's son, Nixon. 

A relay race in which the children were supposed to trap the ball between them. Smiling Steven (really Ignacio Esteban), is doing it right. His partner is cheating, which cost them time, and ultimately handed the victory to 'los mujeres' -- the women. 

Marta, our sister from the local church, was perpetually serving. Here, she helps relieve the pain of a headache for one of our Frisco Bible Church team members. 

Michelle shares her story of faith and assurance in Christ to more than 100 people, many of whom came to the church for the first time. Tyler provided the translation, as he did tirelessly this week for all who needed him. 

Texans demonstrate a line dance for our Costa Rican friends.

Zac says goodbye to Ignacio Steven In the background, Noah C. Pastor Jesse and Tyler also mingle among the departing children, during the final moments of VBS.

Brenna gets a final hug from Isabela. Her aunt, Fatima, came to VBS everyday with her, and she and 5 family members attended the fiesta at the church last night. 

Frisco Bible 'gringos' with a couple of 'Ticos' (slang for Costa Ricans) at last night's fiesta. [Front, left to right] Isabelle, Emma, Jonah, Nadxelli, Joey, Josh. [Back] Shane, Nixon (looking distracted) Ben, Sarah.

Noah poses with his Capulin friends for a final photo. 

Stephanie and Noemi became close friends as sisters in Christ this week.

Melissa K, Nixon and Jessica, with two new sisters in Christ who received eternal life in Jesus during our door to door evangelism. 

Day 5: Meeting the Neighbors in Capulin

Aron kicks a futbol through an obstacle course as Dylan, Andres, Tristan and Michele await their turns during Wednesday's vacation bible school in Capulin, Costa Rica with Frisco Bible Church and Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion. 

Every morning and afternoon, while most of the Frisco Bible Church team and our friends from Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion (the church in Capulin) are leading children in games, and crafts and stories from the Bible, two smaller groups fan out in the Capulin neighborhood around the church. Yesterday, I got to be part of this door to door evangelism.

Noah, Nixon, Jessica, Scott and Adam after several hours of sharing the gospel of Jesus door-to-door in Capulin. The building in the background is directly across the street from the church building. 

Evangelism team on dirt road, visiting from house to house. 

Nearly everyone we met was willing to speak with us, with the exception of one man who said he wasn't interested in Jesus because he believes in evolution. Noah, Jessica, Adam and I took turns speaking with the neighbors, with crucial help from our translator, Nixon, the son of Pastor Jesse Jimenez. We offered a simple "good news/bad news" presentation of the gospel, explaining that we are sinners and the punishment for sin is death (eternal separation from God), but that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to pay the price for sin by his death on the cross, and then he rose from the dead, giving us hope.

Jessica explains the gospel to a lady who we met right across the street from the church building, as Noah plays with her grandchild. 

Those we met ranged from a college student, to a store owner, to a young mother, to grandmother in a relatively nice home, to an elderly woman whose children had abandoned her. The latter, though she lived in a rundown home on a trash-strewn lot, near several other shacks, told us that she had trusted in Christ, and so she was never really alone.

Jessica and Nixon speak with Maria, who told us she had trusted Jesus and that meant God was with her all of the time, even though her own children had abandoned her decades ago. 

This alley, next to Maria's house, held two shacks, some above-ground plumbing and a number of chickens and dogs. The man in the background apparently lives in that shack. 

Maria and Jessica pose for a picture. Maria was completely engaged in Jessica's explanation of the gospel, and agreed with all of it. She was a real joy to meet, and an example of the sufficiency of Christ in the midst of pain, loneliness and poverty. 

The college student also said he knows Jesus as savior.

The others listened intently, sometimes asking questions, sometimes expressing concerns. The young mother told us she used to go to church but that her sinful choices made her think that God was distant from her. While Adam and Nixon assured her of the forgiving love of Jesus, Jessica sat on the porch with two young children, sharing with them a simple explanation of how we must be saved. Later, those children came to the plaza for our vacation bible school.

Although rain and lightning storms were forecast for noon, VBS started at 1:30 p.m. under beautiful skies and ended without weather incident. Thanks be to God.

Shane helped children make bracelets with multicolored beads, each portraying an aspect of the gospel, as she explained what each meant.

Frisco Bible team member Shane (in hat) helps children make beaded bracelets that portray a simple explanation of the gospel of Christ.

Stephanie demonstrated how Jesus washes our sin away with a pitcher of water, some red dye and another pitcher of bleach which made the dye vanish, as she explained the gospel. Pastor Jesse enthusiastically led the children through a three-legged race, while on the other side of the field, Martin played games with them using a "futbol Americano" and a "real" futbol (soccer). Our skit yesterday, portrayed the crucifixion of Jesus.

As with each previous day, a number of parents gathered to watch the children, and to listen to the gospel stories. One even asked Stephanie if she could video record the presentation on her cell phone, and of course Stephanie said yes.

Adam seems to have recovered well and his lacerations didn't slow him down yesterday. Manuel, who had the kidney stone incident, was back in action yesterday, with a fresh supply of medication, and a smile. Thank you to all who are prayer for this mission.

The night ended with a youth-oriented worship service at the church.

Here are some more pictures.

Frisco Bible team member Ben with Jorge and Roy. The boys quickly picked up the basics of throwing and catching that alien futbol Americano. 

Roy celebrates a touchdown in familiar futbol Americano style. Ben did not have to teach him this maneuver. 

Hermanos: Zac and Jonah, joke around with their new friends from Capulin in the universal language of "bunny ears."

Maria shows off some new decorations she received at our "face" painting station. She's the daughter of Rodolfo our bus driver, who along with his wife, Milagro, has become part of our mission team family. They are invariably cheerful people. 

Michelle, our missions team member, "sacrifices" her body for the cause. The young Costa Rican artist clearly loves her "canvas.

Team member Ally decorates a happy Costa Rican girl at the "face" painting station at vacation bible school. As Ally is a Texas resident, it's not clear what that strange hat is all about.

Texas flags are quite popular this week, as Ally's young friend, Carlos shows. 

The Costa Ricans we have met are generally very affectionate people. Jonah gets a big hug from boy while walking in the neighborhood, sharing the gospel. (By the way, That's the road they're standing on.)

Dancers at last night's youth-oriented worship service at the church. Worship at Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion includes a lot of dancing, and joy. 

Vacation bible school closed yesterday with a dramatic portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus. The children were attentive, and so were many of their parents, who were sitting nearby.

Day 4: Joy and Pain and Brotherly Love through Christ

From the grass hut where I now sit, this place looks like a beautiful resort. The hotel swimming pool helps, but it's not man's architecture that gives my surroundings their paradisaical appearance...it's the palm trees, the vines with their massive leaves, the banana trees, all swaying gently as if to the music of the tropical birds. On the walk from my room I saw again today an iguana bigger than a housecat sunning herself on the "front porch" of her warren.

God has also decorated the Capulin neighborhood this way from the coconut palms to the formations of parrots swooping and chattering overhead. But the dirt streets, the garbage strewn lots, the corrugated metal fences and the coils of razor wire lend to it an entirely different aspect. The hotel setting bespeaks wealth and comfort and a carefree life...at least for its temporary residents. Capulin portrays poverty and deprivation, decay and hardship.

The building where Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion meets to worship Jesus. To a Texan, it resembles a garage or an airplane hangar. To the people of Capulin, it's a refuge of love and the grace of Jesus Christ. The other side of this barren lot is bounded by an unpainted cinderblock wall topped with coils of razor wire. 

And yet the children of capulin (and their parents) smile and play and find joy in simple games, and in the stories of Jesus they're hearing this week.

Children of Capulin line up in age groups at the start of Tuesday's vacation bible school. 

After our first day's experience, we changed our plan to use the morning for games with the children of Capulin and the afternoon for vacation bible school. In the morning, we don't have access to the well-groomed soccer field (nor the restrooms), which lie behind a locked gate. So we use another field comprised of dirt patches and weedy grass, but no one complains. The children (mostly the boys) run and play futbol (soccer) and American football, and Frisbee, and they visit stations where they can play with bubbles, or get their faces painted with the design of their choice -- lots of butterflies, flowers, hearts and Texas flags.

Our facepainting crew worked hard to satisy the demand for butterflies, flowers, tiger faces, and Texas flags. 

We dined again at the restaurant in Liberia with our Costa Rican friends. Last night, our dinner was interrupted twice by pain. Adam, one of our adult leaders, slipped and fell on a broken jar, cutting his hand and leg deeply. Praise God that our team nurse, Linda, was there to patch him up. Others helped to mop up the blood, and pray for Adam. Meanwhile, outside on the curb, our Costa Rican friend Manuel was groaning in pain as his body struggled with a kidney stone. Again, Linda leaped into action, to determine what we could do for him. Others stood nearby and prayed for Manuel.

Carlos, our indispensible translator and friend, serves dinner personally, although we are at a restaurant. He is always active in doing good. 

The youth team members returned to the hotel with single adults, while married couples attended a mini marriage retreat at Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion with some couples from the neighborhood. We played games, heard testimonies about the power of Christ to save souls and marriages, and then we watched the movie 'Fireproof', complete with popcorn and drinks. We were delighted that our busdriver, Rodolfo was able to join us along with his wife Milagro and his young daughter Maria. Rodolfo has truly become part of the team.

Here are some more pictures...

Nad, a bilingual Costa Rican teen who serves as one of our translators, shows children how to make prayer journals.

Frisco Bible team member Brenna, with a new friend, Abril, a girl whose family is part of Comunidad Internacional de Adoracion, the church in Capulin.

Riley and Amanda with Caleb, who I call 'el profesor' because he's teaching me how to speak Spanish. Caleb got a big cut on his leg early in the week, but it didn't slow him down. He's a joyful, helpful young man.  

Michelle (left) and Raquel with a Costa Rican friend they met while going door to door in Capulin to share the good news about Jesus, the savior whose death on 'la cruz' [the cross] provides the believer with 'seguridad y certeza' [security and certainty]  that she has 'la vida eterna' [eternal life]. Michelle has been a joyful presence in all circumstances. 

Pastor Jesse Jimenez learns the painful price of crossing Brian Behrman. This playful wrestling match ended with Jesse tumbling on the rain-soaked grass. The brotherly love we have experienced in Capulin with our fellow Christians is wonderful beyond description. 

Wendy poses for a picture with a young man, Billy, she met while going door to door in Capulin, sharing the good news about Jesus who saves us from our sin, and grants us eternal life if we only believe. The card in his hand describes, in Spanish, how we must be saved. Billy believed and was saved. 

Shane, with Jury, a young woman from Capulin who trusted Jesus as 'su salvador' [her savior] for 'la vida eterna' [eternal life].

Linda, our team nurse, telling children about Jesus, the Great Physician. 

Carlos wants to be Noah, adopting his glasses and his nametag. Pray that he adopts Noah's savior, Jesus, as well.