Good Bye and Hello

Hi Friends!

Liza has officially landed which means I am officially handing over the baton! Of course, I’m still around and happy to assist in any fashion. I am happily living in South Carolina with my mother where my focus now is Nursing School. Currently, I’m obtaining pre-requisites and will soon be applying to Nursing School. 3 weeks into school, I am doing really well and loving every once of what I’m learning. Thank you all again and again for your love and support this past year. I’m blessed to have met each of you and will cherish our friendships until the end of time. It was an amazing run!

I’m sure she would love to hear from you!

Love, Light and Peace now and forever ~ Yours Truly, Marta Davis

2010 - 2011 Companion Relationship

A Quick Note from Our New Officer, Liza Conrad!

Hello Friends! I wanted to share a little bit about Liza who will be joining our team middle of June.

Between now and June, please email all correspondence Bishop Hector Monterroso @ hmonterroso@episcopalcostarica.org.

Liza Conrad, 2011- 2012 Companion Officer

My name is Liza Conrad and I am thrilled to be the Companion Diocese Officer for 2011-2012.  I am from Alexandria, Virginia where I attend Immanuel-on-the-Hill church.  I am week away from graduating from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut with a degree in Government.  At Wesleyan, and in my other experiences, I have focused on studying development with a particular emphasis on Latin America.  As of now, I intend to work on poverty alleviation and public-private partnerships in my career.  I also enjoy reading, hiking, traveling, swimming, cooking, and eating.  I’m really looking forward to meeting more of the people involved in this relationship and helping to coordinate your exciting projects.  Please feel free to contact me liberally with any ideas, questions, or suggestions.  I’m excited for a dynamic and productive year working with both Dioceses, their churches, and all the people involved to further the mission of the Episcopal Church.

Please share this blog and remember to email : companionofficer@episcopalcostarica.org, for any future Companion Relationship questions, concerns. Thank you.

Now here’s something to brag about!

The newest member of our Costa Rican Family is St. Paul’s Episcopal in Riverside, Conneticut. Many of you know Jim Erwin, St. Paul’s fearless leader, who took his passion for our programs to Connecticut and brought two mission groups down during his first 14 months. Now that’s a go – getter! And how do you think St. Paul’s, “Possible Mission” as they refer to themselves, have raised the bar this time?

St. Pauls February Adult Group

Jim and his dedicated parishioner, Kathy Peterson, called last Friday to surprise Bishop and I with an early Easter Surprise!

On April 11th, St. Paul’s held a “Mission Possible” Benefit & Silent Auction for Hogar Escuela – Heredia. They sold Costa Rica coffee, candy, sunset cruises, flowers, Pilates, Healing Touch; you name it, they sold it! To boot, Jim even sold his parking space on Easter, two private dinners at his home and a trip to Costa Rica as a missionary! How creative are they? While the adults ran the auction, their youth worked in the kitchen and as servers. Tickets were sold for their Benefit Dinner featuring a film called, “Mission Possible”. I haven’t seen the movie but hear it’s a hilarious take off of their mission week and continuation of the movie their youth presented last summer.

Not only is this a beautiful analogy of Building Bridges, but I also imagine within St. Paul’s there are new friendship forming under an unexpected love for Costa Rica!

Please click on this link for their full story! http://www.stpaulsriverside.org/files/39CFC8F0-F814-4260-9549-F0B5D3F8A02A/4EA041BA-BA3E-402C-BA69-3C866B365F47.pdf

From the bottom of our hearts, Thank you St. Paul’s – Thank you for our Easter Surprise! Please hurry and send the movie! I’ll spring for the popcorn!

CAET Graduation Ceremony

Wednesday April 13th, the Diocesan Office held the Graduation Ceremony for ten particpants in the CAET program. CAET stands for Centro Anglicano Educacion Teologica. This program is under IARCA – Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America umbrella and also supported by UBL – Universidad Biblica Latinoamericano. Maybe you recognize a couple of these faces!

2011 CAET CLASS - Lead by Padre Bernal

Over the course of 3 years and 14 courses, participants meet twice per month. The material is quite heavy and intended for involved laymen or inspiring clergy. The Diocese of Costa Rica has two divisions of the CAET program, our other in the Province of Limon with participants graduating in 2012. Hats off to all these hard working folks!

Here are a few of their course topics:
-Church community and mission
-Developing new relations
-Ethics and Spirituality
-Families who nourish
-Interview for the Pastoral Council
-Support to the children in risk

Melvin Chaves Mora

Melvin is Official!

I wasn’t able to attend Melvin’s service, however Buen Pastor held a beautiful service and reception on February 26th! The Chapel was filled with members of Christo Resucitado, friends, and family from around the world. Melvin was very excited leading up to his Ordination and is now serving Christo Resucitado as well as Santiago y San Felipe en Barrio Cuba. There’s no doubt he’s going to make a fine Deacon for the people of Costa Rica. I’m sure we’ll continue to see great works from this man!

His official announcement on the Diocese’s website, http://www.episcopalcostarica.org/noticias-nuevo-ministro.php. Feel free to send Melvin any words of encouragement, I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear from you. Melvin Chaves Mora <mchm007@ice.co.cr>.

Prayers and Blessings upon Melvin

Last but not least, I wanted to resurface this article just in case you never had a chance to read it. it. http://davidsonnews.net/2010/07/24/visitors-help-st-albans-build-ties-with-costa-rica/

Peace and Blessings!

Bring it on Home!

My immediate Christian Family, Christ Church of Charlotte, NC, graced us with their presence from the end of March through the first full week of April. Their team worked alongside Francisco and Sammy (our 2 man construction team) in an effort to complete the final layer of wall surface throughout the school. In the states, we call this layer “skimming”. Our team also cleaned the roof top surface free of debris, trash and unwanted concrete. In addition, all electrical outlets were cleaned and painted, ready for electricity installation. The Diocese is still hoping to complete enough of the school so that Christo Resucitado can move in by Easter Sunday. Bishop states the work is 70% complete at this time.

Christ Church composed a fine team of return missionaries, new comers and my seventeen year-old cousin who added a youthful and entertaining component to our group. Our devotions were excellently led by Marty who touched on a number of thought provoking elements

of spiritual growth, i.e. our dimensions and depths of our God given gifts and how to use those while creating a team, the transition of being lost to gaining sight and not to be forgotten, but also the benefits of forgiveness. There was much laughter and a number of tears, a healthy sign of a solid and successful week! Lastly, CC is exploring avenues to extend their ministry in Costa Rica while in alignment with Millennium Development Goals: more to come on Micro – Finance and Medical Missions.

I wanted to share my eternal gratitude for Christ Church supporting this discernment process and strong desires to work as a missionary while in Costa Rica. They have written letters, prayed, supported my growth, commented on blogs and responded to reports. They all quickly rallied around me without a second thought and even went to bat for me. They all have provided not only endearing friendships but they have also become my family, providing extraordinary examples in discipleship that I am proud to follow. They have in fact, changed my life. They brought me here to what feels like the Promise Land, and now it’s time they take me home.

During our last night together, I knew I wanted to share personal stories about my experience in an effort to exemplify my gratitude. Stories of my precious time with Bishop and his family, our hard-working and loving staff, examples in which I can confirm personal growth and how the Holy Spirit is now leading me. Unfortunately moments before my speech when Eduardo’s triumphant voice filled the air, I could barely gain composure.  In fact, I could barely breathe at one point, especially when Bishop gave his homily on: being lost, finding safety and waiting for God to find you. He didn’t steal my thunder, he just took away my breath. What a euphoric moment to be in sync with a man I admire so much!

We still need your help! Any contribution is welcomed! Tell your neighbors, tell your friends, tell other churches! Spread the Good News!

Medical Mission

Good Shepherd's Medical Mission Team

A highly anticipated mission that I was extremely excited to witness and join in the opportunity to learn. Good Shepherd’s Medical Mission was provided in Limon 2000, a barrio on the outskirts of Limon Central housing roughly 600 families, all-living in extremely poor conditions. Our station is an outpost for Salvation Army, which to my knowledge provides social programs and lunch for some of the local school children. The facility was perfect for providing a Medical Missions! We are the ONLY organization providing any service to this community. Furthermore, great majorities seek medical or dental care only in an emergency situation, outside of the care Good Shepherd provides in conjunction with Christ for the City every other year.

Reverent Scott White assisting our Oral Surgeon, Ken

Based on first day results, worms and teeth extractions were of great concern.  Of the 58 records I was able to copy, there were 2 males over the age of 18, leaving 97% of women and children in attendance. 37.5% (again of my numbers) were treated for worms. Based on these facts and discussions with physicians once a member of the family is diagnosed with worms the whole family should be treated as the parasite travels quickly from one host to another. Long-term affects of worms include: mental retardation, sickle cell anemia, severe developmental problems and even death.

I learned a tremendous amount from this team of professionals and now I’m EVEN more motivated in pursuing Nursing, the next chapter of my highly anticipated life. Good Shepherd’s staff was very generous with their knowledge and allowed me to experience most everything first hand. I asked our Physicians a few tough questions in an effort to help me formulate a new perspective regarding the balance between faith / science and how to deal with situations involving non-believers. They all kindly responded with the upmost integrity and thanked me for pushing such tough concepts. It was a God driven conversation that allowed us to share great intimacy upon my final evening with the group. I left humbled, knowing there will be many tough decisions with patients and how I’m reminded to stay on bended knee for His guidance.

Good Shepherd led a strong, well organized and diverse medical team combined with clergy and a few supporting staff members, they even included members from others churches and even other denominations. What a great testimony of the good work God is providing in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. From my experience, churches who have opened their mission experience to “outsiders” have not regreted their decision. Learn from Good Shepherd; do not be afraid of an extended and open invitation in the good works of our Lord!

Our First Patients of the Day!

La Ascencion

Moved into their new space as of January 30th thanks to the help from St. Timothy’s of Winston-Salem and the growing community of Desamparados! This joyful day was also the celebration of Reverend Eduardo Chinchilla’s first day as (head) Priest. If you have had the pleasure of sharing a song with Eduardo you can imagine the beautiful notes that filled the air. Attendance records were set with highs for both adults and youth! Doesn’t it look fantastic?

 

Rev. Eduardo Chinchilla in La Ascencion's new Chapel!

In God’s Mighty Jungle

Here in the Province of Limon, lies the small community of Estrada home to roughly 6,000 people. Afro-Caribbeans, Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans and local Indigenous tribes are just a few of the primary cultures that make up this diverse community. The streets are gravel and dusty, the railroad sporadically operates and nearby rivers flood their town quite frequently. This lowland area of Costa Rica is easy to spot with crop dusting planes fly over the plantations intermittently, weather permitting. Fruits are grown in this area, mostly bananas and pineapples but also papaya, coconuts, cocoa and ornamental plants. In fact I know once we cross the river with a Y shape to my right which is followed by an enormous field of bananas to my left, then the very next left is the road to Estrada.

Upon arriving the the center of town, huge Oak trees shade a plush playground complete with tire swings, benches and monkey bars. Several stores, bakeries and fresh food markets line the center of Estrada and taking a right just after the railroad tracks will lead you to our church community of Santiago.  Emmanuel of Southern Pines is building a new Hogar Escuela on the same property. The building itself is relatively smaller than its model in San Jose, but provides ample space for 50 children who will soon be in attendance. This week is my first time leading one of Emmanuel’s groups and really getting to know this beautiful culture.

On the surface, there is nothing but row after row of bananas. In the center of town, old wooden shacks are stained dirty brown on the bottom third from the damage of previous floods. You may see a couple of cars but mostly only delivery trucks and bicycles fill the streets. It honestly looks like the end of the earth or possibly somewhere in the middle of India or Africa. Most of Costa Rica has bars on the windows to keep robbers out, but here large panes of broken glass is often the only protection. I wonder how people survive, I wonder if I could survive in this type of poverty or how I could possibly find happiness.

What’s so amazing to me if just that…their happiness and not to mention mine after spending 3 days with this blissfully, joyful neighborhood. Yesterday I stood in as acting teacher and encouraged children to paint their dreams for us. One boy colored a picture of the school we are building and another girl colored a teacher with long hair with a huge heart! In the afternoon, I played mudball (aka soccer), cracked open coconuts and drank coconut water with young boys and girls. Today, little girls danced in frilly dresses as we all sashayed around a make shift Maypole to reggae rhythms. Today felt like an out of body experience where everyone was using their God given talents in a variety of ways…drawings of Noah’s Arc was depicted by their Assistant Rector, Meaghan, who is also a very funny Lucille Ball kind of gal. Joseph, their Youth Leader, was a machine in whichever task he took on…Stuart was photographing, Lynn was learning the history of these women and children. Gary, and his wife, Marcia dug ditches tirelessly. Honestly, the list goes on and on….through all these actions; dancing, singing, working and building relationships, I felt the Holy Spirit moving through us, moving us outside of our comfort zone and into this extended time and space.

Now that's a Community!

St. Paul’s – Riverside, CT

A truck full of love!

One of the great pleasures of my job is working with solid Christians each and every day, all of whom are striving to deliver God’s great compassion throughout this chaotic world. Leaving behind their families, jobs and responsibilities in order to adhere to a calling so great, it yields life changing testimonies. Life awakening insight so powerful, our perspectives are forever altered. Furthermore, establishing a bond with our neighbors world wide, forming new relationships between distant brothers and sisters.

Most of you know Jim Erwin, now Assistant Rector in Riverside, CT, who is currently sharing our relationship all the way from North Carolina and spreading this love bond with our new family at St. Paul’s. This team of seven adults came down after following the foot-steps their youth imprinted last summer. It’s always amazing to me, how a community far from the heart of this relationship managed to answer God’s calling in addition to our prayers. How Great Though Art!

Thank you Jim for spreading the LOVE!

Our work this week focused on preparing the Multi-Purpose Room for Cristo Resucitado to use as their Parish Hall. Currently, Cristo Resucitado is renting a small, upstairs apartment in Heredia Central. The space is tight and their make-shift chapel is even tighter. Moving to Hogar Escuela – Heredia will allow the members of this new forming church to spread their wings and increase their membership! We are all hoping and praying this can all take place by Easter! Prayers are welcome!

 

Prepping Hogar Escuela's Multi-Purpose Room