Friday, November 22, 2019

Shalom Christian Academy, PA

For the past 3 years we have welcomed the graduating senior class from Shalom Christian Academy. The students work toward their senior missions trip their whole education. It is a really cool experience for the students and we enjoy having them!

Check out their week!

ENJOY!


The Shalom Team, 2019



The week started off with a tour and dinner at our house. I don't have a picture of any of it, but I think this picture represents very well the night at our house for dinner!

Ah yes, the pepper challenge.....

Throughout the week, Shalom worked both construction and in daycare. They had a lot of great activities for the kids and everyone enjoyed having them!

Working with the kids
Everyone loves to color

Making bracelets with the older kids

Making God's eyes with the older kids

Working in groups with the kiddos

Working with the littles

Bubbles and chalk outside



Fun times with the littles outside




Construction consisted of a lot of different jobs. We still did not have permits in order to work on Phase 2, so the team helped with a lot of clean up, moving stuff, hauling stuff and a whole lot of in between!
Cleaning up around the Project

Working together

Moving and leveling all the dirt

Cutting grass

Moving the rocks


Cleaning up, cutting down and moving everything



Taking a break to pose for the camera


Toward the end of their trip, we finally got approval to work on the wall.  Unfortunately, we had to de-construct the wall by tearing out 3 panels to appease the municipality and how close we were to the road. So we started de-constructing the wall!

Bruce on top to see how to knock the panels down

Working on knocking down and hauling the bricks

Lots of work

Removing all the bricks

 The team also had a special dinner out for a cultural experience at Tiquicia restaurant on the mountain side. In all the times I have been there, it has ALWAYS been a clear night. But this night, we arrived and you could barely see the ground in front of you. But as the night was winding down, the clouds cleared and the team got to see the beauty of overlooking the city!


The view after the clouds cleared

The cultural dancing

The team joined in the dancing



The team with the dancers and some of the other patrons on the restaurant

 The team also enjoyed a day at La Carpio feeding ministry with Pastor James and Cristina. They brought lots of fun things to do with the kids!

Face painting


Painting nails

Showing me how to dry nails

This is service

Dancing with all the kids

The team with Pastor James and Cristina


 Some of the other random jobs the teams did.

Finishing the parking lot lines, playing soccer, and unloading food donations! A little of everything here at the Project!
The team after a hard day's work!



Some of the team helped us unload the food donations


When it's pouring down rain....you play futbol inside!



For their fun day, the team went to Tortuga Island. It was a beautiful day--not too hot or sunny, but just right!


Eating lunch

The team hanging out in the water


Playing some futbol with the workers while waiting for the boat to come to shore



At the end of the day, some of got to see all the wild pigs on the island, and there was a BABY!!





On Sunday night, the team went to cell group. However, with 27 people just on the team, Eliel decided to have it at the Project! So there was lots of visitors and lots of singing, dancing and sharing time
Some of the dancing the team was involved in




 As in Shalom tradition, the team went to IrazĂș volcano to see the beauty of Costa Rica from the highest volcano in Costa Rica. It was cold and windy, but it started out as a clear morning before the clouds rolled in!
The IrazĂș crater lake

 As the clouds started rolling in, it got colder

All those little dots are the students!



The team ended the trip with a final night of Worship and Praise and Eliel was the one giving the message!

Eliel giving the word at the service









The team and the workers

It was a great time with these kids!

And that was the end of team season 2019!!

Thanks for reading!

the crawfords



Thursday, November 21, 2019

The River Community Church, TN

We welcomed a team from The River Church in Tennessee. This is the home church or our former teammates, Kenny and Lauren!  It was nice having the team with us for a week! We had a lot of fun with this small team and got to hang out like old friends!

Check out their week!

Enjoy!

The week started out with lunch in Costa Rica--Subway!






The team at the amazing Subway! haha



Sunday the team went to church, ate lunch and then had the tour of the project
The tour!

Getting ready for lunch



The team also came to our house for dinner!


The grill!



Throughout the week the team worked on a variety of jobs--it was definitely a hodge-podge of finishing maintenance work!
Some of the ladies got to help Alfredo paint in the cafeteria

Working hard!




We of course sent Kenny pictures of his favorite bread here in Costa Rica!

The team and the beloved bread--cinnamon bread!

 Yes, it's that good....let's send another picture!

Mmmmmmm.....

 The team took a day and served with Pastor James and Cristina in La Carpio! Everyone had a good time!

Pastor Cristina getting the kids ready

Really good turn out!


One of the kid's work
Pastor Cristina and the team





The team blessed our family with a couple of gifts!



Emme got a book series that she was TOTALLY excited about!

I was gifted a very yummy fall candle

 The team also got to so to cell group at Eliel and Rode's house! And this time Leyton was able to go as well!

Rode and all the kids!

Bud sharing with the cell group

The team went on a tour of Rio Azul to know and understand the area we serve.




At our sister church in Rio Azul
 Some of the work the team did included cleaning the roofs of the Children's Homes, painting the lines in the parking lot and finishing the beds in the new team center!
Having fun on the roof!


Thankful for getting that done!

Working hard on those lines!



We had a great time with the team and were so thankful for their service and just getting to hang out!


In HIM,

the crawfords