Daily Status of the Colorado Team at LPDV.
Saturday
Hello all,
If you have not heard from your Costa Rica team member recently, don't worry. We are all in fine health!
That is more than can be said for the campus network. It decided to fail last night and has not been responding to the normal treatments. Since all communications (email, Facebook, and even phone calls) are carried over the campus network, our communications opportunities are limited. Urgent communications can be managed - email Matt Befus - mlbefus@gmail.com and he will pass it on. But only urgent communications, please.
We should be able to get the network fixed on Monday.
The work continues to progress. By the end of today, all of the interior painting will be completed, the fence will be ready to move, and the electrical supplies will be slated to arrive Monday morning. Monday, a backhoe will arrive to dig out stumps and transport some of the playground equipment. It has been rather windy lately, so we will be careful not to paint while the backhoe is digging nearby.
Sunday is, of course, a day of rest - we won't be working on the projects (or the network), but we will be touring the local area and eating.
Speaking of eating... The food has, as always, been outstanding, in great variety, and huge quantity. Tonight we will experience one of the local specialties at a local restaurant - hamburgers! (Maybe they aren't really a local specialty - but reports are that they are quite good.
For the past two mornings, we compared and contrasted David and Jonathan - two candidates to succeed Saul as King of Israel, and noted that God's methods of choosing leaders do not necessarily match our ways.
Yesterday evening, the men discussed our 4F status. For those of us old enough to remember, that does not mean we are ineligible to serve - instead it means that we need to value our Family, Friends, Fellowship, and Faith. One team member suggested that a fifth "F" would be Food - whenever Christians gather, the food is plentiful and wonderful. (See above.)
I don't know what the women discussed - they didn't tell me!
Pray: effective rest tomorrow, enthusiasm on Monday, and efficient delivery of the electrical supplies!
Regards,
Ray (for the Costa Rica team)
Thursday:Hi all,
Thank you for praying. The rest of the team has arrived - only slightly delayed by the storm in Colorado. They promptly pitched in to dig trenches, paint classrooms, and test mattresses. From all reports, the mattresses were comfortable - especially after the flight!
This morning we examined the way in which Abraham's servant committed to a plan for meeting Abraham's (and ultimately God's) request, how he followed through with the plan, and how he did not allow himself to be distracted from the plan. Read Genesis 24.
This evening, we reviewed the positive aspects of the word "gusto", which is also used in the typical Costa Rican equivalent of "You're welcome" (i.e. after being thanked for a service). The phrase, in Spanish, is "Con mucho gusto", which is literally translated to "with much pleasure", and idiomatically is equivalent to "it was my pleasure". We, as Christians, are reminded to do anything we do "con mucho gusto", with a focus on the pleasure of being able to serve others, and not on the burden.
Please pray: there remains a daunting amount of work and a short time to do it. We need gusto and efficiency to get this set of jobs done.
Regards,
Ray (for the Costa Rica team)
Wednesday:Hi all,
Thank you for your prayers! The team has made some progress - the playground equipment has been freed from the ground, the new computer lab is taking shape, and the library processes are being refined and implemented.
As I write this, the last contingent of our team is on their way to Denver to await their flight. Since the weather in Denver is somewhat questionable at the moment (those of us who got to Costa Rica early are SO glad to be here!!!), please pray for a reasonably on-time flight operation.
This morning, the team discussed the lesson from Haggai 1, where God's people had set their own timetable for doing God's work. God intends us to do what He calls us to do - not too early, and not too late, but when He intends. We are challenged to consider what areas in our lives are not conforming to God's timing.
This evening, the team considered love as expressed in I Corinthians 12 and 13, especially as it applies to us as a work team.
Continue to pray for travel and for strong backs!
Ray (for the Costa Rica team)
Tuesday:Hello all,
Thank you for your prayers! This is a very short note just to let you know that the Costa Rica trip is under way.
The first wave of team members has arrived in Costa Rica, and progress is under way. Clark is building a wall in the new computer lab, Valerie and Elizabeth are digging up some playground equipment, and several other folks are getting started on the daunting library cataloguing task.
PRAY: Two more team members are departing Loveland for the airport as I write this. The rest of the team will be about 24 hours behind them. Grant them smooth travels in the packed skies.
Regards,
Ray (for the Costa Rica team)
