CR: Day Five.5

Middletown UMC Costa Rica Day 5, part 2 (Fri, 06/10/2011)

We went to meet Tita at a feeding center in Tirrases. In the midst of the first midday rain and thunderstorm, we received a warm welcome [in English! Bonus!] out of the rain on the bus and then paraded on in.

The organization is situated in an area where the children will either go hungry or fend for themselves, nearly completely neglected by family. We opened the door to see a large room full of students helping students and single mothers helping each other as well, as they taught each other how to decorate reusable grocery bags in different styles. When they sell the bags, some of the money goes to the bag maker, and some goes back into the programs. Having created a little micro-business, it boosts self esteem and encourages the members to see possibilities, all while earning money.

Moving towards the back of the building we got to see (as I instantly could tell) the handiwork of Kurtis Daniels and Water Ambassadors of Canada. They had the most impressive water purification set-up I have ever seen, not only that, the impact was just as impressive. The feeding center was constructed because they predicted that the children were failing school because they did not have proper nutrition.

Well after successfully feeding the children, they were still failing. So they moved on to a new initiative towards improving grades. They realized that what the children needed after school was a "home" to go to where they could not only receive food, but help with studying and homework, encouragement, and Christ's love. Christ's love was obviously present there. The Spirit was at work in Tirrases, and will be for a long time.

Led by Carolyn and Catherine, devotions and debrief continued long after the chocolate was dispersed. Having built a level of trust within the group, they were more open to sharing where they saw God at work--from grandfathers to kindegarteners--in a way that showed true emotion and connection. Brokenness is where reconstruction begins.