CR: Day Seven

Middletown UMC Costa Rica - Day 7 (Sun, 06/12/2011)

Costa Rica is beautiful.

Beautiful doesn't begin to describe it. In a way almost completely opposite from yesterday in the slum, we found that God is so evident in the patterns of fern leaves, the pounding waterfalls, the delicate orchids, the beaming sun, the rainbow sherbet beak of a toucan, the camouflage of a poison dart frog. He is mind-blowingly creative, not that I would ever want to worship a God whom I could wrap my brain around.

At La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we let toucans land on us and eat from our hands, saw pumas and panthers, tree frogs and tadpoles, watched as butterflies emerged from their cocoons and landed on our shoulders after their very first flight, and so much more. Words can't really describe what we saw today at La Paz, and so I will leave it at that.

After a long day of hiking the bus driver took us on a long trek up the mountain as the sun set to a restaurant that sits at the top of one of the mountains. By the time we were about half way up, the city lights were spectacular. Imagine what it looked like when we reached the very top, over a mile above sea level. The sea of sparkling, twinkling lights--although created by man--testifies to the Lord as creator of ordained co-creators. After a fabulous dinner and a quick trip to the grocery store we arrived back at the church.

Debrief was short while devos encouraged us to allow God to use us as his tools of the trade, as we learn what that trade is. This short email cannot possibly sum up one week in Costa Rica, especially not one spent with Middletown UMC, but it must suffice.

Big day tomorrow. Flight leaves at 1 PM (Costa Rica time) and we should be on the ground in Louisville by midnight.

To everyone that has prayed, donated money, time, and extra effort to get this fabulous team to Costa Rica, I thank you. You made a wise investment in the future lives of the Middletown youth and adults, and in the world. I will reiterate what Sandra said at the Episcopal feeding center on Day 5. Whether or not you participated in this trip in person, or vicariously through one of these team members, "estan cambiando vidas." You are changing lives.

Pura Vida, Nathan Rider

CR: Day Six

Middletown UMC - Day 6 (Sat, 06/11/2011)

We never left the church today. Might have started getting a little antsy towards the end of the day. Lots of good bonding time. Today we gave a day back to Iglesia Cristiana and painted a multipurpose room as EDGE North America tries to do on every trip to EDGE Costa Rica. Today it was the adults that really shined brightly.  (I'll come back to that.) 

We had a nice morning getting ready in a relaxed way, but still getting to work at about 8:30. I was very nervous when I found out that our paint was oil based....never good with inexperienced mission teams. After cleaning up the room and prepping for painting I walked in to give the go ahead to start painting and most of the first wall was already done! I was a nervous wreck that by the end of the day this paint would cover the whole campus from top to bottom. However, come the end of the day I was happily surprised to find one of the best paint jobs I have ever seen a volunteer team complete. Partway through the paint job Pastor Angel arrived to take us on a walk through Los Pinos, the nearby slum.

In debrief we talked about how even there in the midst of the scrappy tin shacks, trash, and feces, we could see the face of God in the blossoming flowers, the light in the children's eyes, and the fabulous view of San Jose down and the mountain tops above. Being that San Jose is in a valley, the mountains are visible from anywhere in the city. Keeping my eyes on the horizon, I am often reminded of the savior for whom I live my life and continue to hand it over day after day.


After returning from the walk the adults got right back to work finishing the job...and finishing it well. They replaced three broken window panes, a floorboard that had been completely hollowed out by carpenter ants, and put the most professional coat of paint on I have ever seen done by a group like this. I was inspired by the diligence of Jeff in doing the carpentry right while Susan, Kim, and Mark chugged along 'til the very end.


Devotions after debrief was another chance to feel brokenness that comes before change and look to the hills, the Lord, for strength. After Chay and Nathan challenged us by defining the difference between being a fan of Christ and being a follower, they asked what it meant to be called a Christian and "called" as a christian. One youth knew exactly what God was speaking to her heart, while another was almost embarrassed to admit that she had no idea yet what the Lord was saying to her. With everyone else in between, we broke off to dinner with prayer knowing where to direct our sight and ears listening for Christ's calling. Similarly to how it has been as we have come to Costa Rica, the Lord will provide direction while we are going, and after we arrive home.


Psalm 121 -
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
  where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
  the Maker of heaven and earth.


3 He will not let your foot slip—
  he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
  will neither slumber nor sleep.


5 The LORD watches over you—
  the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
  nor the moon by night.


7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
  he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore.


Pura Vida y Shalom

CR: Day Four

Middletown UMC in Costa Rica - DAY 4 (Thu, 06/09/2011)

Chuck woke me up talking about the bus leaving in a few minutes. As I jumped to attention, the whole room busted up laughing at my morning stupor. ...Off to our new worksite, we arrived at the same time as our tank delivery.

After unloading we entered the church to meet the priest of La Ascention Episcopal Church. He first showed us where he wanted us to install the purifier and then we loaded into a small sanctuary. With brains mulling over a plan to install, Padre explained the history of the church, from it's Anglican roots to its current programs. The program with which we were to become most familiar was that which serves community members with AIDS.

The new water team--Susan, RJ, Nathan D., Megan, and Mikayla (rotating to allow all EDGE trained experts a chance to utilize their skills)---got right to work clearing out the room while Roddy created a game plan for directing the pure water into the kitchen sink. The little maintenance closet become home to two new 400L water tanks while the wall was eventually clothed with a new belt of PVC around the perimeter of the kitchen.

After finding out that the women in the AIDS support and recovery program would not be coming today, our flexible group had to become fluid....(liquid is even more flexible than a flexible solid, and here at EDGE we have this thing for water). We piled on the bus and went to a feeding station that had a water purifier installed about 2 years ago. In the driveway was the first white man I had seen in a while. We met and found out that he was fellow Louisvillian...what a small world.

Franklin Turner and his wife had been in Costa Rica for about 7 years and are interested in the EDGE purifier. (I don't see why anyone wouldn't be!) The children that come to the feeding station eat there for Lunch since going home would mean no food, no parents, no one to take care of them. They are just like children in the US, maybe a little excited to meet Americans, but they are so similar. Upon arriving back at La Ascencion, Catherine and Carolyn took over water team duty and got to work. By the end of the day the PVC manifold and plumbing were nearly complete. With a few finishing touches the project would be complete.

We arrived back at Pastor Angel’s church and had an early debrief. I got into the shower that was boiling hot but it dripped at about a teaspoon per minute—now, that’s what I call a high efficiency shower head. During debrief, Megan and Mikayla did a short group devotion based on the parable of the lost coin. So many of us would have just kicked the quarter under the couch and looked for it the next time we vacuumed. The girls explained how little value we place on things, but how much value we place on getting those things.

From the comments it sounded like the group was starting to understand the freedom that comes with simplicity. They shared how much the enjoyed not having their technology. Every night they prove to themselves how valuable their relationships among themselves are. They play cards and soccer, they sit and talk, they have fun washing dishes together, or making sandwiches. I don’t think I have ever seen someone playing a video game laugh as hard as the sandwich makers were last night. We should enjoy the simplicity but be thankful for what we have. Cata said there is no need to condemn it, just be thankful for it and be willing to do with it what the Lord demands. Debrief came to a close with Mark Smithson expressing his pride in the growth he has seen in this group. I second that.

We had a delicious dinner and I got to listen to Noah tell us about his flan-making skills among others in his goofy, hilarious style. We all went and played mafia for about an hour—I guess, it’s kind of nice not having a watch on me—after we were through silently killing each other with cards and pointing fingers, I enjoyed walking through the house watching all of the little groups that had formed conversations full of exploding laughter and thought provoking questions. All in all, whether they tried to or not, I saw worship for the Lord. What a pleasure it is to spend a week in Costa Rica with a group like this.

CR: Day Three

"There is intoxication in the waters of contemplation..." - Merton

Middletown UMC in Costa Rica - DAY 3 (Wed, 06/08/2011)

Big day today. Huge growth in the team today. They are starting to get why they are here. I couldn't get them to stop talking at debrief tonight.

The morning started with the sweetest fresh pineapple I have nearly ever tasted. Then we were off to familiar turf. Back to Pastor Orlando's church. We were waiting for a Costa Rican delivery of cement blocks and the tanks and pipe. Needless to say, it didn't arrive as soon as we expected. I sat down to start journaling about yesterday and out of nowhere the team had a wheelbarrow full of mortar and were fixing a broken wall outside the front door of the church. I still do not know who's idea it was to do it, but Padre wanted it done. They were on that wall like white on rice. Before long they had it completed.

Once the blocks and tanks arrived, a few stayed behind to work on assembling the manifold while the rest of us followed Padre (Pastor Orlando) on a tour into the slum community which his church serves. This unnerved some, scared some, made some overjoyed, but everyone was blessed by the opportunity. Pastor just knocked on the doors of the homes of some of his congregation members. Many of the women who were taught H&H yesterday live in the slum. We went to Karen's house and stood around and just observed the area, since she was not home. Her neighbor poked her head out and sent her 8 year old daughter out the door to go walk by her self to the top of the hill where she would wait for a ride to school. Over worn tires, broken glass, stray dogs, and loose gravel and concrete, she hiked to the top of this hill, uniform clad with a white shirt, blue flowing skirt and hot pink Barbie backpack. I was able to talk to her when we stopped at the top to chat with Karen who we crossed paths with on our way out. Maria was her name. Maria is 8 years old and she likes going to school, math especially. Maria lives in a slum and is susceptible to contaminated water. So far she is not one of the thousands, but in my book she never will be. She will always be Maria. She has a name. She is a person, an individual. These numbers and figures and ideas I have been talking about for two years now finally are real.

Maria was the first of many children to come. We taught Health &Hygiene to the after school program and they loved it, feeding the caterpillar, singing songs, watching skits. Steven learned health and hygiene today and he is no longer at risk of being a statistic. (photo of Steven). Jose will live to see his 9th birthday tomorrow because he learned that by washing his hands with the 10 step process while singing feliz cumpleanos, his hands will be clean.

The kids taught the Costa Rican children a game called ninja, that they all loved. Trampling the language barrier underfoot, they played and played and played while Glenn taught Pastor Orlando and two women how to operate the purificador. We loved watching the lightbulbs light up as Glenn explained the operation to them. "Amarillo!" cried the children when they tested the water and it was chlorinated in 15 minutes or so. "Wow, es muy facil!" exclaimed the woman holding the pool testing kit as she reexamined the process in her head.

We had a worship service with Pastor Angel back at Iglesia Christiana, and while only two members attended, worshiping the lord while singing in spanish was phenomenal.

I would get to more details but the frogs are cooing, the roaches are screeching and scratching and that blasted rooster keeps on crowing. So Im not sure if its morning or night, the critters have me all confused. What I do know is that I have fallen asleep writing this twice so far. I've gotta get more sleep.

Buenas Noches y Pura Vida, Nathan

CR: Day Two

Middletown UMC in Costa Rica – Day 2 (Tues, 06/07/2011)

Things are going great. After breakfast, chores were completed without even asking. When the bus was packed, we left for the first site. Well, that is after waiting around a while, of course. We spread out along the street outside the front gate and I enjoyed listening to people notice things, question things to each other, and soak in the fact that they were in Costa Rica. "Wow look how huge that bamboo is!" "Hey did you see that cat across the ditch?" "Is that the footbridge to the slum? Thats not just a foot bridge. Thats a whatever-kind-of-bridge-you-want-it-to-be as long as you aren't on it when it collapses." So rather than impatient North Americans, I found myself surrounded by inquisitive, patient, joking, joyful teammates. We arrived at the church and met the pastor. He told us about the church from North Carolina that did so much to help them and gave so much to them (When helping hurts....anybody?) But was quite relieved to find out how much they have in turn given back to their community and fundraise for themselves. Praise the Lord they have not grown dependent on that church. A number of youth and adults began cleaning the area where the purifier will go, as it was where garden waste, old boards and bricks were thrown. Glenn Roddy and the "water team" (for that day) and I went to the hardware store and met Carlos and got our supplies. While we waited, the youth were thrown back by the hospitality as we were served coffee and cookies while we waited. Roddy explained that he always treated EDGE folks like that since they have developed a good partnership.

Meanwhile back on the ranch (church) the health and hygiene team-for-the-day practiced the skits and prepared to be flexible. One woman in the church teaches cosmetology classes (hair/manicures/etc) to women every day and then leads a group session in the afternoons with women who are abused by their husbands, helping them to love themselves again. At debrief tonight Kim Pickett explained how she was inspired by this woman who had to shut down her own salon because she was volunteering too much at the church. That's right, she gave up her job to VOLUNTEER more!!! She said that sometimes its hard, but she trusts that the Lord will provide for her. Wow, that's faith if I ever saw it. Anyway, the H&H team taught for the afternoon group and then did exercises with them, listened and tasted as they shared recipes, and colored pictures with their children after school let out. One of the girls on our team was touched after finding out that last week a relative of the girl to whom they sang Feliz Cumpleanos (to teach how long to wash hands) died of dehydration, while one of the women there was the mother of another girl that died last week of water related sickness. Both completely preventable.

I watched Catherine and Carolyn light up as Roddy empowered and encouraged them by--after cutting the main water line himself--handing over the T, ball valve, and glue while saying without words, "you don't just have to watch, I trust that you can do it." Mark, Chay, Zach, and Hunter assembled the purifier with confidence and ease, blowing Glenn Roddy away. They knew exactly what to do and how to do it. Thanks Bob for the training. Catherine explained to the group tonight during debrief how she was impacted when she noticed that the simplicity does not limit their happiness, in fact it may even be freeing. We assigned pairs to pick a devotion to share for the next four nights and encouraged them to journal. Some really took that to heart, others we might have to wrestle to pick up a pen. If only they could see the benefit now.

We will be installing tomorrow at Iglesia Episcopal Costarricence Congregaccion Todos los Santos so prayer for them and their many ministries would be great. The mountains are beautiful the people are hospitable, life is beautiful in Costa Rica. Its tempting to just stay. But don't worry. I'll come back I guess.

Light sleepers are hoping Gallo the Rooster next door would take a hike. Maybe tomorrow he will start crowing at 4 instead of 3 AM. Gotta love God's creations.

"Lord, you see

the things you want me to do,

the people you want me to touch.

Left as I am

I can never be an instrument

of your grace to others.

Left as I am

I will be

an impediment,

a stumbling block.

You love me to much

to leave me as I am."

Lord change me.

Pura Vida, Nathan

CR: Day One

Mon, 06/06/2011


On the ground. Loving it. Feeling at home in yet another place in my
Father's world.  A little overwhelmed at times but I was able to keep a calm face on, I guess its a gift.


Made a few mistakes/Had a few challenges

• 6:00 flight delayed to 7, delayed to 7:30 or so. Landed and got 4 gates away when the last boarding call was made as 17 EDGErs and 3 ROTC cadets ran to the gate. Barely made it, but still made 
• Separated on the concourse trams in 
• Lost a bag at the airport. 14 yr old boy took Jeff's luggage to adventure camp on accident.  Still no word on it.
• Ana gave me a chance to give direction when we first got there and I just drew a blank.

Saw some flourishing 

• Some of the girls are trying their hand at 
• Shopping with Ana, Cata, and Kim was a blast.  Got some good conversation in.
• Team is bonding well enjoying their time so far.

Not every day... [pumped for tomorrow/update from the night watch]

Couldn't decide on the title...
Porter and I are on security duty on the Ohio River tonight, watching tugboats pull heavy barges up and down the river and admiring the Louisville skyline reflect off of the glossy water. We are surrounded by intense new disaster relief equipment that will be debuted tomorrow in a press conference with EDGE OUTREACH and some other local organizations. Its not every night that one gets to watch the sun set over the Louisville skyline then go to bed in the 4-person bunk area in a disaster response unit that could change the face of disaster response forever.  More details to come tomorrow after the press conference! ! Check www.edgeoutreach.com.

...and to my listening ears

...all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

Not a statistic anymore.

25,000 People died today because they did not have access to clean water.
But that is just a number I have said over and over.  It is almost meaningless now.  But now that I have met the faces of the 25,000, it has meaning.

Steven is no longer a statistic. He is a person. He has a face and a personality. He has pure water.

Burgers and Flies

Five Guys' receipt paper ran out in just the right place.  Enjoy those flies.

Born in the Wrong Era - RE: MO's $90 Bundle

Oh to use inches to describe music again--the romantic in me wishes it were more common.








Thanks Jon -
http://jonsattempttoblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/no-i-am-not-thinking-about-buying.html

Thanks Prince Billy -
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/bonnie-prince-billy-amp-the
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS4k2HgWP7E


מִנְחָה֙

ECHO Agricultural Conferences 2009 and 2010

     "ECHO's Annual ECHO Agricultural Conference is an event that brings together some of the world’s most influential voices dedicated to eradicating hunger and improving lives. Speakers share practical solutions to agricultural challenges, personal experiences and strategies for improving the lives of millions who everyday face the threat of starvation. The event offers an open exchange of information, connecting the people and ideas that can make a real and sustainable difference." -www.echonet.org
     The conference in my own words is a motley conglomeration of people passionate about Agriculture, meeting the agricultural needs of the world's hungry people, and about our Lord, Jesus Christ.  The like-mindedness of the attendees that makes it so unique;  from Cornell University professors to subsistance farmers from Haiti and Kenya, from college students to NGO development workers, this is truly a global conference.
     It was such an honor to be asked by EDGE OUTREACH to represent them at the conference.  With only a few kinks in the first presentation, the event went well.  I had a display table set up in a side room while the morning sessions occurred at the hotel conference center.  Then tightly packed we moved to the 50 acre ECHO farm where I unpacked and gave two one-hour demonstrations of the purifier that EDGE OUTREACH uses.
     I never cease to be amazed by the versatility of the purifier.  Providing 10,000 gallons of pure water every day with only the simple inputs of one handful of salt, a 12 volt battery, and the locally available water, this is truly a live-giving instrument.


More pictures are at the following links to my Facebook albums from the last two years at the conference.
ECHO Conference 2010  |  ECHO Conference 2009

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My Zambian Brothers

These are the guys I spent my two weeks in Zambia living with. More stories from Zambia are to follow!!

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Too busy…

My Buddy Joey

One day early in the week a few weeks ago, I was working at the Salvation Army Center of Hope with the team from Fountain City UMC.  Like every other day, I tried my best to keep a smile on and be friendly around the homeless men, women and children that sit outside the homeless shelter.  However, that day I ran into a 9-year-old boy named Joey.  I casually introduced myself and went on with my day.  Later the next day he stopped me as I walked by and said, “Hey Nathan, that’s your name right?” Continuing he said, “Will you play soccer with me after you’re done working today?”  It was late in the afternoon already, I was tired, and I really just wanted to get back to the office to unload and then go home.  But I said I would play with him for a couple minutes after I was done.  The team packed up and went back to The Mission House for the day and I went back to the excited Joey to play soccer.  A couple minutes turned into twenty and I really had a good time playing with Joey.  While he was draining the last of my water, I introduced myself to Jennifer, his mother and she held onto my hand after shaking and looked me in the eye and said, “thank you” and then smiled, picked up Julia, her infant daughter, and watched as I walked away. 

From my best assumption, Jennifer looked like many of the other homeless women I had seen at that shelter.  She looked frail, tired, and she did not smile a whole lot.  I had instantly labeled her as “another one of them” despite her sincere gratitude.  The next day Natalie, another Mission House intern, stayed for a few minutes and played with Joey and me.  This time Joey’s younger brothers James and Isaac played with us.  The next day, Joey was even more comfortable around us and asked Natalie if he could help stain the fence.  She gladly allowed him to participate and he loved every minute.  The next week there weren’t any teams working at the Salvation Army so I didn’t really see the boys or Jennifer.  However, I was there on Tuesday with Brad, a Mission House volunteer, when a man came over and asked, “Are you the one that’s been playing with my boy’s while I am at work?”  I replied, “Yes sir.” He shook my hand and thanked me.  I guess the kids or Jennifer must have told him.

The next week I felt even more comfortable around Jennifer and had a few conversations with her.  She is from Michigan and they came to Louisville looking for work after Kevin, her husband, lost his job.  I introduced the five members of the youth group from Immanuel UMC that were working at the Center of Hope to Joey and his brothers and parents and they enjoyed talking with them.  But on Tuesday, I couldn’t make it to the site most of the days as I was making supply runs.  While I was gone, the group allowed Joey and his brothers to help chisel out the boards they were working on, which if I had been there, I probably wouldn’t have allowed to happen for safety reasons.  However, the rest of the week that is all those three boys would talk about.  “I got to wear safety glasses!”  “I got to use a hammer and a chisel,” they would exclaim. 

Thursday morning I woke up and opened up the news paper and on the front page was Jennifer, Isaac, James, and Julia, sitting on a couch under the headline “Louisville Homeless Population Up 5%.”  Surprised, I read the article over breakfast and realized just how wrong my first judgment of that family had been.  They had only been homeless for about a month.  They were a middle class family, like mine.  They just had a bas streak of luck and found themselves without a home.  This article allowed me to be even more open when I showed it to Jennifer who was even more surprised to see herself on the front page of the Courier Journal.  She said that they were just normal people; both she and her husband have college degrees and had sound jobs before.  She was scared when she first came to live there but within a month of diligently looking for jobs and houses, they have found a home nearby to live in for the time being.  I feel like both myself and the youth and adults involved with EDGE at the Salvation Army have gotten a glance into the life of a homeless family.  The Robbins family has put a new face on homelessness for the youth and me.  They made it personal for us.  However, I hope, pray, and think that maybe the Mission House youth have been able to make the homeless shelter a positive memory for Joseph, and his brothers, James and Isaac rather than one they wish to forget.  I know they won’t forget the short time they had with us.  As Jennifer put it on Friday, when I walked up to the wall by which the elevated yard is held in, she said, “Hello Mr. Popular.  The kids go jumping off the wall scraping their knees just to get to you.”  Having friends in situations like that make me realize that I am living in a broken world too.  Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert say in the book, When Helping Hurts, “But part of our striving [for reconciliation] is also to fall on our knees every day and pray, ‘Lord be merciful to me and to my friends here, because we are both sinners.’”  We are on the same level, I am no better than any one of the people at the shelter.  But with God’s help I can strive with them for God’s healing touch in our lives.

Saturday I received a text message from Mama and Emma, who were waiting for the harvester to make another round and empty the wheat into the truck in which they were sitting.  They were passing time reading the Cornerstones section of the Progressive Farmer magazine and decided to send me the quote, “Character is what emerges from all the little things you were too busy to do yesterday, but did anyway.”  At first I didn’t get it but when I called she explained, you were way too busy to play soccer with Joey, think about what would have, or rather wouldn’t have if you hadn’t played with him.  I would like to encourage you today to take the five or ten minutes to make a difference.  You never know who it will effect, but that twenty minute game of soccer changed my perspective of homeless friends forever.

If you want to read the article from the front page of the Courier Journal you can follow this link.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100630/NEWS01/6300405/Louisville-homeless-population-up-5-

And to see more pictures from this week visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190180&id=622756834&l=c1893995d2

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