The new digs!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share with you some pictures of the new house. If you didn't hear, we moved out of the 2 houses into one two-story house. We are building the office and some apartments there too, so please excuse the mess on the outside, but the inside is nice and clean.

Also, check out your groups pictures on the Strong Missions facebook page. There isn't enough room here for every team's pictures, but we wanted to share with you the ones we have.

Have a blessed weekend! ~Rebecca :)










(office, storage, laundry, apartments, etc. under construction)

March Photos

It's been another full month here in Carrillos, and here are the photos to prove it! This month, we've enjoyed the company and service of Oakwood UMC from Iowa, Carthage UMC from Illinois, and the youth of Kingsbridge Parish in Ontario.




This is the ramp and stairs of the playground. Forms made, cement poured...and the Ontario youth also poured a lot of the sidewalk running through the park.







This is some of the Ontario youth, watering the stairs and smoothing out the ground so they can pour the sidewalk.







The Iowa group dug the trench for this part of the wall, and they laid the block. Then the Canadians formed and poured the top, and laid the block for the corner section. Truly an international effort.





How many people are in this picture? Yes, that orange hat in the second septic hole is on top of David's head. The Carthage group, including these hardworking couples from Atlanta, worked to prepare Strong Missions' new headquarters down the street. They also did welding, painting, and some holes in concrete for our new office building.







In addition to their park work, the Iowa group painted and cleaned a classroom at the school.

Educational Progress

Some of you have already heard about the pilot educational program we started in Los Guido at the beginning of the year. For $600 a month (supported by donations), we pay a retired professor to go to Los Guido and teach classes. We started with 25 students. Now, a couple of months later, we have 64 students, ranging from primary to secondary (there are multiple classes). Many of these students are attending public school already, but this gives them the extra help they need to progress and make it through. The desire to learn is strong, because education gives opportunity.
We're very excited at how well this new program is going, and we're hoping to set up a similar program in Alajuela. Very promising!

Photos

More photos, as promised!




Sheila and Joan finishing the wall.









Carpenters, varnishers, sanders, and painters completed 30 high chairs for the Posada de Belen.







Sewers made bibs, blankets, skirts, and other products for the Posada de Belen. Also, they made me some amusing pajama shorts.






Painting a classroom at the school.










Jim and Marilyn, from Ohio, worked with both the Minnesota and Wisconsin groups.




That's all for now!

February update!

It's already February, and a lot has been happening here in Carrillos. We've had wonderful people from various parts in the midwestern US (and a few from elsewhere) busy working. The playground/park walls have their final coats cement, and the long bench is done. They also did some grading above the upper wall, and dug out and poured the sidewalk. I'm continually amazed at how fast things get done around here--the Wisconsin VIM group did that whole bench in their five work days, from digging the trench to laying the block, to pouring the concrete top. (Of course, I'm especially proud of them because I am also from WI.) To be fair, I should also mention that the Minnesota group brought some incredible skills here, completing 30 high chairs for the Posada de Belen, sewing blankets and knitting hats, and doing a wide variety of other projects as well.
And we also did another session of VBS at the Pentecostal church, and dedicated painters have finished several classrooms, exterior walls, and metal stairs at the school. Catching a quick breath before volunteers from Iowa arrive in a few days. (Really, what is with all these midwestern people coming now? It must be all the snow up there right now, I keep forgetting what they're escaping from!)
Sorry for the long update--lots to catch up on!
--Scott
(This picture is of Minnesotans digging out for the sidewalk. More pictures coming soon!)

Completion of School Administration Building!

Here's a quick picture of the school's new administration building, finished in November!

Off to a good start

Hi, my name is Scott Andrews, and I am also one of Charlie's Program Assistants, working here with Rebecca. The year has just begun, and good things are already happening here. First on my list, of course, is that I am here! It's been a joy learning and working with the 2 groups we've already had, and my new coworkers. It's also been very productive--in two weeks the two teams (a total of 20 volunteers, plus our fine local staff) dug and poured foundation for the last part of the playground's retaining wall, then laid block and poured concrete to top it off. They also topped off the rest of the big wall with concrete, and one of the groups spent 3 days doing VBS with well over 100 neighborhood kids at one of the local churches. Start looking for new pictures soon!

I find myself very impressed and and thankful to God for my new coworkers here, and for the two teams I've already been fortunate enough to work with, and I am looking forward to meeting many more in the future!
--Scott (scotteandrews@gmail.com)