World Mission Project
Tonjibe, Costa Rica

February 1 - February 15, 1999

Our church is part of a continuing mission in Tonjibe, an Indian village in the North Central region of Costa Rica. Members of our church spent time in February 1999 on a mission to Tonjibe.

• Brochure sent out in advance of the 1999 trip.
• Report on the 1999 trip.
• Accomplishments of the 1999 trip.
• Photo of the 1999 trip.

Details of Our Trip

Where: Sector Los Angeles in the north central region of Costa Rica

When: February 1-15, 1999

Who: Birmingham First and other interested Methodist church members, each paying $1000 to cover their own transportation and living expenses.

Leaders: Jim Miller

Why: To build a multi-community Methodist owned produce processing and packing plant. To help run a VCS program for the children and an enrichment program for the women of the church community.

You Can Help!

We are looking for people who are interested in supporting a mission team that will continue in its mission efforts for years to come. This endeavor will be an on-going mission from Birmingham First and will need much support and backing here at home, as well as members to go on the trip.

We anticipate that the building project will cost about $15,000-$20,000.

Talk to team members about the mission trip:

Jim Miller
Pam Beedle-Gee
Rev. LaVere Webster
Zola Webster
or the Missions Work Area chair Ann Windley

How You Can Help from Home

Supplies

Summer clothes - children and adult

Health and beauty supplies

Guitar

Accordion

Hand tools

Cassette tape players

School supplies

Sewing supplies

Material, needles, thread, shears, etc.

Craft items

Check with team members for other needed items.

English/Spanish VCS Materials

To be purchased (approximate cost $200-$300)

Adopt a Student

About $100 is needed to supply one secondary school student for one year of school. This amount includes books, school supplies, and one school uniform.

There were 10 students last year who were supported by members of this VIM team.

About $35 is needed to supply one elementary student for one year.

Facts About Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a Central American democracy located south of Nicaragua and to the north of Panama. It is about one-third the size of the state of Michigan, with a population of about 3.6 million people.

The constitution of 1949 abolished the military and established free health care

and mandatory public education through the sixth grade, making Costa Rica the country with the highest literacy rate among the Spanish speaking countries.

Please Support Your Team!

1999 Trip Report

The Volunteers In Mission (VIM) project trip to Sector Los Angeles Costa Rica was a great success. Twenty-one people left Detroit Metro Airport on February 1, 1999, at 6:35 AM for two weeks of hard work and wonderful interaction with the people of this village.

Our project was to build a produce processing plant, owned and operated by the Methodist Church of Costa Rica. This plant would allow local farmers to bring together their small crops of yucca roots and other produce to this facility to be cleaned, dipped in wax, packaged and exported.

The team living quarters were set up in the sanctuary of the Methodist Church. The people of the church community took care of our needs. Our outstanding cooks, Ofielia and Denia, prepared and served wonderful meals (most with black beans and rice), and Grace did our laundry 3 or 4 times during our stay.

A vacation church school was held on five of the days; it included Bible lessons and crafts. The theme this year was the sea and water. There were approximately 70 children ranging in age from 4 to 15 years. Three of the church women took on the responsibility of teaching the Bible lessons while the VIM group members were support staff and also led the crafts.

The women of the community were given a program of Bible study and crafts in the afternoon. This was led by the Pastor's wife and the VIM team members.

This year, as in the past few years, we were able to provide scholarships for a number of the students who were to go on to high school. Schooling in Costa Rica is free but uniforms and schools supplies are costly.

Accomplishments

We financed and worked with the local people to build a "Pakadora", a produce processing plant (approximately 2000 sq ft building).

The plant is owned by the Methodist Church of Sector Los Angeles and run cooperatively by the five neighboring communities. The local farmers will bring their crops, mostly yuca and ginger root, to clean, prepare and pack for export.

But that's not all!

At Sector Los Angeles

Daily vacation Bible school
Women's Bible study and crafts
Distributed used clothing to Sector, Sona Fluca and Tonjibe churches
Distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste
Spanish language children's storybooks
A Spanish language evening video program
A reface of the parsonage kitchen counter
25 produce drying racks

At Tonjibe

Outfitted all the Colegio children with uniforms and school supplies
Supplied "as needed" primary school children's uniforms
Four computers- NO we didn't buy them, the government did, because we built the classroom in 1998
Established a new classroom library.
Purchased notebooks for students attending night school
Stocked the school food kitchen that provides kids lunches
Prepaid annual lunch cost for all Tonjibe Colegio students
Convinced several primary school graduates to enroll in Colegio
Repaired Walter's eye glasses

Miscellaneous

Distributed Bible school program materials to churches at Sona Fluca, San Isidro ( Douglas and Yami), and Palenque de Zeladon ( Rodrigo and Marlene)
Provided home furnishings for the new pastor at Sona Fluca and for Gerardo at Centro Rural
Repaired appliances from a list of jobs at Sector, Sona Fluca, Tonjibe, etc,...etc,...

Photo of the 1999 trip

 

Back row: Fred Miller, Pam Beedle-Gee, Melonie Smith, Dave Diehl, Bob Emerick, Jerry Smith, Bill Riley, Lyn Raymond, Howard Gilmore, Bob Karr, Jack Tingle, Jim Miller

Front row: Bob Suda LaVere Webster, Zola Webster, Katie Ogden, Jaye Wells, Ofelia, Denia, Joan Suda, Vejean Hughes, Rod Harris