Tonjibe, Costa Rica

In January of 2006 members from First United Methodist, Birmingham, and Kirk in the Hills, Bloomfield Hills, joined workers from seven other churches to travel to the indigenous village of Tonjibe, Costa Rica. The Volunteers in Mission (VIM) team conducted a Vacation Bible School and worked on reconstruction projects at the church and parsonage. They also completed an additional classroom at the village school. This school has been built entirely by VIM teams. Economic necessity forces many to the young adults of the village to drop out of school before completing their high school education. The new classroom will house a night school to enable teenagers who work during the day to complete their education by taking classes after their work day is over. There are now several students from the village attending university.

Tonjibe, Costa Rica
(This path was formerly rutted and muddy.)

Former Tonjibe School

Tonjibe School after completion of the last classroom

Another view of the new school

Mansiones, Costa Rica

In addition to the VIM work at Tonjibe, we shall continue to provide funds during 2006 to assist in the completion of the Sunday School building at Faro del Este in Mansiones, Costa Rica. Our Tico brothers and sisters will be finishing the storage bodega, laying the flooring, and installing the windows and grills.

The new Faro del Este Church built in 2003-2004

The former church

Interior of the new church

Glass altar mosaic created by Vera Ulgalde

The Sunday School building under construction

To see more pictures of the church windows and the construction of the church look at Mansions 2005 and Mansiones 2003-2004.

If you are interested in joining a work team or would like to donate to future projects, please contact the church office or Ann Littleton.