We are growing!

We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.

Psalm 78:4

Class picture with the Vanden Bosches!

(we have three more students since this picture!)

This morning I am praising God for the two new preschool students that started class today!

We are up to 13!

We have already seen how our small school is making a difference in the lives of our students and in the community. Emily came up with the idea to raise funds for Haiti. Vielka wants to recycle and save the earth. Ryan wants to be a professional soccer player. Through an exceptional education, we hope to throw open the doors of opportunity for our students, allowing them to dream big dreams and helping them get there.

Furthermore, we love asking the question: What if the most well educated students in Quepos are the ones who are brought up being taught Biblical truths, treating others with Christ-like love, and seeing their opportunity to be a bridge, sharing Christ’s love to the world? It is our prayer that through the love, encouragement, and education offered at El Puente, God will bring up students who will be catalysts for change in the Quepos community.

When I came to Costa Rica three years ago, a small group of women met every week to pray for the community of Quepos. On our heart and in our prayers continually were our friends who lived and worked at the beach- a place where drugs are prevalent and people are transient. Last week, we enrolled two new preschoolers- both children who grew up on the beach because their parents are street vendors there. We are blessing God for the opportunity to invest in these kids, hoping that God will use them to bring change and sing His praises in that broken community!

We also know that the kids see a difference in the education that they are receiving at El Puente. At the beginning of the year, Alisson, a second grader, sat in her chair, beaming. “I love science at this school!” she said proudly, “because we do experiments, and at my old school we just filled out worksheets!” Our desire is to see kids learning to hypothesize, experiment, analyze, and think for themselves, and she noted the difference!

More importantly, however, we see the eternal significance of the work we are doing at El Puente. During a Bible class a few months ago, the class was learning about Jesus and his disciples. While reflecting on the story as a class, Alisson, stood up and said to her teacher and fellow classmates “I want to follow Jesus too!”

Keep praying that God will use us to accomplish HIS will in our lives, in the lives of our students, and in the community of Quepos!

School Pool Party

School BBQ and Pool Party

We invited students and thier families over for a bbq so that they could get to know members of our board, invite friend who were interested in the school, and meet one another! Thanks to everyone who helped
organize, set up, and serve our school!

A typical Costa Rican carne asada- with grilled sasusage, chicken, and fish, served with tortillas. mmmmm! Thanks Cabeto for cooking for us all!

Stacey, Kathy, and the Lopez family represented our board and spent time (in and out of the pool!) getting to know the parents of our students!

Aleasha- teacher off duty!- went in her clothes :)

Chirs and Cole went out and bought all the materials to make a soccer field- tico style! Above they are making the chalk lines by dropping dry chalk our of a small hole in the bottom of a bucket! So smart...

The finished field from above! Doesn't it look amazing!? the kids LOVE it!

Cantamos!

One of my favorite things to do is lead our class in singing! We sing in English and Spanish, and the love it (and dont even notice how tone-deaf I am!)

Here they are singing their favorite new song: Quien es el rey...

Quien es el rey de la selva? (Who is the king of the Jungle?)
Quien es el rey del mar? (Who is the king of the sea?)
Quien es el rey del universo? (Who is the king of the universe?)
Y quien es el rey de mi? (And whose the king of me?)
Te digo! (I tell you!)
J-E-S-U-S, JESUS!

National Park Field Trip Cont.

More Pictures of El Puente Costa Rica kids in front of the camera!

They will be on the local am news this week Monday and Tuesday, canal 7!

WHO CAN SEE IT FIRST????

National Park Field Trip

Today we had the opportunity to go on a one-of-a-kind field trip, Costa Rica style! I received a phone call from the director of Kids Saving the Rainforest, asking if our kids wanted to take part in a demonstration of their program for a local tv channel.

Kids Saving the Rainforest was started by a young girl and her mother in order to raise awareness and help protect the natural habits in Costa Rica. Since then, the organization has grown, and has its own animal rehab center that works with sloths, monkeys, and other animals native to the Manuel Antonio area. They were even highlighted on Extreme Home Makeover! It is a great organization that loves working and empowering kids to help do their part in conservation.

We brought the kids to the Mono Azul Hotel, the Kids Saving the Rainforest headquarters, where they learned all the reasons why we should NOT feed the monkeys... including our ability to make them sick by our germs. (Check out all 10 reasons on KSTR's website, www.kidssavingtherainforest.org)

After learning all about it, we went to share it, visiting the National Park. There our students brought information to tourists in the park, explaining why feeding the monkeys is harmful. A film crew followed us around, documenting the event and El Puente students will be on National TV next Monday night! Our kids did a great job, doing their part to raise awareness!

Above: at the park enterance, handing out fliers and talking to individuals about what we had learned.

Below: walking through the park and sharing with more park visitors

For a few of our students, this was their first time in the National Park! It was a great opportunity for them to see why the park in their hometown is the second most visited National Park in Costa Rica! We saw monkeys, sloths and frogs!

Looking for the sloth... can you find it?

Looking for the red-eyed tree frog... can you spot it?

The New Classroom

Welcome to the New

La Escuela Cristiana El Puente!!

Today we celebrated day one in our new school building! We have moved into a condo complex where we will be able to continue to grow and develop as an institution! Praise God for help moving, for permits being pushed through, and for a smooth transition!

I will be moving into the second story... and look in the picture to the right... a pool for gym class! (and maybe some down time for the teachers :) )

Work Team Jan 2010

Work Team

January 2010

This January we were blessed to have a group come down to help us prepare the new classrom! Over the course of the week the team worked, despite the summer heat, volunteering their time and energy to help us paint and finish our new classroom, as well as help out at a local drug and alcohol rehab center.

I am continually amazed at the people that God brings down, their heart for service, and connections he is making- using His people to do His work to show the love of Christ worldwide!

Thanks to everyone who helped out this week!! We couldn't have made the move without you!

Above: the condo before.... and after! Marge displaying all her hard work!

Above: Dave getting on his hands and knees to finish the base coat on the steps. And the whole painting crew! (Kathy, Marge, Dave, Gabi, and Tom)

Above: Diego scaling to get the upper corners, Caitlin and Diego finishing the stairwell, and Caitlin and I finishing the upstairs preschool room...

Painting and cleaning and painting and cleaning!

Kathy and Diego

After the room was ready, it was moving time! In two days time we packed up our old classroom, and headed for the new location!

Car Loads of books, desks, and school supplies! All the kids helped!

Below: Diego by the beautiful garden he put in, red palms and all

Before..... and After!

The first day of school! Thanks EVERYONE for all the hard work and sweat! We couldn't have made the move into our new facility without you!!

The team also helped paint and put screens on the old drug and rehab center- the new home for the director of the program. They had a chance to work along side of a group of men who have decided to leave their addictions and give back to their community. Their time and energy was a blessing to another cause that seeks to see God glorified in Quepos!