Final post from Costa

This will be my final update on Costa Rica until we land. The trip has continued to run smoothly and God is taking special care of us. I did a partial update yesterday after our free day so let me update you on what has taken place since.

Awards: due to missing awards for 2 days ( skate night and me being sick) we had an extra large serving of ice cream...

Savannah: Won an award for sharing her testimony at the skate night, I have already posted the story, but she did an awesome job. It is always difficult to share such a personal thing, especially through a translator, but she rocked the house

Kim Nicol: Also previously mentioned, but she dropped in on a skate board which was something very few non skaters tried to do and after lots of determination and practice she accomplished it

Kimberly Schlenker: Won the award of valor and courage on the zipline. She was able to overcome all her fears and soared like the eagles through the jungle

Chris F: I brought 4 sets of snorkeling gear on the trip to take out 3 students at a time on snorkeling excursions. Well I loaned my stuff out yesterday and Chase lost one of my masks, so Chris tried to help him find it, only to lose that one. So i probably shouldn't reward people losing my stuff, but hey why not

Chase: When we got to the zip line, one of the guides asked if I was "woozie" for going on the zip line (scared) (think rasta accent) and I told him no, that I had done it before, but that Chase was "woozie" so the guide got everyone else to call Chase woozie all day, it was quite hilarious. The cherry on top however was when Madison came and she became known as "Woozie's Sister"

Chris Nicol: Well on the zip line when we were on the platform with the howler monkey Chris and i decided to play with the howler monkey, I mean monkeys need to make new friends. So I was imitating his call and Chris was grabbing the branch he was on and shaking it to and fro. I think the monkey really liked it because he made more noise and moved about a lot more!

Last night was a really great night and I heard from many that it was their favorite night. We set up a rocking chair in the middle of the group and i asked for students to sit in the chair, share what is going on in their lives and how we can pray for them. We would then have 2 other students immediately pray for them. It was an amazing night that more than 90% of everyone were willing to get up the courage to share what was going on. And now as believers we can support one another. It was really cool and freeing for many students.

Tonight is another special night and not jest because it is our last night. Weather permitting, we are having worship and a bonfire on the beach and following that with a baptism. I am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for us this evening. So please keep that in your prayers.

PICKUP CREW: thanks so much to those that signed up to pick us up at the airport. Also if you desire to pick us up but didnt sign up you are more than welcome to meet us at the airport. Our plane lands at LAX at 11:15pm and I am guessing at least 45 minutes for baggage and customs. You can click here for real time tracking of our flight and the most up to date details on it. Also if you are tech savvy you can register here and get a text message when our plane lands. I also plan on updating the webpage the moment we land (can do it from my cell phone) but that is dependent on the battery life of my phone.

Thank you all for your prayers and we will see you tomorrow!

Costa Rica Day 4

So day 4 lets see what happened. Still no injuries and God is doing mighty and amazing things. I have really like where the Spiritual aspect of the trip has taken us. Two nights ago I spoke about Psalm 139 and how this Psalm breaks into 4 parts talking about God's omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and His holiness, respectively. We then shared as a group how we have seen these attributes of God in our lives and in Costa Rica. Last night we looked at 1 Chronicles 4:9-12, also known as the Prayer of Jabez. We discussed how as a team we can pray the same prayer and how God has already answered many aspects of that prayer. Then we discussed what has been hindering us and holding us back from fully serving God. I challenged the students to think about this and we will discuss it later in the week. I have also been blown away by the quality of our morning devotions. So far we have had 5 leaders share their testimony: Bryan, Kim, Billy, Lindy, and Matthew, and they have done superbly.

The teams have been continuing their projects at their respective locations. They have been doing awesome jobs and really making a difference in the community. Team Holla Holla was taught some Salsa dancing by some locals, and in usual style, the girls were excited and the boys watched.

Awards: Brett Schorr (also known as BrettSchorr.com) has stubbed both toes and then cut his heel on something, so he got an award for his accidents. Don't worry BrettSchorr.com's mom, Brett is doing great!
Edward: We took a group snorkeling and swimming out to an island not far off the coast. On the way back I speared a lobster, but it was stuck in the rocks, and Edward was the one who was able to retrieve it. We took it back to the hotel and cooked it, it was mighty tasty, freshest sea food ever.
Michael James: I was told he worked the hardest on his team and did an awesome job setting an example.

Prayer Requests
Tonight is our large youth outreach night. We are inviting people from the community to the skate park for a giant BBQ and skating, and then we will have a time of worship afterwards. Please pray that God is moving at the event, that students are able to leave their comfort zones and outreach to new friends.
Tomorrow we are taking an excursion to Bri Bri (not Brianna) and going to spend some time playing in the jungle, swimming under a waterfall and trying to make friends with monkeys. Pray for safety. Upon returning, one team will be traveling to the skate park and the other teams will be participating in a prayer walk around the town.

Exciting times are upon us and I cant wait to see what God has planned. Side note: the upload rate here is terrible, its worse thatn when i was on a modem speed back in the day. So the newest photos are at a very low quality, but when we return, i will have beautiful large prints and we're working on getting a DVD with all photos for anyone.

As Promised....

Since Evan's doing such a great job of posting the daily happenings, I figured I'd post a few pictures & some of my thoughts as a long-term missionary in this location (well, at least for the next 6 weeks).

At the Skate Park: One of the greatest aspects of the Concrete Jungle Skate Park & music cafe is that everything you see exists because of short term teams that have partnered with us in ministry. We've had some professional construction teams that helped with big projects like framing the roof, and we've had less professional construction teams that have helped paint, sand or varnish the cafe. I LOVE the fact that the Ocean Hills team is serving & working hard, leading us closer to our goal of completion of the cafe & skate park. One of the best things about the construction work is that I can name more than 2o people who have come to know Christ or made the decision to follow Him specifically because the skate park & music cafe exist. Our team is working to build, literally, God's kingdom!

Here's a few pics from the Alternative Missions property:

At the Colegio: Ocean Hills is actually our last mission team this summer & is helping us end with a bang as far as the local "Colegio" (or high school, in English) is concerned. All the painting & repairs the team is doing is great follow up work for outreaches we've done in the high school earlier this summer. For me, one of the best things about this week is the encouragement we're offering to the colegio teachers & for the Directora in particular and the opportunities this gives us to share the Truth of God. In fact, we have been invited to come & use the Word of God to take part in the group counseling sessions held weekly for each class. Please pray that God would give us wisdom as we pursue the local students & teachers. Isn't great news how projects that seem petty to us can actually be used as a great tool in the hands of the One who pursues mankind in love?

Here are some pictures from the work at the Colegio:

We've had a great week together so far & I look forward to what the rest of the time holds. I have genuinely enjoyed getting to know the students and leaders and am thankful that they're here!

Please continue to pray for the OHC team that God would give them boldness and cultural sensitivity in pursuing the local youth in friendship. Pray that they would use their testimonies as an encouragement to the local youth and that the local youth would do likewise. Since the youth retreat, many of them have been growing like crazy in their faith! So, praise God & let's be praying for more growth in both the OHC team as well as the local youth.

Joyfully Serving,

TJ Gause

Day 3 Costa Rica

Another day of work and more work. Lets break it down:

Holla Holla: Painting is their middle name. They continued to paint the school, finishing what they started yesterday. They have actually finished all the painting at the school that was planned for them way ahead of schedule. Tomorrow they paint trees. Apparently this protects them from insects.

tClick tclick and Spicy Ponies: Today they joined forces and worked at the skate park and the music cafe. The table is almost completely constructed. The upstairs of the cafe has been varnished. The jungle trail behind the property was cleared of debris. Trash and green waste was burned (cultural thing) it was an active day for the crew. After the work, spicy ponies stayed for some skate sessions and they quite enjoyed themselves.

Awards:
Servants: Billy H and Shelby both won awards for being servants today. Billy went above and beyond multiple times to serve people by offering his chair, food, being polite etc. I Was told by 2 leaders that Shelby was extremely outgoing and cheerful and did the best of reaching out to students at the skate park.

Look what I caught: Bryce thought it would be cool to catch a crab and make friends. I was also told that the reason his nail was hanging off his finger was because of the crab, so he won, i then learned it was a skating injury, don't worry though, i didn't revoke the ice cream.

Prayer: Still no big injuries, we are feeling well and going strong. Please pray that our strength continues and we have the energy to finish the week out strong.

Tomorrow: I wanted to upload some photos but the camera i brought doesn't have the right cord so tomorrow I guess. The teams are at the usual locations for ministry, but we have the opportunity for some to go to Manzanillo for some fun free time. (City south of Puerto Viejo) It will be exciting.

Day 2

Well Day2 has come and gone. Sorry I was unable to get to a computer last night, but here is a recap of the day. Oh and about the photos, I am trying to get them, but they take about 5 minutes per photo to make it online so it is very slow going.
Today was our first work day and it was great, we broke into our 3 teams and this is what we did:

Spicy Ponies: They worked at the music cafe. The building had fiberboard on the ceiling (similar to our drywall but resistant to moisture) and the weight of the fiberboard was sagging the roof itself. So we had to take it down, it was very similar to removing the ceiling in the new Frequency Room, except this time we did it systematically and without a mess. My favorite was when Edward was on a ladder that was being supported by Kimberly Schlenker and Chase Davis. I was a little worried when I saw it, but April (Abril in Spanish) asked if everything was okay and Chase responded with "I got them locked" referring to his elbows. Which brings me to a good point, we have had no major injuries and no sickness. Nothing a little band aid couldnt fix.

Team tClick tClick: worked at the skate park. Ryan, Michael J, and Peter built a table with Ronnie, the local pastor and a good friend. They had a blast and learned a lot about wood working. The rest of the team sanded wood around the building and then stained it or painted it. It is amazing the difference a little paint can do. This team also had the privilege to participate in Skating that night. It was "Ladies Night" so some of the girls tried the ramps at the skate park (which is the best skate park on the Carribean side of Costa Rica, coincidently it is also the only one) so the boys help teach some of the girls how to skate.

Team Holla Holla: Worked at the local high school. They spent much of their day painting. It was almost at home for me and April, because one of the classrooms they painted was originally the color of our walls in or house, and they painted the room to the color of our couch. (Teal to a Lime Green color). Matt H. was the one who had to tape off the ceiling to protect it from paint and got to crawl around in the room like a monkey doing this, he told me he was thinking of starting a business in taping. They also painted the fence outside the building. Today is mother's day in South America, so today Holla Holla is helping throw a Fiesta with the students for their moms.

Awards: Every night we have team awards for 2-3 people who did something amazing that day and we had 3 last night.

Ladder Save: Leader Bryan was on a ladder with a piece of fiberboard on his head, the ladder began to slip and Bryce Baker with Cat-Like reflexes grabbed the board as well as the ladder, saving Bryan from certain doom. It was a move Batman would be proud of.

Taping: Matt H. received one for his amazing attitude throughout the day and his monkey business mentioned earlier.

That sucked: goes to Billy M. who surfed in waves bigger than ever before and got tossed around, he now knows the power of our God... (his words not mine)

Prayer Requests: We have been having having great morning devotions and evening meetings, please pray that the students are receptive to the Lord and listen. Students have been doing great at being on time, and i would like to see that continue, also their attitude has been amazing. The weather has been great, pray that God continues to bless us with Weather, but maybe ask He turns the temperature down a little. I have been taking some groups of students snorkeling and that has been amazing seeing God's creation underwater (we have seen eels, octopus, lobster, thousands of fish that are very brightly colored and found in the "Finding Nemo" coral, shells, and other awesome stuff). So please pray that the water clears up a little so we can continue this. There is a possibility that some of the guys can go to an open mic night (open jam) so that would be sweet. We were asked to play but our bassist is unsure of his abilities (he is a drummer by nature) Open Mic is an awesome opportunity to play worship to a people group that hears the same Bob Marley album all day long. In closing please pray that God continues to do what He has been doing :)

Day 1

Well before I even get to talking about Costa Rica, this is the 100th post on the Frequency website, very exciting! Today was a get to know Costa Rica day, we visited the skate park and the music cafe that Alternative Missions has built over the past 2 years. Then we went on a scavenger hunt throughout the city. The objective wasn´t to find items or located buildings, but more to meet people in the community and learn about the culture. My favorite part was we had to find the Spencers. The only was to do this was to ask locals where they lived, some of us received good directions others received very poor directions. Edna Spencer was really fun to talk to, she has lived in the community for 30 years and described lots of the changes over those years. The city only received electricity 15 years ago, it used to thrive off of chocolate, but then a disease came and wiped out the chocolate, but now they rely on tourism. It was a really fun day.

Tomorrow will begin our first day of full ministry, 2 teams, Team tclick tclick and Team Spicy Ponies will be going to the skate park and working on various projects there. There is a jungle trail between the park and the ocean (the waves crash on the sound, then there is 30 feet of jungle and palm trees, then there is the main road) and in that jungle area is a really cool trail. So one of there projects will be working on that trail. Then team Holla Holla will be going to the High School and working on projects over there. Its going to be a jam packed day and I am really excited.

As of now we have no one sick and everyone is doing great, we have had a few minor cuts, but nothing bad at all. Please pray for continued safety and that God will use us in amazing ways!

The photos are slowly making there way online, it takes a great deal of time. So for now click here to view them, and in the future you should just be able to click the photos link at the top of the page and go to the pictures page. We use flickr to host our photos and they do an amazing job, but as a recommendation, I suggest signing up with them, its completely free, does not require a credit card, but it gives you many more options of things to do with the photos. You can make prints, order DVDs, CDs, posters, and much more.

Safe Arrival

We have all landed safe and sound in Costa Rica and the bus ride wasn´t that bad. We are now at our hotel, unpacking and getting ready for some dinner. It has been a long day of travel, but its great to have finally arrived. I know I am in Costa Rica because the computer and all the websites are automatically translated to Spanish.
This is a relatively short post because to be honest we havent done anything yet except sit, and sit some more. We are on our way to the beach before dinner, but there are no waves. But the good news is I was able to get all surfboards on the plane for FREE, whoo hoo. So tomorrow I plan on writing a more detailed description of what is going on. Also I really hope to get some photos up. But thats all for now!!!!

The Ocean Hills Team Has Arrived!

It's so fun to have the OHC youth group here in Puerto Viejo! It's so comforting to see familiar faces and meet new ones as well. Since the team got in they've been busy on construction projects & building relationships with the Puerto Viejo youth through skating & surfing. One of my favorite aspects in hosting the OHC mission team is their ability to connect with the local people in ways that other teams cannot - specifically through board sports. In fact, recently, I had a local friend ask me about an OHC team member that visited almost 3 years ago! The OHC teams just have a way of connecting and in doing so, enhancing the ministry of Alternative Missions. I can't wait for what's in store for the rest of the week. Here's a sneak preview:

• Construction: The team has split into 3 separate groups to work on improving the Alternative Missions property/ skate park and to do community work improving the local high school & play ground. Please be praying for the team as they develop relationships with the high school students & encourage them to come to the Skate Park where they can learn to skate & learn to fall in love with Jesus.
• Skate Sessions: The team will also be spending time with the local youth at the skate park. I'm excited for the time we have planned for the local youth to teach the team how to skate....what a cool flip-flop of typical mission trip roles!
• BBQ: Every Friday night we have Youth Club Night at the Skate Park. Typically, we open for skating at 5pm and then take a break to play games & do a Bible study before skating until 10pm. This Friday we're gonna host a BBQ for the team and all the skaters. Pray that this would be a time where both the OHC team and the local youth have a chance to encourage one another in their faith!

I'll post some pictures soon.....

Serving Joyfully,

TJ

Belize & Beyond Mission: August 2007

Amazing Grace Christian Fellowship, Spanish Lookout:

The Children Bible Camp for the neighboring villages was a great success as many participated in the 4 days of teaching, arts and crafts and lots of fun. Pat Lindsay from Calvary of Albuquerque came down to assist and was a great blessing to the children, teachers and the Church family of Amazing Grace. Please pray for fruits to abound in the lives and families of the children who attended.

The church building is progressing quite well as the walls have gone up and the roof is to be done this week. We gathered last Friday evening for the Men’s Prayer meeting in the church yard and rejoiced at the ways and timing of the Lord as we have prayed so earnestly for a meeting place that can accommodate the fellowship. We are looking forward to the Ocean Hills Church Men’s ministry who will be coming in a few weeks to help out with finishing touches on the building. Thank you for praying for this with us and rejoice with us for the work the Lord is doing and will do with the fellowship!

Living Hope in San Pedro Town:

History was made on July 18 as a small group of believers met on the roof of the building that house Lighthouse Christian Radio for the first meeting of the Living Hope Consolation Group. After much prayers and discussions with several pastors in San Pedro Town, the time finally arrived for us to meet for the purpose of ministering to those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. This was the first of its kind of a group of believers from several churches gathered on the Island for this purpose.

We began running radio announcements, passing out letters of invitations to pastors, the local hospital, the Town Board, and governmental agencies about the formation of such a group for several weeks. Not really knowing what to expect but really sensing the need for the Body of Christ to begin to reach out to those with this disease. Seven of us gathered together and after opening up with prayers and sharing briefly about the vision for the Group, each person began to share their purpose for coming to the meeting. One sister, we’ll call her Maria, shared her struggles as one living with AIDS and the rejection she experiences from her family. The scripture came to mind from my recent study of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus said, “Here are My mother and brother! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother”. Before the thought was completed in my mind, one of the 2 pastors at the gathering began to quote that very verse and assured her that she is now in God’s family and that we are now her brothers and sisters and will always be there for her. The pastors shared their hearts about the need to reach out to the community with the Living Hope that we have in Christ but saw the need for more training first to better equip their members regarding HIV/AIDS. The Group will be meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Please pray for this weekly meeting of Living Hope Consolation Group. Also for an upcoming training sessions that the Spanish.Churches in San Pedro will do as they were trained by The He Intends Victory ministry this past May.

Equipping to equip:

The need is apparent as over 18 churches and 50 people have already signed up for the Sunday School Teachers training on August 18. The half day training seminar will be conducted by the Ocean Hills Church Mission team and we are looking forward to a great time of instructions and fellowship for Sunday school teachers of children 6 to 11 years old. Please pray for a sweet time of networking and developing of lasting relationships among the teachers from the various churches and denominations attending.

A quick California Trip:

The plan was to leave Belize on Monday, July 30 so that I can get my ‘year after surgery’ check-up and to perform the wedding of Serban and Brittany on August 5. I was reminded of the verse ‘man making his plans but God directing his steps’ as flights were canceled or over booked. I was also reminded of what we all know so well and forgets so easily……..’all things work together for the good’. Those 2 days of back and forth, to and from Belize City Airport proved to be quite a blessing as many ‘divine appointments’ took place: spending time with a Baptist pastor from Belize City, meeting a newlywed couple involved in ministry, seeing fellow missionaries that I hadn’t seen in awhile, getting a ride from the ministry leader and catching up on what they are doing, and more. A sweet reminder that my plans are neither His plans, nor my thoughts and ways are not His! What a delight to remain flexible and available to the Lord and seeing the fruits from it rather than getting frustrated and bent out of shape.

I just returned from the last of several doctor’s appointment and was given a clean bill of health. Cancer free after a year after surgery! Please join me in thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord for all of wonderful works!

Upcoming Events:

August 8 Returning to Belize!

Aug. 11 – 21 Ocean Hills Church Mission team.

Aug. 21 – 28 Passport to the World Mission Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Please pray for:
Continual growth of believers at Amazing Grace Christian Fellowship, Spanish Lookout. For the Women’s Ministry Outreach to the ladies in the Community on August 16.

The He Intends Victory San Pedro (Living Hope Consolation) support group for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS; Wednesdays at Lighthouse Christian Radio.

The Sunday School teachers/Children Ministry training for networking and relationship to develop among the teachers from the various churches and denominations attending.

Laborers for long-term ministry with a heart for people and a willingness to serve in various capacities to under-gird and assist me in ministry in Belize.

Approval from Civil Aviation for 40 ft. tower on the 3 story building.

My monthly financial support as well as finances for Permanent Antenna and Tower.

Contact information in US:
Saving Grace World Mission 714) 993-4801 Ext. 106
17451 Bastanchury Rd. #203
Yorba Linda, CA 92886

In Memo: Welsh/Belize

Or website for online tax-deductible donation/support and current pictures and video updates: http://www.sgwm.com/welsh.html

Contact information in Belize:

PO Box 653 011-501-605-6123
Belmopan, Belize
Central America

Lighthouse Christian Radio 011-501-226-4673
PO Box 166
San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
Belize, Central America

Words cannot express the gratitude and appreciation to you for your continual prayers and support that keeps me going. Thank you just doesn’t seem to fully express it! Much, much, thanks and love!

In Him,

Clive Welsh