Costa Rica Mission Trip - June 2011 Preliminary Meeting

1.
PO
Box
6483
Galena
IL
61036
October
2010
Dear
Families
and
Friends
of
the
Costa
Rica
Outreach
Project:
The
ELCA
provides
its
churches
with
a
model
for
“God’s
Work
–
Our
Hands”.
As
they
say
in
their
Faith
in
Action
stories,
“while
we
are
the
Evangelical
Lutheran
Church
in
America,
our
hands
reach
out
in
partnership
across
the
globe.”
Global
ministry
is
just
one
part
of
the
expressions
of
faith
in
the
ELCA.
There
are
countless
ways
we
grow
in
our
faith
through
our
worship
and
in
helping
our
neighbors.
The
ELCA
does
not
guide
us
to
do
one
or
the
other.
Rather,
the
wider
church
seeks
balance
in
its
ministries
–
within
our
doors,
outreach
to
our
neighbors
and
to
the
neighborhood,
and
to
the
world.
One
of
the
goals
of
Lord
of
Love
is
just
this:
outreach
to
our
neighbors,
and
outreach
beyond
our
neighborhood.
We
have
a
fantastic
opportunity
to
share
in
that
global
outreach
with
Grace
Lutheran
Church
of
Glen
Ellyn
and
ILCO
(the
Lutheran
church
in
Costa
Rica).
“Senor
Sol”,
Mr.
Chuck
Miller,
of
Grace
Church,
is
a
retired
travel
planner
by
occupation
and
has
conducted
many
mission
trips
to
Costa
Rica.
His
son-­‐in-­‐law
is
Costa
Rican,
and
so
he
has
a
personal
connection
as
well
as
an
ELCA
connection
to
the
place.
In
his
former
life,
he
has
taken
large
groups
of
high
school
students
to
Washington,
D.C.
to
further
their
education.
He
will
plan
our
entire
mission
–
we
don’t
have
to
worry
about
accommodations,
food,
airfare,
local
transportation,
work
sites
or
anything.
The
entire
trip
for
one
week
is
estimated
to
be
between
$800-­‐900
per
person.
We
just
have
to
prepare,
pray
and
serve!
The
people
of
Costa
Rica
need
us.
They
are
rich
in
natural
resources,
a
peaceable
nation
and
literacy.
The
poor
of
Costa
Rica
are
fighting
for
social
justice
(opportunities
for
safe
employment,
better
housing)
and
the
Lutheran
church
has
taken
on
a
key
leadership
role
to
improving
their
way
of
life.
The
people
who
work
in
the
banana
plantations,
the
immigrants
from
Nicaragua,
and
their
children
rely
on
the
support
of
the
ELCA
to
experience
and
see
Jesus
“face
to
face”.
Is
this
just
about
serving
a
poor
population
in
Costa
Rica
(or
anywhere
else
for
that
matter)?
Absolutely
not.
The
other
side
of
the
coin
is
in
the
transformation
of
adults
and
youth
who
participate.
Having
been
on
three
of
these
mission
trips,
I
can
say
that
no
one
comes
back
from
this
week
exactly
the
same.
The
fellowship
and
love
experienced
in
working
for
a
common
purpose
without
distractions
can
form
bonds
that
strengthen
Lord
of
Love
inside
our
doors.
The
education
of
our
youth
especially
cannot
be
replicated
in
a
textbook.
To
see
and
experience
the
love
of
God
in
another
culture,
and
to
participate
in
Bible
school
type
activities
with
small
children,
and
to
plan
a
bi-­‐
lingual
worship
service
using
Lutheran
liturgy
is
simply
amazing.
We
come
back
with
a
greater
appreciation
for
our
church,
for
the
blessings
of
our
community
and
as
better
global
citizens.
So…what’s
next?
At
our
information
meeting
last
month,
the
excitement
and
enthusiasm
for
such
a
project
was
evident.
At
this
time
we
have
people
who
are
“very
interested”
in
going.
Grace
Lutheran
Church
will
hold
its
information
event
in
early
November.
We
will
then
have
some
estimate
as
to
how
many
people
may
be
part
of
the
delegation
to
Costa
Rica.

2.
PO
Box
6483
Galena
IL
61036
The
group
will
leave
for
one
week
within
the
timeframe
of
June
10th
through
June
24th.
Senor
Sol
will
be
coming
out
to
speak
with
us
about
the
particulars,
probably
sometime
in
late
winter
or
early
spring.
We
discussed
doing
this
in
this
way
so
that
people
have
enough
time
to
plan
their
time,
and
the
youth
and
adults
of
Lord
of
Love
can
work
to
make
this
trip
a
financial
reality.
Pastor
and
Mary
Hill
plan
on
being
part
of
this
delegation
and
then
taking
a
few
days
of
extended
vacation,
their
first
since
Lord
of
Love
started.
Here’s
what
you
can
do
right
now
as
we
contemplate
this
mission:
• Pray
for
the
people
who
are
passionate
about
this
mission
and
the
people
they
will
serve
in
Costa
Rica.
• Study
what
the
ELCA
says
about
this
aspect
of
the
church’s
ministry.
• Even
if
this
aspect
of
ministry
is
not
an
area
of
focus
for
you,
please
recognize
that
is
one
spoke
of
the
wheel
of
the
ministries
that
are
part
of
Lord
of
Love.
That
global
connection
is
extremely
important
to
the
church,
and
to
the
wider
church.
The
fact
that
we
have
the
chance
to
do
this
without
huge
time
and
monetary
commitments
is
a
blessing.
• While
Lord
of
Love
is
not
financing
this
trip,
please
support
to
the
extent
that
you
can
the
efforts
of
those
who
are
raising
funds
to
go.
All
fund
raising
activities
at
LOL
support
important
ministries.
If
you
cannot
participate,
again,
prayers
are
welcome.
• Please
direct
all
questions
about
Costa
Rica
to
the
Steering
Committee
and
we
will
get
answers
for
you
• We
will
be
communicating
in
general
about
any
progress
made,
news
about
Costa
Rica
and/or
the
specific
mission
through
our
media
in
the
coming
months.
• And
for
those
of
you
who
are
thinking
of
going,
get
your
passports!!!
•
Blessings
to
all!
Nancy
Peterson