JOHNNY'S JOURNEYS: COSTA RICA 2016

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JOHNNY'S JOURNEYS: COSTA RICA 2016



July 16, 2016 (Saturday)

A 5:15 wake-up call started the day on my 6^th trip to Costa Rica. I had already worked 13 hours

before Janet and I arrived in Kenner after midnight last night. We got 4+ hours of sleep at our

LaQuinta hotel. Recalling my first missions trip in 1997,this is the same hotel our Methodist team

stayed in. I just took that as a sign that this will be a great week.

Janet dropped me off at the nearby airport at 6:45. Checking in went smoothly and I was at the

gate just 20 minutes later. A few minutes after that my phone rings. Matt and Matthew, from St. Mark

United Methodist in Mobile, are a mere 20 feet away, trying to find me. As I open my travel diary

notebook, hey, this is the one I took to Costa Rica last summer. The Bible verses are from I Corinthians

1: 24 – 30.

As I opened my Bible in the waiting area, I turned to Psalms 23 and 24. “Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. I anxiously

await to see how we will serve others this next week.

The first leg of toady's flight leaves at 8:37. We should be in Miami, FL about two hours later. The

watch is updated to Eastern time. On the small television screen, I watched two episodes of “Under

New Zealand: Mountains and Caves”... and then “Volcanoes”. Wow, such incredible scenery! I think

breakfast was served; but I slept through that.

After landing in Miami,our next flight had already started boarding. This flight should take close to

three hours. And we shall change two time zones. The juice / cola cart came by first. In a little while,

I chose a Thai veggie wrap for lunch. We went through some heavy rain before landing in San Jose.

We touched down at 1:30 at the airport in Alejuela. All three of us received our luggage, too. With

so many incoming flights today, we were in line about one hour before being cleared by Immigrations.

The director of our group, Steve, was waiting for the three of us. As we arrive at our house, I learn that

Pastor Matt and I will be roommates. We each have two bunk beds. We'll rest until 5 p.m.

Steve gave us a tour of the facility. The bedrooms all have bunk beds. There is a kitchen, eating area

and a place for daily meetings. Up the steps, the upper room is for staff meetings. Us Mobile men went

over our itinerary, then met the 4 teammates from Kentucky at 6:00. Claire will be our team leader.

Cannon and Emily are also college aged. Rita is quite a bit older. We walked 7 blocks to the Impar

Restaurant. The sign was made of 5 numbers... turned in different directions! Five of our seven had

burgers, 1 had a Caesar salad; while I ordered pollo rosemary. They brought me a small skillet with

mashed potatoes, chunks of bacon, sliced carrots and a large piece of chicken.

Walking back, there was time for a visit to an ice-cream shop. I enjoyed a guanabana milkshake. A

small devotional was held after we returned. With a long day behind us, we're in bed by 9 p.m.





July 17, 2016 (Sunday)

The bed is comfy... that's a good start to our trip. Surprise... COLD water in the only shower this

morning at 5:00. Breakfast is served at 6:00 and there are plenty of pancakes. There will be a team

approach to cleaning the kitchen table with dishes, silverware, glasses, etc. It's a simple concept... you

made them dirty & you clean them.

Our van arrived at 7 a.m. We drove through town to Casa de Pan. The lovely couple has adopted 48

children. Today we will take 24 of them to the Pacific Ocean. A highlight on the drive to the beach is a

stop at Crocodile Bridge. I count about 30 crocs! This is amazing. There has to be a reason so many

crocodiles gather here.

We now reach Punta Leona. It divides the dry forests of the north from the rainforests of the south.

There are lots of iguanas in the area. Most of these children had never been to the Pacific Ocean. Well,

we will all have fun today! Let's put on sunscreen and go swimming. One of the 6 year old girls needed

my assistance out in the blue waters. She clung to me like a “tree frog” and didn't want me helping any

other little girls. Ahhh.

When it is snack time, the children had apples and chips. Back into the Pacific for more splashing

around. More swimming as we just let the kids have a blast. At lunchtime, we assembled sandwiches

plus chips, cookies and drinks. Then more swimming. These 24 precious children will long remember

their day in the Pacific Ocean!

After returning the children to their home, we rested a little while. Then we're off to the Nueva

Vida... Nueva Gloria (New Life... New Glory Church). This meets on Sunday nights and usually brings

in about 20 people from the streets. After the Spanish language service, we enjoyed refreshments. 12

college aged Mexican young ladies served as translators as we Americans tried to talk to the guests, one

by one. Matthew and I tried talking to Hank. He really was a man of few words. He mostly listened and

did little talking. After awhile, Pastor Matt come and joined us. When he's introduced, Hank bows

before him in reverence. “Matt is from Alabama”. Hank immediately perks up, starts playing an “air

guitar” and starts singing “Sweet Home Alabama”!!! Talk about an ice-breaker.

There is a short devotional when we return to the big house. A few teammates needed aloe vera

rubbed on their sunburned backs and shoulders. Going back into the den, Rita was there and wanted to

talk. She would eventually like to do full time missionary work. Such an interesting lady. I'm in bed by

10:45.





July 18, 2016 (Monday)

It sure it nice to sleep late today. Up at 7:45 and look forward to breakfast. There's scrambled eggs

with tomato and garbanzo beans, biscuits, turkey bacon, pineapple, tea and orange juice. A devotional

begins at 9:00. Emily sings two songs. Our Scripture lesson is from Isaiah 55: 1-5.

Okay, on the itinerary this morning is a presentation on human trafficking. Elizabeth and Steve lead

this. Costa Rica is known as the Bangkok of the West. We all learned so much more about how

prevalent trafficking and prostitution is here in this country. The Face of Justice is making a difference

in the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands of young people, mostly woman. There is hope besides a life

of selling your bodies on the streets. Help is given by intervention, prevention and restoration. There

really is hope, freedom and care for these people.

12:30 and it's time for lunch. On a bed of rice, there is stew and plantains. And plenty of fruit

flavored tea. This gives us energy for 4 hours of painting. We start by painting walls in the office

(known as the upper room). We then proceed to the basement to paint walls and doors down there. I

then went back with a small brush and hit a few missed spots. We also worked on the baseboard and

ceiling areas.

At 5:30 supper is ready. There is black bean soup, tuna casserole, salad and fruit tea. After cleaning

the kitchen we prepare for a 6:45 devotional. We sing a few songs: “Great are you Lord” and “How

Great Thou Art”. The lesson tonight deals with the Scripture “where two or more are gathered in my

name, I will be there in the midst of them”. And also “surely the presence of the Lord is in this place”.

What next? Let's take a trip to Pops. I choose two scoops of coconut flavored ice cream... dipped in

chocolate and sprinkled with nuts. Yum!

Upon returning, I decided to wash some dirty walls with an old wash rag I had brought. I kept

finding dirty spots and construction dust. I stopped working after 100 minutes. And was in bed at

10:30.





July 19, 2016 (Tuesday)

We're up at 6:30. Breakfast is served at 7:00. Pastor Matt led our devotional. The lesson was from

Philippians 3. We are running a race... to our goal. We strive for Christian perfection. What are our

hearts motivated by? What are we chasing after? A little sweeping of the stairs and basement and we're

ready to leave.

By 8:00 we leave for La Posada de Belin. This is an amazing place with 65 teenage girls and 68

babies. Many are pregnant. ALL are the victims of rape or incest. That is a staggering thought. All of

these teenagers have been placed here by Child Protection Services. There is a quick facilities tour for

our team. There's a laundry room; cafeteria; school; baby nursery; cosmetology school; and a cooking

school. They are all learning a skill or trade to be prepared to secure a job and care for their families.

School was closed today, so the 3 women worked in the laundry. They helped with washing and

folding clothes. And also assisted with babies. Steve drove us 5 men to one of the buildings. Today, we

will paint the cafeteria and restrooms. We paint with two colors. The top part is white and the lower

part is beige. I used a roller with an extension and by climbing on a ladder, I was able to paint 20 feet

high.

At 12 noon, we washed our hands and drove a mile to a nearby restaurant. The 11 year old owner's

daughter, Abby, took our order for drinks. Local native food is on the menu. I chose a blue plate

special: Casada pork. There's black beans and rice, potatoes, carrots, pork, onions, broccoli, shell

macaroni and plantains. I had two glasses of cas... which is a citrus fruit drink. Wow, it was delicious!

We're now back to work for two more hours. This afternoon I meticulously painted the baseboard

and trim around the windows with brown colored paint. Our finished project looked great. I am proud

to have been on this team today. We performed a much needed service.

Traffic seemed like nothing but chaos this afternoon. We arrived at the house at 4:30 and will rest

for one hour. After supper, we had an orientation about the street ministry we will participate in tonight.

A few ladies that have worked here for a couple of years have a strong rapport with the street people.

We made 5 stops to visit with transvestites. Each one was offered coffee and cookies. Some like Eileen

and A.C., wanted a selfie picture taken with us. The spoken Spanish was translated into English.

Everyone was asked about prayer requests. Prayers were then offered. At a central park, only men from

our team got out to visit. This is where men sell their bodies. After a little chit chat, I was asked to pray

for Rodrigo and his two friends. It was then translated into Spanish.

Our last stop was at a brothel. The 72 year old owner / manager, Nina, and two of her ladies came

out to talk... and receive coffee and cookies. After prayer requests (mostly for their family members) we

laid hands on their shoulders and fervently prayed. Even a taxi driver joined in. Some were given a

cheeky good-bye kiss. We were told ciao and gracias as we left. Well, it has been an interesting

evening. At midnight we return to the house. After a 15 minute debriefing, I'm in bed at 12:30.





July 20, 2016 (Wednesday)

Up at 6:15 And breakfast is served at 7:00. There is oatmeal, toast, watermelon, a banana and tea.

The devotional lesson was from Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty

power”. This morning the five men will travel to God In Action (Dios En Accion) Ministries. This

facility near the top of the mountains offers beautiful views of the capital city in the distance. There is

a capacity of 18; however, only 16 men live here at the moment. Brother Keith is the spiritual leader of

this group of men. All have hit rock bottom from either drug addiction, alcoholism or burglary. Many

have served prison time. They are all struggling to start a new chapter in their lives.

Each one gave their story. I recall Amir (from Belize), Manny, Juan, Sergio, Jesus, and Nelson

(who is now 58 years old). All encouraged the others. This is a semi-self serving community. There are

25 chickens, 2 goats, 4 ducks and several gardens. They are growing sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes,

onions, radishes and squash.

Pastor Matt then gave a tailored sermon, and Brother Steve translated into Spanish. There were

special prayers for one of the brothers as we all placed a hand on his shoulder. That was powerful! I

shared with 8 of the men of my previous missionary trips to Costa Rica. We visited here in Coronado

district for a few hours. As we left and drove downhill, I was thrilled to pass by the Hogar Metodista.

This is the Methodist children's orphanage where I worked for a week just last summer!

At 12 noon we are back at the house. We enjoy tortillas, salad and fruit juice. And then the men are

off again. Let's stop at McDonalds. I needed an M&M McFlurry. This afternoon we will be working at

the Hogar Fe Viva. It has Isaiah 41:20 painted on its sign. This is an orphanage for 15 children. We

were told not to take photos of the kids... for security reasons. The children range from infant up to 6

years of age. A couple were born HIV positive. Several were physically and sexually abused. The four

of us were given a tour of the facility. 4 year old Roxanna came to me after saying “hola” to two of the

guys. I knelt to her level and she gave me a big bear hug. It was a sweet moment. Then she wanted a

photo of her bed with its princess sheets. Yabonny then wanted me to take a photo of his bed. Both kids

jumped for joy when I showed them a picture of their beds.

There are several pretty murals painted along the inner walls of this facility. We found a ladder for

me to climb. My next job was to clean the gutters. There was not much to clean out... a plastic bag and

6 nails. Okay, next we find a bucket of white paint and will paint the laundry room. As we left through

the garage, we passed a large wall. Through the years, hundreds of people had grabbed a Sharpie and

written down a few words of wisdom. Many were scriptural in nature. I simply wrote “love lasts

forever”.

There was a 7 block walk to our house. We then rested a few hours. I'm able to finally take a HOT

shower! Ah, life's simple pleasures. Spectacular! At 5:30 we are served supper. There's fried fish with a

special sauce, small whole potatoes, salad and more cas fruit drink.

Our 7:30 meeting begins with singing songs in Spanish. The 12 young ladies from Mexico join us

tonight. Jahzeel and Carolina had been in my small group Sunday night, after the street service. We

then held a short devotional.

This evening, we will drive downtown in San Jose to Del Rey Hotel. This is “Ground Zero” for

prostitution in the country! We were there about 2 and ½ hours and passed out coffee, tea and cookies.

We talked to many... and prayed for several. We shared a little of God's light and kindness on a very

dark (spiritually) corner. Ministering on the streets these past few nights has certainly been an eye-

opening experience.

We return to the big house for a “debriefing”. We were then able to share what we had gone through

and what we had learned from these encounters. Interestingly, it was a great night to serve. In bed at

11:30.









July 21, 2016 (Thursday)

Up about 5:30 today. Our bus will leave at 6 a.m. We stop in the rural area for coffee at La Casa del

Cafe. Across the road is a decorated oxcart with two ox. They are tended by an older man. He is the

same one that I saw last year. For a small donation, tourists love having their photo taken by an

authentic oxcart. Oh, sweet memories. Our destination this morning is Poas Volcano. We hike maybe

one mile at 9400 feet elevation. The temperature is quite cool here. There are spectacular views before

clouds started to roll in. I take lots of pictures with my friends. This is now my 3^rd Costa Rican volcano

I have visited. The other two are Arenal and Irazu.

We will have another adventure, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. I had the pleasure of visiting this

place just last year. The first stop was the aviary. I was able to get a few photos with a toucan on my

arm. Oh happy day, this was on my bucket list. The next exhibit is the butterfly garden. I had three to

land on me at one time. A trail took us past dozens of quick little hummingbirds. It is difficult to get a

photo that is not blurry. We pass an oxcart with two oxen. They are named Samson and Hercules. The

next stop was to see the monkeys. The two types were black-handed spider monkeys and white faced

capuchin monkeys. They were playful. At the Jungle Cats house, we saw puma, ocelots and margays.

There is a buffet lunch restaurant that we thoroughly enjoy. Very relaxing in the cool shade. A

coatimundi crossed our path at the start of the waterfall trail. We were able to view all five of the

waterfalls today. Some steps took us down to the river. I met a family from Israel and greeted them

with “shalom”. Also was able to chat with a family from Iowa. We made our way back up to the

souvenir shop. Cafe Britt souvenirs are my favorite choice. I like the chocolate covered fruits, even

the chocolate covered coffee beans. This has been a wonderful day!

A little rest at the house before dinner. There's black beans and rice, chicken, potatoes,cole-slaw,

salad and tea. Our devotional tonight began with I Corinthians 3:7. We sang “It is well with my soul”

and “Great are you Lord”. Like the crashing of the waterfalls today, ripples then spread out. Imagine

the intensity of our one week missions trip... followed by how we live and react when returning home.

We learn that tomorrow there will also be a visit to Casa de Pan. Six of us decide we'll go to Pops. I

decided upon a caramel Sundae with whipped cream and nuts. We enjoy these traditional, and fun, trips

to an ice cream shop. Returning to the house, I get caught up on my diary. In bed tonight at 10:00





July 22, 2016 (Friday)

Up at 6:15. This is our last full day. Let's make it memorable! Breakfast is served at 7:00. There's

scrambled eggs, biscuits with peanut butter and jelly, watermelon and tea. I helped wash a lot of

dishes today, since I was not the last to finish eating.

This morning we visit Transforma. Vanessa and Spencer founded this organization in 2014. This is

the headquarters for our Mexican friends this week. WWW.TRANSFORMACR.ORG is designed to

teach livable / work skills when they finish their course of learning here. Primarily they learn to sew.

Also, they learn how to give manicures, pedicures, cut hair and even massage therapy. When these

young women, mostly from Nicaragua, finish their course work in about 3 months, they are presented

with a sewing machine. They are now able to work and support a family. The theme of this facility

seemed to be “Taking care of the ultra poor – No woman, child or immigrant left behind”.

Next for our group was a walk through the local neighborhood. It is a pretty rough ghetto area. A

new building is being constructed for a restaurant and bar and for prostitution. We were able to pray

with the 4 workers at that building for their protection and for their families. And we also prayed for

that corner lot... that God would transform it into something else... which would be good for their

community.

We then walked down a dirt road, strewn with trash and garbage, to speak to several people. Prayers

for Reyna and her 2 sons. We went to see Anna and her daughter and grandson. With flooding, it was

difficult to complete construction on their humble dwelling place. We Americans take so much for

granted. These are “less than dirt poor” living conditions. We learned that 80% of the community are

Nicaraguan immigrants. Is this a rough place? Most people return to the safety of their homes by 5:00.

When the men come home from work, the drug selling and drug usage is totally out in the open. So

sad! All we can do is to pray for hearts to be changed.

We return to our house at 12:30 for lunch. There are tortillas, refried beans, diced Caribbean

chicken, black beans and rice, salad and tea.

We then leave for Casa de Pan, with the 48 adopted children. We might fold a few clothes. But we

are mostly there to play with the children. There are coloring books to entertain us. Then, snacks are

provided for the kids. Afterwards, we take plastic beads and help them make bracelets and necklaces.

Two pet bunnies are brought in. Three little girls wanted to brush my hair and decorate it with beads.

Many squeals for this was great fun! A pet green parrot was also brought in. We all received dozens of

hugs as we said our good-byes.

The fun afternoon is over and it is suppertime at the house. Yum... spaghetti and salad. A few on the

team had gone to the local market for chocolate cake and vanilla / caramel fudge ice cream. We are

celebrating Cannon's 24^th birthday.

There is a short devotional with singing and praying. And at 8:30 we drive downtown. Nathan and

Abby from the Veritas group join us tonight. It is time to offer coffee and cookies to transvestites, gays

and prostitutes... working on street corners. And we see, and talk with, Rodrigo again. Made a repeat

visit to the brothel we had gone to a few nights ago. Many, many prayers were offered this evening as

we hope they can find another line of work... off these dangerous streets. We return to our big house at

12:15 and do a little packing. In bed at 12:30.





July 23, 2016 (Saturday)

Up about 6 a.m. And pleased to have hot water on the last day. Breakfast is served at 7:00 and we

have fried eggs, pancakes and pineapple. I shared one of my poems at the table... about the day I was

saved. We sweep our rooms, strip the sheets, and wash the dishes. At our closing devotional, we

discussed God's love. Everyday, we read about it, saw it, heard it and lived it!

Six of us walked about five blocks to a farmers market. I just looked, as it is difficult to bring fresh

fruits, vegetables and plants back into the U.S. But it was fun to stroll around, see what was available

and people watch.

Returning to the house, we loaded into our van and Steve drove us to an Arts and Crafts Market.

Yes, this is the same one I enjoyed last year. I bought tee-shirts, postcards and a beautiful cutting board.

I'm pleased. Then we arrive at the international airport. We had an easy time this morning. At the food

court, the four men went to Smashburger. This is my first burger in quite awhile. We walked Cannon to

his gate. And received hugs from Rita and Emily. Claire will be staying here in San Jose. I am certainly

going to miss my new Kentucky friends.

I sent Bethany a text, letting her know we will soon fly away. With a little rain delay, we leave at

2:35. The flight to Miami should take about 2 and ½ hours. We're served Coke and cookies. I see land

as we fly over Cuba. And we touch down in Miami, FL at 7:17.

Electronic passport readers were there for us. Processing went pretty smoothly with not much of a

wait. For supper, I found a La Carreta restaurant. They call themselves “Miami's Original Cuban

Kitchen”. I buy a Cuban sandwich and a Cuban pastry (guava and cheese) for dessert. We only waited

about 45 minutes to board the plane. A new time zone, so I change the watch back one hour.

As we fly out at 10 p.m., the view was stunning. Miami at night showed us millions of lights! We

actually flew over the Atlantic Ocean for a few minutes, before curving north, then west. I thought

about swimming in the Pacific Ocean just one week ago. I had apple juice and cookies for my meal.

We're now over the northern Gulf of Mexico. As we approached Louisiana, I counted 18 oil rigs,

all lit up at night. It looked so quiet and peaceful at 35,000 feet elevation. The plane lands about 10:45.

Another excellent trip has come to a close. My lovely wife is waiting for me. We will spend the night in

Kenner, near the New Orleans airport. She is very much looking forward to a champagne brunch

tomorrow morning. Life is good!!

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Photos

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Our 1st night as a team of 7.

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The view from Croccodile Bridge.

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the Pacific Ocean.

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Pastor Matt

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Blue plate special.

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nightly devotionals

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God In Action

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Pastor Matt delivered a short sermon... and Steve translated it into Spanish..

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The princess sheet was her treasure.

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Poas Volcano

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at the local market