Bethel University in Costa Rica
Day 1
Hola from Costa Rica!
Coach Chavez here and I just wanted to share with all what a wonderful day that we have had here in San Jose, Costa Rica.
It all started yesterday at 2pm with cultural competencies, and a great meal at the Global Market in Minneapolis. We had a great time with campus associate pastor Matt Runion who shared some valuable missions tools with us, as well as let us sleep in his church, what a blessing.
We were out and in the bus at 3:45 am for the long journey to CR. After rushing to make our gate in Minneapolis due to the 42 travelers we found ourselves soon rushing again in Atlanta to hop on the plane to San Jose. I am so proud of all the players as they represented the Lord and Bethel beautifully. Oh, and we all made it:)
We were greeted at the airport by an entourage of Score officials who loaded all of our gear and us as we headed to the Score villa. The trip through the city was great and we got our first glimpse of the beautiful culture that we are so honored to be serving.
We were amazed when we arrived at the villa and were taken to our rooms. Super bueno! Our rooms are beautiful each with its own bathroom, incredibly clean with fresh linens and towels. We moved in as you can see from some of the photos and got comfortable for an orientation.
In orientation we learned a bit more about what we will be doing this week and were able to pick up some valuable information on how we would be serving the Lord through Score’s mission team here.
The player’s just returned from enjoying a basketball game where we were supporting another Score mission team as they battled with the local talent. We will have our first battle tomorrow morning with the Men’s team playing at 9:30 am, and the Women’s team playing at 1:00 pm.
Your continued prayer and support is appreciated as we reach out to spread the Gospel to the nationals.
Look for more updates to come tomorrow after our day.
Blessings,
Pepe Jon Chavez
Head Coach Bethel University Men’s & Women’s Soccer Programs
Instructor Health & Physical Education Department
Owner Pepe Jon’s “Happy Feet” Complete Soccer Education
pepejon-chavez@bethel.edu
pepejonshappyfeet@yahoo.com
HYPERLINK “http://pepejonshappyfeet.com” \t “_blank” pepejonshappyfeet.com
1(612)987-5607 (cell)
1(651)638-6024 (office)
“Happy Feet” With Coaches That Care!!!
Day two-
Today we woke up around eight, and wolfed down some breakfast and headed out for our nine thirty game. We played a group of all star high school players. They ranged from fifteen to seventeen years of age. Although they were quite younger than us they still put up a good fight. In the end Bethel still prevailed winning 4 to zero with goals by Randon Sommars, Eric Johnson, Andreas Scott, and our very own Pepe Jon. We added two bethel hall of famers to our roster in Tyler Murchie and Pepe Jon Chavez.
After the game we got the awesome opportunity to share the gospel with the team that we played against. Matt Vanbenschoten shared his testimony while Josh Miller shared the gospel. Pepe Jon cleared up the message with his superior Spanish skills. We also got the opportunity to hand out a tract and share with the players on the other team.
-Kirk Darling and Josh Miller
Ladies here! We spent our morning cheering on the men. They played great and were good examples to follow. After their victory, we loaded onto the bus and traveled up to an even higher elevation where we played our first game. The clouds were looming over us the entire game, but luckily the rain held out until the final whistle blew. The women on the other team ranged in age from 13 to 30. They were a good team, but we managed to pull off a 5-0 victory. We had goals by Krista Polding, Alli Kishaba, and Bre Posey. It got to be a little bit of a physical game toward the end and we were worried about how the other team would receive our testimonies, but overall it went very well and it even seemed like a couple of the girls were especially interested in the story of Jesus.
After a full day of soccer we were ready to get out on the town! We loaded the school bus and headed to a local “mall.” We were able to buy things like coffee at the grocery store, ice cream, and other basic necessities. : ) Surprisingly, the stores weren’t all that different than what we are accustomed to. We are very much looking forward to going to a more authentic market tomorrow.
After an AMAZING dinner of spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread we were preparing to hear a message from a Score team member when a power line outside the villa fell and started on fire. We lost power, but luckily nothing is damaged and everyone is fine. We are hoping to have power and warm water in the morning. Our night is coming to a close with a lot of laughter and games that don’t require too much lighting. We are enjoying spending time together and serving in this beautiful country. Talk to you soon!
-Nicki Luehrs and Charli Sorensen
Day 3
Kylie Dirks gave us an option for a 7:00 am run to which many of the ambitious ones joined. We ran through a near University of San Jose and it was simply beautiful…palm trees, blue skies, barking guard dogs, and encouraging neighbors…just the perfect running conditions. We returned for a delicious breakfast.
Church was amazing! We drove the bumpy drive to a squatter community in San Jose. The church service took place in a garage, but the exterior did not match the passion for Christ that was inside. The service consisted of three sermons by Pepe Jon, Pastor Gabriel, and a missionary couple who plan to travel to Honduras. Our team sang “Father I Adore You” in Spanish to the congregation. We all agreed that one of the most passionate moments of the service was when the congregation sang in Spanish and English “Our God is Mighty to Save.” It was testimony that two different cultures worship the same God.
After a quick meal at a local mall food court, we headed back to the villa where we met up with Kristin Kishaba. (WHOO!!) She finally arrived after spending the summer in New York City working with Youth Works. United as one team we traveled to an orphanage a good distance. Our spirits never dampened even when the bus stalled due to the engine overheating. At the orphanage we saw how the language barrier was no longer an issue. The kids sought only love. Some of the activities included soccer, volleyball, skateboarding, swinging on the playground, and just hanging out.
We then went to a different mall food court and ate another wonderful meal. After that we came back and had the opportunity to debrief as a team. This was led by Christine Osgood, and this was a time where we were able to break down the past couple days, discover frustrations, share God-sightings, and encourage each other. This was a powerful time.
Tomorrow we’re going to support Pastor Gabriel in a food distribution in the morning. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated so that they could not only be blessed with the material things but that they will be able to see the Lord through our times and services. Also pray that we could be a witness as both the men and women have a soccer game tomorrow. This trip has been a time where we have really grown together. Pray that we would continue to be unified.
-Kelsey, Kelci, Randon, Tim
