Regina Manley and Laura Macias conducted an Oral Strategies Workshop in the Costa Rican jungle town of Laurel, Costa Rica. The Latino church in Laurel hosted the indigenous attendees, many of whom traveled long distances on foot to participate.

The local church leaders display extraordinary commitment to the ministry. They also demonstrate surprisingly clever use of the limited technology available.  

Regina reports that... 

 

The highlight of the Laurel Costa Rica workshop was working with Pastor Carlos Espinosa and 7 Indigenous leaders who all participated as instructors. Carlos, Santos, Eliodoro and Yolanda have been using STS since the previous workshop in October. The other 4 all improved their skills in the Laurel workshop. 

 

Several youth and Sunday school teachers attended from various local churches. There were 30 participants. The warmth and hospitality shown by the brethren at Pastor Carlos’ church who provided food and lodging for all who came from “near and far” was a testimony of their vibrant love for Christ. We were reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians 2:2 , “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

 

Pastor Carlos travels in a rented car, then treks down the beach at low tide for several hours and then heads up into the mountainous terrain for several more hours to reach to the Ngobe communities. Every other month, he visits five different communities.

Two of them are separated by a day’s journey by foot! After visiting all 5 communities he returns via a southern route which is 3 to 5 hours by foot and then a half day bus ride back to the Panamanian boarder town and then takes a final bus ride home to Laurel, Costa Rica.

 

 

Pastor Carlos has been ministering to and discipling leaders among the Ngobe for 12 years. He is excited to see how well storytelling and discussion has made Bible study available to the Ngobe communities. Everyone participates. The youth are particularly excited about doing dramas. The women are active in the STS discussions and continue sharing the stories.These 3 Ngobe women in the photo with my coworker, Laura Macias, attended the workshop in Laurel. 

 

Even though many of the Ngobe communities do not have electricity, they are not foreigners to technology. Almost half of the 30 participants in the workshop had cell phones! Santos and Griselda graciously invited us to their home, when we requested a “fact finding mission” to see how technology was a part of their lives. Here you can see the one electrical outlet is being for a light and also to charge their cell phones. They plug their cell phone or USB stick to the DVD player and view photos, text files an video on the TV. And Santos, ever resourceful attached an umbrella in the attic for TV reception and designed a fan from old washing machine parts. Their family transportation is a horse. But before Griselda rode off to the store, she was sure not to leave without her cell phone!

 

My main task for 2012 is training Laura Macias to become the Oral Communications specialist for our Learning Technologies team in Costa Rica. She and Tony will be relocating their family to the capital, San Jose, this December. Laura is a Cuban American with excellent Spanish. She is doing a great job and I am so blessed to be working with this woman of God. Please pray for Laura and the Macias family during this year of orientation and transition.

Thank you for your sacrificial support and faithfulness to pray. We are expecting the Gospel to take deep root transforming lives and communities as these leaders continue reaching out with God’s stories to their families, communities and beyond.