Angel Tree Costa Rica

In my little world, taking a few thousand dollars to San Jose to purchase  food, toys, clothing, uniforms, and household necessities sounds like a way to quench my serious thirst for the Target Shopping Experience (the only missing link to my perfect existence here in Costa Rica.)  For Tom, the lack of shopping is what makes his existence here so ideal!  The idea of two straight days of shopping for him….well, lets just say you could feel it looming over him like a dark cloud for a week before we even left.

The drive up was eventful for course.  We got pulled over by Trafico (traffic police) for going a woppin’ 10 k over the speed limit.  The officer explained, very kindly, that he was going to write me a ticket.  The total amount was going to be almost $600 after taxes!  Are you kidding me with this?  How do people even afford to drive in this country?!  Anyway,  before Tom even had a chance to protest, I practically hopped over the seat with my list of 50 families in hand, and explained why we were on our way to SJO in the first place.  He softened up right there on the spot, and let us go with just a warning.  Tender Mercy!  That would have been a big hit to the positive vibes I was trying to send Tom’s way, and it helped to lift his spirit.

The shopping was interesting, as is everything in downtown SJO.  The uniform part was the hardest, as it proved to be throughout the entire process.  Tom was a superstar and purchased all the uniform stuff on his own, we had to split up for the sake of time.   The food/toys/household stuff came together without the smallest snag, and I have to admit, I really enjoyed it.  I felt a little bit like crying the whole time, just thinking about the generosity from all of you that made the shopping possible!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Your contributions were well spent, and are going to be well distributed as well!

Shopping at Price Mart.  Cart 1 of 3!

Loading up Toys and Tupperware at Wal-Mart

Wondering how all this stuff fit in our car?  It didn’t!  Some wonderful friends of ours and big contributors to the project paid for a empty 16 passenger van to meet us at our last two stops and escort us home.  Thank you Alex and Jon!!!

The pile you see here is about 1/4  the total we purchased/collected!

This was quite the experience!  The first time we have included uniforms in our project, but as we are trying to give a ‘hand up’ not a ‘hand out’, we felt that they were important to include.  Finding the sizes was less than simple.  But the service of the girls in the shop more than made up for it!  They brought us chairs, and soda, and gave us a 10% in store credit of the total purchase price on the uniforms, close to $1,000.  Time slipped away while we were in the shop, and we discovered 3 whole hours had passed when we walked out and it was dark.  We are really excited about delivering this part of Christmas to kids, and we are praying it helps them stay in school.

Two little girls sleep in this “bed.”

We need them!  Viola and I visited several homes the other day, and each household had at least one member, in most cases two, of the family sleeping on the concrete floor or wooden crates.  Many of the existing mattresses they had were in terrible shape.  They were also short chairs and basic plates and silver ware for the household members.  We need to raise another $2,000 in order to provide these families with some of these basic life necessities.  Every donation counts, big or small!

Thanks to Mandy Collins who is arranging a fundraiser all the way in South Carolina to support Arbol de Angel!

Chelsea Lisaius has organized a GINGER BREAD MAKING CONTEST  with her school.

•  At Donna Lees in Tamarindo
• Date: Thursday, December 15th starts at 3:30pm at Donna Lees
• Sign up at Sarita’s Bakery in Tamarindo for 2000c
• Starter Kits available at Sarita’s Bakery for 6000c

Thanks to Home School Beach Academy for the food drive!  A small private school in our area, working together to make a big difference this Christmas.  Thanks so much for your hard work guys!

Homeschool Beach Academy - Small School, BIG HEARTS!

Enjoy Your Blessings of Abundance With Family Today and Keep Others in Your Heart

Although my table setting won’t closely resemble this one, because in Costa Rica decorative chargers and clothe napkins are difficult to come by, I will still enjoy an abundant meal with my loved ones.  We will enjoy the day creating spectacular food, while intermittently sunbathing and surfing.  We will also remember to take a moment to reflect and be grateful, because we have so much to be grateful for.  For one, if you are reading this, than you too have the ability to connect to friends and family all over the world.   The mere ability to access a sea of knowledge and people at the touch of our fingertips is astounding.  If you are celebrating the holiday, then you most likely will enjoy a variety of food, no matter if it comes in the form of a headless bird or a vegan delicacy.  Hopefully you will get the chance to be surrounded by people you love.  If nothing else, at least you might just get a day off of work.  In any case, I hope your day is a beautiful celebration!

While hearts and tummies are full, it’s a great time to make a plan to share with others who are less fortunate this holiday season.  Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”  My prayer is that if enough of us can just feed, clothe, and give to just ONE extra person this holiday season, together we can make the holidays bright for hundreds!  Whether you are wrapped up in scarves with the scent of pumpkin spice wafting through the air, or you are grilling your turkey on your porch in your swim shorts, please take a moment to discuss the Arbol de Angel project with those who are around you.  Pura Vida!

It would be difficult to prepare a thanksgiving feast in this ‘kitchen’.  Our goal is to give this family a more sanitary kitchen and supplies to help her better provide for her family.

Thanks to all who made Saturday a huge success. We sold 100 tickets and with the raffle and silent auction we raised just over $3,000!!! We are 1/3 of the way to reaching our Christmas goal.

Brody is 8 and is in 3rd grade. At the end of September, during journal time, the teacher asked the kids to reflect on their family activities and traditions. This was Brody’s number one:

“At Christmas we raise money to buy presents, good, and other goods like clothes. We deliver the gifts to families in need on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This is a reminder of how blessed we are and it is a way for us to give back to this beautiful community.”

I was so touched that before discussion of the 2011 project goals began, and 9 months since the completion of the last project, it was at the front of his mind. Kids can gain a lot from participating in this kind of charity work. Take them to the store to buy the donations, have them make flyers or make a hot chocolate stand to raise money, or have them be involved in the handing out of the gifts. There is always need for more helping hands, even the small ones. Sometimes they are the best!

We hope to reach out and help some of the underprivileged children in our area this Christmas, and you are invited to help by attending our first annual

Black and White Dance Party

When: Saturday, November 5^th

Where: The Oasis at Hotel Brasilito

Direction: (The Old Outback Jacks) On the beach on the south side of the square in Brasilito.

Time: 8pm to Midnight

Cost: $20 or 10,000 colones per ticket OR $25 or 12,500 colones at the door (includes entrance, light appetizer buffet, welcome drink, and a raffle entry)

Dress your best in BLACK and/or WHITE!

DJ!!! CASH BAR