Friday January 28

This morning we were up at 4:30 AM and had time to grab a cup of coffee before leaving for the airport to catch our 7:25 AM flight home. We had a little time at the airport to purchase last minute trinckets and cholate and coffee before our 5 hr. 30 minute flight to Denver.  After clearing customs, some of us were picked up by Jim Boyd and Stan Koleski in a Church Van. Bill Carr was picked up bu Pat and Merci was picked up by her husband and son. We arrived back at the Church at 2:40 PM. We had a great trip and accomplished a lot of good work at the school, but it sure is good to be home.

Thursday January 27

Our day off (Wednesday Jan. 26

Pictures from our outing to Turtle Island

Snorkeling area

Ships crew playing volleyball

The ship that brought us to turtle island

A view to the north (another island)

A view of the picnic tables and souvenir shop

Bill Carr, Bob Wheeler, and Ray and Sigrid Corson

This was our day or rest, Up at 6:00 AM and on the road at 6:30 to the Marriot where we picked up a small bus to our rendezvous and breakfast area. After breakfast we boarded a larger bus (like a trailways) for the trip to the Pacific Ocean and our boat for the trip to turtle island.  The bus trip was 2 hrs and the boat trip was 2 hrs so we arrived at the a little after noon and left at 4:00 PM arriving back in San Jose at 8:00 PM. After a stop for dinner we arrived back at the school at 9:15 PM.



Thursday January 27

Today is our last workday as we fly out at 7:30 AM tomorrow (must leave the school at 5:30 AM). So, this morning we will finish up our work and thisafternoon will be packing and last minute shopping for coffee, tea and trinkets and other gifts for family and friends. This afternoon I will post the last of our pictures including a team picture.

Tuesday January 25

Today we need to finish most of our word as tomorrow is a site seeing day and thursday is packing and shopping day. Thursday we will have approximately 3 hrs to work. So today is a day of "accomplishment".

After a good breakfast of eggs and sausage we went to work.

Bonnie's very large Chicken

Wall at Entrance to School

Bonnis admiring her chicken

Bill Carr, Painter Extraordinare

Merci, Painters Assistant

Dramatic change...Blue to Peach

Installing projector platform

Now after a lunch of mac and cheese and mango fruit salad we head back to work.

Sunday January 23

Today we were up bright and early as we loaded on the bus at 6:30 AM and headed for for an outing to Poas Volcano and La Paz waterfall park.  We stopped in route at a Coffee Plantation for breakfast and we had lunch in the middle of the Waterfall Park.

Coffee Planation

Coffee Plantation

Volcano

Looking east toward Caribbean

Bill Carr at Volcano

Old Crater Lake

Waterfall Park

Frog

Waterfall Park Ray and Sigrid

Old Crater Lake

Bird Cage at Waterfall Park

Bird Cage

Bird Cage

Butterfly Pavillion

120 doot waterfall

Sarurday January 22

Last night the water pump burned out so the the buildings on top of the hill are without water....the others are fed by gravity. Just one of lifes little challenges that make us realize how blessed we are.

Matt brought in bottled water for drinking and cooking. This morning was consumed by work on the pump as well as our normal painting and the special project of renovating the office. Work on the office needs to be completed today as we are off tomorrow and Monday school staff meetings begin.

Good news! The pump is fixed and we have water, praise be the Lord!

Breakfast today was pinto gallo "speckled rooster" (homemade tortias, scrambled eggs and rice and beans) an authentic Costa Rician breakfast. Lunch was sub sandwiches and fruit (apple slices with carmel sause).

Office Renovations

Electricial Work

Detail Painter

Official Mascot (Pepper)

Office Renovations

General Flunkie

Now is siesta time and then back to work for the afternoon.

Where is the paint?

Staining mouldings

Touching up classrooms

The paint mover

Break time

Go girl go

What a great day! Eggs and toast for breakfast, then off to work. Today was paint and stain.
After a lunch of tuna salad sandwiches we rested and then back to work.

For dinner we went out to "Chicken Lickin" for a great meal,,,,,,with so much left over we'll have Chicken Salad for lunch tomorrow.

We closed out the day with our evening devotions led by Bill Carr.

Thursday January 20

Bob Wheeler nailing pannels to partition

Sigrid Corson Touching uo wall paint

Today we started with devotions at 7:00 followed by breakfast of baked oatmeal and fruit. Then it was off to work.  After the blind mans eyes were opened we got our blog up and running, yea. Of course if you are following this you already know that. The classroom partition was completed and primed. Second coats of paint were done on two rooms and we began the touchup on others. The office renovations are proceding as are the murals.

After work some of us played tennis and others had a refreshing swim in the pool while rest enjoyed horizontial pontification. Then after a meal of taco haystacks we gave our hosts their just desserts at POPS (the local ice cream parlor where you get unique flavors such as fig and mango. Then it was back to the school for devotions and then tapps sounded.

Pictures--It's a tough life!

Let The Work Begin!

Wednesday we woke up refreshed to a glorious morning, jumped into our uniforms (shorts and tee shirts) as temperatures are in high 70's low 80's daytime and 60's night time.  The critters (bugs) are at a minimum...yea! We had a great breakfast prepared by Mary Koleski,

We have a small team this year. The members are as follows:

Ray Corson..............Technical Coordinator (computers)
Sigrid Corson..........Library/painter
Ray Walker..............Wantabe Supervisor/carpenter
Bob Ashley..............The General (flunckie)
Bonnie Ashley.........Art Director/ Chicken Purveyor
Mary Koleski...........Financial Director/Coordinator/Commissary
Bob Wheeler............Comedian/Carpenter
Bill Carr..................Chief Painter/Wizard
Merci Branch..........Detail Painter
Jack O'dell.............. Left Out (Unfortunately Jack got sick the day before we left and  couldn't   accompany us).

Today we got two rooms painted, one partition half built and started renovations on the office.  Work is moving ahead it looks like we will be able fulfill our goal.

Arrival in Costa Rica

After a sleepless (nearly) night we arrived in San Jose 45 minutes early. All our luggage arrived and we cleared customs with no problems. Matt and Lisa met us at the airport and took us to the school without incident. We ate breakfast and then rested until noon and theb ate again. At this rate we'll be a bunch of rolly pollys by the time to leave.  I guess we'll have to work really hard.

After lunch Matt gave us a tour of all the school buildings and showed us what jobs he wanted done and then we started in.