Stillwater Men in Costa Rica Spring 2010

A group of men from Stillwater Community Chapel have been making a pheasant-hunting trip to Hill City, Kansas every year for the past 15 years or so, and every trip except for the first two have found them staying at the beautiful Pheasant Inn Bed & Breakfast.  In fact, when some of their wives heard about it, they decided that they needed to get in on the fellowship as well, and have often accompanied the guys on these trips.

While the pheasant hunting can be better or worse than the year before, one thing is for sure!  The friendship with Darris and Aida Worchester (owners of the Pheasant Inn B&B) has become a very special and lasting one.  As we have gotten to know each other well, a central theme of our fellowship each trip has become the topic of our mutual involvement in cross-cultural mission projects.  The Worchesters have been working with a primitive Indian tribe deep in the jungles of Costa Rica for over 10 years now, and have taken a group – largely from Kansas and  Oklahoma down to work on projects every spring.  They have taken clothing, food, medical help, and technical assistance in providing clean water etc. to this remote village.  There is now a solid church with a pastor in the village as well.

The village is about a 4-hour walk on a narrow jungle trail from the closest road, and everything that goes in and out of the village has to be carried by a person or on a horse.  As the children grow to middle school and high school age, the closest school is up at the trail head, and the students face a significant challenge in trying to continue their education due to the long walk each way.  Darris and Aida secured permission from the government and school to build a simple, wood frame, 60’ x 20’ dormitory on the school grounds so that these native kids can attend school and have a place to stay during the week; and the construction will start the first week in March of this year.

Lynn Brass, Brad Dinsmore and Pastor Jim joined a team of builders that assisted on this project from March 10 – 20, camping out in the jungle, cooking over an open fire, and sleeping with sleeping bags in tents!  Long-time friend – Jerry Brandt from Fort Collins – (who donated all of the oak doors, hardware, and trim for our church building) also joined them for this very successful adventure!  As a result of the trip, plans are in the works to begin building a strategy to try and reach this particular people group of about 60,000 who are scattered throughout the jungles of this beautiful nation in Central America!