Please pray for the mission team heading to Costa Rica in September!  

Costa Rica Mission Trip
September 6-13, 2008

 Itinerary for the week
Saturday: Travel to San Jose Costa Rica, settle at seminary, see orphanage site, plan for the week
Sunday: Worship at a local church and enjoy dinner and shopping
Monday-Thursday: Breakfast at 6:30am, travel to orphanage site for work
Two afternoons we will travel to local churches and engage the children in vacation bible school activities
Thursday afternoon: travel to Villa Blanca in the mountains (www.villablanca-costarica.com)
Friday: See the sights of Costa Rica - choose an excursion for the day or relax at Villa Blanca
Thursday & Friday evenings: Worship together in Chapel at Villa Blanca
Saturday: Return to Dallas

Team Meeting
August 10, 5:30pm, Room 120

Team Dinner
September 2, 6:30pm, Celebration Restaurant

Forms
Registration Form, Health Form & Waiver, Notification of Death, Covenant 

 

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In Summer 2006, HPUMC initiated a partnership with Ray & Lidia Zirkel, Methodist missionaries serving in Costa Rica. Along with work in other ministries, Ray is ordained in the Methodist Church of Costa Rica and serves at the Methodist seminary in San Jose. Ray also chairs the board for the Methodist School in San Jose.

Our initial conversations focused on mission trips to construct churches and youth centers. Before long, though, Ray & Lidia were sharing with us much grander visions, visions that would represent HPUMC's largest international commitment to date.

Ray & Lidia had been researching and receiving approval for the establishment of the first Methodist orphanage in Costa Rica. They witnessed first-hand the over-crowding of state facilities and realized the potential of an alternative model for orphan care. Instead of expansive, institutional structures with still too few beds, Ray & Lidia want to nurture the children in a Christian family environment.

HPUMC has commited to help Ray & Lidia raise the money for the orphanage as well as engaging in long-term support of their ministry. Through generous contributions from HPUMC members, we were able to fund the purchase of the hill-side property that will be the site of the Costa Rican Methodist Orphanage. In August & September 2007, HPUMC took its first mission trips to San Jose to work alongside our friends there. We will continue sending trips throughout the construction of the orphanage.

Orphanage Video

To learn more about the Zirkels, the orphanage, and upcoming trips contact Linda Roby at robyl@hpumc.org or 214.523.2279.