DANIEL & BEATRIZ KLAEHN w/Mia

2009-02-01T01:19:00.001-05:00

We Are Currently Home On Furlough

2008-10-01T01:03:00.002-04:00

Currently we are back in Ohio on our first furlough. We will be home for at least a year. Furlough is when Missionaries return to their home country and revisit their supporting churches in order to thank them for their support and prayer and to let them know how things are going on the field. It is also a time when we renew our strength and evaluate our previous term’s activities.

In lieu of our being home, we would like to say “Thank you” to all who have supported us these past few years. Although our work on the field was pretty much what we expected, events in our personal lives, i.e., the birth of Mia, the loss of Beatriz’s parents, other health related issues, really took their toll. Without your support this past term would’ve been quite lonesome. Thank you for your prayers and kindness to us.

FYI, we do plan on returning to Nicaragua to continue teaching at the university and Bible schools. We feel strongly in our calling and will still need your support and partnership.

We would like to come visit you
We would also like to visit your church and personally thank all of those who have given to our ministry both in prayer and financial support. Our desire is to visit as many churches as possible this next year so the name of the Lord would be glorified in His work overseas.

We have contacted many churches already about our coming for a service. We have tried to contact others but have not gotten through or have been unable to make the right connections. If you would like us to visit your church and have not heard from us for whatever reason, we’d be very happy to make a time and place for you. WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS; WE WOULD LIKE TO COME VISIT YOU!

We are open to all types of services or sharing venues: Sunday AM or PM Worship Services, Wednesday or midweek Services, Home cell groups, Men’s or WM’s ministries, Youth or Speed-the-Light opportunities, Royal Rangers or Missionettes, Sunday school classes, Missions Conventions, Board Meetings, Office visits with the Pastor or Missions Boards, etc. We are open and available to meet with you.

Contact information:
Email: danklaehn@hotmail.com

North Central U. Returns To Nicaragua

2008-03-08T00:29:00.002-05:00

For the second year in a row we had the privilege of hosting an evangelism team from North Central University during Spring break. Ninedays.08, a team of 11 college students, ministered to hundreds of children, youth and adults throughout Nicaragua. They are called “Ninedays” because for literally nine days they come and share of their calling and love in Christ to those overseas. This year’s team was led by Elissa Fortner and Peter Johnson.

A great group of young people, Ninedays traveled to different Latin America Child Care schools (LACC) in the mornings and afternoons, then visited local churches for worship services and preaching in the evenings.

LACC schools are Assemblies of God sponsored primary and secondary schools in Latin America and the Caribbean. The children of these schools are supported by U.S. sponsors on a monthly basis. Nicaragua has 22 fully supported LACC schools where children are given a scholastic education, instruction in personal hygiene, snacks and meals, and school uniforms. The most important aspect, however, is the spiritual instruction the children are offered on a daily basis. Not only do students learn about the Lord in chapel and regular church attendance, but they have Christ consistently shared with them in all of their studies by their Christian teachers.

This year’s Ninedays team came alongside LACC and assisted them in spiritual development and the evangelization of their children. And they did a wonderful job. Through Bible stories, dramas, singing and testimonies, Ninedays gave their all to these children. We were so proud of this group. They honored not only North Central and the U.S. church, but they honored the Lord Jesus Christ by their purity and example. Children from Managua, Diriamba, Corinto and León were blessed by the group’s presence. The children of the Granada school, though a small and relatively insignificant primary school bordering Lake Nicaragua, were especially blessed by Ninedays, the first visit by any American group in their school’s history.

Thank you, again, NCU for giving us your best!

A Scholarship For Jairo

2008-03-03T00:49:00.000-05:00

When Daniel first began teaching at the university, there was a young man in his Saturday class named Jairo Lopez (pronounced Hi-row). Jairo was barely 17 yrs. old when he began taking classes at UML, just a skinny little kid with a great big smile. Jairo was beginning to work on his high school degree at the time, majoring in Theology. He was a bright student then, one of the smartest in the class, and he loved the competition of getting the best grade in the class because that meant he would get a prize book from Daniel. But after the second semester Jairo suddenly disappeared from school.

It was sometime later that Daniel learned Jairo wasn’t attending classes because he could no longer afford the cost of tuition. This was because Jairo’s father was tragically killed in a car accident one evening near his home; a neighbor had struck his father while he was walking home in the dark. The neighbor had been drinking, and, as is typical in Managua after the felony, he fled from the crime scene (and the police). The man was never arrested, never brought to justice, but Jairo’s family was left with trying to pick up the pieces of their broken lives.

Daniel bumped into Jairo one day while attending the Nicaraguan Assemblies of God annual Conference (the equivalent to one of our District Councils). He discussed with Jairo the possibility of returning to school and finishing his studies. But Jairo said his mother didn’t have the money to help him with tuition. Daniel then, believing the Lord was speaking to him, asked Jairo if he sensed the call of the Lord on his life. Jairo answered affirmatively. Daniel then encouraged Jairo by telling him that he had a gift most didn’t have. He told Jairo that he was intellectually capable of going far in his studies, perhaps even to the university level. Daniel then said to Jairo that if he wanted to study that he (Daniel) would give him a full-scholarship. He only asked that Jairo go home and pray about it for a week, and then come back with his answer.

Well, Jairo returned the next week with his answer. Daniel wasn’t sure he’d ever see Jairo again, he was hopeful, but he wasn’t sure. Jairo told Daniel that he had prayed and the Lord told him “yes” to continuing his studies. What a blessing.
Today Jairo continues to study at the university. He is working on his high school degree, but once he finishes he’ll begin the university level.

What else is neat, is that Jairo has been chosen to assist one of the professors of the university to work with him at his church. The work is a revitalization effort that is near the school. So Jairo takes classes and studies in the mornings and afternoons, then goes to church in the evenings. What a wonderful opportunity. Thank the Lord also for the pastor, Brother Juan Sanchez, who has taken time with Jairo, putting him under his wing to prepare him for the work of ministry. “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.

With Great Joy...Comes Great Sorrow

2007-12-31T00:03:00.001-05:00

With great joy we announce the birth of our first child, Mia Gabriela Klaehn, into the world on July 31, 2007. Mia was born by C-section in Managua at 2:15 PM. She weighed 6 lbs. 13 ounces and was 19 inches. We waited on the Lord for 10 years for this blessing, many of you remember our prayer requests when visiting your churches, so we are very happy with this wonderful gift from His hand.

It is with great sorrow, however, we share with you the news of a terrible automobile accident involving both of Beatriz’s parents on Wednesday August 29, 2007 in El Salvador. Beatriz’s Mom, María Cruz Rodríguez, died instantly at the scene of the crash. Her Dad, José Artemio Rodríguez, was in critical condition until late that Saturday evening.

As you can imagine our world was torn apart with this news. As we reflect upon this time it seems like a blur. We just remember rushing around trying to get airline tickets to San Salvador while hoping to secure a passport for Mia. Mia wasn't even a month old at the time and the only document we had was her Nicaraguan birth certificate. We had to get her a Nicaraguan passport so she could travel.

We arrived in San Salvador late the following (Thursday) afternoon. We were greeted by family and friends at the church, but it was a somber moment. Yet Beatriz’s Mom seemed to know everybody; she was a very kind and precious soul. The church and gravesite services were just filled with friends and mourners. It was a difficult time saying goodbye; she was buried that Friday.

We were told Beatriz's father was in terrible condition after the accident. He had internal bleeding from hitting the steering wheel and had to have surgery that day. Daniel saw Artemio Saturday afternoon when he was on a ventilator, he had tubes everywhere on his body, but he looked stable. Daniel prayed for Artemio, read some Scripture to him that Beatriz wanted read, held his hand, but there was very little reaction. The only change that occurred (there were other family members in the hospital room with Dan), was that his blood pressure, which was low, began to rise a bit. We were told this was a good sign. The doctors were keeping him medicated so his body could recover, but Beatriz didn't want to see him until after Daniel confirmed to her how bad (or good) he looked. Daniel believed he was getting better. In fact, we had both planned on seeing him that Sunday afternoon, but, sadly, we were informed of his death at 9:00PM Saturday evening. The doctors said he had had three heart attacks, the first two were mild, the last took his life.

José Artemio's funeral was on Monday. He was placed next to Beatriz's mother on a beautiful hill in a cemetery over-looking their neighborhood in San Salvador. It is one the most beautiful cemeteries in El Salvador.

Through all of this you can imagine how we feel. Our world is broken. We are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances, but it has only been three months since the accident. Beatriz was able to spend time with her sisters (Ana, Juanita and Marina) to mourn her loss, but time has not yet healed all of the pain. It will take longer.

But as we look back over these past few months we would like to give a short testimony of the Lord’s goodness in the midst of this event. First, we realize through God’s word that we are not like those who have no hope. Indeed, both of Beatriz’s parents were Christians and loved the Lord and served Him faithfully (1 Thess 4:13). But we’ve also seen the Lord’s love to us through small, sovereign events that occurred during this time. For instance, we thank the Lord for the opportunity of seeing Beatriz’s parents one last time, the time with Mia, just two weeks before their deaths. Our last memories are of them holding and loving their new granddaughter. In fact, it was Beatriz's Mom who had prayed daily for us for 10 years for the ability to conceive. How fitting for the Lord to reward her with the pleasure of seeing our daughter. And what great comfort she has brought to us since the accident.

But another memory comes to mind from Beatriz’s Dad during their last visit. We remember seeing José Artemio sitting at the dinner table, reflecting on the name of our baby, Mia Gabriela. Now Mia doesn’t mean much in Spanish, it simply means “mine.” But Gabriela is a biblical name, it was the name of the angelic messenger in Daniel and the one who informed Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist and Mary and Joseph of the birth of Jesus). Gabriela means “God’s valiant one.” But for José Artemio it meant a bit more. You see, Artemio’s father’s name was Gabriel. So there he sat, just thinking, when finally he said “I just never thought someone would name their child after my father.” This was obviously a great blessing and honor for him. Now we hadn’t thought of using the name Gabriela because of the family connection; we simply liked the name. But when we saw Artemio’s pleasure in this, we knew it was from the Lord. We believe the Lord had planned this name for our baby a long time ago. This, along with similar things, has served to comfort us these past few months.

In closing, we would like to ask that you continue to pray for us as we heal from this tragedy. Although things are getting easier the loss is still very fresh. We know the Lord is in control, we believe this, but this knowledge doesn’t take away our loneliness. Please pray that God’s grace would continue to strengthen us. For all those who have known of this and have prayed on our behalf we would like to say “Thank you.” We really sensed the closeness of God’s family during this time. What’s more, we really saw our need for God’s family more than ever before. Thank you. We wouldn’t have been able to get through this without your love and support. May the Lord bless you for your faithfulness.

And He Gave Some As Teachers

2007-06-01T23:43:00.001-04:00

We have been in Nicaragua a year now and, to be honest, are finding a few things difficult getting used to. One is the consistent 95˚F heat. It doesn’t sound bad considering winters in Ohio, but after a while it begins to wear on you. It also hasn’t been easy getting used to the aggressive driving and the poor customer service. But despite these negatives, and they are mild, it has been easy getting used to the Martin Luther University where we teach. UML, the central AG school in Managua, is both a university and Bible Institute. It is where the church prepares her new leaders.

God called us to Nicaragua to help train and equip these leaders, e.g. pastors, missionaries and Christian workers, for the work of the ministry. We are here to build-up the body of Christ in faith and knowledge so that it matures and grows into a viable witness for the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:11ff).

Meeting the students has been the most rewarding aspect of life here thus far. They come to the school hungry for the Word of God. Most are from poor families in Managua, some from outside the capital. Seeing these students’ desire to learn, and the light in their eyes when they do learn, makes all the cultural discomforts worth while. Here’s an example. Daniel was teaching one day on Luke 10:1 from the Spanish New International Version. This is where Jesus is appointing 72 disciples to go into the cities ahead of him, two by two. But the students noticed that in the Spanish Reina-Valera Version (RVR), the number of disciples recorded is not 72 but 70. (Note the King James Version). So they asked why the difference?

For Latin American evangelicals, the Reina-Valera is the default version of the Bible. It’s the most popular Bible version and is considered without defect. The Spanish NIV, on the other hand, is not taken seriously.

The problem, however, is that with the Reina-Valera the Greek manuscripts used to translate it into Spanish were younger and less reliable than the ones used to translate the NIV. This means that the NIV (both Spanish and English versions) used older and better manuscripts, those closer to the original writings of the New Testament, than those used back in 1602 when the Reina-Valera first appeared (1611 for the KJV). Why is this important? For a couple of reasons. First, it helps the students to see that the Bible, like Christ, is both divine and human. It was inspired by God but written by man. Therefore it is not without its human challenges. We do not possess any of the original manuscripts of the NT today; we have only copies of the originals. Some of those copies differ in places one from another. These differences are called Variants. Luke 10:1 has a variant reading of 72 and 70 for the number of disciples chosen by Jesus. Most scholars today believe the actual number was 72. This means both the RVR and KJV possibly err here. What then, do we throw out these versions? No. We respect them. But we also note that in some places (e.g. Luke 10:1) there are older and better manuscripts (copies of the originals) that the RVR (KJV) did not use because they were not available to them. This type of study was eye opening for many in Daniel’s class because they never considered the Spanish NIV credible. But now they’re seeing there’s a lot more to Bible study than first thought.

The second reason this is important is that the number 72 in Jewish tradition happens to represent the number of Gentile nations of the world. This number is based on a list of 72 names found in Genesis 10. In his gospel, Luke shows how he anticipated that, although Jesus chose 12 disciples for Israel (Luke 9:1), he also chose 72 others to send to the rest of the world (the Gentiles). This is truly amazing. Many today question the authority of the Christian to evangelize the world. But the early church saw that Jesus chose 72 to take the gospel to the world he loved.

What’s more, the biblical message didn’t end with the NT church. The message they understood applies to us today as well. This includes sending missionaries to countries like Nicaragua. But the message is also a call to Central American believers, Nicaraguans and others, that they are a part of the 72 called to the nations. God’s work is not finished and the responsibility does not pass over the Nicaraguans, it includes them in this great work of God. And that is why we are here.

We love teaching God’s word; it calls men and women, and imparts life. As we said, things are not easy here, but teaching the Lord’s word to the next generation of pastors and missionaries makes the difficulties seem secondary. Nicaragua is our calling. And that calling, which is really the students, keeps us here.

Goodbye CINCEL and Costa Rica

2006-04-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

An important character-istic of a missionary is having a heart that delights in the Lord, especially in where the Lord leads, knowing that the He will be one’s rest during the journey.

The journey to Nicaragua has been a long one (3+ years). But the Lord has been our rest and He has carried us through this time. Discouragement is probably the most difficult challenge a missionary faces. Beatriz and I faced this at CINCEL (language school), but the Lord helped us. And yes, we both did graduate. Here's proof of us speaking at graduation.

So, at the end of all this language and culture learning, how will Nicaragua find us?

After a year of stress, nights of studying Spanish workbooks, memorizing vocabulary, preparing and presenting a Research project on the Bible School in San José, preaching in Spanish, mornings full of homework, hours of phonetics, repeating phrases and always being corrected...well, Nicaragua will find that we are ready to arrive. Beatriz and I are stronger now that we've graduated. The Lord met us here and He gave us the strength we needed to complete this mission.

So now, at the beginning of June, we are packing (once again) and moving to our field of Managua, Nicaragua. We are grateful for our time at CINCEL and we pray that the tools we were given will help us present the Gospel clearly and effectively, and that this new time of transition will be blessed in the Lord for His glory.

2006-04-21T00:55:00.000-04:00

Nicaragua: First Impressions

2005-11-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

Beatriz and I spent a week in Nicaragua early last August during school break. It was the first time we set foot in the land of our calling. For three years we've been sharing about this country and its people, and finally, after much work and anticipation, we were able to experience it for ourselves. It was quite different from where we are in Costa Rica. San José and the language school are located in the mountains of what is called the Central Valley. It is almost 3,000 ft here so I'm not sure that it is much of a "valley." It is beautiful, however, and the mountains are all around us. As we flew into Nicaragua, though, we immediately noticed a change in landscape. The mountains softened into a low plane. Clearly defined farms and fields replaced rugged hills. And the rich greens turned into browns and soft greens. The entire landscape was magically tranformed. It was very different.

We flew over Lake Nicaragua, which I mistook the Pacific Ocean (until I saw land on its west side), and then over the city of Managua. Lake Nicaragua is an incredible sight. It is long and blue. It is a fresh-water lake with, what people tell us, species of fresh-water sharks. I'm not sure we'll want to swim in the lake but it did remind me a little of Lake Erie back home. Not that there are sharks in Lake Erie. It's similar in the fact that its fresh water, one cannot see across it to the other side, and it has pretty large waves. When I explain to Latin Americans where I'm from in Cleveland, I say it is on the coast of one of the five great lakes, Lake Erie, and that it's a little bigger than Lake Nicaragua. When I mention Lake Nicaragua to them, they immediately understand where I'm coming from. Lake Nicaragua is the largest fresh-water lake of its kind in Central America.

Managua is west of Lake
Nicaragua, and it has a lake of its own. But Lake Managua is quite a contrast to Lake Nicaragua. Lake Managua is a muddy, brown-colored body of water that just sits there. It was, to be honest, remarkable ugly compared with the blue of Lake Nicaragua. We were told that Lake Managua is heavily polluted and has been for some time. What a shame. In the city, as we drove into the older part of town near the lake, we could see the lake's potential if it could only be cleaned-up. The city borders the lake's southern coast, and it is framed by mountains to the north. What potential. For now, though, the lake is foul, quite possibly a subtle reminder of years of neglect and abuse. As I think about it, it may just be a manifestation of the city itself.

TLC (CAFTA)

2005-11-23T23:27:00.000-05:00

What is TLC? It's not "Tender Loving Care," for sure. At least not in the minds of these Costa Rican University students. (This is a picture taken just outside our apartment building). TLC is the Spanish acronym for "Tratado de Libre Comercio." In English it is CAFTA - Central American Free Trade Agreement. TLC is the equivalent to NAFTA - North American Free Trade Agreement (the trade agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico) but involves the Central American countries along with the Dominican Republic.

The goal of TLC (CAFTA) is the elimination of trade barriers (Import Duty) between treaty partners. It is as controversial as NAFTA was in the United States but TLC did pass both Houses of the U.S. Congress and was approved by the President. Labor unions strongly oppose the treaty because of fears of the loss of manufacturing jobs and more outsourcing to less developed countries.

In Costa Rica, an economically liberal democracy with some socialist leanings, many in the state universities still favor a strong socialistic policy. Some even wish for a communistic government like that of Cuba (note the color and symbols on the banner the student is holding).

For these, there is good reason to fear. Currently all the utility companies in Costa Rica, i.e. telecommunications, internet, cable television, electricity and even pensions and securities are state owned. With TLC these monopolies or closed markets would eventually have to open to national and international competion. Many feel this would cause instability and uncertainty and a loss of national control.

Private business tends to support TLC because with it they see the opportunity for an open market and an opening of the Costa Rican economy to international investment. They also understand that with the lowering of import taxes the average citizen would be able to afford the less expensive products. And the government would not lose its much needed revenew because with the growth of business the national tax base would be broadened to more than compensate for the loss in import duty. It would probably even grow the natioal treasury. At least that is the theory goes.

In the U.S., supporters of TLC (CAFTA) understand the advantage U.S. exporters, especially exporters of agricultural products, would gain by the Central American countries lowering their import duties. The U.S. today has one of the lowest import taxes for overseas products coming into the country. It is well under 10 per cent. But when our exporters try to sell to Central American countries, there is an import duty of 40 per cent. With TLC, these trade barriers would be brought down and evened-out. This would help our farmers sell more products at cheaper prices abroad.

Whatever one thinks of NAFTA and TLC (CAFTA) one thing is certain, there is much heat in the discussion. In this photo I'm standing near graffiti saying "Get out Yankee, No TLC." It's a good thing I'm a Cleveland Indian and not from New York (note my hat). As an American living abroad I am sometimes cornered into defending the policies of our government.
The more I am aware of policies such as this one, the better I can explain the intent of Congress, the President, and the economically conservative view on capitalism.

The Language School

2005-09-01T15:07:00.001-04:00

The name of the Assemblies of God language school in San José is CINCEL (Spanish word for “chisel”). The name is an acronym (from the Spanish) for Latin American Research and Language Center. All the teachers are Costa Rican. The school is located in an average-sized building and most of the classes are small (less than five students each). We like this kind of setting and enjoy learning the language and culture of Latin America. CINCEL is where every AG missionary spends at least four months learning Spanish before going to the field. Most spend a full year here. There are some 30+ students in the school at his time. Daniel is taking Grammar, Phonetics, Conversation and Interaction classes. Interaction requires him to talk to people on the street so he can learn the different ways people speak in everyday life. He practices his Spanish with street vendors, security guards, or bookstore employees. He likes books.

Beatriz, on the other hand, since she is a native Spanish speaker, took advanced classes in Latin American Literature, Composition and Translation our first semester. But at the beginning of the second semester (September), Beatriz began teaching English as a Second Language to Latin American missionaries going to English speaking countries (or countries where English is necessary to learn the local dialect). The first semester here Beatriz patiently endured classes meant for English speakers. She is very excited, though, about teaching English to future missionaries.

Costa Rica: Country and Catholicism

2005-08-17T14:14:00.000-04:00

Although Costa Rica is not our final destination, we would like to tell you a little about this small Central American country. Its capital is San José, a city of about a million people, located in what is called the Central Valley. We live in a small barrio (neighborhood) of San José called San Pedro, which is about fifteen minutes by bus from the main square. Costa Rica is the most prosperous of the five Central American countries and is rich in tropical rain forests, coffee plantations, pineapple and banana farms, beaches, and impressive volcanoes. Many Americans come here to live and vacation year round. Many buy retirement homes. (We’ve been told that even Michael Jordan has a mansion on the north-Pacific side of the country).

There are only two seasons in the calendar year here – the dry and rainy seasons (summer and winter). It’s the peak of the rainy season now so it rains almost every afternoon for two or three hours. We always have to carry umbrellas with us wherever we go. The climate is tropical throughout the country and San José, being in the mountains some 3,800 ft, has an ideal temperature of 79 degrees most days. Cleveland, Ohio, where Daniel grew up, is about 580 ft above sea level and was much hotter this past summer than San José. The evenings in San José get down to about 59 degrees. But the sea level and costal areas of Costa Rica are much, much hotter than the capital.

Costa Ricans are a friendly people who are very nationalistic and who love to celebrate the victories of their favorite fútbol (soccer) teams. The majority is Catholic (which is also the official state religion) but there are a growing number of Pentecostals (Assemblies of God). Many holidays here center around Catholic traditions. We have experienced a couple of them in the last four months and it’s served to educate us on the strength of Catholicism that is still in Latin America.

One big holiday that is celebrated on August 2nd is called El Dia de La Virgen de Los Angeles (The Day of the Virgin of the Holy Angels). This day honors Costa Rica’s patron saint, the Virgin Mary. It is said on this day in 1635, Mary appeared the first of three times in the form of an eight inch long, black statue made of rock, in the city of Cartago. From these “appearances” the people built a basilica for her in the city. On August 2nd every year, faithful Catholics from all over the country perform Romerias (walks) to the basilica in her honor or to seek her favor for miracles. Some walk days in advance, mile after mile, to show their devotion. At the entrance of the city people can be seen crawling on their hands and knees in order to make their pilgrimage a sacrfice. Thousands of people participate in this celebration. We saw hundreds passing through San José on their way to Cartago some fifteen miles away. Some even dress like Jesus and carry their home-made crosses.

Catholicism is still very strong in Latin America despite the advances of the Evangelical church. The Virgin Mary is especially important for the Catholic faithful. Mother’s Day, celebrated in May in most countries, is August 15 here (the Assumption) because it is believed Mary bypassed death and ascended to heaven on this day. For whatever reason, many Catholics see Jesus as a condemning Judge but Mary as a soft and tender-hearted mediator between us and the Lord, who also comforts and cares for her people. The Beatles’ song Let It Be is the perfect example of Mary’s place in Catholicism. Needless to say, people here still need to hear the true and clear word of the gospel that they might find the only Mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5). The Bible reminds us that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we might be saved (Acts 4:12). The Word of God comforts us like no other.

Trip to the Rain Forest

2005-07-17T22:34:00.000-04:00

During our first semester at the language school, all the students were taken on a field trip. (Beatriz is with fellow-student Melissa Goin of Washington). We visited a Rain Forest and learned some new things about ecology and Costa Rica. Although we didn't see many wild animals or birds on the trip, we did learn to appreciate a little more the beauty of God's creation.

One interesting fact is that many North American birds migrate to Costa Rica during our winter months. Beatriz is holding an unknown nest in this photo. It may be that of a Guacalchia, or it may be an Oriole or Weaver Bird. Whichever it is, it hangs its nest upside down from branches. We learned to appreciate the popular North American birds when we were living in various apartments in Boston and North Royalton, Ohio. One gets a little crazy just staring at walls in winter, so we bought bird feeders and began learning the names of the birds that visited us. Our Costa Rican guide showed us a book on Costa Rican birds and what really surprised us was that we were able to recognize many of the Costa Rican birds as North American birds too.

There are not only the tropical Parrots and Tucans (down below), but there are Sparrows, Finches and Grosbeaks; Tanagers (left), Warblers, and Wrens; Kingfishers and Cranes; Doves and Pigeons; American Orioles, Mockingbirds, Jays, tons of Hummingbirds and, what was most exciting to discover, Robins. Oh that unmistakeable song of the Robin.

We knew we recognized that familiar song in early May when the rainy season started. What a blessing. In fact, the national bird in Costa Rica is the Clay Colored Robin (above). It is called the Yigüirro here, but it hunts for insects and worms just like the American Robin (red-breast)does in Ohio. The blessing is that it reminds us a little of home.

We also learned that the Rain Forest is much different from our Forests in northern Ohio. Forests here are humid and damp and crawling with vines and other plants searching for the sun. Not many trees grow tall here, or straight, or old, because of the tropical climate and the competition they suffer from other plants. Heat, rain, insects, and a zillion other plants all compete for space and sun in the Rain Forest.

When a tree does grow tall, it usually has very few branches and most of them at the top. Once its branches grow above the forest, if it makes it that far, these tend to weigh the tree down so much that it becomes "top heavy." These kind of trees don't last very long. Indeed, very few trees in Costa Rica are old. It is even difficult to put a date on trees here because the rings on the inside do not mean what they do up north. In the U.S., the rings on trees represent the number of times a tree has passed between the seasons (winter and spring). Here, because there is no winter death, the trees do not have to grow new bark each year. It is an amazing thing.

We've been told that if the Rain Forests in Costa Rica were destroyed, the migrating species would have no place to live for the winter seasons. Things would be different in the north if things here would change for the worse. It makes one appreciate the wonder and wisdom of the Lord in creation.

Our new life in Costa Rica

2005-06-06T13:32:00.000-04:00

For the year we are here we will be renting a furnished apartment about a mile walk from the language school. Our building is off a major highway, next to a cemetery and only three minutes from a popular mall. That's our building to the right. We’re a short distance from a small supermarket where we can get many things but we’re about 15 minutes by bus from the big supermarket where we usually shop. Prices here are comparable to prices in the U.S., but most of the imported foods (the things we like) are more expensive. Fresh fruit is usually less expensive here (pineapples are less than a dollar). Because we are without a vehicle this first year we are unaware of the gas prices. We’ve heard horror stories from the States about the rise in gasoline but we’ve heard it is very expensive here too.

One very unusual thing about Costa Rica is that there are no street numbers on their roads. It is very interesting. Our address, for instance, is not “13281 San Pedro Blvd” but “the cream-colored, two-story apartment building, 25 meters from the NW corner of the San Pedro Cemetery, near the mall, and across from the ICE Telecommunications building.” Try saying that in clear Spanish to a taxi driver! We’re just about used to the way things are now, we’re even used to all the traffic from the highway that moves in front of our apartment. This picture is the view down the street towards the mall. The sun comes up at 5:00 AM here so the traffic starts very early in the morning. Still, because we know God has called us here for this time, we’re very happy to be where we are. This new experience is helping us get prepared for the ministry in Nicaragua. Even living without a car is allowing us to empathize (and sympathize) with most of the people who live in Latin America. Most do not have cars and get around by bus or taxi.

Central America

2005-05-20T13:55:00.000-04:00

Do you know the way to San José?

2005-05-10T12:36:00.000-04:00

We are blessed to tell you that we arrived safely in Costa Rica on May 3rd and have been living here, in the capital of San José, since then. Upon our arrival we were immediately taken by taxi to our new home less than two kilometers (one mile) from the language school (things are done in kilometers here). We plan to be in San José for up to one year so Daniel can learn to speak and communicate in Spanish more fluently. The above photo is one of the many neighborhoods in San José. It’s been a long haul since we first began our itineration, but finally, after 22 months, we made it to our first step on the mission field. We are thankful to the Lord for his faithfulness in all the ways he’s directed us. We are also thankful to you for all your prayers and giving on our behalf. We would not be here without your love and help.