F’ville First UMC teens return from mission trip to Costa Rica

Last January, Fayetteville First United Methodist Church sent a team of adult church members on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Two members of the original team were so inspired that they came back with a dream — that of involving youth in the same type of mission. Pete Nelms and Dave Lee wanted to take a youth team back to Costa Rica in June and to continue the work that the first team had started.

That dream came true last month when Fayetteville First sent nine youth members and six adults back to Costa Rica to spend a week at the seminary in San Pedro.

The team spent the mornings working to restore a Methodist school. They cleaned, painted, landscaped and even knocked down a concrete wall to build a door.

In the afternoons, half of the team continued the work while the other half went to Plantanares to conduct a Bible School.

“In Costa Rica the Bible School is not as elaborate as the Bible school that will be put on at Fayetteville First in July,” a church spokesperson said. “There were usually eight workers to conduct a Bible School of nearly one hundred children by the end of the week.”

A typical day started with music, led by Fayetteville First UMC members Katie Meyer and Lauren Lee. Meyer had researched Spanish songs and taught them to the other youth members along with motions. This was a very popular part of Bible School.

The youth team tackled the language barrier by acting out the Bible story for the Costa Rican children. After the story and prayer time the children would create simple crafts, following how-to demonstrations by Krista Lim-Hing, youth craft co-coordinator. A favorite craft of the Costa Rican children was the lion’s head they created after hearing the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. The Fayetteville youth said they were amazed how much the Costa Rican children enjoyed making the simple crafts and how grateful they were for cookies and a cup of Tang.

In addition to the mission work, the youth were able to interact with the Costa Rican people and learn more about the culture. Most of the youth had taken two or three years of Spanish at Fayette County High School and said they enjoyed actually practicing the language.

Amanda McQueen said, “This experience has made me more appreciative of the opportunities available to me in the United States.”

Christy Steadman, another Fayetteville First youth member, has even decided to go into missionary work as a career. The youth said they enjoyed the trip so much they are hoping that the church will plan another youth mission trip for next year.

When asked if they would give up a senior cruise for a mission trip, all members of the group enthusiastically said, “Yes!”