Even *more* official!

Lakeshore Church Missions

Now That's Fair! 2

Because the coffee sales are a hit,
we've added items to our fundraiser!!!

Fair-Trade Delicious Dark Chocolate with bits of crunchy Coffee Bean
Sugar Cane from Costa Rica
Cocoa from Peru
Coffee from Guatemala

{Please purchase before I eat them all!}

$4/bar





Fair-Trade Sugar Cane!
Fun Fair-Trade Sugar Cane straight from the heart of Costa Rica.
There are many sugar cane farmers where we will be working. These farmers only receive $20 for one tonne of cane from the major corporations. Can any one say, not fair?
This cane sugar is in larger granules than that of regular granulated sugar (if you can imagine!), which makes them perfect for dessert or cappuccino toppings. Of course, it can be used in any place you would use table sugar, too.

$5/bag




Again, all of these products are from Costa Rica, and Fair-Trade ensures that the farmer receives a fair portion of the profits. This, in turn, supports the community, and the sales of these goods also supports our volunteer venture this fall.

Please place your order with us, and we'll get them to you!

Our Support Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

We are excited to announce that we are returning to Costa Rica to serve with a mission organization for 6 months! Starting this October, we are being sent by Lakeshore Evangelical Church in Dorval, QC, to work in a little town called Tuis de Turrialba, in the mountains of Costa Rica. In this town, there is the Christian mission “Voz Que Clama” (VQC), which (translated from Spanish) means “the voice that cries out” (Mark 1:3). Last summer we had the opportunity of meeting the directors of this mission during our trip to Central America and were able to volunteer on a few small projects. We’ll be returning this fall to extend the work of VQC, but in some new directions and on a much larger scale! VQC focuses on:
a) Providing a hospice to a number of indigenous individuals with physical and mental disabilities, who could no longer survive their mountain communities.
b) Venturing into the remote mountain communities, a 1- to 3-day hike from Tuis, to bring aid and service to the people there.
c) Giving service to a budding community of Christians.

Among the array of service opportunities that we will have, we’ve been blessed with opportunities to pursue what God has given us passions for… Candice will be working with nutrition and health concerns in the local as well as remote indigenous communities, similar to those she worked with during her Master’s degree. Tom will be working with people with disabilities and using his rehabilitation engineering skills to help enable them to participate in meaningful activities on a small hobby farm operated by the mission.

We are sending this letter to you for two reasons. First, we need your prayers on a series of fronts: for God to move in us so that we can be his hands and his feet, for us to be strong when faced with the many challenges that lie ahead of us, and for the community and people that will be receiving us and those we will be working with. Second, we are faced with the challenge of raising $20,000 to help us get there. We fully believe that God will provide and allow us to follow this dream. We would deeply appreciate if you would consider helping us in making this venture possible. If you would like to contribute, a tax-deductible donation to LEC-Costa Rica can be made {using the enclosed envelope}. If you want more information or are interested in other ways you can be involved, please feel free to contact us at candice.and.tom@gmail.com, or contact our home church, Lakeshore Evangelical Church, who is partnering with us in this venture, at info@lakeshorechurch.ca or at their website, www.lakeshorechurch.ca

Thank you for considering us in your thoughts, prayers and support.

Sincerely,



Tom and Candice


LEC donation disclaimer: All contributions designated towards a specific program or project approved by the board will be used as designated, with the understanding that when the need for such a program or project has been met, or cannot be completed for any reason determined by the board, the remaining contributions designated for such a program or project will be used where needed most in other mission projects.

Financial Logistics - Update

We are so excited to announce that the Board of Governors of Lakeshore Evangelical Church has unanimously voted in favour of supporting our venture as well as making it a part of their ministry. Not only does this mean we have their pastoral support and advice, but also any donations made towards the trip will be tax deductible!

This support has made such a huge difference in our lives, and affects the decisions of many other people. Nothing but the hand of God has made such a relationship happen. We are so extremely blessed and humbled by their decision!

Thank You, thank You, thank You!!!

Now that's Fair!

While we await word on the fundraising logistics for 'straight up' donations, we have explored options for additional fundraisers...Ones that make things a little more tangible! I'm pleased to introduce you to:

Costa Rican Fair Trade coffee, grown right from the area where we will be working!! This stuff is so socially and environmentally friendly it even comes in a compostable biodegradable paper bag. Cool, eh? The product is logistically arranged by Oxfam, and from the fields of Costa Rica.




It's a delicious medium roast for you; a fair price for the farmer working in our area of Costa Rica; support for the local community; and a fund raiser for our service in Costa Rica. Everyone wins!!

These are 400g bags (1lb) for a suggested $14, and you can order them in ground or whole bean form.

{Simple Price Comparison:}

• Starbucks take-home coffee beans $8.99 for 226g bag
• Fair-Trade Fundraiser $14 for 400g bag
  
• Starbucks: 4cents/gram /// FairTrade Fundraiser: 3.5cents/g
  

We will be placing orders, so place your with us! We are coming out next week and will be able to deliver, or if you place your order with us next week while we are there, we will have them delivered as soon as possible after.

Cheers, and happy brewing!

It's Question Time

Tom and I are giving an oral presentation and Q&A this Thursday for some key decision makers for this project's funding logistics. If you are a pray-er, I'd ask that you ask for guidance for the hearts that are to make the big decisions. Let the Lord's will be done...No matter what that means.

Mark this day...

As far as the current plan goes, the length of time between today and the day we leave is the equivalent to the amount of time we will be in C.R.

Scary thought, isn't it?




(Countdown ticker: 182 days ... maximum length of our trip is 183 days)

Things we will miss

Appliances I wish I could bring with us:

- Espresso machine!!!
- Dish washer
- Bread maker
- Slow cooker
- My awesome blender/food processor
- The hot water tank!!

En Espanol, por favor

Necesito practicar mi espanol, pero sin audiencia esta es una problema. Tienemos las clases de Espanol cada semana, pero necesitamos mas lecciones. Usted, ?sabe espanol? Si si, necesita ayudarme! ?Por favor? Nosotros buscando una professora de Espanol.

(Ad for a Spanish teachers...)

Flight Decisions

There are three appealing options for flights to Costa Rica. At this time we are only planning on purchasing one way tickets and worry about the trip back after. This will help us feel that we are indeed 'living' down there if we don't own flights home, and it may also save us interest if we purchase them at the end of our trip versus the beginning!

We think it's best to leave from Manitoba as appose to Montreal for a variety of reasons, but most of all because of family and potentially being able to see a friend's fresh baby.


Here are our options at the moment:

1) Leave from Winnipeg on a Sunday, October 11th in the evening.

Pros:
Get to have a fair-well get together with everyone (both families! plus friends).
Get to see Guatemala's airport (may be important for flight options on the trip back)
Feel supported by those who will (hopefully!) see us off at the airport.
We will use the least 'insurance days' traveling to our destination.
Cons:
Most expensive option.
Odd flights: Travel all night via Chicago and Guatemala airports. Leave at 5:30 in the evening and arrive at 9:00 in the morning.


2) Leave from Minneapolis on Thursday, October 8th.
Pros:
(A bit) cheaper flights
Arrive on a Friday; have the weekend to settle in, share in their church service on Sunday, and then start school on Monday.
Cons:
Gas, hotel room, and time from 'drivers' are additional costs.

3) Leave from Washington on Friday, October 9th
Pros:
-Cheapest flights!
- Same pros as the Minneapolis option in regards to getting there a few days before everything gets started.
-Get to take the bus to Washington from Fargo; it would be interesting to see the geography and cities from there to Washington, D. C.
Cons:
- We are limited (due to insurance policies and government restriction) in the number of days we are allowed to be away from Quebec. This ride down to Washington and then to C.R. will potentially take 5 days (compared to the Winnipeg option, or 3 more compared to Minneapolis option) away from our time in Tuis
- Travel risks associated with busing it across the states with all of our belongings we will need for 6 months!


Thoughts???