Training Summary

Hi! So this will effectively be a chance for y'all to observe me processing information. At this juncture, I have several pages of hand-written notes from two books, a couple of interviews, some online resources, and a lot of just sitting and thinking. I need that to become a useful training for our team, so I'm going to work through it here. Apologies in advance.

Hm...some of the information I've garnered is related to Costa Rican (Tico) culture, some is important paradigms to approach the trip with, some is logistics for our trip, and some is strategies to make sure our team is processing the trip well.

I guess we should move from general to specific, so maybe the training can look like this:

1. Paradigms

2. Culture

3. Team Care

4. Logistics

Maybe switch the first two, since Paradigms is deeper stuff, we can warm up with Culture.

1. Culture

2. Paradigms

3. Team Care

4. Logistics

Tico Culture – “Switzerland of Latin America”

Good Stuff!

               Pura Vida lifestyle

               Biodiversity

               Carbon Neutrality Goals

               Hospitality

               Standard of Living and Life Expectancy

               No Military

               Progressive Laws 

Sad Stuff

               Dramatic Wealth Gap

               Racial and Political Tension

               Legalized Prostitution

               “Sex Tourism”

                              

Paradigms – Partnership

Church in Costa Rica

               Fellowship Church and Poverty

               Blessing and Serving

Poverty

               Common Understanding – lack of material resources

               Poverty of Being – psychological, relational misalignment

               Mutual Poverty – Human Condition

               Scripture – Poor and Rich

               Savior Complex – You need me, I know what is best for you

               Primary Goal – Relational affirmation of dignity. Not seeking immediate fruit. Valuable. Loved.

                                          

Team Care

Before the Trip

               Get time with God.

               Get more time with God

               Also, get time with God

               Continue getting time with God

During the Trip

               Morning times to pray together

               Evening time to debrief

               Mindset matters – if we view ourselves as Rescuers, we will be overwhelmed.

               Jesus is and has always been the answer

               “Is God at work here?” “Where?”

               Human hearts all crave the same things

After the Trip

               Debriefing time

               Reverse culture shock – extra patience needed

 Logistics

6 PM Flight on Friday – meet at Church Office at 2PM

Packing – 8 days/7 nights

               Weather – humid, warm

               Mosquitos – Bring repellent, preferably with DEET. Exists for clothes.

               Nothing too flashy

Miscellaneous

               Time Orientation – incredibly fluid

               Water – it’s safe except in really rural areas

               Money – Colónes. US Dollars are accepted most places, not street vendors. Don’t haggle.

               Don’t flush the toilet paper

               Possibility of very minor earthquakes