Centro de Tutoria

Today was the much anticipated beginning of our new Tutoring Center in Los Guido. Through home visits, time at the guardaria, and kids at the club de niños, it’s clear that there is a huge need for scholastic support in the community. Many of the moms in community did not make it past 3rd grade, and therefore do not feel equipped to help their children with their studies. The schools are extremely over crowded, and you’d be hard pressed to find a book in any of the classrooms.

Tracey and I are eager to start working with the kids in the community, but we also want to be sure were are offering the kids the best support possible. There is a tension between wanting to help every kid, but knowing that if we start out with too many kids we won’t be able to provide quality assistance to kids who really need one-on-one attention. Last night, as we baked cookies and prepared last minute details, we had no idea how many kids would show up today. I was a little nervous, much like the first day of school as a new teacher. I prayed that God would bring the kids He wanted to be there, and that He would give me the words to explain clearly, in Spanish, our hope for the tutoring.

And He proved Himself faithful; the day turned out perfect! In the morning group of orientation, we had several of our leaders from the club de niños, as well as a few other girls. They were all very excited about the tutoring center and seemed readily in accordance with the guidelines we had set out. They eagerly explained everything to one of the girls who came in late.

When it came time for the afternoon orientation, two of the girls from the morning group showed up with their younger siblings, neighbors, and a friend. They were super excited, and wanted to know why we couldn’t start tomorrow. (We are doing another orientation tomorrow, for those who couldn’t make it today).


At the end of both sessions we gave each kid a book from the collection of children Spanish literature that was donated. It made me so content to know that each child now has their own book. For most of them, it is probably the first book they’ve ever owned. I know there are going to be many challenges we will face, as we try to support these precious kids in their journey to expand and use their mind, but I am thrilled to be able to work with kids through the medium of education. There are endless possibilities of what we can do through the space the church has provided us. My mind is spinning with ideas. For now, please continue to pray for me and Tracey, and each one of the kids who come to the tutoring center. Pray that we would have patience, language, and wisdom how to best serve each child. Pray that the kids would be like sponges, and that they would be able to overcome the many obstacles they face in learning.



This is the main room of the tutoring center. We also will have the small room off to the side to set up a mini library and use for special group tutoring

Also, tomorrow afternoon we have another group of Students coming from the States. This time they are a large group of freshmen in high school, so it will be a completely different experience from the last group. :-) In the mornings they will help finish preparing the tutoring center by painting and finishing furniture. In the afternoons, they will work alongside me tutoring students or helping the Costa Rican kids practice their English.

Costa Rica 3--USA 1

On Wednesday night we surprised the team and took them to the World Cup qualifier game between Costa Rica and the US. They were ecstatic!!! We sat way up in the nosebleed section, but you still had a great view of the field since the stadiums are built straight up. We couldn’t see the rows below us, just the field. And if you ever tried to stand still, you could feel the stadium, swaying beneath your feet. I decided it was better to just jump with the crowd.


Some of our students before the game


Josh, Aiyla, and me


Our students after the game. Despite the final score, they had a great time!

First in the City

After many hugs and a few tears our first group of students here in the city flew home yesterday. They were a great group to initiate the student part of SI Costa Rica. Everyone was flexible and excited to be working and praying alongside us as we are developing ministry sites. To give you an idea of what the week looked like here is schedule for a typical day. The team was staying at a hostel about 15 minutes away.

8:30 Meet the team at the Park in order to catch the bus up to Los Guido
9-12:30 Hangout with the kids at the Guardaria: One day we made cookies, a brand-new experience for all of the kids. It was hilarious!
12:30-1:30 Eat lunch in a Soda run out of the front of a lady’s house in Los Guido
1:30 Take the bus back to the Dixon’s/SI office
2:45-4 ish Work on sorting books and getting things ready for the tutoring center
4:30 Get students back up to the Hostel
6pm dinner and/or nighttime activities with the team
After 9 head home, exhausted.

Needless to say, it was a busy week. Normal life kind of got put on hold. Hopefully in the future I will figure out a better way to balance everything and still get enough sleep ☺
Even though the week was jam-packed, I was greatly encouraged though having the students here. I loved watching them fall in love with the kids and in turn Costa Rica. It was great to be able to dialogue about the poverty and devastation they witnessed, and what our response should be. It’s easy for me to become discouraged by the oppressive poverty I witness everyday, but talking with the students reminded me that God is about transformation. This week I continually came back to Isaiah 61:1-4

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.


There is a lot of devastation and despair in Los Guido and in many of our own lives. I know that God began to transform students’ lives this week, and I pray that He is doing the same in Los Guido as we continue to serve and love the community there.

Our next team comes in tomorrow, but they head out to the Jungle with Cailah and Jeremy for the first 5 days before coming back into the city. Please be praying for them and our staff, that God would be preparing all of our hearts. As a staff, we covet your prayers. We know that it is nothing we say or do on our own that is going to change the students or the community; true transformation only comes through Christ. Pray that we would allow God to work and speak through us, and that He would sustain us through this busy time.

Pictures!!!

Making Cookies at the Guardaria


An intense game of Uno. I think there were two different sets of rules :-)


Alex and some of her new friends at the Guardaria.


All the boys loved hanging out with Adam. It was great for them to have a positive male role model, even if it was only for a week.


Reading books with the kids at Club de Niños. This was probably my favorite even of the week. It was such a blessing to be able to watch all these kids having some sit and read with them. I daily experience I took for granted growing in my house.