Alisha Ziner heads to Nicaragua-2nd trip of the summer

Alisha Ziner joined Angie Honeycutt Director of "The Power of One" ministry and other team members on a mission trip to Nicaragua. The team left Thursday afternoon expecting to connect in Dallas,TX and continue on to Nicaragua. The team encountered opposition right from the start with logistics. The plane took off and was caught in a storm as they approached Texas. The airport was closed and the plane began to run out of gas. They landed in LA and waited on the tarmac for 4 hours. Once getting gas and clearance, they left again for TX. Arriving in TX, they missed their connection. The team stayed the night and left at 5pm on Friday for Nicaragua. They were pleasantly surprised with first class seats on this flight!!! Missionaries flying first class is unheard of! They landed safely and headed out early Saturday morning for the village where they will serve. We are awaiting great reports from this team. Angie has an established ministry and this is her 15th trip to this area. She focuses on garden projects to help feed the residents, sports camps and relational ministry.

As her Mom and Dad, Larry and I are very excited for Alisha to be on her first trip without us and admittedly, a little jealous! We are expecting God to do great things in and through this team. We will update! Thanks from the bottom of our hearts to all that support our ministry work.

SEED PLANTING & MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Our two week mission trip to Costa Rica has come to an end but we firmly believe our work there is just the begining of wonderful changes that are yet to come in the village of Finca 2.

Being back in the US is bittersweet in many ways. We certainly missed our families and friends and we certainly are spoiled here in this country. When you spend any length of time on a mission trip, you encounter a sort of confusion when you return home. How is it that people who live in such simple nothingness can be overflowing with love and appreciation for total strangers who descend on their village? How is it that a $2 jump-rope or $3 playground ball could bring such joy to 90 children? How is it that they didn't fight over them but took turns and waited patiently to play with them?

Our team was the first mission team to ever come into this village. In missions circles they call this a "virgin" village. Some missions groups focus on building projects only, some focus on giving away toys, clothing, etc... All are necessary but our missionary leaders, Ted and Graciella Quiocho explained that if groups come into a village one after the other, year-round, the people come to expect things to be handed to them without obligation. (It is that way in the US too.) Our leaders believe that once this happens, the people see missionaries as material providers and they don't receive anything that is lasting or life changing. As difficult as it was, we made a decision ahead of time that we weren't going to give away things but spend our time building relationships.

Ted and Graciella live in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. They recently discovered Finca 2 after a family who lost everything in the January earthquake, relocated there. After working with this family, our leaders identified them as spiritually and morally sound people. They followed them and invested in them so as to draw out the leadership gift this family has. Once arriving in the Finca, the family settled on their parent's land joining with their siblings, neices and nephews. Eighteen people share one lot and one outhouse.

Our leaders are committed to training this family but the family and the leaders were not connected with the community yet. This became our team's mission. We were to be the bridge between full time missionaries committed to the village and its people. The village is actually part of the Dole Bananna plantations. The plantations are divided into sections called Fincas(farms). Between each finca are small communities where most of the workers live. There are few cars. Most of the men walk or ride bikes to the plantation each day. The homes are small, concrete homes with very little furniture and no clutter. The women cook and clean all day. We saw women waxing concrete floors. Their standard of cleanliness is high despite not having anything.

The first way Ted and Graciella decided to break into this community was to contact the director of the local school. They feel, as I do, that change starts with the children. Coincidently (not) the school's educational focus of the two weeks were there was "values." They said we could come talk about values for 40 minutes a day only. We planned values lessons for each day and before we even started, the director asked us to teach five classes a day! Although exhausting, the personal satisfaction was great as we saw the kids "get it". After the two weeks of lessons, we invited the parents into the school, introduced them to Ted and Graciella and their ministry and did one of the lessons with them. This truly built the communities confidence in our leaders.


Teammembers who love sports played soccer with the kids while others did all the craft preparation and assisted in the classroom. We held a ladies afternoon scrabooking party for the neighbors one afternoon and as they created their very own page, the pride of family burst out of them. While they were doing this, another teammember did hand massages with seasalt followed my a manicure for each lady. Later in the week, without language, one of our teammembers broke through the frozen heart of a troubled 9 year-old girl who has been abused bringing both laughter and tears to her eyes. They developed a bond that can not be broken.

Larry and Ted (one of our leaders) spent the days building a full service outdoor bathroom on the land of the family of 18. Although simple and small, it had a working toilet, sink and shower. This family was truly blessed by such an enormous act of love and how their lives will improve. They worked with the husband teaching him as they went so he would have the ability to build another one someday. Again, it wasn't just giving them a bathroom. It was teaching them a skill that they can multiply.

None of the things we did were huge, monumental feats and it may all seem so mundane to readers who have not been on a mission trip. But by us staying in a house right in the finca with the rest of the community, our leaders assured us that we accomplished above and beyond anything they could expect. By the time we left, we knew most everyone at the school *(kids and teachers) and all of our neighbors. We established trust between the community and our leaders who will continue the work for years after we have come home. (They plan to lead workshops on business, parenting, sexual abuse etc..) They hope to start small groups of bible study beginning first with the family they trust.

For the last week, I have been trying to reconcile in my mind the quantitive sucess of this trip and God showed me, it isn't anything you can measure. The effects of our team serving this community may never be seen by us in this lifetime. God cleared it up for me on the 4th of July as I lay in the field with my family watching fireworks and listening to patriotic music. As the song says, "at least I know I'm free," God has shown me that freedom is not necessarily an outward position but a position of the heart. Our friends in Finca 2 never leave that community and don't have cell phones, internet access or cars but they give love freely and they accept and share what they have, freely. Others there are not free in their hearts due to abuse but they long to be.
As I watched the fireworks go off, God reminded me that as missionaries, we are the light of the world and He likened the different fireworks to the mission actions we do. Some were small and low and graceful like the little things we do for each other. These may be forgettable or seemingly insignificant, yet beautiful. Some were the colorful and showy fun type like other ways we have served in the past by giving needy orphans large amounts of toys, clothing, etc.. and still others were the sonic kind with not much color but a huge explosion. God assured me that everything we did during our two weeks is neatly packaged in a shell ready to be set off in the time that He chooses. We may never know the complete effect we had on this village but in faith, I will look toward the sky in hopes of seeing fireworks coming from a small finca in Costa Rica!

I love serving, I love our leaders Ted and Gracie and I love our team. We sincerely appreciate those who made this trip possible. Please understand that your contribution to this work of God will multiply back to you in the coming days.

For a photo slideshow please visit: http://zinerfamilymissionscostarica.shutterfly.com/#n_19

Love in Christ
The Ziner Family and Team

PAVING THE WAY.....

Buenas Dias amigos y familia,

It has been almost a week since we have had access to a computer. It has been very difficult for me to not have any contact with family and friends but it makes me appreciate you all the more!

Our precious team member Mel returned to the states last Sunday. She was such a blessing to all of us and the kids are still asking for her. In her place we received three more team members, Larry, Karen and Justin. They all jumped in right where Mel left off.
Larry started building early Monday morning with Ted. they are building an official outside bathroom for a family of 18 most of who currently use an outhouse. It is a small bathroom with a shower, sink and toilet but it is an amazing gift to the family. Both guys sweated so much and were so dirty, we have to throw their clothes away!
While they are building, the rest of the team works at the school teaching five classes a day. One of the ministry objectives was to make a connection with the school faculty and children to establish long term relationships with community leaders. The missionaries we are working with are brand new to this village but have committed to years of service. They firmly believe that you estabish relationships first and gain trust. By being in the school everyday, everyone in the village knows us and wants to hear what we have to say. Originally, the director was only allowing us to come for 40 minutes each day but after the first day, he gave us five classes. For those of us who are not used to teaching five consecutive classes, this has been exhausting. However, the response to the values we have been teaching has been overwhelming and every day the kids come back and tell us how they put the value into practice. Today the director has invited all of the parents of the children to come in and he has asked us to do a teaching for the parents. After we leave, the missionaries will continue and use any other teams that come in, to do the same.

We have also developed relationships with all of our neighbors and their kids. Last night the kids came to our home and Rolando was able to lead three of them to Christ!!! Funny thing, Karen was led of the Lord to bring Spanish bibles so the kids received a copy right then! One of the girls is an obvious victim of sexual abuse. She has been closed up for the whole two weeks and never smiles. She is always hanging around our porch and never wants to go home. When she received the Lord, she beamed and by the end of the night she was giggling at Rolando and laughing so loud she was crying. That must have been very cleansing for her soul. Sexual and physical abuse is rampart here and it is in every family. Both boys and girls are targets and it is accepted but not talked about. Our missionary friends plan to approach this subject when the Lord allows. It is generations of sin that must be broken.

On a happier note, Justin and Rolando have led soccer tournaments for the kids and Justins team won, complete with medals and silly string. Rolando is entertaing kids with balloon making, whiffle ball and water balloons. We have even been able to work with the kids on recycling cardboard so they can sell it and make money for the school. They have already planted a greenhouse behind the school where they grow fruits and vegetables that they use for the lunch meal here at school. The drinks are always juice from fruits they grow on their trees. They are on their way to using the resources they have which is a good thing because there is only one little corner store in this area.

We are thankful that we have a big fan for sleeping now and we have become accustomed to sleeping in concrete rooms with air mattresses. The bugs are manageable but the heat continues on! I can not even imagine taking a hot shower now let alone sleep in airconditioning! Also, this has not been a weight losing mission trip since the food here is the freshest and some of the tastiest I have ever had.

We will be heading by bus into the city tomorrow so we will try to update again on Friday.
You have all been so wonderful to pray for us, support us and help our families back home. We love and appreciate you all!

Karen, Justin, Rolando
Gracie and Ted
Michelle, Larry, Alisha, Jackie and Bekah

MAKING AN IMPRESSION

Our team continues to teach classes each day with fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. We are teaching on honesty, respect, cooperation and caring. The kids have loved seeing us each day and we are very humbled. When we arrived at the school this morning, they were all waiting at the gate and screaming our names. The smiles and anticipation makes all of the preparation and heat worthwhile.
Our translator Rolando has continued to be sick and is worsening despite giving him the antibiotics. Please continue to pray for his healing and protection for all of us since we are all sleeping in such close quarters.

One of the focuses for these two weeks is to bond with a family who has relocated to this village after the earthquake. They are a beautiful family who now live on the same land as the grandparents and aunts. There are seven kids total between the two families and they are all so beautiful. Currently, all three families share one outhouse and when Larry arrives they will finally have a bathroom. They have a desire to teach the people of the community but are just getting settled themselves.

Yesterday, after working at the school, the family took us to the river. It was an amazing experirence. Surprisingly, it was very warm so we all took a dip. If you asked me if I would do this, the answer would always be no. However, with the heat, a dip was a life saver!

Continue praying please!
We love you all.
Mel,
Alisha, Jackie, Rebekah
Michelle
Gracie
Rolando

Rio Frio is HOT!!!!

Hi to all of our friends and family.

We arrived safely to Rio Frio, Costa Rica. This is a little village located right in side the Dole Bananna plantations. It is very beautiful but Alisha says it must be hotter than Africa! There is no rest from the heat even at night. We picked up Rolando, our dear friend from Guatemala and he has been our translator and protector from the giant bugs!!! He has just come down with a cold so please pray for him as he tries to keep up with everything we are saying. Gracie and Ted are the wonderful missionaries who are taking care of us and we have all bonded at a deep spiritual level. Everyone has had such great spirits despite the harsh elements!

When you look at our photos from the first few days it is difficult to tell if we are on a mission trip or a safari! So far, Alisha has picked up a sloth from a tree who proceeded to pee all over her. Then she tried her luck with a baby alligator and he pooped on her! Then she held a parrot who did the same thing! First we thought it must be a cooincidence but there is no such thing with God. I wonder what He is telling her! We have cats, dogs and cockroaches who are all the same size. They stay in and out of our little house with us.

Mel, being our organizer and responsible one, decided since the cockroaches in the bathroom were so big last night, that she would torch them instead of spraying them. She came up with the brilliant idea of using hairspray and a lighter to accomplish this. We had just gone to bed, she lit it up in the bathroom and a huge yellow fireball filled the bathroom and house, only killing one cockroach half way. I think he was playing dead so he could come back and retaliate! Luckily the house is made of cement so it didn't burn down. We have since locked up the lighters~(Thus Rio Frio is Hot!)

We have been meeting people in the community each day and have been teaching value lessons in the classrooms of the school with fourth, fifth and sixth graders. The kids are precious and very beautiful. We have had such favor! We are continuing to bond the community together and just love on the people.

After school today we are actually going to the real Rio Frio. (cold river). If we have learned to take only cold showers by now, going into the river shouldn't be any problem. I understand there is a wide variety of wildlife there so I will be on the lookout, while Alisha gets in trouble with more animals.

We don't have much access to a computer so I will try to update as often as possible. We miss you and appreciate all of you! Our next post will include photos if possible! Technology here is definitely not as advanced.
If you would like to drop anyone on the team, a note, please email ilikewormshaha@hotmail.com

Love,
Ziners
Mel,
Rolando
Gracie and Ted

Less than 2 weeks out!!!

family we will build home for.................. missionary family we will work with

women's meeting

We are happy to report that the plans for the trip are coming together despite many twists and turns over the past few months of planning. One thing you learn from going on these trips is that nothing ever goes as planned and you have to expect change to be the norm. This can be a stretch for those who like organization, planning and control. Fortunately for me, pleasing God on this trip is more important to me than seeing my plans fulfilled!

As with all undertakings, in a foreign country, the key to our planning has been flexibility. As the trip has taken shape, one of the changes that has occurred is the location where we will serve. Initially, we were called to work at the epicenter of the January earthquake registering 6.5 and leaving 128,000 people homeless. The plan was to take a team of construction professionals to help rebuild homes and villages. Fortunately, over the past four months, the government, along with many relief agencies from around the world, provided assistance meeting basic needs and relocating people to safer villages, reducing the need for construction.

One hard working Christian family, known personally by missionaries of GCLA, was relocated to the village of Rio Frio, with the intent of providing them a temporary, safe shelter. We have the good fortune to spend the two weeks with these missionaries and this family. Rio Frio is a village in Central Costa Rica consisting of "Fincas" or farms created by the Chiquita Banana company.

It is a valley near rivers and supposedly very hot, humid and buggy.

Small groups of volunteers began construction on a small home for this family of five, but after five months, the home still remains incomplete. Larry, along with a host of local volunteers, will complete the construction on this home during our trip.

The family of this home desires to use the home for a bible study for new believers.

We are developing a schedule of relationship-building events to be held in the village during the two weeks they spend there. The focus of these events will be on meeting God and growing with each other. We plan to be a bridge between a Christian family, new to the area, and those who do not know God. These events allow people to become familiar with this family and their home and spend time getting to know them as a normal people.

The two weeks of events will culminate with a large festival outside the new home including an announcement about a regular meeting time for people to gather to learn more about what God's word has to say about life. This creates an opportunity to “plug in” to a new bible study and the ability to be discipled by a strong, local Christian family, long after we leave.

For the balance of the locals, our team members will provide daily activities for adults and children including:

Teaching moral values for 5 days at the local public school

Soccer Tournaments for 3 days with coaches

English as a second language classes taught by Alisha

Crafts, mimes, clowning and festivities

Women’s devotional mornings and craft times with childcare provided

To solidify relationships with locals desiring to be business owners or to provide an opportunity for further growth for an existing business owner, I also plan to establish connections with potential partners for the following:

Global Need Coffee: Harrisburg, NC

I will tour as many local coffee plantations as possible, meeting the owners, and observing operations to connect them as potential suppliers for Global Need Coffee.

The Bead Lady: Concord, NC

The Bead Lady is a jewelry business offering customers the ability to create jewelry from beads she imports worldwide. At her request, I endeavor to find a local woman who would like to start a micro business regularly exporting beads to this business.

We are so anxious to experience what God has in store for this village. We look forward to reporting to all of our friends and supporters. Thank you so much to all the generous givers and prayer supporters who are partnering with us on this work.

We leave on Sunday, June 14th and appreciate all who will pray.

PREPARING FOR OUR 2009 TRIP

COSTA RICA EARTHQUAKE 2009
PREPARING TO GO SERVE!!

It has been many months since we have updated our blog. It is not because we haven't been doing anything but because God has been unfolding the next step in our missions work.

Although we remain in touch and committed to our friends in Guatemala and the orphanage, for many months last winter, God led me to believe we were to go to Costa Rica this year. Not knowing anyone in Costa Rica and not knowing of any needs, I had to rely on faith that He would show me.

Late in January, I connected with a missions group, "Great Commission Latin America" who serves in Latin American countries with disaster relief, church planting, feeding centers and building of village schools. Shortly after our connection, I received a call that there had been an earthquake and that all help was desperately needed and welcomed.

With that confirmation, we began the planning stages of our upcoming mission trip. I will be leaving on June 14th with our four oldest children; Alisha, Josh, Jackie & Bekah. When we arrive we will settle in the village and begin to develop relationships with the local people. On June 21, Larry will arrive with Justin Hyland and Karen Mundy from Freedom House Church and our interpreter from Guatemala. During this week, we will do most of our serving including Larry rebuilding and repairing some homes.

This year, with the slow economy, raising support for the project has been difficult but we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God will provide. Last week, the local newspaper interviewed us for a story for the "Faith" column. We are humbled to have the opportunity to serve God in Latin America.

As always, we desperately count on the prayers of our friends and family and as we prepare and go, we sincerely thank you for your prayer and financial support.
Please keep posted to see photos and updates of the trip.
Be sure to sign up for email updates.
God Bless!

Christmas in January

While the holidays here in the states were a frenzy of shopping, cooking and wrapping in preparation for spending time with our families, our friends at Fundaninos Orphange sat quietly waiting to see if there would be a Christmas for them at all.

Our family and friends along with George Burton (the leader of another team that has visited Fundaninos Orphanage), were moved to make Christmas happen for our special kids. Thanks to so many of you who donated even the smallest amounts, we were able to collect a gift for each child, and add Christmas decorations, goody bags, tableclothes and alot of candy to the boxes!

However, time was not on our side! We did our part to get everything ready in time but we had several glitches with shipping the boxes. We were graciously offered free shipping through a local airline but this proved fruitless when customs wouldn't allow it. We lost a lot of time in the process.

Thankfully, George works for Landstar Transportation and the owner Rick allowed us to use his Fed Ex discount. Although the packages did not get to Guatemala by Christmas Day, the children knew that "Christmas was coming".

For these children, any day that is filled with cheer, gifts, and celebration is a gift from God. The Christmas party will be held soon and PHOTOS ARE TO COME!!!

Thank you so much to all who made this possible.