Events as of Late

As many of you know by now, from Facebook, the New Life team from Columbus, Ohio, suffered a devastating loss while on their missions trip here to Los Anonos, Costa Rica. One of their members, Dean Stoecklin, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 3, 2011. Dean died of an aneurysm that ruptured while he was swimming in the ocean in a city called Jaco. Dean was an incredible example of the love of Christ while he was working here in the community.

 
He was involved in many of the work projects over the last week. He helped fix the gutter behind the Casa Nueva so when it rains the water will no longer pool in our back yard, he helped construct the swing set so the kids here can play safely, and he built a fence around the new trash receptacle on the road so when people throw their trash there it won't fall onto the neighbor's house below. Dean also made a personal impression on the lives of several of the young guys here. He shared from his heart and prayed over several of them. He also made an impact on his own team members. One team member, Mike, remembered how every morning Dean would wake up early and would be sitting on the porch reading his Bible. Mike recalled how he would look forward to getting up early to see Dean sitting on the porch and he would go join him.
All of us who climbed the mountain can also never forget how the entire sole of Dean's boot literally fell off as he climbed, yet he never complained and just kept climbing. The guys demonstrated their creativity and MacGyver-like skills as they fastened the sole on just long enough to finish the hike.



 From us here in Costa Rica, we have a wall where we post pictures of who we are as a church. In honor of Dean, we have included a memorial to him on the wall. Thank you, Dean, for all the work you did here in Los Anonos. You served the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You left a legacy here that can never be forgotten.