Dear Support Team,

We arrived safely back in Costa Rica on Michelle’s 17th birthday, Aug. 23. She thought it was a great present to return home. It was not without some sadness though because our dog Copper had died earlier in the summer when he bit a huge poisonous toad. So Michelle asked for kittens as a birthday present and we now have two very playful and tame kittens, Daisy and Roksy, to entertain us.

Having been gone for a year it takes a degree of energy and “elbow grease’’ to get things back in working order. Our car needed a new battery and some updates on Costa Rican inspections and new insurance, but we are back on the road. Humidity and lack of use has a way of growing mold so lots of things needed washing and cleaning.

Michelle started her senior year of high school on Aug. 29. Although she has some friends from before, there is a big turn over as missionaries move on for various reasons. So she is getting reacquainted and is making new friends as well. She is playing on a girl’s basketball team for the first time which is stretching her skills and muscles after playing soccer for many years. Pray for her leadership and growth in the Lord as one of the older kids in the school and youth group. She will attend a Youth Retreat on Oct. 12‐15, so pray for God’s Spirit to move in each heart and to anoint the speaker and leaders.

Mark got right back into his work at the LATN office in course development. Our LATN courses started up in September with many students all over Latin America studying. Pray for their time management in the midst of many ministry and family needs. Mark also needs pray for the revisions and additions he needs to make for a course he will be teaching in January. Mark has struggled with an ear infection and a ringing in the right ear since July. He had a tube put in to drain it in August in CO. Recently a Dr. here in Costa Rica pulled a piece of skin and dried blood off of the ear drum and it is improving. But please pray for complete healing and a cessation
of the noise.

Martha needs prayer for her work with the LATN team in areas of personal growth and team health issues. She is currently interviewing team members to see what is going well and what needs improvement. We are encouraged by the fact that God is bringing us additional team members as you pray. Kara Pederson is here to work on our library needs and she has a MA in library science. Her input and expertise are needed now for crucial decisions which effect the future of LATN. We are also recently had a visit from other potential team members that we are praying will be able to come soon and help in the area of technology and administration.

We were also blessed with the visit of Mark and Stacie Seaman on Sept. 22‐27. They came to us from the Christ Community EFC of Greeley, CO to give us help and consultant work in the areas of networking and partnerships, fund raising, student recruitment, and other critical needs. Mark has many years of experience working with Hewlett Packard and Stacie in a computer related job in the health arena. Both have lots of missions experience and a passion for what God is doing around the world. We thank God for their willingness to help us and ask you to pray for wisdom and God’s direction for Mark as he continues to work on a number of initiatives for LATN from Greeley.

We moved Melinda into the Boulder, CO center for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies (www.dayspringcenter.org) and the site of the new school called Rivendell College www.rivendellcollege.org on Aug. 22, the day before returning to Costa Rica. It was hard to say goodbye but we were thankful for all the time spent in closer proximity for the first year of college in Ft. Collins. We feel that we were all much more prepared for the separation. So far she is doing very well, really enjoying her teachers and classes, and making lots of new friends. She is studying in the Spiritual Formation major and hopes to use her degree in some type of ministry. Pray for good friends , a good church, and growth in the Lord.

Our hearts turn to God in praise and towards you, dear friends and partners with us in ministry. We think of the wonderful times we shared with you when we were home (wish there had been more!)and we thank God for each one of you, for your prayers, your generous giving that make our ministry here from Costa Rica possible and effective. May God bless and prosper you in spiritual and material blessings for all the ways you are helping us to “teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded”.

Mark, Martha Melinda & Michelle Hendrickson

July - August Prayer Letter

Dear Support Team,

We are beginning to wind down a very busy year of stateside ministry. We have visited most of our supporting churches and many individual supporters. By the time we leave in August we hope to have made contact with all of you. God has used your prayers to help us create greater awareness of the leadership training needs in Latin America. Some new individuals have joined our support team. One of the most encouraging things that has happened is to see God begin to raise up a group of volunteers to provide support and encouragement for the Costa Rica LATN team. Launching and sustaining a ministry that seeks to touch all of the Spanish speaking world with advanced theological training is a huge task. We need help! God knows that; this year we have seen Him work along side us in many ways. With Jesus along side us we are finding that His yoke is easy and our burden is light. That is because Jesus does the heavy lifting!

A few weeks ago we helped move Mark’s parents to a skilled nursing facility. Although this has been a difficult time for everyone, the transition has gone well. We were glad that we have been able to help our family by being personally involved. Thanks for your prayers. Please keep praying for their adjustment. Your prayers have made a difference.

July 22-25 Martha is heading up a Howard Family Reunion at the YMCA Camp in Winter Park. This is the first ever for her family. Please pray for this time, that God would be glorified, and use us to accomplishes his purposes in the lives of those who attend.

Soon we will be saying goodbye to Melinda as she stays behind and begins her second year at Dayspring Center for Christian Studies and Rivendell College in Boulder. Please pray for Melinda (and us!) during this time of transition.

LATN’s third session of classes begins September 8. Five courses will be offered, four are brand new courses! Pray for the professors and new students. Pray for endurance.

LATN as an organization is currently facing a major financial crunch. We have been working on contacts will foundations that may provide more help in the long run, but on the short term we have a serious need for funds. Donations can be made to the EFCA. Designate your gift for the Latin America Training Network. Please pray for this need.

As for our personal support, please pray about a small increase in your support that would enable us to return to the field fully supported. It is definitely within reach!

Thanks you so much for your prayer, support and love demonstrated to our family.

Mark, Martha, Melinda and Michelle

Melinda's Mission’s Trip To Costa Rica

May 13, 2007

At 3:30 in the morning David, Nathaniel, Rachel, Molly, Marie, Nikki, and I woke up and started our journey to Denver International Airport. We all made it through security, with the exception of some apple juice J The sun was rising as we boarded our plane for Houston, Texas. After a short layover in Houston, we got on another plane for San Jose, Costa Rica. We arrived at 2:00 p.m.

As we flew over Costa Rica, we saw the abundance of green, the orange tin roofs of the houses, and the rapidly forming storm clouds. When we got off the plane, a strong wave of humidity and heat hit us. Within the next half hour it was pouring rain. Welcome to Costa Rica!

That evening, we took a stroll around town and visited the local panaderias (bakeries) and supermercados (supermarkets). A game between the two rival soccer teams of Costa Rica was going on, so we witnessed a lot of craziness and noise J

May 14, 2007

Tom Kennedy, the missionary who works with the Cabecar Indians, picked us up Monday morning. We had a 3 hour drive through the mountains to the property. Tom Kennedy and some other missionaries purchased some property right outside of the Indian Reservation where they are building a clinic as well as some other structures, such as an overnight shelter, and a stable. A kitchen and bathroom were already completed. A river runs about 20 yards from the clinic. There, we met the foreman, Giovanni, and his family: Iris (wife), Juan Carlos (17 years old), and Joanna (16 years old). They are Costa Rican—it was fun interacting with them J

We also had with us a young couple who are doctors who are planning to live at the clinic full time once it is finished. Tom’s son, Sam, also came with us, as well as another young Costa Rican lady.

That day we had a tour of the property, went on a walk, and got settled in. It was pitch black by 6:00, which is when we had dinner. After that, we sat in the kitchen by light of kerosene lamps. We had a good time of worship, accompanied by many bugs. By 9:00 we were all ready for bed. That night we fell asleep to the sounds of the rainforest and river.

May 15, 2007

We woke up and helped prepare a breakfast of gallo pinto (beans and rice). After breakfast, Tom Kennedy sent us off for a half hour of quiet with a scripture and prayer. By 8:30, we started working.

Our first project was to make a drainage system for the kitchen. Water from the kitchen went directly into the river, so we wanted to make sure that all the food and grease were strained out before the water reached the river. We dug a hole, through rock and roots, 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep, and about 12 feet long. After that, we filled the ditch with big, heavy river rocks. On top of the rocks we placed a tarp, and covered the rest with dirt.

Our second project was to organize their supply house. We cleaned up trash, organized sheet rock, and stacked wood.

By 3:00 we were exhausted. We spent the rest of our time till supper sitting on a porch worshiping in song.

That night after supper Giovanni taught us to play “nueve nueve” (99). We also discovered that Molly was very afraid of flying beetles. Giovanni lovingly named one after her, and placed it on her head.

May 16, 2007

After breakfast and quiet time half of us started to varnish an overnight shelter made for the Cabecars, and half of us started working on gravel paths connecting the different buildings. When it rains, the paths get very muddy, and it is almost impossible to keep things clean.

In the afternoon David gave a soccer ball to Juan Carlos, and the guys played soccer for a while.

That night for supper Iris taught the girls how to make empanadas. After supper Tom Kennedy shared some stories of his work with the Cabecars.

May 17, 2007

Thursday morning we filled our water bottles and headed into the Indian reservation for a couple hour hike. Following a small trail, we hiked through the mountains, passing Cabecar people along the way, until we came to a swinging bridge. We crossed it, and Tom explained where we were in relation to one of their churches. After that we headed back, and stopped on our way back by a Cabecar school. We were able to play a soccer game with the children—gringos vs. Cabecars J The children definitely beat us.

The hike out was hard for some of the team. It was a very hot, sunny day, and we were hiking steep slopes. The Lord gave us the strength we needed to get safely back to the property.

After we got back from the hike we took a refreshing dip in the river. That night it rained hard, and we could hear the river grow and the boulders crashing underneath its force. It was an eerie sound. It was late by the time it stopped raining, but we went down to the river. Two of their rafts they had built had been swept away, and the river had grown in depth by at least 6 feet. What a scary, but awesome sight!

That night was also our last, so we made it a special one by having a talent show, playing games, worship, and ended the night by catching a pesky rat that had gotten into some of our food during the week. Giovanni kindly disposed of it.

May 18, 2007

Friday morning after saying goodbye to Giovanni and family, we loaded up the vehicles and started back for San Jose. When we got back to the youth house we cleaned up, grabbed some lunch, and started preparing to speak and sing for the international youth group that evening. For me, it was therapeutic seeing many familiar faces and friends at youth group.

We as a group were able to share some things about what we had learned from the trip, including the huge topic of flexible expectations. After sharing, we sang two songs: one song we did acapella as a group, and the other a worship song which all joined in to sing.

May 19, 2007

The last day of our trip we spent at the beach, where the team was able to do a little tourist shopping.

May 21, 2007

At 5:00 we headed for the airport. It was a long day of traveling, but it allowed for some good sleep and reflection. Thank God we all were kept safe during travel, our passports were not stolen, and we made it through security ok.

I also need to tell you about one member of our team, Laura, who wasn’t able to go with us. Her passport did not arrive on time, but she was a trooper. She encouraged us and expressed a peace that the Lord knew what was best. As we went to Costa Rica without her, we missed her, thought about her often, and prayed for her. We decided to make a little stick figure and name it Laura. She went with us everywhere and we took pictures of her so that we could send it back to the real Laura.

Melinda's Support Letter

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Dayspring Center for Christian Studies in Ft Collins, Colorado.

As u know, I have spent most of my life in Latin America but am now a Freshman at Dayspring, and I am also taking classes at CSU. Over this past year at college, I have shared with lots of people about my experiences with the Cabecars, a remote tribe of Indians in Costa Rica. There has been a growing interest among my Christian roommates to plan and participate in a mission’s trip to help the Cabecars with their spiritual and physical needs.

Exciting news! I have organized for a mission’s trip to the Cabecars on May 13-21, 2007. As of now, eight college students (including me) are signed up to go. I am so excited to lead this trip and be able to once again minister to the Cabecar Indians. I am looking forward to taking my classmates along as well. Some have expressed an interest in missions, and I am hoping that this experience will be one that God can use to direct the rest of their lives.

I am working with Tom Kennedy, who is a full-time missionary to the Cabecars. He has spent many years organizing teams in for medical trips and construction trips. Our group will be doing construction. There are many different projects—some of them being a clinic, stables, and bathrooms. I contacted him in January, and he has helped me put a trip together, and will be hosting us while we are there.

As a result of this missions trip I desire to grow spiritually. I want to become a servant like Christ, who emptied himself and became nothing (Philippians 2:1-8). I also would like to see the group unify as a team and grow individually in the Lord. As I stated before, I hope that God will call some of my friends to missions.

Will you please pray for this mission’s trip, that it will come together smoothly, that the group will be unified, that God’s purpose for us and those we are ministering to would be accomplished, that each individual would be eternally changed, that all the money we need would come in, and for protection? “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

My friends and I are in the process of raising money. As you probably know, college students are definitely not rich. We are praying and trusting the Lord to bring in the money we need. This is a faith stretcher for us, but we know that if the Lord wants us to go, He will provide a way. Right now, I want to ask if you would be willing to help me get to Costa Rica. The cost per person is $650. Whatever you feel led to give will be much appreciated! I pray that the Lord will stretch whatever you give to meet my needs.

	Roundtrip airplane ticket Denver – San José, Cost Rica
$26	Exit tax from Costa Rica
$30	Insurance fee
$120	Food, transportation, and housing
$650	TOTAL

If you would like to support me through prayer and/or financially, please fill out a form below and return this email to me personally.

April Prayer Requests

• Pray for all the preparations for Melinda’s missions team, immunizations, passports, fund raising, etc. that Melinda is leading to Costa Rica on May 13-21. She is taking seven other college students with her to minister to the Cabecar Indians, a remote Indian tribe, with many spiritual and physical needs.
• Pray for Mark and Martha, that God will touch hearts of people to join their prayer and support team and that God will open doors for them.
• Pray for the funds that are needed for LATN courses, administration, staff, and office building as we expand our student body. Pray for people who are good at writing proposals for grants and foundations.
• Pray for the preparations for courses to start up the first week of May and for God to bring the right students to study. Pray for the students to have motivation and discipline in the midst of busy schedules.

Cabecar Indian Mission Trip

Our oldest daughter Melinda surprised us one day when she sensed that the Lord wanted her to organize a missions trip to Costa Rica; so—on her own—she challenged several of her college friends at Dayspring with the idea. As you may remember, Melinda has had some memorable experiences ministering to the Cabecar Indians, a remote indigenous tribe in the heart of Costa Rica. Her friends took up the challenge and on May 13 a group of eight will leave Denver for San Jose, Costa Rica. This has been a big step of faith for Melinda. Not only has she taken the responsibility of raising her own support, she also is gaining valuable leadership experience as she organizes and leads the entire project. These college students are in for an adventure. Melinda hopes that this trip will open up the world of missions to her classmates. By the way, Melinda is becoming more convinced that God is leading her into some type of vocational Christian ministry. She is grateful for your prayers for her over the years. God is working!

Introducing Mauricio and Rosalia Sanchez

We would like to introduce to you Mauricio and Rosalía Sanchez. They are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship—Learning Technologies. The Sanchez’s were working in Venezuela but were forced to leave due to changes in the government there. Mauricio is being prepared as a specialist in distance learning. MAF has asked LATN to mentor them in distance education. Mark has been assigned this responsibility. Pray for Mark that he will have wisdom, helping to prepare Mauricio for his new role leading MAF’s Learning Technology initiatives in Latin America.

LATN Costa Rica Staff Retreat

This a wonderful time of year as we hear from many of you thanks to your Christmas cards and letters. Thank you to each one and please know that we do want to pray for you and your needs, so let us know.

We have just returned from Costa Rica and are thrilled to share with you some of what we experienced. Thank you so much for your prayers for the Team Building Retreat which we had with our Costa Rican staff, Jan. 29 to Feb. 3. God answered many prayers above and beyond what we asked or even imagined — just like He promised! Thanks to Jim and Leta Van Meter for once again leading us so effectively. We learned so many things: how to listen better, how to communicate more effectively especially in the midst of disagreements or conflict, more about ourselves and each other team member in terms of personality, ways of taking in information, processing it and our strengths and weaknesses. We shared parts of our life stories, played some group simulation games, and looked at our overall team personality with strengths and weaknesses. We together signed a team covenant of Biblical principles which we agreed to abide by and we memorized Colossians 3:12-14. What a beautiful summary and vision it gives us:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as God forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

We do not have to go long through a day to know that we desperately need God’s help and Holy Spirit to empower us for that kind of attitude and character. Pray that for us, in our family and in our LATN family as well. Pray for Martha, whose main responsibility is for team health.

We were just reflecting how God has answered prayers for just the right personnel for our team at just the right time. Back in 2001, Mark and I were alone in Costa Rica, when our teammate Juli Kautzmann had to return to the US with her family because of breast cancer. God healed Juli and brought the Kautzmanns back to us. Since then God has added people who have just the right skills for what we need! We have been focused on building our curriculum and now we are getting ready to expand our student body. What do we need for that to happen?

• We need a registrar- God sent us Judy Musselman who has many years of experience as a registrar in a university and missions experience in the Dominican Republic in Spanish.
• We need a librarian and researcher- God sent us Kara Pedersen who has a degree in library science and missions experience in Brazil.
• We need more computer programmers- God sent us Mark Seaman of Christ Community EFC in Greeley to donate a day a week to help us from Colorado.

And the list can go on of others God is continuing to send us. Thank you for your prayers and please don’t stop because we are building the staff and infrastructure for a continent wide institution — a huge undertaking in any part of the world and especially in Latin America where financial resources are scarce. Pray that God will provide a graphic artist, fund raisers, short term team coordinator, instructional designers, more computer programmers and lots of online facilitators. Some of these people could serve as volunteers from the USA/Canada.

The Hendricksons

Mark, Martha, Melinda & Michelle