Our Burning Bush

This time next week I’ll be home in Davidson! This is my opportunity to have some family time, meet my new dog, visit with my friends, and share the plans for the new Hogar Escuela in Heredia with St. Alban’s. And also to shave and do laundry with hot water.

Here are some tidbits about Hogar Escuela. The Spanish name literally means “home school.” The term has a different meaning in Costa Rica than the one we are familiar with in the States. Hogar Escuela is a school which provides a home away from home for the children who will attend it. Many of them would otherwise be left alone in their homes while their parents work, or be out on the streets with all the risks that brings. Students will receive meals at school, attend pre-school classes or receive tutoring, learn to use computers, share in moral and spiritual formation, and enjoy physical exercise. Many of their mothers will also have the opportunity to learn computer skills which we hope will open the door to better employment for them.

When the first phase of construction is completed, the congregation of Cristo Resucitado will move from its rented apartment above the locksmith into the new chapel. This enables them to share the school site with their primary outreach ministry. The school will be less than a mile from Guarari, the barrio which is home to the children they are committed to serve.

The plans show a building in two sections, connected by a covered walkway. The rear section contains the school classrooms and multi-use chapel space, while the office, computer lab, and kitchen and dining facilities are located in the front area. Construction will be earthquake-resistant concrete and block, with a metal roof. There are two classrooms planned for the first phase of construction, each with a capacity for twenty-four children. When the structure is completely built out, the school will be able to accommodate up to 150 children. The chapel is designed to accommodate at least 35 worshippers.

The first phase of construction, which will begin as soon as the necessary permits are obtained, contains 2906 square feet of building space. This work will  be completed by next summer, when the school will open and the congregation will move in. The total area of the completed building will be 4090 square feet.

You will have an opportunity to see the site plan and architect’s drawings, and receive information about the projected costs and our plans for funding them, at a presentation I’ll be giving in the nave during the adult education hour between the services on Sunday morning, October 4th. Once we have a concrete vision of the finished school and chapel, we’ll be able to begin planning our mission trips to help in the construction process. There will be plenty of work for carpenters, plasterers, painters, gardeners and anyone else who’s willing to help. If you don’t have these skills, don’t worry. I’ve spent all summer watching adults and youth learn them and do them well at Diocesan House. You will be transformed when you come to work in Costa Rica. Please come to learn about this call from the Holy Spirit at 9:00 on October 4th.

God tells Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3 that he has heard the cries of his people in Egypt, and he has come to help them. God’s children in Guarari cry out for help today, and God comes now to help them. The Lord tells us the same thing he told Moses: “Go down there now and confront injustice, and lead my people out from there.” Now we must choose how we will respond.