Date: Fri 23-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: JAN

Quick Words:

Tent-Maker-Mission-Costa-Rica

Full Text:

Costa Rican Mission Drive Approaches Its Goal

BY JAN HOWARD

BETHEL -- A local church is moving closer to its goal of helping children

through its Costa Rican mission.

The final tally is not in as yet, but it is estimated that an auction held

October 10 at the Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel netted its Tent Maker

Ministry about $8,000 for children in Costa Rica.

"I was pleased with the results for our first auction," said Debbie

Holton-Smith of Newtown, a member of the Tent Maker Ministry of the Bethel

church.

More funds are needed, however. "We need $4,000 more," Ms Holton-Smith said.

She said the auction and the publicity about it "helped to spread the good

word on what we're doing for the kids."

Tent Maker is a new division of the church's Missions Committee.

The auction proceeds will benefit the Roblealto Child Care Bible Home in Costa

Rica by paying for supplies needed by 12 members of the Tent Maker Ministry, a

short term missionary group of local residents led by Ted Huizinga of Danbury.

They are planning a trip from November 30 to December 9 to reach out to

children at the Bible Home located in the mountains of Costa Rica.

The group plans to purchase and install a walk-in cooler/freezer, make repairs

to buildings and share hope via hugs with the children.

Newtowners making the trip in addition to Ms Holton-Smith are Mike Bos and Bob

Denzel.

The trip to Costa Rica is the first the short-term mission group has made out

of the country. The group has worked on projects in Danbury to help them in

team building in preparation for the trip.

The Roblealto Child Care Bible Home houses 70 plus children in seven

buildings. They are schooled and fed from the main center.

According to Ms Holton-Smith, all the buildings need repairs.

The Tent Maker ministry group will paint and do carpentry and sewing repairs

at the home.

Each child lives with house parents. Some of the children are orphans, and

most have been beaten and abused or are from broken homes.

When a child enters Roblealto, his or her parents or guardians must commit him

or herself to specific vocational or counseling programs.

The goal is to get the children back to a stronger home as soon as possible.

Because of this process, approximately 95 percent of the children eventually

return to their homes, Ms Holton-Smith said.

The Roblealto ministry was founded in 1932 by Susan Strachan, the co-founder

of the Latin America Mission.

Roblealto also sponsors three large day care centers, which serve about 600

children of working mothers. Altogether it serves approximately 700 children

at any given time.

To donate to the Roblealto Child Care Bible Home, send checks made out to

Walnut Hill Community Church to Debbie Holton-Smith, 19 Tunnel Road, Newtown,

Conn. 06470 or to Walnut Hill Community Church, 156 Walnut Hill Road, Bethel,

Conn. 06801.