Congratulations, team, and thanks to all who helped us raise $5,344 with our silent auction held June 4th!

Since this is Don Mullins's 10th mission trip with the youth group, we decided to do something special for our summer mission trip by going INTERNATIONAL. This year's youth mission trip will be part of an intergenerational trip from St. James' to San Jose, Costa Rica. We are going to Costa Rica in August to help the Abraham Project build a center for orphaned and abandoned children in the San Jose area.

This activity is a wonderful opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ by reaching out and physically helping a community that has needs so great that they are difficult for us to comprehend. The Abraham Project is helping children who otherwise quite possibly could be left to fend for themselves. To support the work of the project, there aren't government grants or rich celebrities helping them out. They count on those of us fortunate enough to have the means and resources to give them a hand.

In addition, the project is resourceful in ways rarely seen in our "use it once and toss it" culture. For example, for building material they use donated wood that comes from crates that were used to import large sheets of glass. The crates are disassembled before the scrap lumber is transported to the project site, where all staples and nails are removed. The boards are then treated, planed, sanded and prepared so that they can be used for doors, stairs, cabinets, closets, wall trim, and furniture. Think about that the next time you see a pile of scrap wood at a construction site that will end up just being tossed away.

Joining us on this mission trip is a way for you to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of people who are dependent on the help of others. In addition to helping with construction, we will be able to interact with the youth they serve by assisting the project in their program efforts. It will be an opportuntity for the children to experience the love of Christians who have travelled a long way to help them.

So please join us. It will probably change your life!

For more information on the trip, read the FAQs.

Not only do we get to help, but we hope to have a blast in Costa Rica. Check out info on the country at our Costa Rica info page.

What Should I Be Doing Now?
If you think you might like to go, start talk to your parents about it right away. There are several things you’ll need to do that can take a long time. For example, if you don’t have a passport, now is the time to start the process! Read about it at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html.

Come to our Planning Meeting
Our first planning meeting was held on February 6th, and subsequent meetings for all those interested in going on the trip will be held at 7:30 p.m. on the first Monday of every month in the Bell Room in the St. James' Parish Hall. Come to the meeting with a parent. We will have details of the trip and status of fundraising activities and other preparations.

Want to sign up? Use this form and give it to Mr. Mullins by March 26th.