Tuesday, December 29
The team started the day with a Bible Study. Then they went in to town and passed out evangelistic material. The team has really enjoyed meeting the local kids, and it appears the feeling is mutual.
On Tuesday night, the team played the 2nd division pro team and lost 3-1, Cody Carpenter scored the Brilla Juniors goal on a spectacular bicycle kick. The boys learned what it is like to truly be the "away" team, but in the end they had a great time and a great game.
After the match, they quickly regrouped and headed out to play some futsal before packing up for the journey home. They team wanted to communicate that they are grateful for all of the prayers on their behalf and they they have had a wonderful experience.
Please remember them as they travel home on Wednesday.
Monday, December 28
The Mississippi Brilla Jrs Mission Team in Costa Rica had another successful day of ministry on Monday, December 28. The youth team spent most of the morning serving the local church in Liberia, Costa Rica. The team members participated in a number of projects around the church including clean-up, buffing floors, and moving dirt.
The afternoon was spent playing beach soccer against local youth and enjoying some time on a zip line. Following the "fun in the sun," the team competed against the men’s team from the church. The Brilla Jrs came out on top 2-1. Once again, the game attracted a large crowd, and the team was able to pass out evangelistic materials to all in attendance. Brilla Jrs player Devin Carr also had the opportunity to share about the ministry of Brilla with the spectators and fans.
Team member Cody Berry shared, "It is really amazing and I have never been closer to God. The looks on these kids faces when we give them stuff is priceless."
The team is scheduled to play a 2nd Division professional team on Tuesday, as well as some small sided matches in the evening.
Sunday, December 27
The team began the day with the privilege of experiencing a Costa Rican worship service.
"The service lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes and we didn’t sit down for the first hour, but we didn’t mind," said Mike Saulsbury, parent participant on the mission team. "It was constant singing and praise. No matter what language songs or preaching is in, you can always tell when people love the Lord."
The team’s first official match of the trip took place on Sunday afternoon. The youth team competed against a local men’s amateur team.
"We won 2-0, and they were pretty good," said Josh Saulsbury, Mississippi Brilla Juniors player.
The elder Saulsbury added, "We had a crowd of local people that stopped to watch." He continued, "We even had a large group of youth that were cheering us on and were very receptive as we talked to them and passed out outreach material."
"We’ve made lots of friends already," said the younger Saulsbury.
The team traveled to the beach for the afternoon to play beach soccer and enjoy the ocean.
"We’ve seen some beautiful things, and some not so beautiful things," said team member, Cody Berry. "Please continue to pray for us."
The team will continue serving and ministering in Costa Rica through Wednesday, December 30.
Saturday, December 26
Following a day that began at 12:00 AM and included 17 hours of travel, the Mississippi Brilla Juniors Mission Team arrived safely in Liberia, Costa Rica on Saturday, December 26. The team even made time for a short training session and a few games of futsal before turning it in for some much needed rest after an extremely long day.
