CF Community Church mission trip changes lives | Carolina Forest … – Myhorrynews

Thomas Critelli went to Costa Rica to help change other peoples lives, but his was changed as well.

One of 13 people who went on a recent Carolina Forest Community Church [CFCC] mission trip, the 22-year-old said the blind faith and sheer joy of the Costa Rican people made him want that for himself.

They have so little, but they have so much joy, and they worship like crazy, and I realized I want more of that in my own life.

Faith Weaver, a rising sophomore at Carolina Forest High School, said her perspective was also changed on the trip.

Weavers father Scott accompanied the 15-year-old on this trip, which she said wont be her last.

The people are in need, but theyre so happy all the time, she said. That helped me see that in the U.S., we are so focused on things, and we are always thinking about what we need or what we want. We cant just let ourselves be happy.

In partnership with Praying Pelicans Missions, the local church has committed to making Inglesia Biblica in La Cruz its sister church, and helping it create a sports-oriented ministry similar to the one Carolina Forest Community Church already has.

Carolina Forest Community Church is at 1381 Carolina Forest Blvd. The website is http://www.carolina forest.org and services are at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday mornings.

The Costa Rican church has been established for about 40 years, but when its current minister, Pastor Gerado Cerdas Rojas, came on about five years ago, attendance was down to about 10 people.

They were struggling, and we want to help them minister in their own community, said Charles Fox, family pastor at CFCC.

That churchs dream is to have a sports ministry, most likely through soccer, and thats where Carolina Forest Community Church differs from other churches. We have that here.

My dream is to see the two churches come together and utilize the same kind of ministry, he said.

Their focus is reaching children through sports, and we have that on our campus now.

Although the local church has sent missionaries to places such as Africa and Romania and closer to home in Kentucky, outreach pastor Brody Hillman said CFCC has narrowed its focus to Costa Rica because its a good fit for us.

Hillman said the church was looking for an affordable location for local church members to go where their ministry was needed, and the Costa Rican trip was $1,800 per person.

The folks who went on the mission trip raised their own money, and about $200 - $300 of it went towards a construction project in La Cruz.

The original plan was to build sidewalks, Fox said, but because of severe flooding issues, the plan changed.

The Carolina Forest group dug a trench and put in concrete piping to keep the water away from the church building.

That was, Fox said, a bigger need.

One of the most impressive events of the week-long trip for Weaver was the buying and distribution of about $1,000 worth of food to the locals in the Costa Rican village.

Weaver said they took 10 bags per day for three days to locals homes, praying with them, talking with them, and inviting them to a huge Wednesday evening meal at the church.

It was an epic feeding night with worship music and fellowship, and it was awesome, she said.

Fox said Inglesia Biblicas pastor knew none of the 100 or so people who showed up.

They were all people wed met and invited during those three days, Fox said.

Hillman will lead another trip to La Cruz Nov. 4-10, and Critelli and Weaver both plan to be part of it.

Or, text the words COSTA RICA followed by the amount you want to give to 843-353-1558.

Sometimes we think were going on a mission trip to help those people, but it was them working in and through us that helped us see their sweet passion, Critelli said.

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CF Community Church mission trip changes lives | Carolina Forest ... - Myhorrynews