On the evening of July 24, six San Lorenzo Valley youngsters, ages 11 to 16, will embark on a big adventure. They will fly to Costa Rica, where they will spend a week working in the poverty-stricken Los Lagos barrio in the city of Heredia.

Team members are Heather Bishop, age 16; Sebastian Tumbale, 14; Celestine "Cele" Glover, 14; Mary Smith, 13; Audra Camper, 12; and Andrew Olson, 11. During their stay they will be housed in make-shift accomodations at a medical clinic in Los Lagos.

They are the youngest team ever accepted for this mission, according to trip organizer Charise Olson of Boulder Creek. She serves as the youth group director for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Ben Lomond. She and husband Ken will accompany the group as chaperones.

The travelers will arrive in the barrio bearing gifts: various medical supplies, clothing, toys, books, school supplies, plus chocolate and candies (for gifts), all donated by SLV residents and businesses.

The trip is sponsored by St. Andrew's church, which recently held a successful book sale to contribute to the effort. Parishioners also donated cash and supplies to help out.. Cost of the trip (air fare, etc.) is covered mostly by each traveler's family, but the kids themselves contributed a great deal also, said Olson, citing a year of modest fund-raising (including the sale of organic whole bean coffee from Costa Rica).

Olson noted that while church youth groups usually focus on social or entertainment events for teens, this year the focus shifted to an emphasis on community service.

"Our kids are aware that poverty exists in the world," she said, "and they want to help, but they only know poverty in the abstract. They haven't had the opportunity to experience it first hand." She thinks this week of community service in the barrio might be a valuable eye-opener, and a spur to more community service.

"We hope we're expanding the idea of community service to include not
just the local community, but the global one as well," she said.

The youngsters will receive a special blessing at the 10 am service at St. Andrew's on Sunday, July 23, to wish them God speed.