CELEBRATION ORCHESTRA
January 31 - Feb 8, 2025

This was our very first project to Costa Rica, and what an incredible experience it was! Our Mission Partner, Leslie Gomez, is a Costa Rican native and a music missionary. He joined us on piano for this project and did a fantastic job connecting us with different ministries across the country. We arrived on January 31st and made a quick stop at Leslie’s home to celebrate Camp’s birthday (Jan 30th). It was a joy to meet Leslie’s family, see his home, and spend time fellowshipping together.

Our hotel sat at the very top of a mountain with breathtaking views. The wind, however, was something else… What they called “mild winds” at night still reached around 50 mph. We also learned about the poro tree, which is a beautiful orange tree that was in full bloom while we were there (5th picture below).

We started the project by joining SINEM, which is a program that offers music lessons to children, teens, and young adults. It was created in 2007 by the government of Costa Rica and the Ministry of Culture and Youth. The program is based on the “El Sistema” model from Venezuela that has become so well known around the world. SINEM-Los Santos is the newest of the 22 branches that spread throughout the country. It started in 2022. The program teaches music through classes, workshops, and ensembles.

After church on Sunday, we had an outdoor concert in Barva. This was perhaps the windiest (and coldest) concert known to man… music stands were falling over left and right. But we had a BEAUTIFUL rainbow to admire after a short rain shower. Despite the weather, we had a great turn out and the people were very responsive.

On Tuesday we made the 3 hour drive to the coast to play with Banda Cristiana Tsidkenu. They are a marching band started by a church in Barranca to give kids a positive alternative to being on the streets. Since 2006, they’ve grown their program to over 180 students. They also have a flag corp and a cultural dance team - they’re very impressive!

We spent the morning rehearsing with them and then had an evening concert in Puntarenas right on the beach. As the sun set and birds soared overhead, we came together to make music in a truly beautiful and unforgettable moment.

See lots more pictures on their Facebook page (here and here).

On Monday, we played at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, home to five stunning waterfalls and the largest animal sanctuary in Costa Rica.

We also had the privilege of playing with an outstanding, professional concert band, Banda de Conciertos San José. This was a group of exceptional musicians that the government employs to do performances in many different venues. It was an honor for us to play with them and to have the opportunity to meet them and to share our faith with them through music.

We wrapped up our time in Costa Rica by spending the last two days at Monterrey Christian School. They started their band program two years ago and already have around 60 kids. You would never know these kids have been playing for only 1-2 years based on their level of talent. Everyone - from the school leaders, to the kids, to the people that served our food - made us feel so welcome.

On the first day, we led master classes with the students. The following day, we played for their school orientation, which was packed with parents in attendance. That afternoon, we continued our master classes and then shared stories with the students about how music has impacted our lives. That evening, we performed a joint concert with them, featuring “Awesome God,” arranged by one of their directors.

Even though we had some incredibly early call times those mornings, we would all do it again just to have these moments with the kids. They all have a special place in our hearts, and we can’t wait to come back in 2 years.