A word from some VERY thankful girls!

So... we sent the check down just 2 weeks ago.  Sister Rosita received the check and the great news about the playground toy, and this weekend she just told the girls!  She says;

"I will tell you, that the girls at Hogar Ines Riesco Llona are very happy about the news that we will be able to begin construction on the toy.  I have included a letter from them.  All the girls that I saw on Saturday were very happy, especially the youngest ones, the girls from your house..."

 

A quick translation:

Dear Uncle and Aunty,

Well, First of all we want to tell you that we miss you very much, and that we are very grateful for everything that you have done for us.  You were very generous with us in every way.  

Here, we miss you very very much, we hope to see you soon, and hope that you are well. 

Say hello to your parents, for they are very dear to us as well.

What else can we say.  We hope you are very happy, like you were when you were here...

Much love and kisses

PS. Thank you for building the playground toy that will be very useful to us so that we can have more fun.

With love, Romy and Cecy

I hope you remember us and if you remember, remember for ever

Good luck!

 _____________________________________________________________________________

Thank you again from all the amazing people and congregations that made this dream possible for these girls.  Thank you St. Pius X in Quincy, St. Rita's in Tacoma, and Othello Nazarine!!!  We couldn't have done it without you!

Big Toy goal Reached!!!

We have wonderful news everyone!  We have reached our Goal!!!  

The Big Toy will soon be a reality for the girls at Hogar Ines Riesco Llona!

Just this last Sunday, we traveled back to Othello to talk at the Nazarene Church (and get a wonderful dose of Othello Fair and Rodeo too :).  I truly believe that we were God's instrument, and that His love shined through us, as we talked from our hearts.  A special experience was being able to minister to the youth there.  I can remember when I was their age, and so eager to hear about different missions, and wonder excitedly where God may lead me some day.  God is truly at work in their joy and excitement, as they dreamed about the possibilities in their own future.  It was so beautiful and refreshing.

When we talked in Othello, we needed an additional $500 dollars to reach our goal.  We were blown away by the response!  Through their amazing generosity, we raised a total of $1,221. Praise the Lord!!!  The additional $721 will be sent down to Chile as well.  If there are any unforeseen costs on the Big Toy, Sister Rosita will let us know, and the money will be used for that.  When the project is completed, any additional funds will be used as the foundation money for our next exciting project - A Higher Education fund for the girls from the Hogar.  (More to come soon on that.)

Both Matt and I are so happy and content, beyond words.  We want to thank EVERYONE so much for your prayers, your support, and for opening up your communities to us.

There is much work still left to be done!

Stay connected with us on the journey!  We will be posting up dates on the Big Toy's progress!!!  

2nd presentation: St. Rita's in Tacoma

The weekend of September 12th, we were pleseantly surprised with an impromptu presentation at the Holy Names Society breakfast at St. Rita's in Tacoma.  It was wonderful to finally share with a community here in Tacoma, and we received such a warm and energetic response.  We raised a total of $170 and met wonderful and knowledgable people excited to work together with us on future fund raising projects.

A big Thank you to Holy Names, Fr. Saco, and to everyone that donated.  Every little bit counts, and helps make the ripple bigger, touching more and more people each time.

It's all very exciting.  Stay tuned for more updates!

First Presentation in Quincy

So we finally bit the bullet and did our first presentation about the Girls and the Hogar at the Quincy Church.  We thought it was fitting that Quincy was our first stop, as they had sent us off to mission almost 2 years ago when we started this journey.  It was a wonderful experience.  Wonderful to share our experience in a meaningful way with a community that means so much to us.  I had forgotten how many amazing and loving people had touched our lives in Quincy. 

I also wanted to give everyone an update on our goal of raising money for the Playground Toy.  We need a total of $2,000 US dollars.  We started with $600 dollars from donation gifts for last Christmas.  In Quincy we raised another $650 dollars, and another $80 dollars from talking with various people.  From all these amazing generous people, we have raised a total of ... (du, du, du!) ... $1,330 dollars! 

So, we've only got $670 left to go!  We'll be posting more news as the project progresses.  Keep watching!

The next Chapter & Big Toy!!!

What does it hold?  Where will we live?  What jobs will we find and what direction?  So many unknowns face us as we move back to the Northwest... many more than when we decided to swap continents two years ago. 

One thing we know for sure, there is still much to do for our girls.  Before we left Santiago, we worked closely with Sister Rosita and a wonderful handyman, Maestro Hugo.  The great project? (drum roll please) A Playground toy for the back patio at the hogar.           YEAH!!!! :)


I strongly believe that one of institutions biggest struggles is providing stimulating environments for their kids.  Lack of climbing toys, photographs, and access to books are common, if not the norm.  It is no different at the Hogar.  The girls do not have a safe place to play, climb and be kids. They use what ever is in their environment, and hang upside down with only bricked patio to break their fall. 


Our first inspiration for the Big Toy, came last December.  An amazing family, with big hearts, donated enough money for Christmas that helped us dream bigger than we had ever before.  We wanted to do something fun with the money, and just for the girls... after all, it was a Christmas gift!  In January, at the peak of summer vacation Matt and I started talking with Maestro Hugo.  After a lot of research into playground safety standards, and consulting of many 5, 6, 8 and 12 year olds (as well as a few staff and directors) we had a good plan. But, best laid plans... can easily be thwarted by the 5th largest earthquake in recorded history. Playground plans were put on hold. 

Well, we're back!  And we're hoping God is smiling on our dreams.  We would love you to help us make this dream a reality for these special girls.  We have $600 and are now asking for your help to raise another $1400.

Here's the break down:

* Platform 1.2 meters tall, and 1.6 x 1.2 meters wide

* Tobagan Slide
* 2 meter long hanging bridge, ending at a Fireman's sliding pole
* Wood and chain climbing 'ladder' leading to platform
* 2 bars for swinging/pull-ups
* Play steering wheel on platform
* wooden rung ladder up to platform
* Roof and hand railings for the platform

The area for the big toy is currently a slanted slope with a small patch of grass 5.8 meters by 4.7 meters. (in picture; directly behind the girls).  Maestro Hugo will even out the land  here, put up a retaining wall on the bottom side, along with a fence to protect the girls from the drop.  The final safety feature will be 9 inches of pea gravel to soften falls. 

Quite the improvement from our previous situation wouldn't you say?

Any questions, feel free to email us at janellecostanti@gmail.com

To make a donation mail a check to:
Janelle and Matthew Costanti
860 S Crestline
Othello, Wa 99344

Don't forget to write Big Toy in the for line.

Hard Decisions and Good-byes

We had a very hard decision to make just one and a half months ago.  A decision that would dictate how close we could be to our girls, where we were going to start our family, and basically the direction of the rest of our lives.  It was hard to un-plug and get perspective in Santiago, so Matt had a great idea to go skiing for our anniversary again.  This year was a working anniversary.  As we swooped down the slopes and admired the amazing view of the Andes, we worked through all the pros and cons of either decision. 

In the end, we realized that the restraunt we were looking at in Santiago was a bit too rich for our blood, and had a few too many risks with it.  In order to think about opening our own restraunt, we would have to return to the US for more experience.  Once we made our decision, a huge weight was taken off our shoulders, and we were happy to finally have a decision. 

But the funny part is, you can know a decision is the best decision for you and your family at this moment in time, but it doesn't mean that your heart will be convinced.  In the weeks to follow, we had to say some very very hard good-byes.  How do you tell Escarlette, who always asks if we're going to our country in a plane, that we are leaving for a very very long time?  Does she know that we still love her more than anything else in the world?  How do you tell Cinthia, who is 15, and see that knowing look in her eyes?  She knew this day would be coming sooner than later.  She still loves us, but it's no wonder it takes so long for them to grow close after so many people come in and out of their lives. 

I know that we're not just another non-descript volunteer that comes and goes.  I know that they will always be my Yenny, my Millaray, our Laura, our Cinthia.  I know that we will always write, that our international travels will be limited now to one country, and that the mission and the mentorship will never die, even if from far away.  I keep telling myself that God works in mysterious ways, and that we can do so much for the girls from the US, things we couldn't do as effectively from Chile.  But how do you convince a heart?  You may think you've fooled it for a bit, but it never lasts long.  I guess there are just some things that only time can touch.  Some things you just have to accept, like the fact that our hearts will always be held captive in Chile. 

Hasta pronto mi chiquilla.  Siempre te amaremos, y nuestro deseo y oracion para ti es que vives tu vida con sinceridad, dignidad, y amor.  Hay un bello futuro, esperandote. No lo dudes, lucha por ello.  Con la ayuda de Dios, y su Gracia, tu puedes alcanzar tus suenos.  No es adios, sino hasta pronto.  Te amamos para siempre. Tus Tios, Mateo y Janelle

Matty's Reflections on Mission

As a married couple we face interesting and different challenges to mission life.  However, the benefits are worth every last ounce of strife.  My wife and I can definitively say that our marriage has been strengthened by this experience.  God has gifted us with more patience for each other and an interdependence that is only achieved by much conversation, action together, and sacrifice.

During our experience, Chile was struck by the 6th largest earthquake in recorded history.  The effects were devastating we worked with those affected and provided support as a gift of solidarity that we offered through the foundation of Las Rosas.  We were able to touch people that other wise would not have received that kind of loving support.  This required much sacrifice on our end, and we were exhausted by the end of this service.  However, as a couple we faced those challenges together and we grew together.

Sacrificing your time, your energy, your comfort, and your professional life, gives one the ability to see what is truly important here on earth.  Which is of course fulfilling the mission of Christ, in serving others.  This is achieved by individual works of kindness and love.  It is not the responsibility of organizations and governments.  We firmly believe Jesus' message to love one another as he loved us.  It is a message to the individual, a call to action, saying love each other, be kind, be generous, be tolerant.  It is in mission that we have chosen to try and follow this path, it is not easy or for the faint of heart as any religious will tell you { Especially sisters and priest that are Salesian or Jesuit} But this path is the most rewarding path of all others.

Therefore, the tangible gifts that God has given us are new language skills and abilities, new cooking techniques, a greater appreciation for culture, a love of God's children.  The most intangible gift is greater love and service to others.