HiLites

My older brother Thomas (Tom) Lamb went to Burtonwood in the 57/58 school year. He was just there to take one class so he could get enough credits to graduate. He was a senior at Wiesbaden, Germany in the 56/57 school year. He dated Dixie Strange. I'm sure some of our classmates remember him.

Tom passed away from cancer about 9:00am Tuesday, August 23, 2011 in Long Beach, CA.

After a stint as a sports reporter for KUAM-TV, Mike managed a wholesaler's warehouse, served on the executive management teams of the prison and the police department, managed a solid waste hauling operation, served as a prison chaplain and trainer with Prison Fellowship International, and, in 1996, was ordained an Episcopal priest. The couple lived in three different villages, lived aboard their 36 foot sailboat for four years, and eventually bought a condominium near the University of Guam .

Mike was reassigned to the Hawaiian Diocese in December 2000, where he struggled as a parish priest. "I really liked working with prisoners . . . they're a lot like Marines . . . but, those little blue-haired church ladies are scary!" After a long, discouraging year, Mike left the ministry and took a job as a tactical shooting instructor in Bremerton, Washington .
The former Chief of Guam Police called in late 2002 and persuaded Mike to return as Operations Officer for the Transportation Security Administration at Guam International Airport. With impeccable timing, he arrived just in time for a major typhoon. Christine and Murphy, her adopted Pit Bull Terrier, joined him the following year.

After three years as a federal employee, it was time for a change. "The feds pay well, but there's not a whole lotta joy in it!" Mike secured his Real Estate license in November 2003 and left TSA in April 2004. He and Martin Howard teamed up to form GuamPCS.com in October 2005. "Between us, we've made dozens of military PCS moves. We've both been there, done it, and got the T-shirts . . . helping military families get settled on Guam should be as normal as breathing!" Mike also serves on the Guam Parole Board and enjoys scuba diving, hiking, backpacking and foreign travel. He is a self-proclaimed mid-sixties health nut who refuses to grow up.

Ellen (Herndon) Groot '59 and Susette (Willhite) Kirk '58

I recently had a WONDERFUL trip. I live in VA but went with my sister-in-law from TX to Washington state, with an overnight in LA. Susette (Kirk) Willhite met the bus (from the airport), had dinner with us & visited until 10pm. How wonderful do you think that was -- a miracle via the internet! We hadn't seen each other since '58. I'm still on cloud 9. Hope all are well.

Ellen

I have wondered for sometime what it would be like to visit Vietnam and Cambodia. But first let me tell you something about myself. As a young 2^nd Lt. in 1968/69 I was assigned to a base in northern Thailand as a USAF Intelligence Officer during the height of the Vietnam War (the Vietnamese refer to it as the “American War”). The aircraft from our base flew missions over Vietnam. Having participated in that war and knowing of the destruction that took place as a result of that conflict I was concerned about how an American would be received in Vietnam today. To my relief, most of the Vietnamese have “moved on” and do not hold grudges against Americans. This attitude is partially due to the fact that a majority of the population was born after the end of the war. It was a great trip and I am so glad that I had the chance to witness a very vibrant country recovering from a devastating war. Many Vietnam Veterans have returned to visit the country. However, some are still so scarred by their experiences that they cannot or will not return to a place that reminds them of so much pain. For others it is cathartic to return and come away with a sense of relief. I have to admit that being in Vietnam caused a lot of memory cells to reawaken and remember things that have not been thought of in many, many years.

The trip was a tour run by Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). They specialize in small groups. Our group consisted of 16 seasoned travelers ready to take on most any challenge. One of the first challenges was learning how to survive crossing a street where thousands of motorbikes just wheeze by swerving to avoid hitting pedestrians. New roads, new bridges, and many new buildings create a sense of optimism about the future of Vietnam. Foreign manufacturers have established many factories and hire a well-educated work force. Education has always been held in high regard in Vietnam and remains so today. Many nations have contributed to the rebuilding of Vietnam and also assisted with humanitarian relief. A Canadian contribution is a trade school for children born with defects caused by Agent Orange. We saw fabulous embroidery pictures, lacquer ware, pottery, sculpting, and woodwork created by the students.

Our tour took us to Halong Bay, which is a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. There we went for a ride on a junk through scenic karst formations jutting out of the sea. Another experience was walking through a typical Red River delta village and for those brave enough try our hand at making rice paper (for making Spring rolls) and drinking homemade rice wine.

The cities of Hue and Hoi An were very interesting experiences. Hue was the old Imperial capital and within the Citadel of Hue is the site of the Imperial City. The Imperial City was very much like the Forbidden City in Beijing. Much of the complex, however, was damaged or destroyed during the Indochina War (1940’s) and the “American War.” Restoration is taking place to restore some of the buildings to their original grandeur. Hoi An is a very old city with many cultural influences. Tailor shops abound and suits, dresses, etc can be made in a day for a customer.

Everywhere that we went there were markets that have all kinds of food and goods. Today 70% of the population is still farming and they bring in fresh fruits, vegetables, and animals to the markets. It finally dawned on me that there are few if any grocery stores as we know them. People still go to the market every day to purchase fresh items for their meals. The markets are vibrant, colorful places of activity. If you want fish for dinner just pick one of the live critters out of a tub and you have fresh fish. Butchers ply their trade in the open-air markets as well. Plus, if you want really fresh buy a chicken or duck and dispatch it yourself. Very few homes have refrigeration, which is another reason for the markets.

Names from the Vietnam War still ring in my ear as we go through Danang and stop by China Beach, which was an R&R spot for GI’s during the war. Nothing is left of the R&R facilities now but the beach is still there. A place like Nha Trang, which may sound familiar to some, is a lovely beach town with about a 5-mile beachfront park. Nha Trang boasts many luxury resort areas in the nearby islands that are frequented by people of many nationalities.

One of the surprises was the Cham ruins a UNESCO World Heritage Site at My Son. This was an ancient Indianized civilization that built large temples to their Hindu gods. Unfortunately, time and war have ravaged the site. Most of the buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged. The Viet Cong camped at the site and US forces heavily bombed it. The area still has unexploded landmines and visitors are cautioned to stay on the trails. The Cham are important to remember because they come up again on the tour to Cambodia. I find it interesting that in our education system very little or nothing is said about some of the great civilizations of the world. Who taught us about the Cham in Vietnam or the Khmer civilizations in Cambodia? These were fantastic builders, sculptors, planners, and warriors.

Dalat is a real pleasure. It is located in the central highlands of Vietnam. The French developed this area during the French Colonial days as a resort, which provided a respite from the heat of the lowlands. Coffee is grown in this mountainous area and we just happen to be there when the coffee plants were in full bloom with beautiful white flowers. By the way, Vietnamese coffee is very good. They have also developed a large hothouse industry and export vegetables and flowers. The central market is a colorful palate of the flowers grown in Dalat.

Saigon has a population of about 8 million people and growing. As happens in many agrarian societies when better paying jobs become available in the cities people move to the cities. Transportation has made it easier to move around. Five years ago the cities were jammed with bicycle traffic. Now motorbikes rule the road carrying unimaginable loads and up to 4 people at a time. One of the side trips that we took was to the Cu Chi Tunnels outside Saigon. The tunnels were used by the Viet Cong to hide from the Allied Forces during the war. It is estimated that there are 125 miles of tunnels in the area. The tunnels were first started during the Indochina War against the French. US bombers hit the complex hard and bomb craters and shrapnel can still be seen. It has been turned into a tourist spot. Now you can now go into a small section of the tunnels and experience what it was like for the men and women who lived in them. And yes, I did squeeze down into a couple of the tunnels. I’m not that big but even for me it was tight traversing through a tunnel from one room to another. One cannot stand up and you have to walk in a hunched position or on hands and knees. The bats are friendly though.

I took a little trip down memory lane while in Saigon. In the fall of 1968 I was TDY for a few days in Saigon. One of my memories was going to the roof top bar at the Rex Hotel. The hotel and roof top bar is still there although much has changed in 43 years. No longer can you look out and see the flash of artillery fire on the outskirts of the city or feel the earth shake from bombs being dropped by B-52’s. Thank goodness!

A funny thing happened on the way to Siem Reap, Cambodia. While in the Tan Son Nhat Airport in Saigon waiting for our flight I met a retired Air Force pilot who had been stationed at the same base I had been at in Thailand and had been there at approximately the same time. Even more interesting was that he flew RF-4 reconnaissance missions, which means that I probably ended up looking at some of the photos that his aircraft took.

Cambodia is both incredibly exciting and incredibly sad. The sad part is seeing what a demented leader can do to a country. I am referring to Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge who between 1975 and 1979 decimated the population of any intellectuals or anyone who resisted the move to return everyone to an agrarian society. Even the fisherman living in the floating villages on the huge lake Tonle Sap were moved to work in the fields. Approximately a third of the population was killed. In 1979 the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and overthrew the Khmer Rouge. Today the government is encouraging families to have children and 50% of the population is under the age of 20. As a result of so much past conflict the country still has to deal with unexploded landmines and other ordnance. There is clear evidence of the toll that these weapons are still taking on the population. People with missing limbs and scarred faces are visible in the area that we visited. Children are especially susceptible to picking up items that unknown to them could kill them.

The exciting revelation to me was the temple complexes that the kings of the Khmer civilization built between the 9^th and 15^th centuries. Most of the temples are just outside Siem Reap. Enormous pyramid style temples were created as places of worship to the Hindu gods. Each successive king wanted his temple to be bigger and better than the last king. The crowning effort is Angkor Wat. It is absolutely amazing to see. The size is massive, the bas-relief sculptures that go for hundreds of feet are incredible, and practically every inch of the exterior surface of the buildings are craved. The planning and forethought that went into creating such efforts was extraordinary. The written language was Sanskrit and at Angkor Wat two large libraries were built to hold the writings of the time. Remember the Cham in Vietnam? They too used Sanskrit as their written language. Over the centuries the Khmer and the Cham fought many battles each trying to claim more territory. At one time the Khmer Empire once extended from the South China Sea almost to the Bay of Bengal.

Nationally and internationally published books by Charles Heaton Allen ( '60):

Three different book sellers have given this WWII/Korean Confict air combat novel a ***** rating....out of ***** possible.

I was able to get in a true episode about Jay Wilcox's dad before the book went to final printing. His dad went through a tough experience during the Chosin reservoir battle in Korea....but he was a hero and was duly recognized for his efforts during the harrowing escape from thousands of Chinese soldiers. I believe our fellow Burtonwooder is glad those things got into the book.

Signed copies can be obtained directly from Chuck at: cjallen@suddenlink.net


*BUGGY, SPANKY & BEEF STORIES*	*SNOW STACKERS*
Four lads grow up in western Texas. Whooboy!	A sci-fi adventure especially for juvenile girls to enjoy.
Available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050CPORC (for Kindle edition) (printed edition coming)	Available at: http://www.ebook.com/ebooks/Adventure_Fiction/Snow_Stackers

To read about all the books Chuck has penned, see: http://charlesheatonallen.tatepublishing.net/?s=&x=6&y=8

(examine the five pages there.)

The Senior Messenger is the 4th largest newspaper in Clark County. It is mailed free to anyone in Clark County 50 or older who requests it. Read about active adults, travel, health, education and leisure information and other matters of interest to SW Washington's senior residents. Our revenue is earned by paid advertising and donations from our generous readers.

The Senior Messenger is owned and published by the City of Vancouver, Washington

The air hisses and fizzes with admiration and awe when they speak of one another and the serendipity, good luck or maybe just the power of love that reunited them after 50 years. At age 66, Cecilia Batis refers to her first boyfriend and new husband “Eddie” as “My best friend; he’s gentle and kind, he’s a bit of a saint.”

Six years her senior, Ed Batis describes his wife, who is plagued with osteoarthritis as well as an artificial knee and shoulder, as “courageous and lovely.”

Newlyweds Ed and Cecilia Batis of Vancouver will tell you that sometimes an old love brings new life. With a five decade spread between their first date and their first wedding anniversary, this senior couple credits sobriety, passion and communication as the keys to their happy, healthy life together.

Love at first sight---
Cecilia Batis was an U.S. Air Force brat living with her parents near Liverpool, England when she first spotted “this handsome, young airman,” 21-year-old Ed Batis. They dated and fell in love, but Ed returned to the states nine months before Cecilia. Once back to Baltimore, Cecilia rode the train to New York, where the pretty 16-year-old found a much-changed young man. Her Eddie was “on” something and she didn’t want to live that kind of life. They parted ways but never stopped thinking about one another.

One of 11 children raised as a Catholic by a Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx, Ed was hooked on heroin for the next 14 years. Fortunately, Ed embraced recovery and has been sober and clean for the past 36 years. Impassioned to help others achieve sobriety, he has worked as a career chemical dependency counselor since 1974 and as a SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) volunteer since its beginnings 20 years ago.

Ed credits his sobriety to the SOS program, which takes a self-empowerment approach. Throughout his career and ensuing marriages and family life, Ed has launched numerous meetings for the international organization. In December 2009 he established a weekly SOS meeting at Southwest Washington Medical Center in the Health Education Building.
It meets every Saturday at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.

In the meantime, Cecilia was living a full life, too. She married several times, raised six children, one step-child and five of her own including one set of triplet boys. She worked from age 16 until last year at numerous jobs, including owning and operating several successful thrift/antique stores in the Spokane area. An organic gardener and environmentalist for the past 45 years, she served as a volunteer, teaching organic gardening and founding a community garden in Moses Lake, Washington.

Then, in late 2005, after a decade as a single person and living with her only daughter, son-in-law and grandchild in Marysville, Wash., Cecilia started an Internet and mail search for Ed Batis, observing, “I decided to follow my heart and see what happens.”

That mood paid off when serendipity brought them together just as Ed was exiting (literally) a second marriage based in Sandy, Ore. When they first connected on the phone Ed recalls, “It was a like a shot in the solar plexus. Oh, man, it was déjà vu all over again!”

On New Year’s Eve 2006, the day before Ed was scheduled to drive back to California, the pair met for coffee at Marie Callender’s in Federal Way, Wash. “We talked for eight hours and never ordered a thing,” recalls Cecilia with a laugh. “He called the next day and called every day for the next two years. We ended up falling in love over the telephone.”

Although she remembers thinking “this is insane,” Cecilia pulled up stakes and moved to Los Angeles where the two lived together for a year before setting up housekeeping in Las Vegas for six months. In November 2008 they fled the desert for Vancouver, renting for a period before the purchase of their home last fall. Happy to put down roots, Cecilia has embarked on a new life making a lovely home for “Eddie,” developing her beloved vegetable and flower gardens and making friends with the neighbors.

Ed Batis works 35 hours a week as a staff member at ChangePoint in Beaverton, where he conducts two SOS meetings each month for clients. His commitment to developing and facilitating secular sobriety groups as an alternative to the 12-step model such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), keeps him busy and vital.

Batis suggests that no program offers a “magic pill.” However, SOS provides a place to talk about issues, look at barriers and build solutions on how to achieve sobriety.

The SOS model makes sobriety a priority, meaning people need to make staying sober a priority before they talk about the trauma in their lives. “I credit my own sobriety to this group and feel SOS can accommodate anybody,” observes Batis, who cannot imagine retiring. “It’s my passion to help people make decisions to enhance their lives.”

These days Batis wants to bring SOS to the attention of older individuals, who may be nursing addictions and don’t know where to turn. “We have a large population of elderly who are not being helped,” says Batis, who notes that most programs are geared for the midlife age group. “I wonder about the people who are suffering in silence. These are older people who are in trouble, who are often embarrassed to talk about their prescription medication abuse or drinking.”

Life’s lessons learned ---
Describing himself as a “child of adversity,” Ed believes that out of bad often comes good. As a result of this view, Ed and Cecilia refuse to lament the past. Instead, they appreciate how their new life together feels like Valentine’s, every single day.
On reconnecting in later life, Cecilia Batis observes, “We’ve made our share of mistakes, so it’s pretty much gravy now.”

Still, she adds in their mutual admiration-style, “Eddie has also worked as a domestic violence intervention counselor. What better kind of person to marry than one who teaches people how to get along in relationships?”

Ever the teacher, Ed notes that it is important to communicate about the details of life to keep love alive on a daily basis. “We’ve settled on giving one another space and we make sure we’re talking,” shares Ed Batis. “For example, when I come home at night after meetings, I need seven minutes to myself. So, we’ve made a pact, no talking until I get changed into my pajamas and settled in.”

The seven-minute plan must agree with Cecilia because she admits to being happier and having more fun now than at any other time in her life. Her advice to other seniors reflects the gratitude she and Ed feel about their second chance at first love, “Keep an open mind and an open heart and go where life leads you.”

SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety) 503-352-8263 503-352-8263 or 503-713-0237 503-713-0237

Dan Zuk '60 (now Langdon) has been located
with the help of one of his classmates
in Maine where he graduated in 1960.

Just a note to let you all know that I made my summer trip. I spent an afternoon with Sharon McDermott in Monett, Missouri and an afternoon with George Wilson and wife in Oklahoma City with a bonus of seeing Stan Mortimer at George's home. Thank you all for the hospitality. I had planned to go south to San Antonio but got a call from the nursing school my traveling mate will attend for her RN, so we beat it to New Orleans to spend a couple of days with my son and his family. Hope to see you all in Dallas next August. --- John McCormick

Charles "Chuck" Allen (Burtonwood ’56-’59) sang Elvis’ stuff in England as "Hound Dog" Heaton, but today he only does lip-syncing. Yet, doing that, he won a $1,500 trip-for-two to New Orleans and has entertained thousands for the last two decades by interpreting some songs of the great artists, Ray Stevens, Elvis, John Anderson, Johnny Cash and Kenny Chesney. This retired history prof/teacher and college/high school coach of baseball, basketball, bowling, football and golf has authored seven novels (Ace Rivals won an award) and two film scripts, as well as four books of short stories. Some are in Arkansas and Texas libraries under the name of Charles Heaton Allen. The University of Texas uses Buggy, Spanky & Beef Stories in its nineteen secondary charter schools. (His books are wholesome sports, outdoors, military, sci-fi adventures geared to teens, but most adults like them as well.)

Chuck has attended three Burtonwood HS reunions (Dallas, San Antonio and Las Vegas) and with Joyce – his bride of 42 years – hosted Vicki and Larry Ahlemann as well as George and Lin Wilson in their Hot Springs Village (Ark) home.

Nine Oklahoma journalists will be honored April 7 during the 36th annual induction ceremonies of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Inductees this year are KTOK News Director Jerry Bohnen, FRIDAY executive editor Vicki Clark Gourley, Oklahoma Press Association Publisher editor Jennifer Duffy Gilliland, former Tulsa Tribune publisher Jenk Jones Jr., TulsaPeople magazine publisher Jim Langdon, Tulsa World columnist Danna Sue Walker, retired Oklahoman photographer George R. Wilson, OSU Daily O’Collegian manager Fritz W. Wirt, and Tulsa World assistant news editor John V. Young.

Sponsored by the UCO Mass Communication Department, the program will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the ballroom at the University Center in Edmond.

Tickets are available for $15 until March 31 by calling Sherry Sump at 974-5303.

Honorees are selected by a committee composed of members of the working press, Society of Professional Journalists and the Hall of Fame. Nomination forms are available from the Mass Communication Department.

Framed citations are on display in a Hall of Fame in the UCO Journalism Building. UCO Mass Communication is administrator of the hall and the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation helped finance it. The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation helps underwrite expenses for the ceremony.

Jerry Bohnen is news director of KTOK radio, Oklahoma News Network and Clear Channel Operations in Oklahoma City. He stumbled into broadcasting at Kansas State University while earning a degree in journalism, doing news at the student radio station. He founded the Association of News Broadcasters of Kansas, later serving as president. His awards include the Investigative Reporter and Editors Award and The Edward R. Murrow Award.

Vicki Clark Gourley is chairman of Nichols Hills Publishing Co. and executive editor of FRIDAY newspaper. She joined FRIDAY in 1974 and served as news editor and managing editor before becoming executive editor in 1980. Civic and volunteer honors include the National Conference of Christian and Jews Humanitarian Award, the JC Penney Golden Rule award and many others. She attended Oklahoma State University.

Jennifer Duffy Gilliland began work at the Oklahoma Press Association in 1984 and has been editor of The Oklahoma Publisher since 1990. A native of Mangum, she attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University before working at The Oklahoman and at Oklahoma County Newspapers in Midwest City. A member of FOI Oklahoma, she was president in 2000.

Jenk Jones Jr. spent 32 years at The Tulsa Tribune in jobs ranging from reporter to editor and publisher. He worked for the Colorado Daily while earning a degree from Colorado University. He worked at The Minneapolis Tribune and The Anchorage Times. He was treasurer and director of the AP Managing Editors’ Association. He taught journalism and political history in universities, served as docent at museums and received the Nature Conservancy’s conservation award.

Jim Langdon comes from an Oklahoma newspaper family. His parents, Francis and Gloria Langdon published The Tonkawa News. After graduating from OU in 1974 he worked for the Norman Transcript. He was associate publisher for The Tonkawa News, taught advertising at OU, managed OPA’s Oklahoma Newspaper Advertising Bureau and was president of American Newspaper Representatives in New York. He founded Langdon Publishing Co. and established Tulsa-People Magazine in 1986.

Danna Sue Walker has written the "People and Places" column in The Tulsa World for 24 years. A native of Tulsa, she graduated from the University of Tulsa. She joined The Tulsa World in 1962 as society editor and left to raise her daughters before returning in 1981 to write the column. She was inducted into the University of Tulsa Communications Hall of Fame in 2005, and received the Bill Crawford Memorial Award for commitment to the arts.

George R. Wilson grew up in a U.S. Air Force family that traveled widely and loved photography. After serving in the Air Force himself, he worked as a photographer for Pipkin Photo. He joined the Oklahoma Journal in 1968, becoming chief photographer in 1971. When that paper closed, he joined The Daily Oklahoman and Oklahoma City Times in 1981 and rose to director of photography before retiring in 2001. He set the standard for fine photography and aggressive news coverage and led the paper's conversion to digital photography in the 1990s.

Fritz W. Wirt worked for five years at The Clinton Daily News and a year at The Oklahoman. He worked for 19 years in Texas at the Temple Daily Telegram, El Paso Times, San Angelo Standard Times, Del Rio News-Herald, Huntsville Item and for Harte-Hanks in Dallas. He returned to his native Stillwater as general manager of the Oklahoma State University student newspaper in 1988. He built the paper into a money-maker and developed a self-supporting Web site.

John V. Young has worn many hats, from sports editor of his hometown Cushing Daily Citizen to United Press International in Dallas where he helped cover the Kennedy assassination. He has been UPI bureau manager in Kansas City, editor of the Sapulpa Daily Herald, news editor for the Tulsa Tribune and assistant news editor at The Tulsa World. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University.

The Costa Rica Mission Team (16 men, women, & young adults) from University UMC will be leaving Monday morning, June 27, for Alajuela , Costa Rica . We will be spending the first night in-country at Centro Metodista, which is a Methodist Seminary. During the summer they play host to many, many mission teams that arrive in Costa Rica. The next morning will we start our journey to San Isidro where we will stay for the next 7 days. San Isidro is in the central mountain region of Costa Rica . Our project is help build a building for a Costa Rican Methodist congregation in which to hold classes, services, and any other such church related functions.

We are all looking forward to working and worshipping with our fellow Costa Rican Methodists. There is an Internet cafe in San Isidro so my hope is to be able to send out progress reports when I can get to a computer. We arrive in Costa Rica on June 27 and leave July 7.

We have finished with the work project and will be leaving for Alajuela tomorrow morning. We have a free day in the San Jose area and will be going on a river-rafting excursion. The photo shows the progress that we made with the project.

We arrived back in Orange County yesterday afternoon after a fantastic trip. To back up a bit, we left San Isidro Tuesday morning at 9:00am and traveled to Cartago to see the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles which is the most famous church in Costa Rica. Stopped for about 40 min. and then traveled to Alajuela to Centro Metodista where we spent the next two nights. We had time to do some shopping in Alajuela that afternoon and had dinner at a nice restaurant downtown. The next day was our excursion day and what a day it was! Costa Rica Expeditions picked us up and took us to breakfast at the Sanchiri Restaurant overlooking the Oroisi Valley. We had breakfast on their outdoor patio and marveled at the wonderful view of the valley with coffee plantations wherever one looked. While at Sanchiri we had the chance to see their Butterfly Farm as well. After that we went whitewater river rafting on a class 2 & 3 river. It was wet, wild and wonderful. The scenery was stunning. Wild rain forest, interspersed with small banana or coffee farms and sugar cane fields. The river rafting company had lunch ready for us when we reached the end of the rafting. There was a place there to shower and change into dry clothes. After lunch we drove to Morovia, which is known for its artisans to do our tourist shopping. I think we satisfied everyone's urge to spend money on tourist stuff. We drove back to CM, had our devotions and then everyone had to pack and get ready for a 4:30am bus pick up to take us to the airport. Our flight took us through Phoenix and then to Orange County and HOME!

I can't say enough about the team and the experience that we had. It was truly remarkable. We worked hard, met terrific people, had spiritual experiences with our new Costa Rican friends, and played hard. But I think the most satisfying was winning the respect and friendship of the Costa Ricans with whom we came in contact