With something as simple as a handmade bracelet, parishioners at Salem Lutheran Church hope to help youth in another nation.
Youth who are part of Sola Fe Lutheran Church in Costa Rica made the bracelets. Proceeds from the items will be used to help provide camping trips and retreats for the youth — and to assist them in a ministry project involving orphans.
Sola Fe is a sister congregation to Fremont’s Salem Lutheran. For five years, local church members have made trips to the Central American country.
In January, the mission group from Salem went to Sola Fe, which is in San Sebastian, a part of San Jose, Costa Rica.
“Part of our goal is to work with the youth to help inspire them to finish school,” said Sharon Carlson, church member.
Many of these youth are Nicaraguan refugees who live in a barrio. The youth have been looking for ways to earn money to go on camping retreats and help youngsters in a nearby orphanage.
Family is very important to people in Nicaragua and Costa Rica and when Salem members were at Sola Fe, they saw how upset the youth were about those children who had neither a mother nor father.
“They wanted to go back and visit and play with the kids (in the orphanage) and take presents to them,” Carlson said.
The youth group began by borrowing $100 from its church for the original bracelet material. They ended up making enough money to pay the church back and have money left over to buy more supplies and to start a camping fund.
While there, Salem members and the youth had an overnight camping trip and retreat on the coast. Some youth had never been in the ocean before, Carlson said.
The adults talked with the youth about their goals for the new school year. In Costa Rica, the school year runs from February to December. Carlson said Salem members like to go in January when there’s little rain.
Salem members also purchased school supplies for the youth and bought some of the bracelets, which they brought back with them.
They since have received a new supply of bracelets.
The bracelets are made of woven string and come in a host of colors. They will be available for sale during the Fremont church’s ministry fair on Sunday. Items were made by children in Central America. The items also are available by calling the church at 721-6158.
Mission group members also hope to have Christmas cards for sale. The cards were made by children and youth at Sola Fe and Pavas, another church. The 4- by 5-inch cards include pictures of the Nativity, drawn by youth group members. A photograph of the child who made the drawing is on the back of the cards.
Bracelets are being sold for a minimum $3 each. Cards cost $8 for a set of 12.
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