Engaging & Empowering
GREENHOUSE PROJECT
Mickey Freeman served as a missionary with FSM where his love of nature and the children of the community guided his every move. With a background in horticulture and extensive knowledge in agriculture, he began the greenhouse project to grow a variety of crops all year long.
With the help of Mickey and the staff, children have tended to the soil to grow lettuce, onions, cilantro, beans, carrots, peppers, and more. They were able to take the produce they grew home to feed their families.
BUTTERFLY GARDEN
The story of how the butterfly garden came to be is as amazing as the life of a butterfly itself! Mickey Freeman served as a missionary with FSM, where he saw the need for the community to have a place of peace, prayer, and tranquility. Mickey had a powerful story of God transforming his life into one of hope and healing, and he began to wonder how he could use butterflies, a symbol of transformation, as a ministry to the people of Bajo Tejares.
This dream became a reality through the butterfly garden, and Mickey's Mariposario was created! Children work to maintain the garden plants, where they cultivate patience along with petals. They learn to care for the environment and how everything is connected through tending to the flowers.
Through studying the life cycle of a butterfly, preteens are also able to see the changes and cycles of their own life, and the process of growing up. They see themselves reflected in the egg, larva, pupa, and adult butterfly, reminding them to not rush ahead. Experiencing tangibly the stages of development lends itself to understanding the need for patience to grow up; everything comes in its time.
FIELD TRIPS
Some of the best experiences FSM offers for kids, teens, and adults are field trips. Students of all ages are given an opportunity to expand their view of the world, outside of what they know in their small, poverty-stricken community. And of course to eat out at a delicious restaurant!
Previous trips have been to a children’s museum, fire station, dairy factory, hiking trails, corporate hotel offices, mineral springs, petting zoo, trampoline park, bowling alley, and science facilities.
Since 2023, we have begun to incorporate field trips and mission team excursions, providing a unique cultural experience for short-term mission teams. The relationships and bonds that have formed as a result of these trips between ticos and gringos have made a lasting impact in the lives of individuals and communities.
The Turquoise Table®
One day in Austin, TX, Kristin Schell put a picnic table in her front yard, painted it turquoise, and began inviting neighbors to hang out. A new concept of hospitality unfolded, and before long The Turquoise Table® led to a movement of ordinary people who long to create community right where they live. At FSM, we saw the need for parents to have a place to visit and grow in community while their kids were attending programs. We now have 3 tables that foster community and connection, bringing The Turquoise Table® to Costa Rica.