Hotel Tamarindo Diria Beach and Golf Resort Guests Here On a Mission

Volunteers from Apopka, Florida, were in Tamarindo and Villareal during the week of July 5^th, providing free dental care for local residents unable to pay. In addition, they assisted selected families with clothing and home improvements, as well as offered classes of crafts and stories for children.

The guests, who are from the Apopka Seventh-day Adventist Church in Florida, began coming here about six years ago, and over this time they have painted schools and a medical clinic in Villa Real as well as distributed clothing to the poor. This is the third visit by Daniel Quevedo, DDS, who has provided free dental care to more than 150 children and adults.

Back in Florida, the other volunteers are retired or do work as nurses, property managers, auto mechanics, and information technology specialists, but when they come to Tamarindo, they are missionaries to the people of Costa Rica. This year, in addition to the free dental clinic – which saw close to 60 patients – they enlarged the kitchen of a home in Villa Real, hosted two Vacation Bible Schools every day, and gave away about 30 pair of reading glasses and clothing.

“We like the Tamarindo area because of its natural beauty and friendly people,” said Scott Shelton, mission leader, who enjoyed surfing in the early morning hours before having breakfast at The Hotel Tamarindo Diria Beach and Golf Resort and getting ready to go out into the community to help people.

“But we also see some needs here,” he adds. “My church in Florida agreed several years ago to sponsor an outreach effort here, and we have been coming ever since …Our lives will never be the same!”