First Baptist Church of Troy is, once again, fielding a mission trip to Costa Rico during the Christmas holiday season. The team of 26 left Tuesday afternoon for Esparzol, Costa Rica to return on Dec. 23, just in time for Christmas.

Anela Culpepper, minister of children’s activities at First Baptist, said this mission trip is the second wintertime trip the church has sponsored.

“Last year, Jose and Leda, who are missionaries to Esparzol, asked if First Baptist would like to sponsor a team to come to the village and pass out shoeboxes to the children,” Culpepper said. “In just a few minutes, we had 20 volunteers. We have kept in contact with Jose and Leda and are looking forward to being with them again.”

Culpepper said the purpose of the mission trip is to share the Gospel of Jesus with the villagers.

“We share the Gospel in all that we do,” Culpepper said. “That includes the giving of gifts, hosting Christmas parties, singing songs, playing soccer. All that we do.”

And everything the team does seems to take on and even more special meaning at Christmastime.

“There’s no more meaningful way to experience the joy of the season than to see the light in the eyes of children when they receive their first toy ever,” said Stephanie Baker, who is making the second Christmastime trip to Costa Rica with her eight-year-old daughter, Campbell. “The mission trip last year put a face on poverty for all of us who went. I didn’t realize what poverty looked like until then.”

Campbell said the villagers live in shanty shacks constructed of wood and metal scraps, cardboard, fencing and any other scarps of material that can be used as protection from the elements.

“We saw what poverty is really like,” Culpepper said.

The mission team will host a Christmas party for the villagers, visit an orphanage, distribute shoebox-type gift bags to the children and do anything that is asked of them during their stay.

“Last year, we constructed eaves on a house,” Culpepper said. “So, if there is a need in the village and we can supply that need, we will gladly do it.”

Culpepper also said one of the joys of the mission trip is seeing the excitement of the children who receive the gift bags.

“For most of these children, these gift bags will be all they get for Christmas,” she said. “We get more joy in giving than they do in receiving. At the Christmas party that the team hosts, we’ll read a Christmas story to the children in Spanish, play games, paint faces and probably even have ice cream.”

Campbell Baker is the youngest member of the mission team, but she is a seasoned member.

Campbell made friends with some of the village children last year, and her hopes are that she will see them again during this year’s trip.

“I like giving the shoeboxes to the children,” she said. “I made my own boxes. I put in baby dolls, soap and toothpaste, and I hope they like it all.”

Campbell said she will stay up late because she wants to enjoy everything about the trip.

“Everything except the rooster,” she said. “Jose and Leda have a rooster, and it clucks all the time. That’s the only thing I don’t like.”

The mission team left Troy around 4 p.m. Tuesday, and will return to Troy on Dec. 23.