Calvary Chapel Port Saint Lucie - Lima, Peru Mission 2009 from Les Lanphere on Vimeo.

It's About Time I Got Recognized!

In Lima, Peru there are no vans, only combis, which is a van.....Don't ask.....

It's about time that I was actually recognized here in Lima. Watch out, I'm somebody!

Never Thought The Day Would Come

While on a recent trip into the Amazon jungles I came across this baby anaconda. Yes, this is a real snake, and yes I really kissed it. Might not be the smartest thing I've ever done, but hey, at least it makes for a great story a few years from now.

They say that after this size anacondas become agressive and don't like to be picked up. I guess you can kinda relate it to human teenagers. They're all cute and nice until they get to middle school, then they just become to cool for school and at times, just down right nasty.

Might not be the greatest comparission, but that's what I felt when I picked up this beast of a snake.

Ben Howard-Keep Your Head Up

Ben Howard-Empty Corridors

Summer Concert Series

Awareness Summer Concerts

Playing for Change - No More Trouble

Playing for Change - Stand by me

Playing for Change - Amazing Video

Huanuco 2009

National Hi -5 Day!

Today in Lima was the National Hi-5 day! Everyone was asked to give their fellow neighbor and good O'l fashion Hi-5. Good times! 

I love this city!

Huanuco Missions Photos

Click HERE to see all the Huanuco Missions photos

Living the Dream

Andies Pass at 15,805 feet

I smell cookies!

My last name is Cook, so I figured I would learn to cook at the CCBC campus kitchen. As you can see the oven mit didn't come out the way I was planning, and pink really isn't my color. Come by next week, we're making toast!

Calm Before the Storm

On the way to church Sunday morning my friend Charles and I stopped off at a local riot about to begin here in downtown Lima. Looks like it was going to be a fun day of looting and people beating. Never a dull moment in South America!

Hi 5!

This guy had been standing here all day long, so I decided to give'm a Hi 5!

P.s You should have seen the evil stares from the people standing out front of the Catholic Church across the street

Catacomb Tour

Click HERE to see all the grewsum photos

You know you are in South America when.......

What the.......?

Ok, this is just about the coolest little taxi thing I've ever seen! You should of heard this thing go by, the speakers were just cranked to the max!! I was laughing so hard when I took the photo that I could barely hold the camera straight.

I'm seriously at a loss of words.......

First photos ~ San Juan, Lima Peru

After being here in Lima Peru for just under three weeks I was finally able to get my feet grounded in what's going to be the next few years of ministry. I'll be posting many more photos hopefully this week, so stay tuned. So far though things are looking good. I'll be working in the barrio of San Juan which claims they're last recorded rain fall was back in 1963!! Can you believe that!!?? After getting there and walking around I could start to see how it might be true. I think this might be the driest place on earth!

I'm definitely looking to seeing some big things to come here in the year to come. The Lord's already at work, and I'm excited to be here.

More to come, PROMISE!!!

Views of Lima, Peru

The entire city of Lima sits atop of miles of cliffs and shore line. It's summer right now here in Peru, and although it's pretty hot and the humidity is high, the ocean breeze keeps things cooled off.

So far, I love the city of Lima and the country of Peru. The people, the food, the culture is just so different compared to Costa Rica. I just can't get over how amazing South America is.

Count on more pictures to come!!!

P.s I should have come down here long ago! This place is amazing!

I made it to Peru!!!!!

This past Wednesday I flew into beautiful Lima, Peru. Thank you Lord for a safe flight, and let's get ready for the next 2 years of ministry. Over the next few days I'll be posting more photos to come, as I get my bearings a bit more and get out and see what's around me.

Winter time in San Diego, Ca....... Never gets old!

After coming home to San Diego for the month of January, the weather here is always amazing. Here's what the view looks like every day....... It just never gets old!

And you thought your job was hard......

Drugs are good......

So for about a week now I've been battling this stupid sinus infection that just wouldn't seem to go away. For days now I haven't been able to sleep properly, hear, smell or nor taste food. I finally got fed up with it and marched down to the local corner pharmacy. I explained to the lady behind the counter (in Spanish) my symptoms and she came back with this mystery box of medicine.

Man do I love living in foreign countries! She sells me this box of antibiotics and says "you should be fine in a few days". As soon as I got home I Googled the name on the box. Come to find out it's borderline morphine! The medicine she gave me is prescribed to people battling chronic broncytus!

This is some powerful stuff!!! I'll keep you posted on the results!

Chicken soup.......I think...

I wouldn't call this Mom's famous chicken soup, but hey, it's comes in at a close second'sh. Sometimes you just gotta eat what's put in front on you. I'm pretty sure this was chicken, but I couldn't help noticing the house was a few animals shy this particular afternoon.

Mmmmmmmmmm!

theMovement Missions Team

Sorry for the long over due posting on this.

Here's some of the photos from when theMovement Missions team was here in Costa Rica this past summer. In just 6 days the team rebuilt a families home and made significant advances to the Kingdom by working in La Carpio which is one of Costa Rica's most notorious ghettos.

Thank you guys once again for all your hard work and dedication to this project.
I can't wait to do it again next year.

Click HERE to view all the photos
(And as always, click "Start Slideshow" when opened)

Young Life; Service project promo-NEW VIDEO

Almost a year ago I began working with Young Life Costa Rica. Here's a service project video I made for them on next years El Salvador outreach project.

Sign up now!

Another cool bus

Man, these cool buses just seem to be popping up everywhere! This one was spotted just outside the fence of Parque Diversiones.

The ultimate chick magnet!

What the......

Can we say sacrilegious.......

But hey, they sure do make your breath fresh!

Watch out! Kevin's got Power Tools!

Someone take the saw away from that guy! Life and limb was spared this day, thank the Lord.

(No guarantees on the neighbor's cat though)

Trail-side worship at it's best!

You never know when your going to come across a random guy just dying to preach to Good Word. And it just so happens he had his own worship band.

Rock the nation brother!

Bridge in La Carpio is finally rebuilt

Before


After

After seeing countless people (myself included) fall through the infamous La Carpio bridge, a missions group from the US came and finally rebuilt it.
Thanks guys!

They always did say, "If the fall didn't kill you, the water beneath would"!

Cool bus!

Where was this thing when I was going to school!!? This bus has Church Youth Group bus written all over it.

All aboard!

Kids of LC

Here's some shots of the local kids in La Carpio one Thursday afternoon after we held a weekly VBS outreach.

Pura Vida

The Nica equivalent of Hank Hill and the gang chewin the fat one late afternoon.

More shots from the La Carpio Project

Welcome to the LC........

Traffic in San José: Cars, motorcycles, buses and....trains?! -NEW VIDEO

While driving to the Hillsong concert Thursday night, Lalo and I found ourselves driving in some very interesting rush hour traffic. When was the last time you got passed by a train?! Let alone everything on the street that night.

And yes, that's Led Zeppelin on the radio! Missionaries can rock out to ya know!

Good times in downtown San Jose....

Costa Rican Christmas tree

She's really filled in these last few years. White Christmas? I think not.....

The Harley-Ped!!

Watch out kiddies! That's my new 160cc snarling fire-breathing Vespa right there. Hey, with gas prices these days, I was about to ride my lawn mower!

Basket Coming soon!

theMovement Missions - NEW VIDEO

This past summer we spent a lot of time in an area off the Carribean coast of Costa Rica in a village called Tortuguero. As the first preparation trip went well, I soon after had my brand new video camera stolen, resulting in half this movie shot in still frame.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did being there....

Holy Rollers - NEW VIDEO

Who would have thought a skateboard would bring so much joy and hope to such a impoverished neighborhood. Here the skate team aka the Holy Rollers skate the streets of La Carpio.

Story behind the Hymn: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Not totally sure why I blogged this movie. Probably because this old hymn simply rocks my soul.

Enjoy......

Animals at La Paz

The animals here are some of the most exotic and beautiful in the whole world. Have you ever watched those nature shows on TV that talk about poisonous frogs that make you hilusonate if ever touched? Well here you go! These little critters might look cute, but you won't be saying that when you're chasing unicorns through the jungle.

La Paz water falls

The La Paz water falls are an amazing place. Settled deep in the tropical rain forest of Central Costa Rica. The water falls gardens offer a self guided tour that allows you to come face to face with the countries most beautiful scenery and wild life.

Faces of the market

This collection of photos had been shot in a small open market in the small village of signatupeci in northern Honduras. Some of the people I saw this day left a deep impression upon me. Sometimes words just can't explain what the eye see's.

To view all the photos in a slide show, click HERE, then ''Start Slideshow"

Summer update

This past summer I had the chance to come home to San Diego and share with my home church what's been happening this year in Costa Rica. Thank you once again everyone for your help and support. There's always opportunity for help, so if your feeling called, please don't hesitate to call!

Zip lining in Costa Rica

They say you go faster when you're in pairs, but thank you for your concern on two men zip lining hand in hand.

This was an opportunity of a life time! While theMovement Missions team was here in Costa Rica this past August, the team treated me to something I've always wanted to do, Zip-lining! Thank you guys again for such a thrilling departing present!

Hike to Cerro de Cruz

What an awesome hike this is. If you're ever in the Santa Ramon area with a few hours to kill, you gotta hike to the cross. This day my good friends Fransisco, Kelon and myself made the trek. The view of San José is absolutely breath taking, a must see!

If you look close, you can see me standing at the foot of the cross

Honduras road trip

I just got back from one of the wildest road trips ever! Click HERE to view the all the random photos.

(For best viewing, after opening the link, click "Start Slideshow")

I'm thinking "caption contest"

There's just something cool about waking up thinkin eggs for breakfast,..... but this is just to fresh!

Funny.............I didn't feel very welcome!

After 5 hours and being beat with bamboo sticks, my finger nails pulled out with a pair of pliers, then a physical exam not worth mentioning, they told me they had the wrong guy. Naaaaw just kidding!

I was just really bored at the Nicaraguan border one day, and asked these guys to try out there new shinny hand cuffs me.

Good times.......

Power to the poor people of the world!

Heck yes! I'm on this guy's campaign trail for sure!
Apparently more then just myself is tired of eating rice and beans every meal!

And you think you have it bad in California!

Try filling your tank in Nicaragua! You'll have to take out a loan! While on a recent trip up into Nicaragua, we noticed the price of gas was a little on the steep side. Come to find out the currency in Nicaragua was called the Cordobas, and was worth about the same as the US Dollar.

I think this is what they call sticker shock!

Passengers please prepare for..........your food?

We found this place just a few mile outside of Manuel Antonio. Pretty cool restaurant ehe? The thing that kept making me scratch my head was, Costa Rica doesn't, and hasn't ever had an army. So how and where the heck did this thing come from?! The plane you see sits right at the end of this small peninsula under the thick jungle canopy.

So where did this DC-10 come from? There isn't a air-strip within a hundred miles of this place. Who knows.....

I love this country!

You never know who you're going to run into down here. Come to find out this is my mom's hair dresser's, second cousin's sister's gardener's brother named Chepe from when they lived in New Jersey, before they moved to Ohio.

Man, what a small world ehe!

It's got that small church feel.....

This church is actually smaller in person. The Jesus crucifiction is about the size of a doll. And with only 3 pews, Sunday services always seem packed out!

Clear for takeoff......Roger that....

To view the entire slide show of the Tortuguero Missions project, please click HERE. When opened, simply click "Start slideshow".

Cross making day in Tortuguero

Today was cross making day in Tortuguero. While on a outreach here this past summer, our team hosted a VBS were we helped kids construct custom crosses.

There's just something about these shots that just make the whole missions experience worth it.

Chase the Kevin!

This what it's all about right here. While on a recent trip into Tortuguero I found myself being chased by some of the local kids.

Man, I love my job!

A good old fashion wheel barrel race

I live for VBS outings that end in an old fashion wheel barrel race. Some of the locals thought I was sand bagging the race, but after a quick look at the instant replays on the jumbo-tron, the officials said I was legal.

And yes........I won!

Flying into Tortuguero can be tricky!

Manly because there's NO AIRPORT!

Just an 80 year old asphalt runway in the middle of the jungle, O' and maybe a tree or two to slow you down.

O' the good times in the jungle.......

Bracelet making day in La Carpio!

Today we made bracelets in La Carpio. I was actually play wrestling with this kid a few seconds before we started filming, so if it looks like I'm being rough, I'm not. We're just playing.

Bloods vs Crips?

Nope, just trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Tortuguero is one of the hottest and muggiest places I've ever been to in Costa Rica. Yes, that's sweat drenching my shirt. I should of wore white!

The Bible says all have fallen shorts?

I love this clip. I've found myself doing the same thing, but in Spanish, so I have a good excuse.

What's yours?

Volcan School Outreach

What an amazing experience this was. Schools in Panama and Costa Rica are very open to having Missionaries and Pastors visit their schools and share the Word Many times the principles of the schools would arrange multiple assemblies for all the kids to attend.

Can't do that in the US!

Last days.......

In missions, your always saying good-bye. This afternoon in particular marked a very special moment in all our lives. For the last 4 months this small group of missionaries have changed the face in Missions in La Carpio. It was great while it lasted, but the Lord's got different plans for each one of us.

A moment frozen in time.....

I just love this shot. Late afternoon in La Carpio. This kid and his bird love just hanging out in front of the door. Well, at least I thought it was a cool shot.

A word from Lalo......

This part of La Carpio is in fact one of the most dangerous parts of the whole country. Yes that's right, not city, but country. The tabloids are constantly giving this place a bad rap, as they can. But the plan with Lalo is to change that,.....
one kid at a time.

Small update from La Carpio

Kevin Cook and Lalo de La Carpio, coming to you live from the LC. Just hanging out in the ghetto one late afternoon giving it our best news reporter impression.

(News casters voice)
We'll be back in a moment after a quick word from sponsors.......

Tortuguero is an amazing place

The missions team coming here in June is going to have a great time! I was out in Tortuguero preparing for the team coming from the US this summer. The plan of attack is to rebuild a church and school house. Being that the only way in or out of Tortuguero is by plane, transportation of the supplies is going to be very tricky.

Keep this in prayer!

Internet is everywhere these days!

There's even Internet deep in the jungles of Tortuguero! Wow, now that's just weird. Let me guess, all the locals started carrying around Blackberry's to right?

The little wormie that could........

Sure was a cool little critter.

I sat for almost 30 minutes watching this small worm crawl across the jungle floor, then over this log then back into the jungle.

I wish I was able to get more footage of him. He was really scootin along!

Youth in Costa Rica

Call it what you will, these kids are hungry for mud, fun and God! Watch out everyone, cuz here they come!!!

La Montana Youth Camp Costa Rica 2008

Here's some pretty sweet footage from this years Wyldlife Camp at La Montana Christian Camp. The mud course was by far the highlight of the trip! Enjoy...

Adventures in fishing.........while not fishing.

Never a dull moment with "Lalo the Great". In this short clip he fills us in with a little well needed commentary during our fishing trip in the Tortuguero lagoon.

Thanks Lalo!

The one that got away.......

During my last pre-missions trip into Tortuguero, I was able to do some amazing fishing. This is definitely the one that got away. It was thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big!

I'm still telling fish stories!

"I say", are you a chicken hawk son?

During our Thursday afternoon skate session in La Carpio, we stumbled across the cartoon character Foghorn Henery!

Dead serious, this thing look just like him! Some say steroids, but I just say a solid healthy diet. It may be hard to tell from the video, but this thing was the biggest nastiest chicken~hawk~thing I've ever seen!

I'll keep you posted on any upcoming cock fight victories.......

Mmmmmmm frutas!

Some times fruit from different parts of the world don't always look like the fruit you buy in your local grocery store. These little red "bulbs" are called Mamo Chinos. They're as sweet as candy, but be careful, cuz eating to many of them will result in some well spent time in the bano.

Supercross comes to Costa Rica

This past Saturday night got about as random as it gets. Saturday night in San Jose played host to the first ever Costa Rican Supercross. The event was held at the Saprissa Soccer stadium, and turned out to be a huge hit! Supercross stars and crazy man Travis Pastrana alike flew all the way down for the event.

The security ended up mistaking my friend Lalo and I as friend of Travis and gave us all access! Whoops!

The place was packed out with crazed Latin fans cheering on whom ever was in 1st place. Who says missionaries can have fun!!!

Working with cross-cultural medical teams in Costa Rica

This was an amazing time to see the Lord's hand at work. A team of American and Latin doctors working together to form a make shift hospital in a near by elementary school. People from around the area would come to be healed both physically and spiritually. After tending to the patients, our group made available classrooms to share the Word of God to the needy.

Sharing the good word in La Carpio

La Carpio is home to the newest avenue of outreach I've been able to be involved in here in Costa Rica. Truly a life changing area to be able to share the good news.

Dinner is served!!

In the field, meals can come any kind of form. Here's a few shot's of some of the meals and soon to be meals I've had the pleasure of helping to prepare then partaking in.

Construction of the Talamanca hospital

These last few months, church teams and missionaries alike have gone out of their way to help construct what has become one of the most impressive hospitals I've seen yet. Based on the idea of going totally "Green" this hospital was planned and constructed in a natural preserve to reach indigenous tribes in the Talamanca mountain range.
The hospital is totally echo friendly, and has already blended into the surroundings. The tribes this hospital is reaching has already been considered a major medical missions break through.

But getting there can be the hardest part.

Chicos

Local kids coming to the base to hear the Good Word, and eat some lunch at our newly launched Light Food Kitchen.

Language school or Prision?

With the crime rate on the rise here in San Jose, people have begun adding a little extra security. I have a funny feeling my language school took it a little to far with their fences though.

Blessed are the feet

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

R.I.P Hermie

For those of you who have known or heard me speak about my pet bull Hermon, aka Hermie, he's no longer with us. Well, he's with me, in my belly..... because we ATE HIM!!!! And he tasted great! O' come on! What did you think we were going to use him for? A 800lbs lawn mover? R.I.P Hermie, we'll miss you and your crazy shananaginz! If I get enough requests, I'll post the BBQ photos. Mmmmmmm Hermie Tacos!

Costa Rican fast food!

Ever wondering what fast food looks like in other countries? Well, here you go! This is the Cafeteria Los Chespiritos #1 off the Interstate I-1. They'll make anything you want, and fast! As along as it's pancakes and meat. The simplicity of the menu kinda reminded me of In-N-Out Burger back home. Do you think this qualifies for the Adkins diet? Ya, me neither...
The ordering kinda goes like this. Mmmmm......... can I have.........a..........pancake....... &........meat please?

Cool Baptism with AMCA Youth Group

When I'm not running through the jungles of Panama, or sharing the Word to lost souls on the mountain tops. I step back a few steps and help serve as a youth leader with the AMCA youth group. The groups mainly made up of Missionary kids who's parents are serving here in Costa Rica. It's truly been an amazing opportunity to be able to serve with these youth.

New gym membership

Who needs a gym membership when you have two coffee cans, rebar and some extra cement? Here, my self and Josue get in a morning work out. 1-2-3....

Crazy buses in Panama City

Panama City has no shortage of culture and flavor, and many times it's expressed just about everywhere. Here's a look at 1 of about 500 identical flavorish buses in the downtown area.

I can hear the thyme to "Low-Rider" from here!

California on fire produces best surf of all time

One of the most tragic fires in history swept through California leaving distruction and dispare in it's path. And while this was all happening, the San Ana winds help create some of the best surf in California history. Hardly worth comparing, but still an interesting concept of nature.

Snake -vs- Iguana

It actually wasn't much of a fight at all. After the first round, the Iguana disappeared and the snake went back to sleep. Maybe next time.....

Careful where you swim!

Costa Rica is well know for it's wild life and lush landscapes. But, if you're not careful, you might just end up someone's lunch. This is a well known river just outside the city of Jacó, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

The culture of the city (Panama)

Panama City is one of the richest cultural cities in the world. With the influence of the canal spreading it arteries across the globe, you can find just about any walk of life through out the city streets, and just about everyone is welcome here.

The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is truly one of man's greatest accomplishments. You can literally sit at the foot of the Flores Locks for hours watching these major vessels pass through.

What year is it? 1608 or 2008

I guess we'll never know.......
Lone fisherman heading home after a long days work.

Me and the homies

Hanging out with some of the gang in La Carpio

Off to school

1st photo:The school has one school bus that comes about every other hour. Sometimes, kids get restless and decide to take the school taxi, which is tied to the tree on the left side of the photo.

Schools in Central America are very open to pastors and missionaries coming in to share the word of God. Matter of fact, we've had Principals of schools, literally call and ask us to bring our teams in. When this happens, we’ve seen multiple times, hundreds of youth make a commitment to follow Christ. It’s a very-very powerful sight to see.

Bocas del Toro

This was part of an amazing trip out team took to evangelize with the Naso Indian tribe on the Northern most past of Panama. Bocas del Toro is located about a days canoe paddle up a river that eventually flows out in the Caribbean Ocean, which is just a few miles below. The small structure in the large photo is a church the tribes people built, and the smaller grass hut in the pastors home.

Friday....

On the final, and last day of language school here in San Jose, a few of my very close friends and I went for a celebratory drive into the mountains after graduation. Truly an unforgettable day spent with some of my most closest friends here in Costa Rica. It was one of those days, you just needed to get-out of-town!!

Men at work.....

It's the little things in life that make you laugh! I kept looking for the "How's my driving" bumper sticker, but never did find it. Only in 3rd world countries can you get away with something like this........

Heartbreaker in La Carpio

I think if you were to Google the word "cute", this picture would pop up right beside the definition. While taking this photo, it seemed as if time just stood still. I later talked with this little girls mother, and she had told me they bought this red dress about a week before, and she hasn't taken it off since.

"Hole" in the road

Man O' man, what a crazy day this was! After an awesome weekend praising the Lord in the Talamonca mountains with the AMCA youth group, we had gotten word of a small hole that had formed in the road back into San Jose. With the report coming in just minutes before the groups expected departure, we were a little uneasy knowing the hole that had formed was smack-dab in the only connecting road between the La Cumbre youth camp and San Jose. The hole which had gone unseen until now, kept us stranded in the mountains a whole extra day.
Finally, after a 24 hour stand off, we received word that buses were put in place to escort people from the other side back down the mountain. When wehad started the trek back down the mountain, we were finally able to see the "hole" first hand. Some how with the recent rains, a land slide had taken out this whole section of road, along with 4 homes, a cow and 500 yards of mountain side. You could hardly call this a "hole " in the road!
Our entire group of 80 youth and their belongings had to exit bus number #1, walk across the small sliver of land still attached, (with all their luggage mind you) and board another waiting bus on the other side. Some say, if we were to leave the camp the night we were supposed to two days prier, we would have most likely ran into the hole.
Thank you Lord for watching over us!!!

A trip to Farmers Market

This past Saturday morning a few of us took a trip to the local farmers market. It seemed like anything and everything that grew from the ground could be found here. You can buy anything from fruits, to vegetables, funky meats to weird roots used in local remedies. This was truly an interesting time of picking, sniffing, thumping and raising a weary eyebrow to some of Costa Rica's finest locally grown produce.