Be transformed by serving the needy

LEADERS AND COLLABORATORS

Heidi Ann Michelsen grew up in multicultural Southern California and first went abroad as an exchange student to Germany while in high school. She holds a degree in theology from Valparaiso University where she also completed the humanities honors program. She also holds a master's degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. She has been involved in service learning and community partnership building since 1989, first in El Salvador, and since 1997 in Costa Rica. She loves serving as a bridge to facilitate student learning and sharing her knowledge of Central American history. When she's not busy with Praxis groups she works with Nicaraguan immigrant youth in Pavas, a poor community on the west side of San José, Costa Rica.

Betsy Buchkemper is a Nurse Practitioner with a passion for travel and international healthcare. Medical volunteer and teaching projects have included several trips to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Ecuador, as well as Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi and Papua New Guinea. She received her Masters of Nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and undergraduate degrees in Education and Nursing from Nebraska and Creighton University respectively. Specializing in Emergency and Family Practice, she spent several years as chief flight nurse in a helicopter and fixed wing rescue service, and currently works at the OneWorld Community Health Center in Omaha Nebraska with primarily Hispanic, uninsured, immigrant and/or underserved patients. For her efforts and activism in social justice, peace advocacy and health care issues she was presented by the Church Women United, USA, United Nations Office with their Human Rights Award in 2006. At Praxis she serves as an advisor for the healthcare program.

Dr. Leopoldo Pixley Sinclair was born in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua and came to Costa Rica as a young adult. He holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Costa Rica, and masters' and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Nebraska in Plant Breeding. He has served with the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture as deputy director of Research, as head of the Agronomy Department, Associate Director and on a regional level as head of the Mesoamerican Fitogenetic Network. He taught plant genetics and corn and sorghum cultivation at the National University and the University of Costa Rica for over 25 years. He also was the Head of the Costa Rican Atomic Energy Commission. In his early retirement he currently serves as superintendent of the Costa Rica province of the Moravian Church and with Praxis as a group leader and liaison with communities on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.

Megan Ross grew up in the desert of eastern Washington State. Her first international travel came at 8 years of age on a 3-week trip to New Zealand, which has greatly influenced her desire to travel the world and engage with other cultures. Megan spent a year studying in Tuebingen, Germany and holds a BA in German from Valparaiso University. She worked at a homeless shelter for families with children in Delaware before moving to Seattle, WA to study at the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University where she earned a Master of Arts in Transforming Spirituality. Megan is a photographer and enjoys running and training for marathons. At Praxis she is the photographer and university liaison.

Marco Ruíz Gómez was born in Nandaime, Nicaragua. His mother was illiterate and his father had a sixth grade education. After the death of his parents when he was 11, he moved to Costa Rica, eventually earning degrees in theology (Seminario Bìblico Centroamericano) Political Science (Universidad Nacional) and law (Universidad de San José). He is a practicing lawyer and serves as advisor to Praxis on political, social and legal issues. In addition, he serves as pastor in two immigrant communities in San José, Costa Rica.

Anthony Ruíz Loaíciga is a native Costa Rican and is finishing his last semester of a licentiate degree in Electrical Engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica in Cartago. He is an assistant team leader and consultant on appropriate technology and sustainable energy.

Dr. Norma Salazar is a native Costa Rican and received her medical degree from the Universidad Autónoma Centroamericana. For the past 10 years she has served as a primary care physician for the staff of Costa Rica's National University. She serves as staff physician and consultant for Praxis medical teams and loves sharing her passion for medicine with future health professionals.

Sergio Talero, who grew up in Colombia, has lived in Costa Rica since 2001. He is in the process of completing the licentiate degree at the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana, and he plans to go on for a further degree in pedagogy. At Praxis he serves as an assistant group leader and liaison with immigrant communities in Costa Rica. He is married and the father of Juan Felipe. His hobbies include reading, dancing, martial arts, cycling and cooking.

Dr. Leonel Vega Aguirre is Costa Rican and holds degrees in Theology, Planning and Education from universities in Colombia, Germany and the United States. A former Jesuit priest, he currently serves as a curriculum planner for the National Training Institute of Costa Rica, a technical / community college system with over 50,000 students. He also volunteers his time working with Nicaraguan immigrants in Costa Rica, helping them to access educational resources made available by the Costa Rican government.

Hannia Villalobos Martinez, a native Costa Rican, first went to the U.S. as an AFS Exchange student while in high school. She later went on to earn a degree in Social Work from the University of Costa Rica and has practiced social work in low income and rural settings. She has also taught sustainable development practices on the university level. She and her husband Rodolfo were named Farmers of the Year in 2009 by the Ministry of Agriculture for their work in sustainable organic agricultura at their farm in Cartago, Costa Rica. Hannia is a group leader for Praxis and an advisor on sustainable development.

FAITH BASED GROUPS

The experience of being in another culture and in vastly different material circumstances can be a profoundly spiritual journey, even a “conversion.” It may cause one to question many long-held beliefs and bring about a desire for more serious study of scriptural foundations. Issues of war and peace, wealth, poverty and justice all have deep roots in all religious traditions.

Since all the core leaders of PRAXIS are people of faith, we are well suited to working with faith based universities and groups. At the request of the college coordinator, service projects may be carried out with local church or religious groups; issues of faith and religion may be included as topics of study in readings, lectures and reflection questions, and optional worship and devotional experiences may be offered. At PRAXIS we believe that faith, learning and cultures can be brought together to strengthen one´s faith commitment as well as to bring about a more just society.

In a world where cultures interact with each other more every day, and where issues of faith and justice only get more complex, the Praxis Center provides experiential and academic opportunities for living out and thinking through these potentially difficult issues.  At the Praxis Center, we believe that action, faith, and cultures can be brought together to strengthen the church and communities.