1. Merry Christmas! Okay, I know it’s not Christmas yet, but we are having Christmas with our host family today. My team is heading to Jaco beach tomorrow for the rest of the month, so it is our last day here. Living in Costa Rica on the volcano of Irazu has been a great experience. We are in the clouds and can watch them blow by. We are freezing, but still having fun. I sleep in my sleeping bag with a blanket and another sleeping bag over top. I never take off my coat. Most of my teammates hop around in their sleeping bags looking like giant peapods. No heat in the house. I go through some hot tea. At least it’s Christmas weather. I will attempt to sum up the last 8 days here.
We are living with a North American family. Jacob and Courtenay moved to Costa Rica in August of 2008. They left their nice home in NC, spent a year in language school to learn Spanish and moved here with their three children. All their children are adorable with curly hair. Benjamin is 9, Lizzy is 7, and Sophia is 5. Courtenay says the most difficult part about leaving the US was leaving family and friends. Their desire was to just live their lives and teach others about God’s grace and love. Many people here are Catholic and believe that salvation is about works. The main thing they teach through numerous Bible studies each week is grace. That no one is “good enough” and can’t work their way to heaven. If they could, there would be no need for Jesus to come and die for their sins. We have had a lot of fun this week with them.
Different members of my team and I have led the Bible Studies at people’s homes. We have helped home school the children and one day we visited a Children’s home. This is run by a couple and the 36 children that live there are like their own children. They have been brought there by the authorities or some have even been left on their doorstep. The children that are there are not eligible for adoption. We just went there and played with the children and were told some of their stories. The one little boy I met named Luis was left on the doorstep of the home when he was about one year old. He had been sexually abused. He is now 9 years old and seems autistic, but so loving. He just enjoyed grabbing my hand and everyone else’s and showing us around. Another little girl was brought to the home, badly beaten by her family. Her legs were broken and there were cigarette burns on her body. They didn’t even think she would survive much less walk again, but she was running around and just wanted to be held. I wanted to cry thinking about what these little ones had been through, but they seem so happy now. I’m so thankful for people like Victor and Melba Guzman that have given their lives to help these children and give then a home. I don’t know how they do it. There were children EVERYWHERE. They will be richly rewarded one day.
“…Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me (Matt. 25:40).”
I worked in the garden a couple days with the other girls on my team. I learned hoeing is hard work and I really like planting. We planted different types of lettuce and tomatoes. We were planting for the man who owns all the land around here. He has a restaurant on the land also and invited us to eat there. There is this big pool that he puts trout in. I went fishing for the first time for my dinner. No, I never caught a fish, but he threw in a net and I still got to eat fish. It was a great meal of fish, potatoes, rice, salad, and plantains. The restaurant is not cheap and is one of the best in Costa Rica. We didn’t expect to eat for free, but he would not let us pay. I guess he figured we worked for our fish.
We are getting ready to pack up yet again and head to the beach in the morning. I’m really excited to be warm again!
