Off days in Costa Rica were super fun. The first was spent zip-lining through a cloud forest on a volcano; and the second was an unexpected roadtrip.
Both left me speechless, but the roadtrip was something I'll never forget. 🙂
It started when Jes and I decided to stay home from a beach trip so we could save a little money (Costa Rica was expensive!). But the day before the trip, plans fell through and Jennie invited us to go visit her cousins ranch in the secluded mountain town of San Isidro. The trip would take 3 buses and 4 hours, but the promise of a home cooked meal, and a weekend in the mountains convinced me pretty quickly.
The next day we set out and although all the shops were closed for Holy Week, the buses still appeared to be running; or so we thought. We caught the first two without a problem, but at the third, we were stopped by a man saying “closed closed!” in a thick Spanish accent.
The only bus station that could take us 3 hours into the mountains was closed for the week.
Thankfully a posse of eager taxi drivers scrambled to drive us for the “low” price of $140 USD. I looked at Jennie and apologized. She had chosen the two people on the team who didn’t want to spend very much money that weekend. I didn't have much money to offer, so I prayed for favor: that God would make a way where there wasn't one.
After talking to her cousin Julie on a cab drivers phone, Jennie announced that she still wanted to go and would cover the cost with some help from Julie. She passed the phone back to it's owner so he could get directions for where to drop us off.
After a few minutes, the man suddenly said, “Julie?! Julie Foster?!” His eyes widening in disbelief.
Jennie, Jess and I just looked at each other in confusion. The driver, equally confused, looked at his friends, shook his head and said, “Julie es mi amiga!”
I was lost for words.
Of all the taxi drivers in the capital city of San Jose, we happened to meet Carlos, the taxi driver who was good friends Jennies cousins. It turns out they were on a first name basis and Julie called him often for rides to and from San Jose.
That is much more than a coincidence!
So with a new friend we set off on our adventure into the mountains.
We laughed a lot.
Saved a woman who accidentally locked herself in a bathroom at the gas station.
Watched the sunset from the top of a mountain.
Ran down the highway to take pictures of the vallys.
And finally made it to Jennies cousins house hours later.
The weekend was amazing.
We dirtbiked. Swam in a river. Hiked through the forest and swung on vines. Ate home cooked meals!!! Visited horses! Swam in a pool. Had hot showers (dear goodness, that was glorious because our shower water must have come from the North Pole that month). I read Divergent. Did a puzzle. Danced in the rain. And had deep conversations late into the night with good friends.
By the time Saturday rolled around I didn’t want to leave.
And we almost couldn't!
When we tried to buy our bus tickets back, the line was wrapped around the building twice, so Julie called Carlos again and he drove all the way back to pick us up and take us home.
Julie and her husband graciously helped us pay for both taxis as a way to support Jennie in her World Race trip and Carlos surprised us with a roadtrip along the coast instead of through the mountains!
Palm trees gradually replaced evergreens and the crisp mountain air became heavy with salt and moisture. An hour in Carlos pulled over and let us run down to the ocean to take pictures and put our feet in the water. A little later we stopped at a scenic overlook, and later a bridge that overlooked 300 crocodiles in the river below!
It was my first roadtrip and I couldn’t think of a better place to have it.
If we had given up when we saw the big old "closed" sign, we would have missed out on a great adventure. But God knows the plans He has for us, and they are always good, because He is good.
So I challenge you to pray for favor in the hard situations, and don't lose hope! Ask Him for His blessing, because God is the giver of good gifts and He is able to do all things! Especially the impossible. 🙂
Be blessed today!
Love, Chelle
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
~ Luke 11: 11-13
