We met Fabio when we went to the local park in Barva, Costa Rica, to play basketball with the kids. He was their coach and acted as our ref while we played with them for two hours. He is such a sweet kind man, he takes time out of his day for these kids. After we played, he gave us one of his basketballs so we could play with the kids at the church we were staying at. Such a small deed of generosity can go a long way and impact so many people.
Juan is a worker in Granada, Nicaragua. He works as the lead builder of a concrete wall being built around the property for a school. This wall will provide safety for the children of the Christian school being built on the 50 acre property. Juan works 8-9 hours a day in the blazing sun building this wall with only two other helpers. While we were there he took time out of his job to show us how to effectively dig roots, machete weeds and sharpen machetes. Thank you Juan for your dedication and hard work! When I see you working so hard throughout the day in the heat, it pushes me to work harder!
Carolina is a women we met in Roatan, Honduras. She is a mother of five boys who makes her living by selling clothes (or anything she can get her hands on) on the side of the road. She had two goals in life:
1. Be a missionary
2. Write a book on her life
With the help of Mr. Harrision (a teacher at the school we were with), she wrote the book on her life called The Darker Side of Paradise. (This can be bought on Amazon for $10, and all proceeds go to her and her family) Carolina suffered from polio when she was a little girl, and has overcome so much hardship in her life. She was beaten everyday for going to school, she suffered the loss of a son, her house burnt down in a fire and more. Yet she has more faith than most people I have ever met. Her faith and her drive inspires me so much.
Her book talks about the struggles of people who live near the beautiful beaches and resorts us as Americans frequently visit. We see what we are supposed to see, we see the beauty, we see sand beaches, we see the fun, but we don’t see the suffering. Her book is to show us this side and hopes that we will have more understanding and maybe more grace. Eat the local food, buy the handmade gifts, or talk to the people. You might meet some amazing friends, that can mean more than any vacation.
Ok so Dora might not be human, but so much can be learned from her! So much of life is running around, being busy, always looking at the next thing. It is important to slow down. Slow down and enjoy the little things in life: the sun, fresh air, the people around you. It is these little things that make up the majority of our life, yet are often overlooked. Watching how slow Dora moved reminded me how I need to do that in my own life. Slow down, take it in, enjoy what is in front of you.
We met Guillermo during house visits in Costa Rica. He is 82 years old, 50 years sober and still works so hard! His smile was infectious, and he was always so excited to share his story with us. He still works so hard doing odd jobs people have for him, and he picks coffee at the local fields. He allowed our team to come meet him one morning and he showed us how to pick coffee. The red and black ones are ripe, and are the ones you pick. You have to be sure to not drop any of them on the ground, or you look wasteful. Thank you Guillermo for the great stories and for teaching us the art of picking coffee!
Danny is a seven year old boy who lives on the island my squad traveled to in Nicaragua. He is one of the most inventive, loving, hard working children I have ever met! While we were there, he made his own head lamp after seeing ours, and helped us while we built a church on the property next door. He taught me so much about how important it is to get to know and love the people we meet.
