Today we went to Jaime’s house. Jaime is Eva’s family friend who used to live in Rose Hill, NC but moved back to Costa Rica about 13 years ago. Jaime picked us up at Walmart and as we were going up the road he noticed a problem with his car and quickly made a u-turn into an auto mechanic shop right across the street. He found out his car had overheated and needed coolant. He fervently apologized to Erica, Eva, and I as we waited for the car to cool down. He decided to go buy us ice cream from a nearby Walmart and the customer service worker informed him the there was a small McDonald’s ice cream stand right outside. He returned with soft serve vanilla ice cream with sprinkles. We were floored by his generosity. The ice cream was muy delicioso! We waited a little longer while he called for a ride to no avail. He suddenly remembered that he had seen several taxis outside of Walmart so he once again returned to Walmart to retrieve a taxi. He had the taxi pick us up and we were off! He spoke Spanglish to us as we drove through San Jose to his house. He told us God had told him to turn into the auto mechanic and that he wanted ice cream and God had provided the opportunity to have ice cream and bless us with the treat. When we arrived at his house, we took a picture infront of his banana tree and he informed us that the whole family was inside eagerly awaiting our arrival.
As we entered the house the family stood in a line and welcomed us with warm embraces. Some spoke English while others only spoke Spanish but the love felt the same. Jaime invited us in and proudly showed us the pictures of his ancestors strewn around the living room. My eyes caught sight of a cat and I hurried to pet it. Jaime told us they had 2 cats and I was so happy! I had not seen a domesticated cat since leaving my home and I was so excited to feel it’s soft fur. The cat did not disappoint. He warmed up to me as I stroked his fur. We met the rest of the family and sat down for lunch. We had salad, rotisserie chicken, french baguette, tortillas, potato salad, mini potatoes, and water infused with fruit. The food was delicious and we genuinely complimented the entire meal. Jaime’s sister anxiously awaited her opportunity to present us with her plantain lasagna for dessert. Her lasagna was worth the wait! It was made with plantains, refried beans, and mozzarella cheese. I ate my portion and finished off Eva’s and Erica’s. Jaime’s cousin gave us a shot of nutritional green juice. We oooed and awed over all the food and the two ladies provided us with the recipes and they were even written in English!
After lunch we retired to the living room to exchange stories about our adventures so far. As we sipped on coffee, Jaime told us about how he had smuggled sweet potatoes from NC to Costa Rica and we told him about Nicaragua and the World Race. While we were chatting Erica pointed out a raccoon in the living room and I jumped on a chair as Jaime shooed it out the door. He explained that raccoon’s were becoming more rampant in Costa Rica and they weren’t scared of humans. However, that was the first time one had entered the house. He began to chuckle and thanked Erica for pointing out the raccoon. Erica is very good and pointing out unwanted wildlife as evidenced in a previous post about the mouse in our dorm.
Jaime told us how his family likes to play music from the 60’s and a family member retrieved a record. As the record began to play, Jaime explained that the music reminded him of growing up in this house his father built. My heart was so full. I could envision the family in the past dancing around in the completely wood paneled room and singing along to the time period music. We sang along and eventually Eva and Jaime began to dance. It was a beautiful way to end a lovely day. Since going on this trip, I have never felt as welcome and loved as I did at Jaime’s house. God’s love shone through his actions and I could see it in his smile. The whole family was genuinely so excited to have us and I was filled with joy. I thank God for quality time with his sweet children and that I get to be a part of his family.
