On June 12th, you sent us off to have a soul stirring, heart healing, life changing, turn your world upside down kind of experience. And that is exactly what we did!

I’ve done of few of these now and I’ve learned that there are several pieces that need to be in place for everything to come together in a meaningful way. I have never witnessed a service trip come together in quite this way. God’s hand was visible in every part.

From the way the group bonded and connected from the very beginning. In the way we were so well taken care of by Jose Vargas of Ruta Verde Travel and most of all in the people we were blessed to meet and help.

The plan was for us to complete three projects over four days. Our large group (43, remember!) worked so well, and so fast that we were able to complete four projects in three days! This meant that we were able to return to each of the sites and see the completed projects. This was important because we had split into smaller work groups and rotated through each project. Let me tell you a little about the work we did.

Iglesia Bethel Mahanalm is a small church that needed some help with a big job. Six of our group, headed by two wonderful men, helped to moved seven tons of material and create a much needed, new cement walkway.

At La Escuela De Cacao – the Chocolate School – we brightened up the entry way with some orange paint. The small school has grown in just the past year from 50 to 180 students because so many families have moved from Nicaragua. This school is a special project of the Parkside UCC. They ‘adopted’ it during one of their recent trips and have worked hard on maintaining it. They are currently fundraising to be able to build new bathroom facilities. Right now there is only one for boys, one for girls, and one for teachers! This was a difficult job, first cleaning all the metal and chain link, and then painting, much of it from ladders. Four of our groups were lucky enough to be there during the school day and visited with the students. Lots of items were brought by our kids and shared with the students. Bubbles and friendship bracelets were a big hit but mainly the students of La Escuela De Cacao enjoyed interacting with our youth and much English and Spanish was taught and learned by all!

La Posada de Belen – The Inn of Bethlehem – is a beautiful organization that protects, houses, and educates young teenage mothers. The girls are brought here through Child Protective Services and so many have experienced abusive situations in addition to dealing with the prospect of single motherhood. The youngest girl there was 12 years old. The organization was begun by Mother Theresa and supported by private donations and some money from the government. The mamas live in rooms with two or three other mamas and their babies. They receive counseling job training, and tutoring. While they are occupied with their busy schedules, volunteers come to sit with their babies and play with their toddlers. We had the big job of painting and varnishing their dining hall but I’m sure that anyone from the group would tell you that the best part was interacting with the mamas and playing with the babies! It was quite obvious that our hard work and baby clothes brought by some of the youth to be donated were much appreciated. But I think, as the week went on, what was most beautiful to watch was the interaction of the mamas and our youth. At first they were shy but as they realized that we were there to get to know  them and not to judge them they opened up more and more. Connections were made and some of the young mothers are now friends with our youth on Facebook! These young women were an inspiration to all of us.

The project that most affected everyone on the trip was Hogar El Buen Samaritano – the House of the Good Samaritan. This ministry was begun by Kattia Herrera and some of her friends. Kattia was 22 years old when she decided that she needed act out her faith. They needed to do more than talk about being followers of Jesus; they needed to be his hands and feet in this world. They wanted to provide a refuge for those people in Costa Rica who fell through the cracks. They wanted to provide a place for these people to receive help, food, shelter, and sometimes a warm place at the end of their lives where they were surrounded by people who cared instead of alone on the streets. They were told by many that it was impossible, there wasn’t enough money, there wasn’t the support, it couldn’t be done, THEY WERE TOO YOUNG. But Kattia and her friends realized two things: First, if they waited until there was enough money, until everything was in place, if they waited until they could do it the way it was “supposed to be done”, it would never happen. They also realized, and Kattia shared this quite emphatically with our group, that GOD TRUSTS YOUNG PEOPLE. God depends on young people to use their imagination, energy, ideas, and hearts to do the work that others think can’t be done.

Today, without any funding or support from the government Hogar El Buen Samaritano houses 38 men and feed, clothe and provide showers for many others on a weekly basis. They provide a place where people who are ill and at the end of their lives can die in peace, and surrounded by love. They rely on private donations and Kattia told us that most of their food donations come from neighbors dropping off a bag of groceries. We were blessed with the opportunity to brighten up and paint several rooms in this wonderful place.

This isn’t an easy place to be. The residents are struggling, disabled in terrible ways. You can see the parable playing out – many people stepping past the traveler lying on the road, unable to deal with him or even look at his injuries. But then you look past the ugliness, the sadness and you feel the love in this place - a love that comes from God, through Kattia, and extends to every person who walks through the door. The residents of Hogar El Buen Samaritano aren’t pretty, or, at first sight very snuggly like the babies at La Posada de Belen. But here you learn about a love that recognizes that nothing is more important than giving a hug to a person who needs it, for as long as that hug is needed, that truly listening to someone who has spent a lifetime being ignored is a powerful act of love, that spending an afternoon stroking a dying man’s forehead is the most productive afternoon a human being can have. Kattia Herrera showed us all what it means to be God’s hands and feet and heart in this world.

We are challenged in our faith journeys to look at what is possible, do as we are capable, to be God’s hands and feet in this world. We just need to open our imagination up to what we are truly capable of. Remember, God trusts young people – you don’t have to wait until you’re older to create change. And the rest of us – it is never too late to search out and embrace soul stirring, heart healing, life changing, turn your world upside down kind of experiences. A planet that is greener, a world where all are fed, a society that accepts diversity, a world where no one is left to die alone, a place of peace and harmony for all. These are achievable if only we are open to respond to God’s call and then take action.

We are forever grateful for your support of this adventure. Know that you were well represented in Costa Rica. These young people did you proud!