Day 4 from Rachel

Today was the last day working with the church. We started the day off clearing the grass off the lot where there will be an Awanas Club. Then, after eating an absolutely delicious lunch of fried fish, rice, and beans prepared for us by our extremely generous hosts, we spent our last day with the Costa Rican children. Over the last few days we have grown close with some of the kids and saying goodbye to them was hard. Every one of the kids radiates so much joy and love. Their attitude and character impressed me so much. Many of them live in houses composed of mismatched pieces of tin and don’t know when their next meal will be. Despite the uncertainty in their lives, they always showed up happy and ready to play. When it was time for snacks, they would wait patiently in line and offer to share their food even though many of them may not have eaten that day. Their love and acceptance of us “gringos” was something I hadn’t really expected. It sounds silly, but I have always been a little bit wary or anxious around little kids, but these kids completely took away those feelings. Despite the language barrier, we really connected with them. The way they acted towards us would make one think we knew them their entire lives. They have given me a renewed perspective on life. After spending days with them, I realized how blessed I am and how little the “problems” in our lives that I care so much about really are. They have certainly changed us for the better and I pray that our time with them will leave just as much of an impact on their lives. This trip seems way too short and I can only hope some of us can connect with them again. I am so grateful to have gone on this trip and pray the best for these kids that we have come to love.