la pura vida - costa rica

After one week in Costa Rica, I’m in love. The people, places, and surroundings are beautiful. Only on the second day I began to see God shine through smiles, stories, and nature. In the Café we work at, our boss Mirna, told me of how although her and her 2 daughters live in a one bedroom apartment, her ex-husband doesn’t support her, she has numerous medical problems, along with tragic family issues, she gives thanks to God that she’s alive. It never ceases to amaze me when I come across stories like this – how thankful people are even in tough situaitons.

We work in an awesomely cute coffee shop nextdoor to where we live Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8-4. We volunteer Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at CEPIA teaching english/art classes to a 4th grade class. This organization helps empower impovrished local (Tico) kids in the area, teaching them everything from envronmentaly friendly practices to computer classes to swim classes. Its organizations like these that we really feel like we’re making a difference in the kids lives.

During the nights we’re also busy. Mondays we go see our friend play guitar at a local restarunt, Tuesdays we lead a Tico VBS, Wednesdays we have youthgroup with the local gringos, Thursdays we head out for more live music, Fridays we have a Tico spanish youth group. We’re are incredibly busy, and our days are packed, but we love every minute of it!

One thing we’ve definetly learned, like in Jamaica is to be flexible and take things as they come. Plans usually don’t work out exatlcy the way you want them to, buses never come on time (or at all), and usually we get caught in a downpour walking home. It’s these moments where we have to be patient, laugh, and move on. There’s never room for frusteration.

One thing that I love here is that we have friends! The locals are so welcoming towards us fresh meat interns. After youth group one night we piled 11 people into a 5 seater car and drove down the road for ice crem. It’s moments that those that we’ll remember because of the purity in fellowship we felt with people from completely different backgrounds. I can’t wait to continue to learn and grow more over the next few weeks!

Here are a few pictures!
The Outside of CAFE CAFE

Our Cabina


The Group