We Are Here! (Saturday, April 4th)

Buenas Dias! We have made it safely to Costa Rica and are already having a fantastic time!

After engaging in great fellowship on the plane, we stepped out into the 85 degree weather eager to go and meet the children. Rolando, our guide for later in the week, met us as the airport to say hello and to make sure our transportation had arrived. He gave us some details for later in the week and told us to be ready for all the awesome things he has in store for us. Then, we loaded the bus and were on our way to Campamento Oikuomene.


Alvaro, one of the camp staff, came to pick us up. For the members of the group who had made this trip last year, it was great to see a familiar face and re-connect. We reminisced about last years trips, as well as heard some funny stories from the recent college trip. We had a great time communicating...Alvaro was working on his English while we were trying to perfect our Spanish. As we ventured through the busy streets of San Jose, many of us took time to sit and "take in" all that was happening around us. Some of the group members had never been out of the US, so this was a big culture shock to them. With the windows down, the smell of burning trash combined with exhuast fumes from the cars filled the air. The "hustle and bustle" of the city was truly felt, from the sounds of the car horns to the street vendors soliciting business.

As soon as we arrived at camp, we dropped off our bags and got to work. The children had been eagerly awaiting our arrival, which was evident by the immediate hugs and show of affection when we greeted them. They were in the middle of a fun game so we hopped right in. It was kind of like the "we got spirit, yes we do" game, only with a mix of "so you think you can dance?!" thrown in. After that, we did some icebreakers and split into 3 teams to practice for a talent show later in the night. We then headed to the futbol slab (you read that right...not a field, but a nice big concrete slab!" for a quick game before dinner. There was a lot of energy and excitement, and the "Ticos," or Costa Ricans, made the Gringos look a little foolish at times :)

Dinner consisted of (you guessed it), rice and beans! It was an awesome time of fellowship and we really had a chance to chat with the children. None of them really speak English except for a word here or there, so it was fun testing our Spanish. We learned that more than half of the children here this weeked are immigrants from Nicauragua. Their parents come to Costa Rica to find work and to establish a better life for their families. After dinner, we immediately started to dance. While there is a laid back atmosphere here, we have already learned one thing....down time = dance time! We boogeyed down for a good while, and then the camp staff had a few funny skits they wanted to perform. After that, the Talent Show began and the 3 teams of campers (with our group members mixed in) performed some funny dances. As we began to wind down for the evening, the camp staff faciliated a teambuilding game/devotion. While it would take way too long to explain, lets just say it was a blindfolded journey that ended with us learning of the love God has for all of his children. Very powerful stuff!

We concluded our evening with the children by roasting marshmellows, making Smores, and singing songs by the campfire. We headed back to our cabin to process the day a bit. We all agreed that these children were very special and had a pure innocence about them. They were extremely respectful, fun loving, and yearning for any type of affection from us. With so many uncertainties coming into this trip, it was our first day truly remarkable.

Well, off to bed now, as it is about 1am our time (3am your time-which are bodies are still on!), and we have been invited to play a quick soccer game before breakfast. Showers are still up in the air, as the only water that comes out is FREEZING COLD!

Hasta Manana!