Day 5

Day 5


The view from the roof today was rainy, rainy, rainy. But while the rain dampened our socks, it did not dampen that awesome view. And buckets of rain cannot defeat buckets of concrete. The downpour did not get in the way of 700 wheelbarrows of concrete going up the new giant ramp (not really sure the number there—playing loose with stats). The weather did not win! It was so satisfying to see less roof and more floor by the end of our workday.

In the end, the rain allowed more space for conversations, connections, and stories. Again, everyone has their own story like this: Through more pantomime and Mike’s high school Spanish, I found out from Shirley that in high school in Costa Rica they’re reading Anne Frank, Alice in Wonderland, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet. (Whatever visual you have here of my pantomime is not enough.)

After our construction shift and a magnificent lunch, our driver Javier took us to a church about 30 minutes away where we hosted over 50 neighborhood children for VBS. Melina and Zoe taught the creation story, and we worked our way awkwardly yet zestfully through “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” We acted out a creation poem (once more, whatever visual you have going on is not good enough), and the children ran through a relay balancing blow-up globes. Then we got busy creating! There was a cube station where we drew the days of creation on the six sides and a binocular station featuring STICKERS. Outside, bubbles flew, and some of the blow-up globes became a World Cup. We loved how many parents and older siblings came to interact with the smalls and the mediums, and I loved how the dogs waited right across the street for their people and celebrated when they came out.

Jesus says that He came so we could have life and have it to the full, abundantly. In Costa Rica, the land of Pure Vida, it’s easy to see that truth lived out in those who love him.