Costa Rica: The Adventure of a Lifetime

Life is not a rehearsal.  It is not even a dress rehearsal.  It is acting live on stage.  I don’t get to redo the scene in which I had an opportunity to go to Costa Rica while in college many years ago but instead went to Great Britain again (I had already been there with my mother and brother two and a half years prior).  But it no longer matters.  I went to Costa Rica last month.  The first time, if I had gone, would have been to study Spanish.  This time it was to do mission work with my church.  We did construction work on a church building, parts of which were finished but other parts of which were still being added on.

            Costa Rica is a nation that has a population about the same size as that of Alabama.  It is about as large in area as New Jersey.  It is a part of a row of Central American countries with Nicaragua to the northwest and Panama to the southeast.  It is more politically stable than many other Latin American countries.  Despite its small size, Costa Rica is renowned for its biodiversity.  We visited a nature preserve that is designed to protect that biodiversity.

            There was something different about the look and feel of buildings of cities there.  I noticed frequent use of metal slabs as walls and roofs.  I learned that wood is never used in Costa Rica because termites are such a big problem there.  Costa Rica has high mountains that serve as its spine.  The highest point is 3,821 meters (12,536 feet).

            The hotel we stayed at the first night and the last night was very cozy.  There was also an impressive shopping mall which rivals any mall in the United States in quality.  The accommodations we had at the mission center were not luxurious, but they were adequate.  All of the male missionaries were in a single cabin with bunk beds, it resembled summer camp.

            We woke up to breakfast each day that was fresh.  Then we would spend an hour on the road to get to the work site.  We were served food there too.  The tasks I did included sanding walls and edges, applying stucco to walls, painting, and holding ladders for other painters.  Was fun absent from the trip.  Absolutely not.  It included two trips to an ice cream place, a visit to small square park in the city, a beach trip, a visit to the strangest marketplace I have ever seen and can’t even describe here, and more.

            I know I am painting a rosy picture of this place so I will mention this.  I noticed that most buildings had bars on windows.  I have always considered that as a sign that a place is dangerous, not because I blame them for using bars. but because it suggests that there is enough crime and violence that people think bars are necessary.  While Costa Rica may not be as troubled as some nearby countries, people there don’t think it is a place to take chances.  I made it a point to stay with the group the entire time.

            There is so much more I could say about this adventure, but long blogs are not advisable.  Ever since I was a small child, I have been driven to explore new places.  What I loved most about Costa Rica was its lush vegetation, its slow pace, and the warmth and humility of its people.

            Many people go abroad to relax or to explore and these are very valid reasons to go on vacation somewhere.  But this time I wanted to contribute while in another country.  Many of you who read my blog regularly know that I am a Christian.  I considered this a chance to serve Christ directly.  We didn’t preach to the locals when we were there.  I am hoping that while we were there, we didn’t tell them what Jesus is like but that we showed them what Jesus is like.