Bob Collins

     Last year we decided to make our senior trip about service.  We wanted to create an experience that would greatly impact our students.  We wanted to take them out of their comfort zone, not their language, not their culture, not their normal.  We wanted to show them that the world is much bigger than Greenville.  Our goal was to have them internalize this experience and use it as a catalyst for change.  We chose to take our students to Costa Rica, not as tourists to hang out in fancy resorts but instead to work in the dire poverty of an immigrant slum.  I believe last year was a great start and this year was even better.  If you have not read the blog reports from the students you should.  The constant refrain is “life changing.”  Having experienced the trip with them and watched how strongly they embraced their time in Costa Rica, I do believe it changed them.  How much or for how long I don’t know.  I know that once upon a time my daughter had a similar experience and came home changed.  Ten years later she is still changed and today she is serving as a missionary in Bolivia.  

Ben McSwain

When I first arrived in Costa Rica I was nervous about what I would find and what the experience would be like. When I arrived in Guarari it just increased these negative feelings.  I was concerned about my own comfort and about how I would feel.  When I met my first family all these feelings went away within the first couple of hours of meeting them.  My brother Marvin spoke broken English and my mother Isabella spoke no English at all. They planned on picking us up in a car which (consistent with my luck at this point) decided to break down right outside the church.  My house brother, James Wilson, and I had to push the car to a nearby house and then we piled up in a car with four other people and our massive amounts of luggage. The luggage was piled so high on my lap that I could not see out of the car in any direction. Luckily this was only for about a mile or so, it turns out the family had only gotten a car to try and keep me and James comfortable since they did not own one. This experience on the first night I stayed with my Tica family was just the ice breaker I needed to feel more comfortable in a new country. This experience also served another, perhaps more important purpose, it began to forever bond me to Marvin and Isabella; my Tica family.

Jake Lampley

When I first told Mrs. Weaver that I would come on this trip, I really did not know what to think. The mission trip I went on when I was a young boy was a very big shock to me.  Knowing this I felt like I was prepared for what was in store for me. But what I did not realize at the time, is how far away from God I really was.

     I said when I was younger that I had a relationship with God but I did not really understand what this meant. I always just followed what my mother did in her walk with God. By the time I turned 16 however, I had gotten to the point that I completely rejected the thought of God being someone I could look up to in my life.

     During these years of my life I watched my mother go through a mentally abusive relationship with her husband. After the 6th year of marriage she figured out that she finally needed to get out. Even though she wanted to get out of the relationship, she had 4 children that she did not want to lose. Therefore, she stayed in this marriage for 4 more years. When to 2 youngest children got old enough that they realized she was not happy, she finally ended it. In all of this I did not think that God was there for me or any member of my family.

I became quite angry with Him.

     When I arrived in Costa Rica, I expected in that people would be staring at all the Gringo’s walking out of the airport to a bus. When we arrived at the church   our host families were standing at the church waiting on us and we had our first Costa Rican meal.

     I was unprepared for nice the host family would be to JP and I. The family that I first stayed with did not know any English. However, somehow we were able to find the bathroom and our bedroom without speaking a word. The food was much better than I expected. My host family in Costa Rica was almost more loving than my family at home. I could not understand how someone who had just signed up to let 2 American kids whom they did not know would let us stay in the house and be so nice to us and accept us into their family. If someone were to come to my house I am not really sure how I would feel about them going into my personal space.

     At the beginning of this trip I really did not know that God was out to get me back. Actually, to come and get me to begin with. Around the 4th day I realized after some soul searching that I had no real relationship with God. And I believe that He is trying to find me. I am trying to find myself at the same time.

     This trip was not one of those kind of trips where I became a new person. But at the same time I did come back a new person, I can say with all my heart that I am a broken person looking for a heart filled relation with God.        

Allen Randall

     This trip to Costa Rica has been life changing to me. It brought me closer to God and gave me a new outlook on the world today. The culture of Costa Rica also had a major impact on me. Being able to stay in the homes of families taught me several important lessons about myself. One being, how many things I take for granted. We should always be thankful for what we have every day, and never forget about the little things. It also showed me how much they care for each other and how they put others first in their life rather than themselves.

     I remember at the beginning of the week we were told about how the people of Costa Rica are very relational rather than task oriented. They were all very nice to people they had never met. When Robbie and I arrived in our first host home, communication was extremely difficult so we had to use pen and paper to talk most of the time. This also made me realize how much I wish I would have paid attention in Spanish class.

     Anyways, our host mother, Marielos, treated us as if we were one of her children. Our host brothers and sisters were so fun to be around, from playing UNO to dancing like Michael Jackson. But, as soon as we were just getting to know our families, we had to leave for Cot. When we arrived in Cot I was a little judgmental of it. I wanted to go back to San Jose and La Cuenca. But our new host families were just as welcoming as our first ones. I began to like Cot just as much as San Jose. Playing soccer with all the Ticos (native Costa Ricans) and having church service was just awesome.

     One of the hardest things about this trip was seeing the homes in the slum of La Cuenca. The tour we went on showed the extreme poverty of some of the families there. This was something I had never seen before but had heard about. This is something everyone should see at least once in their life, instead of ignoring it and trying not think about it.

     The most enjoyable part was when we were working on building bathrooms in La Cuenca and dancing and playing with the kids there. What stood out the most was how content the children there were, given their situation. This was the kind of mission trip everyone needs to go on if they have the chance. Last of all some advice to next year’s class going, learn Spanish and get used to rice and beans.

Emily Pyhala

      My experience in Costa Rica was absolutely amazing. It is hard to put it into words but a good way to describe it is life changing. The love that the people and kids showed towards us was nothing like I have ever seen before. It is amazing to think that they showed that much love to practically strangers. We only knew them for a few days and they already told us that they love us and that we are welcome in their house anytime. They gave us so much and yet they didn't even have much themselves.  I have never eaten that much for breakfast before but every day it was delicious. I didn't expect to get that close to my host families but I ended up getting really close. Even though there was a language barrier they were still very patient with us and started to use littler Spanish with us. I recommend this trip to everyone because it is a trip for people to experience. God works in the best ways and the faith that people have here is amazing to see.

- Christina Beard 

      If I could describe this trip in one word it would have to be life changing. When the trip first started out, I'm going to be honest; I didn't even want to be in Costa Rica. I had 2 anxiety attacks and an asthma attack while we were there.  Once I stopped to think about it, I realized those things happened because I was not putting my trust in God, but in myself. Walking around La Cuenca, seeing how happy those children were even though they had nothing, was a slap in the face for me. Up until now, I have been so ungrateful for everything I have been blessed with in my life. A month ago, if someone would have told me that I'm spoiled, I would have made an argument proving that I'm not, but now I see that I am not just spoiled, I am also blessed beyond belief. There are so many little things that I take for granted daily. Like having food to eat and clothes to wear. Once you have been to La Cuenca or Cot and see the way they live, you will understand why we have no room to complain about daily things that don't go our way. Those children run around with no shoes on, wear the same clothes every day, and they are competing for just a pinch of attention with a hundred other kids, but yet the biggest smiles are found on their faces. That is the true definition of happiness. They are so happy with nothing.  No computers, no cell phones, barely even any toys, but they still have joy overflowing from them. The Costa Ricans have a motto that they use on a daily basis, “Pura Vida”, it means pure life, and I know why. The life they live is beyond pure. They have nothing, but still have so much faith in God. No matter what they are going through, they never lose trust in God or even stray away from him in the least bit. While I was on this trip, I got a tattoo on my right foot; it says “Pura Vida”. Some people have told me it’s stupid or that all of us who got one are just trying to be alike, but this is what it really means to me.  After meeting so many amazing people, my life has been impacted by them in so many ways. I got this tattoo to remind myself daily, with every step, to be thankful. To love and to honor, to trust God and not to complain. To appreciate even the littlest things and always keep my faith in God and my relationship with my heavenly father as strong as possible. Ever since I got my tattoo, if I even complain about one thing, my friend Chris will say "just look at your tattoo" and even though he is joking sometimes, he is right. Every time I look at it, it reminds me of the people I stayed with, the children I loved on and all the things God is doing in Costa Rica. I'm walking away from this trip with a permanent mark on my body, but it's not just a tattoo, it is what will keep me motivated to love, serve and appreciate more than I ever have before. This trip wasn't just life changing physically by my tattoo, but mentally and spiritually as well. The people of Costa Rica have left handprints all over my heart because of the way they love Jesus. From this day forward, I just hope I can be that loving and compassionate, so one day I can make an impact because of the love I have for God. Because no one wants to live a life of no purpose, and the only purpose I want to have is to serve and glorify my Lord.

Micah Weaver

    This trip has been such an eye opening experience for me.  I obviously expected to see poverty and hurt in the communities that we were working in. When we arrived at our first host family's home, I was really worried and nervous about how everything would be.  Over the next couple of days, I really began to bond with the family. The brother and I began to talk about almost everything when we found out we could use Google Translate. He seemed very interested in soccer and the fact that I play soccer helped a lot.
    On the other hand, working in La Cuenca was a huge reality check. Seeing the complete love these kids showed towards me really hit me. Even something like trading bracelets with a couple of kids is something that I will never forget.
    At the end of four days we had to leave Guarari and La Cuenca ad go to a new city. When arriving in Cot, I was not excited at all and really missed Guarari. The first church service seemed pretty unorganized and I felt like the next two days were really going to suck. Once our family came out to get us - I was still not looking forward to anything. When we got to our host family's home it was much nicer than my own home in Greenville. I expected the family to be snobby and not wanting our help.  But in two days, I really felt like a part of their family. The mom made amazing food and was really funny.
    Overall, this trip really brought me closer to Christ when I was really not focusing on Him like I should be.The experience and the people will be a part of my memory forever.