Things we take for granted

This experience has really opened our eyes to how many things we take for granted in the United States. For example:
-toilets that can handle toilet paper, so we don't have to throw them in a separate trash can
-good roofing that doesn't amplify the sound of the rain
-way less stray dogs and cats
-more safety on the roads
-better law enforcement
-more variety within supermarkets
-food safety regulations, eggs are refrigerated
-the pristine campus of OCS
-good, clean water
-easy accessibility to everything
-the overall wealth
-not having to put bars on your home's windows

--Brynna

Jokes and stuff by kellen

Hey! You guys wan't to hear some jokes and riddles? Eh?

>post below>

Traveling Happy

As we all drive through the different scenic outlooks and the small little towns of Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo and Limón I notice a lot of one thing. Happiness.
Even though I was sitting inside a bus full of people and everything flew by the windows I could catch glimpses of the "happy" people. The local Costa Ricans would like at us and eyes were drawn to us because of our skin but if we were unnoticed there was a point of view that was different from most that I experienced. There was one great instant of happiness that I viewed from the outside looking in on our trip through Limón.
I'm sitting in the hot bus beginning to develop this "game" on how many seemingly happy circumstances in the rundown towns. When passing through the town of Limón I saw an example that had struck me during this game. There was a local man that I saw walking on a pair of crutches. He was old, worn out, his skin resembling the appearance of leather after a lifetime in the sun. I looked at him trying to figure out why he was on crutches when it struck me. He didn't have any right leg. I immedietely felt sorry for him and how hard is life must be, but as the car slowed allowing busy cars to pass by us I started listening to the leg less man and his coversation with the bus driver. The driver asked him how he was doing, the leg less man responding with an enthusiastic "Pura Vida mae!" Which, in a nutshell, is the national way of saying, "Dude, I'm doing awesome."
This was a great lesson to me on what really makes us happy in our lives in the states. Do I really need a TV? Do I need shirts to be overflowing my drawers probably never to be worn again? Do I need to use the Internet daily for my personal use?
I don't know what you would've answered to those questions but I asked them around the town of Tortugero, to locals, to myself and came up with a conclusion that a local shop owner and I came to after bonding over music. The more things you have, great, but how you can use those things in God's glory to help create happiness is what really matters.

Stormy night

You guys have snow and rain and wind storms, we have a big storm rolling in right now. The wind is really high, making everything fly around. The only good thing about this storm is things will dry. Maybe. It is constantly raining, off and on, off and on. Me, Maria, and Mr. Roosma got caught by the rain walking on the beach. We miss you all!!!

-Mara
Ps- we have met three guys named Roberto so far dad.....

The Green Turtle

The sun had long set, and the night was black. The sand was cool between my toes as my friends and I walked the dark beach. It was 11:00 PM. The only light we had was Alejandro's flashlight, a couple of meters up the beach from where we were walking. Our expectations were high. I know I for one had been excited about this night since the day I found out about it, weeks ago! Suddenly, I heard Alejandro's voice call out over the sound of the crashing waves. "Look! Come quickly!" We hustled over to him. Through the light of the flashlight, I could see tiny outlines of what looked like small turtles! I bent down and sure enough, I saw three baby turtles making their way, clumsily, towards the furious water's edge! At that moment I felt that my life was complete. We stood and continued to watch them for a half hour. They were so tiny and so perfect. I wished I could take them home with me. My friends and I named them, said a prayer that they would continue to be safe, and walked back to our hotel. It was just perfect! That's all I can say. A perfect ending to a perfect day!
Except that it hasn't happened yet. That's how I imagine it in my head.. I can only hope that that's how the night will play out! Unfortunately we still have a few hours to wait. Now we're Off to dinner! :)
Marissa

Staci's Experience in Costa Rica

While we traveled to Costa Rica, I still couldn't believe that we were actually going. It seemed so surreal. The plane rides were good, not much turbulance but there was some. Once we got to Manzanillo, the humidity was incredibly intense. I realized it was going to be hard to deal with because of my asthma, but I got used to it. We settled I our rooms and then went to the beach. The beaches here are amazing. The water is warm and the waves are huge. We would go swimming everyday after our hard days of work at the school. We worked at the school Tuesday through Friday. The kids were adorable and so much fun to be around. After working for about five or six hours, then did activities with the kids. It was also nice to be able to talk to the people we were staying with. Their names were Mommi, Dennis, China, Edline, Natalie, Yail, Aquil, and Blaze. On Friday after we worked with the school and said goodbye, we went on a hike in the jungle. I loved the hike because we got to see a lot of different parts of the beach, and also got to see several animals and plants. There was so much mud, and any hills, which was also a fun experience. I think my favorite part of the hike was when Roo lost his shoe in a mud hole. I jumped right in and dug through it to find it. O Saturday some people went snorkeling, others tanned, and others swam. Saturday was a very fun but sad day because the next morning we left to go to Tortuguero. Over all I have learned so much of this culture and how to live in a place like this. I hope we gave a good impression on the people we met while there. I know they have inspired me lot. I realized while staying with Mommi and Dennis that we don't laugh nearly as much as we should. Every time I saw them, they are laughing and smiling about something. It's amazing how satisfied they can be, when so many people in our group were complaining about something most of the time. I really hope that the kids in our group can get a good experience from this trip and understand that they should be greatful for what they have. This is such a wonderful opportunity and I'm glad I am able to be in the beautiful place!

Big turtle

Tortuguero means big male turtle. It was worth the travel to get here! We traveled several hours by van, over dirt roads to get to the boat launch. Then an hour boat ride. Kinda like trying to get to Orcas! This whole place is built for the tourists to experience the Wet Tropical Rain Forest. As opposed to the Moist Tropical Rain Forest like it was in Manzanillo. Moist means only 6 meters of rain a year. Wet means over 8 meters! It has poured rain every hour since we arrived. It is warm rain and inbetween it is really nice.

This is a photo of our lounge area.

Cheers,

Ron Claus