Back to Panama

Our trip back to Panama was a pretty smooth, only spending about 2 hours at the border instead of the 4 that we spent on the way into Costa Rica 3 short weeks ago. It was so awesome to drive through the clouds, being so high in the mountains. It was also cool to see all the Del Monte fields of pineapple plants, with red soil separating the patches. It was also wonderful to see the familiar faces of Sye and Jo that came to graciously pick us up at 4 a.m.! Back to humidity, cold showers, and sleeping on the church floor of Panama. We also return to the unique mode of transportation in Panama - 'Red Devil' buses. They get old school buses from the U.S., graffiti them and then drive them into the ground!

Off and On Our Way

Our time in Costa Rica is over sadly and we are heading back to Panama today. As with the trip to Costa Rica, hopefully the 18 hours on the bus will just fly by! We have a few days in Panama to connect with the remainder of our Central America group before taking off for South Africa and rejoining everyone from DTS. As always, with my travels, I will try to be in contact just as soon as I can. We're off. . .

People are just People

As I've encountered various people along my journey thus far, I've brought in certain expectations. That people with AIDS should look sick; that homeless people should look unkept; that refugees should look weak. I don't even know that I've been aware that I was carrying these misconceptions until I met these people. The guy with AIDS looked healthy; many of the homeless are well-shaven and tidy in appearance; the refugees possess a strength that has motivated them to continue moving to find a better life. People are just people, no matter where they come from. We all want to be accepted & loved for who we are; we want safety & security; we want a good life and a hope for the future. Food in our belly, air in our lungs, a shelter over our heads. We are all much more similar than we are different. We're just people.

White Water Rafting & Ziplining

Before leaving Costa Rica in 2 days time, we went out to enjoy some of the best activities this country has to offer: white water rafting and ziplining (aka - canopy tours). We drove about 1.5 hours north of the base for our grand adventure. We hit a level 2/3 river (4 being the highest for rafting, 5 for kayaking) and had a great time! The water has been low, but we only got stuck on a few rocks. No one fell out of the rafts other than those who were pushed out by our guides (they were a lot of fun!). After barely making it up the mountain in our van (the rocky road was slippery because of the rain), we zipped along 6 different lines. The lines were faster than usual today because of the rain. Pictures below, before starting rafting, Paola (our fearless leader, driver & translator) looks at peace, Alaina looks a little nervous (whatever!) and I'm ready to go!

Blessing in a Bottle of Nail Polish

Before heading out this morning, I chatted with my mom and she talked about going to get a manicure and pedicure today. Wish I could join her!

We once again had the opportunity to visit the African refugees that I've blogged about over the last 2 days. After meeting the 3 African women at the center yesterday (there are 4 women in total out of 70 people), I just wanted to be able to go in and bless them. They want their freedom and have no comforts of home that can ease their pain or boredom.

Every women loves to be pampered, no matter their country of origin. So thinking of my mom's plans, I grabbed my 4 little bottles of nail polish that my mom bought for me before I left in April. The officer at the center must have thought I was crazy, asking for a bucket and towels to wash their feet. The women even thought I was a little crazy. Maybe I even thought I was a little crazy!

I don't think I will ever forget what it felt like to wash feet that have walked 1000's of miles in search of freedom. I know I was blessed because they allowed me to wash their feet. And I don't think I'll ever be able to bless another soul quite the way I did today. Who knew that there was such a blessing in a tiny bottle of pink nail polish!

Continuing From Yesterday

Continuing from yesterdays' blog: we were given the chance to speak with the people abandoned in the Caribbean Sea. Costa Rica was actually their final destination, not Canada. Many of them have been traveling for months within Africa and Latin America, fleeing persecution, political oppression and the like. The boat trip from Columbia (which did not include the whole group at once) lasted about 7 days. Upon reaching Costa Rica, they were detained because they did not have the proper paperwork. Many of them have been in the detention center for 2 months now and are eagerly waiting to start their new lives in Costa Rica. Their days are endless, with little to do in the center. And even though we were only there briefly, it must have been a welcome relief to see some different faces who sat down to listen and speak with them (in English!).

News from Costa Rica

My friend Monte (who lives is Costa Rica) passed on the following information to me.

Last Sunday this article was published in La Nacion, Costa Rica's main newspaper:

Fifty-one Africans total, victims of human trafficking, were abandoned in South Limón (Manzanillo) after they were promised by the Colombian mafia that they would be taken to Canada. These 33 citizens from Eritrea, 8 from Somalia, 8 from Ethiopia, 1 from South Africa and 1 from Guinea were attempting to escape from the oppression, violence, and injustice they were experiencing in their countries. Only one of them is female. Six minors were with them but can't be held legally by Costa Rican authorities. Their location is currently unknown.

They are now staying at temporary security facilities from the immigration department, while their petitions for being accepted as refugees are being processed. Among them there are professionals (teachers, administrators, anthropologists, etc) and even a relative of one of Guinea´s ex president. Almost all of them speak English.

They have physical as well as legal, physiological, emotional and spiritual needs after loosing all their possessions, documents and money, and being victims of trafficking. Costa Rica won't deport them, and will try to resolve their refugee situations. If this fails they will be assisted in looking for other accommodations in safe neighboring countries. But the process can take many months, and authorities want to relocate them rather than keep them detained.

I'm feeling Bleu

Picture it, if you will: you are 37 years and you've been given 3 years to live because cancer is killing you. What do you decide to do with your life? Live it up and do all the things you wished you had done throughout your life; roll over and die; find a higher calling?

Today we met a lady who decided to find a higher calling. In 2004, with the above diagnosis, Bleu decided to go to Bible school. After 2 years, she decided that she needed even more, so she sold her things and left the USA for Costa Rica, more specifically the town of Jaco. Jaco, on the Pacific Ocean side of Costa Rica, is well known for its waves and surfboarding. It was once a beach retreat for locals, but in the last 10 years or so, Americans and Europeans have over run the town. And with the foreigners, prostitution (which is legal in Costa Rica) also invaded Jaco.

Bleu's original plan was to set up a free daycare program for children of prostitutes, but that plan did not pan out. Instead, she came into an extremely poor part of town twice a week to color with some of the children. Currently (obviously she had more than 3 years to live!), she is minimally paid by a local church to offer a homework program 5 days a week. It is her hope to run a full school program within the community in the future. Many of the children don't go to school, especially the teenage boys who are lured by the "fame and fortune" that surfing apparently offers.

Can one person make a difference? Yes. Bleu has brought light and hope into her community. And if at any point in my journey, I am discouraged, wondering if I'll ever be able to make a dent in the world's problems, I will remember Bleu and be encouraged. So yeah, I'm feeling it, I'm feeling Bleu!

Without Words

I have sat at my computer for a few hours today, uploading pictures and sending out emails and all the while, I just don't know what to blog about. For the first time in these almost 5 months away, I just don't know what I should talk about. So this goes out to all of you who are checking in on me via this blog - thank you for your support and prayers where ever you are on the globe! I know that many of you are enjoying the last few moments of summer, wishing the days would stretch a little longer before school starts. I, on the other hand, am waiting for September and for the official start of Track. I look forward to being in South Africa for about 3.5 months - it's time after all our moving around this summer, to be in one place. Our group of about 50 will shrink to about 20, plus we have a few people joining us that were not a part of our DTS. There we go! - I did find a few words for you to read tonight and now I wish you all a good night.

New Base for JUCUM San Jose

YWAM San Jose (known as JUCUM San Jose in Spanish) is getting a new home. Instead of having 2 separate buildings that are a few blocks apart, they are moving to a large property with one large building. The building started off as a coffee plantation and was most recently an architecture university. There is a lot of potential in the building and a lot of work that will need to be done. Last night I was part of a crew who went down to do some cleaning and painting. This morning I roamed the yard and building to take pictures for the base to help in their fundraising efforts and also for before-and-after photos.

Scars

Last night, we headed out to a homeless shelter that provides a meal, shower and bed for those who need it. There were around 90 men and women in total. A few of them spoke English and we shared Paola to translate Spanish when needed. One man came up to speak with us and talked about his life using drugs and living on the street. He's been clean for a few months now and is struggling to find a job, which has been difficult because of his past. He talked about being stabbed numerous times and being at death's door, but through God's grace, he always survived. My teammate Joanna talked about the story from the Bible regarding Jacob and how he wrestled with God and was left with a permanent limp - a physical scar. When we were in Gamboa, a pastor spoke about how scars are a reminder for us. They remind us of the experience, but they can also remind us that God is continually at work in our lives. And when we look back at them, whether they are physical, emotional or other scars, we can see God's faithfulness in our lives.

Sara, my Friend, This One is for You!

Upon our arrival in Panama at the end of June, we were greeted by this blonde chick (who's now red-ish) with an amazing smile. Little did we know that she would join our team and translate for us as we headed out to Errebache; into the Darien; and off to Costa Rica. She quickly became one of us and her laughter was infectious. Her perspective was different and added so much value and depth to our team as a whole.

But far more than all of that (and the countless hours we made her translate), Sara became one of my dear friends! Yes, I loved her massages and the animated way she translated (I think if you tried to tie her hands behind her back while she was speaking, she would have just died!), there was something about the immediate connection that we had. And as we said our goodbyes today, I don't think my tears could even begin to express how much she has blessed me and touched my life. So this blog is just for you Sara! And girl, you don't know how excited I was to receive the necklace that you left behind for me today - I will treasure it and think of you as I journey on!! I miss you already!


"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our heart and we are never, ever the same." (Flavia)

Christian Surfers

This evening we attended a Christian Surfers (check out www.christiansurferscostarica.com) Bible study. We studied I Corinthians 13 (the love chapter) together and then we were able to share about our work with Voice for the Voiceless and using our photography to fight injustice. We have been challenged to use what's in our hands to serve God: for us it is our cameras and for them it is their surfboards; for us it is more than just pictures and for them it is more than just catching the next wave (though both are great - getting a spectacular picture of them catching that perfect wave would be amazing!). Their heart is also to help those in their communities, so it was a privilege to share our mission and what we've been able to do here in Costa Rica with them. Surf's up!

Volcan Arenal

If I thought Costa Rica was beautiful before, the country outdid itself today! We drove about 3 hours north of San Jose to a town called La Fortuna, which is home to the Arenal Volcano. The greenery on the drive up was spectacular and when we stopped to take pictures of the volcano, the clouds were. . .phenomenal, for lack of a better word. My love of weather and geology came together in this unbelievable place. It's a bit of hit-and-miss in regard to seeing the top of the volcano because of the clouds, but we were so blessed to enjoy it the whole day, seeing the volcano spit its own clouds into the air. I went to sleep with a BIG smile on my face - I was like a kid at Christmas!