Costa Rica Day 6

Same routine...up at 6:30 a.m., breakfast at 7:00...okay so maybe it is beginning to seem like 'Groundhog Day'! Today is the last day of the work week so it should be different the next few days.

Breakfast: rice & beans, sliced ham, cheese, coffee, tampico

At the worksite by 8:30 a.m., digging out mud from the trench by 8:45 a.m. The tedious task of grabbing the dirt out by hand became rather daunting. The sun was hot and there was not a breeze to be had. Finally the trench was ready for more concrete. The rest of the group mixed while Greg and I stayed out at the trench as foreman. After about 2 hours the whole process was finished. Then onto continuing the back wall of the Sunday School building. Mike and crew began placing the mortar and cinder blocks to continue building the wall to the ceiling. At noon we stopped for lunch at the Parish House.

Marvin was looking for someone to help him with a project and the nearest person happened to be Wes. The next thing I knew I saw Wes climbing onto the bell tower!

Lunch: creamy chicken, rice, black beans, plantains, ceviche, salad and star fruit juice

The ladies shared some of the projects they have been working on throughout the week with Gretchen and Sally and the new sewing machines.

We headed back over to the church and continued working. I took down the rebar supports from the trench. Shortly after I finished it began pouring! We all gathered in the Sunday School building and helped wherever and whenever we could.


We began cleaning up at 2:00 to leave by 2:30 to go visit at San Lucas to see the work that was completed there. After cleaning as best we could we took many pictures of us and the work we completed.

We loaded the bus and headed to San Lucas, which is about 15 kilometers away from Santa Cruz. When we got there, the other half of our group that had been working there all week were all cleaned up and ready. They showed us the painting that they completed inside the entire Parish Hall and the tiled floor of the kitchen. The appliances are going to be delivered later today. After admiring their work we boarded the bus back to the hotel. We had 45 minutes to shower and dress and then be back down to the bus to go back to Santa Cruz for a small ceremony at the Parish House. However, we did make a brief 2 minute stop to see the pineapple field up close.

At the ceremony Father Pedro expressed his gratitude and appreciation for all that we did. The ladies of the church presented us with a small gift of a plastic canvas church with a bell attached (since we helped buy the bell that replaced the former bell the was stolen). Then our group presented small gifts to Father Pedro and the church. Then the youth gave the gifts they brought to the children of the church including soccer balls, soccer goals, Frisbees, playground balls, etc. Then as a special surprise...a real live Mariachi Band!!!! They came in and played for an hour! All were dancing and having a great time. Even Marvin, the contractor, and Omar, our bus driver, were out dancing!

Then back on the bus to go to Earth University. There we were to have a BBQ. After a brief tour around the campus we learned that students from many different countries attend the university to learn how to use their land for crops, etc. They are assigned a certain # of hectares and they are responsible for the entire process of growing and selling their product. The money they make goes to pay for the use of the land.

We ended up at a pavillion where a bunch of tables were set up for dinner. We found a seat then got in line for drinks and food, buffet style.

Dinner: steak, chicken, pork sausage, salad with hearts of palm and avocados!!!, warm tortillas, salsa, pinto beans, vanilla cream cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries -IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!

After dinner some of the students presented us with many traditional dances from their native countries, including Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, and Bolivia. After the dances, they invited us to get up and dance. Some of the group got up and received lessons from the dancers.

Then we loaded the bus to head back to the hotel but we ended up stuck in the mud! After a coupld of attempts to get pulled out by an SUV Land Cruiser, the men of our roup go out and helped push the bus and eventually it worked! So we loaded back on the bus and headed back to our last night at Hotel Talamanca Pococi.