Hi girls,

Wow. It feels like just yesterday we were waking up to the sound of howler monkeys at Angels
Ecolodge. Although I miss the gallo pinto and delicious, fresh fruit, I don’t miss their howls at all!

I still remember Saoudatou’s morning jams pumping us up for full days in the Costa Rican sun
and humidity. By now, you’re probably back to school in the States. How different are your
classrooms there compared to the hot, chaotic classrooms in Costa Rica? We wanted you all to
know that here in the Nanadamojo watershed, those kids are still thinking of you, your animal
bingo, water workshops, and recycling centers. We made an impact together this summer.

Like Matt said in his first talk with us, the people here truly remember you. You should all know,
the Nandamojo watershed is a better place than when you came. El Centro Verde (the plant
nursery) is green and thriving, and Marcia will continue to plant new trees all over the watershed
as the rainy season continues. The kids are using their recycling centers in the schools.

The families and children we visited during out cafecitos have fond memories of our time here
together. Our friends and fellow soccer players will remember our fun, lively (sometimes
competitive!) games. And more importantly, the knowledge YOU gained on this trip we hope will
serve you and the communities you go on to be in for the rest of your life! We now know how
important water conservation is, and how to reduce our water consumption meter. We also
know how deforestation affects climate change, and how even the act of planting one seed, or
one tree, can make a positive impact on the environment.

Another thing I remember about the trip is how much fun we had together! And how many times
we laughed together. We played jeopardy, and you girls got almost every question! We thought
about how we want to change the world and how we want to act in the future. We played with
young kids and hung out with high schoolers, and made friends even with language barriers. I’ll
always remember the sweet heart drawings the school girls gave us. We hiked through Monte
Alto, and painted with Ivan and Marcia. We saw beautiful sunsets at Playa Negra and ran from
thunderstorms at Playa Avellanas. We went whitewater rafting and jumped from boat to boat.
These memories will last a lifetime!

We worked really hard and also had a blast together. Whether it was during mentor groups,
playing in Monte Alto’s waterfall, figuring out riddles at El Centro Verde, scarfing down the
delicious food at Casa del Sol, playing tag with the high schoolers, doing face masks, or
exploring new places together- it was that much fun because we got to share it with all you guys
— the 2018 GLA Costa Rica Initiative for Children group! Thanks for helping to make these
special memories in an amazing place.

Pura Vida,
Megan and the Costa Rican team

 

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My, how time flies! Your experience in Costa Rica may seem like it just ended yesterday, or you may think of the memories as far-off experiences in your mind. No matter how it feels, those memories will stay with you all. Even as you begin to adjust to life in the US, to school and friends and work, your summer in Guanacaste, Costa Rica will stay with you. The little EcoLodge where you made a whole new group of friends, mostly human but also 3 Golden Retrievers and a lot of friendly parrots, will hold a special place in your heart.

You all began the trip with high expectations of service and fun, and in the end, those expectations were changed into reality. You visited schools in Guapote, 27 de Abril, Playa Junquillal, and more. You visited the tourist-friendly town of Tamarindo, the beautiful white sand beach of Playa Blanca, and the bustling little city of Santa Cruz. In the nature reserve at Monte Alto, you learned from the founder himself how the reserve works and has grown over the years. You tried foods cooked with the sun’s power at Casa del Sol, and talked to the strong women who run it. In mentor groups, you had important and sometimes difficult discussions about the world.

Most important of all, you made life-long connections with young people all across the province. With the children you participated in activities that promote caring for the environment and our limited supply of water. One of the most rewarding parts of the trip was seeing the children’s smiling faces; everywhere we went, children were always the most accepting and most willing of hosts.

With your new connections, understandings, and experiences, you will all better understand the world we live in, and be able to make a change in it. The love and unity you felt as a group will never be lost. The impressions you made on the Costa Rican people you met will never be forgotten. As you learned, the way to change the world starts with small steps: it starts with you.
Thank you all!

Peace and Love,
Your friends at GLA

 

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Hola!

Things have been really quiet since all of you left. The monkeys are still screaming in the morning to wake us up but late night dance parties have ceased to exist. Carlos and the Angels crew definitely miss having trap in their everyday lives.

Im sure by now you are all back in your comfortable spaces of home–probably not eating arroz y frijoles for every meal but I’m sure atleast thinking about Costa Rica just a little bit. The students in las delicias and 27 have asked for you all many times by name–I think it’s very obvious that even after weeks of time have past that the effect that each of you had on their lives is evident.

I hope that over the next few months and potentially the rest of your lives that the community here-especially the children-will have impacted each of you as well. You now all have a new place with familiar beaches, familiar birds squawking in the morning, and familiar faces that pass on the street. Maybe in the future you will return to this space and reconnect with the communities that you had the opportunity to live within for three weeks.

I’m sure you miss buying every snack from the pulpería, playing with literally every dog, and listening to the adventures of big mike–I know I surely do!

These connections are some that will be here for a lifetime and that we all got to share it together is really special! The nandamojo Watershed will miss you just as I am sure you miss it as well!

Pura vida amigos!

Love,
Kilee, Jordan and Megan!

 

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Doesn’t it seem like yesterday that we were jumping off the tower into the lake,
playing with the children, and eating rice and beans for every meal? We can’t believe
it’s been so long since our Costa Rica trip ended but you are still on our minds and
we still have such fond memories of our last Initiative for Children Costa Rica group
and the good times we had this summer. You all definitely finished our summer with
a bang!

We hope you all know time spent in the schools really did make an impact. You
brought joy to so many children with your smiles, games, and English lessons and
spelling bees. We learned from one another practicing our Spanish and helping them
practice English. We’ve been practicing all summer for the spelling bee and your
group actually got to see the final results, which was really exciting!

Santa Teresa Norte has a giant garden that slowly but surely is coming together and
soon will be a great asset for the school in terms of fresh food for the students and
extra income for the school. Santa Teresa Sur has a beautiful completed mural full of
handprints that will last years with all of the GLA students who have come and gone.
Also, they are very very close to having their own greenhouse! Bellavista’s garden is
bursting with veggies that the school uses every day for their students, and you all
helped maintain so they continue growing. And who can forget our English Festival
and Spelling Bee that all the kids worked so hard for. Thank you all for sharing your
time and positive energy with the Costa Rican children and us! We hope that this
experience also impacted you and that you reflect on how you can bring the lessons
you learned about yourself and the world around you into your community and
hopefully carry them with you for the rest of your life!

We couldn’t have asked for a better group to finish off our Costa Rican summer! You
all are wonderful individuals and you each brought a unique energy and perspective
to our program. You quickly became a close-knit group and we had so much fun
together! We basically adopted Canelo into our lives and spoiled him rotten! We had
adventures horseback riding and zip lining at the base of the Arenal volcano with
only a few slight injuries (Gabriela is no longer feeling like an old lady). We tasted
some of the best pineapple in the world and got to go out on the farm to pick our
own. We relaxed at Alfredo’s fountain of youth (aka the Hot Springs) after the most
adventurous weekend some of us had ever had. We rafted down the river and saw
some amazing wildlife that is only unique to Costa Rica as well as having water
fights and throwing people overboard with the crocodiles.

That last afternoon and evening was super special to all of us. At night everyone
dressed up to make our final meal together memorable (and to get some nice
pictures). Who can forget our awesome dance party (even though the speaker was
not cooperating at all)? Juan Ca even came to join the party and danced the night
away with us! There were so many tears that night and even more hugs, because we
knew that these relationships that were made would not be easily forgotten. And the
impact that we had on each other’s lives will have reshaped us for many years to
come!

We all had a great time together and made some memories that will remember for
years. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful summer with us!

Some special moments from our trip:
-Karaoke sessions on the Juan Ca mobile
-Watching dance and singing performances from many talented children at
the English Festival. Some of us even got to participate in some!
-Learning all about coffee with Alfredo
-Buying ice-cream at every super market trip
-Playing pranks on each other
-Seeing sloths, monkeys, tropical birds, and SO MANY BUGS
-Pancakes for breakfast EVERYDAY!
-Juan Carlos climbing on top of the bus to get that perfect sunset picture
-Early morning yoga sessions with Rosie
-Night activities like bonfire and Mama Mia
-Eating the best pineapple everrrr
-Learning the most important Russian words in the yellow house
-The alien necklace that protected us during our journey
-The most entertaining debate we’ve ever seen
-Canelo, Brad, and Stella walking us to and from service
-Learning life lessons
-Supermarket trips that resulted in gallons of ice cream being bought

 

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Doesn’t it seem like yesterday that we were hanging out in the treehouse, playing
with Costa Rican children, and eating rice and beans for every meal? We can’t
believe it’s been so long since our Costa Rica trip ended but you are still on our
minds and we have such fond memories of our time together this summer.

Our time spend in the schools really did make an impact. You brought joy to so many
children with your smiles, games, and the lasting impact of your hard work in the
gardens. We learned from one another practicing our Spanish and helping them
learn English. At Santa Teresa Norte Tiffany, Carolina, Julia M., Stella, Elizabeth,
Megan, Brooke, and Ammar did a phenomenal job clearing out the garden,
preparing it for it’s new crops. We also spent time in the classrooms teaching the
students English through activities and games.

Santa Teresa Sur is slowly but surely getting their greenhouse and our director is so
so happy to have a beautiful bright view from her window. The kids loved having
Eunice, Rachel, Jimena, Caroline, Daley, Parker, Lucia, Eva, Viviana, Anna, and
Brandon at their school! Remember our last day of musical chairs and taking like a
bazillion pictures with all the children? Who cried?! It was such a lovely experience
to spend time with them and see how happy they are with the littlest hug or
affection.

Thanks to Sophie, Michaela, Christina, Madison, Maggie, Morgan, Alex, Meghan, Julia
B., Grace, and Francesca, Bellavista the 6 th grade kids can spell every word in the
Cambridge dictionary and the little ones are still dancing along the creepy guy tunes.
All the children are wearing your friendship bracelets and Froilan is keeping his
promise of love to Julia. The bean plants were replanted and are feeding the kids at
the cantine.

Thank you all for sharing your time and positive energy with the Costa Rican
children and us! We hope that this experience also impacted you and that you reflect
on how you can bring the lessons you learned about yourself and the world around
you into your community and carry them with you for the rest of your life!

You were a great group and we are so happy that each one of you decided to join us
for a wonderful two weeks. You are all incredible individuals and you each brought
a unique energy and perspective to our program. You quickly became friends and
we had so much fun together! We kicked off our time together picking our favorite
pineapples and viewing Costa Rican wildlife on our river rafting tour. We relaxed at
hotsprings and learned how to dance bachata and the swing criollo. We had an
action-packed day horseback riding and zipling and some of us even saw sloths! We
all had a great time together and made some memories that will last a lifetime.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful summer with us!

Some special moments from our trip:
 Running in the mornings with Carlos and Rosie
 Celebrating TWO birthdays!
 Taking so many pictures “in the jungle” at the hotsprings
 Jumping into the lake off the top of the tower
 Searching for caimans in the lake at night
 Trying not to burn ourselves when roasting marshmallows
 Watching Freaky Friday on Friday night
 Looking for your own pineapples at the pineapple farm
 Rowing away from Crocodiles at the boat safari
 Decorating the back window of the small van
 Jamming out in the buses
 Horseback riding in a mostly sunny day
 Going to the supermarket THREE times 😀
 Making endless friendship bracelets
 Seeing sloths on our boat safari and grumpy monkeys
 Learning to Costa Rican swing dance

 

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