Headed Home

All students have departed from the DR with a smile of their face and are on their way home!

Service and Adventures!

Las Canas
Today we went to Las Canas for the second time. When we got there, the Dominican kids were already mixing the cement, so we all jumped into work right away. We all split up; some people worked on putting up more chicken wire, others put bottles in the walls, and some put cement on the façade. I did the cement for a while, but then went to hang out with the Dominican kids. They decided to teach us Spanish in exchange for us teaching them English. It was pretty interesting to hear what they can’t pronounce, like sounds “ch” and “t.” After lunch, we went back to work for awhile until it was time to go. Putting up cement is a pain because it just falls through the wall and it felt like we made no progress, but apparently we covered seven walls. After work, we chilled for awhile, and then rejoined with the people who stayed home sick and went to play kickball where the Dominicans kicked our butts 15-11, and we lost our winning title. Then we gave out donations and I noticed the Las Canas kids are much less grabby than the Caraballo kids. After we distributed our gifts, we had a dance party and the Dominicans are crazy good dancers. Overall I really enjoyed spending time with the kids at Las Canas because they were super friendly and helpful and I wish I could go back again someday.

-Emma

Las Canas – First Day
Throughout the week we have been learning about differences in privilege: How Americans as a whole are on a completely different level of privilege compared to the Dominicans and Haitians. Working on a bottle community building today at Las Canas illustrated this difference. Instead of a more, if you will, “give me money” approach to us, the Dominicans in this community were more apprehensive. After the initial greetings, the kids went off on their own and gave us space while we worked. However, once I brought my camera out to take pictures of the process, interest was sparked. At first the kids tested my Spanish to see if they could have a conversation with me, but I think I passed because we were soon joking about whom was the strongest of them all. Obviously, we had to test this argument with an arm wrestling competition. (The gringos lost) Even with a language barrier, we all connected in some way or another. In one conversation, learned the sixteen year old sister was studying technology because she wanted to be involved in tv production. I also learned that John, pronounced ‘Yon’ can saw a 2 by 4 in three minutes. But most importantly, I learned that regardless of the level of privilege a family or community might have, they can still be happy just by being in each-other’s company, or by being asked a simple question such as, “Are you stronger than your brother?”

-Halle Mackert- Cleveland, Ohio

Dudu Lagoon

Already in a good mood from being able to sleep in a little later than usual, Day 5 kicked off to a great start. After the usual breakfast and loud music-filled bus ride, we made it safely to Dudu while also mentally questioning how long that feeling of safety would last upon seeing the zipline. My stomach started churning upon simply seeing the zipline, while other dare devils were already effortlessly lining up to be the first victims. Watching each new set of screams and splashes made my stomach churn even more, but after a few I finally decided to take the plunge (literally). Soaring fourty feet over the lagoon, I felt the wind rush through me and a scream rush out of me. Once I heard the shouts of “Jump, Jump!” from my fellow group members standing on the cliff above, I willed myself to let go. A good three seconds of weightless-feeling freefall was interrupted by the rush of cold water as my body sliced through the water. Though unlucky others suffered from butt bruises, I got off lucky with only a little clanking of my teeth. I couldn’t resist laughing hysterically as I swam out because of the realization of the crazy awesome thing I had just done. As scary as it had been, I ended up doing the zipline again because I craved the heart racing, stomach about to come out of my throat feeling. The zipline was a blast, but what came a second close to that were the beautiful caves on the other side of Dudu. After jumping off of a ten foot (now an absolute piece of cake compared to the zipline drop and thirty foot cliff jumping experience) ledge a couple times, a couple friends and I dared each other to swim into the depths of the dark cave. Too submerged in the beauty of it all, we forgot how scary we thought the big, dark cave was. All that cave swimming called for some hammock lounging and ostrich observing in a nearby area. We were all super bummed when the day at Dudu finally came to an end, but all those adrenaline rushes had worn us out. Don’t let the name fool you, Dudu is definitely one of the most remarkable and fun places I have ever been to and I’m sure many others think the same.

-Senior Mira Laing, Los Angeles, California

A Short But Sweet Update

Today was our 2nd and last day in Caraballo. We wrapped up putting the bottles in the wall as our service project there and almost finished building out a classroom.

The ladies of Ascension continued to braid our hair, and even some of the guys in the group had a few. We also learned how to mix cement today! It was much tougher than we thought, and all of it was done by hand. We finished one entire wall with the cement that we mixed, which was impressive given the strenuous process. During lunch, the Haitians played on drums and other instruments for us. It was really entertaining.

Afterwards, we went to their local market. We were able to buy gifts to bring back home, such as bracelets, paintings, and other local goods. We played a soccer game against their best athletes. We scored the first goal, but lost 5-3 against them. We then went to Cabarete beach, and were able to indulge in virgin Pina Coladas that were made with the pineapples, and of course, milkshakes. We also did a personality quiz, which was surprisingly really accurate and I learned more about myself that I didn’t even consider before.

First Day in Caraballo

Today was our first day in Caraballo. We did many things there that were amazing. We took a tour of the village and learned about the hardships that the people faced on a daily basis. We were able to work on the bottle school all day as well. We were glad that there was a roof on the school, because it was hot! Some of us dug a septic tank with picks and shovels. The rest of us learned how to make a bottle school. It was a really neat process and I’m glad I learned how to do it. I wish we could build one back in the states!    

A lot of the local Haitian kids helped us build the school. Some of them were very good at braiding our hair, so we were able to get that done as well. It was nice talking to the people, they all knew at least 2 languages, and I was able to brush up on my Spanish skills. Later we went to the beach to cool off. The water was warmer than what we were used to back home. Then we watched an eye-opening documentary called 11^th Hour. I learned a lot from that.

Off to a Great Start!

We’ve Arrived!

You can tell how excited everybody is by looking at the size of those smiles. Participants arrived safe and sound, after splashing in the pool and getting to wow at the wonderful lodging they will call home for the next 10 days we are having dinner, followed by orientation and we’ll have the chance to cheer the USA team at the World Cup.

Keeping the Ball Rolling

We began our fabulous sixth day in La Republica Dominica with our usual breakfast of eggs, toast and pineapple before heading off to a new Dominican village, Las Canas. Loaded up with bug spray and sunscreen (you’re welcome, moms), we piled into the bus where we got to experience Cameron navigating a dirt road made for motorcycles and mules, popular modes of transportation here in the DR. Luckily, the ride was only five minutes, and we quickly got to work building a bottle clinic in this new community. Now that we’ve been working with bottle building for a few days, we’ve mastered techniques and we used up all of the bottles on the site by lunch time! We were served a delicious lunch of the chicken and rice variety, a common and tasty meal here.

Since we finished our work for the day early, we split into groups for some quick comedic relief and prepared funny skits about our time here. We all battled ferociously for an ice cream prize, and although neither of our groups were victorious, we enjoyed watching all the skits as well as the tiebreaker, a joke off and dance battle. After cleaning up the site, we headed back to camp and got to spend an unexpected afternoon relaxing on our beach at the Home Base. Following some swimming, tanning and beach volleyball games we cleaned up for dinner and leadership activities. Tonight, we discussed privilege with Kala and global health security with Drew. We’re certainly feeling grateful for all we have, especially to be in such an amazing place right now surrounded by such an enthusiastic group of people!

Signing off (a little too sun-kissed),

 Sarah Kersting and Wallis Herzog

Dudu Adventure!

Today was awesome. After being able to sleep in a little later, we headed off to Dudu. Following the hour long drive, we were greeted by a zip line overlooking a 35 foot drop to the water! Once the nerves passed we enjoyed zip lining, cliff jumping, playing volleyball, and exploring and swimming in the caves. We were able to walk among ostriches, turkeys, and peacocks on the Dudu property. After a while, we all chose something to do and by the end of the day everyone was happy and proud of themselves for conquering their fears. By 4 PM, it was time to go– even though most of us wanted to stay! Later, after dinner, we finished off the day by watching a documentary called Food, Inc. and learning about the food industries.

Working Hard

During our third day in Dominican paradise, we continued our work in Caraballo. We constructed more of the bottle school walls and mixed cement to coat the outside of the bottle walls to make the building more durable. The mixing of the cement was harder than we expected, and as Cameron would say, it “gave us big guns.” After our filling lunch made by the locals, we visited the market in Ascension. The vendors sold beautiful bracelets and decadent artwork; however, it was very overwhelming because of the need of the families there, and their want for money and us to buy their products. Most of us felt empathetic towards the families who were working towards a better living.

After this eye-opening experience, we visited a more touristy beach where the water was a beautiful turquoise blue and we competed in multiple beach volleyball games. We then headed back to our Dominican Home Base, where we showered, ate dinner and continued leadership exercises with Kala. We took a personality quiz and discovered what attributes we possess the most and learned how to feed into these values. It was an overall amazing and enjoyable day and we look forward to the rest of our life changing experience here in the Republica Dominicana. We’ll be keeping you posted!

-Morgan Demboski and Jade Paquette

Welcome to Caraballo

Today was an awesome day! We went to Caraballo to work on the Bottle School, which will be the biggest structure built using this technique in the world! It is such a cool thing to be a part of. We worked on making the walls by recycling used water bottles to fill them. Our favorite part was the people we worked with: Dominicans and Haitians of all ages from the area. We got to play with the little kids, who loved taking photos. Especially selfies!

We ate a traditional dish of chicken and rice for lunch in the community and had a leadership meeting about self-awareness and the Johari window. After a couple more hours of work, we went to the beach near our Home Base. The beaches here are beautiful and blue, with huge waves to swim in. Dinner was delicious, as usual, and then we set up our hammocks (easier said than done) and played with them. To finish off the night, we watched a documentary called “The 11th Hour,” which was about environmental issues, awareness, and solutions. Overall, another fabulous day in paradise!

Today we started off our day by waking up at 6:30 to get ready and eat breakfast. The fruit here is delicious, and every meal has been wonderful! At around 7:30 we hopped on our big bus, squished into the seats, and headed off to Brison for a hike. When we got to the trail head, a local man let us use the bathrooms in his home. It is very welcoming how happy and friendly the Dominican people are!

We started hiking around 9:30 and hit our first hill right out of the gate! Little did we know the whole hike was uphill…it was a challenge to say the least. Dave and Cameron showed us around a typical village in a developing country, which was an eye-opening experience. We continued our treacherous hike until we arrived at our lunch spot. The people were once again very welcoming and gave us a delicious lunch, including this amazing chocolate ice cream!

Following our lunch, we continued our uphill hike. On our way, we stopped to plant cacao trees as part of a reforestation project in the area. These trees will be ready to harvest in two years and will provide the communities with a sustainable source of income. After planting more trees than we could count, we started our trek back down the mountain and got back in our big bus. We returned to the home base to shower, eat dinner, and enjoy the night’s activities.

We’ve Arrived!

All the participants have arrived safe and sound. After dinner, students had orientation and learned more about one another by participating in team building and leadership activities.

Headed Home

All students are on their way home after an amazing program!

Wrapping Up!

Today the Temps went to Tempetal. We spent the morning working on a bridge, which GLA has been building/ working on this summer. The bridge being built to help children get to school when the road floods. We also took time to pick up trash around the area. It was a very meaningful experience.

-Brooke Goldstein

Today we went to the local high school in La Cruz. We are trying to promote recycling as well as raise awareness of proper garbage disposal. To do that we spread sand paper across the garbage cans so that the oil paint would stick once it was painted over. We will continue on with this project and hopefully make a long lasting impression on the local community’s high school.

-Alistair Ramirez

Today, G-Unit worked at the school, especially at the greenhouse. We spent a long time shoveling gravel, washing it off and rolling it into the greenhouse in a wheelbarrow. We also painted desks and chairs. It was one of the longest service projects, taking about 4 hours. Afterwards, my family group took a boat to an island and Bahia Salinas, and relaxed there for a couple of hours.

-Walter Weisberg

Final Days

Today the Amigo Casados ventured to the secondary school in La Cruz. We played games and helped the kids practice their English through various activities and skits. During their class break we joined some boys on the soccer field and much their surprise we scored two goals! It was amazing to find out the many similarities we shared with the Costa Rican teens and it was very fun to exchange cultural dance moves! As always, we had a fun, eye-opening day. -Hannah Ship

Today G Unit worked on the finishing touches on the footbridge. We finished putting up the mayas (sides of the bridge) and tied them together with wire. We then mixed cement to create ramps while painters touched up the bridges appearance. After a long morning of service, Alex and Maria’s family groups went to a beach for swimming and yoga. Sherrilees and Kevin’s group took a boat trip to a nearby island. We then topped the day off with an ice cream social! -Izzy Crocker

Today The Temps service group went back to the elementary school to do some more work for the greenhouse. The kids are so sweet and absolutely love taking pictures with our cameras. After lunch we split into our family groups and we took of the beach where we enjoyed the sun, ocean and some yoga. I got to teach my first yoga session on the beach with Emily, which was awesome –Beth Ivany

Service

Today The Temps visited a school to help with the construction of a greenhouse. The greenhouses are being built to grow vegetables to feed the children of the school. This trip was not only an amazing experience because of the greenhouses, but also because the children of the school. They were so welcoming and sweet and they made all of us feel welcome. – Meredith Brown

Today The Coco’s travelled to Tempetal to continue work on the bridge project, which has been worked on by previous sessions. With Dakota, our leader of the day, the events went swimmingly; we worked on attaching fences to the side of the footbridge and welding a ramp to the two ends. Teamwork was a huge factor today because the equipment was heavy and it all had to be done a very particular way. While some people attached the fence, others painted the fence to cover up any blemishes. Communication and cooperation come together to create a long awaited service. -Rimma Levina

Today The Munchies helped el Jobo’s local women’s group. They are currently in the middle of a project to re-do the town’s recycling center. Our project today was laying the concrete base of the building. At the construction site we met 3 young girls who taught us some dances and some clapping games. All together we got a lot done and got the chance to get to know some local girls in el Jobo. -Rachel Raffield

Today The Amigos Casados traveled to a high school in La Cruz where we sat in on the English classes. We were able to practice our Spanish and they were able to practice their English by telling each other about themselves and playing games with them. We were able to talk to 7th graders, 10th graders and 9th graders. They were so interested and excited to talk with us. It was a fun and amazing experience to see their school life and compare the similarities and differences between our schools and theirs. -Kait Launcher​

Recent Happenings

Today was packed with adventure. Alexa’s family group began the day with breakfast at 5:30, and then everyone boarded their busses. After a two hour-long drive with singing and chatting we arrived at Guachepeline. First, we rode our horses for quite a while until we boarded a classic ell school bus taking us to the tubing. The 5 km tuning adventure was such a thrill. With all the drops, turns, bump and splashes, it felt like natures rollercoaster. After that, we got strapped into our harnesses and walked down to the zip-lining platform. The zip lines were so incredible and swinging upside-down is the most fun a person can possibly have. Lastly we made a quick stop at a grocery store, sang along to some songs and went back to homebase. – Max Kaye Hamilton

Today Sherrilee’s family group got an early start at 5:30 with a delicious breakfast. Then we headed off for a beautiful hike on Volcano Rincon de la Vieja. After, we went to a natural hot spring and painted ourselves with sulfuric mud. After the mid dried we washed off the cool river and took a lto of photos. We continued our day with the most delicious tacos and life-changing gelato. We finished our day at the shops in Playa del Coco, where we bought gifts for ourselves, friends and family. – Nicole Romeo

Today Kevin’s family group ventured out to horseback ride, water tube and zipline. We first went horseback riding. The horses were crazy and trotted throughout the entire trail. We rode to the area where we went tubing. The rapids were extremely run. Most of the time I got stuck in the rocks, but it was still amazing! Lastly, we all went ziplining. At first I was timid, but I eventually got use to it and loved the insane experience. The works were insanely funny and made the experience comfortable. Overall, the day couldn’t have been any better. – Karina Stotz

Hola! Today Maria’s family group ventured to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park where we fought the muds fierce tree rounds to a sulfuric hot springs. Hannah also unfortunately fought a giant spider. Pictured here is the tour guide showing Rimma some classic moves. Then we were off to the mudbaths where we soothed our skin and ronsed off in the cool river. Lastley we drove to Playa del Coco for $1 tacos, shopping, and gelato! Of course we jammed out to the classics suchs as “Fergalicous,” and “Bilando,” the whole way home. – Hannah Ship

Today was packed with adventure. Alexa’s family group began the day with breakfast at 5:30, and then everyone boarded their busses. After a two hour-long drive with singing and chatting we arrived at Guachepeline. First, we rode our horses for quite a while until we boarded a classic ell school bus taking us to the tubing. The 5 km tuning adventure was such a thrill. With all the drops, turns, bump and splashes, it felt like natures rollercoaster. After that, we got strapped into our harnesses and walked down to the zip-lining platform. The zip lines were so incredible and swinging upside-down is the most fun a person can possibly have. Lastly we made a quick stop at a grocery store, sang along to some songs and went back to homebase. – Max Kaye Hamilton
Today Sherrilee’s family group got an early start at 5:30 with a delicious breakfast. Then we headed off for a beautiful hike on Volcano Rincon de la Vieja. After, we went to a natural hot spring and painted ourselves with sulfuric mud. After the mid dried we washed off the cool river and took a lto of photos. We continued our day with the most delicious tacos and life-changing gelato. We finished our day at the shops in Playa del Coco, where we bought gifts for ourselves, friends and family. – Nicole Romeo

Today Kevin’s family group ventured out to horseback ride, water tube and zipline. We first went horseback riding. The horses were crazy and trotted throughout the entire trail. We rode to the area where we went tubing. The rapids were extremely run. Most of the time I got stuck in the rocks, but it was still amazing! Lastly, we all went ziplining. At first I was timid, but I eventually got use to it and loved the insane experience. The works were insanely funny and made the experience comfortable. Overall, the day couldn’t have been any better – Karina Stotz

Adventures

In Alexa’s family group we walked along the base of a volcano, saw boiling mud with the strong smell of sulfur and saw lots of lizards. We also went to a hot spring and let our pores open up before painting and letting ourselves dry in the mud. We then washed it off in the cool river. Afterwards we went to Playa del Coco where we ate some food, saw a beach, went shopping and finished our day off with gelato.
-Hannah B-W

In Kevin’s family group we spent the day hiking through the forest alongside the base of the volcano. We saw beautiful views and other fascinating sights. Our tour guide, Yoni, showed us plants that change shape when touched and pits of mud that boiled because of the volcano. After our hike we refreshed and went to the hot spring. The naturally made hot top was beautiful and surrounded by a refreshing river. There we were able to paint ourselves with mud and let it dry in the sun. After rinsing off in the river we went to Playa del Coco. We ended the day there perfectly by walking on a local beach, tasting some amazing gelato, and shopping for souvenirs for our families and friends.
-Brooke Goldstein

Today is Sherrilee’s group we had breakfast and left on the bus to go to Guachepelin. When we arrived we each got on a horse and rode to the river where we grabbed some tubes and headed down the river to go white water tubing! It was a lot of fun! Then we went zip lining and rock climbing. It was scary but fun. The whole bs ride back was spent signing along to songs. It was an amazing day!
-Eliza M.

Beach Clean Up & el Jobo

Today the Temps went to the beach with Kevin and Sarah. We split into 2 groups and cleaned along a trail and the other group cleaned across the beach. We took breaks and during that time we had hermit crab races, learned to skip rocks, had a soccer game and watched cattle cross the beach. After our break we traveled to other beaches and met up with another service group. We played games with the other group and left after having a successful day of beach clean up
-Megan McDuffee

The Munchies
In a rural area, in a country most of our service groups have never been to, eleven young students embarked on the strenuous task of cementing the groups of a nearly finished, brand spanking new recycling center in el Jobo.

Hola from Eco Playa!!!

Mother Nature has brought us some wind, but its a good thing because it’s keeping the mosquitos away! We have our session 6 crew here and ready to start a new adventure here in Costa Rica! We’re going to have a great time here!

We’ve Arrived!

All students have arrived in country and are ready for an amazing program!

“Sometimes pictures are all the words we need.”

More Adventures

Today I was the bloggerpher for the day. It was really fun and I got to take some great pictures. My favorite part was interacting with the kids at the elementary school. I loved talking and playing with them. I loved seeing how happy they were just to talk to me. -Hayley R.

Today we went to a local elementary school to help build a greenhouse. Many of us helped build the foundation of the building, while others worked on a nearby bridge or played with the kids. We also got a chance to learn about the upcoming school elections and each of the political parties involved. Many of the children also shared information about their school and how they will use the greenhouse as a learning opportunity. – Aleisha L.
Today we continued leveling off the back of the church to eventually build a safe place for teen mothers. The locals are extremely grateful for the hard work of the GLA students. We are all very proud of the work we have accomplished in such a short period of time and happy to be apart of this amazing project. -Stella K.

Today was day 4 of our project to create an organized recycling dump for the locals in el Jobo. Our focus was on laying down the first few square feet of cement in order to establish a foundation for sorting bins. Our final obstacle was met with great optimism and determination. There was no electricity in the surrounding building to power the cement mixer. Luckily our project manager had some experience with mixing cement by hand and so did a local construction expert Fran. We dug a hole in the soil and mixed the cement with sand and gravel. It required lots of mixing and watering, but by the end of the day we had completed our goal. Special thanks to the local women who sold us delicious ice cream! -Griffen K

Reflections

Today Maria’s group went to La Cruz and helped teach a class of women English. First, we were assigned to one of the women and we had an individual conversation with them discussing our lifestyles and hobbies. Next we got into a group and shared what we learned. Our group talked in Spanish and the natives spoke English. It was very cool talking to the locals and we learned a lot! -Kate Ryles

Today Sherrilee’s mentor group went to La Escuela del Jobo, a local elementary school. Our group was lead by Lexi and I was the bloggrapher. At the school we painted, sanded trash bins, fixed roofs and played soccer with the students. Getting the chance to interact with the students made the work feel easier….and the ice cream breaks made it eve better!!!!! -Ryan Pontone

Today Alex’s service group worked hard destroying clay and rock so we could shovel and move it. All of this hard work will make it possible for people in Costa Rica to reduce, reuse, and recycle! We flattened out the dirt area to make it possible to pour cement over it. Now, big trucks will be able to easily pick up the recycled materials. -Julia Regenstreif

Today Emily’s group went to the local church for our service project. It was a long day but we were very excited to see all of our progress. The main job was leveling the land behind the church. Everyone worked very hard during the time we were there. Some of us worked on painting a sign for the church. Some local kids stopped by for a short time to see what was going on. Although the work was tiring, it was great to see the progress we made in such a short amount of time. -Lizbeth Brosnan

Today Mateo’s group went to La Escuela del Jobo. We played soccer and talked with the kids. Their dazzling smiles and laughter left and everlasting imprint on our lives. Mateo’s group also helped paint desks in a beautiful shade of blue. To add in, we hammered in nails on black liners into wood tables to help the start of building a greenhouse. Overall it was a memorable day and it was sad to leave the beautiful school. -Chloe Kudler

Activities!

Today was a very fun but tough day. Chandler was the leader for the day and I (Katia) was the bloggerpher. Chandler helped out our mentors in a leadership role while I took photos of people (from my group of course…and certain children and a dog). We all leveled out the ground behind the church. We switched roles and some went to take breaks and some made friendship bracelets with the local children while mingling. Some bought ice cream and some translated for others who don’t know how to speak Spanish. All in all it was a good hard working day. -Katia Smarduch

Today our group went to a high school to teach the students English with our mentor Tiffany. First we introduced ourselves to our first class and played some games with them. Then we went to a 10th grade class in which we talked to the students about what they would want to do if they visited the US. We also performed short skits with them. The students were all welcoming and involved in the activities. – AQ

Today was the second day working at the recycling site with Maria and Alex. From yesterdays work we had thought we were finished but we were not. The measure marks made from what we had completed were short and we had to extend the dirt from the walls one meter more towards the field. Having a little over an hour left to work we were able to get the job done with the help of the locals, our mentors and the team of GLA kids. – KongPheng Lee

Today Sherrilee’s group continued work at the elementary school. The kids did not attend school today because they were at a cultural festival in La Cruz. Our group dug up poles and relocated them. These will serve as the base for the new larger recycling center. Our group also worked to level the ground between classrooms to permit the construction of a new sidewalk. In addition, we continued to varnish the wood pieces that will serve as a bench for the students in front of the school. Overall, our group completed a great deal of work today to help improve the elementary school. – Sara Buscher

Today Kevin and Matt’s group went to the elementary school service site and sanded down the desks for the children’s classrooms and painted them a beautiful blue to help improve the learning area. In the school we finished all the desks in the classroom and got a good start on the next. –Kennedy Gulas

Service

Today Sherrilee’s group had the opportunity to spend the day working with the local elementary school kids and helping build a better, more suitable working environment. Throughout the day we dug holes for a flagpole and started building a snack bar and recycling center, polished wood for tables and repainted the front of the building. We also had the opportunity to play soccer with them and they turned out to be amazing for their age! Hopefully by the end of the week their school will be new and improved and the kids will be excited to learn.
-Brandon Washington

Today our morning quickly started with breakfast and then transitioned to the high school. In Tiffany’s service group we were stationed at the local high school with the 7th and 11th graders. In the 7th grade classroom we they found out our names, age, where we are from and other great things. The 11th graders had great English skills and we all had an awesome time. Finally we ended the day with some free time at home base.
– Alex Furtado

Today Bilando Ingesia’s group went to el Jobo to work on a church we have been helping to improve. On the way to the church we collected trash around the town with trash bags. We then leveled dirt out behind the church in order to help build a school behind it. During this, children joined us and made friendship bracelets as well as helping us with our Spanish. Overall I was an amazing day!
-Olivia Cara

Today Maria and Alex led our group to el Jobo where we began to build a foundation for a recycling system. We had to weed all the plants from the area and shovel away dirt all while bearing the heat. We were able to accomplish a lot for one day! Other than helping with the recycling system we had the opportunity to visit some children at the elementary school. We all had a blast playing soccer and speaking Spanish with them. It’s amazing to see how talented and compassionate all the Costa Rican kids are!
– Michelle Kaminski

Today in Kevin and Mateo’s group our first service day consisted of two main tasks: working on an organic greenhouse by building garden beds and sanding and painting desks for the school. After working hard for a few hours we were able to take a short break and play with the kids! They couldn’t wait to take selfies, play games and teach us how to dance. We made great progress on our tasks and can’t wait to continue tomorrow.
– Kristina Bridgwater

Adventure Day!

The day commenced with an early 5:30 AM breakfast to maximize the time spent on our adventure day. GLA’s 65 participants were split up into two groups that alternated between two journeys. One of them was a more relaxed vibe including a scenic hike followed by a mud bath and souvenir shopping in Playa de Coco. The other was an action packed day starting with a 5-kilometer inner tube journey down a river with unexpected dips, rapids and occasional straightaways to enjoy the rainforest. After drying off the bus left for zip lining through a tropical canyon as well as repelling into an enchanted ravine. The day finally ended with a horseback ride to a waterfall to swim and relax

-Dante Amedeo

Our day started bright and early with breakfast and 5:30 AM and a bus ride to our destination at 6 AM. Though we were sleepy, everyone was so excited for what the day had to offer. Two groups were on their way to a short hike around the base of a volcano where they were able to witness the beautiful nature and wildlife of Costa Rica. After their hike, the students got to jump into a geothermal spa and paint each other with volcanic mud. Once they had finished taking muddy selfies and finishing off in the river, they headed to Playa de Coco for tacos, gelato, and souvenirs. The day was truly a wonderful adventure.

– Kristina Bridgewater

Everyone’s exhausting day began the same way. Breakfast, one-hour bus ride, etc. However, after the bus ride two family groups went in one direction while four family groups went another. My group was small with only 22 people. We went hiking around the Pilas volcano. It was beautiful! We saw iguanas, butterflies, and toucans. We even heard howler monkeys! The forest was amazing but we moved onto the hot springs where everyone breathed a sigh of relaxation…at least until we started paining each other in mud. When we washed the hardened mud off in the cool nearby river everyone had fun in the clear water. After our mud baths everyone went shopping. It was a little different navigating the streets of Costa Rica, but people managed to get everything they wanted. We got delicious gelato and tacos before hopping back on the bus and heading home. It was interesting to hear about the other group’s experience horse back riding, rafting and zip lining and we are all looking forward to our next adventure.

-Maya Florin

We’ve Arrived!

What a beautiful day to kick off our 5th session! We have a fun filled week ahead of us and we’re excited to get started. Today we got to know our home base and the members of our family groups. We also spent time relaxing by the pool, playing soccer and volleyball, and getting our zen on with yoga. This is already a great start to a wonderful session!

Horses and Hot Springs!

Today, Sherrilee, Matt, Maria & Emily’s groups went on a hike through the national park around a volcano which was awesome (even though the smell was a little odd.) The groups then went to natural hot springs to relax & were able to exfoliate our skin with mud masks. After washing off, we went to Playas del CoCo to shop, eat incredible gelato & get tacos. Everyone was able to buy a lot of souvenirs for themselves as well as friends and family.

–Danni & Ali

Today, Kevin and Tiffany’s groups went to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin for horseback riding, white water tubing and zip lining. It was a very fun experience and everybody had a great time. After, we had lunch at the hotel and enjoyed a nice ride home after an exhausting but exciting day!

–Madeline & Nicole

Service!

Today, Emily’s group went to a local high school in La Cruz. We introduced ourselves to groups of eighth and ninth graders and played a couple of games with them. We got to practice our Spanish while they were learning more English.

Today, Matt’s group went to work on the green house at the elementary school. Some of us were hard at work cutting planks of wood to make legs while others played with the local kids. Towards the end, one teacher gave us a presentation on the local culture of Guanacaste.

Today, Alex’s group went to a local community center and built an eco-playground with local women. We dug holes and places painted tires for the kids to jump on. Half way though the morning the kids from the local school came and played on the new playground we had built.

Today Sherrilee’s group went to a local church and helped set the foundation for a daycare center. We were able to interact and play with the local kids, who also helped us do a lot of work.

Kevin’s group had one goal; building the bridge. Upon arrival, we couldn’t start working immediately, because we didn’t have the materials. After waiting an hour for Sam to bring the materials, we could finally start working on the bridge. We made some progress making the structure of the bridge and making the cement.

More Adventures

Today in Tiffany’s group we went to the local bi-lingual high school and helped teach English to the kids. In Mateo’s, we helped construct planter boxes at the local elementary school so the locals could grow their own fresh vegetables and incorporate deeper greens into the children’s diet. Also, we dug holes for posts to build a bridge in Maria’s group. With Alex we finished digging holes for tires and cleaned the tires for a tire park. In Sherrilee’s group we went to helped out at a adult English class. Later today, we split into groups and some of us went to a near by island and the others went to a beach in El Jobo. Tonight we went to a bonfire and learned about the Costa Rican culture and the Peace Corps.

Mentor Groups

Group A- Tiffany
Abigail Schinderle
Betsy Garcia
Elsa Beard
Emily Burkle
Jacob Marcus
Julia Arreola
Max Engel
Priyam Khemani
Tyler Borden
Walter Haracz

Group B- Kevin
Benjamin Buchholz
Gurleen Grewal
Hattie Sher
Jarod Rodriguez
Jason Chubbuck
Jasper Arendse
Kalia Norris
Madeline Henderson
Megan Waterhouse
Noah Shamsai
Sage Shamsai

Group C- Sherrilee (All girls)
Allison Ambler
Bethany Roos
Danielle Bianco
Eliana Feinerman
Franchesca Maria Timpanaro
Natalie Stewart
Paige Fox
Patricia Janick
Rebecca Scott
Sabrina Boutiette
Samantha VanDrisse

Group D- Emily (All girls)
Alison Yang
Courtney Redmond
Katarzyna Maziarczyk
Kathleen Garvey
Madison Pake
Mia Sgamboti
Mikayla Emery
Molly Zhang
Naomi Goodwin
Sophie Maher
Tara Morgan Griffith

Group E- Matt
Adam Philip Lawrence
Amanda Murgia
Gabriela Ching
Jessica Strokowski
Kevin Chen
Leah Greenberg
Megan Lo
Melissa Ferlatte
Nicholas Tuanchaem
Noah Bleakley
Ryan Ceschin

Group F- Maria (All girls)
Alexandra Lutz
Christina Piccinin
Elise Pohlhammer
Emily Holloway
Katherine Clavadetscher
Kimberly Miramontes
Kylie Blessing
Lauren Hansen
Marisa Li
Nicole Patch
Siena Hasson

Service Groups:

Group 1 (Reales)
Adam Philip Lawrence
Bethany Roos
Christina Piccinin
Elsa Beard
Jacob Marcus
Jasper Arendse
Kalia Norris
Megan Lo
Noah Bleakley
Noah Shamsai
Sage Shamsai
Walter Haracz

Group 2 (Llamativo Pantalones)
Alison Yang
Allison Ambler
Benjamin Buchholz
Emily Burkle
Emily Holloway
Hattie Sher
Jarod Rodriguez
Kathleen Garvey
Leah Greenberg
Madison Pake
Marisa Li
Max Engel
Priyam Khemani
Ryan Ceschin

Group 3 (DTSS)
Abigail Schinderle
Alexandra Lutz
Amanda Murgia
Betsy Garcia
Danielle Bianco
Elise Pohlhammer
Jason Chubbuck
Kimberly Miramontes
Madeline Henderson
Paige Fox
Patricia Janick
Sabrina Boutiette
Tara Morgan Griffith
Tyler Borden

Group 4 (Ticas Chicas)
Jessica Strokowski
Julia Arreola
Katarzyna Maziarczyk
Katherine Clavadetscher
Kylie Blessing
Mikayla Emery
Naomi Goodwin
Natalie Stewart
Nicole Patch
Rebecca Scott
Samantha VanDrisse
Sophie Maher

Group 5 (Trece con Suerte)
Courtney Redmond
Eliana Feinerman
Franchesca Maria Timpanaro
Gabriela Ching
Gurleen Grewal
Kevin Chen
Lauren Hansen
Megan Waterhouse
Melissa Ferlatte
Mia Sgamboti
Molly Zhang
Nicholas Tuanchaem
Siena Hasson

Group Activities!

Tara Morgan Griffith- Today the “real conquistadores” (Group 1) went to a local elementary school to play soccer and other games such as hide and seek and duck duck goose, other known as “pato pato tigre” with the children. They enjoyed showing us their tire playground and much more.

When not playing with the children, the “real conquistadores” helped start the process of building raised plant beds for the greenhouse in the elementary school. We used saws to cut wood to length, and hammers to nail down nails and take out old ones.

Bethany Roos- On our first day at the service site, “llamativos pantalones” (Group 2) helped dig holes in order to build a bridge for local Ticos. We dug 180 cm (6 feet) deep holes and all had a great time and can’t wait to go back tomorrow!

The “llamativos pantalones” also met the local family who lives across from the soon-to-be bridge. Guanalupe, a beautiful seven year old girl, helped us dig before school along with her uncle while her adorable two year old brother watched. Lenin, our amazing bus driver, also helped us a great deal. We all loved meeting their family as well as having a fun time enjoying working with each other!

Kathleen Garvey- The “Ticas Chicas” (Group 4) an all girls group, led by Sherrilee, had a delayed start due to “Tico time.” The service was held at the local church. Because of a lot of hard work and dedication from the locals and GLA, the church is able to continue to be a place that helps the community. Once the service started we were on our feet leveling the back of the church and digging holes. During the service we divided our group and were able to play with the little kids, a great experience about hard work and patience.
Lauren Hansen- Today the “Trece con Suerte” (Group 5) service group had the wonderful task of digging holes for a new local park! The work was hard but that only adds to the fulfillment at the end. The holes will be filled with recycled tires creating a fun obsitcal course for the young Ticos

A Rainy Day

It rained quite a bit today, but that didn’t stop us from having a ton of fun. Everyone arrived and we are already making new friends and getting to know a new culture. This is going to be a great session filled with many memories and stories to share!

We’ve Arrived!

All students have arrived safely and are ready for an amazing program! Stay tuned for blog updates and photos!