Good evening!

What a day! What a day! What a day! 

As I write this blog we are on our way home from Manuel Antonio National Park. We were able to witness so many new things and appreciate Costa Rica’s natural beauty today. 

Our team set out early this morning for a day at Manuel Antonio Park. This was a day of rest for our team. Our word for the week is “flexible” and we are learning just how flexible we all can be. 

As we set off for our excursion today we immediately ran into a closed road. This lead us to a country road around San Isidro. As we were bouncing along we were able to take in new sights. At several points we were crossing our fingers and toes that we didn’t slide off the edge of the road. 

We all spent the afternoon making new friends with monkeys, sloths, and raccoons. Some of us had to play defense with the monkeys and raccoons to make sure that our belongings stayed our belongings. It was incredible to experience the national park in Costa Rica! The ocean was a welcome sight to us all and many of us enjoyed taking some time for ourselves to rest and recharge.

The evening was spent dining in a restaurant that overlooked the Pacific. It has been such a blessing to get to know each other as team members and spend time serving together. God painted a beautiful sunset for us this evening! 

Life is so similar and so different here in Costa Rica. The saying down here in Costa Rica is ‘Pura Vida,’ which means the simple life. If I want to learn one thing from our brothers and sisters down here, it’s to learn how to live the simple life. Stop and take time to appreciate His beauty, His love, and all of His creations. I thank God for this opportunity He has given me down here in Costa Rica and hope one day I too will be living the simple life. 

Friend indeed!

Pura Vida