Costa Rica - Day 1

We’d been waiting for months. When the alarm went off at 2 a.m., it almost felt surreal: the day was finally here.

We met our group at the Dunkin Donuts directly inside the entrance of KCI at 4 a.m. Saturday, September 5. We were a collectively sleepy but undeniably enthusiastic group. The excitement of our new adventure worked a bit like caffeine: from the start, we could all tell it was going to be a terrific journey!

Bill McClave, the Costa Rica Context Leader, met us inside the airport entrance and accompanied us to our gate. He was both encouraging and inspirational in what he shared from his own serve experiences. He helped prepare us mentally, emotionally and spiritually for what might be part of our journey. In closing, he said “This is a moment in time. Embrace the unexpected.” What fantastic advice, and it covered the gamut of experiences that lie ahead for all of us.

It was a good travel day. We had smooth flights, everything was on time, and all eyes were focused on what lay ahead for us. We did have an unexpected and happy surprise at our Houston gate. Wil from CRMP was on our flight! He was returning to Costa Rica from a trip to North Carolina, his home state.

Flying into San Jose was breathtaking: the ocean off the coast stretched as far as the eye could see, and everywhere you looked was lush green. Red tile roofs dotted the landscape, and slate grey clouds cloaked the mountain range. We landed at noon San Jose time, which made jetlag almost a non-issue: it’s just an hour behind Kansas City.

Our group decided to hop on the bus with snacks instead of finding a sit down restaurant—we were all ready and excited to get to San Isidro. The bus trip took a total of about five hours, with a few rest stops fit in. We quickly learned roadside gas stations are a veritable harvest of new, fun snack items and drinks. We had so much fun stopping at our first Costa Rican gas station/food mart! Everyone had a blast picking out new and intriguing snacks. The fresh watermelon and pineapple were decadent. Terri and Kate were both looking for things they’d never seen before to bring along. Assorted veggie chips, fruits and sandwiches were bought and thoroughly enjoyed on the ride.

Will accompanied us on the bus, and he’s wonderfully knowledgeable about Costa Rica’s past, growth and culture. He shared so much on the ride: here are a few interesting snippets.

·      Costa Rica is geographically the size of West Virginia.

·      The San Jose airport is actually in a city called Alajuela, not San Jose. This is understandably frustrating for the hotel owners in Alajuela: visitors often book rooms in San Jose, not realizing it’s a bit of a drive from the airport, and bypassing lodging in Alajuela altogether.

·      5 million people live in Costa Rica, and about half of them are concentrated in Alajuela, where the airport is.

·      There are two huge football stadiums right by the airport, similar to our own Royals and Chiefs stadiums, though theirs are separated by a few miles.

·      Driving from San Jose to San Isidro took us over a mountain range. We went from 2,500 feet above sea level to 13,000 feet on the way to the site. At one point we were literally above the clouds. What a breathtaking ride!

·      The population of San Isidro is about 50,000 and another 50,000 live in the surrounding county.

·      San Francisco, California was first city in the world to have electric power. San Jose was the second.

·      Education is vitally important to Costa Ricans. There are lots of public and private universities here. It’s difficult to get into state schools, but there are many opportunities for scholarships and assistance there and at other schools. Education here is prioritized and accessible.

The temperate fluctuations at the higher altitudes of our drive were incredible, as were the views. At our final stop on the way to San Isidro, we were high on the mountain range. It was so chilly we could see our breath in the air. What a change from the weather back home! We were already having new experiences, and we hadn’t even really started yet.

We arrived at the Mission Center shortly after 6 p.m. We were glad to be there: the fatigue from a long day of traveling was setting in. We gathered in the dining area at 6:30 and met the staff. Fanny, her sister and another young lady named Tanya prepare beautiful and delicious dishes, and our weary group was especially thankful for a warm, flavorful meal after a long day’s travels. Cleanup and a devotional session led by Keith and Andie followed, beautifully closing out the day. Everyone retired to our bunkhouses. In short order we’d all picked our sleeping spots, and were set for a good night’s rest.