Costa Rica Jan 2024 Blog 3

Our first day on the worksite!

After a peaceful night’s sleep and another amazing beakfast, we headed off to the worksite in Santa Marta via autobus (bus) driven this time by another of Daniel’ hijos, Dariel.

On our 1 hour drive, we got to see beautiful coffee, pineapple, and sugar cane fields. Since this is harvest season for sugar cane, we also met numerous trucks, trailers, and tractors loaded down with freshly cut cane.

This year’s build is on the same property as the church that members on our trip helped build on a previous visit!  We got a chance to admire their church, and meet Luis, the church pastor, before Hugito and Pedro, the jobsite superintendent and foreman put us to work.

Marlene, Cathie, and Brenda had bonita (beautiful) young helpers as they sanded and painted metal sheets for which we are not quite sure in what manner they will be used. The young helpers were tres ninas (three girls) that were with their tia (aunt) who prepared our lunch with Pedro and Hugito.

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Julie, Susan, Rusty, and Martha worked themselves out of a job when they surprised Jugaito by emptying the grande (large) tub of spackle they had been given to fill in the seams of the concrete panels.  Rumor has it Martha was quite the Speedy Gonzalez when it came to spackling.

Bill, Jon, David, and myself (Barb) spent the day setting columns, setting concrete panels, and mixing and pouring concrete for the walls for the pastor’s new home so that he and his family will be able to live near the church.  Bill and I had a bit of a mishap, safe but still a mishap, with the concrete mixer and ended up covered in concrete from our faces to our shoes, but were able to laugh it off and get a few memorable fotos!

On the way back to camp, we stopped for a snack and then many took well deserved naps.

A delicious dinner was awaiting us after quick and much needed showers.  We then wrapped up the day with a devotional from Rusty and Martha.  Their devotional reminded us that you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give away.

As we turned in for the night, and visions of sugar cane began dancing in our heads….the women’s bunk arose to a clatter and got out of bed to see what was the matter…An adorable Costa Rican tree frog had fallen from the ceiling and landed on my arm in the dark…after a shriek and a shake, Susan and I worked to catch, photograph, and release it back outside to a tree for it’s own good night rest….but not before checking the ceiling for others!