Treacherous Tumbles and Tasty Tortillas

Today can be best described by one word: community. The day was filled with a variety of communities ranging from the ant colonies to the Costa Rican boys that joined us in a soccer match.

After a delicious ham and egg breakfast, the future scientists of the world were off to the labs. The day opened with multiple mass murders as the science experiments set off in a bang. Some groups spent their time decapitating ants, others spent time collecting their waste. The first day of experiments was far from ordinary as we struggled to out run the rain while collecting ants. The leaves and ants collected were often subject to a new verb: juicing. We spent our time juicing their abdomens, heads, and waste.

Hours later, the science portion of the day came to an end and the afternoon rolled in with a steaming plate of lasagna. Following our excessive amount of carbs, we headed into the village with a Peace Core volunteer, Amy. Amy has been working to improve the small businesses in the village for several months now. Continuing in her charitable footsteps, we found ourselves picking mountains of weeds in a local women's garden. The garden was home to eight women who depend on the business of tourists as they grow and sell their own vegetables and make jewelry. We really cleared out their stock! Who would have guessed that we could all shop? But before the jewelry came, there were hours filled with mud and creatures. We got down and dirty plucking out weeds only to be interrupted by the presence of a snake. Although the snake was very small, it gave us quite the fright.

As the now severed snake was tossed aside, we found ourselves adventuring to a soccer match. Although the match started off with just us girls (and our questionable soccer talents), the excitement quickly grew as we were joined by four Costa Rican boys who were slightly above our skill level (most likely training for the World Cup in 2018). Some tumbles were had and some memories were made as we found our bodies covered in mud. The motto of the game was clear: pass it to the Costa Ricans. The game ended with a 3-2 win for the blue shirts. The gray and white shirt team walked away with their heads held high because although they had lost, they would still partake in the amazing cooking experience that was to follow.

A mere five minutes from the soccer field rested the house of a lovely lady named Aracelly. After affectionate introductions, we headed inside to start cooking. Thanks to the Spanish of several girls, we were able to communicate as we set out to prepare a meal of chicken, tortillas, coconut rice and beans, cheese, and a salad. Though our tomato roses were not up to par and the our tortillas weren't exactly round, the night was a success. Our hard work was enjoyed as we sat on the beautiful outdoor patio and engulfed our well-earned meal. After hours filled with riddles, laughs, and the cutest puppy the world has ever known, we left her house with not only full bellies, but full hearts. We would have never guessed that a woman with so little could give us so much. You could say that some of the girls found themselves another grandmother.

As we washed the mud off of our clothes, a barrier was also stripped away as we were exposed and immersed in a new culture filled with warmth and generosity.

Sincerely,
Ellie and Kaitlyn

P.S. The sunset was beautiful.

P. S. S. All comments are encouraged! We would love to hear from you! :)

Pulling weeds in the community garden

Working in the lab

 Arriving at Aracelly's home

 We left our boots at the door!

 Everyone helped to prepare the meal

See the Community Soccer Game slideshow here