Service Trip Travels to Costa Rica

“On Monday after meeting their Program Leader Yana at the airport the group headed to their host community. They were not very lucky with traffic and it took them more time than expected to get to the community since they also needed some bathroom and snack breaks along the way. When they arrived in the community in the evening their host families were waiting for them and after a short introduction, everybody went to their host family homes. The students took showers and enjoyed their first meal in Costa Rica.

On Tuesday morning, they had a late start to allow the students to get some extra rest and be ready to work hard! On the first day of service, they worked cleaning and preparing the windows and walls of the community dining area for painting. For lunch, they went back to their host family homes and came back in the afternoon to finish preparing the building for painting on the following days.

In the late afternoon, the students joined the local youth soccer club to play a good pick-up game. They went back to their host family homes for dinner and to share with their families. All the students are loving the food and spending time with the families!”

“We are very happy to report that the group had a meaningful and fun stay in the host community of San Jorge. The service work was a total success; they not only finished the painting projects they were working on at the local clinic and community dining area, but they also had time to participate in English lessons at the primary school! Additionally, they were able to spend some valuable time playing with the students at the school.

On the last night in the community, the families and community leaders organized a bonfire with the IMS students and teachers and they shared desserts and songs. It was the perfect activity to share with their host families and friends before saying goodbye the next morning.

Yesterday the group left the host community to visit the Arenal Volcano area. There they had an exciting time learning about sustainable farming and hiking at the Arenal Volcano National Park. The group finished the day with a relaxing visit to the hot springs and a wonderful dinner.

Today they will continue with their adventure in Costa Rica with a drive to the Pacific Coast and a zip line canopy tour.”

“We are very happy to report that the group has had a great last few days in Costa Rica – they are tired but content! They spent some time at a rural lodge near the beach and yesterday they had some time to spot wildlife and enjoy the surf and sand at Manuel Antonio National Park before returning to the Central Valley.

Last night the group celebrated a great time in Costa Rica with a big dinner at a restaurant with a panoramic view of the city lights. This morning their Program Leader Yana said a fond farewell at the airport where they are waiting for their flight home to the US.”

Photos can be found here.