Day 5: Community Day (No. 6)

Today, we got a closer look into the lives and ways of living of a few local Ticos (Costa Ricans).  We were given a brief tour of the neighborhood public school before meeting representatives of our host families. We were divided into small groups and despite having five or six of us, we were graciously welcomed into their homes.

We all learned that it isn’t hard to be welcoming and accepting of strangers. It really surprised us how excited the families were to give us a short glimpse into their ways of life.  We were very proud of our peers for being open-minded and respectful.  Experiencing new things, especially for younger people, can sometimes be difficult to understand or process. However, we think the whole group did an excellent job of adjusting and learning.

The most inspiring person our small group met today was Olga.  She was a very welcoming host with a fascinating background. She treated our small group of five like we were her own family.  Despite her challenging life and the troubles she had to overcome, she is full of joy and kindness. She opens her heart to everyone she meets.

Being co-leaders of the day was a really good way to develop our authority and voices, literally and figuratively.  We learned that it isn’t very scary to be in charge, and this was a good start in our journey to discovering what it’s like to lead.  We had a really good day and can’t wait for more tomorrow!