Costa Rica Missions Trip Day 7

June 26

After the crazy storm last night you would think the air would be fresh and cool in the morning...and perhaps for Costa Rica it was!  But all I know is that I still sweat a lot on my morning run :).  As I ventured out I was amazed to find very few puddles or flooded areas after all that rain, although as I rounded one corner there were two barrels set up as road blocks so I assumed that meant it was a flooded area. I decided to run down that path anyway to check it out, and about 1/4 mile in I realized why there was a roadblock!

After coffee and breakfast at Cecelia's, we got ready for doctor day!  The staff had set appointments to come see Karen about any "ailments" they had, and to talk to me about nutrition or exercise. Karen had great chats and prayer time with some of the staff, and I had a chance to get to know some of them better as well. During one of our breaks Karen, Hillary & I walked down to take pictures by the mermaid statue (or pose like the mermaid!) since the tide was down. It's so amazing to think that in just a few short hours where we walked would be completely covered by the ocean!

We had some free time in the afternoon so we headed to Jaco to do a little shopping.  We made a few purchases, visited a Heladeria for some fabulous ice cream, and then stopped at the store for more water and a few groceries.  As we left Jaco we decided to drive to a little overlook area to take pictures of the sunset.  There were a lot of clouds but we were still able to capture some great shots.  As we all watched the ocean waves crashing the shore, Brenda commented, "It never gets old does it."  No, it really doesn't.  I said yesterday that watching the ocean is like watching fire burn - you can just sit and stare it for hours!

Tica driver Karen drove us back to Oeste Esterillos for dinner at the restaurant down the road where we ate on Saturday night with Penny.  When I asked the waiter if he remembered us he said "oh yes...and I saw you walking on the beach yesterday too!"  We're making friends everywhere :).  We had another fantastic dinner - the food is so fresh and flavorful - I think I've said that in every post so far but it really is!  Josh, Amy and Paula were all there & even though they had finished eating, they stayed and chatted with us.  It is so interesting to hear how everyone got connected with Penny and SOH, and Josh's story was not a disappointment.  God has used so many different ways to bring people from so many different areas and walks of life to Costa Rica to serve at this time.

We retired to our casa where Karen and I talked about how we can best serve the staff and SOH as we go forward from this trip.  Our little minds are clicking so watch out!  We headed to bed after another very good day, and looking forward to tomorrow's Crocodile Tour outing with the staff.

Things I learned today...1) The smell of a garbage truck is universal. 2) God truly has a hand in everything. 3) Sara shared with us that Hillary's name means cheerful & joyful - I love that.