The Dream
It was an adventure over nine years in the making, the distant dream of which took root the year my daughter first walked through the doors of her new school and into her kindergarten classroom, leaving her mother at the door with tears of mixed emotion leaking from her eyes. A dream fueled by those who blazed the trail before us, sharing stories and memories of their own adventure. A dream that sprouted into full-blown reality when, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, our time to embark upon own adventure was finally upon us.
The adventure? Our school’s annual 8th grade class mission trip to Costa Rica.
The Task
Each year the school offers its eighth grade students along with parents and selected school staff members the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica and partner with a local church to minister to children in La Carpio, a marginal community on the outskirts of San Jose. La Carpio, a squatter’s village wedged between a quarry and the city dump, populated mostly by Nicaraguan immigrants who left their country of origin to escape war and unrest. La Carpio, a community in need of hope.
The Team
This particular mission team consisted of nineteen students and sixteen adult chaperones, including myself. An amazing and diverse group of individuals who made the decision to participate in what could be considered the trip of a lifetime.
Now I have to admit that for as excited as I was to embark upon this adventure, I was just as apprehensive. It’s one thing to serve as a chaperone to these students on a field trip within a short driving distance of home for a few hours. It’s a completely different matter to share in the responsibility of watching over them and their well-being 24/7 for eight straight days in a foreign country. Would I have the energy and stamina to endure? Deciding I could catch up on my sleep after the trip, I jumped in with both feet, intent to serve alongside my fellow chaperones and the rest of the mission team.
While I was acquainted with all the adults on the team, most I only knew on a superficial level through interactions at various school events and activities. I wondered if this diverse group of individuals could become the cohesive team it needed to be to help our students overcome the language and cultural barriers we would face to make a positive difference in the lives of the children we would meet. Time would tell.
The Adventure Begins
To introduce the mission team to its new environment and offer us the chance to get to know and understand one another a bit better, our first full day in Costa Rica was devoted to siteseeing and team building activities. Awakening that morning to clear skies and a warm tropical breeze, a far cry from the cold and wintery weather we left behind, we boarded the tour bus with eager anticipation to begin our day.
After a pleasant drive through the countryside and a brief stop at one of Costa Rica’s many coffee plantations, our first team building activity involved a hike along a circuitous trail that led up to the rim of the Poas volcano, continued on to the ‘laguna’ (a crater lake) and eventually ended at the trail’s starting point.
Equipped with our water bottles and sunscreen, we set off along the paved trail through the forest to reach our first stop, the volcano rim. Upon reaching our destination, the clear skies afforded us a magnificent view of the crater and surrounding skyline.
After drinking in our fill of the beauty surrounding us, the time had come to resume our hike to the next point of interest, a crater lake. While our trek to the rim had been a relatively easy one, the next leg proved to be a bit more challenging. The euphoria of the experience began to wane as the paved path gave way to an uneven dirt trail and the incline began to increase. The true test had now begun.
For the daring ones in the group, the changes in terrain seemed to ignite in them a spark, leading them to pick up their pace to be counted among the first to reach the next checkpoint. For others, the rougher terrain only served to tax their physical and mental resolve, forcing them to slow their pace. Yet another group of individuals seemed less concerned about the terrain and more focused on supporting and encouraging those who began to trail behind.
Eventually we all reached the crater lake and were treated to more stunning views, a much-needed rest stop, and a decision point: what to do for the third and final leg of the hike. Some expressed a preference to return in the direction from whence we had come, a now familiar and guaranteed downhill path. Others sought the challenge of facing the unknown by continuing on to complete the circuit. In the end the group chose to split up, each one eventually making it back to the starting point with different experiences and stories to share with the other.
The ensuing zip line expedition offered additional opportunities for the team to come together as we glided along cables suspended high above the forest canopy. The discoveries we made about one another on the hike became beneficial tools as we helped each other overcome our fears and share in the joy and excitement of the outing.
Lessons Learned
We returned to the hotel that evening exhausted yet energized for the start of our mission work the next morning. As I crawled into bed that evening, my head still spinning from all that had transpired since we’d boarded the bus at school the morning of our departure, I began to piece together the various glimpses I’d received into my fellow chaperones’ personalities. After a while the pieces began to click into place, creating a clearer picture in my mind of who they were and I began to wonder how the unique qualities of each individual would affect the others. Three personalities in particular stand out.
- The Whirlwind – The spirited one who could speak and move circles around me. Would the rest of us have the energy to keep up with her?
- The Jokester – The boisterous life of the party, no one in her path was safe from her good-natured ribbing. How would the group continue to react to her antics as the week wore on?
- The Saint – The sweet soul who bore the brunt of the Jokester’s antics with grace and good will. The calming presence, revered mentor and “proper” lady. Would she be able to put up with the rest of us for the duration of the trip?
My final thought that night before finally drifting off to sleep revolved around wondering how all of these diverse individuals were going to come together to become the hands, feet and functioning body God needed us to be to serve the children of La Carpio and make a positive impact in their lives for His sake. Only time would tell.
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