Lifeworks teen summer community service and adventure summer camps and programs.

Author: Bradley
Location: Rancho Ana, Piadades

Today we bonded. Everyone here is closer than their actual family now, and depending on how the rest of the week goes, there is talk of defecting and living as a tribe in the rainforest. The afternoon's pouring rain is a slight deterrent however.

We woke up this morning and enjoyed an extravagant breakfast. Orientation took place at the Rancho de Ana, which also has an orchard. The fruits, including mangoes, jocotes, and oranges, were great fresh picked from the trees, until our Health Officers discovered that hornets enjoyed the same fruit! In the end, the hornets won a little bit, but much fruit was enjoyed.

Aside from hornets, there was other wildlife interested in our orientation. We also met a squirrel who was quite attentive throughout. We took breaks to play frisbee and align ourselves according to our middle initials without talking.

Once we were properly acquainted we went to La Carpio and organized the cement blocks we will use to build the playground wall. We also cleaned the street, prepared the front of the school for a mural, and made progress on the path that will lead from the school to the playground. After all was said and done, dinner was served, and then we came to where I find myself now. Most of the others have gone to bed, and now must I, as I come to the close log. Adios!

Author: Morgan
Location: From Pedades to the Beach at Manuel Antonio

The leader of the day Max woke us up early to have a typical Costa Rican breakfast of scrambled eggs and gallo pinto prepared by Mama Maria at El Maranon. Then we went on a bus ride for five hours with Don Victor, the best bus driver ever (he has a belt with a bus buckle and his name engraved in the back!). In the middle we stopped at a bridge which we walked across and saw tons of giant crocodiles. We also encountered Costa Rican delays when a broken bridge added an hour to the bus ride. Staff solution: bus yoga. We then went to Manuel Antonio to the beach, where we bodysurfed and real surfed. Even though the weather was cloudy, the beach was still really fun. We swam and played Frisbee with some locals on the beach and their dog Betoen who caught more Frisbees than we did. We went to the hotel for the night. We had dinner and our first Lifeworks Forum on "Giving Your Word"; it lasted for hours. We all had a lot to say.

Author: Ela
Location: Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio and back to Piedades

Today we hiked in the national park. To get there, we crossed a small river in local boats, which literally pushed from one side to the other in a few feet. It kept us from getting wet sneakers however. Hiking was strenuous but rewarding, along the Pacific Ocean and in the jungle. The scenery was green and lush and the beach was refreshingly fun. The weather was warm and sunny, perfect beach weather at La Playa Escondida! We saw iguanas and monkeys. We all tried to conquer the waves kneelng on the beach and trying to stay in one place against the surf. The funniest part of the day was hearing one of my favorite Cold Play songs played as a salsa remix while we ate our casados for lunch at "El Mono Loco" restaurant. I would have to say the entire day was amazing so I can't choose one best thing that happened. But in the evening, we made food baskets to pass out and prepared lesson plans for working in the kindergarten tomorrow.

Author: Laura
Location: La Carpio, River Community, and Doka Coffee Farm

Over the past few days, I think that we have all been fairly amazed at how quickly we have all bonded and the feelings that we have shared through what we have experienced. We'd probably all agree that today has been the most extraordinary and humbling experience so far. Last night we prepared pictures and posters to help teach the kindergarteners in la Carpio about numbers, communication and animals. We assumed that half of us would be involved in that today, while the rest performed manual labor, but actually these three themes were central to everyone's day. From what I have heard, teaching the kids was extremely fun and the rest of us look forward to our turn tomorrow. Don't think that we didn't have fun though. Hauling rocks and digging holes may not sound exciting, but with the right people it is absolutely hysterical. To go back to our three themes, numbers took on a new meaning as the guys raced to dig the deepest hole (they were deep; I fell in one), and communicating as we tried not to kill each other with shovels. Our animal space was certainly filled while we filled what will eventually be a playground. The shovelers broke into a deep rock-filled hole that Adri was convinced was a secret grave (and actually managed to convince almost everyone else). It turned out to really be a water path for plumbing AND the home of a "sapo enorme" - a HUGE toad. Actually, four of them. Absolutely enormous, and absolutely petrified, and making me really glad that I had gloves. We managed to get a lot of work done today, even as I had to come to terms with the fact that NOT all worms can be saved. Sacrifices must be made.

After lunch, our day took on enormous emotional turn, as we walked down to the river community where many of the poorest families in La Carpio live. We took bags of food to each family along the river. And though we've all had different levels of experience with poverty, we were all deeply moved by the conditions we saw. The way these people live is an absolutely foreign idea to Americans, where most of those whom we think of as poor would be considered fortunate and even privileged by some of these families. Talking to some of my fellow Lifeworks members this evening about our reactions and feelings was so meaningful as we all realized how our perceptions have changed, and the ideas we have of what we want to accomplish have developed.

For a bit of fun learning (not to mention caffeine), we next visited a coffee plantation. Well, we meant to visit it next, but we actually got a bit lost and instead took another scenic route for a couple extra hours. Maybe it was a test of how much we really wanted to get there, but at any rate we were certainly rewarded when we got there by a huge table of fresh coffee. The coffee was wonderful, maybe too wonderful. We could hardly concentrate on the actual tour. The tour was really fascinating though, especially since we had not only our tour guide for a coffee making expert, but also Hilary, our resident coffee GENIUS. I'm sure none of us will think of our coffee the same way again, especially since we've gone (literally) elbow deep in barrels of dried coffee beans. After the tour we got to go to the gift shop that AMAZINGLY not only had chocolate covered coffee beans but also free samples of said beans. We left with plenty of gifts for friends, family and ourselves. And for one who will remain nameless (otherwise, he'll kill me), he has a bit of a crush on the tour-guide-lady. It's been a busy day, and an extraordinary day, and probably will be long day after all of the coffee, but we've all agreed that it's been an incredible, life-changing day as well. And the best part is that it's only the beginning, right?

Author: Hilary
Location: La Carpio, Colinas de Poas, and El Maranon

Today was my fifteenth birthday! I was very excited for my birthday but was not expecting anything other than maybe a few 'happy birthdays." I woke up to the joyous screams of pleasant birthday messages through the surprisingly thin walls, from Russell, Jorge, Morgan and Sydney.

We arrived to the school in la Carpio and began mixing cement. Although we spoke to the children in the hallway, we mostly worked on our "playground project." As time passed, I became tired. When I took a long awaited water break. I noticed three kids that had peered over the fence. They asked me if we were building a medical clinic, in Spanish. I replied that we were in the process of building a playground. There faces lit up with beautiful smiles. Suddenly I was inspired and began to work more diligently. The three kids stayed and observed our work until we finished. As we left, the children hospitably said "adios" along with their jumping and waving.

We were off to the zip line site, as Deborah, Russell and Richard sang old Backstreet Boys songs. Along the way, we inquired about Hilary's (the counselor) high school days, (very funny). We arrived to the zip line site and we strapped into our safety gear. The zip line was very fun. I thought I was going to crash on the last line since it was so very long. Lunch was delicious (muy rico). Then the waiter brought out a cake and everyone sang "Happy Birthday." The cake was really cute because it contained chopped apples and watermelon on the sides with the amazing butterscotch or coffee (couldn't tell) flavored cake. I was very surprised and happy because I had just met these people last week and yet they were all so caring and thoughtful about my birthday. Everyone's zealous attitudes about the day made my fifteenth (quinceinera) birthday one of the best I've ever had.

We traveled to the market where everyone stacked up on junk food and we headed to our hotel. Dinner was also very fun, we shared stories about our favorite birthdays memories. The hotel staff brought out another cake (I've never had two cakes before!!), which was drizzled in chocolate syrup (my favorite). Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" again, and ate cake but soon the cake became a facemask for Hilary, Ella and myself, (compliments of Colleen, Richard and Ella).

We headed down to the "Ranch" and began an activity of ordering facts based upon the history of Costa Rica. Russell busted out some interesting 90's music and others created a funny massage circle. After the activity was finished, Richard taught us how to salsa. Everyone got into it and was a rousing success except for a few stepped on feet and my predilection for spinning whenever I felt like it. My birthday was one of the most fun ones I've had and I couldn't image better people to spend it with!

Author: Sydney
Location: La Carpio, La Promesa, and El Maranon

Today was yet another memorable day, which began with breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, and people seemed to enjoy the buffet's offering of pancakes and fruit. The bus ride was successful with David back as our driver. The children at the school in El Carpio greeted us with their typical enthusiasm and adorable smiles. While half of the group taught in various classrooms, the others happily lugged around heavy cement boards and dug trench-like holes. We ate lunch at noon and then left for a 30 minute drive to the women's center at "La Promesa". The women used to live in a community like the river community but, with their own work and the help of the foundation, have now been living in La Promesa for five years. This brief trip was a lovely treat. Here, we enjoyed lemonade and cake, were taken on a tour through the streets and shopped the handicraft tables covered with special jewelry. While all these activities at the women's center were really great, the best part of the visit was the dance party that took place upstairs. I was very sad to leave. We returned to the hotel on the earlier side to shower and make phone calls back home. Later that night we all gathered to watch the movie "Voices Innocentes," which is about the civil war that happened in El Salvador. Conflicts like this one caused many of the people who live in La Carpio to come to Costa Rica as immigrants.