Pura Vida
Hola. Here we are in Costa Rica and I have learned so much already. On Tuesday, Morgan and I found ourselves teaching English to some adults in a community called Aurora. Somehow the tables got turned and they were teaching us how to speak Spanish.
I asked our translator, Boris, if there were any phrases in Spanish that we didn’t have in English. And he told me, “pura vida,” which means pure life. I thought that was so cool. And honestly, in many ways it is much easier to experience pura vida here in Costa Rica than it is in the Estados Unidos.
It is difficult to put into words all we have seen and done, but I will give you a snapshot. Each morning we wake up and have alone time with God, and this is immediately followed by group time with God. We then have an incredible breakfast homemade by Miriam (as is lunch and dinner). Yum.
During the day, we visit with the locals of Costa Rica (Tikos). We take this time to show the love of Christ in us to all we may encounter.
One of my favorite moments was on Monday. We were walking around Juan Pablo and I took a picture with this somewhat shy, adorable little boy. We started to walk away and I turned back to look. The whole family had come outside and the little boy was running toward me. He wrapped his arms around my leg and then kissed it. It broke my heart in the most amazing way. In that moment, I truly experienced pura vida.
It is my hope that Tikos will learn that the only way to have pura vida is through the love of the savior. It is not rules and regulations or even by simply being “a good person.” It is only through a relationship with Jesus Cristo It is my prayer that I can be an example to the people here and back in the Estados Unidos. I encourage everyone reading this to experience that pura vida.
-Liz
Also, a quick hello to my amazing family and friends. Thanks for your prayers and support.
