Building a High School

For these two days, the group helped two awe-inspiring workers build a high school. It will be done in a month so that the local students do not have to attend class in an outdoor tin-roofed space. We helped carry concrete beams and planks for the walls, as well as assisting at the current school. The tour members enlisted the help of a truck to carry concrete planks up the muddy hill. At the end of the day, all fifty plus pieces of concrete were brought up the hill, where two Costa Rican workers made short work of putting them in place. By bringing all the concrete beams and wall planks up the hill, we achieved our goal for our share of the building. The rest is up to the next two groups! The Spanish-speaking tour members helped teach an English lesson that concluded with a dance lesson by the students! The last couple of days have been amazing! I really needed the relaxation, free time, and fun after all the work we did for Habitat. Jumping into waterfalls, horseback riding, tubing, mud bathing, and surfing was so much fun! I think everyone got close through these activities. Hopefully, tomorrow, zip lining, and the rest of the community service will be as fun as the past few days!

Sophie – Group Member Costa Rica 2007

It felt so gratifying knowing that we were doing for others was going to be well appreciated. Painting the houses and doing the mural in the La Carpio shantytown was such an amazing experience because of the kids and how they all wanted to help beautify their town. I know that we made a difference.

Davina –Group Member Costa Rica 2007

What did Habitat mean to us?

Entering the broken down house it was difficult to imagine it as something different. Piles of dirt, broken down walls, and crumbled tile did not ease our minds or muscles. Signing up for community service suddenly seemed like a regretful decision. As the days went on, the work became more difficult but the end result was so rewarding. Our relationships between the family and between ourselves became stronger and our spirits were lifted, no matter how much our bodies ached. Nothing could eliminate the motivation we had in helping a family who was truly in need. Working together we were able to complete almost any job. Nothing could stop us. The feeling of accomplishment and success at the end was worth every ounce of hard work.

At our next service site, another amazing thing happened. I felt something brush up against my work glove and when I looked down, I saw something both funny and incredibly touching. A boy I had never seen before was holding my hand! This seven year old boy, Andre, proceeded to spend the entire day working with us, laughing, sweating and crying when his wheelbarrow got stuck in the mud! Seeing the difference between his definition of a day of fun and ours was amazing.

- Group Member Costa Rica 2007