Mission Trip CostaRica Rainforests and waterfalls; culture and language; service and adventure: the perfect Spring Break! This past April, sixteen Guerin Catholic students embarked on the trip of a lifetime—spending ten days in the wildly beautiful country of Costa Rica. Students not only forged relationships with each other through various team-building activities, but also with the members of Sitio Mata, a small village outside of Turrialba, through a five-day homestay experience. During this time, the students learned what it was like to truly be a member of a Costa Rican family—speaking Spanish, eating local food, and making traditional crafts. By touring a local organic farm, students learned about the various crops grown in Costa Rica—including bananas, papaya, guava, sugar cane, macadamia nuts, and coffee! Students also had the opportunity to serve the community by helping with construction projects at the local church and soccer field—the two most important places in town! In the evenings, students immersed themselves in cultural activities such as cooking lessons and dance classes led by residents of Sitio Mata. Following the homestay experience, students channeled their inner adventurers through hiking, whitewater rafting, zip-lining, snorkeling, and surfing—and of course some much deserved rest and relaxation on the beach! u What do you feel you learned or noticed about yourself while you were in Costa Rica? I learned that I need to take more time to admire what’s around me instead of thinking about what else I have to do today. Costa Rica was so beautiful and it made me stop and realize how many problems I didn’t need to worry about. I think it helped me spiritually too because it was incredible to see how God was working in the community and in the Church where we helped during our service project. u Did you experience anything on the trip that helps you to see your home culture differently? I did, especially in the homestays. Costa Ricans considered traveling going into the city, which was only 30 minutes away! They also had cold showers everyday, and I wasn’t used to that. It helped me appreciate my life so much more. u Did your feelings of studying a second language change during this trip? In what way(s)? Yes! This trip has inspired me to pay more attention in Spanish and I now want to learn the language as soon as possible. After being in Costa Rica, I realized I want to minor in Spanish in college, and I might even apply for the Indiana University Honors Program. - Katie Gauker ’18 u What part of the Costa Rica trip made the biggest impression on you? I think that the biggest impression on me was just the different lifestyle. I always think that most people live exactly like the people in the United States. Houses, food and the lifestyle are very different compared to what it is at home. u What do you feel you learned about yourself while you were in Costa Rica? In Costa Rica I think I gained “skill” in culture. Culture is something that you can’t just read out of a textbook, you have to experience it and it is something that is hard to explain. I think the culture in Costa Rica is something that has no words and is completely different from something that I have ever experienced before. u Did you experience anything on the trip that helps you to see your home culture differently? It helped me see that not everyone has the same structure of house and we are really blessed to have nice beds and things in our homes. My homestay wasn’t very fortunate to have all the things that I take for granted, such as a washing machine, air conditioning and warm water. Most of the time we expect these things to come to us from a push of a button. - Molly Spitznogle ’19
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