From Justus Bartz Cistercian:
First, I would like to tell my parents that I miss y’all dearly and can not wait to see y’all back in Dallas and I love y’all. So, the trip so far has been phenomenal. The first day, the 10th, was the travel day to Costa Rica, and, being the first flight out of Dallas, we had a 6 hour layover in Houston, waiting for the next group to arrive. I didn’t fail to entertain myself with the airport massage chairs, as well as some Panda Express. On both flights, I sat by my new friend, Louis from JPII. We talked most of both flights and had some great laughs together, making us fast friends. After a full day of traveling and waiting, the pizza we had for dinner couldn’t have been more delicious. Having a nice, final hot shower the next morning, the 11th, I was ready for the day ahead. We took a bus from San Jose to San Isidro and I napped most of the way due to the carsickness that was a result of the winding roads in the mountains. We, eventually, made it to Buenos Aires, by the end of the day. We were welcomed with a delicious dinner. However, the sleeping situation was rather unpleasant. Being in a room with no A/C nor air flow, as well as a constant noise from the road close by, I tossed and turned all night, yet felt refreshed to see the morning light at 5:00 am. The next day, the 12th, I went to work at a little village called Vulcán. My group and I were to paint the parish center. After working hard for a few hours, we were welcomed to a friendly game of fútbol with the school children. Right before we were to return to Buenos Aires, the group and I were taken to the edge of Rio Vulcán. It was clear and refreshing. Having the beautiful, cloud-covered mountains in the back, it made for a stunning spectacle. At the end of the day, I couldn’t have been happier to take an ice cold shower. Today, the 13th, it was more of the same. I felt more confident with my Spanish and was able to understand almost everything that I heard. I look forward to the rest of this trip and am so thankful I can serve those who are less fortunate than me. Finally, to my Mom: could we please start speaking Spanish at home? Learning Spanish from a book is no fun.
