The opportunity to chip plaster off walls, dig a ditch, make
cement, and saturate your skin with dirt and sweat is usually not something a
sane person would voluntarily take up. However, I find myself in Costa Rica
with clothes caked with mud and a body sore from a long week of work. This
mission, although challenging, has been one of great joy and peace. We wake up
with the Mass, work hard during the day for the glory of God, and then go to
sleep after sharing our thoughts and experiences from our time with the people.
Our life here, although simple and somewhat ascetic, is full of purpose. At
home, it is easy to get caught up in the worries of daily life; but here, we
are reminded of the gravity of the simple things: faith, love, friendship,
family. Mission is a blessing that few people get to experience, so I thank my
lovely family, Cistercian, and the Church for letting me embark on this trip
the second year in a row. Under the light of a beautiful crescent moon, I would
like to wish my father and all the fathers of my fellow missionaries a happy
Father’s Day and a peaceful night.
With much love,
Matthew Sawtelle
Hi Mom and Dad and Lauren and all other families. You have
probably heard about the daily routine at both Hortensia and Bambu from the
other missionaries, maybe even heard about my buddy Rigo from Anna, so I’ll
talk about today which was different. We started with reuniting with the Buenos
Aires group for mass at the beautiful San Isidro cathedral with the bishop,
whose homily I understood (surprise!) even before he gave his English summary.
Then we departed for a trip to the Nauyaca Cataratas, which you can either
google or wait for Robert’s masterpieces which I’m sure will capture them
better. We swam in the pool below them, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve
been surrounded by such natural beauty. Then we went back to our camp and all
had a retreat together with Fr. Ambrose and Fr. Augustine. We finished the day
with reading your letters. I’ve already written one back, but thank you very
much for those!
I’m sure you’ve heard this many times, but this trip has far
surpassed anything we could have imagined by every measure possible. I can’t
wait to tell you about everything in more detail. Until then, I hope you all
are safe and well (we are here, too), and happy Father’s Day!
Love,
Tom Worth
Hello, Kayla here to give you the low down on what we did
today! First, we met up with the Buenos Aires group and I got to see Alex after
six whole days apart. Then, we travelled to the most beautiful waterfalls ever
and ate the tamales we made yesterday, while admiring the view. After that, we
got to go in the pools below the waterfalls and got loads of adorable pictures!
After the long bus ride back to the campsite, we had a dance party and learned
a traditional Costa Rican dance and ate a traditional Costa Rican meal (it
tasted like ribs). Then, the chaperones surprised us with the amazing letters
you wrote us, thank you so much!!
To my family, I miss you so much and I can’t wait to come
home, but this trip has been so amazing already and I can’t wait to see what
else it has in store for us. Also, happy Father’s Day, Dad I love you so much
and can’t wait to celebrate with everyone when I get back, and of course get
brunch together! <3
Love,
Kayla Wilkerson
John Paul II
