Mantequilla de Cacahuetes

SO. This spring break, I was blessed enough to be able to go on a service-learning trip to Costa Rica with an organization I'm involved in though Texas A&M. The following is an excerpt from my final journal entry on that trip. 

A few things that will make this entry easier to understand:

• "Pura vida" is the motto of the Costa Rican people, it means "pure life" 
• In spanish, the adjective is placed before the noun when it is always that way. For example, white snow is "blanco nieve" not "nieve blanco," because snow is always white.
• "Pura vida" means something different from "vida pura."
• Abby and Ross are some friends that I made while on the trip.
• JLic was our trip cordinator
• We worked in a school teaching english to students there.
• "FLO"stands for "Freshman Leadership Organization"
• My FLO is called AFC which stands for Aggie Fish Club
• Every meal we ate consisted of rice and beans.

"At the end of the day, Abby and I were inside and the teacher told us that she was getting everyone together for a short prayer. They all circled up, did the sign of the cross, and with palms open they recited the Lords prayer in unison. This struck me so hard that I almost started to cry. It was a beautiful thing to see, and a reminder of how true the Lords love holds over in so many different nations, languages, and lifestyles. The way the Lord reveals Himself is BEAUTIFUL. Before we knew it, we had to go. It was really sad, but we packed up and were on our way. 

We stopped for an early dinner and some souvenir shopping. I got some chocolate, some bows for mom, and door letter for Laura, Hillary, and me. ADORBZ. Then we ate. I had fajitas, best food of the trip. I got to know Megan, Matt, and Leslye better at dinner. It was really great. They’re really solid people. Then it was time to press on to San Jose...We made a ton of International calls because they were free... Then, we went to JLic’s room for reflection. We all talked about how the week changed our outlook on things and what our FLO taught us before and what we could teach them after. 

This showed me a real appreciation for PURA VIDA, taking life for what it is, and embracing it for what it is. Life is beautiful. Being real in life is beautiful. AFC has taught me that people are worth investing in. Taking this knowledge with me on this trip, I really put effort into my interactions with people. As a result, I became close to Ross and Abby and some many people. Also, I was intentional with the interactions I had with the Costa Rican people. Having Spanish was a real blessing on this trip. 

Through my interactions with the people at the center, I came to the conclusion that people are people, and people are great. Everyone is a life and a spirit; they are either an opportunity to be Jesus, or to be in communion with him. Human to human interaction is truly beautiful. I plan to share as much of this experience with AFC as they’re willing to let me. It’s changed my outlook so much. I think I will get more specific and communicatable once I'm back in the US going through reverse culture shock. 

Lord, I pray that I don’t just shrug off the beauty that you’ve revealed to me this week. 

After we talked, we all went into the hallway and stood in a line, each of us said one word that we felt summarized the trip...JLic videoed this. It looks so cool! (Probably). I said “peanut.” The word for peanut in Spanish is “cacahuete.” It’s a four-syllable word for a peanut. It gives me a new appreciation for it though. This goes back to “Pura Vida.” Really living life is something simple that I don’t feel like is truly appreciated enough. “Pura Vida” emphasizes that life is purely, simply, life, which makes it so much more graspable and realizable. This entire trip all I wanted to eat was a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Seriously. I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER AND HONEY SANDWICHES. Instead, I was eating much more extravagant meals, and not enjoying it. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches, in my opinion, are very “pura vida.” 

Being here, all I wanted was something simple. Peanut butter. Simple. Life. Pura. Vida. Mantequilla de cacahuetes. That’s nine syllables for peanut butter. To me, that’s ridiculous. I now appreciate why Costa Ricans chose “arroz y frijoles” (rice and beans) over “un sandwich con mantequilla de cacahuetes.” Arroz y frijoles is much simpler to them, much more PURA VIDA. 

Now I’m on this stinkin' plane for another hour or two hours or so going to the country of hustle and bustle that is the US. NO QUIERO IRME! Now I feel commissioned to spread pura vida everywhere. On a spiritual level, the fact that Jesus was simply a part of life in the school and in the shops is very Pura Vida. The students' prayers were just a part of their school day, and the souvenir shops were filled with wall crosses, and cross jewelry. This really made me want that for the US. This trip has really affirmed my calling to Latin American missions, but right now my mission field is College Station. Trying to make a place that is currently “vida pura,” into a place “pura vida.” 

God is good. He is BEAUTIFUL, and to HIM is the power, and the glory forever.

            

Amen"

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

 --Colossians 1:28-29