While we were having a tour of one of the communities, the natives showed us a local orphanage. There were about ten children in each house and only one or two helpers per house. Now, when I say “house”, I mean a two or three room area about the size of a kitchen in the average American’s house. In one house there was a child with special needs that was tied to a chair in the kitchen. The helpers had to do this in order for them to be sure he would not hurt himself on accident while they were watching the other children. To say the least, we came back from that trip significantly changed. When my family and I arrived home, the first thing we did was look around at our house, our toys, our clothes and realized how many things we really didn't need.
A few years later when my brothers and I were in fifth grade, we went on another mission trip to Costa Rica. It was then decided that our feelings were not a fluke, but how we really felt and how we had changed. Once we were back in our hometown, Madison, Alabama, my parents sat my eleven year old brothers and I down and told us they had something serious to ask us. They then proceeded to ask us our thoughts about moving to Costa Rica. Now, if our hearts hadn’t already been changing and God working in them, the conversation would have gone a completely different way. Luckily for my parents and us, that was not the case.We all were very excited to start this new stage and season in our lives. Two years later, in July 2009, my family and I moved to Costa Rica where we have lived for the past six years. During our time here, we have worked with an orphanage, teens, children and various communities all over Costa Rica and extending into Nicaragua. Needless to say, my brothers and I are not like typical teenagers. We attended school at a local Spanish speaking school from 8th grade to 11th grade (in Costa Rica, there are only 11 grades). After that, I attended an online school for a year to graduate 12th grade and improve my English (it tends to fade after speaking mainly Spanish for 6 years).
My education changed my life by giving me new life experiences. I learned basic courses while being immersed in cultural differences. Because of this, my mind was opened to new methods of teaching, ways of thinking and different people. I would not trade my education experience for anything because it made me who I am today and I am forever grateful for that.
Being a missionary, I am fluent in Spanish and English, can adapt very easily to different situations, am friendly to everyone because I know what it is like to be the odd one out and am a master in finding joy in every situation. I have loved my time in Costa Rica more than anything and I know that I am a better person than I would have been if God had led my family and me to Disney that one fall break instead of to Costa Rica. As a missionary, I have been trained and tested to find a light in the dark. When you arrive at a poverty stricken community where they have no food, no running water, are living in 100°+ weather surrounded by dirt and have horrible working conditions, it is hard to find the light of hope. Because of my ability to find light, I am grateful for changes, bumps in the road and hard times because I now know where to look in order to find the sparkles of life or the clichéd, proverbial silver lining.
The following is my submission to the 2015 Fall CourseHorse Learner's Scholarship, coursehorse.com/scholarship
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