Servants' Hearts in Action

After a long commute, flight, and drive extending from Greenville, SC down to Cot de Cartago, only 9 degrees above the Equator, I think I can speak for the entire senior class when I say that we were lacking in energy and extremely ready to settle down for the night. As we exited the airport and climbed into the van to begin our drive from San Jose to Cot, the culture difference became apparent immediately, and so did the energy of the senior class. We rode through the city, windows open, laughing, and soaking in the new and unfamiliar feelings that come with immersion in a new culture.

We arrived in Cot after about a 90 minute drive at around 10:30 P.M. There was a huge group of people awaiting our arrival, and shortly thereafter, we found out that these people were our host families. The smiles on their faces were unexplainable. They were literally waiting for us with open arms, and that in itself astounded me. These people who did not even know our names gathered their families to escort us to their houses. 

After arriving at my host family's house, their daughter rushed out of the door in a hurry to help me carry my suitcase. I told her that I could carry it, but she insisted that she carry my bulky, oversized suitcase into her home. Immediately after we set our suitcases down, our sweet host mom, Nancy, asked if we wanted dinner, even though it was 11 P.M., and immediately prepared a full meal for us. She gave us her best, and I could not be more thankful. She went as far to boil water for us to use while brushing our teeth to assure us that it was safe. That is a true example of a servant's heart. These people, who probably own less than what I have in my suitcase, opened up their home to me and have put me first from the minute I arrived. I was and continue to be humbled. Before I left, my mom told me to go to Costa Rica with an open heart and takes things into perspective. These words passed through my head several times last night. We are so blessed. It's now my mission to serve these people as they have served me.

Delayne Nickles