Our Team
When I signed up for this trip about 5 months ago, I thought I had it all figured out and knew exactly what I was getting into. Just a little hint...if you EVER have this thought, remember that God loves to make us eat our words. Let´s just start at the top...
First there´s Mike. I thought that Mike was gonna be the dad of the trip. The one that says "Eat your vegetables! Don´t walk there! Don´t do that!" Wow was I wrong! That was American Mike, not Costa Rican Mike. Costa Rican Mike is the one that smears butter on the side on Nina´s face when she drops her bread on the table. Or the one who kicks or pokes whoever is praying under the table to throw them off. Or the one who shuts Robin´s foot in the van door. Or the one who shuts his door and doesn´t want to let you out of the back of the van. But then there is also the side of Mike that will take a toy from a happy meal and give it to one of the children named Emily and watch in joy as she figures out how to make it work and laugh when she begins to dance to the music. This is also the man who was ready to take out the taxi driver for getting us lost on the way to the house and the man who can look at me and tell when I´m beginning to get tired or overwhelmed. I never knew that this was a side of the Mike that we all know and love. But I will NEVER look at Mike the same way again.
Then we have Nina. I knew Nina a little better than Mike. But once again, the Nina I knew was not the Nina that came on this trip. The Nina that came here is the one who you really REALLY don´t wanna give coffee to. And REALLY REALLY don´t want to take a 3 hour afternoon siesta. This is the Nina that if these things or a number of other things happen, she gets CRAZY!!!! This is the same woman that is ALWAYS the last one to get thumbs up and is saddled with saying the blessing; the woman who thanks God for her "crazy husband that God has seen fit to give to her". She is also the one who will hold a baby in the precario so tenderly and lovingly that you think that it´s a shame the child is to young to be able to remember her face but then you are overwhelmed when you think of all the older children that she loves on that will remember her. Oh Nina…. How I love her so much more now then before.
Then we have Liz, the "quiet" one. In all of our meetings, Liz was the quiet one that never really said much - just a few questions here and there. But this is also the Liz that will take up for you if Mike is picking on you no matter who you are. But in the same turn, never comes to Mike´s saving grace (as if he needs it). This same quiet girl is the one that completely came to life when we went to the precario. Her friend had made bracelets to give to the children and as she walked through and the children came up to her, we saw a different Liz appear one that was full of love and compassion. A girl that gave everything she had to these kids. I feel so blessed to have gotten to know her and look forward to having a lifelong friendship with her.
Last but certainly not least, we have Robin Bobbin (as Mike likes to call her). The main bond that we had before we left was Tennessee. We both loved the Vols and anything that we could talk Mike into buying orange we did. But from the moment we got onto the van to head to the airport, I saw a different Robin. I saw a Robin that loves boston baked beans and diet coke. The Robin that will buy you a snickers bar, then laugh with you when you get to Costa Rica and spend $2.00 for the same bar cause you can´t do the exchange rate in your head. This is also the Robin that is the nurse of our trip. This is also a woman who´s heart broke as one of our new friends was told that she may lose her baby. But then there is another side of Robin that will turn around and wail on Mike when he shuts her foot in the door or he locks us in the back of the van or he tells her that her life's theme music is the music of clowns.
These are the people that make up our team. We worship and pray and serve together. I feel so blessed to be on this trip in this beautiful place with these beautiful people. I know that we will always share the memories from here.
I can only imagine the things that they would say if they could blog about me (which is why I beat them to it HAHA). I love these people though all the ins and outs, ups and downs of this trip. They help to encourage me when I feel like I´m not doing any good and I see all the hurting people and feel overwhelmed. I can´t wait to see where God takes us all from here and will thank him everyday for putting these wonderful people in my life.
-Patsy
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