by Allison Anderson, full-time EM Staff in Costa Rica
No matter the culture, the language or the person, we all like to laugh. Laughter is the same language in every culture. Once you have shared a laugh with someone you have broken the cultural barrier and bonded with someone. I have loved getting to spend time in the kitchen with the local women who have been cooking for us during the short term mission trip weeks, laughing, sharing stories and learning from them.
May is the mother of 9-year-old Byron. She became a mother at a young age but she takes such care of her son, making sure he has done his homework, that he is respectful and says thank you and most of all that he can have fun. May also likes to make delicious cakes, which I have the pleasure of trying as we celebrate birthdays and other events. Although May was at first very quiet she has opened up a lot. She promises she will teach me how to play soccer even though I have told her I am not very good. May has also brought new fruits and veggies for me to try.
Dolores is always making jokes. She loves telling me that she is going to keep making yummy food so that I will become "mas gordita." She has been generous in sharing many of her recipes with me and I tell her that once we have a kitchen I will cook for her and she can come over and judge how I am doing.
Jacqueline is also quite the jokester and she loves to tell stories. She passes the time in the kitchen when she is not cooking, sewing and making small change purses. Jacqueline has 3 adorable small children: Sandra who is 11, Maria who is 6, and precious Lemur who is just two years old.
One of my favorite moments from the second week of mission trip teams to Shiroles this summer was when Jacky and May came out of the kitchen and ate dinner with us. After dinner we taught them how to play the simple game of Go Fish. Again, we were able to share laughs as they caught on to the game. I am loving the opportunity to truly get to bond with the community. Everyone has been so welcoming and has taken us in as if we were family. I see Jesus constantly in them as they continue to work with joy and passion. They never complain about the work that they are doing for the mission trip teams. They always get up hours before we do to make breakfast and generally close up the church with us at night. They are truly hardworking and dedicated to the work that they do. I am looking forward to sharing life with them as we live in the community and hope to continue to learn more delicious recipes along the way.
LEARN MORE | Meet Allison (and her husband Austin) as well as the community of Shiroles on a Mission Trip to Costa Rica in 2016
Site developed and hosted by Skycog, Inc.