Costa Rica Day 5

Hey guys! Kyra, Elsa, and Lizzy here. We're writing this blog post tired and sore, but extremely thankful for the opportunity to be playing soccer here in Costa Rica. We slept in until about 8 AM this morning and enjoyed a quiet breakfast with the squad before heading out to a soccer clinic for a local elementary and high school in Los Cuadros. While at the clinic, we were in charge of setting up drills and instructing the kids in different games. It was a lot of fun for us to join in the fun and interact with the kids. Elsa even plucked up the courage to tell a little girl named Marianna that she liked her hair... IN SPANISH! It was a critical moment in Elsa's life for sure. We were a little intimidated by the high school players at first, but after awhile we were all able to bond over our love for the beautiful game. All of the kids (elementary and high school) wanted to keep playing even after our time was up. Two of our seniors, Riley and Anna, were brave enough to share their testimonies as well as the gospel after the clinic and we as a team grew even closer as we learned more about our fellow teammates. All in all, it was an incredible morning and a beautiful opportunity that we all got to experience together.

When we got back to the Villa we enjoyed a delicious lunch of soft tacos and a fresh fruit salad with homemade whipped cream. After lunch, we got to do a question and answer time with the Costa Rican Villa Staff and some of the SCORE International representatives. We were able to learn more about Costa Rican culture and how they viewed Americans (apparently we seem pretty loud FYI). We also got to learn more about the people who have worked so hard to make our stay here at the Villa so enjoyable. It was a great opportunity to talk to the SCORE representatives and to learn more about the organization and the mindset behind their mission.

After the session with the Costa Rican and SCORE staff, we all enjoyed a little downtime before we had to get ready and leave for our next match at San Geronimo de Moravia. It was the first match we played on grass and it was set higher up on the mountains with a beautiful view of the city. It was a little chilly, and eventually started to rain, but our spirits and excitement remained intact. It was a hard-fought match, with both teams playing to the best of their abilities. There were quite a few show-stopping plays on the offensive and defensive lines of both teams. After the match, Addy Cronan shared her testimony and Salvador, our group leader, shared the gospel which his wife, Veronica, translated. We then headed out for a nice Americanized dinner at... Micky D's!!! (translation: McDonald's). The burgers taste just as good here, if anybody was wondering. Please keep praying for God to use us while we are here, as tomorrow is our last day at the Villa. Thank you for your support and we will see you back in the States!

P.S. Elsa wants to give a shout out to her mom and family! So do Kyra and Lizzy :)