Adios Ometepe con agradecimiento...

 ¨Now that my heart is open it cannot get closed or broken.¨

-taken from Ivan in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Even though there are times when this statement may not seem entirely true, there are experiences that continue to open our hearts and create space for more love and compassion.

In Ometepe, there is an organization called Mano Amiga. It is alocal initiative program that is currently building a community center that will be finished in about a week.  One of its services is to provide local children with breakfast each morning. Before departing from the lovely island, we decided to volunteer with them.  This particular morning, thirty-two kids approached us and politely asked for their cepillas (toothbrushes) which were individually labeled.  They were also given a bread bun, pink milk and a vitamin. Each adorable child had such a blossoming individuality about them...even brushing their teeth was a playful act.  After being sick for a few days it felt amazing to be doing something active again and the presence of the children rejuvenated my spirits.  It was such a fun experience and I could not stop laughing at all the ruckus these kids were causing.  I fell in love with a little curly haired boy named Bizmar and oddly enough, found a sassy little almond eyed girl who could have easily been mistaken for my child.  Unknowingly, these children warmed my heart by simply being themselves. I wondered why so often we loose our child-likeness to become our adult-selves.

After, we made the short walk back to the finca that had served as our home for the last nine days. We said our good-byes and it was at this time that we realized we had created a sense of family over the past week.  Even more humbling was that it was a truly mutual feeling...we made just as big of an impact on the beautiful souls of Bona Fide as they had on

us.  As soon as I felt feelings of sadness for leaving our new friends, it was uplifting to know that we would later reflect on this fond time as the 'beginning' of it all. We won't be around to see the "fruits of our labor" but it is nice to know that we had contributed to the growth of the finca.

Ahora regresamos a Costa Rico....que ricooo!

Love,
S