PURA VIDA to all of our Sojourn Foundation supporters! We had the most wonderful time on our very special, inaugural Sojourn Foundation trip to Costa Rica! Three of our four founders were accompanied by seven incredible, open-hearted and spirited do-gooders from our Newport Beach community and beyond. We traveled from Los Angeles to San Jose, Costa Rica with duffel bags full of school supplies, learning materials, toys and books for the local children we would meet at the school and orphanage we were to visit. Our adventure really started though when we were transported from San Jose to a very rural airstrip, where a very small plane and two skilled pilots were waiting to whisk us away...over the patchwork patterns of village farms, beside the beautiful cloud-fringed Arenal Volcano and into the dense rainforest topography of La Fortuna.
Our arrival at the picturesque Nayara Resort in La Fortuna was a welcome homecoming from the hours of late-night and early morning travels. Situated in the treetops of a Costa Rican rainforest, Nayara Resort is a lush paradise in the heart of the Arenal Volcano National Park. Excellent service, luxury accommodations, delicious food and wine, and amazing eco-adventures just steps away abound there and we enjoyed every minute of our stay to the fullest! After a restful first day at the resort settling in, we savored our first of three group dinners together and a many a toast over wine and Costa Rican cuisine.
Our first day as Sojourn Foundation ambassadors started with a long drive off the beaten path, with dusty dirt roads, a few wrong turns and then ended at the most wonderful little diamond in the rough...Escuela La Unión. Escuela La Unión is a small primary school with about 40 students from the local village in 1st-6th grade. There are 4 classrooms at the school, with wooden desks and chairs and a modest green soccer field in front. We brought bags full of school supplies, art projects, class projects and learning games that we shared with the children. Our Sojourn team broke up into small groups and led the students in these art projects and learning games...most of which they never have the opportunity to enjoy at school because of the limited resources available to the children and families. A few of our more athletic Sojourners enjoyed playing soccer with the students with brand new soccer balls that were donated as well! We were able to see the 4 Smart TV monitors that we donated to the school in action. These monitors enable the teachers to share the class lessons with more children in the classroom so all students benefit from the lessons at one time. Before leaving, we were able to give each student our pre-filled Sojourn School Supply Packs, each filled with pencils, erasers, scissors, a pencil sharpener and crayons in a brightly colored pouch. The parents and teachers that were there at the school during our visit gifted each of us with a meaningful memento of our visit to La Unión - a lovingly handmade, painted picture of the school on a piece of tree bark. It, as well as the students and friends we met there, were touching gifts we won't soon forget!
Our next stop was to San Juan Bosco Orphanage in La Fortuna. Here, dozens of children from the surrounding community and neighboring towns come for reasons of abuse, abandonment, lack of protection and neglect. The children (ages newborn - 12 years old) are offered a home of love in improved living conditions at the orphanage with amazing female volunteers called "Tias" while their legal situation is defined and/or while they await adoption. Because of the sensitive nature of the children's home life outside of the orphanage, we are unable to take pictures of their faces and while at play to share with all of our supporters and followers. But please be comforted by the fact that they are indeed happy and full of life and smiles in their temporary home in La Fortuna! As with the school, we were able to bring many games, toys, and school supplies to the children at the orphanage. We spent hours playing with the children, chatting with them about their new family-to-be, interacting with them as they taught us favorite pastimes and holding the small babies in our arms. We were able to learn much from the Tias about the adoption process in Costa Rica and were genuinely thanked for our service. Before leaving, our team of Sojourners went on a grand grocery shopping stop to a local supermarket, and we were able to fill the pantry at the orphanage with food and nourishment for all. We treated the children to a pizza party as well and reminded them that we would be back to visit. We can't wait to see the children again and we hope that we hear stories with many happy endings for these loving children who are in need of new homes. In the meantime, our hope is to maintain a relationship with the orphanage so that we may benefit them with financial assistance for years to come, as they have a large outpouring of expenses that they must sustain in order to provide a safe, healthy and happy environment for the children who live there.
Beyond our school and orphanage stops throughout the week, we were able to pass through many beautiful drives in Costa Rica, seeing the lush green countryside and the tranquil lifestyle of the local "Ticos". The eco-adventuring side of our trip took us on nighttime flora and fauna viewing tours where we saw all types and colors of frogs, geckos, snakes, bats, and birds. We enjoyed the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park tour, where we discovered a wildlife sanctuary hidden in the rainforest. A high density, bio-diverse place for observing dozens of species spotted along with the layers of the rainforest with our wonderful guide made for an incredible ending to our trip.
Thank you to all of our Sojourn Foundation supporters, fans, followers and of course our wonderful donors...your contributions have made an incredible and REAL impact in the lives of so many children and the families and caretakers that surround them. Please continue to follow our journeys abroad, our fundraising events at home and check in on us through our website at www.sojourn-foundation.com, as well as on our Instagram @sojourn_foundation.
TRAVEL WITH US. WALK WITH US. LEARN WITH US. SERVE WITH US. DO GOOD WITH US!