trip mail 6

Hello again everyone.
This weekend has been another interesting one. Another buch of changed plans and revised iteneraies. Saturday we were supposed to meet up with the folks from pura vida again at a church service but our connection ended up being more seriously injured than he originally thought (he put a hole through his cheek bone with a soccer goal post) SO we most likely will not be seeing too much of him in the near future. We do however plan to volunteer the next two days at the soup kitchen with some other of his staff but we have to navigate the costa rican bus system to get there and that is a bit scary.

So this weekend we decided to make a trek out to the carribean sea to a town called puerto Viejo e Talamanca. One of the best surf spots in costa Rica (though it was wind blown and choppy. ) We spent the afternoon after the bus ride swimming in the monster waves of the carribean attempting to body surf. We also took a trek down the beach and met a couple fellow travelers, A dog and three little kids. The kids took us up to a cliff with one of the most spectacular views that we have seen yet and then we had a little conversation (in spanish }, as much as we could trying to understand their words through the thick carribean accent.

Later on we decided to head out to where the locals said was the funnest nigh club around, and on exageration every young person and tourist in the town must have been there, as well as every drug dealer in a 50 mile radius. We offered pot a total of 7 times (one guy actually shoved the bad of weed up to our noses), and we were offered cocaine twice. We were forced to stay longer than we wished in that place because it had started to pour outside. AS soon as the rain let up we headed back our hotel and played rummi ( we are incredible nerds)

Everyone we talkd to the next day was so incredibly stokedabout the night before many were planning trips to the local bank so the could afford to stay longer. It is sad that the most exciting thing about international traveling, for most people here, is the cheap drugs and lack of responsibility. The trip to puerto viejo reminded me of how glad I am to have more in my life than that. Kind of contrary to my initial judgements of these people I also thought about Jesus and his desire to be around those who needed him no matter what. SO the question that plagued me the whole bus ride back was what would jesus have done in the same situation( good old wwjd)

Today was also as weird day. We decided to take a stroll down our favoirite street in dan jose, and bring our bibles and journals along. Not more than 50 meteres from the hotel a man saw brians bible and pulled us into the street and asked us to pray for his alcoholism, and we did. He told us his story and we did our best to encourage him in spanish and tole him we would be praying for him for the rest of our trip. It is strange how god is using us on this trip and we are doing absolutely nothing different than just asking him to and taking advantage of such oppurtunities when they come up. What a ride.

So be praying for Cory and now also Oscar, thanks again for you love and support and prayers,

much love,
Matt