Message from Michael Molk, Co-DRE for Youth, UUFC

Dear Friends,

Here it is Day 5 already.
After so many months of planning and hard work, we´re finally in Costa Rica!

All the youth and adults are working hard, playing hard, engaging with the local folks, and earnest about understanding what we are experiencing in this different culture. We are having good discussions about the poverty we see; how it squelches people´s opportunities, but not neccessarily their spirits.
I am moved by the children we meet, and by the insights from our youth.
Our schedule is non-stop.
In the mornings we go to the women´s co-operative community to help build a structure where they can sell their handicrafts; we´ve started a small garden, we play and work with the children, and hear the mother´s stories.
Yesterday we visited a very poor community of Nicaraguan immigrants, walked around for a little and met some of the children there, and learned about their struggle with a huge garbage dump.
In the afternoons we´ve been taking various field trips. Today we went to the farmer´s market where we tried various foods; there are so many different fruits and vegetables here that we never see in the States! After that we went to a sugar plantation to see how they process sugar, and then we had a picnic lunch with our host families. Jacob found a giant toad, a large lizard, a leech, and more, which he showed the youth and talked about. There are so many different plants and beautiful butterflies!
So far this trip has gone smoothly (knock on wood!). I see our youth and adults being affected by what we are doing and what is happening around us. It is such a blessing to be here with this intelligent and compassionate group of people. I would wish this experience for all of the youth and adults of our fellowship.
The Spanish is a challenge for me since I have not used it for so long. But it is good to be making the effort to speak to people in their own language. Even when there is not enough time or energy to have a lengthy conversation with everyone, there is still a universal language of the spirit; to look into another person´s eyes, to acknowledge their worth, to smile, to wave, to make a heart connection briefly in this time and place, to recognize our common humanity. These are powerful experiences which can change lives and change the world.
I believe that Life is an Adventure, and I am grateful to all of you who have given financial and moral support to make this adventure possible. Even though we are here and you are reading this somewhere else, we are together on this path, to make the world more just and peaceful, where each and every person´s worth is respected, where the overlooked have a voice, where we recognize our interconnectedness with all living beings. As we realize these things, we can take steps to live in harmony with all of nature; we can begin to take steps to be in "right relationship", to live sustainably, to share the wealth and power.
May all beings be happy, and free from suffering.
Hasta luego,
Miguel Molk