Growing Season

During the summer of 2017, we launched the SEED program with the support of Sawyer Products. Three teams of mixed sport student-athletes and coaches used their passion for sports to share the love of Christ around the world. In May, our first trip launched to India with 12 student-athletes and three staff members to partner …

Homecoming

August 23rd, 2017 We have finally arrived in Chicago and we are in route to Hope! We have had an incredible trip and we were blessed to receive the opportunity to share God’s love to Costa Rica. This trip wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for Sawyer’s sponsorship. Sawyer gave us the opportunity to give …

R & R: Rest and Reflection

August 22, 2017 Today was a day filled with many lasts of the trip. We started our day bright and early at a 6:00am and left Los Chiles. We had a full day ahead of us that consisted of adventures like zip lining, bus rides, and hot springs. As we filled our anxious bodies with …

Sports, Jesus and Water Filters

August 21,2017 We didn’t sleep in today!! The rooster from Coto Brus called his cousin and told him we would be here. We left home base around 7am for a 30 minute bus ride into Los Chiles. The morning began with a sports clinic. The kids came from all over to play a mixture of …

10,000 Reasons why we love Costa Rica

August 20th, 2017: Day 6 We slept in today! For the first time all trip, we slept in past 6 am to a much later 8 am (get at us 8 am classes). We got all dolled up and took a lovely stroll down the road to a local bakery where we proceeded to fill …

Our Home Away From Home

August 19th, 2017: Day 5 The rooster chimed in for the third consecutive morning two hours before wake up call. The early 5:30 wake up was filled with bittersweet endings as we prepared to leave Coto Brus and our wonderful host family. We received one last feast that consisted of eggs, rice and beans, cheese, …

And we thought Push The Rock was just a metaphor

August 18th, 2017: Day 4 Everyone on our team is embracing their roles, the rooster included. He woke us up once again in the fourth hour. Coach Kust complemented the rooster with a false alarm much earlier than our expected wake up call. Luckily, a hearty breakfast awaited us, including some heavenly, fluffy pancakes. We …

There ain’t no mountain high enough!

August 17th, 2017: Day 3 Dark and early around 4am, the rooster woke the house up with its loud morning call. Our real wake up time was 6am and little did we know that after breakfast we would encounter a difficult yet rewarding hour and a half hike through the beautiful Costa Rican Mountains. The …

Prisons, buses and crocodiles, oh my!

August 16th, 2017: Day 2 Our “Equipo de Esperanza” (Team Hope), as we have begun to call ourselves, started this morning with a prompt wake-up just before 6 am. We fueled up at the AMCA House (our lodging) with a delicious meal (as seems to be the usual around here) and then travelled in El …

Hoops and clean water

Quick update: Our first morning was spent at a youth prison near San Jose. We gave some basketball lessons and played some games. Most impressively, Cody dunked on the crooked outdoor rim that is closer to 11 feet than 10. We were able to demonstrate the water filter system to an administrator and a guard …