Ana Key, Missionary

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and the rest of the missionaries in our travels to Costa Rica. Through Soles4Souls, we served shoes, light, hope, and so much more to impoverished areas while receiving back ten-fold in smiles, laughs, and stories. After witnessing the poverty and detriment of the people at the shoe distributions, from preschoolers to elderly, I feel I have gained a brand new perspective on life in the U.S. I came back from this trip humbled, grateful, aware, educated, and, most importantly, blessed to have been able to experience such a fulfilling trip. I saw light and happiness shine through God’s will in the individuals and families we touched. Their charismatic and enthusiastic character surprised me as their living conditions were less than adequate. Their fire propelled me to reflect on our own environment in Pennsylvania, seemingly a different world compared to Atenas, Costa Rica. Simply driving through the streets of the small, foreign town made me realize how fortunate we are to live in the conditions we do and how many aspects of our lives we take for granted. Although the people of Costa Rica seemed to have so little materialistically, they had an abundance of gifts spiritually. As Father Jay mentioned at a communal church on our trip, the people of Costa Rica (meaning “rich coast”) are the ones that make it “Rica” (or rich).

First, I witnessed the richness and fruit of the country in the children. The kids surprised us with their ecstasy and curiosity at our very first distribution: a soccer camp. Elementary to middle school aged children proudly boasted their soccer jerseys as we walked onto their field. When we went to play “futbol” with them, I was on the missionary team against the younger players. Those seven-year olds completely annihilated us, passing the ball between our legs to score a goal in a blink of an eye as their friends cheered them on from the sidelines. Even with their smirks and competitive nature, it was all in good faith; afterwards, everyone learned more about the players as we bonded with them over games and ice cream. During the idle time, I spoke with the father of a daughter who danced and performed well in school who, in his eyes, had the potential to reach far beyond the bounds of what he had accomplished in life. His hopeful and excited tone of voice implied that even a parent could see the spark in the younger generation of Costa Rica. I also met a girl named Rebecca, whose soccer skills surpassed many of her male peers. She told me she had dreams of becoming a professional “futbol” player as inspired by her uncle, a professional soccer coach. Her drive to manifest that passion into something tangible in her future was admirable to me and many other missionaries. I also spoke with a boy named Daniel who would not stop smiling and cackling at us as he kicked around a beach ball and gave us bracelets as gifts. His selflessness and positive attitude made a profound impact on all of us who were witnesses to his acts of kindness.

At other distributions, we had the opportunity to connect with children of all ages with the same strength of faith. For example, at a swim school distribution, I colored alongside a girl named Estefanía. She told me how she loved swimming, practicing the sport six days a week and often attending competitions on the weekends. When it was time to leave, I told Estefanía she could take her coloring page with her. She told me nothing in response as she ripped out the page from the coloring book, wrote her name and date on it, and offered it to me, saying in Spanish “but I want to give it to you”. Estefanía had seen most of the kids take their pages with them, yet she wanted to give her drawing to me to keep as a memory of her. I was incredibly touched and pleasantly surprised to see that a young girl like her could have that sense of respect and admiration for a foreign friend like me. 

I also found that richness of Costa Rica in the adults we encountered. The people we met at our base, including Emerson, Erick, Jill, John, Maria Elena, Taylor, and more -- who cared for us, provided us with food, payed close attention to our injuries, made us laugh, cry, and think—were incredibly helpful throughout our entire journey. Without them, our mission would not have been close to possible, and we are all extremely grateful for the sacrifices they made to have us there. A week later, all the missionaries still keep in contact with Emerson and Erick, two best friends who grew up in Costa Rica and provided us with their full energy and enthusiasm 24/7.

Furthermore, another portrayal of the richness of the adults of Costa Rica was after a Spanish mass at a local church. The people of the community lined up in a gathering area outside the church after the service, waiting for the snacks we promised them. However, when it was time for them to come in, Jen Katzfey, our outreach coordinator, had no way of communicating with them since they spoke no English. She then pulled me aside from the group to tell me what to communicate to the line of adults waiting to eat. Being the only missionary who speaks Spanish, I instructed the adults to come in, have a snack, and talk with the missionaries. After I made the announcement, the herd did so; afterwards, one by one, they came up to me and hugged me saying they respect the work we are doing, and they are incredibly grateful to have had us at their mass that day. The overwhelming amount of compliments and “thank you”s truly made my day. These people, so grounded and tied to their country, were so grateful to see us work and serve back to their community. Their utter admiration of our service gave me a newfound purpose of our mission in Costa Rica. It motivated me to work harder and care more for these complete strangers, as they had welcomed us warmly into their close-knit community.

Finally, I saw Costa “Rica” represented in the elderly of the country. When we went to a nursing home to distribute shoes, the elders were delighted. They had most likely never seen a crowd of eager teenagers ready to serve them. Their smiles completely lit up the room as they gave kisses and hugs and shared their stories with the missionaries. Their patience and delight when they received shoes or spoke with a missionary was unforgettable.
Truly, the people we encountered on this mission (of all ages) were what made this trip one of a kind for me. Their culture and presence astounded all of us at every minute of our long days, making me grateful and blessed to have had the opportunity to meet and serve them.  
Saints John and Paul Parish: thank you so much again for your continued prayers and support for this mission because without you, we would not have been able to find the true meaning of “Rica” in Costa Rica.  
 
A proud Saints John & Paul missionary,
  —Ana Key, Missionary