Julia Dopkosky, Missionary

I couldn’t have been more blessed to take part in this year’s mission trip to Costa Rica. My eyes were opened to a whole new side of the world as I learned a lot. I built relationships, met the most beautiful people, and grew much closer to the Lord. I received more love than I could’ve ever given to the people who I encountered. I couldn’t help but to smile during each distribution seeing the joy in these kids faces. However it wasn’t the shoes that made them happy, it was the love and affection complete strangers showed them. Those feelings probably don’t come often for these kids which made us want to give so much more. They have so little yet they’re the happiest and most generous people you’ll ever meet. 
 
I met someone new at each distribution and I’ll never forget the bonds made. Fitting the kids for shoes was my favorite part of the trip. Each child approached me with the biggest smile and the loudest “hola” ever. They showed me their size, and I placed the shoes on their feet. The language barrier didn’t hold us back from communicating with the help of Eric, Emerson, and Elena. My favorite distribution was our first one at the soccer camp. Here, I fitted the kids for shoes with Paige Crean. We met a young boy named Daniel who will forever hold a special place in our hearts. After we fit the kids for shoes, we got a chance to meet and play with everyone. That’s when we met Daniel who was by himself with a beach ball. We approached him, grabbed the ball, and demonstrated how to play keep it up. He joined in and called all of his friends over. We could all see the pure joy in Daniel’s face given to him by something so simple. He didn’t want to leave our side from here. We were called over to take a group picture so Daniel took my hand and put my arm around him as we ran over to claim a spot in the picture. A little love went a long way for him, as it’s something he maybe doesn’t receive enough of. Before I left, he gave me the biggest and warmest hug. We said our goodbyes and took a picture to never forget this moment. Daniel, as well as all of the other kids I met gave me and the team of missionaries more love than we could’ve ever imagined. Giving the shoes was a small part of our mission. We were called to spread love reflecting Jesus, right from our hearts. However in the end, we all came to the realization that we in fact were the ones receiving the most from these children. 
 
I’ve always heard about poverty, but seeing it is something completely different. The people in Costa Rica live in poverty everyday, but they don’t let it define them. They make the best out of every situation, and live through the Lord. They’re thankful for everything they have, even if it’s not much. The smallest things mean the world. The kids faces lit up seeing beach balls, bubbles, a parachute, coloring books, crayons, and so much more. They laughed, smiled, and played with their toys, never running out of energy. Seeing them like this made it even harder to say goodbye, I wanted to stay forever. When I did get home, however, all I could think about was going back. I didn’t want to be in my nice house with my electronics again. In Costa Rica, I let all of that go and lived in the moment, worry free. Seeing those kids so happy without all of the basic things we have at home made me realize that material things aren’t important in the end. What matters is human relationships and drawing ourselves closer to God. Adoration was my favorite part of each night. I felt as if God was sitting right in front of me, and I could tell him everything. I told him my problems and questioned why I was called to take part in this mission. This entire trip strengthened my faith but also helped me share it with others. 

Thank you Saints John & Paul and Soles for Souls for supporting this mission trip. I hope this continues to be an annual event to give others this life changing opportunity. I am so grateful to have been apart of this year’s trip. 

Sincerely,
—Julia Dopkosky, Missionary