The Bethel University volleyball team is traveling together in Costa Rica from May 25-June 1. While there, the team will be playing top level club teams on three different dates and serving the community in three different cities. In addition, they'll enjoy several group activities that showcase the beauty and culture of Costa Rica. Each day the group plans to compose a blog post from different members of the team, answering the questions "What was good?", "What was hard?", "What'd we learn?", and "What's next?" To see more photos follow the team on Facebook or @BethelRoyalVolleyball on Instagram.
From Haley Meyer
What was good?
It seems like the question should be more like, what was NOT good? Today was absolutely amazing. We were able to travel to Two Little Monkeys, a beautiful organic farm. We started the morning with a tour of the land, where we were able to learn about so many different plants and wildlife. The manager of the farm, Ismael, was so amazing. His joy was absolutely contagious. He picked up pretty much every plant and gave it to us to eat. We got to try some turmeric, black pepper, the world's most bitter leaf, and smelled some Allspice (not to be confused with Old Spice, as most of us did). We then got to plant our own happy little trees, and even give them some fun names. I named mine Diego and Gretchen named her tree Rana, because we got to see a few poisonous dart frogs (and a few unnamed team members were very afraid of them). After our reforestation work, we got to go swim in the river. This was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. Our whole team got to spend time just relaxing in the refreshing water, completely surrounded by the rainforest. While we were a little fearful of what our feet were touching on the bottom, we all dove in. For me, this was such a magical moment. As I sat on a rock with the fresh water rushing around me, I just took it all in. The scenery was out of this world, pictures and descriptions would never do it justice. But more than this, I just thought about how amazing it was to experience this with these girls. There is something so special about this team, as we all just endlessly pour into one another. The way this team holds each other accountable, pushes each other to be great, and selflessly loves each other is so inspiring to me. As I sat and watched my teammates "be" in this pure joy, I could not help but have a huge smile on my face. It is so incredible to see how God has used this team to pour out his love to those around us. It has been so evident in our interactions with each other and with those we meet here, how amazing our God is. His love shines through each and every one of these girls, and it is absolutely incredible. I would not have wanted to experience this with anyone else.
What was hard?
I am not going to lie, not much of today was challenging. It was all just so incredible. For me personally, the most challenging thing was our van ride to the farm. While it was much shorter than our 8 hours on the bus yesterday, it was still a bit of challenge. For a tall person with long legs, who does not really love crowds or small spaces, the 40 minutes on the bus in the back row was a bit of a challenge. We were flying through some winding mountain roads, with some bumpy off-roading as well. But believe me, it was all worth the hot and crowded van ride. And we did not have any van sickness today, maybe just a few bruises from the bumpy roads.
What did I learn?
We were all so inspired by Ismael. We talked in our devotion tonight about how contagious his joy and passions were. He was so proud of everything he has accomplished and so excited to share it with all of us. This experience taught me a couple different things. It first taught me how important it is to protect God's creation. Seeing how intricate the environment and ecosystems are really opened my eyes to the importance of protecting them. Ismael encouraged us to leave the earth better than how we found it, which I thought was a really cool way to think about the work we are doing in our lives. It also taught me how truly beautiful God's creation is. Just sitting outside, seeing the plants and trees and wildlife (yes, even the scary and poisonous dart frogs) was incredible. (A fun side note, poisonous dart frogs are red with blue legs. They are often called blue jean frogs, haha!) Anyway, it is amazing to think about how God has given us this creation to enjoy and learn more about him. And finally, this experience taught me how important it is to do something you truly love. We were all so excited and intrigued, because Ismael was so passionate about his farm. As I go into my senior year and start thinking about my professional life, I want to always remember this experience. I hope someday the love and passion I have my work will inspire others, like Ismael inspired us.
What's next? (from Coach Hunt)
Tomorrow is a pure tourist day! No matches or service projects, just a day to "take in" Costa Rica. We will be hiking to La Fortuna Waterfall, and then ziplining through the rainforest, in the shadow of the Arenal Volcano. After lunch at an organic farm, we'll be visiting a natural volcanic hot springs.
In my second tour with Bring It Promotions, after having traveled with them to Nicaragua in 2016, one of the things I have appreciated most are the people they bring into the lives of our players while on the tour. In 2016, we met incredibly talented and passionate people in Nicaragua, who were inspiring to so many of our athletes. Today, from Haley's words, it's clear that Ismael and his family were equally inspiring. In the middle of the rainforest, God's creation is mind-boggling. From frogs with poisonous skin, to plants that curl up when you touch them, and others that are natural anesthetics and turned our tongues numb after eating, to trees that can live for 800 years, and ants designed to fertilize mushrooms, it's truly humbling to begin to understand how complex and fragile, and at the same time, how resilient, our world is. It was a privilege to spend time with someone who has invested so much of his life learning about his part of the world, and how to care for it well. I'm so grateful that our athletes were able to see his passion and, as Haley indicated, start to think about how they can inspire others through the individual passions they have.
