A Brush with Kindness in Costa Rica

After breakfast each morning we have devotions before leaving for the worksite. On one particular morning a volunteer ended his devotion with a simple yet heartfelt statement: "Don't wait for others to be kind, show them instead." That is exactly what we have been doing this week - showing kindness. But more importantly we have been shown a tremendous amount of kindness!

A family making us homemade empanadas on a wood burning stove, a son of a homeowner giving each of us a school picture, our bus driver pitching in to help us build when he didn't have to help, a grandmother thanking us for building a home for her daughter and three children (the first home of their own), a community opening their arms to embrace a group of strangers, a smile and a hug for no reason, a fellow volunteer making balloon animals for the children—I could go on and on with many more examples. We ended the day on Thursday with a picnic for the two families, their friends and relatives, and the workers and neighbors. Together we celebrated what we had built in four days. Not just homes for two families (which are important and much needed) but lasting friendships and memories and a meaningful reminder to show kindness in all that we do.

Why do I come to Costa Rica with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity? Because I can make a difference and because I am reminded hundreds of times every day how to be kind—Something that is easily forgotten in the hectic world in which we live. Pura vida.

-Judy VanOsdel, who found paradise through her brush with kindness