Team #2 Costa Rica| Day 4

The following post was contributed by a Global Village trip participant.

How to prepare for a Habitat Costa Rica build is hard to predict. Hearing the stories from friends and relatives who have been coaxing me into coming here for a couple of years was all the preparation I had. This is my first build and I’m happy to be here.  

Costa Rica is beautiful. I needn’t say any more about that (though I might). The work is challenging, but not a problem with group support. The bottom line is that working with my group has been so rewarding that I could recommend a trip to someone for that experience alone.

Since we started work on Monday, we’ve prepared the home sites for the two new homes we’re building. We’ve dug holes for the structural columns, set the columns, and tomorrow we will be installing the concrete wall panels. We are also trenching for the septic system, which we expect to be completed tomorrow.  I’m impressed with the simple, but solid design plan of the house. The local contractors are happy to work with us and it’s great to see their families come to the job site periodically. Our site leaders, Luis and Wadel, have been inspirational in helping us complete the work.

My group members are all from many walks of life and a range of ages. We treat each other as peers and support each other through the work, and thoroughly enjoy each others’ company and the beauty of this country.

Pete Kessler