Arendell Parrott Academy Costa Rica 2024

February 20, 2024

After a two hour car ride from San Jose, we arrived at the Crisleys’ Farm. We learned about the process of making cheese and even got to take part in it! The mozzarella cheese we helped prepare was delicious. Then, we heard the history of the family’s business and were reminded that every crisis comes with an opportunity for growth. After a homemade lunch, we went on a tour of the farm. Crisley identified the different varieties of plants grown there. We also got to meet some pigs, chickens, and cows. Crisley then led us on a frog hunting adventure, and we even found a vibrant, “blue jean” frog! Once we arrived to the beautiful Heliconias resort, we enjoyed some of the amenities, including the hot springs. We set our intentions for our week of service and signed a flag to commemorate our commitment to the Pura Vide lifestyle! The day ended with a delicious pasta dinner and wonderful fellowship with our peers.

By Haynes L, Carolista, and Hannah

February 21, 2024

We started the day off with pancakes for breakfast followed by a short car ride to a nearby school where we helped sand the rust off bars so they could be freshly painted and built a wall in the kitchen. Upon arriving, we immediately connected with the students as we found common interests and exchanged cultural differences. There were many differences such as how the schools are structured and similarities such as favorite sports teams. We had an amazing lunch at the school before leaving to head to Proyecto Asís. Here we went on a tour of the different animals and even prepared their dinners. Throughout this tour, we learned how different Costa Rican culture is than American culture. There is no hunting and it is illegal to have monkeys and birds as pets. These differences make Costa Rica the beautiful place that it is. Upon returning home, we shared our favorite and least favorite moments from the day. We then ate burritos and French fries for dinner. We ended the day with fellowship bonding playing guess who with the chaperones.

By Connor, Seth, Nick, Brody, and Wesley

February 22, 2024
The fourth day of our trip involved the most service. We spent the entire day with our new friends at the LEBCBA school. We performed service projects including building a wall, removing rust from poles, and painting the poles.

More than the work we performed, we formed closer bonds and learned more from our peers. We are a traditional soup for lunch and then visited the local ice cream shop that the students all loved. We played with school dogs and then got back to work.

After another period of service we were given the opportunity to learn the merengue, bachata, and salsa with the Costa Rican students. It was a very fun and rewarding exchange of culture that we all enjoyed. It was so meaningful to see all of the students interacting and having fun together despite the slight language barrier.

After a great dinner of rice, chicken, and beans we headed back to out favorite spot and enjoyed some close fellowship.

At one of our houses we played “who’s most likely to” and were surprised by how well we knew each other after these couple days even though some of us have never really interacted before. It reminded us of how grateful we were to be on this trip with a great group of people and we can’t wait to do it again!

Thank you,
Carolina and Sophia A

February 23, 2024
Today, we began the day by having rice, beans, eggs, and some delicious fruit for breakfast. We then headed to the school to help the students with various activities. We engaged by assisting them with English immersion. Afterwards, we treated to a send off from the students. They performed a traditional Costa Rican dance and presented us with a beautiful painting. We then had lunch and said goodbye to all of our new friends. Once we left the school, we headed to the zip-lines. We enjoyed an exhilarating 2 hour tour. Later, we had fellowship by singing songs on the way back to our hotel from the first night. When we arrived, we enjoyed a delicious dinner to celebrate our unforgettable week.
Claire, Sarah, Bailey, Chloe, and Jade