Corazons.

Today was an experience that moved all of us profoundly. The entire day was an amazing adventure, and one of my favorite parts was learning that even though two people can speak different languages, they can still communicate effectively with one another.

We arrived at the breakfast tables at Costa Verde Inn around 7am. Anxious and excited, we filled ourselves with Costa Rican coffee and toast, juice, rice, cereal- whatever each of us fancied, and then prepared for the walk to the school.

The walk was completely uphill, and for those of you in Arizona who are following us on this blog, let us tell you that walking at a steep incline in a tropical environment leaves one feeling energized and very very hot.

We all arrived at Corazon de Jesus excited and a glistening a bit, but were welcomed with open arms and warm eyes. Maci, Jennifer and I went into Maria's 4th grade classroom, and were immediately swept into a kind, loving environment.

We walk in, and the students are clean cut and well behaved. The room is clean, softly lit by natural lighting and bears large windows on the far wall. There is no air conditioning, and while there is a fan in the room, it remains off. The teacher, Maria, is wonderfully nice, and though she does not speak a word of English, she made us feel welcome.

The students begin their day by singing a song, which is not intended for us, since we know that this school has no phone and they were unsure of what time of the day we would be stopping by. The children sing exhuberently in unison. As they finish and settle down, they start taking turns reading from their Spanish grammar book. The class seats 25, and the desks are arranged in a circle. There are only 24 students, so Maria takes a seat among them. Though she often does not ask questions to the students, she does correct them and smile encouragingly at them as they read.

Maci saves the day with her impressive acquisition of the Spanish language, and after asking the teacher if it is okay to take photographs, we begin to snap pictures. I notice that Maria is amazingly well dressed. She wears heels, slacks, and a blouse with a blazer. Her hair has been straightened and coiffed, her make up beautiful from her bronzed eyeshadow to her red lipstick. She carries a dominance with her that takes control over her class, and still emits the grace of a motherly figure. The students respect her, and pay attention to her.

**As a side note, I'd like to mention that one of my favorite parts of the day was telling the professor (in very chopped Spanish unfortunately) "Yo quiero hablar Espanol muy mal", which, I had hoped would equal out to "I want to speak Spanish very badly". Her response was "Yo quiero hablar Ingles!". I thought it was so special that two people attempting to make a connection would say that they wish they spoke each others language, as oppose to wanting the other person to speak theirs. But I digress**

While sitting there, I realize every once in a while that the children become chittery and rowdy. This makes me smile. It reminds me very much of my own elementary school, Cielo, and shows me that regardless the differences in a culture, or the intricacies of a society- regardless of where you find yourself in the world, children are children. They are bright, eager, and funny, constantly willing to adapt and learn something new, and socially blooming into the world around them.

As I converse with a fellow student of Arizona State University she tells me that a quote on the wall of the classroom she was observing says: "Nosotros fuimas creados por amor y para amor a los otros", which translates into: "We are created to love and be loved in return." This makes my heart sing, and as I discuss this with Maci and Caroline, I realize they feel the same way. My experience at Corazon de Jesus is one that will stick with me eternally. Everyone in our group met so many wonderful people, teachers and students alike, and Maci and I had the luck of meeting two wonderful children named Josue and Anarosa.

We left feeling lightened and happy. Though none of us knew it yet, we left changed.