Twelve Orcas Christian School students and four staff members departed on a 10-day mission trip to Costa Rica in early March, joining Mission 517, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a Christian summer camp in the Guanacaste region.

Although the Costa Rican government is dedicated to educating its children, schools are often minimal and under-funded. At this particular public school, grades K-3 attend school from 8 to 10:30, and a second rotation of grades four to six attend in the afternoon because of minimal space. The mission of OCS was to interact and bond with the local children, in addition to donating sports equipment, classroom supplies, providing hot lunches to all of the local students, and donating clothes to community members in need.

Each participant has a different memory as their favorite part of the trip. In the words of freshman Julia Bailey, “There’s nothing comparable to the things we experienced at the school. Just seeing how happy the kids were with such simple necessities, I felt blessed to get to know them.”

Clarabeth Smith, a sophomore, said, “I loved how gracious and playful all of the kids were. They were so full of life and were very patient with our attempts at Spanish.”

Liam Nutt, a freshmen, concurred.

“My favorite thing was connecting and getting to know the kids because knowing the kids made a big difference,” he said. “They opened up to you. Seeing smiles on their faces cheered me up.”

The goal of the mission trip was to serve others and to make a small impact on the world. However, the impact on OCS students is immeasurable, say organizers.

“A trip like this transforms the lives of students,” said trip coordinator Rachel Fox. “It provides an opportunity for students to experience the world outside of their narrow perspective. We go to make a difference in the lives of others, but usually we are the ones changed.”

Orcas Christian School thanks the community for helping make this trip a reality.