Connection: The Kids of Calcutta and Costa Rica

        Three years ago I went to a mission trip to Costa Rica with my church. Our very first task was to paint this run down church in the middle of a run down neighborhood. When I got off the bus, I was appalled at what I saw in such little time. Kids were no where to be seen and it was in the middle of the afternoon. The roads were just lines of dirt, the houses had no electricity, and the playground in the center of the neighborhood could not even be called a playground due to its lack of quality. Questioning how any kid could have a good time in this neighborhood, my heart sank.

        As we painted the church for hours, two little kids from the neighborhood began to prance towards the church. Shy at first, the kids grew more comfortable with us and they began to help us paint; not because we asked them to, but because they wanted to!

        In the process of painting the house more and more kids began to show up and joined in. Then, this one kid slapped my butt leaving paint all over me and laughed hysterically. That's when it all started. A relationship began to form between my church kids and the local kids. We began to chase the kids all around the church. All of the kids began to grab our hands and taking us around the neighborhood. They taught us all of the hiding spots for hide and seek and which fruit you can eat from the trees. As a church we made them bracelets and sang and danced with them. What started off as a tedious job, transformed to an experience I will never forget.

        As we were watching the film Born into Brothels, all I could think about were the kids from Costa Rica. I realized how the two different group of kids were so similar. Although they may not have everything that the kids in US has, they have MORE fun than we do. The kids that are born into families with practically nothing, but they know how to appreciate and cherish what they have. For example, the kids in Calcutta had a blast taking pictures; the kids in Costa Rica had a blast painting. What may not be so awesome to the kids in the US, is something so exhilarating for the kids in Calcutta and Costa Rica.

        Both groups are also so mature for their age. From what I observed in the film and at Costa Rica, when they go through tough times, due to their hard life, it is almost as if they are able to fight through all of the hardships that are thrown at them. They are able to move past the difficulties and look forward to the good things they have in life.

        The relationship between these groups of kids really blows my mind. Their stories really motivate me to live like those kids. Living life with an appreciative attitude will get me so much farther than how I am living my life right now. Being able to always put a smile on when things get tough is something I want to mold into my personality. Rather than complaining, but appreciating everything is how I want to live my life. The kids that live like the kids in Calcutta and Costa Rica are my role models. I can only hope to grow up as mature as these kids when they were only at a mere age of 5-10 years old by the time I'm a 100.