There are many things in life that surprise me… good and bad. Some of these surprises seem negative from a distance but when you place them under a microscope there appears to be a lot of positives. One of the biggest surprises was working at the recycling center where we sorted through the trash. Yes, it was actually a lot of fun. We packed our lunches, hopped into a bus, and got to sorting as soon as our feet hit the ground. As a squad, we blasted music and laughed through it all. This whole experience was a surprise to me because it was such a delight to serve the city in this way. Some of our ladies had the opportunity to pour into a couple of the women who worked at the recycling center. The recycling center will be a sweet memory for sure! Check out the pictures below to see all the work that we got to do:

Ari grabbing a fresh bag of recyclables to sort through!

We had a good time shooting cans and bottles into larger bags to make sorting even more fun.

Starting on the left we have Mary, Mary Grace, Kevin, Tito, and Madison taking a break and posing for me.

 We had another station sorting different types of paper, whether that was tearing books apart or rifling through business files. We also loved having some of the gap year (left) helping out!

Mary helping one of the very kind ladies with finding specific placements for the recyclables. 

Jacken and Tito pouring out some of the suspicious liquids... definitely everyone's least favorite part but a good laugh. 

Lynneal, Raquel, and Mary Grace assisting the friendly women in crushing some cardboard boxes.

Jenn (left) was organizing cans and bottles found in a black crate. Jackie (right) was a trooper and climbed the mountain of recycling bags to toss down in order to be sorted.

Sweet Rachel always smiling through it all; she is an absolute joy to be around. Also, check out how much the mountain of bags decreased in the back! 

Praise the Lord for a squad that is always willing to place their best foot forward and work efficiently. Please continue to have my squad in your prayers as we only have a couple of weeks left in Costa Rice. Also, please pray for my team and me as we travel from Jaco to San Jose on Wednesday to a different ministry. As always, I am so thankful for all of you, your prayers, and your support. 

with all my love,

PJ