Deborah stares at me with wide brown eyes as I try to explain that I won't be able to play anymore.
"Mañana es mi ultima dia aqui," I say. (Tomorrow is my last day here)
"Porque?" she asks. (Why?)
"Porque yo necessito ir a Panama." (Because I have to go to Panama)
She scrunches up her cute five year old face. "Porque?"
I shrug unable to find the Spanish words to explain to her that I'm saying goodbye for more than a few days.
———–
As we come to the end of our time here in Costa Rica, I have ten good reasons why I would stay. Their names are Maty, Deborah, Nicole, Mattias, Felipe, Nicolas, Santiago, Celeste, Gabriel, and Samuel.
For the past three weeks, I have been assisting the kinder class at the school we've been living at. Helping out four days a week with ten adorable, energetic, beautiful spirits who are between the ages of 3 and 6 is exhausting. Sometimes it's messy and loud and the kids refuse to listen. In a few weeks, I'll probably be just a distant memory. But I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything. Through tantrums and tears, cries of "No, quiero!" to coloring books and games, shrieks of "Spin me around, uno mas!", I can say that I'm going to miss it.
And I will continue to miss it. As I move on with my life, life will continue on in Costa Rica. It makes me teary eyed to think I'm going to miss the rest of their lives.
Will Samuel ever stop his tendency to cry and throw a fit over everything? Will Deborah become the true adventurer I know she is? Will Mattias become a proper leader? Will Santi and Celeste stay best friends forever? Will Gabriel still be the peacemaker? Will Nicolas keep his joyful spirit? Will Nicole still be a diva? Will everyone still jump up to hug Felipe when he comes in the room? Will Maty still speak Spanglish as he grows older? Will they grow to understand what a true relationship with Christ looks like?
But who knows? (Well apart from God) Maybe one day I'll return and maybe they will remember me. Even if they don't, I will certainly remember them and the joy that they have given me.
