Tico Tuesday, September 17th

This past weekend was Costa Rica's celebration of 192 years of independence! Independence Day is officially celebrated on September 15 with parades and traditional foods, clothes, and games. The 14th is a special day too though, because that is the day the news of independence travelled through Central America. So, now to celebrate, a flame of independence (the antorcha) travels Olympic style from the Costa Rican border with Nicaragua, all the way to Cartago, which used to be the country's capital. As the flame travels, elementary and high school students come to meet the flame in the center of each town. Some carry it further towards Cartago, others carry the flame on to their own towns. When the torch arrives at 6pm, everyone sings the national anthem and then parades around with homemade lanterns.
The children from the Bible Home go down to Barva to get the flame and run it the 5km (a little over 3 mi) with some 500 meters (1600ft) of elevation gain up to the Bible Home. I'd been wanting to join them for a couple years now, and this year I got my chance! I was just going to watch them since I had a terrible cold most of last week, but Saturday I was feeling much better (and stir crazy since I hadn't run for days), and it wasn't raining when antorcha time came around. So, I put on my sneakers and joined the kids and Leslie, who had been training the kids and doing tests to figure out who would be able to run up the mountain. A little boy who is 9 or 10, R, somehow passed the test, but he sure huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain. Some of the kids had been making mean comments about him, but he was a shining example of determination, and only got into the van for the last really hard part. In spite of the teasing though, R's fellow runners chose him to have the honor of lighting the torch at the Bible Home in front of everyone. He lagged behind most of the way, and I stuck with him, encouraging him, trying to give him a couple tips to improve his form and not expend as much energy with every step, and getting the bystanders to cheer for him. When they did he shot forward like a rocket. It was adorable and hilarious at the same time, but as a runner, I know the blessed effects of cheering bystanders! (I'll just imagine you all cheering for me as I run my first marathon this coming Saturday!) Another boy stuck with him too, helping him along and encouraging him every step of the way. Sometimes he and another boy practically carried R. It was really sweet to watch. Even sweeter than the kids chanting my name to have me carry the torch for a little while. How many gringas get to carry the antorcha in Costa Rica? Really. Everybody had a turn to carry it though, and they didn't make me an exception. And it's a good thing we all took turns... that thing gets heavy! But though I was touched by that, it was even more heart warming to watch the older boy help R, especially since I overheard a conversation earlier last week about the older boy going through a really difficult situation and dealing with a lot of anger.
Have I ever told you what an honor and privilege it is to be a part of what God does here and witness him working in children's lives? May the Lord open all our eyes to see the work He is doing in, around, and through us, and may we be ready instruments in his hands who are willing to go the extra mile!
Carrie