Local Students Offer a Helping Hand and Head to Costa Rica

This week, a group of inspired and motivated students and adults will be embarking on an eight-day mission trip to Costa Rica with the organization Young Life.

The team will be working to renovate the home of a young man who is living with cerebral palsy to make it more accessible for him and his family. The dynamic group is composed of eight current high school students from Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley (Evan Mehiel, Ellie Harvey, Serena Wong, Brooke Klooster, Molly O’Brien, Sydney Biekert, Marina Pulver, Noah Mazek), an incoming college freshman (myself - Jason Vawter), three local youth leaders (Lauren Wallace, Evan Gratz, Johanna Gratz) and of course our “mother figure” Merrie Dillow.

Wallace -- who works for Young Life -- and local youth leader Evan Gratz, are leading the trip.

“Preparing for the trip has been a lot of work but it’s really fun; I’m excited to see our team experience young life, a new culture, and what it’s like to work with students with disabilities,” said Wallace, who has grown close with the group of young students.

While Gratz and his wife Johanna have had Costa Rica on their hearts for years and are ecstatic to finally fulfill the dream.

From a student’s perspective the trip is not only a fun way to spend a week of summer, but also a great learning experience in culture, hard work and fundraising. Our whole team worked very hard raising funds for the trip by sending letters to family members, holding car washes, and nights of babysitting. It took a lot of work to raise the money but the effort was worth it for each student in his or her own way.

For me personally, I feel like this is an amazing opportunity to experience the world in places less fortunate than ours especially before taking off for my college experience. I haven’t even boarded the plane yet but I know this trip is a terrific way to humble myself before I enter the next phase of my life.

Monte Vista Senior Evan Mehiel, who has journeyed to places like Mexico and Uganda on previous mission trips, is especially excited for the upcoming trip.

“I am most excited to serve this family!" he said. "I can’t wait to meet the whole family and spend time getting to know and serve them in any way I can. I couldn’t be more stoked about the group of people I get to go on this journey with!”

Our whole group is extremely excited to take off Sunday morning and can’t wait to serve the family, each other, and God! Please look for a follow up story about how the trip went in the near future.

-Written by 2012 Monte Vista grad Jason Vawter