Day 8 of the Costa Rica trip started at 7:00. After eating breakfast, each group was picked up from their homestay family and taken to San Rafael School. Our mission for the day was to finish filling in the septic tank ditch with rocks and dirt. To our dismay, the drainage pipe we had painstakingly constructed was layed at a bad angle. After picking away the concrete, we reset the pipes and admired our finished work. After a quick snack of bread, mango slices and watermelon, we resumed work on the ditch. Our strategy was to transport a large pile of rocks into the ditch in order to lay the foundation for a septic tank drainage system. Once we had completed this, we began filling in the ditch by shoveling dirt and small rocks into it. After an hour, we took a quick break to play a game of soccer with the school children. After our game of Fifa, we returned to see a large machine finishing our work. We left the ditch to eat delicious lunch of rice, beans, eggs, and pasta. Full from lunch, we played another round of soccer with the surprisingly physical school children. As the daily thunderstorm set in, we retreated inside to paint one of the class rooms. All in all, a good day of work and play.

- Nick Blake

                                             Students admiring the power of machinery.