Costa Rica – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Our amazing team at one of the local schools.

Lose yourself in generous service and every day can be a most unusual day, a triumphant day, an abundantly rewarding day! – William Arthur Ward

I had the joy and privilege of spending the past week in Costa Rica. I led a team of some of the most amazing people to work with Give A Book that my brother, Carl, has operated there for nearly 20 years.

Our team, though small in number by design, was comprised of people from all walks of life including some special friends from Canada.

We had the opportunity to go into six schools to distribute books, love on the children, and see the world through their eyes. And what a beautiful world it is.

The children were so proud to get new books.

Team members reading and interacting with the children in their classrooms.

Playing with the children at one of the schools.

The children, teachers, and workers in the schools were so appreciative of the books and welcomed us like heroes. Give a Book has also formed great partnerships with Peace Corp volunteers to assist in the efforts in the local schools. The Rotary Club has long been a supporter of the foundation’s literacy initiatives.

It was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who said, “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” And that is the driving force behind the work of Give a Book. Instilling a love of reading and literacy over the past twenty years has enlarged the lives of countless children and has helped hundreds of schools.

The smile on this little girls face says it all.

The experience with Give a Book is quite unique. Each trip is customized to not only meet the objective of the organization but to place you in a specific region of the country where you’d like work. That can be in the Central Valley region, along the coast, or out in more remote locations including the Rain Forest.

In addition to being involved in the schools there is the special opportunity to be immersed in the local culture that most people never see.

Then of course there is the opportunity to take in the most spectacular sights and scenery you can feast your eyes upon. From the Poas volcano, Doka Coffe Estate, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, etc. this beautiful country will capture your heart.

Waterfall at the LaPaz Waterfall Gardens

Our team at the La Paz Waterfall Garden.

My week in Costa Rica was amazing. It was not my first trip there and it won’t be my last. I am planning more.

Team members working in the warehouse of the Give a Book Foundation.

If you are as passionate about books and literacy as I am and would be interested in being on a team with me in the future let me know. I’d love to take you. Of course, you can work directly with Carl as well.

For now, let me encourage you to visit the websites of Give a Book and the incredible work they do.

Visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GiveABookToChildren/

On the web at: http://www.give-a-book.net/

If you’d be interested in joining me on a trip in the future email me at: [email protected]

To reach out to Carl about a trip for your organization email him at: [email protected]

With my brother, Carl. His heart for the children of Costa Rica and his literacy work there is truly inspiring. — With my brother, Carl, (left). His heart for the children of Costa Rica and his literacy work there is truly inspiring.

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I just returned from my second trip to Costa Rica. I helped chaperone a group of high school seniors from my daughter’s school. There were 11 of us in our group that went down with an organization that my brother operates called Mission Volunteer Partners (http://bit.ly/1iGOZeo) that has been sponsoring trips into Costa Rica on a regular basis for many years. Typical groups that go range from school groups, Rotary, university, church, etc. MVP has a great team in place in Costa Rica that serve as excellent hosts and guides.

During our five day visit we went into three schools to distribute books. More than just distribute books, our team stayed in each school up to four hours each to play with the children, visit the classrooms and teach lessons, and to absorb their culture and world.

To be sure, our team enjoyed the breath-taking beauty of this lovely country. From our splendid accommodations, the LaPaz Waterfall Park, zip-lining in the jungle, and so much more; this was a trip of a lifetime for so many of the students.

The work of Mission Volunteer Partners is making a huge difference in the country. From book and wheelchair distributions, and much more, it would be an ideal trip for you to take into consideration.

If you have interest in taking a trip with your business, Rotary, church group, or school I would be thrilled to talk to you and help you coordinate and plan a trip. I am looking to put a team together for later in the year to go back into some of the schools and I am looking for up to ten people who’d like to go.

If interested please email me as I will be looking to set a date for later in the year – perhaps in the summer. I promise you this one thing: it will change your life and change your perspective as you look into the eyes of these children. The trip would primarily be one of going into the schools with books. Of course you would be able to enjoy numerous excursions.

Contact me to express your interest in participating in a future trip. Email me at: [email protected]

* You can also find and ‘like’ Mission Volunteer Partners on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mission-Volunteer-Partners/314528795303168

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Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Tag: Costa Rica

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