“With God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26

COSTA RICA TRIP 2 KEVIN WOOLDRIDGE’S 2ND TREATMENT
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2008

This was a very long travel day and Kevin was perfect! The flight and customs were uneventful. It’s amazing how much easier a second trip is! We arrived in San Jose and drove to La Fortuna arriving after midnight. Sleep!

SATURDAY, APRIL 12TH

We started the day with a typical Costa Rican breakfast in La Fortuna – a relaxing mountain town built around an active volcano. All “typical meals” include beans and rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and most include the freshest most delicious fruit! After a few “mishaps” because Rafa wasn’t with us, we decided to spend the afternoon swimming in the hot springs (or baths as they call them) of Eco Termales. It is a beautiful rain-forest-like setting of natural river rock springs and waterfalls naturally heated from Arenal Volcano. The further downriver you walk, the less intense the heat in the bath.
We stayed in the least hot bath (but still very warm) for about 3 hours and loved it! It was really therapeutic. Kevin didn’t want to get out! He had so much fun and was so relaxed! We were served bottled water, fresh virgin pina coladas, and fresh mango and strawberry smoothies (my favorite). The fruit and vegetables here are amazing. It would be easy to be a vegetarian! After drying off, we were served a typical Costa Rican dinner – again – amazing! I didn’t even eat any meat because the fruit, salad, vegetables, beans and rice were SO good, but they also served steak, chicken, and des­sert. We drove back to San Jose and checked into our hotel at about 9:00 PM. Again, the hospital/clinic here took good care of us. It is an amazing 2 bedroom 2 bath suite with a view of the moun­tains! ES MUY BONITA!!!

SUNDAY, APRIL 13TH

Rafa picked us up at 7:00 AM and took us to the same breathtakingly beautiful open-air café over­looking the mountains and the coffee bean plantations that we went to on the 1st morning of our last trip. Words can’t describe the view. It was SO good to see Rafa again. We then went on to an EX­TREMELY remote area about 2 hours away. “I gotta friend” becomes our favorite Rafa expression because he has a friend everywhere! His friend took us out on a small boat down a remote river. We had no idea what was coming!! This brown river covered by a canopy of beautiful trees had several different tributaries. We could have been anywhere at this point – the Amazon, etc. We really lost
a sense of where we were. We were alone with Rafa and his friend on this peaceful small covered boat when all of a sudden Rafa’s friend spotted a family of wild white-faced monkeys in the trees. He started screaming, “VENGA, VENGA, VENGA!!!!” (come in Spanish). ALL OF A SUD­DEN MONKEYS WERE JUMPING ON THE BOAT!!! I must admit – even being the animal lover that I am – I was quite startled! I looked at Matt and a monkey was climbing on his head!! Rafa’s friend gave Matt some banana and Matt hand-fed the monkey. By then the whole family of monkeys (about 10 – 1 grandfather monkey, 1 baby monkey – and about 8 adult monkeys) were on the boat climbing on us! Keep in mind that these cute monkeys are wild and have HUGE fangs on top and bottom and we are hand feeding them. We were all having so much fun – a once in a lifetime experi­ence – except poor Kevin. There was NO way to have prepared him for this. He was screaming so loud, clutching me and sitting in my lap while the others fed and played with the monkeys!! One of the Monkeys was so interested in our still camera and our video camera. He actually played with the lens! They seemed very smart and curious. They loved the bananas and would play with us until after the bananas ran out – licking our fingers and our hands. I was getting concerned because the grandfa­ther monkey started focusing on Kevin and coming closer to us. I tried to stay calm. About that time Monty saw what was happening and starting walking towards us. (Sorry this sounds like a long story, but it all happened so fast and was such a precious moment!) While Kevin was crying in my lap, the grandfather monkey gently put his hand out and stroked Kevin’s cheek. I was speechless and in awe of God’s creation. Clearly, this grandfather had never heard a human baby crying, (even though Kevin is 13, animals seem to sense he is a baby). He (this grandfather monkey) wanted to comfort Kevin like he would comfort his monkey grandbaby!!! Again, words can’t describe! This family of monkeys prob­ably stayed with us for 30 minutes jumping from one shoulder or head to another – holding our hands or fingers to stabilize themselves. Clearly they felt safe because they knew Rafa’s friend who lived in a shack on the river and who fished this river – picked fresh fruit – and shared it with the monkeys. We will NEVER forget this blessing! As we continued our river journey we also saw birds, beautiful crabs, fish, a croc, and a small boa hanging from a tree.
Rafa then took us to “a friend’s” typical small open air café where we ate fresh empanadas. Even Kevin loved them. He ate 4 empanadas and then they fried some cheese for him – VERY different from ours – and he ate that too!! I was shocked!
We then went to another of Rafa’s friends to ride ATV’s around the city of JACO (pronounced Haco). We also rode up a mountain and to the beautiful beach where we saw the turtles last trip. Again, so beautiful!! We had such a good time! What a way to see the countryside. Kevin really enjoys the air against his face and really took in the view with us. Adventures are so much more fun when he can enjoy them with us! This was a long day full of unique adventures! We are exhausted but thankful for all the blessings of this day! Reality hits tomorrow – Kevin’s first appointment.

MONDAY, APRIL 14TH

Kevin’s 1st appointment is at 7:00. This is the blood compatibility test day. The last trip we had all of our treatments at a private clinic. This trip they changed us to the San Jose Hospital. That concerned me. I was even more concerned when they told us that he would be anesthetized and a shunt would be left in all week. That would mean NO BATHS AND NO SWIMMING!!! Anyone who knows
Kevin knows that he destresses in water!! I was franticly looking for Dr. Lara – Kevin’s doctor from the last trip. We found him at about 7:45 and he told the anesthesiologist that Kevin was his easiest patient and that we didn’t need the anesthesia or the shunt!! PRAISE THE LORD!! We are still go­ing to be treated in the hospital each day, but under Dr. Lara’s care! They drew 8viles of blood!!!! It was so much blood for a little boy! Kevin did not feel well afterwards, so he and I stayed in bed all day. Everyone else was tired too so we all “chilled”.
Rafa and his wife Xanea (pronounced Seyna) invited us to their home for dinner. She wanted to make us (especially Kevin) her empanadas and fried cheese. She also made beans and rice, chicken and steak. It was one the best meals we have ever eaten!! I’ve gotten ahead of myself. Rafa picked us up at the hotel at about 5:30 PM. We arrived in their home in Alajuela outside of San Jose. They made us feel so at home! Their older son Bryan is turning 3 years old and Byron (the baby we have been praying for who had major surgery on our first trip) is about 16 months. Rafa has been sharing with us their concern that Byron is still not walking. We have been trying to reassure him, but patience is a tough thing when the doctors don’t know whether Byron will ever walk. Matthew and Amy played with Bryan like they were old friends. Monty and I took turns holding Byron while Rafa and Xanea worked. We were starting to get the picture at this point – that this night was about serving our family. Matt, Amy, Monty and I sat in the chairs and Rafa and Xanea served us. Kevin ate on the couch as Xanea watched happily. Rafa had prepared her that Kevin is such a picky, self-restrictive eater and that he might not eat anything. He ate almost all of her empana­das. She got up and made him more. Then, when I didn’t think he could eat any more – she made him her version of fried cheese and he ate all of that! Xanea doesn’t speak any English, but her smile said it all. Rafa did a lot of translating! Now for the biggest blessing of the whole trip . . . while we were watching Bryan play, I put Byron down to see him “scoot” and all of a sudden HE STOOD UP AND TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS!!! We all started clapping and screaming and we scared him. He fell and started crying. Rafa scooped him up into his arms and everyone started kissing all over him. PRAISE THE LORD and what a privi­lege that He allowed us to be there for this little miracle! Thankfully, Monty already had the video camera going so we videoed his first steps! Again, words can’t express!

TUESDAY, APRIL 15TH

Kevin’s tests came back and we are good to go, so he will get his first infusion of cells today at 3:00. “Rafa has a friend” who has a small fishing boat about 3 hours from here on the Pacific Ocean, so we decided to get up early and fit in 1 more excursion before reality starts. We left our hotel at 5:00
AM! We fished and saw exquisite rocks and waves and mountains and different shades of blue and turquoise water! We saw Tortuga Island. We only caught 1 fish in 4 hours of fishing, but the boating was so much fun and was SO beautiful. Kevin had a smile the whole time!! We ate fresh fruit and enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery. Of course Matt was the only one who caught a fish. It was a Mahi Mahi about 3 feet long. It was colorful! Rafa’s friend filleted the fish on the boat and we took it to another one of Rafa’s friends who cooked it for Matt! Of course it was the best fish he has ever eaten!
We arrived at the hospital and had to wait 2 hours because the cells weren’t ready. They unfortunately put the catheter in Kevin’s hand before they knew the cells weren’t in the hospital, so we (I) stressed over keeping him still. He was SO good! I am so proud of him. We prayed for God’s presence and He was there. Once the cells arrived, the infusion went smoothly. We found out that this week’s infusions will be DOUBLE THE CELLS that he received the first time. We are so excited and even more hope­ful! Dr. Lara said the cells would start working as soon as they hit the blood stream. He said they would scatter throughout the body and enter the brain.
Back at the hotel, Kevin developed a horrible headache and then threw up twice. The cells are al­ready at work. It’s hard to see Kevin feeling so badly and still feel thankful that the cells are already working. We gave him medication and he went to sleep. Thankfully he slept through the night.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16TH

Rafa picked us up at 11:00 and took us to Kevin’s favorite lunch place. They made his favorite lunch and he ate it all . . . we are thankful because the cells reduce his appetite – at least they did last time. We strolled a mall and then went to Kevin’s appointment. Everything went smoothly – what a Praise!
Matthew went to Rafa’s house to spend the night. He had such a good time over there. Rafa is going to take Matt out for a special day tomorrow.

THURSDAY, APRIL 17TH

Rafa took Matt Jet Skiing, snorkeling, and surfing about 2 hours from San Jose near Jaco. They found that the Pacific Ocean has great waves. They had such a good time together.
We had a quiet day. A friend of Rafa’s picked us up at Noon. We walked around a couple of souvenir shops and then went to have lunch at the Melia Cariari where we stayed on our first trip. We had an emo­tional reunion with several friends from our last trip. They remembered us (Kevin) as soon as they saw us. Kevin was SO happy to be there and see his friends. He was all smiles. They remembered his favorite dish and made it for him and he ate it all! We then went to Kevin’s treatment at 3:00. They didn’t get the catheter in on the first try today. That was tough, but Kevin is a trooper! He was definitely “affected” by today’s treatment, so we went to the hotel to let him rest. He has never been able to communicate to us what hurts when he doesn’t feel well. But since the first treatment on Tuesday, he has been taking my hand and putting it on his head. The doctors are encouraged that the cells are working in his brain.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH

Kevin’s last treatment of Trip 2!! YEAH!!! We went to a new mall to walk around and destress. We then went to another of Rafa’s favorite open-air restaurants. It was another amazing meal! I know it sounds like all we do is eat, but the food is SO good here! Kevin was finally tired, so we went back to rest at the hotel. Rafa and Xanea invited us over for dinner and another meaningful evening at their home. We got to meet Xanea’s mother. We shared a lot tonight! We are so blessed that they are a part of our life!

SATURDAY, APRIL 19TH

Kevin needed to drive, so Rafa took us to yet a different area in another part of the rainforest and mountains. We had breakfast in a rustic log cabin. It was misting and cold outside! When we left the cabin, Rafa took us to visit a coffee plantation nearby. We didn’t stay long. We then happened upon THE best MOST relaxing adventure of the trip - a remote rustic restaurant surrounded by fishing ponds. A place where you can catch your own fish – have them weighed, cleaned, cooked and then EAT them! It doesn’t get more fresh than that! We caught 89 rainbow trout!!! Anyone who knows us knows how much Monty and I used to love to fish before we had kids. We have never been able to fish as a family, so this was a dream–come-true day for Monty and me. We have passed the torch – Matt and Amy are true fisherpeople!! Matt caught 26 fish weighing 19 pounds, and Amy caught 25 fish weighing 21 pounds. Between Monty and me – I caught the most and he caught the biggest. Kevin loved watching! What a perfect day. We ate 7 fish and sent the rest home with Rafa. His fam­ily will be eating fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks! We got back to our hotel smelling like fish, relaxed, full, happy and NOT ready to pack – but we did!

SUNDAY, APRIL 20TH

We said goodbye to Rafa and Costa Rica for the second time. It has become our home away from home, but we are looking forward to being home to watch Kevin’s progress!
WE HAVE ONLY BEEN HOME A FEW DAYS AND ARE ALREADY HEARING NEW BAB­BLING SOUNDS AND HIS EYES ARE NOTICIBLY CLEARER!! WE ARE SO ENCOURAGED! PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR GOD’S BLESSINGS IN KEVIN’S LIFE and for the means to travel for Kevin’s 3rd and final treatment in July. WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!
In His Love,
Monty, Kathy, Matt, Amy and Kevin Wooldridge

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