PRELUDE: SUMMER OF 1991 – COSTA RICA AND THE CALLING BEYOND
A Dramatic Biographical Retelling
I. ARRIVAL IN SAN JOSÉ AND DISASTER RELIEF
Summer 1991 began with urgency, purpose, and unpredictability. A massive earthquake had struck Costa Rica, leaving roads destroyed, bridges out, and homes toppled from their foundations. CK — young, full of faith, energy, and curiosity — arrived in San José ready to serve, joining a team from the Christian Reformed World Relief Commission (CRWRC).
He stayed with the Post family, Tom and Melva, and their children David, Rachel, and Mirtha (adopted from Belize). Tom Post was the director of Christian Reformed World Missions, a figure of calm competence and global perspective. Their home, a sanctuary of hospitality, welcomed CK with open arms. It was a comfortable, lively household, filled with warmth, laughter, and the smells of tropical cooking. CK appreciated their generosity, but he knew the work ahead would require focus, energy, and sometimes a detachment from comfort.
For several weeks, CK worked in the earthquake-struck areas. Villages were flattened; mud and debris lined streets; homes built on stilts for flood season were destroyed. He conducted needs assessments, distributed supplies, and provided presence and prayer for affected families. Children and parents alike clung to whatever hope they could find — and CK, a stranger in their land, became a steady figure in a chaotic environment.
The work was grueling and unpredictable, yet profoundly grounding. CK experienced firsthand the intersection of faith, service, and resilience, and he felt a sense of purpose that would carry him far beyond Costa Rica.
II. BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH THE PAST
While in San José, CK unexpectedly encountered a figure from his past: Barb Wiersma, his former girlfriend from Grand Rapids. Years earlier, their relationship had ended abruptly when Barb insisted on immediate marriage; when CK didn’t propose on the spot, she had disappeared without explanation. He had spent months wondering what had happened, struggling with the absence of closure.
Their reunion in San José was awkward, brief, and emotionally charged. Barb was stone cold, unresponsive, and clearly moved on. CK observed that she would eventually marry a Costa Rican man and later settle in Kalispell, Montana. There was no bitterness in him, only quiet reflection. He understood that some things were beyond his control, and that relationships — like life itself — sometimes unfolded in ways he could neither anticipate nor dictate.
This brief encounter was a subtle reminder that life’s path was unpredictable. Closure came in seeing, finally, what had become of a story that had long lingered in his mind.
III. DISCOVERING DRAKE BAY WILDERNESS CAMP
After about a month in San José, CK felt the stirrings of a new adventure. A teacher was needed at the Drake Bay Wilderness Camp, deep in the Corcovado region. The camp was remote: access was limited to boat, horse, or foot, and the rainy season made travel even more difficult. Roads and infrastructure were minimal, emphasizing the wildness of the region.
The camp was owned by Herbert and Melanie Merchant. Herbert, originally from Wisconsin, had met and married Melanie, a native Costa Rican, and together they had built a thriving eco-tourism camp. Herbert managed operations; Melanie oversaw cooking and logistics. Their two children, Brian (2nd grade) and Adrian (3rd grade), needed a teacher after their previous instructor abruptly abandoned the post — a common reality in such a remote and challenging environment.
CK’s decision was immediate. He accepted the job, ready to teach, explore, and immerse himself in a new, vibrant world. The distance from San José to Corcovado was immense — not a commute, but a true relocation, separating him from the Posts and San José life for months. It was a leap into adventure, responsibility, and independence.
IV. TEACHING IN THE HEART OF THE RAINFOREST
Drake Bay offered CK a classroom like no other. With limited resources, he improvised lessons for Brian and Adrian, blending traditional English, reading, and arithmetic with nature-based learning. Counting flowers, reading aloud on the veranda with the ocean in view, or measuring tree heights became educational exercises.
Each day brought new challenges: unpredictable weather, restless children, and a lack of standard supplies. Yet it was also exhilarating. CK learned to adapt, improvise, and engage in ways that no conventional classroom could have taught. He discovered the joy of teaching — not just imparting knowledge, but mentoring, inspiring curiosity, and helping children navigate the rhythms of life in a unique environment.
V. ADVENTURE AND COMMUNITY
Life at the camp was more than teaching. CK occasionally assisted tourists with hiking, snorkeling, and guided explorations of the Corcovado National Park. The rainforest was alive — monkeys calling, birds soaring overhead, waterfalls cascading, and dense foliage stretching endlessly. Even mundane tasks carried a sense of rhythm and purpose, blending work, discovery, and joy.
The freedom and responsibility were intoxicating. CK reveled in the balance of duty and delight, teaching in the mornings, exploring in the afternoons, and reflecting in the evenings. The camp’s unique setting allowed him to connect deeply with nature, the children, and his own sense of vocation.
VI. A COSMIC MOMENT: TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
The summer reached a pinnacle when a total solar eclipse swept across Costa Rica. Daylight dimmed to twilight, and fireflies lit up the rainforest in a display of luminescence. Birds fell silent; the children, tourists, and CK watched in awe.
It was a moment of cosmic wonder and humility, a reminder of the vastness of creation and CK’s place within it. The rainforest seemed to pulse with life and mystery. The eclipse symbolized the extraordinary in the ordinary, and CK felt a quiet affirmation that his journey — from Michigan, through disaster relief, to teaching in the rainforest — was part of a larger calling.
VII. LESSONS LEARNED AND FOUNDATIONS BUILT
Summer 1991 was formative in countless ways:
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Service and presence: disaster relief and teaching required patience, empathy, and adaptability.
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Independence: relocating to a remote area and assuming responsibility for children taught self-reliance.
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Connection to nature: the rainforest and ocean offered lessons in humility, rhythm, and wonder.
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Resilience and faith: navigating unpredictability strengthened spiritual and emotional stamina.
CK also experienced human complexities — brief encounters with the past, the joys and challenges of communal living with the Posts, and the exhilaration of immersion in a radically different cultural and environmental setting.
VIII. GOODBYE TO SAN JOSÉ AND THE POSTS
When the summer ended, CK said goodbye to the Posts, aware that he would not see them again for several years. They would eventually relocate to Belize, where CK would later visit them, but for now, the time in San José had drawn to a natural close.
This departure was bittersweet. CK had grown, learned, and deepened his faith, but he was ready for the next stage: returning to Calvin College for the English and teaching program, a move that would lay the foundation for his professional and spiritual future.
IX. REFLECTION AND THE PATH FORWARD
Looking back on that summer, CK recognized a convergence of preparation, adventure, and calling. The earthquake relief work had shown him service under pressure. The Posts had offered hospitality, mentorship, and community. Teaching in Corcovado had tested his creativity, patience, and courage. The rainforest, the ocean, and the solar eclipse had opened his mind and heart to wonder.
By the end of the summer, he understood that life’s lessons often arrive in the most unexpected places. He had walked into destruction and chaos, wilderness and beauty, uncertainty and growth — and emerged ready to embark on the structured journey of his English/Teaching program.
Costa Rica had prepared him for what lay ahead: discipline, empathy, adventure, and faith, all essential ingredients for the challenges and triumphs that awaited him in the coming years.
