Familiar faces gathered around the plaza at the center of Silencio where the soccer match was about to begin. The opposing teams donned uniforms in preparation for the big game. After watching the first half of the Women’s World Cup last night at Don Trino’s house, our students were excited to begin the “mejegue” (common Tico lingo for pick-up game).

Yesterday, our maestro de obras, Luis, suggested a soccer game between his pick-up team from another small town in the area and a combination of our students and the Ticos of Silencio. Our students accepted the challenge and began preparing for the game, scouting out their newly-made friends from the daily soccer matches during free time. After a full day of painting, shoveling, laying concrete, visiting a local dairy farm, and teaching English, students mustered up their energy, strapped on their shoes, and headed towards the field. For most of the game, the teams went back and forth, and our students fought through rain, wind, and mud. As Austin and Luke protected our goal against some tough shots, Madigan, Izzy, and Amy moved the ball forward, allowing for several goals. On the defensive side, Kiara and Axel continually took the ball from the opponents. Stefan was a versatile player, adeptly covering all positions on the field. Meanwhile, Ava, Emi, Will and Sasha cheered on our team from the sidelines and played with the Tico children.

Throughout our time here, our students have become deeply involved with the people of SIlencio. From soccer games and playing with local children to dance lessons and connecting with our cooks, they have formed many powerful bonds. Certainly, the community has poured into us as well, sharing their time, energy, and love to make this a life-altering experience for our students. Hearing the local Ticos and Putney students cheer for their teammates in English and Spanish reflects the shared bond that has developed during our time in this supportive and caring community.