I spent three weeks of my five week Costa Rican vacation living with the Mata family, a family that has housed several Malaspina students while they worked on the university’s Heart of Gold Program. This is a program based in a small town called Santa Maria de Dota that has students helping a group of organic coffee farmers develop a home stay type tourist business.

There are several Hidden Heroes in the Mata family, but today I want to write about Myella, the family’s mom.

Myella and her sister were raised by a single mother and eventually a step father with whom they did not get along. Enough said. When she was just 13, Myella left home and moved from the countryside to San Jose to work as a maid.

While in San Jose, she met Daniel who she eventually married but not before she accepted an offer to move to the United States to work as a maid for an American woman. That’s where she learned a little English. Ten months later, Daniel realized what he was missing and proposed. Myella returned home.

Five children later, they decided to sell their small house to get enough money for Daniel to move to the United States to find work.

For the next three years, Myella stretched every penny so she could provide for her family. In fact she somehow saved enough money to put a small down payment on a home that was owned by her uncle. After Daniel came home, they added a few additions including a separate cabin where guests can stay.

I think the best way to recognize Myella is to tell you about here children. Danielle, her oldest, is a banker who lives in a room attached to the guest cabin. With his first few pay cheques, he bought an adjacent piece of land so Myella and Daniel could grow a garden. Now they make their living growing and selling green peppers and other vegetables door to door.

Myella also started selling her tamales door to door several years ago so she could pay the necessary expenses to get their youngest son, Alonzo, through school. He’s now working for an electric company and in his final year studying to become an electrical engineer.

Christian the other son works in a bank and is taking a marketing program. The girls are also doing well. Carolina is married and studying to become a nutritionist. Sharron has just finished high school. She has her sights set on becoming a flight attendant. And Gingerlyn is just 12 years old and in school.

If you think you might enjoy a home stay with the Matas email me at bill@ourhiddenheroes.org. There are also a few things you should know before you go.

First you won’t find a lot of English spoken in Santa Maria de Dota. Myella speaks enough English to get by. There’s an American couple who have rented a house in the valley (we spoke to them twice) and you may meet a Costa Rican woman who spent most of her life in the United States and then retired in the valley. That’s it for English.

Second you’ll meet and live with a Five Star family but don’t expect Five Star accommodation. It’s very clean and well cared for but basic according to North American Standards.

When we were leaving the family gathered with us in a huge group hug and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. There’s no doubt we are family and those three weeks were one of the most rewarding holidays I have ever had thanks in large part to Myella.