Testimonials:

Man….I am not sure where to start. I mean at first when I received the Project Overview I was not sure if they were sending the right guy to the right project; I mean I am a city boy and I don´t know much about farms other than “Old MacDonald had a Farm”; but Donald you and your family have opened up your home, your minds, your hearts and have made me feel like a part of the family, which was very important to me and made my job easier and I am forever appreciative of this.

Although I have only been here for six weeks I am very attached to both the community, the farm, but most of all I am most attached to you all. You always made me comfortable, welcomed, and at ease  considering La Gran Vista is far away and much different from Los Angeles, !!!!! I have always felt at home!!!!!  And I know that I will always have a home here.

I am sad that I am leaving the farm and all of you because I could not imagine a better way to end time here in Costa Rica. So as I move on not only to my next project but to the next chapter in my life, my time here has formed a tattoo in both my heart and my mind. I promise I will definitely return and I will most definitely keep in touch and specifically to Xinia, you are an amazing woman and a person with a bright smile and even brighter heart. Thank you sooooo much for everything, it has all meant so much to me. To Larry, thanks for being both a good friend and brother I really appreciate it…To you Donald what can I say “ look at this Guy “ you had been a mentor, a companion a good friend, a brother and a father all at once, you have no idea how much it has meant to me. To all of you, stay the way you are and I wish you all many blessings…Take care until next time. Peace
Aaron Byrd

Aaron Byrd
abyrd@ucla.edu   or    abyrd18@hotmail.com

I have enjoyed my time here so much; it’s hard to find new words to describe my experience. I really value the opportunity I had to volunteer and become a member of this project.

From the first time I read the project description I knew it would be an amazing experience. The appreciation you have for the natural environment is spectacular and I feel I have learned so much about how to take care of the place I live. Donald places so much emphasis on our purpose here, the work we do and even if we grow tired I know that it`s all worth it. I don’t want to shower compliments to such an extreme that it becomes pure flattery, but I really did have an absolutely incredible time.

You do a great work here and I plan to visit again. I have grown so attached to this place in the past two weeks.

Kelly Cefallu
kelly_cef@hotmail.com

During the past two weeks, I have learned a lot about myself and how far I can actually push myself. We accomplished more physically challenging projects than I could have ever imagined. I do believe that future participants should be forewarned that the Project requires difficult, strenuous, laborious work. I sweated more on every body part than I thought was humanly possible. Overall it was a great experience. Volunteering at La Gran Vista was an unforgettable life experience to me.

Valerie Laws
luckystar332@hotmail.com

I really don’t know what to say, I have no words. My experience at La Gran Vista was like none I have ever had before “absolutely indescribable”. Not only did I get the chance to see and live in one of the most beautiful places in the word, but I got to make a real tangible contribution to the preservation of the land. I gained a new amazing family, did some of the hardest most fulfilling  work I have ever done and discovered a part of myself I never knew existed. I can’t wait to see this place in the future.  !!!! What a Gift!!!!

Tarynh Donnellan
jyoti624@hotmail.com

You have made my stay in Costa Rica life changing; the hospitality that you and your family showed me was awesome. Working on the farm and talking to you and the boys taught me so much. Your house is like a Palace, I really felt at home. As long as you keep things the same you will never stop helping the word one volunteer at a time, I will never forget you and your family. I will be back

Thomas Lara
maso37@hotmail.com

Working at La Gran Vista is truly a learning experience. It is a very god way to get immersed in a culture so completely different than our own. The Finca teaches you to be less wasteful with natural resources. The Family is very gracious for taking so many volunteers into their home. I believe that it was and will continue to be a life changing experience for many..

Rhea Stilgebouer
rhea.stilgebouer@uconn.edu

Coming to Costa Rica to work at La Gran Vista has been a rewarding experience. The project uses so many progressive agricultural practices that I felt incredibly privileged to be a part of. The family is great and every morning you wake up to the most incredible view. The people I met as a part of this program have become great friends and the family could not have been more welcoming. I felt like I was contributing to saving the environment just by helping Donald and the family. Donald is very informative in terms of ecosystems, agricultural techniques and he has a flair for explaining how everything in the environment is connected and how his Project is an example of Integral Farming.
            
Jennifer Grosbong
rainbow7brite@hotmail.com

This has been a truly amazing experience for me. I’d really like to thank both Donald and Xinia for your amazing hospitality and generosity. You have taught me so much, not only about sustainable farming and being environmentally conscious, but you have been an amazing role model to me. You have shown me that I am capable of so much more than I could ever imagine and you have really inspired me to seek out what I can change back home.
You have made me feel very welcome in your family, providing me with guidance and constant care. I will miss this place and you guys very much, I will certainly keep in touch. This has been a life changing experience for me! Love your new Daughter…….!

Laura Wise
curlymoo18@yahoo.com

My name is Ed Cripps and I'm a Modern Languages student in my third year at Oxford. Between January and April 2006, as part of my GAP Year, I spent three months living with Donald Villalobos and his family at La Gran Vista in Costa Rica (this was the longest a volunteer had ever stayed at La Gran Vista). I worked mainly as an English teacher at the local primary school, but occasionally helped out on the farm as well. Donald sent me a message yesterday asking if I might tell you about the time I spent at La Gran Vista.
 
It was, quite simply, one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. Donald is the perfect host - generous, thoughtful and witty. He is a very intelligent and sensitive man who manages to strike a lovely balance between stimulating, constructive work and a sense of humor and fun. His sons Max, Larry and Terry, who help Donald on the farm, are just the same and became great friends of mine during my stay. Whilst I stayed there for three months, fellow English volunteers from my company (World Challenge) spent one month stints at La Gran Vista helping out on the farm, and I know that they all loved it (I can put you in touch with them, if needs be). Larger volunteer groups would often visit from the US or Australia, and Donald was just as adept at making them feel welcome.
 
The accommodation at the Gran Vista, four wooden dorms of four beds with more on the way, is extremely good. Moreover Donald's lovely wife, Xinia, complements Donald's very best qualities, is a superb cook and encourages volunteers to learn Costa Rican recipes in the kitchen (her rice and frijoles are still the best I've ever tasted). One of the best things about life at La Gran Vista is that it caters to all levels of Spanish. Having done Spanish as Level and looking to do Spanish at Unique, I was delighted to be able to speak Spanish all day, every day, particularly with Xinia who speaks no English. But Donald and Larry speak particularly good English, and were just as comfortable and encouraging with those who spoke little to no Spanish.
 
All in all, I couldn't have imagined a more constructive, edifying and downright enjoyable way to spend three months on my GAP Year, linguistically, professionally and personally.

Ed Crips

ed.cripps@trinity.ox.ac.uk