GRAND HAVEN, Mich., — John Mauro and Amber Kasic call it an “early honeymoon”. The couple recently returned from spending nearly three weeks in Costa Rica, working with survivors of human trafficking.
“We both knew that we wanted service to be a part of our honeymoon,” explained Mauro.
The pair of high school teachers said they wanted to make the trip before the start of the school year and tying the knot in September. They spent their time volunteering with the non-profit “Salvando Corazones”.
“Their mission is to build safe houses in Costa Rica, to provide rehabilitation and education for girls between 10-18 that have been victims, or survivors of trafficking,” Kasic told FOX 17 News. “We’d love to bring awareness to this issue, so that we can give these girls a hand, a fighting chance at a new life.”
The couple even brought along some donated computers from Grand Rapids to gift to the program. Even though both have traveled the world for several other volunteer trips, they say this trip was different.
“Lots of moments of brightness, playing hide and seek with the girls, playing games with them, making bracelets with them, they still have a lot of hope,” said Kasic. “There’s always a sense of fulfillment and giving back and using our personal gifts to make a difference.”
The pair says they are exploring the idea of possibly adopting one of the girls they met on the trip. Both say they would like to return to Costa Rica soon.
For more information on Salvando Corazones, click here.