Send Johel to Canada

Hi everyone from Costa Rica! This GoFundMe is set up to give an opportunity to someone you all met in Costa Rica- Johel- your surf instructor at Mojo Surf Adventures. You all got an opprtunity to seond a couple hours with him as he taught you how to surf and hopefully got an opportuntiy to see what an amazing person he is!
Johel is an incredible Costa Rican who has had a hard life and Mj and I have been fortunate enough to know Johel very well and working on giving him  the life he deserves. Being a tico here is very hard and being successful is even harder. From the time his mother died when he was 12 and his father leaving him right after, he had to go to work and raise himself while making sure he graduated from high school.  Imagine having to scale 200 fish every morning at 5 am then going to school smelling like fish and being bullied or having to come home after school and clean houses and hotel rooms for $1 an hour-  all at 12 years of age just so you could eat rice and beans and have a roof over your head.
Johel has come a long way in the past 21 months. He works extemely hard, always offers to help, saved money for 8 months to buy his first new surfboard and cried when he picked it up as it cost him $500.
He saved some more money after that and we helped him (loan) to buy an ATV so that he could get around and have more independence.
Johel had never had a birthday party or even a birthday cake his whole life so this year we had one for his 23rd birthday and he was overwhelmed by the people that came to our house to celebrate with him.
Now we are helping put a plan together with him for his future to have a house, a steady income and his own company.
Those that meet him love his smile, personality and genuineness. He is truly amazing!
Now the GOFUNDME part. We were hoping this year to give Johel the experience of leaving Costa Rica and seeing a bit of ours and your world- the USA and Canada durng rain season here in Costa Rica this fall.
Our original plan was to do a couple stops in the USA before heading north to Canada but circumstances in the USA means he cannot get a Visa as all ticos are getting rejected. That being said we are going to take him to Toronto, Canada at the end of October and early  Novemebr for a visit.  We have places for him to stay as we have already had countless offers however there will be airline tickets and clothes (lol- remember all he owns is board shorts, a few tanks and t's and 1 pair of sandals). Toronto that time of year is cold with average day highs and lows being 50F and 40F (10C and 5C). Our goal is to raise at least $2,500 to accomplish all that which will include attractions and museums etc in additon to flight and clothes.
He is dying to see snow and snowboard once and although there will be no snow in Torornto, in Western Canada there should be snow and we would love to fly him there so he can live that dream. We have tried explaining to him how cold it will be as the coldest he has ever seen is 58F (16C). The other day we were in the grocery store and the AC was cranked up so it was really cold- he asked if this is what cold is going to be like in Canada lol. Hopefully we can raise more than $2,500 so that he can live that dream of seeign snow and being able to snowboard.
We are starting the GOFUNDME right now as with any luck he will be heading to Canada within 8 weeks.
This is all our opportunity to give a little something to a spectacular person who wants to live a dream and experience a bit of the life of all of you have, who have come to visit Costa Rica and told him stories about your lives in the USA and Canada.
Mj and I would be so grateful if you could all contribute whatever you can...be it $5, $50 or more to see the look of amazement and joy on his face! for all those that donate we will be setting up a Fcaebook page and send the link so that you can follow his journey along with him.
Lastly, any money left will be put to our Christmas fund here. Last year we got donations (money and gifts) and we contributed $250 and we ended up giving over 40 Chritmas presents to local children who literally have nothing and get nothing for Christmas- it was a humbling experience to say the least!
Thanks again and please doante whatever you can and God Bless!!!!