Operation Elevation Return to Costa Rica

Dimyas Perdue is a Marine who retired in 2022 after 22 years of service.  He began his career in the Marine Corps as a Transmission System Operator and deployed to Iraq for the invasion.  It was a harrowing experience, his unit losing 18 Marines in the Battle of Nasiriyah – and in his first firefight, he was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with “V” device for valor.  Later, he served as a recruiter and then as an instructor at the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence where he developed the new Military Occupational Specialty of Force Fitness.  But God had gifted him in many ways, and he wanted to expand his service beyond the military.  He waited until he confirmed his selection for Sergeant Major, but the call was too great and he retired before being promoted.  His call was to help his fellow man in managing emotions.

Today, Dimyas is a transformational speaker on emotional intelligence.  He is hired by corporations to give his expertise around the world.  He is the author of Elevation Requires Change, an inspiring book designed to lift people out of their everyday ruts and challenge them into greatness. 

Dimyas attended a Freedom Alliance event in 2024 and asked if he could donate his gifts to Freedom Alliance in the form of a retreat.  In 2025, we hosted our first Operation Elevation retreat at Los Sueños resort in Costa Rica for six veterans.  This year, Freedom Alliance hosted Dimyas and a group of seven veterans for another retreat.

In the group were two active-duty Navy sailors from a small community in Naval Special Warfare, an Air Force veteran, and four Marines.  Their experiences and jobs in the military were all very different, but cohesion was built immediately, as all brought the mindset for self-improvement – some doing it for themselves and others motivated by a desire to improve family situations.

Throughout the week Dimyas held sessions in Los Sueños Resort’s Lanterna restaurant, a donated space where we could gather to hear the lessons on managing emotional responses of ourselves and others to affect a positive outcome.  These are subjects many of us need, but never learn about – especially veterans.  Having solid strategies for knowing the signs when we become emotionally hijacked, while having a grasp of the tools and strategies to manage them is an invaluable skill set. 

The week was made possible by a community of support.  Helping us with the financial cost was a gift from Patricia & Don Altorfer.  The men stayed in four condos, generously donated by these supporters: Bob & Alicia Hagadorn, Gerald & Virginia Lindholm, Ed & Patty, and David & Judy Simon.  The resort gave us big discounts on each meal at one of their fine-cuisine restaurants, with each server treating us like VIPs.  Our friends at Montecristo Golf Cart Rentals donated four golf carts for the group. 

Their first taste of Costa Rica was a trip to Parrita for a hike.  Mick, the owner of Rainmaker Conservation Park, donated the entry costs saying, “You can always count on us to help the vets.”  Rainmaker is a private park with well-maintained trails that immerse visitors into the rainforest with suspension bridges and a series of swimming holes and waterfalls.  About 5 minutes into the hike, we spotted white-faced monkeys in the branches above us.  The men enjoyed the water features, cooling off and splashing around.  We spotted several types of lizards and amphibians, including the poison-dart frog.  It was a great way to start the retreat.

The next day was dedicated to community service.  Partnering with A REEL DIFFERENCE, a local chartitable feeding program, the group gathered bags of rice and groceries to deliver to 40 families living in an impoverished area.  The bags were donated by the charity, the expenses covered by Mr. Rusty Polley, who gives monthly to their efforts.  Ben & Julie Ferguson volunteered use of their truck for the goodies, and Jordanna Ailor helped translate and coordinate the community drop-off.  The smiles and kindness shown by those receiving the food bags was contagious and our group helped each recipient carry the heavy bags to their homes.  For Americans who take for granted their living conditions, it gave them a sense of wonder at the joy seen on those with so little. 

After the food distribution, we traveled to Finca de Esperanza, a discipleship program founded by Horizon Church that helps men with addiction and substance abuse obstacles.  The focus is on becoming followers of Jesus and the outcome is sobriety.  While visiting the over 40 men enrolled in the program, one of our veterans gave his testimony – sharing his own battle with alcohol abuse.  Then a graduate of the program told his story of living on the streets until finding the program. 

On Thursday, we were picked up at the resort for some more Costa Rica adventure: Jose’s Crocodile River Boat Tour.  The tour includes a boat ride on the Tarcoles River, which has many species of birds (frigates, black hawks, storks, herons, and more) and lizards (iguanas and basilisk lizards) hanging around the shorelines.  But what makes this a must-see excursion is the creature that infests this section of the river – the American crocodile!  Jose gave us facts and figures along the way, bolstered by witty jokes and puns, making the learning fun.  When they spotted a crocodile, the boat driver would beach the boat, get out, and lure the crocs out of the water with raw chicken – an unnerving but adrenaline-inducing sight!

Their final day was spent riding in the countryside on ATVs.  The nearly 80-kilometer circuit took us through small villages, fording streams, and back roads to end up at a beautiful cascading waterfall where the men got in the water to cool and wash off the dust.  We stopped at El Tigre restaurant which overlooks a valley and the ocean can be seen in the distance. 

By the end of the retreat, the men were encouraged, had new tools to bring into home and work relationships, and filled to the brim with positive memories.  The friendships made over the week, together with a new group chat, will keep them engaged as we share our journey in applying the lessons Dimyas gave us (The group chat from last year continues to this day). 

And the message of support from those who supported the event didn’t go unnoticed.  One Marine shared just 24 hours after returning home, “I’ve never experienced something like this…where I come home feeling a fire inside me that didn’t shut off the minute I walked through my front door.”  He continued by making a commitment and oath to living better, saying, “I don’t think I could have done this [committing to live better] today without the help of what Freedom Alliance and Operation Elevation did for me, and what my brothers did with me this week – I want to thank the organization, everyone involved, the donors who made this possible…Semper Fidelis”