Blogging, Andrew, Janet, Kayla and Ryan

From: Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody,

Our 6th day on the build site was very eventful, we managed to add another 4 layers of block making the wall about seven feet tall. As everybody else will probably fill you in on our day I would like to focus on the resourceful Salvadorian nature. Often in Canada once something has been used or we don’t need it anymore we put it to the curb and we never worry about it again, or when we need something we just go to the store… but not in El Salvador!!! For instance today when we were at the build site we saw a car drive down the dirt road with a piece of bamboo as the tailpipe.. . you would never see that in Canada. On Monday we were mixing concrete and one of the shovel handles broke, so the mason sent one of the children out into the bush with a machete to make a new one… in Canada we would just run to the local Canadian Tire or Home Depot to get a new one or in Canada we have nice tools to do the mortar jointing between bricks where in El Salvador they just us an old piece of bent up re-bar. These are just a few of the countless examples of resourceful Salvadoran nature that I have seen over the past week!!!

Chow, Andres (Andrew)


P.S. The weekend resort was so nice… it was beautiful to just lay in the pool even though it felt weird because were on a mission to help people.


From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
For the weekend, we went to a resort. It was an awesome place! I had a really good time. Going to that resort made me realise some things that I wouldn´t have thought of if we didn´t go. What I learned from the weekend will help me better appreciate what I have. I know that this trip is helping me grow to become a better person. I´m going to take home lots of knowledge and understanding
Family and Friends: Tomorrow is the closing ceremony already. I am so excited to share my experience with all of you! See you soon!
Love you xx
Janet

From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
We had a relaxing weekend at Rancho Estero y Mar, but the relaxation also gave me time to think, and my emotions were very stirred. Literally, neighbours next to our beautiful resort were in grass huts and shacks. All around us, the need and poverty was in such great existence, yet we were overlooking it while being served lunch on a patio above the beach. I didn't understand. Should I feel guilty? Angry? Sad? Grateful? My feeling continually changed between each emotion until I was just as confused as when I started. The contrast between our gated paradise and the real Salvadorean living was insane. Realising this has made me more appreciative of what I am doing, but also more aware of what is going on around me.
Sadly, on another note, the weekend has come to an end, and it's really starting to hit me that this trip is nearing its close. So far, I've taken away so much from this trip. It kind of makes me feel selfish...we came down here to help those in need, yet they have helped me and given to me more then I could ever give them.

Over the next 2 days, I know our new friends are going to teach me even more. I'm not even close to being ready to come home. I miss everyone so much, but I wish I could stay longer.

See you soon!
Love you!
Kayla

From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
So...how do I say what I am feeling right now. I do not think it is possible to fully put it into words, but I will give it a shot. This weekend opened my eyes. I've been to a resort before, and on the beach, but this time it proved to me how much I really have changed. Normally the trip to the resort is full of sleeping and anxious waiting for the beach. This time I could not possibly take my eyes off of my surroundings. I felt an enormous amount of guilt, to the point that I had a knot in my stomach. I realise now how much I have taken for granted and how I will never again be the same person. Last night we all had our usual nightly gathering, and we talked about our impressions of what we have seen, and how it has affected us. I was one of the first to go, but as we went around the circle, new thoughts were constantly pouring into my head. Someone talked about boys that they saw selling jewelry outside the resort, who must have been between 8 and 10. They felt bad for buying it because it meant that they accepted the fact that the kids lived that way, and we were tourists taking advantage of their situation. On the other hand, if we didn't buy it, they would likely not eat that night. The analogy that popped into my head immediately, was someone trying to fix leak in a dam. They take what that have right with them, a piece of gum, and hold it over the leak while they search for concrete to fix it permanently. Buying the jewelry is like using the gum. It gets the job done for a little while, but in the end we need to find a permanant solution to the problem. We also talked about happiness, and how we may judge success by possessions, but in terms of happiness, the people we have seen far exceed us. I, again, was brought to something I have seen before. My little brother has a t-shirt that says "I would like a chance to prove that money doesn´t buy happiness". Well little bro, I have found the proof that you need. I have one last thing I have to say, Í'm sorry to everyone about how long this is, but it's my attempt to share what I am feeling. We talked about how if we left here without taking back anything that changes us, we will have lost a lot. One of the most important things I have gotten from here, are 18 relationships that I never would have had before. If we leave here, and forget about each other and go back to our 19 different lives, we will have lost people that have been so very important to each of us. I would like to think that at least the 11 students will remain in contact and stay friends, but only time will tell.
Until tomorrow, Mom, Dad, Evan, and everyone else I love, I miss you all so much, and I will see you in 3 days!
Love, Ryan