DSBNi 2010 - Vietnam now has its own blog. There is a new team of inspiring DSBN students from 13 schools who will be building a home in Vietnam this July. So if you are curious about what DSBNi is working on in 2010, be sure to visit http://dsbni2010-vietnam.blogspot.com/ where you can stay up to date with the new project.
Making A Difference!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thank-you!
Hello all!
I am still reeling from last night's presentation at the Board Meeting! What a fantastic display of your hard work and compassion! It was so wonderful to see all of you again and to relive our amazing adventure together in El Salvador.
I wanted to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of all of you and what a privilege it was to share this experience with you. You are all incredibe young people and I have no doubt that you will "pay it forward" in your roles as DSBNi Ambassadors.
Thank you to all of the parents who were just as much a part of this trip as we were. Your love and support was felt throughout our time away from home and I have no doubt that the bonds that you share with your children have been strengthened as a result of the freedom, confidence, and encouragement that you have instilled in your children both before and after this adventure.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. I will look forward to hearing about all of the wonderful things that you accomplish in the future.
Kim
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
It was an experience of a life time!!!
Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible. The trip opened my eyes to the whole entire world, unlike those commercials we see about whats wrong with the world and those little kids you see on T.V, this trip really brought you there, and put you right in front of everything. El Salvador isn't a bad country - - it just has its problems like every other country. The team, the leaders, the family, were phenomenal! The best part of the whole trip was the ending ceremony for me, because you could see all the work pay off. One of my favorite parts of the trip was just driving around, whether it was on the way to the work site, or on the way to the mountains, we got to see a lot of the country and how they do things, and believe me, it's alot different from here. I absolutely love how the team came together, from sitting in a room first day, to hanging outside of DSBNi and having all these great friendships. It was just a few days ago that I needed a ride home from work, and I was a bit stranded that night for a ride, and it was nice to know that there was a friend there to call to help me. That is just an example how close our team has come together. I want to do millions more of these trips. I don't think any future event like this will be as good as this one. Let's hope we can all do one of these trips together again, if not most of us. I will never forget any of you and the leaders.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
19 People, 12 Days, 1 Country.. The experience of a lifetime.
Exactly one week ago, I was waking up for the first time in 12 days in my own bed at home. Normally after a vacation, people cannot wait to be home to sleep in their own bed. However, I felt the complete opposite. I missed my single bed in small room of Centro de Formacion. I missed my two roomates, and I missed waking up to a warm breakfast in 30 degree weather with my DSBNi team.
Everyday, I think about El Salvador. I think about Jose, Oka, Noel, Freddie, Rosa and everyone else that became a new friend. Everytime I go to get a drink of water, I remember the women carrying waterjugs on their head, travelling back and forth from the dirty riverside. Each time I have a hot shower, I think about waking up to the cold showers we had while we were down there.. and I turn the temperature down a little bit. Every conversation or simple hello I have with one of the DSBNi members, I recall what they taught me, and how they helped me.
I know it's been mentioned before -- the selfish feeling we all get because of what we have taken out of this experience. But that's because it's completely true. Setting out to "change the world, one act of kindness at a time" was our goal. We were going to build a house in a poor country, and help the poor people... No. That's not what we did. We learned about these people we labelled "poor" and "unfortunate", and are now able to give them names. They are not poor, they are hardworking, and proud of what they have. Unfortunate? Not at all. There were constantly smiles plastered on the faces of every Salvadorian we walked past. I respect each and everyone of them with all that I have, and I miss them so much.
Jose, Oka, Carlos, Frankie, Elias, Noel and Marciella: They taught me to just let loose, have fun.. play a game of "Mika", the popular game of tag, with your best friends. They showed me that despite the language barrier, we could be connected. After 6 Days of simply playing games with these kids, we were the best of friends. As we were leaving the buildsite for the last time, we shared our tears with them. I didn't think they'd care we were leaving.. or understand we weren't coming back. Seeing these kids cry made me feel as though I was a part of their life, and in turn they became a part of mine -- and will never be leaving my heart.
Carlos and Alberto, our masonry help on the worksite: These men taught me about hardwork, which I was not prepared for. Non-stop, these men would build, teach, laugh and interact with us. We all had a common goal: To build a house. They just helped us reach our goal by showing us a work ethic that is not commonly seen here in North America.
Rosa, Erica, Patty and all Habitat and GV members: Seeing how happy, and how passionate these people were about there job helped me realize something about my future. Whatever you do in life, you must be happy doing it. Money doesn't matter.. and it can't buy happiness. Each of these workers were giving there lives to help other people, and inspiring others to do so at the same time.
Cruz-Ortiz Family: Showed me family value. Mrs. Cruz-Ortiz was always looking out for her family, and making sure they were looking out for each other. She took care of 10 kids, and it was evident she loved each of them with all of her heart. I loved seeing how close the brothers and sisters were with each other, and also how the family opened their home for neighbourly visits. All of this together made it impossible to not see the love and closeness of Salvadorian life, and how important it is to keep you happy.
DSBNi students: You have all changed my life. Each and everyone of you have taught me something about myself. The bonds we have created-- although they may not have been extremely evident at first-- are so very strong. I loved meeting all these new people, learning about you was so interesting. But the way we were all able to care so greatly for each other was amazing. We went into this as strangers and came out as family. Thank you so much for being there, doing such a wonderful thing, and giving me 10 others to love and trust for the rest of my life.
DSBNi leaders: You made this happen, and I can't thank you enough for that. Each and every leader on this trip became one of my friends, that I respect and am inspired by. I'd also like to say that I greatly appreciate the trust you had for us, and the respect you gave us. You changed 11 teenagers lives.
The blog could go on forever. But scrolling up, I realized I've already written quite a lot of scattered thoughts. Everything is still so confusing to me, and it's hard to write it all down. One thing I do know however, is that this trip changed my life.
Adios from my last blog post..
Kayla Kuyvenhoven
Grimsby Secondary School
Everyday, I think about El Salvador. I think about Jose, Oka, Noel, Freddie, Rosa and everyone else that became a new friend. Everytime I go to get a drink of water, I remember the women carrying waterjugs on their head, travelling back and forth from the dirty riverside. Each time I have a hot shower, I think about waking up to the cold showers we had while we were down there.. and I turn the temperature down a little bit. Every conversation or simple hello I have with one of the DSBNi members, I recall what they taught me, and how they helped me.
I know it's been mentioned before -- the selfish feeling we all get because of what we have taken out of this experience. But that's because it's completely true. Setting out to "change the world, one act of kindness at a time" was our goal. We were going to build a house in a poor country, and help the poor people... No. That's not what we did. We learned about these people we labelled "poor" and "unfortunate", and are now able to give them names. They are not poor, they are hardworking, and proud of what they have. Unfortunate? Not at all. There were constantly smiles plastered on the faces of every Salvadorian we walked past. I respect each and everyone of them with all that I have, and I miss them so much.
Jose, Oka, Carlos, Frankie, Elias, Noel and Marciella: They taught me to just let loose, have fun.. play a game of "Mika", the popular game of tag, with your best friends. They showed me that despite the language barrier, we could be connected. After 6 Days of simply playing games with these kids, we were the best of friends. As we were leaving the buildsite for the last time, we shared our tears with them. I didn't think they'd care we were leaving.. or understand we weren't coming back. Seeing these kids cry made me feel as though I was a part of their life, and in turn they became a part of mine -- and will never be leaving my heart.
Carlos and Alberto, our masonry help on the worksite: These men taught me about hardwork, which I was not prepared for. Non-stop, these men would build, teach, laugh and interact with us. We all had a common goal: To build a house. They just helped us reach our goal by showing us a work ethic that is not commonly seen here in North America.
Rosa, Erica, Patty and all Habitat and GV members: Seeing how happy, and how passionate these people were about there job helped me realize something about my future. Whatever you do in life, you must be happy doing it. Money doesn't matter.. and it can't buy happiness. Each of these workers were giving there lives to help other people, and inspiring others to do so at the same time.
Cruz-Ortiz Family: Showed me family value. Mrs. Cruz-Ortiz was always looking out for her family, and making sure they were looking out for each other. She took care of 10 kids, and it was evident she loved each of them with all of her heart. I loved seeing how close the brothers and sisters were with each other, and also how the family opened their home for neighbourly visits. All of this together made it impossible to not see the love and closeness of Salvadorian life, and how important it is to keep you happy.
DSBNi students: You have all changed my life. Each and everyone of you have taught me something about myself. The bonds we have created-- although they may not have been extremely evident at first-- are so very strong. I loved meeting all these new people, learning about you was so interesting. But the way we were all able to care so greatly for each other was amazing. We went into this as strangers and came out as family. Thank you so much for being there, doing such a wonderful thing, and giving me 10 others to love and trust for the rest of my life.
DSBNi leaders: You made this happen, and I can't thank you enough for that. Each and every leader on this trip became one of my friends, that I respect and am inspired by. I'd also like to say that I greatly appreciate the trust you had for us, and the respect you gave us. You changed 11 teenagers lives.
The blog could go on forever. But scrolling up, I realized I've already written quite a lot of scattered thoughts. Everything is still so confusing to me, and it's hard to write it all down. One thing I do know however, is that this trip changed my life.
Adios from my last blog post..
Kayla Kuyvenhoven
Grimsby Secondary School
Saturday, July 11, 2009
thank you all so much
I just want to say thank you to everyone that made this trip happen, from the people who sponsored us to the ones that supported us all. This trip has really opened me up to a whole new meaning of life and made me see that you can make a difference - you just have to try. We might have not changed the world, but I know for sure that we did change the world for a family and we did change ourselves with the help of each other . We were all in it as a team and we came out not just as a team, not just as friends, but as a Family. And I just want to thank you all so much and tell you that you are all special to me and that no matter where I go or what I do, this was a trip of a life time and nothing will ever change it. I know I won't forget it as long as I live. It has been just so amazing and for everyone that made this whole trip happen. You did a great job and you will always know you helped make a difference.
Thank you all so much. I miss you all so much already and I know that I have not seen everyone for the last time just because of the bond we all had. I know I'm not the only one that has felt it. I love you all and hope to see you all very soon.
Love always,
Amanda xxxxxx
Thank you all so much. I miss you all so much already and I know that I have not seen everyone for the last time just because of the bond we all had. I know I'm not the only one that has felt it. I love you all and hope to see you all very soon.
Love always,
Amanda xxxxxx
Thursday, July 9, 2009
My Last Blog, Ryan
So here it goes, my last official blog post of the first official DSBNi trip. The last 12 days have been...incredible. Like anything in life, it wasn't perfect, because if the world was perfect a trip like this one wouldn't be needed. We had had some fantastic highs, and some self-realising lows as well. Personally I believe that this trip has re-energized me. Things that used to take me down, like getting a bad grade, or a girl not liking me, you know, the things that teenagers view as "the world", suddenly seem incredibly unimportant. My world has increased to the size where things like that are a tiny speck compared to real issues. I am still a typical teenaged boy, but I also like to think of myself as a not so typical human being. What I am is not what makes me different. The people who surround me, the experiences I have had and what I have seen make me different. Before this trip, we were all 19 different people. We are still 19 different people, but we now all have an experience that makes us the same. For some of us, it was the people that changed us. For others it was the extreme poverty. I could go on forever, because every one of us has been changed by something different. We will all carry on our own lives as the different people that we are, but hopefully we will all continue to have this one experience in common as we live our lives. I am writing this post at 1 a.m. so I'm sure no one will read this until tomorrow, but I would like to thank every one of the 18 amazing people I shared the last 12 days with. Some of you inspired me, others supported me, and you all are now a part of me. I would like to thank you for everything you did for me, big or small. I feel like you have become my second family and I do not want to lose that now that we are home. If, for some reason, we do, I would like to say to each one of you, that each of you have changed me as much as the experience did. I could go on a million more trips, but not one would be the same as this one. Thank you for being a part of my life, and now a part of me.
Love, Ryan
Love, Ryan
Monday, July 6, 2009
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
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
Blogging: Amanda, Corie, Tricia
Amanda Vargo:
Friday I was sick, but managed to get better. Saturday when we pulled into the resort it was amazing, just a breath-taking view. Trish and I still managed to have ants in the room, I guess it was because of the beautiful waterfall view we had outside our window. I went to the beach and collected a lot of seashells. But what amazed me the most is how outside of the walls of what we called paradise were shacks, little boys trying to make money, and people risking their lives just for another day of food.Corie Hordijk:
But on this trip I learned that we can´t change the world. It is like I heard last night... How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. It takes time and this trip was not only about building a home, friendship, trust, and teamwork.
Hola everyone! Long time, no talk :) It was an awesome weekend of relaxation and sun. Although it also have me a great sense of appreciation. Our Ranch was beautiful, a tropical paradise. We enjoyed swimming, tanning and exploring. We got to go over to the ocean. I have never been to the Pacific Ocean before, so that was really cool. The waves were way too ginormous so I did not get a chance to do any body surfing :( We got a lot of swimming in the pool though. Saturday night we did karaoke and it was so much fun! Tricia and I did "Walking on Sunshine." The whole weekend was a great getaway! When leaving, we saw a bunch of beach shacks. It really showed us how much of a gated paradise we were in. A lot of El Salvadorans do not live in fair living conditions and we are SO lucky for everything we have. We cannot solve it all at once but one person at a time, we can spread the word and take action! If everyone does something beneficial in their community, we can spread the changeTricia Angle:
Hola! I cannot believe the amount of work we have done on the house. The R&R was definitely a nice break! It was a little bittersweet to stay in a place where right outside your door there are monkeys and pools, while right outside of the gate there are shacks and people trying to hard to make a dollar. I will not ever complain about working a non-life threatning job with a minimum wage ever again. Everything at home has a much greater place in my heart at this point, and every little worry seems so insignificant. Just having a day to relax in the hammocks and read made me realize how much I actually do need to take some time to myself to unwind and watching the waves crashing in the ocean and being so content made me realize how I need to start to appreciate the nature around me, because it is so beautiful.
I miss you all and I will see you on Wednesday!
Trish
Daily News
From Jordan Milne-
This weekend was awsome, we all had an amazing time.
Chow
From Matt Sinan-
This weekend was really good, I think everyone needed it off, because we were all really tired and could use some relaxation. We saw some pretty interesting parts of El Salvador. By the beach I think was the worst place, you would think since it's a beach there would be nice houses there, but it was probabaly the worst area I had seen. People in El Salvador do so much more work than we do in North America. They have a lot of physical work they need to do, just to gain that little ammount for them to live off. Here if you want money you really need to work. Even little kids are going around town selling stuff to make a little bit of money for the family. I know just me or the group alone can not change the world, but the numbers can expand, and the ripple affect will get bigger.
From Alex Emmerson-
This weekend was a well needed trip for the group, by the end of the week everyone had already began to feel fatigue and needed that little break. When we arrived at the resort, it was like our own little paradise, and to me arriving at a paradise felt wrong. The idea that were in a impoverished country, building a house, and then going to a resort, that made me feel guilty at first. It was soon after that I realized that us visiting this resort was only because we needed the break. After that realization, I decided to suck it up and have fun. We spent time swiming, lounging, and singing karaoke. Sunday afternoon we headed back to the retreat center where we will be staying for the remainder of the trip.
This weekend was awsome, we all had an amazing time.
Chow
From Matt Sinan-
This weekend was really good, I think everyone needed it off, because we were all really tired and could use some relaxation. We saw some pretty interesting parts of El Salvador. By the beach I think was the worst place, you would think since it's a beach there would be nice houses there, but it was probabaly the worst area I had seen. People in El Salvador do so much more work than we do in North America. They have a lot of physical work they need to do, just to gain that little ammount for them to live off. Here if you want money you really need to work. Even little kids are going around town selling stuff to make a little bit of money for the family. I know just me or the group alone can not change the world, but the numbers can expand, and the ripple affect will get bigger.
From Alex Emmerson-
This weekend was a well needed trip for the group, by the end of the week everyone had already began to feel fatigue and needed that little break. When we arrived at the resort, it was like our own little paradise, and to me arriving at a paradise felt wrong. The idea that were in a impoverished country, building a house, and then going to a resort, that made me feel guilty at first. It was soon after that I realized that us visiting this resort was only because we needed the break. After that realization, I decided to suck it up and have fun. We spent time swiming, lounging, and singing karaoke. Sunday afternoon we headed back to the retreat center where we will be staying for the remainder of the trip.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Just a glimpse . .
Hello,
A lucky break has given me a chance to show you a few photos. I know that you will like them. Pictures speak a thousand words, but I am sure the kids will give you even more background than even what the pictures show.
Enjoy.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Blogging: Amanda, Corie, Tricia
Amanda Vargo:
Hola! It was a great day! Started off sick and slowly got better as the day went on. I am glad I got to have this experience and to be able to share it with such great people. it is really good to hear from the people back home, I miss you all so very much.Corie Hordijk:
Love you mom and dad!
Oh, and Happy Bithday Abbie!! Auntie loves you!
Amanda
Hola! Well, it finally hit me. Just when I thought I got lucky, I was not feeling too great. I was told to stay back today. I was bummed because I wanted to continue to experience as much as possible, but on the other hand, it is good because I can catch up on rest. The doctor came to check up on us today, and that was interesting. He did not speak English, luckily we have Rosa, our translator! :) They say I can go back to the site tomorrow, but only doing little things. i have not become homesick yet, I am very lucky because I have a bunch of great people around me!Tricia Angle:
Miss you all,
Corie! xoxo
Hey once again! Today we went to the work site a little short handed, and the sun was not very forgiving! We did get a lot done though and the family as well as some neighbours were very quick to lend a hand! Hopefully everyone can be back out again tomorrow and then we are off for a nice, relaxing weekend =) I will make you all jealous with tales of the beach when we get back!
Ciao! Trish
Day 5 Andrew Janet Kayla and Ryan
From Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody,
My fifth day in El Salvador was not a very productive day as far as the build site goes...Since I was sick yesterday the doctor advised me to stay back at the retreat center today and rest. So I basically layed around and watched movies on Ryan´s iPod while the others slaved away all day on the house. I am told that I will be very surprised with the progress when I return tomarrow!!! Following dinner we did a couple of team activities then I played euchre with a couple of the leaders. My day of relaxing payed off though I feel totally normal now... Cant wait to get back to building tomarrow!!!!!!!!!! Thats all for now, I miss you all!!!
Love,
Andres (Andrew)
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola,
Today we were back at the work site. The house is looking great! It was a super hot day, I learned that I have to drink more water! I talked with the family kids today. They were laughing at me when I didn't understand, it was really funny. We all wrote our names in the dirt and I showed them my long last name. They couldn't believe how complicated it was! I love how they try to teach me Spanish and try to tell me things when I have no idea most of the time :).
Family and friends: I got some CD's from the market! Mom, all of my clothes, gloves, boots, etc... are perfect and lasting! I am still have the best time but I miss you guys!
Love you! xx
Janet
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Today was kind of a stressful day. I think the excitement caught up with me and my guard was let down. The day at the worksite was the most tiring yet, but the DSBNi team had eachothers backs the entire time. The thing that hit me hardest today however, not a physical injury or sickness, but a letter that arrived at our worksite from an elderly lady down the street. She apologized if her letter was inappropriate, but wanted to talk to someone because her house was poor, old, and falling apart. If it was not already clerar to all of us why we were here...this helped me understand why. It's storming out right now; Salvadorean storms are crazy, I love it, so I'm going to watch and enjoy how beautiful a storm can be.
Goodnight, Love you,
Still missing you!
Kayla
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Hey everyone,
I cannot believe that it is already the 6th day we have been here. I try not to think about the fact that this means the trip is half over. I am still enjoying every second, and when Kevin and Mike told all of you that we would be changed people by the end of the trip, they weren't kidding. I am still Ryan Elliott, but the Ryan Elliott that left a little under a week ago, has seen more in that time span, then most people do in a lifetime. I really wish that everytime I wanted something, and I didn't get it, that I could take it back. The guilt that comes over me, while watching the children play with the bricks, or dig in the middle of the dirt road is austounding to me. I'm sure a lot of people think that this feeling won't last, but the things I have seen, the people I have met, and the friendships I have made will stay with me forever. Don't worry, I am not going to come home and sell all my stuff and live with nothing. I am just going to be far more appreciative of the things I do have. The thing that has become the most evident to me, is how much I take my friends and family for granted. I miss every single one of you, like you wouldn't believe. I am also going to miss everyone I am sharing this experience with, because when you see somethings that we have seen together, you become friends really quickly. We are going away for the weekend, and I do not think there is Internet where we are going, so the next blog post will be Monday night. Be prepared for an action packed blog, but until then, goodnight.
I love and miss you all!
Ryan
Hola everybody,
My fifth day in El Salvador was not a very productive day as far as the build site goes...Since I was sick yesterday the doctor advised me to stay back at the retreat center today and rest. So I basically layed around and watched movies on Ryan´s iPod while the others slaved away all day on the house. I am told that I will be very surprised with the progress when I return tomarrow!!! Following dinner we did a couple of team activities then I played euchre with a couple of the leaders. My day of relaxing payed off though I feel totally normal now... Cant wait to get back to building tomarrow!!!!!!!!!! Thats all for now, I miss you all!!!
Love,
Andres (Andrew)
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola,
Today we were back at the work site. The house is looking great! It was a super hot day, I learned that I have to drink more water! I talked with the family kids today. They were laughing at me when I didn't understand, it was really funny. We all wrote our names in the dirt and I showed them my long last name. They couldn't believe how complicated it was! I love how they try to teach me Spanish and try to tell me things when I have no idea most of the time :).
Family and friends: I got some CD's from the market! Mom, all of my clothes, gloves, boots, etc... are perfect and lasting! I am still have the best time but I miss you guys!
Love you! xx
Janet
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Today was kind of a stressful day. I think the excitement caught up with me and my guard was let down. The day at the worksite was the most tiring yet, but the DSBNi team had eachothers backs the entire time. The thing that hit me hardest today however, not a physical injury or sickness, but a letter that arrived at our worksite from an elderly lady down the street. She apologized if her letter was inappropriate, but wanted to talk to someone because her house was poor, old, and falling apart. If it was not already clerar to all of us why we were here...this helped me understand why. It's storming out right now; Salvadorean storms are crazy, I love it, so I'm going to watch and enjoy how beautiful a storm can be.
Goodnight, Love you,
Still missing you!
Kayla
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Hey everyone,
I cannot believe that it is already the 6th day we have been here. I try not to think about the fact that this means the trip is half over. I am still enjoying every second, and when Kevin and Mike told all of you that we would be changed people by the end of the trip, they weren't kidding. I am still Ryan Elliott, but the Ryan Elliott that left a little under a week ago, has seen more in that time span, then most people do in a lifetime. I really wish that everytime I wanted something, and I didn't get it, that I could take it back. The guilt that comes over me, while watching the children play with the bricks, or dig in the middle of the dirt road is austounding to me. I'm sure a lot of people think that this feeling won't last, but the things I have seen, the people I have met, and the friendships I have made will stay with me forever. Don't worry, I am not going to come home and sell all my stuff and live with nothing. I am just going to be far more appreciative of the things I do have. The thing that has become the most evident to me, is how much I take my friends and family for granted. I miss every single one of you, like you wouldn't believe. I am also going to miss everyone I am sharing this experience with, because when you see somethings that we have seen together, you become friends really quickly. We are going away for the weekend, and I do not think there is Internet where we are going, so the next blog post will be Monday night. Be prepared for an action packed blog, but until then, goodnight.
I love and miss you all!
Ryan
Daily News
From Eric Bouw-
Hola Mom and Dad
Half the team was still feeling under the weather. So only the other half was able to go to the jobsite. Although there was a lot of hard work for a few people, I enjoyed being busy the whole time.
Adios Eric
From Matt Sinan-
Today I was still feeling a bit under the weather. So I stayed back, cleaned a little, played some games, and rested while others went to the worksite. The house is turning out to look fantastic. Chow
From Alex Emmerson-
Today we were half a team strong. although we were half a team, we managed to accomplish alot at the jobsite. We managed to dig a huge trench, lay a ton of block and still have time to joke around a bit. After work, we went back to the hotel, enjoyed a nice cold shower and a nice hot meal. Hopefully tomorrow we will be a full team!
Hola Mom and Dad
Half the team was still feeling under the weather. So only the other half was able to go to the jobsite. Although there was a lot of hard work for a few people, I enjoyed being busy the whole time.
Adios Eric
From Matt Sinan-
Today I was still feeling a bit under the weather. So I stayed back, cleaned a little, played some games, and rested while others went to the worksite. The house is turning out to look fantastic. Chow
From Alex Emmerson-
Today we were half a team strong. although we were half a team, we managed to accomplish alot at the jobsite. We managed to dig a huge trench, lay a ton of block and still have time to joke around a bit. After work, we went back to the hotel, enjoyed a nice cold shower and a nice hot meal. Hopefully tomorrow we will be a full team!
Hola Eric from Calgary
Hi Eric and everyone else in El Salvador.
Eric it is so nice to read all of your messages. We are really proud of you and everyone helping to make a difference in these families lives. Dad and I are in Calgary. We have been anxious to connect to the internet and read how you and the team are doing. Unfortunately it seems your service works better than what we have been able to connect to until today. Dad has been wearing the dsbni T-shirt for 3 days. We have been telling everyone what you and your team have been doing. How are you feeling? Did you also get sick? Is everyone ok now? Danielle has been asking about you in all of her texting to mom. Luv ya lots xoxo Mom, Dad and Danielle
Eric it is so nice to read all of your messages. We are really proud of you and everyone helping to make a difference in these families lives. Dad and I are in Calgary. We have been anxious to connect to the internet and read how you and the team are doing. Unfortunately it seems your service works better than what we have been able to connect to until today. Dad has been wearing the dsbni T-shirt for 3 days. We have been telling everyone what you and your team have been doing. How are you feeling? Did you also get sick? Is everyone ok now? Danielle has been asking about you in all of her texting to mom. Luv ya lots xoxo Mom, Dad and Danielle
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Day 4, Janet, Kayla, Andrew and Ryan
From: Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody,
Happy Canada Day!! Our 4th day was a rather different day, considering myself and about half the team were under the weather. Since the team was not at its full potential, and the bathroom situation at the worksite is not great, we decided to take the day off. Some of the team went out to the local market yesterday morning and out for lunch, but I decided to stay back and relax at the retreat centre since I was not feeling the greatest. Following my morning and afternoon of sleep, I began to feel pretty much back to normal. I decided to go to the internet cafe with the blog team but while in there, I began to feel sick again. Rosa took me back to the retreat centre. Since they are taking such good care of us here, they immediatly called a doctor for me. About half an hour later the doctor arrived and checked me out. He told me to take a gravol, a tylenol and the prescription medication from home. He also said that I had to take today off. Following his advice I took the pills and went to bed.
Chow, Andrew
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola!
Many of our team got sick last night, so we all took the day off from building. I feel so bad for the sick team members and I really hope they feel better soon. Since todays activities were cancelled, we had to improvise. We played baseball in the courtyard with chairs as bases and a tape/paper ball that Carlos made. It was really fun spending most of the day with Carlos because we are starting to communicate better and he makes us all laugh. We also went to the market down the street. WOAH! It was crazy! It was crowded, dark, loud, smelly and awesome. For lunch we had their fast food. It was...interesting. Basically the same, but different. Later we played a game that Carlos taught us and I loved it. I can't wait to build again tomorrow!
Family and Friends:
Mom, Dad, John, Andrew and Alana, If you think the flea market in Florida is busy, just wait til you see the one here. I think it is making me want to become a vegetarian. Tell Lianna that I wear the necklace everyday under my work shirt or in my pack thing. I still want to go to the cottage right after this. I'm not ready to go home. Also, the blog group prints off the replies that you write, so we can read them. If you want to say something I will read it, or tell my friends too cause I won't be on the internet again. I missed everyone today especially knowing you are all together fo Canada Day. Don 't worry, I'm glad I am here, I'm still safe and having the time of my life!
Love you xx
Janet
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Today was an interesting learning experience... It just plain sucked to wake up to hear that some people were not feeling too good. However, the way it was handled was reassuring. Everyone had to meet to check up with the doctor, and all of our team members looked out for eachother. Some of us went to the market and the cathedral. Which was a shocking yet interesting adventure. It was so busy; there were dogs, children, food being made, clothes being sold and fresh food products in buckets and on hooks. All this was happening on either side of me as I walked through a two and a half foot walkway. I loved taking in everything that was going on around me.
Also, today was more of a relaxing day and I realised that the most fun I have is with the best of friends and the simplest of objects. We made a home-made baseball with paper and tape and played a game withj chairs for bases. Later on we played a frisbee game with pieces of re-bar and plastic cups. It is just amazing that the simplest things in life can make you the most happy, and I am glad that realisation has hit me so hard. I am mmissing home, but still loving it here soooo much, and I am feeling great... It is hard to believe we are just under halfway done our trip... Ugh, I would really rather not think about that.
Hope everything is great at home.
Love ya,
Kayla
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Good Afternoon to our regular readers,
Happy well, belated, Canada Day. I would type out about the day, but it seems Andrew Janet and Kayla have that covered. The day was different, but it amazes me how our team is able to adapt to new circumstances. I must say that I missed the traditional Harold Black Park Canada experience, but I really enjoyed my day yesterday. I will keep my post short today, because I don't want to just restate everyone elses words. I can say that friendships are definatly formed, and growing. We all care for eachother, remind eachother to drink water when we are working hard, and just support eachother. Speaking of water, I never realised how important it is. Tomorrow we are being asked to drink about 8 litres. It seems like a lot, but how we work, it is necessary.
Too my friends and family, I miss every single one of you, and I absolutely love reading all your posts. I am feeling very good, and I am still enjoying every moment here. As much as I want to see you all, I wish this trip would go on forever, and I could just keep building houses. I will see you all in just over a week, and until then, I miss you, and I love you all!
Love, Ryan
P.S. Emily, Jade, make sure the girls on the soccer team aren't slacking! I don't think I will be able to post the picture, but I took it, and I will send it too you when I get home!
Hola everybody,
Happy Canada Day!! Our 4th day was a rather different day, considering myself and about half the team were under the weather. Since the team was not at its full potential, and the bathroom situation at the worksite is not great, we decided to take the day off. Some of the team went out to the local market yesterday morning and out for lunch, but I decided to stay back and relax at the retreat centre since I was not feeling the greatest. Following my morning and afternoon of sleep, I began to feel pretty much back to normal. I decided to go to the internet cafe with the blog team but while in there, I began to feel sick again. Rosa took me back to the retreat centre. Since they are taking such good care of us here, they immediatly called a doctor for me. About half an hour later the doctor arrived and checked me out. He told me to take a gravol, a tylenol and the prescription medication from home. He also said that I had to take today off. Following his advice I took the pills and went to bed.
Chow, Andrew
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola!
Many of our team got sick last night, so we all took the day off from building. I feel so bad for the sick team members and I really hope they feel better soon. Since todays activities were cancelled, we had to improvise. We played baseball in the courtyard with chairs as bases and a tape/paper ball that Carlos made. It was really fun spending most of the day with Carlos because we are starting to communicate better and he makes us all laugh. We also went to the market down the street. WOAH! It was crazy! It was crowded, dark, loud, smelly and awesome. For lunch we had their fast food. It was...interesting. Basically the same, but different. Later we played a game that Carlos taught us and I loved it. I can't wait to build again tomorrow!
Family and Friends:
Mom, Dad, John, Andrew and Alana, If you think the flea market in Florida is busy, just wait til you see the one here. I think it is making me want to become a vegetarian. Tell Lianna that I wear the necklace everyday under my work shirt or in my pack thing. I still want to go to the cottage right after this. I'm not ready to go home. Also, the blog group prints off the replies that you write, so we can read them. If you want to say something I will read it, or tell my friends too cause I won't be on the internet again. I missed everyone today especially knowing you are all together fo Canada Day. Don 't worry, I'm glad I am here, I'm still safe and having the time of my life!
Love you xx
Janet
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Today was an interesting learning experience... It just plain sucked to wake up to hear that some people were not feeling too good. However, the way it was handled was reassuring. Everyone had to meet to check up with the doctor, and all of our team members looked out for eachother. Some of us went to the market and the cathedral. Which was a shocking yet interesting adventure. It was so busy; there were dogs, children, food being made, clothes being sold and fresh food products in buckets and on hooks. All this was happening on either side of me as I walked through a two and a half foot walkway. I loved taking in everything that was going on around me.
Also, today was more of a relaxing day and I realised that the most fun I have is with the best of friends and the simplest of objects. We made a home-made baseball with paper and tape and played a game withj chairs for bases. Later on we played a frisbee game with pieces of re-bar and plastic cups. It is just amazing that the simplest things in life can make you the most happy, and I am glad that realisation has hit me so hard. I am mmissing home, but still loving it here soooo much, and I am feeling great... It is hard to believe we are just under halfway done our trip... Ugh, I would really rather not think about that.
Hope everything is great at home.
Love ya,
Kayla
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Good Afternoon to our regular readers,
Happy well, belated, Canada Day. I would type out about the day, but it seems Andrew Janet and Kayla have that covered. The day was different, but it amazes me how our team is able to adapt to new circumstances. I must say that I missed the traditional Harold Black Park Canada experience, but I really enjoyed my day yesterday. I will keep my post short today, because I don't want to just restate everyone elses words. I can say that friendships are definatly formed, and growing. We all care for eachother, remind eachother to drink water when we are working hard, and just support eachother. Speaking of water, I never realised how important it is. Tomorrow we are being asked to drink about 8 litres. It seems like a lot, but how we work, it is necessary.
Too my friends and family, I miss every single one of you, and I absolutely love reading all your posts. I am feeling very good, and I am still enjoying every moment here. As much as I want to see you all, I wish this trip would go on forever, and I could just keep building houses. I will see you all in just over a week, and until then, I miss you, and I love you all!
Love, Ryan
P.S. Emily, Jade, make sure the girls on the soccer team aren't slacking! I don't think I will be able to post the picture, but I took it, and I will send it too you when I get home!
Blogging: Amanda, Corie, Tricia
Amanda Vargo:
Today I felt like everything I did for everyone was not good enough with the day off from the build. It was needed but I wished I did work, it beats not being appreciated. It feels like everyone expects me to be a lot tougher than everyone and sometimes I just can´t. But for the ones that seem to be understanding it I am glad they are, or I would go completely crazy. I am glad Kim has different music than the stuff that I have had to listen to for the last five days, it´s great to listen to my normal stuff. Thanks Kim.Corie Hordijk:
Buenos noches, everyone!Tricia Angle:
Today was a bit of a halt in the middle of the trip. Some people got sick so we had a rest day. It was good to get some more sleep after the most scary storm I have ever encountered in my life, which happened last night. The thunder was roaring, rain was pouring and the wind was so strong and loud that I thought our building would fall down! I was a little freaked out. An El Salvadorian storm is not to be reckoned with!
After sleeping the healthy ones got to go to the local market. It was a trip full of emotions. It was dark little pathways, inside tin walls, bussling with people, dead chickens, meat hanging, and seafood alive and crawling. A smelly and awesome experience! Everyone was staring with wide eyes at us and could not believe what they saw. People were in shock with my hair, one lady grabbed me and wanted me to buy a fake Lacoste shirt so badly. We then went to the biggest church I have ever been in. It had the weirdest feeling and mannequins were everywhere. But it was beautiful! On the way back to our place we stopped to buy some awesome Spanish CDs! I had the best time doing a little dancing with one of the locals! The streets here are just so busy with people! The rest of the afternoon we just hung out, went to lunch at a fast food place, which was a little odd, and we played some baseball with Juan-Carlos, the keeper of our home. I had a great day in all and loved getting some rest!
It´s Canada Day today and all I know is that we are all very fortunate to live how we live in a beautiful country!
Hasta Luego!
Love, Corie :) xoxo
The day of rest was really nice. We had a lot of time to bond and a little more time to soak up the culture. We got to visit the marketplace, which was a little less of a shock for me than for the others, because I have had the priveledge to see a similar marketplace in Morocco. The fast food place we went to for lunch was more shocking to me. The North American invasion was a little disturbing, almost as if we are trying to push our culture on to other people because we think it is better. They did have good curly fries though =). We also learned a really cool game from Juan-Carlos! I will definitely be keeping it in mind for Balsam Lake, family!!
Love you all! Trish
Daily News
From Matt Sinan-
Happy Canada day everyone, hope you had fun.
From Jordan Milne-
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz... Sleep is good after these hard days of work.
From Eric Bouw-
Hola Mom and Dad
Happy Canada Day! We celebrated Canada day here too. Although some of us were a bit under the weather. So we didn't end up working , although the masons still worked without us. We had the opportunity to go to an El Salvadorian market place, it was really interesting although suprisingly dark. It also smelt real bad, but I had expected that. Well I hope you had a good Canada Day.
Adios Eric
From Alex Emmerson-
Well day 4 began with a change, when we were woken up, we were suddenly told we weren't going to work. Then it was explained that there were some people feeling a little ill. Since plans had changed we decided to take a walk as a group to the market, and then to a local fast food chain. After lunch we went back to the retreat center where we spent time playing cards and trying to rest. Hoping for tomorrow to play out a little better for the dehydrated ones.
Happy Canada day everyone, hope you had fun.
From Jordan Milne-
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz... Sleep is good after these hard days of work.
From Eric Bouw-
Hola Mom and Dad
Happy Canada Day! We celebrated Canada day here too. Although some of us were a bit under the weather. So we didn't end up working , although the masons still worked without us. We had the opportunity to go to an El Salvadorian market place, it was really interesting although suprisingly dark. It also smelt real bad, but I had expected that. Well I hope you had a good Canada Day.
Adios Eric
From Alex Emmerson-
Well day 4 began with a change, when we were woken up, we were suddenly told we weren't going to work. Then it was explained that there were some people feeling a little ill. Since plans had changed we decided to take a walk as a group to the market, and then to a local fast food chain. After lunch we went back to the retreat center where we spent time playing cards and trying to rest. Hoping for tomorrow to play out a little better for the dehydrated ones.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Day 3 Andrew Kayla Janet and Ryan
From: Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody,
Our third day was another eventful day, the house is actually starting to look like a house! Upon arrival to the work site, I was greatly surprised, the head mason took me aside and started to teach me how to lay brick. Rosa, our Habitat advisor said that she has never seen the masons let anybody lay brick, let alone teach them. This made me feel great and gave me the drive and determination to work hard, be productive and do my best. With the needed drive and determination as well as helpful hints and compliments from the masons, I managed to lay about a third of the block layed yesterday. By the way, we have laid 3 rows of brick so far in our 20x29 foot house. Following the work, I relaxed,took a shower and then we were off to the store. When we returned we had our dinner,watched a movie and went to bed. That is all for now, I miss you all, but I love this place.
Chow, Andrew
P.S. When it rains here, it RAINS!! The thunder and lightning is something I have never seen before.
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Buenos Tardes Amigos,
Our second day on the buildsite: a little bit sore, yet still completely motivated to work my hardest. The motivation comes not only from the community and the family, but from the DSBNi team working side by side. The more I get to know these people, the more I realise they are going to be in my life for a very long time. We are all workin so well together, and it is only going to get better. Each minute we are able to experience something different, and I cannot wait to tell you about it when I get home; but for the next 8 days my home is here...I cannot wait to continue living each day to its fullest in El Salvador!
xoxo,
Kayla
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola :)
Another day has come and gone in El Salvador. The house is really coming along well! My favourite task today was filling the blocks with "cheese pa". We played with the kids from the neighbourhood again! We taught them ring around the rosie and simon says:). We also learned all of their names I hope we play again tomorrow!
Family and Friends: I can't stop smiling and laughing, especially when I am with the children. I'm comfortable with everyone here and we have become a lot closer. I miss warm showers. I love this trip!
Love you, miss you
xx
Janet
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Buenos Dias
It has been 3 days here, and 4 consecutive spent as a team. I many ways this place is not, and never would be the place we know as our home, but people make the home, not the place. The people here make this place feel like home. Whether it is a friendly "Buenos dias" from our amazing maintenance man Carlos, or an "Austa mañana" (see you tomorrow) from the children in the village, this place has a feeling of caring and comfort. At the orphanage, children came from all over, and lived in a house with 9 other children, some being siblings, some not. They has a "tia" which means aunt, who took care of them. In a lot of ways, our team resembles one of the families we saw. There are 2 major differences. We have 8 "tias" and we have only known one another a short time. In some ways, this is evident, but in almost every way, it is not. People we meet have thought that we were all good friends back home, and even a few have asked the students if we are siblings. We all have a lot of fun with eachther, and so much we can learn from one another. Sure there are jokes, but if any of us were truely ever in trouble, I can say that I would trust this team with my life. I hope everyone feels the same way, but I think they do. Building the house is a testament to this fact. If there is ever anyone who needs help, another person is right there, eager to help with a shovel, mortar or a brick. For those who are worried about us, don't be. This team is a product that is greater then the sum of all its parts.
To my friends and family: I love it here, and the only reason I would ever want to leave is that I miss you all. I am enjoying everything about this trip, and I cannot wait to show pictures and tell stories.
Love, Ryan
Hola everybody,
Our third day was another eventful day, the house is actually starting to look like a house! Upon arrival to the work site, I was greatly surprised, the head mason took me aside and started to teach me how to lay brick. Rosa, our Habitat advisor said that she has never seen the masons let anybody lay brick, let alone teach them. This made me feel great and gave me the drive and determination to work hard, be productive and do my best. With the needed drive and determination as well as helpful hints and compliments from the masons, I managed to lay about a third of the block layed yesterday. By the way, we have laid 3 rows of brick so far in our 20x29 foot house. Following the work, I relaxed,took a shower and then we were off to the store. When we returned we had our dinner,watched a movie and went to bed. That is all for now, I miss you all, but I love this place.
Chow, Andrew
P.S. When it rains here, it RAINS!! The thunder and lightning is something I have never seen before.
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Buenos Tardes Amigos,
Our second day on the buildsite: a little bit sore, yet still completely motivated to work my hardest. The motivation comes not only from the community and the family, but from the DSBNi team working side by side. The more I get to know these people, the more I realise they are going to be in my life for a very long time. We are all workin so well together, and it is only going to get better. Each minute we are able to experience something different, and I cannot wait to tell you about it when I get home; but for the next 8 days my home is here...I cannot wait to continue living each day to its fullest in El Salvador!
xoxo,
Kayla
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola :)
Another day has come and gone in El Salvador. The house is really coming along well! My favourite task today was filling the blocks with "cheese pa". We played with the kids from the neighbourhood again! We taught them ring around the rosie and simon says:). We also learned all of their names I hope we play again tomorrow!
Family and Friends: I can't stop smiling and laughing, especially when I am with the children. I'm comfortable with everyone here and we have become a lot closer. I miss warm showers. I love this trip!
Love you, miss you
xx
Janet
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Buenos Dias
It has been 3 days here, and 4 consecutive spent as a team. I many ways this place is not, and never would be the place we know as our home, but people make the home, not the place. The people here make this place feel like home. Whether it is a friendly "Buenos dias" from our amazing maintenance man Carlos, or an "Austa mañana" (see you tomorrow) from the children in the village, this place has a feeling of caring and comfort. At the orphanage, children came from all over, and lived in a house with 9 other children, some being siblings, some not. They has a "tia" which means aunt, who took care of them. In a lot of ways, our team resembles one of the families we saw. There are 2 major differences. We have 8 "tias" and we have only known one another a short time. In some ways, this is evident, but in almost every way, it is not. People we meet have thought that we were all good friends back home, and even a few have asked the students if we are siblings. We all have a lot of fun with eachther, and so much we can learn from one another. Sure there are jokes, but if any of us were truely ever in trouble, I can say that I would trust this team with my life. I hope everyone feels the same way, but I think they do. Building the house is a testament to this fact. If there is ever anyone who needs help, another person is right there, eager to help with a shovel, mortar or a brick. For those who are worried about us, don't be. This team is a product that is greater then the sum of all its parts.
To my friends and family: I love it here, and the only reason I would ever want to leave is that I miss you all. I am enjoying everything about this trip, and I cannot wait to show pictures and tell stories.
Love, Ryan
Blogging: Amanda, Corie, Tricia
Amanda Vargo:
Corie Hordijk:
Tricia Angle:
My room is full of ants and it is making me mad. But build day two was great and the house is becoming a house! Yeah, so there it is! Bye!
Amanda
PS. Mom, the sun changed my hair colour!
Corie Hordijk:
Hola chicas y chicos! I am now starting to get the hang of El Salvadorian life; work hard, be happy, enjoy the moment, and relax! It was out second day on the build and boy, were we stiff! The work today was mixing chispa and mortar and then laying bricks and sticking them together. And of course, we had time to play with out little El Salvadorian friends! They bring such joy to me! Today was definitely a rough one, but I am roaring to go for tomorrow! =) This world here is starting to become very normal for me, it is weird how the way we look at things can change so quickly.
Well, happy Canada Day everyone! Do something fun to celebrate!
Love ya! Corie <3
Tricia Angle:
Well, I did not get much sleep for build day two and I was not much help but I tried the best that I could. If I learned anything from today, it would be that our team is very strong, and even when people cannot work at their best, someone will always be there to help out. The house is coming together great, and once we get into a good rhythm, we will be done in no time! I miss you all, have a great Canada Day!
Love, Trish.
Daily News
From Eric Bouw-
Hola Mom and Dad,
It is our second day of working on the house. We were laying bricks and compacting dirt. The masons gave us a lot of responsibility, and I was really surprised. We got a lot of work done, and I'm excited to see what we get done tomorrow.
Adios Amigos!
From Jordan Milne-
Today I injured my arm (old shoulder injury) working and learned not to push an injury.
From Matt Sinan-
Day 2 of the build, we have all had our delicious breakfast, and made our way to the worksite. The great thing about the day was, even though all of us were tired sweaty and some of us sore, we all kept going. One of the things that stood out to me was how a few of us took time to play soccer with the family, and just a few feet away was us building a house for them, there can't be any love greater than that. Even though the sound of sweating and working all day doesn't sound like a thing some people would like to do, I love it! The feeling of helping a family, especially here, definitely feels like an accomplishment.
Chow for now!
From Alex Emmerson-
Well , day 2 of the build turned out to be a great one, we had the pleasure in the morning of mixing mortar, laying bricks and adding finish touches to the mortar. In the afternoon the jobsite started to get a little crowed with all the help from the family and neighbours so we took turns playing games with the kids and interacting with the family. After leaving the buildsite, we went back, ate a good dinner and watched a movie. Cant wait for day 3.
Hola Mom and Dad,
It is our second day of working on the house. We were laying bricks and compacting dirt. The masons gave us a lot of responsibility, and I was really surprised. We got a lot of work done, and I'm excited to see what we get done tomorrow.
Adios Amigos!
From Jordan Milne-
Today I injured my arm (old shoulder injury) working and learned not to push an injury.
From Matt Sinan-
Day 2 of the build, we have all had our delicious breakfast, and made our way to the worksite. The great thing about the day was, even though all of us were tired sweaty and some of us sore, we all kept going. One of the things that stood out to me was how a few of us took time to play soccer with the family, and just a few feet away was us building a house for them, there can't be any love greater than that. Even though the sound of sweating and working all day doesn't sound like a thing some people would like to do, I love it! The feeling of helping a family, especially here, definitely feels like an accomplishment.
Chow for now!
From Alex Emmerson-
Well , day 2 of the build turned out to be a great one, we had the pleasure in the morning of mixing mortar, laying bricks and adding finish touches to the mortar. In the afternoon the jobsite started to get a little crowed with all the help from the family and neighbours so we took turns playing games with the kids and interacting with the family. After leaving the buildsite, we went back, ate a good dinner and watched a movie. Cant wait for day 3.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Janet, Kayla Andrew and Ryan, Day 2
From: Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody, our second day was a productive one!!! We began the day with a healthy serving of scrambled eggs, liquid beans, buns and O.J. Following breakfast we were driven to the worksite by our own personal ¨wheelman¨.Upon arrival we were greatly surprised, our worksite was not out in the poen as most of us had predicted, it was set back down a stone road from the highway. We were also surprised to find the foundation already dug. We had expected to literally start from scratch. Since the house was already started, our duties basically consisted of placing and tieing re-ba, as well as mixing and moving concrete. We also moved a lot of bricks. Today was a dirty day as we spent the first 2 hours of the day down in a trench tieing re-bar to the foundation as well as mixing concrete on the ground. We moved all the concrete in an assembly line style with buckets. I found it interesting how they build houses down here. There is re-bar placed vertically through the walls on 16¨O.C. and their blocks are only about 3¨wide. All in all today was a great day...we got a lot done even thoughit was so hot and dirty.
Chow, Andrew
P.S. The leaders are great seeing how they forced me to take a break when I was purple and still wanted to work.
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Hola! It was a long day today; our first on the worksite. The location is perfect. It´s close to locals, there are pigs and chickens roaming everywhere and we have shade! so much hardwork was put in by everyone. If you add up all the ours of our meetings; we´ve barely been together for one day! This could never be spotted, because the way we work with eachother and care about one another is incredible. After mixing, lifting and watering etc... myself, Janet and Corie played with some local kids. Their smiles and laughter were worth every drop of sweat, and every speck of dirt we got from running around and rolling on the ground playing with them. I love it here, the people, the culture, the scenery...even the cold showers.
Love you, miss you,
XOXO, Kayla
From: Janet Krzeczkowski
Buenos Dias!
Day three in El Salvador was exciting and exhausting. We went straight to the work site after a wonderful breakfast. Working together on the house was very hard, but fun. Mixing the cement and shovelling it into buckets was my favourite task. My favourite part overall was meeting and playing with the little boys from the village. They were so cute and very polite! Even though we had no idea what they were saying, we figured out other ways to communicate and eventually started a game of tag. I can´t wait to edit the footage from today!
Family and Friends->: I wish you could see how amazing it is here! I´m excited to show you pictures and video footage. I´m having the best time, don´t worry about me, I´m safe and comfortable with everything going on. I want to take home some of the children, is that okay? Good. I have been eating well and I haven´t been dizzy at all mom!
Love you, miss you, adios! xx
Janet
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Hola,
It feels like I have said that a thousand times in the last 3 days, well, because I have. It is one of the few words I can remember off the top of my head, and it is an easy way to put a smile on a face you have never met. The communication is hard, but as we learned at the worksite today, it isn´t impossible. A quote that I believe in, and have for a while is from the book ¨The Last Lecture¨. ¨Brick walls aren´t there to get in our way, they are there so we can show how badly we want something¨. The language barrier is our own personal brick wall, and the whole team has used it to prove just how badly we want this trip, and how badly we want to give the family of 12 a house. On the worksite, the masons we work with do not speak English, but we have developed forms of either sign language or broken Spanish to find out what we need to do, or to simply tell someone they are doing a good job. Another thing I have learned, in a combination of the orphanage 2 days ago and the children around the worksite today and yesterday, is that it does not matter to a child what colour your skin is, what language you speak, or what clothes you are wearing. If you treat them well, they adore you. This is a value that I believe a lot of us lose as we get older. For once I have felt that I can learn from a child instead of teaching them something. So to end another somewhat self-realising post, I would just like to say to my family and friends that I miss you and I wish that everyone of you could be here with me.
Love, Ryan
Hola everybody, our second day was a productive one!!! We began the day with a healthy serving of scrambled eggs, liquid beans, buns and O.J. Following breakfast we were driven to the worksite by our own personal ¨wheelman¨.Upon arrival we were greatly surprised, our worksite was not out in the poen as most of us had predicted, it was set back down a stone road from the highway. We were also surprised to find the foundation already dug. We had expected to literally start from scratch. Since the house was already started, our duties basically consisted of placing and tieing re-ba, as well as mixing and moving concrete. We also moved a lot of bricks. Today was a dirty day as we spent the first 2 hours of the day down in a trench tieing re-bar to the foundation as well as mixing concrete on the ground. We moved all the concrete in an assembly line style with buckets. I found it interesting how they build houses down here. There is re-bar placed vertically through the walls on 16¨O.C. and their blocks are only about 3¨wide. All in all today was a great day...we got a lot done even thoughit was so hot and dirty.
Chow, Andrew
P.S. The leaders are great seeing how they forced me to take a break when I was purple and still wanted to work.
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Hola! It was a long day today; our first on the worksite. The location is perfect. It´s close to locals, there are pigs and chickens roaming everywhere and we have shade! so much hardwork was put in by everyone. If you add up all the ours of our meetings; we´ve barely been together for one day! This could never be spotted, because the way we work with eachother and care about one another is incredible. After mixing, lifting and watering etc... myself, Janet and Corie played with some local kids. Their smiles and laughter were worth every drop of sweat, and every speck of dirt we got from running around and rolling on the ground playing with them. I love it here, the people, the culture, the scenery...even the cold showers.
Love you, miss you,
XOXO, Kayla
From: Janet Krzeczkowski
Buenos Dias!
Day three in El Salvador was exciting and exhausting. We went straight to the work site after a wonderful breakfast. Working together on the house was very hard, but fun. Mixing the cement and shovelling it into buckets was my favourite task. My favourite part overall was meeting and playing with the little boys from the village. They were so cute and very polite! Even though we had no idea what they were saying, we figured out other ways to communicate and eventually started a game of tag. I can´t wait to edit the footage from today!
Family and Friends->: I wish you could see how amazing it is here! I´m excited to show you pictures and video footage. I´m having the best time, don´t worry about me, I´m safe and comfortable with everything going on. I want to take home some of the children, is that okay? Good. I have been eating well and I haven´t been dizzy at all mom!
Love you, miss you, adios! xx
Janet
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Hola,
It feels like I have said that a thousand times in the last 3 days, well, because I have. It is one of the few words I can remember off the top of my head, and it is an easy way to put a smile on a face you have never met. The communication is hard, but as we learned at the worksite today, it isn´t impossible. A quote that I believe in, and have for a while is from the book ¨The Last Lecture¨. ¨Brick walls aren´t there to get in our way, they are there so we can show how badly we want something¨. The language barrier is our own personal brick wall, and the whole team has used it to prove just how badly we want this trip, and how badly we want to give the family of 12 a house. On the worksite, the masons we work with do not speak English, but we have developed forms of either sign language or broken Spanish to find out what we need to do, or to simply tell someone they are doing a good job. Another thing I have learned, in a combination of the orphanage 2 days ago and the children around the worksite today and yesterday, is that it does not matter to a child what colour your skin is, what language you speak, or what clothes you are wearing. If you treat them well, they adore you. This is a value that I believe a lot of us lose as we get older. For once I have felt that I can learn from a child instead of teaching them something. So to end another somewhat self-realising post, I would just like to say to my family and friends that I miss you and I wish that everyone of you could be here with me.
Love, Ryan
Day 2
From Jordan milne-
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz... Im sleeping, Leave me alone!"
From Eric Bouw-
Hola Mom and Dad,
Yesterday was our first day working on the build site. When we arrived we were surprised to find that the foundation had already been dug. Although I was kind of looking forward to digging cause I enjoy it so much. He began with putting in all the rebar to make the house "earthquake proof". That was the easy part! We then mixed cement for the foundation. It was very different because we mix it on the ground rather than in a wheelbarrow. We carried the cement to the foundation in buckets and poured it by hand . . . I lost count of how many buckets I carried. While the cement dried we carried bricks from where they were stored to where the foundation was. This took the remainder of the day. Tommorrow we start to lay the bricks - - looking forward to that.
Adios, Eric
From Matt Sinan-
Yesterday we started off with a great breakfast with scrambled eggs and bean slop. Afterward, our rides came to bring us to the work site. The worksite was much more than I expected, I was thinking that the worksite would be in some field with the sun blazin' over us, but the setting turned out great, we had shade and a place to sit down to relax. I think the way they do things here is amazing. No one needs fancy levels or expensive tools. That's what Í really like about here: nobody cares about the material you have, they seem like real people, people who just want to connect with you, and enjoy things. Whether it's playing games or just talking. Like Kevin said, "it's not about building a house, it's about connecting with the people, learning their culture. I almost think this is normal now, like this is the way things are, by watching people, how they live. For example, we saw a guy carrying his ice in a small pull wagon, and that's what he had to do to bring his goods to his store. I think this trip shows and teaches us life values, and it's a great thing to learn. I feel like a better person helping those who don't have all the luxury we have.
From Alex Emmerson-
Day 2 started off great; a nice cold shower, nice hot breakfast. We left for the jobsite where we all were greatly impressed - everything is done totally different - - the heat is extreme, but everything is going good. I will talk to you all later.
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz... Im sleeping, Leave me alone!"
From Eric Bouw-
Hola Mom and Dad,
Yesterday was our first day working on the build site. When we arrived we were surprised to find that the foundation had already been dug. Although I was kind of looking forward to digging cause I enjoy it so much. He began with putting in all the rebar to make the house "earthquake proof". That was the easy part! We then mixed cement for the foundation. It was very different because we mix it on the ground rather than in a wheelbarrow. We carried the cement to the foundation in buckets and poured it by hand . . . I lost count of how many buckets I carried. While the cement dried we carried bricks from where they were stored to where the foundation was. This took the remainder of the day. Tommorrow we start to lay the bricks - - looking forward to that.
Adios, Eric
From Matt Sinan-
Yesterday we started off with a great breakfast with scrambled eggs and bean slop. Afterward, our rides came to bring us to the work site. The worksite was much more than I expected, I was thinking that the worksite would be in some field with the sun blazin' over us, but the setting turned out great, we had shade and a place to sit down to relax. I think the way they do things here is amazing. No one needs fancy levels or expensive tools. That's what Í really like about here: nobody cares about the material you have, they seem like real people, people who just want to connect with you, and enjoy things. Whether it's playing games or just talking. Like Kevin said, "it's not about building a house, it's about connecting with the people, learning their culture. I almost think this is normal now, like this is the way things are, by watching people, how they live. For example, we saw a guy carrying his ice in a small pull wagon, and that's what he had to do to bring his goods to his store. I think this trip shows and teaches us life values, and it's a great thing to learn. I feel like a better person helping those who don't have all the luxury we have.
From Alex Emmerson-
Day 2 started off great; a nice cold shower, nice hot breakfast. We left for the jobsite where we all were greatly impressed - everything is done totally different - - the heat is extreme, but everything is going good. I will talk to you all later.
Blogging: Amanda, Corie, Tricia
Amanda Vargo:
Tricia Angle:
It was the first day of work, June 29th of 2009, on a hot, humid day. Everyone worked their butts off. Well, I wish I could say the same for Kevin, but I cannot! Haha! But after a while he finally started to get dirty. Over all, it was a great day and everyone made it through.Corie Hordijk:
It is not as easy as people may think it is. There is a lot of work and effort put into a house. Everyone pulled through and I cannot wait until it is done!
I am missing everyone at home, always thinking about you and I cannot wait until I come home and share my experience!
Wow! What a day. I do not think I have physically worked that hard in a long time. Today was our first building day here in El Salvador and boy was it intense! All decked out in my manly work clothes, we arrived at the build site, a pleasantly surprising place. Tucked away in some trees and surrounded by other little brick houses and families. We immediately got to work, putting up re-bar, mixing cement (hardest job ever), moving bricks, and playing with awesome children every so often. I got to teach them tag (mika, in spanish)! All of us were drenched in sweat, but it was okay because we are dong something amazing. I also really appreciated the sense of family. We often neglect our relatives in Canada, but here there is such love! At the end of the day we were destroyed, clothes included (sorry about your shoes, mom!). The van ride home was the greatest feeling in the world. Wind blowing and care-free!
Here is to another 8 days!
I love and appreciate you all so much! Hope life is grand!
Corie
Tricia Angle:
Hey everyone! The first work day was amazing. It was difficult and hot, but it makes the work all that more rewarding. We got a lot more work done than I was expectin gand pulled together well with many surprising acts of teamwork. One of the kids on the work site was communicating with us, and I realized through language barriers that barriers are learning experiences, and from them we gain life experience, pride, and the strength to make it through anything. I cannot wait to go back and finish what we have started.
I love you and miss you! I hope everything is well and the babies have not grown too much!
Trish
Monday, June 29, 2009
About our Internet Access
Today, we arrived ¨home¨at 5:00, hot, sweaty and really looking forward to our cold showers. The Internet Cafe is very helpful to us strangers, but their hours are just enough for us to clean up, swing over and update the blog. The blog team is collecting entries from team members each night and posting them the following night. So you will always be reading about ¨yesterday¨. Hope you enjoy news!
Mike
Mike
Day 1
From Jordan Milñe-
"Hola. it´s hot! The room has A/c so thats cool! bye"
From Eric Bouw-
Hey Mom, hey Dad,
just to let you know, I made it here safe and have had a phenomenal first two days. Saturday we met the family who we were going to build the house for - they seemed really cool and have a ton of kids. Yesterday we had the opportunity to go and visit an orphanage. we got to tour the orphanage and then got to play and interact with the kids. You should have seen their faces when when we gave them the toys we brought. Its amazing how happy these kids are with so little, and it really brings into perspective how unimportant material things are. Anyways, blog you tomorrow.
Adios Eric
From Matt Sinan-
hola!- when we landed in san salvador and we were walking through the gate we could really feel the heat. Everything here is completely different, as we walked out of the airport, the first thing that caught my eye was how everyone was standing in beds of pick-up trucks and hanging off vans. I already feel the change in myself and I think that everything will change in my head when I get back to Canada and see all the things we have. the orphanage was definitely a blast. All the kids were so happy to see us. They never second looked us. they didnt care for material, they opened right up. One of the kids even took my hand before we could even say a word to them. The orphanage really supprised me, i didnt expect such a great place for these children. I can already tell the rest of the trip will be fantastic, even just driving down the roads here is amazing, and you can just see the problems here. thank-you to my school who supported me and the rotary club "Rotary International", and thanks to my parents for telling me to go, and of course the DSBN staff for putting this whole experience together.
From Alex Emmerson-
Hey Everyone,
So far this has been an all around amazing trip, we spent the first night we were here meeting the family and interacting with each other, yesterday we had the oppoturnity to visit an orphanage where if was just amazing to see the acceptance that we were given by these children who have come from these broken homes. Its amazing to realize how much we take for granted back home. I am extremely glad I got to pleasure to come on this amazing once in a lifetime trip. I will keep everyone up to date daily.
"Hola. it´s hot! The room has A/c so thats cool! bye"
From Eric Bouw-
Hey Mom, hey Dad,
just to let you know, I made it here safe and have had a phenomenal first two days. Saturday we met the family who we were going to build the house for - they seemed really cool and have a ton of kids. Yesterday we had the opportunity to go and visit an orphanage. we got to tour the orphanage and then got to play and interact with the kids. You should have seen their faces when when we gave them the toys we brought. Its amazing how happy these kids are with so little, and it really brings into perspective how unimportant material things are. Anyways, blog you tomorrow.
Adios Eric
From Matt Sinan-
hola!- when we landed in san salvador and we were walking through the gate we could really feel the heat. Everything here is completely different, as we walked out of the airport, the first thing that caught my eye was how everyone was standing in beds of pick-up trucks and hanging off vans. I already feel the change in myself and I think that everything will change in my head when I get back to Canada and see all the things we have. the orphanage was definitely a blast. All the kids were so happy to see us. They never second looked us. they didnt care for material, they opened right up. One of the kids even took my hand before we could even say a word to them. The orphanage really supprised me, i didnt expect such a great place for these children. I can already tell the rest of the trip will be fantastic, even just driving down the roads here is amazing, and you can just see the problems here. thank-you to my school who supported me and the rotary club "Rotary International", and thanks to my parents for telling me to go, and of course the DSBN staff for putting this whole experience together.
From Alex Emmerson-
Hey Everyone,
So far this has been an all around amazing trip, we spent the first night we were here meeting the family and interacting with each other, yesterday we had the oppoturnity to visit an orphanage where if was just amazing to see the acceptance that we were given by these children who have come from these broken homes. Its amazing to realize how much we take for granted back home. I am extremely glad I got to pleasure to come on this amazing once in a lifetime trip. I will keep everyone up to date daily.
Blogging: Amanda, Corie, and Tricia
Amanda Vargo:
Being here just for this one day has really affected my outlook already. Going to the orphanage was a new experience for me just knowing that there in a better place than in the hands of parents that cannot deal with or support them. The plane ride was not that bad, first time and I never got sick. The food is better than what people may think. I am eating it so it really is not that bad and that is coming from a picky eater. The experience to climb the stairs of the Devils Gate to glimpse a view of a great scenery was worth it. Shopping here is very cool and cheap.Corie Hordijk:
Buenos dias amigas! The first two days have been amazing! Arriving through the gate at the airport was overwhelming and exciting. The heat was overpowering and there were hundreds of people waiting for the passengers to arrive. We feltfamous! Immediately culture shock hit. We drove to our town, Zacatecoluca and got to our hotel that was immersed in this crazy city! We ventured through the city and I felt like everyone was staring at me. Which they were; all in shock ofthe only blonde in town. I felt very helpless seeing the starving stray dogs and struggling peopleon the street. But as long as you do your part, that is giving enough. Day two was the best experience of my life! We went to an orphanage and met 140 beautiful, fun-loving kids who were there because of horrible circumstances. They get to live in a loving and safe environment. Playing with them was so joyful. They were so fascinated with us, it was great. We also drove through the long, windy roads jamming to our Spanish beats =) We got to a beautiful hiking spot and climbed to a beautiful, tranquil mountain top. It was so calming and beautiful! We climbed through rocks and felt the beauty of the world! I felt so happy and really started to understand the lives of the El Salvadorians and the little joyus in their lives. Even though they do not have much, their culture is so rich! I am excited to see what the rest of the week will bring!Tricia Angle:
Miss you all and I wish you were here to experience it with me! =) Love you so much!
PS. Mum! We must do more traveling like this, I know you would love it!
Peace! Corie.
Hey, everyone! I cannot believe we are finally here and experiencing everything that El Salvador has to offer!It is impossible not to be excited about every little thing that happens, and I think we are all starting to realize how precious every little thing we take for granted really is. I can already feel myself becoming a different person, and it is all for the better. I am having a lot of fun, trying everything that I can, and wishing everyone could be here to share these experiences! I am going to keep these short, because you will all hear about and see pictures of everything we did when I get back, and who wants to ruin that surprise? ;)
Miss you and love you, Trish.
Blogging- Ryan and the Presentations group (Kayla, Janet and Andrew)
Hello everybody, Ryan here, for the next couple days I will be posting messages for myself, Andrew, Kayla and Janet
From: Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody, the wait is over, we are here!!! On our trip to the retreat centre, I believe everybody experienced a culture shock. It is very different down here, it is hot, humid and the way everything is done is very different. So little means so much to the El Salvadoreans. Yesterday we went to an orphanage where we recieved a tour then time to play with the children. I found it amazing how those children loved us for the mere balloons, stickers and affection that we gave to them. If we had done the same back home, the children would only be looking for more. Following our trip to the orphanage, we had a beautiful drive through the mountains where we saw how many of the native people live. Following our beautiful drive we went to a tourist area where we hiked up the mountain to a viewing platform. We could see for what seemed like forever. It is amazing how nice and natural the beauty has been left, different from Niagara Falls. That is all for now...were doing great and this place is so different.
Ciao!
Andrew
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Hi mommy! Hi Daddy! I miss you! I´m safe, so please stop worrying. If only you knew how I am feeling and what I have experienced, you would be okay, I promise :). We have not even been here 48 hours and I feel like I´m already changing. Today we visited an orphanage where the children taught me so much. They just wanted to be close; to be loved. Culture didn´t matter, appearance? Not a problem. The language barriers? Although it may have been frustrating at times, it was no big deal. They welcomed us with open arms...literally. Hugs and smiles all around, it was incredible. I could go on forever, but I think it´s too hot to keep writing. Our hotel is wonderful, the food is delicious and plentiful. I´ve made so many new friendships. Thanks so much to everyone for all of your help. I´ll be sure to seize the oppurtunity and experience everything to its fullest. It´s frustrating because I can´t put down what I´m feeling and what we are doing down in writing, it won´t do it justice. Just know I love and miss you and I´m having the BEST and most rewarding time.
Buenos Noches,
XOXO,
Kayla
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola!
So far this trip has been absolutely AMAZING! It´s only day 2 and we have experienced more then some people would see in a lifetime! I used to think I knew about poor cultures and how some people in poor conditions had to live, but I had no idea. From appearance and through culture we are all very different from the people here, but we all smile and we all laugh. I love making that connection. We may not be able to communicate with our words but we can with our faces. Visiting the orphanage was by far the best part so far!
To my family: I´m having so much fun, I´m so happy and I´m feeling great! AND, I´m actually enjoying the food!
Love you, miss you, Ciao!
xoxo
Janet
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Greetings from El Salvador. I would first like to take the chance to assure my worried mother that I am perfectly okay. I am in one piece, and the only part of me that is missing is a part of me that boarded the plane 2 days ago. I can honestly say that the things I have seen in the last 48 hours have changed the way I view things back home. I am still in withdrawl from my guitar, but it is becoming one of the few possesions I miss. I have learned the importance of people over objects. We have known eachother for around 4 months, but the bonds are becoming evident as we share one of our lives most important experiences together. I would like to cap off my first blog post by thanking every single person who helped us get here, it is the experience of a lifetime and we would not be here if it wasn´t for all of you.
So until tomorrow, we are off to build, learn and experience everything we can
Austa La Vista (yes, that was for you Dad)
Ryan
From: Andrew Petheram, A.N. Myer
Hola everybody, the wait is over, we are here!!! On our trip to the retreat centre, I believe everybody experienced a culture shock. It is very different down here, it is hot, humid and the way everything is done is very different. So little means so much to the El Salvadoreans. Yesterday we went to an orphanage where we recieved a tour then time to play with the children. I found it amazing how those children loved us for the mere balloons, stickers and affection that we gave to them. If we had done the same back home, the children would only be looking for more. Following our trip to the orphanage, we had a beautiful drive through the mountains where we saw how many of the native people live. Following our beautiful drive we went to a tourist area where we hiked up the mountain to a viewing platform. We could see for what seemed like forever. It is amazing how nice and natural the beauty has been left, different from Niagara Falls. That is all for now...were doing great and this place is so different.
Ciao!
Andrew
From: Kayla Kuyvenhoven, Grimsby
Hi mommy! Hi Daddy! I miss you! I´m safe, so please stop worrying. If only you knew how I am feeling and what I have experienced, you would be okay, I promise :). We have not even been here 48 hours and I feel like I´m already changing. Today we visited an orphanage where the children taught me so much. They just wanted to be close; to be loved. Culture didn´t matter, appearance? Not a problem. The language barriers? Although it may have been frustrating at times, it was no big deal. They welcomed us with open arms...literally. Hugs and smiles all around, it was incredible. I could go on forever, but I think it´s too hot to keep writing. Our hotel is wonderful, the food is delicious and plentiful. I´ve made so many new friendships. Thanks so much to everyone for all of your help. I´ll be sure to seize the oppurtunity and experience everything to its fullest. It´s frustrating because I can´t put down what I´m feeling and what we are doing down in writing, it won´t do it justice. Just know I love and miss you and I´m having the BEST and most rewarding time.
Buenos Noches,
XOXO,
Kayla
From: Janet Krzeczkowski, Sir Winston Churchill
Hola!
So far this trip has been absolutely AMAZING! It´s only day 2 and we have experienced more then some people would see in a lifetime! I used to think I knew about poor cultures and how some people in poor conditions had to live, but I had no idea. From appearance and through culture we are all very different from the people here, but we all smile and we all laugh. I love making that connection. We may not be able to communicate with our words but we can with our faces. Visiting the orphanage was by far the best part so far!
To my family: I´m having so much fun, I´m so happy and I´m feeling great! AND, I´m actually enjoying the food!
Love you, miss you, Ciao!
xoxo
Janet
From: Ryan Elliott, E.L. Crossley
Greetings from El Salvador. I would first like to take the chance to assure my worried mother that I am perfectly okay. I am in one piece, and the only part of me that is missing is a part of me that boarded the plane 2 days ago. I can honestly say that the things I have seen in the last 48 hours have changed the way I view things back home. I am still in withdrawl from my guitar, but it is becoming one of the few possesions I miss. I have learned the importance of people over objects. We have known eachother for around 4 months, but the bonds are becoming evident as we share one of our lives most important experiences together. I would like to cap off my first blog post by thanking every single person who helped us get here, it is the experience of a lifetime and we would not be here if it wasn´t for all of you.
So until tomorrow, we are off to build, learn and experience everything we can
Austa La Vista (yes, that was for you Dad)
Ryan
Sunday, June 28, 2009
We have arrived Safe and Sound
Hello everyone,
A quick mid-day entry just to let parents and family know that we have arrived in Zacatecoluca safe and sound. Everyone is comfortable, happy and excited. Habitat for Humanity has been great with getting us oriented. We have met the family, and what a family it is . . . 10 children in the home!
This morning we visited an orphanage. I would say more, but really, a picture or two will tell the story better. Our blog team is ready to go. This internet cafe was closed last night and I just came out to see if was open today (being Sunday) and to assure folks that all is well. This afternoon, they are taking us to a picturesque tourist spot.
Well, I had better get back to the retreat centre before lunch is over.
We will do our best to keep you posted here.
Hasta luego,
Mike
A quick mid-day entry just to let parents and family know that we have arrived in Zacatecoluca safe and sound. Everyone is comfortable, happy and excited. Habitat for Humanity has been great with getting us oriented. We have met the family, and what a family it is . . . 10 children in the home!
This morning we visited an orphanage. I would say more, but really, a picture or two will tell the story better. Our blog team is ready to go. This internet cafe was closed last night and I just came out to see if was open today (being Sunday) and to assure folks that all is well. This afternoon, they are taking us to a picturesque tourist spot.
Well, I had better get back to the retreat centre before lunch is over.
We will do our best to keep you posted here.
Hasta luego,
Mike
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Congratulations from Minister of Education!
Just when you think there could not be more gratitude, more comes. It is indeed humbling. Here are some kind words of congratulations from Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education.
2 Days to go
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Looking at the blog, it is surprising how much has been accomplished before we have even left. So many people have come together to make this happen. . . The list of people to thank would be a very long one. But, we are well prepared and Habitat For Humanity - El Salvador will be a great host to us in their country. We will be staying in Zacatecoluca, but will be building in Olocuilta about 20 minutes out of town.
As I skimmed through our photos, I thought that I would add a couple more to our blog. Kevin was just interviewed one last time on radio, so there are a lot of people who will be anxious to hear about our adventure when we get back.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Spanish Notes for All!
Hi everyone! I know we've all been working hard and reviewing our Spanish notes from Monday nights but I thought a little extra might help! There is a lot of vocab and some other helpful information for you!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Interesting Facts
I was just doing some research, and found this list of interesting facts. Thought it was worth sharing.
Had a civil war which lasted 12 years (1980-1992). Peace Accords were signed in Mexico on January 16, 1992
Its the smallest country in Central America (slightly smaller than the US state of Massachusetts)
Despite its small size, it has the third largest economy in Central America
El Salvador's offical language is Spanish
Its the only Latin American country that has troops in Iraq
It has used the US dollar as its main currency since 2001
Prior to this El Salvador's currency was the Colon
The Colon is/was worth 8.75 for ever 1 US dollar
The country's minumum wage is US$120-150 a month
It's made up of 14 States/Departments
It's the only Central American country that does not have a Caribbean coastline
The biggest Shopping centre in all of of Central America is located in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador
It was involved in an infamous 100 hour war with neighbouring Honduras in 1969, after a soccer game
It has a total of 21 Volcanos
One of these Volcanos had a minor eruption on October 1, 2005. Spewing up clouds of ash and rocks, its effect reached nearby villages and caused two deaths
El Salvador has the largest airport in all of Central America
Gained its independace from Spain on September 15, 1821
Is frequently hit by earthqakes, the last big one being on January 13, 2001. Earthquake was marked at 7.6 on the Richter Scale
Is part of CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) which has trade with the USA
Has some of the best surfing beaches in the world
90% of Salvadorans are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish/European)
Oliver Stone directed a movie called "Salvador" and focus on its 12 year Civil war. The movie is critically acclaimed as one of Stone's best, and was nominated for an Oscar
Many Salvadoreans have fled for various reasons to the United States. Its estimated that around 2-3 million live in the US
Its the most densely populated country in all of the Americas
Unlike many countries that have four season ever year, El Salvador only has 2. The wet and dry seasons, which run from May to October and November to April, respectively
Many notable Salvadorean people are from Palastinan decent
The country name, El Salvador, literally means "the savoir" in spanish
El Salvador is part of what was the Mayan Empire. The Mayan Empire didn't go any further south after El Salvador
It has many Mayan and Pipil ruins including some pyramids
El Salvador's national dish is called a "Pupusa"
Had a civil war which lasted 12 years (1980-1992). Peace Accords were signed in Mexico on January 16, 1992
Its the smallest country in Central America (slightly smaller than the US state of Massachusetts)
Despite its small size, it has the third largest economy in Central America
El Salvador's offical language is Spanish
Its the only Latin American country that has troops in Iraq
It has used the US dollar as its main currency since 2001
Prior to this El Salvador's currency was the Colon
The Colon is/was worth 8.75 for ever 1 US dollar
The country's minumum wage is US$120-150 a month
It's made up of 14 States/Departments
It's the only Central American country that does not have a Caribbean coastline
The biggest Shopping centre in all of of Central America is located in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador
It was involved in an infamous 100 hour war with neighbouring Honduras in 1969, after a soccer game
It has a total of 21 Volcanos
One of these Volcanos had a minor eruption on October 1, 2005. Spewing up clouds of ash and rocks, its effect reached nearby villages and caused two deaths
El Salvador has the largest airport in all of Central America
Gained its independace from Spain on September 15, 1821
Is frequently hit by earthqakes, the last big one being on January 13, 2001. Earthquake was marked at 7.6 on the Richter Scale
Is part of CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) which has trade with the USA
Has some of the best surfing beaches in the world
90% of Salvadorans are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish/European)
Oliver Stone directed a movie called "Salvador" and focus on its 12 year Civil war. The movie is critically acclaimed as one of Stone's best, and was nominated for an Oscar
Many Salvadoreans have fled for various reasons to the United States. Its estimated that around 2-3 million live in the US
Its the most densely populated country in all of the Americas
Unlike many countries that have four season ever year, El Salvador only has 2. The wet and dry seasons, which run from May to October and November to April, respectively
Many notable Salvadorean people are from Palastinan decent
The country name, El Salvador, literally means "the savoir" in spanish
El Salvador is part of what was the Mayan Empire. The Mayan Empire didn't go any further south after El Salvador
It has many Mayan and Pipil ruins including some pyramids
El Salvador's national dish is called a "Pupusa"
St. Catharines Standard Article
You might want to pick up a copy of tomorrow's St. Catharines Standard. They have published a great article highlighting our El Salvador project. If you miss the paper however, you can view the article online already at http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1613856 or by clicking the title on this posting. And . . . they got everyone's name right - - "Petheran" is pretty close. This was definitely another busy Monday for the team . . meetings . . news reporters . . radio shows . . and our own documentarian getting the "inside story." So take a breath, and start going through your checklists!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
FM 105.1 The River
Remember to tune in to FM 105.1 The River tomorrow (Monday, 15th) at around 8:40am when some of the team will be on air talking about the Global Village build. If radio does not work for you at that time of day, maybe the computer will . . . 105.1 The River streams its broadcast at http://www.river.fm/ where you may be able to tune in.
Send-Off BBQ
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Just a couple of photos. Thanks to everyone who was able to come out, and thanks to St. Catharines Collegiate's Hospitality crew for serving up some great food in style! We are now into the home stretch and will be on our way in less than two weeks.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
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Monday, June 8, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Busy, busy day.
Busy day.
As well, some of us will be busy at the Boston Pizza on Ontario St. in St. Catharines and at the Morrison Street location (by Home Depot) in Niagara Falls from 5:00 - 8:00pm.
As well, some of us will be at Queen Mary School starting the lunchtime BBQ in a little over an hour from now.
Monday, June 1, 2009
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
DSBNi El Salvador announced in the House of Commons
Ryan posted the text (further down the blog) of this announcement in the House of Commons of our El Salvador build. Here is a link to the video of Dean Allison's announcement:
Dean Allison, MP
It is great to have the support and recognition for our endeavour.
Dean Allison, MP
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
BBQ Fundraiser
Thought that I would upload a couple pics from yesterday's fundraiser in St. Catharines. Thanks to everyone for all the help. The reviews have been glowing :-)
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Electrical Plugs in El Sal
The outlets in El Salvador are the same as here, so no need for any converters or plug adaptors.
:-)
House Of Commons Reading
Hey everyone,
I was online looking for stuff to put on a poster for my school, and I found the reading from Dean Allison in the House of Commons. I posted the link but if it doesn't work here is what it said.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw to the attention of the House an upcoming project organized by the technology and experimental learning team at the District School Board of Niagara.
Students and teachers within my riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook and across the Niagara Peninsula have been involved in the seventh Habitat for Humanity project in the area, building homes for local deserving families.
From June 26 to July 7 of this year, 20 Niagara area students and teachers will be participating in a building project with Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador. This project will allow students to develop a better understanding of cultures, customs and traditions of the world while building on the skills gained from the continued work in Niagara.
I would invite all members of the House to join me in offering best wishes for the students and teachers of the Niagara District School Board for their project in El Salvador.
I was online looking for stuff to put on a poster for my school, and I found the reading from Dean Allison in the House of Commons. I posted the link but if it doesn't work here is what it said.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw to the attention of the House an upcoming project organized by the technology and experimental learning team at the District School Board of Niagara.
Students and teachers within my riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook and across the Niagara Peninsula have been involved in the seventh Habitat for Humanity project in the area, building homes for local deserving families.
From June 26 to July 7 of this year, 20 Niagara area students and teachers will be participating in a building project with Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador. This project will allow students to develop a better understanding of cultures, customs and traditions of the world while building on the skills gained from the continued work in Niagara.
I would invite all members of the House to join me in offering best wishes for the students and teachers of the Niagara District School Board for their project in El Salvador.
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