Hello guys! Today’s blog post is from Alondra and Sandy. We were the LDDs for today.

We had the wake-up call today at 7 am and came down around 7:30 am to get on the bus to La Bruja’s Cafe for breakfast. For breakfast, we had an egg omelet with tortilla, fresh fruit, empanadas, traditional Panamanian-styled bread, and lemonade. Then, we got on the bus around 8:45 am to head to Santa-Ann Bilingual Elementary School to continue our work from yesterday’s first Community Action Project Day 1 (so we could have a rocking Day 2!). We finished a great majority of the work we planned to do! We labeled the separate recycling bins with their respective labels. Then, painted the title in bright letters and added painted images to make it fun and interesting for the kids to recycle. Next, some students were called to partake in the Cement Team. Where they made cement from scratch, transported the cement to the work site, and lastly, placed the foundations for the future Centro de Aquiro (Recycling Center). In doing so, all the students (including us :)) were able to place their handprints on the cement for a long-lasting memory of the CH1C – Global Glimpse team of 2024 that came to build the center. It was an incredible memory for us, too. This also brought us extremely close to the staff and faculty of Santa-Ann school which not only allowed us to put our handprints in the cement but also encouraged it and supported us Glimpers to create relationships and have conversations with both them and the students. We even created the walls for the recycling center with recycled plastic bottles that people donated to the schools. Overall, it was an astonishingly hard day (we even stayed two hours longer than yesterday!), but it was equally beneficial and rewarding for all involved. Midday at 1 pm, we had our lunch. Lunch today was Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, and pineapple juice. Shortly after our adventures in the Santa-Ann School, we arrived at the hotel at around 4:30. Then, we had Free Time till 5:30. Meaning, the students were allowed to venture near the hotel (in all reviewed and checked spaces that the Global Glimpse team conducted) and buy things. For example: 4 students went to the next-door Do-It Center store, where they bought sports equipment for the children at the Santa-Ann School since they lacked proper equipment. Then, the students arrived at 5:30 to get ready for our dinner at approximately 6 pm. Dinner today was pork chops with fresh salad, white rice, barbecue sauce, and orange juice. Then at 7 pm, we had our nightly guided meeting, where we talked about our day, things we noticed, wished, and did, and our hopes for tomorrow with the new LDDs and completing the CAP Day 3.

As previously mentioned, today was Community Action Project Day 2. Yesterday, we completed more than expected (we sand-ed and painted 18 out of the expected number of 12 barrels), and we continued that pattern today. After today’s work, the team has completed over 90% of the project. All we have left to do for tomorrow is place the painted bins into their designated area, clean, add any finished touches, and have the Centro De Aquiro grand opening. A lot of the Glimpsers enjoyed getting closer to the students whom they previously met yesterday and vice-versa. Today’s question of the day was: What are the keys to successful teamwork? This question was answered in our efforts both yesterday and today with our ability to communicate and work effectively and collaboratively to make something truly special.

We personally felt inspired and motivated seeing all the children work alongside us. That is because, despite both of us feeling physically exhausted, the high spirits and energy of everyone else helped make the day go by faster and have us work harder. Overall, it was a lot of teamwork and cooperation.

This is Alondra personally speaking: Hi mom! I love you. I hope everything is going okay at home and that you are reading this out loud to abuela and Ellie and Chloe (those are my dogs for those who don’t know). I miss you all dearly. Also, hi Karla!! I promise I am safe and sound and having fun. Thank you both for always being so supportive of me and encouraging for me to go on this trip. It has been absolutely unforgettable and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Until then, hope the pictures that Jeromie took of me satisfy you guys whenever you miss me :).

This is sandy personally speaking: hola mami y papi espero que todo en casa esta bien y que shady este bien y los extrano mucho  los quiero y no puedo espera asta que llegue a casa (love you guys ).

Hope you enjoyed reading about today as much as we enjoyed experiencing it.

Bye!!

Sincerely,

Alondra and Sandy <3