Greetings earthlings. Here in tropical Matagalpa M1A was n0t MIA and worked hard on the second day of the Community Action Project (CAP) delivery. When we got to the Hope Center, the poles we had placed were fully dried in the cement we had laid the day before. We quickly got to work, putting up the entire chain link fence. As the dream delegation that we are, along with the help of our bus driver and the pastor of the church in which the Hope Project is located, we were able to finish the fence by noon. After putting the chain link up, we were left with building a gate for the fence along with putting cement along the bottom of it. However, we needed more wood for the gate but could not buy more due the fact that most stores in Matagalpa are closed on Sundays. We also could not make the cement because there was no running water at the church. Due to these minor road blocks and us getting so much done in the morning, we decided to wrap up around 1 p.m. Upon arriving back at the hostel, we were rewarded with newfound freetime until dinner at 6 p.m. As most of the stores were closed today, most of the members of our beloved delegation headed to the cyber cafe to call home and wish a happy father’s day to all of our own dad’s and other friends and family back in the U.S. A lot of M1A ran into M2A (another Matagalpa delegation) and got to see a lot of familiar faces. Most of us got back from freetime at 5 p.m. in order to start preparing lessons for our respective English classes tomorrow. We got a taste from home during dinner as we enjoyed alfredo pasta, which most people devoured (especially Michael). After that great meal, we headed to our nightly meeting. We are ending the night with free time as usual.image

As a delegation and as leaders of the day, we learned that hard work, organization and teamwork really do pay off. After noting and improving minor mistakes from the previous day, everything flowed smoothly today. Everyone’s coordination and effort led to all members being able to go back to the hostel early and gaining well-earned free time that we all didn’t expect. Both of us were reminded that we are surrounded by a group of amazing, motivated young leaders and that being a leader is not about authority, but about example.

What surprised both of us most about today was how effectively and efficiently we, as a delegation, could complete such a project, without the use of power tools or other methods that we would typically rely on at home. With only a saw, hammer, nails, hooks, wood and the chain link, we were able to construct a stable and secure fence for the Hope Center. Due to it being mostly a planning day yesterday, most people felt like there was not much to do and were not as active as they could be. However, today everyone was always working and constantly wanting to do more.

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The most inspiring person that we met today was our bus driver for the day, Gerald, as he far surpassed his job description. Throughout the entire day, he was a huge help in constructing the fence, working alongside us Glimpsers and the contractor. He did not just sit in the bus for hours watching us build a fence like a regular bus driver would do, he was a super bus driver and got up and helped us build a fence. He already had a knowledge of fence building, as did our program coordinator Alex, and helped direct us. At 1 p.m. as we headed back to the bus we gave him a huge thank you and a gift from the delegation, showing our appreciation of his desire to help, without needing to be asked. He was a reminder that we all should be constantly looking out to help others without being asked to, and sometimes those who are the most appreciated are those who go out of their way to help others.

Being Los Lideres Del Dia was a great experience. There was not a big difference from being regular Glimpsers; we just had to be a lot more vocal with our delegation and talk a lot more with our program coordinators. We had to be constantly reminding everyone to be drinking water. There were little changes in the day that we had to be checking up on with Alex and Skarleth, but there were no dramatic changes other than leaving earlier, which was a happy change. The dynamic between the two of us and our peers was still the same, as we put our imaginative leader caps when we made announcements. We tried to lead by example by constantly working, let it be on the fence or with the kids in the community.

 

What we learned about ourselves today:

Aiva: I learned about the power a positive attitude has. I am a naturally loud and quirky person who is constantly doing something weird. When I am in a leadership position, I try to let that come through because when I have other leaders be happy and weird, the attitude of the group they are leading goes up immensely. I think that was the case today, as everyone was happy and because of that worked harder and more effiecently.

Michael: Today, I learned about myself, as a leader, of my flaws and of my talents. Because I am leadder of the day tomorrow, I can fix these flaws, such as not being vocal enough, and build on on my talents. I am excited to finish the fence tomorrow, as well as the water collector, and to not only help to lead, but to also work alongside my fellow Glimpsers.

Aiva: I can’t wait to finish the CAP tomorrow and to see William and Michael (once again) be the Los Lideres Del Dia!

WATCH OUR VIDEO!!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3SPh-9vK77bR3MyTEN1NDQ3R1U/view?usp=sharing