Dear Parents, Friends, and Loved Ones,

We are delighted to provide you with a detailed summary of our first day as Leaders of the Day. Our experience has been both exciting and fulfilling, and we are eager to share the highlights with you. The theme of the day was “Aid and Development”. Our question of the day was “How do limited resources and opportunities affect students’ ability to reach their full potential and how can this be changed?”

Morning:
– 6:00 AM: Our day started with an early rise to prepare for our responsibilities as leaders.
– 7:30 AM: Our initial task involved waking up the groups and staff by knocking on their doors, ensuring everyone was ready to start the day.
– 8:15 AM: Breakfast was served, where we had eggs, ham, and bread, providing us with the necessary energy for the day ahead.

Energizer and Travel:
– Following breakfast, our GG Leader, Marco, introduced us to a game called “WAH” t everyone for the day’s activities.
– We embarked on a journey to Pedasi, Los Santos, Panama, which required a 40-minute drive from our hotel.

Community Action Project:
– Upon our arrival in Pedasi, we had the privilege of meeting Sandra, the Executive Director of Pro Eco Azuero. She delivered a presentation detailing the organization’s mission and our forthcoming Community Action Project.
– Our project will involve planting trees in the Azuero Peninsula to create a more sustainable habitat for the endangered Azuero spider monkeys and other monkey species. We learned so much from Sandra about the issues of deforestation in the Azuero Peninsula’s tropical dry forest and how we can work WITH the community to create change and reforest.

Afternoon:
– After expressing our gratitude to Sandra with a gift of appreciation from Global Glimpse, we returned to the hotel for lunch, which was served at approximately 1:00 PM.
– During our free time, we explored various local stores in Las Tablas, where we purchased snacks, souvenirs, and other items. Additionally, some members of our group engaged in a  volleyball game at a nearby park

Evening:

-We participated in a self-reflection session led by the GG Leaders, during which we discussed our experiences so far. We also went over the rules and worked together as a group to create our own “agreements” Some of these include keeping an open mind, sharing the spotlight, always assuming good intentions, and calling someone IN not OUT.
– For dinner we enjoyed a meal of Chow Mein, accompanied by salad and chips.
– The day concluded with our nightly meeting, where we reviewed the day’s events with the entire team and passed the leadership torch to the next Leader of the Day, Christian Castellanos.

Gael Mendoza: Being the first leader of the day made me gain confidence and the ability to be able to communicate with my peers. This was an important trait because most importantly I attended this trip to develop leadership skills and mostly to gain friendship along the way. My experience so far has been great, I have developed several friendships with peers and roommates and I’m looking forward to creating great memories with the team. Im very excited to work on the Community Action Project because it makes me feel like I can help make a difference in this world. Last but not least I want to give a shoutout to my parents and my sibling and also my girlfriend, I miss you all so much and I will have you all in my mind throughout this trip. Love you all and I can’t wait to return home!!                                                                                Spanish:Ser el primer Líder del Día ha aumentado significativamente mi confianza y ha mejorado mi capacidad para comunicarme de manera efectiva con mis compañeros. Este crecimiento es especialmente significativo para mí, ya que mis principales objetivos para este viaje son desarrollar habilidades de liderazgo y construir amistades. Hasta ahora, mi experiencia ha sido excepcional. He formado varias nuevas amistades con mis compañeros y estoy emocionado por la posibilidad de crear más recuerdos maravillosos con el equipo. Estoy particularmente entusiasmado con el Proyecto de Acción Comunitaria, ya que ofrece una oportunidad para contribuir positivamente al mundo. Por último, me gustaría enviar un sincero saludo a mis padres, mi hermanos y mi novia. Los extraño muchísimo y los llevo en mis pensamientos a lo largo de este viaje. Los quiero a todos y no puedo esperar para volver a casa!!!

Miguel Mateo: Being a leader made me a better person and it also allowed me to receive a skill that I will use for the rest of my life. I also got to meet new people. And to my family, I want to say that I am doing good and that I really miss the gym and snacks from LA but most importantly miss my family and friends and see you guys in a week and a half.

We have had an exceptional day filled with learning, bonding, and fun. We extend our gratitude for your support and we can’t wait to continue sharing more of our journey with you.

Warm regards,

Gael Mendoza & Miguel Mateo