Ponyo, Ponyo, Ponyo, fishy in the sea. Tiny little fishy, who could you really be? The Glimpsers on the third floor of hostel Quintonido were blasted with these lyrics of the famed anime theme song early in the morning as they awakened to their first day of the Community Action Project. We had planned to complete the repainting and building of a kids play area in the community center of a nearby town, Paso Bahito, within a three day span. After a quick breakfast we hopped onto the bus with our supplies and rode up the mountain to our destination. 

Once at the community center, things were slow to start. A few issues of planning and supplies hampered our actions, but thoughtful decision making allowed the group to begin work. While some of the community members worked on building a shelf outside, us Glimpsers along with other helpful community members managed to finish half of the interior walls before lunch. For lunch, our amazing food providers delivered us delicious rice and chicken, and everyone enjoyed a great meal. With enough rest to recover our energy and spirits, we got straight to work with the 2nd half of the wall. Although the wall was porous and difficult to cover, with meticulous strokes we managed to finish the first layer of paint. After an exhausting day of painting we took a tired bus ride back and were happy to get some much needed rest. 

A downpour of epic rain woke us from our nap. Some chose to venture out into the city, and was caught by the rain, but took the opportunity to enjoy themselves on a wet trampoline. With everyone’s safe return, we took some time to complete our final draft of our appreciation letters for the generous donors who help to make this trip possible. 

After filling our stomachs with tasty pasta, we ended the day with a fun family game, and the next LDDs hurried us to bed to get a good night’s rest for CAP day 2. 

-cAseY and qUaNG